First Place in the Competition

On Thursday, a strong cold front swept in from the north.

The long-awaited temperature drop had finally arrived.

Students bundled up in winter coats and long pants, many of them looking noticeably more polished than usual.

Lin Mo had just walked into the classroom with his backpack when he spotted Jiang Yunlu cradling a steaming cup of hot cocoa in her hands, blowing gently on it.

Noticing Lin Mo’s arrival, she casually set the cup down on his desk.

“Hm?”

Jiang Yunlu looked up at him, her eyes crinkling into crescents as she smiled.

“It’s for you. I woke up this morning and it was freezing, so I made some hot cocoa to bring with me.”

“Isn’t this for you, though? What will you drink if you give it to me?” Lin Mo didn’t refuse, picking up the palm-sized cup and feeling the warmth radiating from it.

Jiang Yunlu lifted a thermos and gave it a light shake.

“I made a whole pot. Try it first and see if you like it.”

“Well, in that case, I won’t stand on ceremony.”

Lin Mo took a sip.

“Wow, now this is some proper hot cocoa.”

Judging by the rich taste, Jiang Yunlu must have used a generous amount of pure chocolate in the brew.

“If you like it, just let me know. There’s plenty more in the thermos.”

“The recipe’s pretty simple—my aunt taught me. You start by heating heavy cream, then add cocoa powder, dark chocolate chunks, and sugar.”

Lin Mo nodded.

“More heavy cream makes it smoother, while extra milk gives it a lighter, drinkable texture.”

Jiang Yunlu’s eyes widened as she nodded vigorously.

“How do you know that? Do you make hot cocoa too?”

Lin Mo shrugged. In his past life, recipes like these were everywhere—short videos made sure no beverage secret stayed hidden for long.

Still, on a chilly morning like this, a cup of hot cocoa was undeniably comforting.

Jiang Yunlu had gotten the sweetness just right—not too cloying, not too bland.

It fit the Guangdong standard for desserts perfectly: the best sweets were the ones that didn’t overwhelm with sugar.

When Wang Qin arrived, Jiang Yunlu poured her a cup as well.

After one sip, Wang Qin clung to Jiang Yunlu’s arm.

“Oh my gosh, Yunlu, how are you so good at making stuff like this? I seriously want to kidnap you and take you home as my wife.”

Jiang Yunlu just laughed in response.

Lin Mo, from the side, chimed in, “Same-sex marriage isn’t legally recognized in our country yet, so you’ve got some work to do, Wang Qin.”

“Hmph! Fine, then Yunlu can be my secret lover. I’ll hide her away like a treasure.”

Lin Mo nodded solemnly and gave her a thumbs-up.

“Ambition like yours is rare, Wang Qin.”

---

Jiangshan Group.

Jiang Chengshan’s secretary walked in with a cup of coffee, but before she could set it down, he spoke without looking up.

“No coffee today. Just take the cup away after you pour it out.”

“Understood, Mr. Jiang.”

A moment later, the secretary returned with a freshly washed mug—a cartoonish one with a crudely drawn kitten on it.

Clearly, this was a handmade gift from Jiang Yunlu to her father, and Jiang Chengshan treasured it.

Once the mug was placed on his desk, he carefully retrieved a thermos from the side and poured a small serving of hot cocoa into it.

The secretary caught the aroma and immediately guessed the source.

“Did Miss Yunlu make this?”

Jiang Chengshan beamed. “That’s right. My daughter felt bad for me, so she got up early to brew this.”

That said, he had noticed Jiang Yunlu had cooked up an entire pot—yet all he got was a thermos’ worth.

But then again, she probably had to share with her classmates too.

After a bit of self-consolation, Jiang Chengshan took a sip of the warm drink.

---

[System Notification: Fruit juice, I love fruit juice~]

Before morning reading session began, Lin Mo sat at his desk scrolling through his phone.

Then someone called out, “The ugly duckling’s here. Heads up.”

Lin Mo leisurely tucked his phone away and glanced toward the classroom entrance, where Chen Xiaoya and Xu Haoming had appeared.

It was obvious—the competition results were out.

Sure enough, Chen Xiaoya spoke first. “Lin Mo! Come here for a sec.”

Lin Mo stood and walked over.

No one batted an eye. After all, Lin Mo was now the school’s top-ranked student—practically untouchable. As long as he didn’t commit a crime, he could strut through Guangba High like he owned the place.

At the door, Xu Haoming stepped forward.

“Congratulations, Lin Mo. You scored a perfect 120 in the municipal competition.”

Lin Mo nodded seriously.

“How many others in the city got full marks?”

He needed to gauge the competition.

“Not many. Including you, just twelve.”

Lin Mo had thought he was unrivaled, but apparently, others could match him. Whose prodigies were these?

But then Xu Haoming held up two fingers.

Lin Mo looked at the fingers, then back at Xu Haoming.

“Peace sign?”

“No—our school took two of those spots. The other one is Tong Dong.”

Ah, so it was just Tong Dong, his old rival. Meaning the other schools had at most one perfect scorer each.

Still, Tong Dong was bound for the national competition—scoring full marks was expected.

“When’s the provincial round?”

“Not confirmed yet, but I heard it’ll be held in Shenzhen. The school will arrange transportation.”

Shenzhen was only a two-hour drive from Goat City.

Before Xu Haoming could continue, Chen Xiaoya cut in.

“By the way, the municipal first prize comes with a 5,000-yuan award, and the school is adding another 10,000. Give me your bank details so I can submit the paperwork.”

Math Olympiads always had cash prizes, but schools sweetened the deal to keep top talent—money talked, after all.

The bell rang, and Lin Mo returned to his seat.

Jiang Yunlu leaned over and whispered, “What happened? Another competition thing?”

Lin Mo shook his head.

“Nothing major. Just that I passed the municipal round.”

“Congrats! If you do well in the provincial round, you could even get college admission bonuses.”

Jiang Yunlu was genuinely happy for him.

But Lin Mo was currently locked in a debate with his system.

[Congratulations, Host! Your performance in the Hundred Sects Tournament has made you a rising star—already renowned among the local talents.]

“Enough chatter. Hand over the rewards.”

Lin Mo wasn’t here for praise. The system had promised prizes for each competition milestone, and he intended to collect.

[System drawing reward… Congratulations! Host has obtained a Twin Jade Spirit-Nourishing Pill.]

Lin Mo checked the pill’s effects.

Essentially, it was a high-grade cultivation booster—just under a fancier name.

It also had secondary benefits, like enhancing spiritual sense and further refining the body.

“You’ve been holding out on me?”

[Host, remember—this is a mission reward. This system is not a wish-granting machine.]

“Yeah, yeah. Rules are rules.”