Volume One, Chapter Five: Could You Please Stay Away from Me?

Before recording his statement at the police station, Li Yan felt his story was watertight.

Having rehearsed his narrative on the way there, his composure as a "reborn" individual had fully returned after he had knocked Chen Xiangyang unconscious. He claimed that he had always despised drug traffickers and had coincidentally run into Chen Xiangyang while out for a late-night snack. Driven by the hot-blooded sense of justice typical of his age, he had seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack. Naturally, he also explained that Chen Xiangyang had discovered him at the last moment, forcing him to unleash a flurry of strikes in a desperate attempt to defend himself, which finally knocked the criminal out.

His account covered the entire sequence of events, leaving no room for discrepancies. The only difference was that Li Yan’s true motivation wasn't an overflowing sense of justice, but the fifty-thousand-yuan bounty.

The officer recording his statement wiped sweat from his brow after hearing the story. Had even the slightest thing gone wrong, another young life would likely have been lost at Chen Xiangyang’s hands.

"Young man, you're in great shape. You've got quite a lot of strength. Did you know you broke Chen Xiangyang’s shoulder blade?"

Li Yan shook his head, feigning ignorance. "I was just too agitated. I couldn't think about much else at the time; if I hadn't taken him down, I would have been the one in trouble."

"Hmm, he also has three broken ribs. It seems you had a burst of potential. It’s fortunate you managed to subdue him. Remember, you must never be this reckless again. If you spot him next time, call the police immediately and let us handle it. Having a sense of justice is a good thing for a young person, but you cannot risk your life, understand?"

Li Yan put on a look of lingering fear. "I understand. I definitely won't do it again. So, am I not going to be sent to jail or anything? And does this count as a meritorious deed?"

"Of course you won't be arrested. You performed a great service tonight. The leadership will certainly apply for a reward for you. But you must stop doing such dangerous things. If you really want to catch criminals, wait until you graduate and join the police force. Come work as my colleague; I think highly of you."

Hearing that his reward was secured, Li Yan felt a surge of joy. "Heh, that sounds great. As long as there’s an opportunity, I’ll definitely take the exam."

After finishing his statement, Li Yan was directed to an office to wait while the officers verified his identity. Soon, his homeroom teacher, Li Shilin, and school administrators from the First High School of the neighboring city arrived in a rush.

When he first received the call, Li Shilin had found it impossible to believe. One of his own students had captured the wanted criminal Chen Xiangyang. In all his years of teaching, this was the most bizarre event he had ever encountered.

"Li Yan, are you alright?" Li Shilin asked with concern upon seeing Li Yan drinking water in the office.

Li Yan remembered this teacher well; he had even met him twice after graduating from university. "Teacher, I'm fine. Why are you here?"

Seeing that Li Yan was truly unharmed, Li Shilin let out a sigh of relief. He already knew the gist of the situation, and he had been terrified for his student’s safety. After all, even though the college entrance exams were over, he still felt responsible for him.

"I'm glad you're okay, I'm really glad. But tell me, how could you be so impulsive?"

Li Yan scratched his head and said with feigned embarrassment, "I know, I won't do it again. I just got a bit carried away tonight."

Li Shilin let out a long breath. "What 'next time'? There won't be a next time. These things must be left to the police. You are still a student; you can't just mess around."

"I understand, teacher."

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Luo Jiazhuang was stunned when she heard that Li Yan had been taken away. She hadn't gone to the party at the bar that night, feeling that such gatherings were childish—she had already lived through them in her previous life. She remembered that, on that exact night in her past, she had been confessed to by a distinct-looking male classmate who lacked any sense of self-awareness.

Perhaps it was because of that night that the Li Yan of her previous life had finally let her go.

She had just finished showering and was planning to get a good night's sleep before going out with Li Yan the next day when her high school best friend, Gong Ya, called to say that Li Yan had been taken away by the police.

Li Yan had gone to study foreign languages, got into an argument because he was short on money, and accidentally killed someone? How could that be possible? She refused to believe Li Yan was that kind of person; there must be some misunderstanding.

He had just been reborn, and he was already arrested? This wasn't how the script was supposed to go.

