Scarlett Beaumont tossed me a card and told me to get lost. She said, “Here’s half a million. It’s enough to buy out your years of dedication.” I had accompanied Scarlett from a workplace novice to a business elite, spending a full five years by her side. But the one she liked, from beginning to end, was my brother. After leaving the company, I crossed the road in a daze and was killed by an out-of-control truck. When I woke up again, I had returned to my college days. Scarlett was throwing a stack of notes in front of me. She commanded, “Jasper Callahan, copy these for me.” I threw the notes back at her. “Are your hands broken? Can’t you copy them yourself?” When I said this, Scarlett was stunned. Looking at the woman before me, my only thought was to slap her hard. It was she who had tricked me into giving up the opportunity to continue my studies, making me her stepping stone. Right after graduating from college, I accompanied Scarlett in starting a business. Five years later, she transformed into an industry upstart, while I had developed a host of health problems. I thought I could finally reap the rewards of my hard work, but what awaited me was Scarlett’s infidelity and betrayal. Perhaps it was my unwillingness to accept this fate before I died that made the heavens give me a chance to start over. I didn’t want to face Scarlett’s nauseating face again. I quickly packed up my books and stationery, intending to leave the classroom. Even at this moment, I still couldn’t believe I had really been reborn. I shouldered my backpack and was about to leave. But Scarlett sneered behind me. “Trying a new trick this time? If you don’t copy them, plenty of guys are lining up to do it for me.” I ignored her. After taking a couple of steps, I heard Scarlett’s best friend tease: “Scarlett, let’s make a bet. See how long he can hold out.” Another friend immediately chimed in: “I bet one night.” “One night? An hour would be pushing it.” As they were chattering away, I couldn’t help but turn back and mock: “Scarlett, with your family background, guys would be running away from you. Don’t think of yourself as such a catch!” Scarlett was good-looking and smart, and her family was moderately well-off. But she had a three-year-old brother, which was a fatal flaw. After all, few men could tolerate helping their wife support her brother after marriage. Back then, I was too infatuated to see these facts clearly. My words hit Scarlett’s sore spot. She immediately changed her expression. “Jasper Callahan! What do you mean? Am I not stating facts? Or are you and your little friends only allowed to criticize others behind their backs?” I turned my fire on her friends: “And you lot, got nothing better to do? Betting on others, think you’re gambling gods or something? With all this free time, why don’t you read a few more books!” Scarlett and her friends couldn’t keep face anymore, but they didn’t want to argue with me in public, so they just said sarcastically: “Did you take the wrong medicine? Such a big reaction.” “Scarlett, it’s all your fault, making the poor guy bitter from unrequited love…” I couldn’t be bothered to listen to them ramble on, so I turned and left. In my past life, my eyes and heart were full of Scarlett, and by extension, I even had a fondness for her group of friends. I carried their bags when they went shopping. I saved seats for them when they ate out. After graduation, when her friends were drunk or couldn’t drive, I always volunteered to be their driver. They called me “brother” to my face, but behind my back, they mocked me as a lapdog. Most hatefully, they even banded together to cover up Scarlett’s affair. In their eyes, I was just a free servant to be called upon at will! Bah! Even I have to despise myself for being so spineless and love-struck! I hurried back to the dorm, washed up, and changed clothes. I stared at myself in the mirror. Messy hair, skinny, sallow complexion, with dark circles under my eyes. I had always been a bookworm with no sense of style since I was young. Boys my age all knew how to exercise, keep fit, and dress well. But I only buried myself in studying, paying no attention to my appearance. I hadn’t planned on finding a girlfriend during school anyway. Liking Scarlett was just a twist of fate. One winter, I went to the communal water station to get hot water and accidentally scalded my hand. When Scarlett found out, she kindly stuffed some burn ointment in my drawer. From childhood to adulthood, apart from my parents, almost no one had cared for me so selflessly. So, I fell for her. Ignoring others’ gazes, I actively showed my affection for Scarlett. She probably accepted my devotion with the mindset of “why not, if it’s free.” And I, for one act of kindness, staked my youth, and ultimately my life, ending up losing everything. How ridiculous! Given another chance, I absolutely won’t walk down the same path as in my past life!
