Chapter 3 Facing the Bad Boy’s Harassment
Two weeks later, Gu Qingqing’s daily routine was going smoothly. She studied with Chen Yu every afternoon, her grades were getting better, and Gu Mingzhu hadn’t managed to trick her again—though she’d tried. She left a wet sponge on Gu Qingqing’s textbook and "accidentally" spilled coffee on her notes (but Gu Qingqing had copied the notes beforehand, so it didn’t matter). Then Li Hao showed up.
Li Hao was a senior from another class—he was known for skipping school, fighting, and bothering girls. In her past life, he’d targeted Gu Qingqing after Gu Mingzhu told him Gu Qingqing "liked" him. He’d followed her home, distracted her in class, and even tried to grab her arm once. Gu Qingqing had been too scared to tell anyone, and it had messed up her study schedule for weeks.
This time, Li Hao stopped her by the school gate after class. "Hey, Gu Qingqing," he said, leaning against the wall with a lazy smirk on his face. "Heard you’re doing well in exams lately. Wanna help me study? I’ll buy you milk tea."
Gu Qingqing didn’t stop walking. "No thanks. I have to study with Chen Yu."
Li Hao stepped in front of her, blocking her way. "Chen Yu? That quiet nerd? C’mon, he’s no fun. I can take you to have a good time after school." His eyes lingered on her, making her skin crawl.
Gu Qingqing took a step back, her voice steady. "Move. I’m not interested."
Just then, Chen Yu walked up, holding his backpack. "Is everything okay?" he asked, standing next to Gu Qingqing.
Li Hao looked at Chen Yu, then laughed. "Mind your own business, nerd. This is between me and Gu Qingqing."
Chen Yu didn’t back down. "She said she’s not interested. Leave her alone."
Li Hao’s smirk faded. He stepped closer to Chen Yu, his fists clenched. "You wanna fight, huh?"
Gu Qingqing pulled out her phone and held it up. "I’ll call the teacher if you don’t leave right now. Ms. Wang—she’s in charge of student discipline—will be here in two minutes." She’d already typed Ms. Wang’s number into her phone, just in case.
Li Hao froze. He didn’t want to get in trouble with the school—his parents had threatened to send him to a boarding school if he got one more detention. "Tch, whatever," he said, stepping away. "I’ll see you later, Gu Qingqing." He walked off, muttering under his breath.
Gu Qingqing let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. "Thanks," she said to Chen Yu. "I didn’t think he’d show up this early."
Chen Yu frowned. "Who is he? Why was he bothering you?"
Gu Qingqing hesitated, then told him the truth. "Gu Mingzhu told him I liked him. In my… past experience, he bothered me for weeks. I was too scared to tell anyone." She didn’t mention being reborn—she just called it a "past experience."
Chen Yu’s jaw tightened. "That’s not right. If he bothers you again, tell me. Or tell Ms. Li. We won’t let him hurt you."
Gu Qingqing nodded, feeling grateful. That night, when she got home, Gu Mingzhu came into her room, pretending to borrow a hair tie. "Sister, did Li Hao talk to you today?" she asked, putting on a fake innocent look.
Gu Qingqing looked up from her textbook. "Yes. He bothered me. Did you tell him I liked him?"
Gu Mingzhu’s eyes widened. "What? No! I just said you were a nice girl. I didn’t think he’d bother you. I’m sorry, sister!" She sounded so sincere, but Gu Qingqing could see the lie in her eyes.
"Don’t do it again," Gu Qingqing said, her voice cold. "If Li Hao bothers me one more time, I’ll tell Mom and Dad what you did. And I’ll show them the texts you sent him—you forgot I saw your phone last week." It was a lie—she hadn’t seen any texts—but Gu Mingzhu didn’t know that.
Gu Mingzhu’s face turned pale. "You… you saw my phone?" She quickly left the room, slamming the door. Gu Qingqing smiled to herself—she’d won this round.
The next day, Li Hao didn’t show up. But Chen Yu still walked with her to and from school, just in case. They studied together every afternoon, going over math problems and English vocabulary. Gu Qingqing found that studying with Chen Yu was easier—he explained things clearly, and he made her laugh when she got frustrated. For the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel like she was fighting alone.
