Feeling defeated inside, but refusing to admit it out loud, he retorted, “That’s just me keeping a low profile. I always scored low on purpose before. Wait till the college entrance exam—I’ll really surprise you all!”

“Yeah, right!”

Both Hannah Quinn and the other person looked at him with utter disdain. Teen boys and girls never hold grudges overnight; after a few words, they were already laughing and bickering as they headed home together.

Even David Thompson didn’t care whether he’d come for revenge or not—after all, he’d done this dozens of times before.

Walking with a pretty girl, who cares about petty little grudges?

Chapter 3: Meeting Again

After saying goodbye to Warren Wade and Hannah Quinn, David Thompson walked to the door of the old house he hadn’t seen in years, feeling a bit nervous to be so close to home.

In his previous life, after his parents passed away, he never came back here again.

Opening the door, the old two-bedroom apartment with its worn-out furniture tugged at David Thompson’s soul. That familiar scent was intoxicating.

He took a deep breath. His busy parents clearly didn’t have much time to clean, and since it had been raining for the past couple of days, there was still a faint musty smell lingering in the house.

Taking off his jacket, he went to the bathroom to fill a basin with water. David Thompson picked up a rag and started cleaning. In that moment, he felt especially happy, not tired at all.

……

When the whole place was sparkling clean, David Thompson collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted and out of breath.

After dozing for a bit, he heard the faint sound of keys jingling outside the door.

David Thompson glanced at the wall clock—it was already half past eight. His parents were home.

The door opened, and in came Mr. Thompson Charles Thompson. At forty-five, Charles Thompson looked older than his age, his face pale and unhealthy from years without sunlight.

Charles Thompson was clearly unprepared for the spotless house. A look of surprise flashed in his eyes, and then he turned to Fiona Cole, who was changing her shoes, and joked, “Honey, did we walk into the wrong house?”

David Thompson’s mom, Fiona Cole, looked up at his words. Seeing her son half-reclining on the sofa, his face streaked with tears, she couldn’t help but tease, “No, we didn’t walk into the wrong place. It’s just that our son worked himself to tears.”

“Hahaha…”

Charles Thompson was stunned for a moment, then glanced at David Thompson and burst out laughing.

Embarrassed, David Thompson wiped away the tears at the corners of his eyes. Seeing his parents, who had passed away, alive and well before him again—even though he’d expected it—was still a huge shock.

Earlier, whether it was seeing teachers or classmates, he’d only felt a bit sentimental. But seeing his dearest family alive again, David Thompson truly felt the happiness of living a second life.

“Dad, Mom…” David Thompson’s voice was a little choked, but he quickly covered it up and said, “I’m hungry. Did you bring any food back?”

“Of course, I knew you wouldn’t have eaten yet!”

Fiona Cole nagged a bit as she took out the food she’d brought, muttering as she walked, “I made you two dishes. There are still eggs and tomatoes at home. I’ll make you some soup. Next time, remember to eat earlier. Don’t save money just to go to the internet café. The college entrance exam is coming up—don’t make us worry…”

The nagging he used to find annoying as a teenager now felt so warm and familiar. David Thompson closed his eyes, savoring the long-lost coziness, and whined like a child, “Mom, I love your soup the most. Make more, I haven’t had it in so long.”

“Heh, you little rascal, always sweet-talking your mom! Just the other day I made a big pot and you only had one spoonful before leaving it…”

His mother busied herself in the kitchen, while Charles Thompson, exhausted from a long day, leaned back on the sofa, a trace of fatigue on his face. “Dongzi, the college entrance exam is coming up soon. Work hard for a while and get into a good university. Don’t end up like me, only able to sell fish and shrimp.”

In the past, David Thompson would get impatient when his father said this, but now he replied obediently, “I know, Dad. Don’t worry. Maybe not a top university, but I’ll definitely get into a regular one.”

“Haha, that’s good! Your dad missed out because he didn’t study enough. Otherwise, I’d be a billionaire by now…”

He didn’t interrupt his father’s bragging—one of his few hobbies. He just listened quietly, gently massaging his father’s hunched back, until he soon heard the soft sound of snoring.

He was so tired. Every night at two or three in the morning, he had to go out to buy stock.

The seafood business is different from others. If you buy too much at once and can’t sell it, it’ll die, and that’s a loss. Small businesses can’t afford to take risks, so you have to buy and sell on the same day.

Then, at five or six in the morning, he’d set up the stall, working all day until late at night, year after year. There aren’t many jobs more exhausting than this.

……

Fiona Cole finished making the soup and called the sleeping father to eat. Since they had to get up early, the two of them washed up quickly and went to bed.

David Thompson didn’t disturb them. He quietly finished his meal and drank all the soup, then patted his stomach and let out a long sigh of relief.

Unlike before, when he’d just leave the dishes and ignore them, David Thompson washed everything clean before going to his own room.

Picking up his long-unseen textbooks, David Thompson began to study in earnest. Although he hadn’t touched a book in years, his foundation was still there, and with a more mature adult mind, he found it even easier to absorb the material after a quick review.

Only then did David Thompson breathe a little easier. He talked big, but to say he wasn’t worried would be a lie. Now, though, it seemed he still had a shot.

It was late into the night. Seeing that it was almost two o’clock, David Thompson finally put down his books and went to sleep.

……