After asking around among her classmates, she confirmed that Li Yan was at the municipal bureau. Without a second thought, Luo Jiazhuang grabbed a taxi, still wearing her pajamas.

Several classmates who were on good terms with Li Yan had also arrived. Standing at the entrance of the municipal bureau, a few young people looked at the building with a mixture of fear and irrepressible curiosity. Among them were Fu Hantao and Tan Ligang.

Fu Hantao looked gleeful. "Good, it serves him right. I didn't expect Li Yan to be so bold as to kill someone. Now he's been caught; while we go off to university, he’ll be off for 'rehabilitation'."

If anyone was happy about Li Yan’s arrest, it was Fu Hantao. How dare Li Yan confess to Luo Jiazhuang—and worse, have her accept him? It was infuriating. Li Yan was just a country bumpkin, whereas he, Fu Hantao, was a wealthy second-generation heir. To him, Li Yan was a toad trying to eat swan meat. Now that he was locked up, he deserved it.

"Ah Tao, no one is competing with you for Luo Jiazhuang anymore. From now on, you're the boyfriend of our school beauty," Tan Ligang said with a grin.

Fu Hantao chuckled. "Humph, Luo Jiazhuang was always mine. Does that country bumpkin Li Yan even deserve her? Bah, it's good he's inside."

The classmates who liked Li Yan wanted to say something, but intimidated by the two wealthy bullies who had long run the class, they chose to remain silent. They had just seen their teacher, Li Shilin, enter the building, so they waited for him to come out to ask for details.

Soon, a taxi pulled up at the entrance.

Luo Jiazhuang, still in her pajamas, jumped out and ran toward the entrance.

"Hey? Who are you? There’s an ongoing investigation inside. Unauthorized persons are not allowed."

Luo Jiazhuang was stopped at the door, her face full of anxiety.

"Officer, Li Yan is my boyfriend. Can I go in and see how he is?" She was so distressed she was nearly crying, her beautiful eyes filled with tears of worry.

The duty officer shook his head. "They haven't finished processing the case yet. Wait until they're done. Stand back for now."

Seeing she couldn't get in, Luo Jiazhuang retreated to the entrance with a dejected expression, joining her classmates.

"Jiazhuang, you're here? Why didn't you come to the party tonight? I sent you a message, why didn't you reply?" Fu Hantao rushed over as soon as he saw her.

Luo Jiazhuang couldn't be bothered to deal with him; her heart was entirely focused on Li Yan’s safety. What had happened? He couldn't be in real trouble.

Fu Hantao didn't take offense to being ignored; in fact, he felt a secret thrill. Since Li Yan was locked up, Luo Jiazhuang must be regretting her choice of company, realizing that as soon as she started dating someone, he ended up committing a crime. This was his chance.

"Jiazhuang, don't be sad. Li Yan was never a good person. Don't let his quiet exterior fool you; he’s full of malice. If he hadn't been messing around, he wouldn't have been arrested. It's a good thing he was caught now, or the consequences could have been unimaginable." He was doing his best to smear Li Yan’s reputation.

Luo Jiazhuang looked up and glared at Fu Hantao, whose schadenfreude was undisguised. "Please stop bothering me," she said coldly.

The glare caused Fu Hantao to retract his smile, and he shrank back in frustration. It was understandable—anyone would be angry in this situation. Jiazhuang must be furious with Li Yan for ruining things just hours after they established their relationship.

He thought for a moment and decided to show off his own importance. "Let me tell you, Jiazhuang, in a case like this, Li Yan is definitely going to prison. But my father has connections with Captain Wang at the bureau. I’ll ask my father to put in a good word for him. Don’t worry, I’ve got this." He felt this display of responsibility would surely make Luo Jiazhuang look at him differently.

Instead, he was met with an even angrier glare. "Fu Hantao, could you please stay away from me? I can't stand the sight of you right now."

Fu Hantao looked stunned, having no idea what he had done wrong.

Just then, several people walked out of the bureau. Leading the way was Zhang Jichuan, the Dean of Students from the First High School, followed by their homeroom teacher, Li Shilin, with Li Yan walking right behind them.