One afternoon, as they walked home, Chen Yu said, "I talked to Ms. Li about Li Hao. She said she’ll keep an eye on him. And if he bothers you again, she’ll report him to the principal."
Gu Qingqing stopped and looked at Chen Yu. "You didn’t have to do that."
Chen Yu shrugged, a small smile on his face. "I wanted to. You’re my friend, Gu Qingqing. Friends help each other."
Gu Qingqing felt her cheeks get warm. "Thank you," she said quietly.
As they walked on, with the sun setting behind them, Gu Qingqing thought about her past life. Back then, she’d been lonely, scared, and alone. But now, she had Chen Yu—someone who cared about her, who helped her, who believed in her. She still had a long way to go—75 days left until the exam, and Gu Mingzhu was still planning tricks. But with Chen Yu by her side, she felt like she could handle anything.
Chapter 4 Unfair Treatment from the Snobby Teacher
A month later, Gu Qingqing faced a new problem: Teacher Wang.
Teacher Wang was the history teacher, and she was known for being snobby. She favored students whose parents gave her gifts, and she looked down on anyone she thought was "not smart enough." In her past life, Teacher Wang had hated Gu Qingqing because her parents didn’t give her expensive gifts (unlike Gu Mingzhu’s adoptive parents, who gave Teacher Wang a new bag every Christmas). She’d given Gu Qingqing low marks on her history papers, even when her answers were correct. She’d also given her extra chores—like cleaning the classroom after school—just to make her miss study time.
This time, Teacher Wang started targeting Gu Qingqing after Gu Mingzhu told her Gu Qingqing "talked back" to her. It started with a history quiz. Gu Qingqing had studied hard—she’d memorized all the key events, written practice essays, and even asked Chen Yu to quiz her. But when Teacher Wang handed back the quiz, Gu Qingqing saw a big red "65" on top.
She looked at her paper, confused. Her answers were almost the same as Chen Yu’s—who’d gotten a 90. She raised her hand. "Teacher Wang, can I ask why I got a 65? My answers are similar to Chen Yu’s."
Teacher Wang looked at her, her nose in the air. "Gu Qingqing, your answers are ‘similar’ because you copied Chen Yu. I saw you looking at his paper during the quiz."
Gu Qingqing’s jaw dropped. "I didn’t copy him! I studied for weeks. You can ask Chen Yu—we studied together, but I didn’t copy his answers."
Chen Yu raised his hand too. "Teacher Wang, Gu Qingqing didn’t copy me. We studied together, but her answers are her own."
Teacher Wang ignored him. "Quiet, Chen Yu. I don’t want to hear excuses from you either. Gu Qingqing, after class, you’ll stay and clean the classroom. And if I catch you copying again, I’ll report you to the principal."
Gu Qingqing felt her blood boil. She wanted to argue, but she knew it wouldn’t help—Teacher Wang was too stubborn. Instead, she sat down, squeezing her pencil so tight it almost broke.
After class, Chen Yu stayed to help her clean. "This isn’t fair," he said, wiping the blackboard. "Teacher Wang is just being biased because of Gu Mingzhu."
Gu Qingqing nodded, sweeping the floor. "I know. But I can’t let this stop me. The final history exam is in two weeks—if I get a high score on that, she can’t say I copied."
Chen Yu smiled. "Then let’s study history together. I have a bunch of old exam papers—we can go over them every night."
So they did. For the next two weeks, they studied history for two hours every night—going over the Opium Wars, the Cultural Revolution, and all the other key topics. Gu Qingqing made flashcards, wrote practice essays, and even recorded herself reciting dates so she could listen to them on the way to school.
When the final history exam came, Gu Qingqing felt confident. She wrote her answers clearly, supported her essays with facts, and checked everything twice before handing it in. This time, she handed it directly to the head teacher—who was in charge of grading the final exams—instead of Teacher Wang.
