The sun filtered gently through the morning mist as Xiao Lie stepped onto the college campus.
Same buildings. Same faces. Same early chatter about who wore what, who sat next to who.
But he wasn't the same anymore.
He walked through the crowd quietly, confidently, with his backpack slung lazily over one shoulder. No awkward fidgeting. No searching for a certain someone.
He just… walked.
And that was enough to make people look.
"Was that Xiao Lie?"
"Huh? That simp who used to follow Zhao Yuran around?"
"No way, he looked... different."
In his past life, he would've rushed to Zhao Yuran's class just to see her face for five seconds. Maybe offer to carry her books. Wait around after lectures hoping for a smile.
But now?
She was there, of course. Surrounded by her usual circle — friends laughing, guys trying to impress her.
She didn't notice him.
Or… did she?
Just for a second, her gaze brushed past him. Her smile froze — not fully, but enough that one of her friends nudged her.
"Something wrong, Yuran?"
"No, just… thought I saw someone."
Xiao Lie sat near the front in class — something he never did before.
When the professor asked a tough economics question, silence fell. Xiao Lie raised his hand.
"The answer's elasticity of demand. It's usually applied to luxury goods, and the numbers from the case study match the typical ratio."
The professor blinked.
"Correct. Very precise, young man."
Heads turned. Someone even muttered, "Did he get smarter overnight?"
Zhao Yuran glanced at him from the back row. This time, her gaze lingered a little longer.
After class, a few students surrounded him.
"Hey man, that was impressive. You prepped ahead?"
"You in any clubs? You should totally join the econ competition group."
Xiao Lie smiled lightly.
"Just read a few things. That's all."
As the day passed, more people noticed the change.
He wasn't loud. He wasn't arrogant. He just moved with clarity, as if he'd figured something out long before the rest of them had.
And for the first time, people weren't looking at him with pity or annoyance.
They were looking at him with curiosity.
And maybe… a little bit of respect.
That night, Xiao Lie sat on the rooftop alone, legs dangling off the edge.
The sky above was quiet, the stars blurry through the light pollution. In the distance, campus lights flickered one by one as dorms settled in.
He smiled softly.
"One day in… and I already feel free."
No more chasing. No more begging. Let's see what happens if I just live life the right way this time.