The rebirth of lickspittle

Zhang Fan received a glimpse of the future.

When he opened it, a vivid image appeared in his mind:

September 25, 2005, 4:47:03 PM.

Liu Wenshi was lying in her dorm room playing games with her roommates, dressed in her military training uniform. Suddenly, Shen Chuchu burst in and yanked her up forcefully. The two started shouting at each other.

A girl lying on her bed browsing news on her phone immediately sat up, quickly turned on her camera, and began recording with an excited expression.

The vision abruptly ended.

After watching, Zhang Fan frowned. What was the meaning of this? What use was it?

Suddenly, his eyebrows shot up. This wasn't a scene from the past. That timestamp was from ten days in the future—during their military training!

The fragment of the future remained stored in his mind, ready for him to revisit whenever he wanted. However, Zhang Fan couldn't figure out why he was shown this glimpse of ten days ahead. It didn't seem particularly useful.

Was he supposed to step in and mediate? That seemed unnecessary and frankly, a waste of time.

Huayang was a world-class city, and Huayang University ranked among the top universities globally. During the start of the school year, cars of all kinds came and went outside the campus. However, a car like Zhang Fan's—worth millions—was a rare sight, especially being driven by a student.

Since his arrival, Zhang Fan had become the focus of attention among parents and students alike.

At the security booth by the gate, a young guard looked displeased as he spoke to his senior colleague.

"That guy doesn't seem like a good person! What kind of student drives a car like that to campus? Just wait until the start-of-term rush is over—I definitely won't let his car through the gate anymore!"

As Zhang Fan drove through the gate, he noticed the young guard's expression. He smiled warmly, reached into the glove compartment, and pulled out a box of premium cigarettes.

"Hey, bro," he called out, "I'll be studying here from now on. Take care of me, okay?"

With that, he tossed the box of cigarettes into the booth.

The young guard's expression shifted instantly, breaking into a broad smile. "Of course! If you ever need to drive in or out, just let me know—I'll make sure the light stays green for you!"

Zhang Fan waved as he drove past.

In his previous life, Zhang Fan's father had told him countless times to be shrewd and cunning, but Zhang Fan had always dismissed the advice, thinking it unnecessary.

In this life, however, he had changed. He was determined to become the shrewdest and most cunning of them all.

Zhang Fan handed his phone to Liu Wenshi. "Put your number in."

Liu Wenshi looked at the latest Motorola model in front of her, a hint of envy flashing in her eyes. However, she quickly masked it, handed the phone back, and said, "I don't have a phone. Just give me your number, and I'll call you later from the dorm's landline."

Zhang Fan gave her a glance but said nothing.

As a freshman in 2005, the mobile phone ownership rate was only 6%, whereas 82% of graduating seniors owned one. Zhang Fan's family business dealt in mobile phones, so he was well aware of these figures.

"Fine, I'll tell you. Write it down," he said.

After she noted it down, Liu Wenshi repeatedly tried to get out of the car, but Zhang Fan refused, driving her all the way to the girls' dormitory.

By then, the freshmen had all completed their registration and were hanging out by their dorm windows, idly watching the cars and students passing by.

The girls were particularly interested in scoping out the prettiest girls among the new students, as well as figuring out who came from wealthy families.

Then, a sleek black BMW X5 entered their view, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

"Wow! That car looks so good—so big and fancy! It must be really expensive."

"You don't even know what that is? Look at the logo—it's a BMW. It's just as famous as Mercedes-Benz."

"You two bumpkins! That's an SUV, a BMW X5. Fully loaded, it costs over a million!"

The third girl's comment immediately offended the first two.

"What's with your attitude? Is your family rich or something? What car did your family drive to drop you off?" one retorted sarcastically.

The girl flushed red and huffed, "I'm not wasting my time talking to you."

The car came to a stop, and everyone's eyes focused on it, eager to see who would step out.

"She must be from a super-rich family," someone speculated.

Blushing, Liu Wenshi stepped out of the car. Her appearance immediately caught everyone's attention. Many girls clenched their teeth in jealousy. Not only was this new student wealthy, but she was also stunningly beautiful. It was too much to handle!

Sensitive to the stares, Liu Wenshi felt her cheeks grow even redder. She wanted to escape to her dorm room, but then Zhang Fan also stepped out of the car.

His appearance drew gasps from all around.

Everyone had assumed that the driver must be some wealthy parent. But no—it was a young man, and a strikingly handsome one at that.

Their curiosity piqued, the crowd grew even more intrigued.

Zhang Fan had stepped out deliberately, of course. He gestured at Liu Wenshi with a phone-call motion. "Don't forget to call me!"

Liu Wenshi's face turned crimson as she nodded hastily, desperate to flee.

But Zhang Fan went a step further, blowing her a kiss.

That sealed it.

The spectators were convinced: these two were a couple.

Jealousy flared. Why was she so lucky? How could someone like her land a boyfriend who drove a BMW X5 and looked like that? Was beauty really all it took?

Back in the dorm room, Liu Wenshi was immediately surrounded by her four roommates.

"Wenshi! Was that your boyfriend? What's his name?"

"Wow! How long have you been together? He looks so rich. Is he a student too?"

"Don't be so shallow. That guy is so handsome! What school is he from?"

"Yeah, rich and good-looking! How did you meet him? Was it in high school? How long have you been dating?"

Cornered, Liu Wenshi kept shaking her head and waving her hands in denial. "No, no! We're not dating! I just met him today. Really, I only found out his name is Zhang Fan today!"

Her roommates clearly didn't believe her, but seeing her unwilling to share more, they pouted and backed off.

Just then, the dorm's landline rang.

One of the girls picked up the receiver. "Hello? Who are you looking for?"

A clear male voice answered, "This is Zhang Fan. I'm looking for Wenshi."

The girl's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you the guy who just dropped Wenshi off?"

"Yes, that's me."

She immediately screamed, "Wenshi! Your boyfriend is calling!"

Liu Wenshi froze in shock. How did he know the dorm's phone number?

Little did she know, Zhang Fan had spent years as Shen Chuchu's lackey and knew the number by heart. Calling now was all part of his plan to cement his presence in her roommates' minds.

Reluctantly, Liu Wenshi picked up the phone, stammering, "Y-you…"

Before she could get another word out, Zhang Fan laughed on the other end.

"Don't be nervous. I just wanted to ask—can we meet by the campus lake tonight to make up for the kiss we missed earlier?"

Blushing furiously, Liu Wenshi bit her lip and said nothing.

"No response? I'll take that as a yes. I'll call you when the time comes."

Before she could protest, he hung up.

Turning around, Liu Wenshi was met with four faces pressed up close to hers.

"Woo-hoo! A date!"

"No, no! It's not like that!" she protested, but her roommates just smirked knowingly.

As for Zhang Fan, did he actually like Liu Wenshi?

The answer was clear: no.

But because Liu Wenshi was destined to be Lin Feng's woman in the future, she had now become a target of interest for Zhang Fan.