A week later, the head teacher announced the exam results in front of the whole class. "The highest score in history this time is Gu Qingqing—95 out of 100," he said, holding up her paper. "Great work, Gu Qingqing. Your essay on the Reform and Opening Up was very well-written."
The class clapped, and Gu Qingqing looked at Teacher Wang—who was sitting at the back of the classroom, her face red with embarrassment. After class, Teacher Wang pulled Gu Qingqing aside. "I… apologize for accusing you of copying," she said, her voice stiff. "Your exam was very good."
Gu Qingqing nodded. "Thank you, Teacher Wang. I just want to be judged on my work." She walked away, feeling proud. She’d proven Teacher Wang wrong—and she’d done it with hard work, not excuses.
That night, Gu Qingqing called Chen Yu to thank him. "Without your help, I couldn’t have done this," she said.
Chen Yu laughed. "You did all the hard work. I just helped you study. Hey, since we both did well on the exams, do you want to go to the library this weekend? They have new review books."
Gu Qingqing smiled. "I’d like that."
As she hung up the phone, Gu Qingqing looked at her calendar. Only 45 days left until the college entrance exam. She still had to deal with Gu Mingzhu—who was no doubt angry about her recent wins—but she wasn’t scared anymore. She had Chen Yu, she had a plan, and she had the courage to fight for her future. Tsinghua University was getting closer every day.
Chapter 5 The College Entrance Exam – The Final Fight
The day of the college entrance exam dawned gray and rainy. The sky was like a dull blanket of clouds, pressing gently on the city. But Gu Qingqing’s heart was light, filled with a quiet confidence she’d earned over 45 tough days. She’d given up sleep for reviewing, comfort for focus, and every minute of effort now felt like a well-tuned instrument inside her.
She’d woken up at 6 a.m. sharp every morning. The first light of dawn had barely come through her bedroom curtains when she sat at her desk, with vocabulary flashcards spread out in front of her. The words had once felt like strange codes, but now she could say them easily—she’d repeated each list until her voice got hoarse. After breakfast, she’d meet Chen Yu at the community library—their unspoken plan, a safe place away from the chaos at home. They’d spread their textbooks across a wooden table. He helped her work through hard math formulas, and she walked him through tricky Chinese literature passages. Afternoons turned into evenings, and she’d stay up until 10 p.m. A desk lamp cast a warm glow over her math workbook, and she solved problem after problem until her eyes hurt. She was determined not to repeat the mistakes that had cost her so much in her past life.
Throughout it all, she’d kept an eye on Gu Mingzhu. Her half-sister had never stopped trying to trick her, and Gu Qingqing had learned to stay one step ahead. The admission ticket incident had been the last straw—Gu Mingzhu had snuck into her room one night, rummaged through her bag until she found the crumpled ticket, and hidden it in the back of her own closet. But Gu Qingqing had expected this. She’d made a copy weeks earlier and tucked it safely in the inner pocket of her schoolbag. When she’d confronted Gu Mingzhu, holding up the copy with a calmness that surprised even herself, her sister’s face had turned pale. And when Gu Qingqing threatened to tell their father—who’d finally started noticing the pattern of lies, the way Gu Mingzhu’s stories never quite added up—Gu Mingzhu had gone quiet. She became a quiet, angry shadow hanging around their home.
That morning, Gu Qingqing put on her favorite sweater—a soft blue one. It was the color she’d always linked to luck, the same color as the sky on the day she first dreamed of college. She zipped it up, then checked her bag again: two sharpened pencils, a clean eraser, a bottle of room-temperature water, and both the original admission ticket and its copy—just to be safe. Her mom appeared in the doorway, her eyes shiny with pride and worry. "Good luck, Qingqing," she said, pulling her into a tight hug. The hug smelled like jasmine and home. "We’re proud of you, no matter what the result. You’ve already worked so hard." Gu Qingqing hugged her back, feeling the weight of her mom’s love—a warmth that chased away any remaining nerves.
Gu Mingzhu stood by the kitchen door, with her arms crossed over her chest. Her usual smirk was gone, replaced by a tight frown. She didn’t speak—she’d barely said a word since the admission ticket incident—and Gu Qingqing didn’t push her. There would be time to settle things later; today was about something bigger.
