He had absolutely no recollection of this... And Ryan Carter swore, in all his memories, there had never been such a person!

Could this really be a parallel world, where some things and people he was familiar with still followed their own paths, like the trunk of a great tree, only now with many more leaves or branches?

The bell for the end of class rang. The next period was PE, and people gradually made their way to the sports field. After running laps, most of PE class was free play time.

At this moment, Summer Young walked straight up to Ryan Carter, who was sitting under the shade of a tree watching the school, and said calmly, "Come with me for a moment."

Summer Young was wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, with soft cotton sweatpants, her black hair tied in a ponytail at the back. But facing Ryan Carter, her expression was unfriendly. After speaking, she turned and left, leaving a group of people behind to gloat at Ryan Carter.

Normally, if a girl so openly asked a boy out during PE class—especially someone as popular as the class beauty Summer Young—there would have been a commotion, with all sorts of rumors spreading everywhere.

Little Summer Young had been involved in many dramatic incidents. Not long ago, one of her friends was teased mercilessly by a boy from another class, making the girl cry. When Summer Young heard about it, she stormed into the other class, called the boy out, and kicked him hard in the ankle. That boy was considered a big shot in his class, but in front of her, he could only raise his hands and admit defeat.

And no matter what rumors there were about Summer Young and anyone else, it could never be with this Ryan Carter in front of her.

Because everyone knew that Ryan Carter was just one of the many kids from their compound who had admired her since childhood, nothing special.

Whether in the compound or the whole class, everyone knew he liked Summer Young, and this so-called secret crush of Ryan Carter’s was actually an open secret. Even the adults at the compound’s workplace all knew about it.

The old man guarding the gate would often shake his head regretfully at him as he rushed to class after just waking up, "Late again... Little Summer Young caught the earlier bus five minutes before you!"

Thinking back on all of this now, and finding himself still in this era, Ryan Carter felt a faint ache for no reason.

Summer Young was already waiting for him under that patch of dappled shade.

As soon as Ryan Carter approached, he was hit by the girl’s frosty glare.

"What on earth are you thinking? It’s the last month now, and you think your grades are good enough? You dare to bet with The Butcher Thompson? You heard what he said—he wants you to write a self-criticism for the whole school, and he’ll put it on your record! Do you understand? This isn’t just about calling your parents anymore, and even if he did, he wouldn’t care! This is about your future!"

"The Butcher Thompson was expelled once before—do you know how private that is? Who would dare make it public? And you think you’re something special, a student who dares to stand up to him? Don’t think you’re a hero. You’re just naive and childish... If he really wants to make things hard for you, you’ll be in trouble!"

Hearing the girl in front of him call him "childish" in that crisp voice, Ryan Carter felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity. Summer Young was the girl he’d had a crush on from childhood through middle school, and now she was right in front of him, so real he could even smell the faint laurel scent from her, listening to her rapid-fire words. Instead of feeling upset, he actually enjoyed it, and said, "Of course he doesn’t dare call my parents. Does he want everyone to know about that incident? So he can only act in secret! A teacher who likes to take gifts, pull strings, curry favor with the leaders, squeeze out colleagues, and doesn’t really care about teaching—a scumbag like that, is there any need to save his face?"

"Is this the time for you to talk back? If your mom hadn’t asked me to keep an eye on you and report back, do you think I’d bother saying all this? Do you want me to tell Auntie Foster?"

"Alright, alright, I’m listening..." Ryan Carter casually plucked a blade of grass from the flowerbed, put it in his mouth, and tasted its greenness.

"What’s with that perfunctory tone? Ryan Carter, this isn’t about you questioning him, it’s about what ability or qualifications you have! You have no way to go up against him... We’re students now, and our only job is to study hard. That’s our biggest task."

Summer Young frowned. The Ryan Carter in front of her was nothing like the one who used to shrink and look pitiful under her cold words. It was as if he’d become a different person.

In his every gesture, there was a faint air of ease, even something... she couldn’t describe, an indescribable quality.

The boy, in the sunlight, leaning against the tree with a blade of grass in his mouth and his hands behind his head, listened to her scolding as if it were heavenly music, a faint smile curling at his lips.

It made Summer Young a little flustered, so her tone grew even more forceful. It was as if, by emphasizing her words, she could turn Ryan Carter back into his old self. This current, unassailable version of him made her feel uneasy.

But thinking of something, Summer Young grew serious again. "Ryan Carter, don’t think I want to control you. How many points did you get on this mock exam? 421! Even if you get a perfect 50 in PE, how far are you from the 660 admission line for City No. 1 High School?"