Chapter 1

On August 25, 2000, on a passenger ship bound for South Korea!

Zheng Rongxuan looked somewhat bewildered at the few young faces in front of him, his mind filled with the thought of whether he was dreaming.

Jiang Yan, how could she be so young? She must be around eighteen or nineteen, still as beautiful as when she was young, with a big ponytail, a flawless oval face, and a fiery figure, her personality as fiery as her figure.

At that moment, she held a hand of cards and, with great excitement, roared at Zhao Zilong across from her: "Damn, I'll crush you! Four twos and you think you can run? You can't escape from my hand, four jokers, you stay put at home." As she spoke, she excitedly drew out four cards and slapped them down on the suitcase in front of her with a laugh.

"Is there no justice in the world? Four twos can't even get out, how tragic is this?" Zhao Zilong, sitting across from Jiang Yan, felt like he was about to vomit blood. How many rounds has this been? Why is the person across from me so strong?

"Hey? Zheng Rongxuan is awake, do you want to play a round?" Zhao Zilong, turning his head casually, saw Zheng Rongxuan open his eyes behind him, as if he had seen a savior.

Zheng Rongxuan shook his head and smiled, "You play, I need to go to the bathroom and have a smoke."

As Zheng Rongxuan got up, he took a look around the environment, his head still a bit dizzy. He realized he was in a cabin and wondered if this was the only time in his life he went to South Korea as an exchange student. How did he end up here? If this was a dream, it was too real.

Looking at his delicate fingers from when he was 18, there was no trace of the roughness from over a decade later. The six people around him—Zhao Zilong, Jiang Yan, Zhou Fuqiang, Yu Jiangtao, Xu Meisheng, and Li Min—were all around 18 years old. Even those lying on the bunks reading or sleeping were the same.

Zheng Rongxuan hurried to the bathroom, found an empty spot, and unzipped his pants to relieve himself. The sound of the stream echoed in the bathroom, and his mind was still trying to figure out if something was wrong.

Zheng Rongxuan clearly remembered last night, when he and Zhao Zilong, Zhou Fuqiang, and Yu Jiangtao had gathered for a drink, lamenting how much things had changed after ten years of graduation. The passion of their college days was long gone, and everyone had been worn down by the harsh realities of society. How did he end up here again when he opened his eyes?

After finishing, Zheng Rongxuan zipped up, washed his hands, and ran to the deck. Looking out at the vast, deep blue sea, he took a cigarette from his pocket, cupped his hand to light it, and still couldn't quite figure it out.

Facing the sea breeze, he took only three or four puffs before the cigarette burned down to the filter. Feeling the pain, Zheng Rongxuan finally came to his senses and threw the cigarette butt into the sea.

Despite the many questions in his mind, Zheng Rongxuan understood what had happened.

He had gone back in time, to when he was 18, in the year 2000.

The current situation was that he, as a freshman at Qilu University, was on a ship with his classmates heading to Dongguk University in South Korea for a one-year exchange program.

Well, since he was here, he might as well make the best of it. The college stuff, though it had been over a decade, he could easily pick up again because he had never really let it go.

But this time, he couldn't be as aimless as he was in his previous life. With the knowledge of the next few decades, he wouldn't be so ordinary anymore.

At that moment, though the time was short, Zheng Rongxuan's face was calm, but he had made a significant decision in his heart.

"Beep! Host's emotions meet the requirements, activating the recognition program..."

Zheng Rongxuan's head ached, and he gripped the railing tightly, afraid of falling into the sea. The pain disappeared before he could react, and his body felt as comfortable as after an orgasm. Zheng Rongxuan even couldn't help but hum softly.

"Recognition complete! The Otaku Spirit is at your service!"

Zheng Rongxuan didn't shout or scream. With the mentality of a 30-year-old, he easily accepted the strange program living inside him.

"Explain everything to me," Zheng Rongxuan said, feeling a mix of bitterness and anticipation.

"Of course, Master..."

According to the Otaku Spirit, Zheng Rongxuan confirmed that he had indeed returned to when he was 18. How he got here was no longer important, but the Otaku Spirit was a powerful existence. In the future, she could access all information except for political news. This meant that even if Zheng Rongxuan forgot some things from the future, he could still find them with her.

Zheng Rongxuan knew he was lucky to have a second chance, even though his death wasn't worth it. He had no lingering attachments to his previous life, except for his parents, who had waited for over a decade for him to get married and give them a grandchild.

But none of that mattered now. Since he had a second chance, he could fulfill their expectations this time around.

Back in the cabin, Zheng Rongxuan saw Jiang Yan proudly crush Zhao Zilong again, which made him shake his head in silence. Zhao Zilong was a tragic figure. If he liked Jiang Yan, he should just confess directly. Always seeking punishment wouldn't help him win her heart.

"You play, I'll just watch," Zheng Rongxuan waved his hand and sat back on his bunk next to Zhao Zilong.

Looking at the enthusiastic Jiang Yan across from him, Zheng Rongxuan patted Zhao Zilong's shoulder and said, "Zilong, if you like her, go for it. I support you!"

Everyone in the room looked at Zheng Rongxuan with surprise, not understanding what he meant by this sudden statement.

"Zhao Zilong? Who do you like? Is it Li Min? You'll have to work hard, our Li Min isn't easy to win over," Jiang Yan laughed and teased.

"Oh, you're talking nonsense. I'm not as pretty as you, he would definitely chase after you," Li Min, sitting to Zhao Zilong's right, blushed and retorted.

Seeing Li Min's strong reaction, Zheng Rongxuan sighed inwardly, "Let the past be the past. What's not yours will never be yours."

The story was a bit melodramatic. Zheng Rongxuan and Li Min were both from WH City and were high school classmates, though in different classes. Li Min was the school's beauty, so she had many admirers, and he was one of them.

Unfortunately, this beautiful lily rejected all her suitors, falling for the tall and handsome Zhao Zilong at first sight. Even in South Korea, she pursued him relentlessly.

But Zhao Zilong liked the thorny rose, Jiang Yan, sitting across from him. In the end, the wealthy and powerful young man didn't get what he wanted. Li Min, after persisting for over three years, finally won Zhao Zilong's love just before graduation, winning the love chase.

Later, Zheng Rongxuan learned that Zhao Zilong's initial three-year pursuit was partly because he liked her, but more importantly, because Jiang Yan's grandfather was a provincial party committee member, and her father was a promising deputy mayor of a prefecture-level city. He was interested in her family background.

Returning to that time again, Zheng Rongxuan found that his feelings for Li Min weren't as strong as before. Perhaps it was because he knew she had always liked Zhao Zilong. He hoped she could succeed with Zhao Zilong this time and have a wealthy and happy family.

When the ship arrived at Incheon Port, representatives from Dongguk University were already waiting. The 22 students, led by two teachers, boarded a bus and, after over an hour's drive, arrived at Dongguk University.

Zheng Rongxuan didn't stay with the other students in the dormitory. After arriving at the school, he was called by a vice president. After a few minutes of conversation, he thanked the vice president and, with the key given to him, went to an apartment outside the school.

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