The doorbell rang through the house. Gu Qingqing grabbed her bag and walked to the entrance. Outside, Chen Yu stood under a black umbrella. His hair was a little damp at the edges, and a soft smile played on his lips. "Ready?" he asked, holding out the umbrella to cover her as she stepped onto the porch.
Gu Qingqing nodded. The gentle sound of rain was calming. "Ready."
They walked side by side to the exam center. The umbrella made a small, sheltered space between them. The street was quiet, with other students and their parents walking with the same purpose. "Remember," Chen Yu said, his voice steady. "Take your time. Rushing won’t help—read each question twice before answering. If you get stuck, skip it and come back. The clock isn’t your enemy, but panicking is."
Gu Qingqing laughed, nudging his shoulder gently. "You’re starting to sound like Ms. Li. She gave us the exact same speech yesterday."
Chen Yu grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Someone has to make sure you don’t forget. Ms. Li’s lectures only stick if you hear them three times, right?" He paused, then got serious. "And don’t forget to breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth—five seconds each way. It’ll calm you down if you get nervous."
She nodded, keeping that advice in mind. "I’ll remember. What about you? Aren’t you nervous?"
Chen Yu shrugged, but there was a spark of excitement in his eyes. "A little. But mostly, I’m just ready to show what I can do. I’ll see you after the first exam, okay? We can eat lunch together—my treat."
The exam center was a big high school. Its gates were guarded by teachers and security guards. They checked admission tickets and IDs, directing students to their classrooms. Gu Qingqing and Chen Yu stopped at the entrance, facing each other. "Good luck," they said at the same time, and she couldn’t help but smile.
The first exam was Chinese—Gu Qingqing’s best subject. It had always felt like a friend, not a challenge. She found her seat: number 17 in the third row. She put down her bag and took a moment to breathe, like Chen had told her. The classroom was quiet, filled with the sound of paper rustling and pencils scratching as students got ready. When the teacher handed out the exam papers, Gu Qingqing flipped through them quickly, scanning the questions. The reading comprehension passages were familiar—classic poems, a modern short story—and the multiple-choice questions seemed easy.
Then she saw the essay topic: "The Power of Second Chances."
Her breath caught in her throat. It was like the topic had been written just for her—a mirror of the life she’d been given. She didn’t dare write directly about being reborn—no one would believe that. Instead, she turned it into a metaphor. She painted a picture of a girl who’d stumbled, fallen, and been given a chance to stand up again. She wrote about the courage it took to let go of the past, the strength to chase dreams that had once seemed impossible, and the kindness to forgive both others and herself. She wrote about Chen Yu’s quiet support, her mom’s never-ending love, and the fire inside her that had refused to go out. By the time she finished, her hand ached, but her heart felt full. She had ten minutes left, so she read through her essay again. She fixed a few typos and added a final sentence: second chances weren’t just about getting a do-over—they were about becoming someone who deserved that chance.
When the bell rang, she handed in her paper, feeling a wave of relief. As she walked out of the classroom, she saw Chen Yu leaning against a wall, waiting for her. His face lit up when he saw her. "How was it?" he asked, stepping forward.
Gu Qingqing smiled—a real, bright smile. "Good. Really good. The essay topic was perfect—I couldn’t have asked for anything better."
They walked to a small restaurant near the exam center. It was a cozy place they’d gone to many times during their study sessions. The owner, an old woman who knew them by name, greeted them warmly and served their usual: beef noodles with extra chili, and a bowl of pickled vegetables on the side. They didn’t talk much about the exam—neither wanted to overthink or doubt themselves. Instead, they talked about their dreams of college. Chen Yu’s eyes sparkled as he talked about Peking University’s computer science program. He gestured excitedly as he described the projects he wanted to work on. Gu Qingqing told him about her dream of studying literature at Tsinghua—of spending hours in the library, of writing stories that might touch someone’s heart, just like her favorite books had touched hers.
