Chapter 1 – Chen Nuo
(Reminder: This is not a typical cookie-cutter novel, nor is it fan service. If something seems odd, don't worry—it will be explained. I'm aiming to write a proper, satisfying story, not a fast-food style read. Hope you enjoy!)
In his previous life, Chen Nuo felt his body begin to fail him after turning 30.
Right now, as he lay awake, he couldn't help but think: Rebirth really is a man's ultimate cheat code.
"Guess what I wrote?" came Chen Nuo's low, warm voice in the dark.
"Stop it~" the woman giggled softly, her laughter breathy and flirtatious. "You naughty thing. Where do you come up with this stuff?"
"Come on, guess. Guess what I wrote?"
"…Tai Yang?" (太昂)
"Close—Taiyang. The sun."
…
After fooling around nearly the whole night, Chen Nuo still woke up at six sharp. Even after just three hours of sleep, his body felt completely recharged.
He lay still for a moment, enjoying the morning energy rushing through him.
Satisfied, he smiled and sat up at the edge of the bed, getting dressed in the dark.
Beside him, the woman's long black hair spilled over the white pillow like ink on snow. She stirred from the movement, turned over, and mumbled, "So early... where are you going?"
Chen Nuo flipped on the bedside lamp and bent over to put on his shoes. "Morning study session."
"…Study session?" The woman blinked in surprise, suddenly much more awake. She sat up, puzzled.
Chen Nuo stood and replied, "Yeah. Morning class."
Her eyes went wide as she sat bolt upright, the blanket slipping down and revealing a fair bit of exposed skin—though she didn't seem to notice. "Morning class? How old are you?"
Then she forced a laugh. "You're messing with me, right?"
From her perspective, the boy standing before her had sharp, masculine features—not the kind of pretty-boy looks that were trendy, but something a little Western, with a strong jawline and deep-set eyes. Rugged, but not rough.
He looked manly—and definitely young.
But the way he moved last night… those practiced hands and confident rhythm—what kind of high schooler could pull that off?
"I'm not joking. That boy last night? He's my desk mate," Chen Nuo said with a grin, then stepped into the bathroom to wash up, clearly in high spirits.
From the start of summer break until now, he had been reborn for nearly three months.
In those three months, he had been studying diligently—well, except for last night, when he decided to take a break. He'd skipped evening study and snuck off with Wang Zhihan to play CS at the internet café.
That's where he met the woman. After chatting for a while, they realized shooting fake guns in CS wasn't as fun as shooting something a little more real—so they booked a room and had some live-action fun.
"Later, beautiful," Chen Nuo said as he left. No drama, no strings—just a clean goodbye.
Leaving the hotel, he took his time walking back to school and arrived just as the bell rang for morning study.
The classroom was full, but barely anyone was studying. Some students were chatting, others were napping.
This was a vocational high school. Even though the general class was technically supposed to prepare for college entrance exams, no one took it seriously.
Chen Nuo made his way to the third-to-last row and sat in his seat. As he passed by, he gave a light tap on Wang Zhihan's bowed head.
"Bought you some fried dough sticks. Want 'em?"
A muffled voice replied from under the desk, "Yeah. Gimme a minute."
Chen Nuo plopped the bag of dought sticks directly on his deskmate's head.
"Damn, bro," Wang Zhihan grumbled, taking the greasy sticks down with a bleary-eyed stare. "Unlike you, I don't get to fire real guns. All I can do is play Counter-Strike. After pulling an all-nighter, I've got nothing left but a pile of sleep debt. You finish with her and come back to torment me? Have some compassion."
Chen Nuo had been seatmates with Wang Zhihan for two years at this vocational high school. In his past life, Wang didn't go to college after graduation. Seven years later, he stabbed someone over a failed relationship. Chen Nuo didn't hear about it until a reunion years later. The victim was left disabled, and Wang got 15 years.
Right now though, Wang was just an average teenage virgin and an internet café addict. He sat up straight and asked enviously, "That chick from last night was hot. Nuo-ge, was it as amazing as it looked?"
"Just eat your dought sticks."
That nurse really was attractive. Especially for a hormone-fueled teen like Wang Zhihan—those black-stocking-clad legs were enough to haunt his dreams for weeks.
But Chen Nuo wasn't fazed.
Because in his previous life… he was a player.
Of course, "player" wasn't even a term in 2004. But the moment it was coined ten years later, everyone who'd known Chen Nuo immediately nodded: "That's him."
In 2003, he transferred to this small-town vocational school during his second year of high school.
The reason? A minor scandal at his former elite city school.
It started with a girl's parents storming into the academic office, complaining about a freshman boy dating their senior daughter. That might've ended in a slap on the wrist—if someone hadn't leaked the guy's name. Then four or five other sets of parents showed up, all pointing fingers at him.
The whole school was in uproar.
That "legendary" boy? Chen Nuo.
Thanks to jealousy and gossip, he had to leave the school his father paid a premium to get him into, exiled to a no-name vocational school in the sticks, with a monthly allowance of a few thousand yuan.