To change my fate, I’ll start by changing my image. I made a decisive move and ordered a batch of new clothes and shoes online. Then I signed up for a gym membership and made an exercise plan for myself. My parents both worked, and as an only child, I never lacked pocket money. However, my family always valued frugality as a virtue. My parents taught me from a young age to look at a person’s inner beauty. Now I’ve realized that using money to improve oneself is nothing to be ashamed of! The timing of my return wasn’t great, happening right after I had refused my master’s degree offer. I quickly ate and rushed to the study hall. After searching for a while, all the seats were occupied by students with water bottles and books. Disappointed, I walked towards the exit, almost bumping into a girl coming from the opposite direction. I apologized and was about to move around her. But she called out to me: “Jasper Callahan.” I recognized the voice and turned back in surprise, meeting a face as fair as jade. It was Zoe Fitzgerald, my childhood friend. Zoe was my neighbor and classmate in both elementary and middle school. Back then, we were both admitted to the same university, but Zoe was even more impressive, gaining admission to a combined master’s and doctoral program. She studied software engineering, while I studied biotechnology. Since she moved, we had fewer chances to meet. Encountering an old friend, I felt a mix of emotions. When Zoe learned that I had refused the master’s offer, she had called to try and persuade me. But I was too love-struck to listen to her advice, and even accused her of meddling. Zoe tried her best to convince me but couldn’t, and got so angry she stopped talking to me altogether. Later, she went abroad for her Ph.D., and we completely lost touch. Looking back, Zoe was really far-sighted. She had warned me back then: Giving up on improving yourself for a woman, you’ll regret it one day! Who knew it would come true. Now, Zoe frowned and said: “Jasper, the professor said you’re not continuing your studies? Why would you give up such a good opportunity?” I snapped back to reality from my memories and hurriedly explained: “Yes, I just had a moment of confusion, feeling I didn’t deserve this recommendation. Now I hope I can apply and get in with my own abilities!” I was just making this up. But it was the only reasonable explanation I could think of. Zoe was stunned for a moment, then said seriously: “You’re always so stubborn. There are only a few recommendation spots, and this is also a recognition of your abilities.” I nodded vigorously. “You’re right, so I’m a bit regretful now. But don’t worry, as long as I work hard, I’ll definitely be able to apply and get in on my own!” I spoke sincerely, and Zoe nodded: “That’s more like it. This is the Jasper I know.” She looked at the seats in the study hall and asked: “Couldn’t find a seat?” I said helplessly: “Yeah, came too late.” Zoe took out her phone and said: “My classmate saved a seat. I’ll tell her to go somewhere else, and the seat will be yours.” “How could I… Well, I’ll treat her to a meal next time.” I accepted after a polite refusal. After finding a seat, I sat down with Zoe to study. I couldn’t help but recall the scenes of us participating in math competitions together in high school. Back then, I was even thinner and darker than now. Zoe, on the other hand, had always been a beauty in the making. Since middle school, boys had been giving her love letters, but she always maintained an attitude of keeping everyone at arm’s length. It seemed that apart from studying, nothing could pique her interest. She was too upright; I never had any inappropriate thoughts about her. We studied until just before the dorm closed, then left the study hall. Zoe asked: “Are you coming tomorrow? Want me to save you a seat?” “Sure, if it’s convenient for you.” I didn’t forget to express my gratitude: “Thanks to your classmate for giving up her seat. How about I treat you guys to a meal at the Lakeside Restaurant tomorrow?” The Lakeside Restaurant was considered high-end consumption on campus, usually only frequented by couples. Zoe waved her hand: “No need, we’re not picky about food. If you get to the cafeteria early tomorrow, just save us a table. We have lab work tomorrow, so we’ll be late getting out of class.” “No problem, leave it to me!” I promised. The next day, I rushed to the cafeteria right after class and saved a table by the window for Zoe. I put my books and water bottle on the table, planning to go get food after Zoe and her classmate arrived. I was lowering my head to send Zoe a message. Scarlett and her group of friends walked towards me. One of her friends, Katie Hawthorne, teased: “See? I told you Jasper still cares about our Scarlett.”
