"Hello, who's speaking?"

Ye Chen answered the call.

"Is this Ye Chen?"

A familiar voice, hoarse and weathered, instantly made Ye Chen's heart race.

"Are you... are you Teacher Gao?"

Ye Chen's throat tightened as his breathing quickened.

In his previous life, he would never have recognized such a voice, so distant in time and memory. But living a second life had made his memories unusually vivid and sharp.

In that instant, he realized it was the voice of his high school homeroom teacher, Teacher Gao.

The memories of his past life surged like a flood.

In his previous life, after failing in business and undergoing a drastic personality change, he had only met Teacher Gao once again.

That meeting had been in a hospital room.

On that day, Teacher Gao, who had taken special care of him as an orphaned student in high school, lay on the hospital bed and made him swear under the lamplight to become a better person and leave his reckless ways behind.

That day, this proud man, who once stood seven feet tall, cried like a child in front of the teacher who shared no blood ties with him.

But soon, Teacher Gao's voice broke through his memories.

"I didn't expect you to recognize my voice, Ye Chen. That makes me so gratified, so gratified!"

"Teacher Gao, how could I forget? I might forget anyone, but never you!" Ye Chen quickly responded.

As he spoke, he stood from the sofa and walked out to the balcony.

"Is that so? Yet, while you haven't forgotten me, you've forgotten your ambitions, forgotten my teachings, and forgotten the high expectations I had for you!" Teacher Gao's tone suddenly turned stern.

"Teacher Gao, what... what do you mean?" Ye Chen was puzzled.

Teacher Gao didn't hold back any longer.

"Ye Chen, do you know that, in all my years of teaching, you were the one I placed the highest hopes on? Knowing your background, I earnestly wished for you to rewrite your destiny and change your life. And back then, you didn't disappoint me-you got into an excellent university, paving the way for a brighter future. But why... why did you squander such a good hand of cards?"

His voice carried a sense of melancholy, but more than that, it revealed deep disappointment.

At first, he hadn't believed the rumors about Ye Chen's downfall, as shared by former classmates.

But as more and more accounts emerged, he couldn't deny it any longer.

"Teacher Gao, are you saying...?" Ye Chen began to understand but still asked for confirmation.

"I'm asking you-did you stray off the path? Did you hit rock bottom, drowning in alcohol, gambling, and debts from loan sharks? Were you really chased down by debt collectors, unable even to pay your rent, borrowing money everywhere?"

"Ye Chen, how could you let your life spiral into such a mess?" Teacher Gao's voice trembled with frustration, his anguish evident.

These words made Ye Chen's eyes sting with unshed tears.

"Yes, Teacher, you're right!" Ye Chen admitted as he gazed at the river view, blinking hard and taking a deep breath.

"But that's all in the past now!" he added firmly before Teacher Gao could reply.

"In the past? Are you saying you've turned over a new leaf?"

"Yes, Teacher Gao. I won't deny I almost reached the point of losing everything. But fortunately, I've found my way back. I'm not wealthy or wildly successful, but I have my family, my wife, and child. Teacher Gao, I didn't let you down!" Ye Chen declared.

"Is that true?" Teacher Gao sounded stunned.

"Absolutely. I could never lie to you, Teacher!"

Ye Chen continued, "By the way, Teacher Gao, where are you teaching now? I'd love to visit and catch up."

"I'm attending a teaching seminar out of town and won't return until next Saturday. Coincidentally, your class is having a reunion that same day, and I've been invited along with the other teachers. Many of your classmates, except those abroad, will attend. Lin Mengxi told me she'd reach out to you privately since you're not in the class group chat. She hopes you can join as well."

Teacher Gao was trying to gauge Ye Chen's sincerity. If Ye Chen agreed to attend, it would prove he had truly changed. If he refused, Teacher Gao might suspect otherwise.

However, Ye Chen froze.

He had experienced firsthand the pretentious faces of his classmates in his previous life.

Before his rise to success, he attended a wedding after receiving an invitation, only to be treated like a joke by everyone present, including the groom.

That day, in the disbelief of all present, he flipped the table and stormed out.

That night, drunk and despairing in his rented room, he raised his finger to the sky and swore under the crashing thunderstorm.

After everything he endured in his past life, Ye Chen had already decided not to associate with those people in this life.

But now, with Teacher Gao's request, he found himself caught in a dilemma.

"Teacher Gao, do you want me to attend, or not?" Ye Chen asked.

"If you've truly turned over a new leaf, I hope you go. I want your classmates to see that I didn't misjudge you. Even if you once faltered, you've returned to the right path. But if you haven't changed, then I'd rather you stay away, and we can talk privately." Teacher Gao's tone was forthright and resolute.

It was clear the negativity in the class group chat had fueled his determination.

After all, Ye Chen was a student he had once held in high regard-a student who had been truly special to him.