He wasted two years here—chasing girls, playing games, doing nothing of worth.
In truth, that was his whole life story.
His grades were terrible. He didn't get into college. He ended up working under his father, Chen Bicheng, as a trust-fund layabout.
Too many girlfriends. Never married. No fixed home. He understood sex, but never love.
Then, in the age of online fame, he accidentally discovered a hidden talent.
He was made for the camera. He could cry or laugh on cue, snap into any role. Give him a script for a short skit—within minutes, he could embody a domineering CEO or a street thug with uncanny ease.
That's how he blew up on short-video platforms. Handsome, dramatic, a little showy. He racked up millions of followers.
But with fame came hate. Nearly every male fan called him useless—"Just a pretty face who flaunts wealth."
They weren't wrong.
Eventually, one of those haters stabbed him right outside his garage.
That knife sent Chen Nuo twenty years back in time.
It's been almost three months since his rebirth. He's been at home, burying himself in textbooks.
Because in his last life, he never made it to college.
His dad and mom—Chen Bicheng and Pan Chengrong—argued constantly about it. It was one of the things that led to their divorce.
Not long ago, they had their first senior-year exam after break. After two months of grinding, he went from 63rd place in the class to 2nd, scoring a total of 623.
It made waves in the classroom.
The moment he saw the score, Chen Nuo sprinted to the teachers' office and asked his homeroom teacher, Mr. Wang, "Should I aim for Jiaotong University? Fudan? Think there's a shot at Qinghua or Beida if I push harder?"
Mr. Wang just gave him a warm smile and said, "Go memorize more vocabulary."
Since then, Chen Nuo had been holding a grudge.
"Hey," Chen Nuo suddenly remembered. "Isn't today when the county-wide test results come out?"
"Beats me," Wang Zhihan yawned.
"You're hopeless," Chen Nuo said with fatherly disappointment. "I'm telling you, you should start studying. It's the only way forward."
"You think I don't want to study? But I'm not you, man. You study two months and pull 600s. I study two months and I still can't land a headshot."
Chen Nuo chuckled, about to offer some comforting words, when their teacher, Wang Aiping, entered the classroom.
Mr. Wang, belly leading the way, looked in good spirits. He walked to the podium and beamed, "Class, quiet down. I've got some great news. During morning self-study, I want to share the county test results. Two of our classmates achieved outstanding scores: Chen Nuo and Zhang Mohan. Let's give them a round of applause!"
Applause thundered through the room. Everyone turned to look.
Chen Nuo was thrilled.
Hard work pays off. This joy—it was like chasing a girl for ages and finally hearing her say "yes." It made life feel full of promise again.
Right now, he didn't care about girls or money. He just wanted to get into college. It was the dream he failed to realize last life—and his mother's biggest regret.
He looked expectantly at Mr. Wang.
As the clapping died down, Wang continued, "Zhang Mohan—first place in the entire grade, 393 points. Chen Nuo, 351 points, fifth place overall. Both scored over 300. I won't announce everyone else's scores. If you're curious, come check with me after class. Now, back to self-study."
Chen Nuo froze.
After a few seconds, he turned to Wang Zhihan. "Did he just say I got how much?"
"351. Damn, Nuo-ge, you're a beast! You're handsome and smart. No wonder the girls love you. Jealous as hell."
"Jealous your ass! What the hell?" Chen Nuo was stunned and furious.
All that effort… for just 351?
Was there no justice?
Sure, he didn't feel great about the test after taking it—but from 600+ down to 300+? That's a crash, like a stock market tanking overnight!
What the hell can 351 even get you? Might as well bomb it entirely and laugh it off!
"I think it's fishy too," Wang Zhihan sighed. "Man, when will I ever get a glorious 300+ like you?"
"Can you not talk?"
Panic set in. Chen Nuo was doubting his entire life.
"Mr. Wang!" he called out after class, catching up with his teacher. "Are you sure I got 351? That's my real score?"
"Yup, 351," Wang replied cheerily. "Huge improvement! Last year, no one in my class even hit 300. You two getting there? I'm proud."
You call this happy? Chen Nuo was seething inside. "But sir, I got over 600 in the last mock exam! Why would—"
Mr. Wang smacked his forehead. "Ah, well, the mock exams are made by us teachers. They're a bit easier. This test was standardized. But don't worry, there's still over half a year left. Keep pushing. With your current level, you've got a shot at a junior college."
A shot at a junior college?
"I want to transfer schools," Chen Nuo said that very day. His dream of college, reborn with him, was now in jeopardy. He grabbed his old Nokia 3100 and called his dad.
"Transfer? You're in your final year!" Chen Bicheng sounded confused. "What'd you screw up this time? You didn't knock someone up again, did you?"
"What? No! I just don't see a future at this school. I want to take the art entrance exam!"
"Art exam?"
"Yeah. I'm going to Beijing. I'm applying to the Film Academy."
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PS: The early chapters are a bit slow—please bear with it. Things pick up soon.