I looked up in surprise. Scarlett let out a contemptuous snort and sat down next to me. Katie reached out to a girl named Isla Sinclair: “One night, I won. Pay up.” Isla grumbled as she took out money: “You’re still the best.” I immediately realized what was happening. Did they think I had found this seat for them? I was both embarrassed and angry. But I couldn’t blame them. For the past two years, I often did this kind of thankless task. It was understandable that they would misunderstand. I had to explain while suppressing my anger: “I’m sorry, but I saved this seat for a friend. There are many empty seats, could you please move to another table?” Katie and the others ignored my words and sat down. Isla fanned herself and said: “This spot is nice, quite cool.” Katie teased: “Jasper, stop being stubborn. We all understand your feelings for Scarlett.” Isla chimed in: “Scarlett couldn’t sleep well last night, thinking you really despised her.” Scarlett said angrily: “Shut up!” I saw them push my books and water bottle aside, and I said urgently: “The seat really isn’t for you! My friend will be here soon! Please leave!” Scarlett said nonchalantly: “If it’s not for us, who else could it be for?” She commanded: “Get me a salad, and for the other dishes, you know what I like.” She finished speaking and tossed her meal card in front of me. Seeing that card, I couldn’t help but recall the scene from my past life when she threw a bank card at me to break up. The face of the cheating ex from my past life overlapped with Scarlett’s current face. I could no longer suppress the anger in my heart. I grabbed the books and slammed them on the table, shouting: “I’ve already said it’s not for you! Can’t you understand human language?” The commotion quickly drew sidelong glances from others. Katie and Isla sat awkwardly without saying a word. Scarlett lost face because of me and got angry too. She frowned and reprimanded: “Jasper Callahan, that’s enough! A grown man holding such a grudge! I’ve already made concessions, don’t go too far!” I was about to speak when Zoe’s voice came from behind: “Jasper? What’s going on?” I turned around quickly. Zoe was walking towards us with two female classmates. Both groups curiously sized each other up. I was stuck in the middle, feeling a bit at a loss. Seeing Zoe, Scarlett’s face changed instantly. She asked me through gritted teeth: “Jasper Callahan, you’d better explain this.” Her tone sounded like I had done something to betray her. It was simply ridiculous! Before I could open my mouth, Zoe introduced herself gracefully: “Software Engineering, Class of ’18, Zoe Fitzgerald. Nice to meet you.” Katie and Isla gasped. Katie: “Zoe Fitzgerald? The academic star whose paper was published in an international journal?” Isla: “Isn’t she the one who secured a 5 million sponsorship for her research project?” Zoe’s reputation preceded her. The originally arrogant Scarlett suddenly seemed to shrink in her presence. Scarlett continued to glare at me: “You two know each other?” “She’s my neighbor,” I said concisely. Then I turned to Zoe and her classmates with an apologetic look: “I’m sorry, the seats have been taken by others. How about I treat you to the Lakeside Restaurant instead?” Zoe’s classmate said generously: “It’s fine, we can eat anywhere.” “No need to splurge, we’re good as long as we have a place to sit.” I didn’t want to continue eating here to avoid the unpleasant atmosphere with Scarlett and her friends. I started packing up the things on the table, and Zoe naturally helped me stack the books and put them in my bag. Scarlett kept glaring at us fiercely, as if trying to bore holes in me with her eyes. I couldn’t be bothered to even give her a glance. I left with Zoe and her group. At the restaurant, I politely let them order and insisted on treating them. Zoe said: “Don’t be so formal, we can split the bill.” She then introduced me to her two friends, who were her lab mates. During the meal, Zoe’s two classmates were discussing experimental data. Zoe casually asked me: “That girl just now, is she your girlfriend?”