"We’ll be in Beijing together," Chen Yu said, reaching across the table to cover her hand with his. His palm was warm, his touch steady. "We can meet on weekends—go to the Summer Palace, try all the street food, study in each other’s libraries. It’ll be perfect."
Gu Qingqing nodded. Her heart felt full of warmth. For the first time in a long time, the future looked bright. A path stretched out in front of her, filled with possibilities, not fear.
The math exam that afternoon was harder, as expected. There were a few questions that made her frown—trigonometric functions that seemed to twist into knots, a probability problem that needed careful calculating. But she remembered Chen’s advice. She skipped the hard ones, marking them with a small pencil dot, and moved on to the questions she could answer easily. By the time she went back to the hard ones, her mind was clearer. She worked through each difficult problem step by step, checking her calculations twice to avoid silly mistakes. When she finished, she was sure she’d gotten most of the answers right—not perfect, but enough to keep her dream of Tsinghua within reach.
The second day of exams dawned with lighter rain, and the clouds started to break. English was first, and Gu Qingqing sailed through it. She’d spent hours memorizing grammar rules and practicing listening comprehension, so the exam felt like a formality. She finished twenty minutes early, flipping through the paper one last time before handing it in. History, the final exam, was a little more challenging—dates and events swirled in her mind. But she’d made flashcards for all the key moments, reviewing them late at night, and she could remember everything she needed. When she handed in her last exam paper, she felt a weight lift off her shoulders. A sense of freedom washed over her, making her want to laugh and cry at the same time. It was over. The years of struggling, the 45 days of non-stop studying, the fear of failing—all of it was behind her.
As she walked out of the exam center, the rain had stopped completely. A faint ray of sunlight peeked through the clouds. Chen Yu ran up to her, his face flushed with excitement. "We did it!" he said, grinning so wide his cheeks must have hurt. He took her hand and spun her around gently, and she laughed. The sound echoed down the quiet street.
"We did it," she repeated, tears stinging her eyes. They weren’t tears of sadness—they were tears of relief, of joy, of gratitude for the second chance she’d been given.
Just then, a quiet voice spoke up behind them. "Sister."
Gu Qingqing turned around and saw Gu Mingzhu standing there. Her face was pale and tired, and her eyes were red from crying. She looked smaller than usual, with her shoulders hunched like she was carrying something heavy. "I… I’ve been waiting for you," she said, her voice shaking.
Gu Qingqing stepped forward. Chen Yu stood beside her, a quiet source of support. "What is it?" she asked, her voice calm but careful. She’d spent so long hating Gu Mingzhu—hating her for framing her in her past life, for making her feel like an outsider in her own home, for trying to ruin her chance at college. But now, looking at her sister’s tear-streaked face, she felt something softer than anger: a small spark of sadness for the girl who’d let jealousy take over her.
Gu Mingzhu took a deep, shaky breath. "I’m sorry. For everything. For hiding your admission ticket, for lying to Mom and Dad about you, for telling Li Hao to follow you home that night." She started crying harder, her hands clutching the bottom of her shirt. "I was so jealous of you. Mom and Dad loved you more—they noticed your grades, they cared about your dreams. You were smarter, you worked harder, and you had Chen Yu—someone who really cared about you. I just… I wanted to be like you. I wanted someone to look at me the way they look at you."
Gu Qingqing stared at her, letting the words sink in. She thought of all the pain Gu Mingzhu had caused her—all the nights she’d cried herself to sleep, all the times she’d felt alone. But she also thought of the girl standing in front of her—lost, scared, finally ready to admit her mistakes. "I forgive you," she said quietly. The weight of resentment lifted from her chest. "But saying sorry isn’t enough. You have to tell Mom and Dad the truth. All of it. No more lies."
Gu Mingzhu nodded quickly, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "I will. I promise. I already told them I wanted to talk tonight—about everything."
