Chapter 3: A Tragic Re-enactment?_1

"Am I dead? Am I dead?" Nie Zhenbang felt a bit dizzy, he clearly remembered jumping off the tower. Could it be that the advanced medical technology in modern society had managed to revive him?

As Nie Zhenbang was deep in thought, a voice sounded from the side: "This student, there's no need to pretend to faint to avoid punishment. I've seen all kinds pretending to be pitiful, poor and fierce. But I haven't seen anyone like you who pretends to be pitiful. Well, let it be. You're a new university student. I'll let you off this time. You've just enrolled and you've got quite a lot of guts. Students these days are getting more and more courageous. If I catch you doing this again, you won't be so lucky."

Opening his eyes, Nie Zhenbang looked at the person in front of him in shock. This... this is Teacher Qin? The security guard who watches over the Boya Tower? Why does he look so young? Just in his twenties.

This was the scene after he had enrolled in school and sneakily climbed the Boya Tower. Teacher Qin insisted on taking him to the Student Affairs Office. But he faked a faint, which led Teacher Qin to take pity on him and let him go. Following that, he left the school only to meet Yang Anna in a car accident. To save Yang Anna, Nie Zhenbang was hit by a car and his left leg was crushed, rendering him disabled. Although he was fortunate enough to find his biological father, it marked the beginning of his tragic journey until he ended his life on Boya Tower 24 years later.

Is this a dream? But why does it feel so real? As Nie Zhenbang was thinking, Teacher Qin spoke up: "Student, are you alright? Do you need to go to the school infirmary?"

Nie Zhenbang quickly stood up and waved his hands: "No, no. Teacher Qin, sorry to have troubled you. It's an old illness of mine and it will sort itself out. I won't disturb you any longer. I will take my leave first."

As he watched Nie Zhenbang leave, Teacher Qin muttered to himself: "This kid, was he pretending? How does he know my last name? It's strange, am I that famous at school now?"

Not far away, Nie Zhenbang stopped again. He walked to the edge of the lake and looked at his own handsome face in the water, wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and blue trousers. His hair was styled with a fashionable side parting. Nie Zhenbang was stunned once again. Could it be that he was reborn?

As he thought of this, Nie Zhenbang was filled with joy. Was it possible that heaven had taken pity on him, allowing him to start over and make up for the regrets of his past life? But as an illegitimate child, he was looked down upon by his siblings, uncles, aunts, even his father and stepmother. This was an obstacle that was hard to overcome. Would he be able to overcome it in this life?

Twenty years of humiliation had steeled Nie Zhenbang's determination. Almost half an hour later, he finally came to his senses. Regardless of whether it was reincarnation or just a dream — whether he was dreaming of being a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming of being him — he was back in this era once again. At this time, the Nie family was still a formidable and prominent household in Jingcheng. If heaven did give him this opportunity, he would storm through all the hurdles unrelentingly, regardless of how difficult they seemed. Moreover, he had to repay the kindness of Nie Ziyu and Ye Shuxian, and seek revenge on those who had given him painful memories. Not doing so was not in his nature.

As soon as he thought of this, Nie Zhenbang immediately stood up. If reincarnation was real, there would be a car accident at the school gate in an hour. A fast-moving van would hit a young girl returning from school, and he would become disabled in this accident.

As soon as he returned to the dormitory, he was taken aback by his roommate. The young man in front of him, Li Zhenghong, who was about 1.7 meters tall and was from Chunan Province in the south, would become the executive deputy mayor of the South Sea City Special Zone in Yuedong Province in 20 years. But then was investigated for serious disciplinary violations and sent to jail. Nie Zhenbang didn't have much interaction with him, but he remembered him after seeing the news in the future.

"Zhenbang, where have you been? Everyone in the dorm is here, shall we have dinner together tonight?" Li Zhenghong asked with a smile.

People from Chunan are studious, and every year in the college entrance examination, Chunan Province achieves the highest scores in the country. As the top scorer in liberal arts in Chunan Province, Li Zhenghong held a certain pride. When facing Nie Zhenbang, Li Zhenghong had an innate sense of superiority and spoke with arrogance.

Observing Li Zhenghong's behavior, Nie Zhenbang couldn't help but feel a certain contempt. However, he was far too acquainted with this attitude. In his previous life, he had encountered many such officials ingratiating themselves with the Nie family. But as the fortunes of the Nie family declined, they were lucky to not be trampled upon.

At this moment, Nie Zhenbang was puzzled. In his previous life, there was no such episode; he had returned to the dormitory early that day, not running into Li Zhenghong at all. Perhaps this time the occurrence was due to a delay.

"No, Zhenghong, you guys go ahead, I have something to tend to. After today, I'll treat you guys. I'm going ahead." Nie Zhenbang was in no mood to stay around any longer. He was desperate to figure out if the bizarre incident was real or not and promptly ran away.

At the same time, his heart was pounding with anticipation. If the upcoming incidents truly happened, the events in his eerie long dream would probably be real. And the incident just now gave Nie Zhenbang the impression that the future could be changed. It seemed as if everything was progressing in a positive direction.

Practically sprinting, he dashed out of the school gate, and coming to an abrupt halt, he surveyed the passersby on the street. Nie Zhenbang was stunned as past events clearly appeared in his mind. While watching the passersby, Nie Zhenbang anxiously waited for something.

Now, he faced two choices. First, to find Yang Anna beforehand and take her away from the danger zone. However, he was hesitating, unsure if this was reality or just a dream - this whole situation was too bizarre. The second choice was to stay put and wait for the event to happen. Despite the risk, it seemed like a cautious move. With adequate preparation, Nie Zhenbang was confident he could avoid the outcomes of his past life.

About twenty minutes later, a familiar figure emerged in his line of sight. A dainty little girl dressed up fancifully, with a red scarf around her neck. On her arm, three stripes symbolizing the logo of the Young Pioneers team leader.

That was Yang Anna. The saying "naughty in childhood, disciplined in adulthood" didn't fit Yang Anna. She had always been the center of attention since she was a child.

Straight after that, only two meters away from where he was standing, an out-of-control van would rush from the left.

To save or not? Nie Zhenbang was torn. If the incident occurred, it would prove that his dream was real. Save! But he could end up injured and disabled again. Then, his aunt, Nie Guorong, would find his real father, Nie Guowei, for him and he would be taken back home by his illegitimate father. After an outburst from his grandfather, he would grudgingly be accepted. Then, he would become the least favorite and least notable person in the Nie family. Did he really want to repeat his tragic life again? Not to save! Could he live with that on his conscience? Even though his parents, sisters, and all his relatives had abandoned him and distanced themselves, this seemingly delicate girl in front of him stood by him all along, supporting him and caring for him. If he didn't save her, she would either become disabled or die. Could he really bear that? At this moment, Nie Zhenbang was hesitant. Left - hell, right - heaven. This dilemma was tough.

These thoughts flashed by in an instant and so did the fifty-meter distance. At this moment, the screams of pedestrians could be heard as a white van came roaring down the road. That was the van that led to Nie Zhenbang's tragic life. The destined event still happened.