I was taken aback. In all the years I’ve known Zoe, she had never shown interest in my love life. Perhaps I was silent for too long, as she said uncomfortably: “If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to…” I hurried to explain: “No, no, she’s not my girlfriend. She just helped me before, and I was repaying her kindness.” Scarlett’s small favor to me had been more than repaid by my running errands for her these two years. I no longer owed her anything! Zoe heard this and made a noncommittal “Oh.” That page was turned. Ever since the incident in the cafeteria, Scarlett and I were completely done. Although I was sick of her, she hadn’t done any substantial harm to me in this life yet. I had no intention of seeking revenge on her. When faced with people and things you dislike, it’s best to stay away. There’s no need to get entangled. That day, as usual, I finished working out and returned to the dorm. As soon as I entered, I was stopped by my roommate, Liam Thorne. Liam was the one who had come between Scarlett and me in my past life. Liam and I weren’t in the same class. After graduation, out of consideration that he was my roommate, I kindly introduced him to Scarlett’s company and even became good friends with him. As a result, he repaid my kindness with betrayal, backstabbing me along with Scarlett. During our school days, he rarely came back to the dorm as he lived off-campus with his girlfriend. Liam held a USB drive, smiling as he said: “Jasper, we need to make a PowerPoint for our group assignment. You’re the best at this kind of technical work, can you help me?” Liam had always liked to boss people around, relying on his bit of money. I smiled insincerely and said: “Sorry, I have my own work from last night that I haven’t finished. I can’t help you.” He didn’t expect me to refuse and was stunned for a second before reacting. He tried to persuade me: “Come on, help me out… It’s due tomorrow, and I don’t want to pull an all-nighter. You’re so skilled, you could finish it in no time. I’ll treat you to bubble tea if you do it, okay?” This kind of tactic might work on girls, but I wasn’t falling for it! Especially after seeing his true colors in my past life, I despised him even more. I wiped the smile off my face and said sternly: “Liam, forget about the bubble tea. Making a PowerPoint isn’t that hard, you’ll get the hang of it if you try. It’s better to rely on yourself than others. You can’t always depend on people to help you, can you?” Liam seemed unable to take a hint and persisted: “It’s just a small favor. You’ve helped me before, haven’t you?” I was considering whether to be more direct when our roommate Finn Donovan kindly tried to defuse the situation: “Liam, Jasper’s been arguing with Scarlett lately. He’s not in a good mood. Cut him some slack, will you?” Liam looked shocked: “What? You broke up with Scarlett? I thought you really liked her?” I coldly replied: “We were never dating. How could we break up?” With that, I headed straight to the bathroom with my change of clothes. Liam was still gossiping with Finn. Liam: “Who dumped who?” Finn: “Not sure, but I think Jasper dumped Scarlett first…” Liam: “No way? I never would have guessed…” Liam stopped pestering me, and I couldn’t be bothered to explain. I just took my clothes and went into the bathroom. The courses in senior year weren’t intense. Students started looking for internships, spending less and less time on campus. With over a month left until the master’s interview, I spent more and more time in the study hall. Of course, no matter how busy I was with studying, I didn’t neglect my workouts. I had a good foundation, and I was tall enough. After building some muscle, my whole demeanor changed. With proper grooming, my attractiveness skyrocketed. As my outward appearance improved, people’s attitudes towards me changed noticeably. Walking around campus, I’d occasionally have girls come up to ask for my contact information. Looks really are important. One day, after finishing my studies, it was already 9:30 PM. It was late autumn, and the night wind was chilly. After walking Zoe back to her dorm, I walked alone along the campus path. I pulled my jacket tighter, when suddenly someone darted out from the nearby woods. I was startled, but when I looked closely, it was none other than Scarlett, whom I hadn’t seen in days.
Scarlett was wearing a pleated skirt, exposing her long, snow-white legs. It seemed she had purposely laid in wait to ambush me here. I didn’t want to have any interaction with her and tried to walk around her. Scarlett grabbed my sleeve and said coquettishly: “Don’t go. I have something to ask you.” I put on a long face and said coldly: “Speak.” Scarlett huffed. “Why have you changed so much? Why are you so impatient with me?” I said impatiently: “Get to the point.” Scarlett continued: “But you’re quite interesting like this now, much more fun than your previous wooden self. You’ve become better looking too. How did you suddenly wise up?” As she spoke, she clung to my arm and shook it, acting coy. My feelings of disgust were reaching their boiling point. I pulled my hand away and said through gritted teeth: “If you have nothing important to say, I’m leaving.” Scarlett blocked my path again. She said haughtily: “Alright, I’ve been thinking these past few days. Actually, there’s nothing wrong with you. I was too cold to you before. I shouldn’t have led you on like that…” Scarlett opened her arms and announced loudly: “Jasper Callahan, let’s officially date! From now on, you’re Scarlett Beaumont’s boyfriend! How about that? Happy now?” “…” At this moment, my silence was deafening. Be her boyfriend? Happy now? No, who gave Scarlett this confidence? I looked at her like she was an idiot, and after great effort, I managed to squeeze out a sentence:
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294694”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #重生Reborn #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #浪漫Romance #玄幻Fantsy #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic #校园School #擦边Steamy
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