That night, the family sat around the dining table. The air was thick with tension. Gu Mingzhu spoke first, her voice steady now. She told them all her lies: stealing homework, making false accusations, hiding the admission ticket, and the incident with Li Hao. Her mom cried softly, reaching across the table to take Gu Qingqing’s hand. She whispered apologies for not believing her, for not seeing the truth sooner. Her dad’s face was serious, his jaw tight with anger. But when he looked at Gu Mingzhu, there was no hatred—only disappointment and a quiet determination. "What you did was wrong," he said, his voice firm. "But we’re a family. We’ll get through this. You’ll start seeing a counselor next week, and we’ll work through this jealousy together. But you have to earn back our trust—one day at a time."
Gu Mingzhu nodded, tears streaming down her face again. But this time, they were tears of relief. For the first time in years, there were no secrets, no lies, no tension hanging over the family. They talked late into the night—about the past, about the future, about how they could be better for each other.
As Gu Qingqing climbed into bed that night, she looked out the window at the starry sky. The college entrance exam was over, her family was healing, and her future was hers to shape. She thought of Chen Yu, of their dreams of Beijing, of the life she’d fought so hard to get back. She smiled, closing her eyes, and felt peace wrap around her like a blanket.
This was her second chance—and she was ready to make it count.
Chapter 6 Getting into Tsinghua – A New Life Begins
A month later, Gu Qingqing was sitting at her desk, staring at her phone. The college admission results were coming out that day, and she was nervous—so nervous her hands were shaking. Chen Yu was on the phone with her, trying to calm her down.
"Hey, you did great on the exams," he said. "You’re gonna get into Tsinghua. I know it."
"I hope so," Gu Qingqing said, taking a deep breath. "What if I didn’t? What if I messed up?"
"You didn’t mess up," Chen Yu said. "And even if you did, you’re still amazing. But you didn’t. Trust me."
Just then, her laptop made a ping sound—an email from Tsinghua University. Gu Qingqing’s heart stopped. She clicked on it, her eyes scanning the words: "Dear Gu Qingqing, we are pleased to inform you that you have been admitted to the School of Chinese Language and Literature at Tsinghua University…"
She screamed. "I got in! Chen Yu, I got into Tsinghua!"
Chen Yu laughed. "I knew it! I told you. And guess what? I got into Peking University. We’re both going to Beijing!"
Gu Qingqing cried—happy tears this time. She ran downstairs, holding her laptop. "Mom! Dad! I got into Tsinghua!"
Mom and Dad hugged her, crying with joy. Gu Mingzhu, who was sitting on the couch, smiled. "Congratulations, sister. I’m proud of you."
Over the next few weeks, Gu Qingqing and Chen Yu got ready for college. They went shopping for dorm supplies, looked up maps of Beijing, and made a list of all the places they wanted to visit—the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace. Gu Qingqing also started packing her things—her review notebooks, her flashcards, the math workbook Chen Yu had given her. These things had helped her get into Tsinghua, and she wanted to keep them as a reminder of how far she’d come.
On the day they left for Beijing, Mom and Dad drove them to the train station. Mom hugged Gu Qingqing tight. "Take care of yourself, okay? Call us every week."
"I will," Gu Qingqing said, hugging her back.
Dad shook Chen Yu’s hand. "Look after her in Beijing. And take care of yourself too."
Chen Yu nodded. "I will, sir."
As the train pulled out of the station, Gu Qingqing looked out the window, waving goodbye to her family. Chen Yu sat next to her, holding a map of Beijing. "First stop when we get there: the Tsinghua campus. I want to see where you’ll be studying."
Gu Qingqing smiled. "Then we’ll go to Peking University. I want to see your campus too."
They talked for hours—about their classes, their dorm rooms, their plans for the future. Gu Qingqing thought about her past life—about the car accident, about her broken dreams, about the loneliness she’d felt. She was grateful for this second chance—for being reborn, for meeting Chen Yu, for getting into Tsinghua. She’d changed her fate, and now, she was ready for a new life.
When the train arrived in Beijing, it was sunset. The sky was pink and orange, and the city was glowing. Gu Qingqing and Chen Yu grabbed their bags, walking out of the train station together. "Welcome to Beijing," Chen Yu said, smiling.
Gu Qingqing looked around, feeling excited. This was her new home. This was her second chance. And she was ready to grab it—with both hands.
