Fang Jun's behavior had seemed off from the very start.
Lin Mo thought he knew Fang Jun pretty well.
How did this guy usually act when he ran into an old classmate?
When he bumped into Jian Peipei at the barbecue stand, he was totally at ease—arm around her shoulder, joking around like a bro, treating her no differently than any of his guy friends.
The proper way to handle it should have been like An Yuexin: meet up, chat, laugh, keep it loose and natural.
That was Fang Jun's normal state.
But the moment Luo Ruiyu showed up, Fang Jun lost his composure. At first, he was flustered, his eyes darting around, though he did manage to steady himself later.
Still, there was something... forced about his actions and words.
If this was just normal socializing, why would he need to act like that?
Lin Mo glanced at An Yuexin.
An Yuexin happened to be looking at him too. The moment their eyes met, they both understood everything.
Conclusion: Fang Jun must have had a crush on Luo Ruiyu at some point.
An Yuexin slowly raised his thumb.
Having known the truth all along, he gave Lin Mo's guess a definitive confirmation.
Fang Jun immediately pulled the two of them away from the meeting room entrance.
The three of them ended up squatting right outside the administration building.
Lin Mo walked beside Fang Jun, holding it in the whole way, but eventually he couldn't help himself.
"So, you had a thing for Luo Ruiyu?"
"Can you keep your goddamn voice down?"
Fang Jun turned back, his voice low. The expression on his face was a mess—annoyance, guilt, and a bit of embarrassment at being caught out.
You could tell Fang Jun was really rattled.
"Listen up, both of you. Luo Ruiyu doesn't know about this, and we might end up at the same school. If this gets out, how awkward would that be?"
As he spoke, Fang Jun jabbed his finger for emphasis, but his tone lacked any real conviction.
Lin Mo ignored him and turned straight to An Yuexin.
"You tell me. What's the full story here?"
Fang Jun opened his mouth to stop him, but An Yuexin had already started speaking.
"Luo Ruiyu and Fang Jun have known each other since elementary school. Their families lived close, they were neighbors."
"I remember Luo Ruiyu mentioning she lived behind Fang Jun's place."
"Right. Bro Fang could even see her house from his balcony."
Lin Mo nodded, signaling for him to continue.
"In middle school, the school was a bit far from home, so they walked to and from school together—three years, every day on the same route."
Lin Mo stroked his chin and looked at Fang Jun.
"It wasn't every day. People have their own stuff to do. Don't start making up rumors," Fang Jun said, not even daring to lift his head, though his tone was harsh.
"I get it now."
Lin Mo dragged the words out slowly. "Childhood sweethearts, love growing over time. Walking home every day, the sunset stretching out your shadows, and you sneaking glances at her profile... 'The poplar's shadow stretches long, like my endless thoughts of you...'"
"Can you just talk normally?" Fang Jun raised his head to glare at him.
"Fine, fine."
Lin Mo dropped the teasing tone. "So what happened after that? After graduation, she went back to her hometown to study, and you two just lost touch?"
It wasn't Fang Jun who answered him.
An Yuexin shook his head. "It didn't end after graduation."
"Huh?"
"Second semester of eighth grade, Fang Jun found out Luo Ruiyu had a crush on their class's PE representative."
An Yuexin paused deliberately there, glancing at Fang Jun.
Fang Jun stayed silent, having already pulled out several blades of grass in his hand.
"What was that PE rep like?" Lin Mo asked.
"About five foot ten, decent looking, on the school team, plays basketball."
An Yuexin spoke calmly, but Lin Mo understood clearly.
During middle school, a tall, athletic guy who played basketball and stood one meter seventy-eight had an undeniable appeal among the girls—no need to elaborate on that.
Fang Jun patted the dirt off his hands as he stood up, his back to the other two.
"Nothing much to say. The one she likes isn't me anyway. If she finds out, so what? It's not embarrassing."
He said it wasn't embarrassing, but he didn't turn around, nor did he meet their eyes.
Being in love with someone who loves someone else—that's far too common.
So Fang Jun just gave up directly.
Later on, he also ran into Cai Junhuang, but he hit a dead end there too.
My poor Little Junjun.
"If she really gets into Guangba, she'll probably end up in Class Eight. Do you think when Cai Junhuang sees her, he'll feel threatened?"
An Yuexin suddenly brought up Cai Junhuang.
The already tense atmosphere sank even lower.
An Yuexin had no idea that Fang Jun had completely cut ties with Cai Junhuang.
That's why he said what he did.
Lin Mo, on the other hand, reached out and patted Fang Jun on the shoulder.
"If Cai Junhuang turned back because of this, would you..."
"There's no 'if,' and Luo Ruiyu isn't a tool. Stop talking about it. Anyway, I'm not dating anyone until college."
Fang Jun's tone was firm and resolute.
"Fair enough. Study hard and try to get into the same university as me."
"Screw you. You're aiming for Huaqing. How the hell am I supposed to get in there?"
Fang Jun smacked Lin Mo on the arm.
"Who said I'm going to Huaqing? Tianjing isn't really my scene. I'm staying in Yangcheng."
If he stayed in Yangcheng, the university Lin Mo would end up at was obvious.
The three chatted casually for over ten minutes. Not long after, Director Liu walked out of the meeting room and spotted them from afar at the entrance of the administration building.
"Lin Mo, the interview is over, but the written exam is still going on. You can't go in and cheat, all right?"
Lin Mo smiled and said, "Of course not. Rest assured, Director Liu, we'll just stay here."
Through his spiritual sense, he knew that Luo Ruiyu only had to take the tests for Chinese, Math, and English.
The number of questions for each subject wasn't large—basically a short diagnostic test to gauge her level.
There wasn't even an essay for the Chinese section, which saved a lot of time.
About an hour later, Lin Mo and the other two came back from outside the school, with Fang Jun holding a bottle of Sadamu milk tea in his hand.
As they walked into the administration building, the meeting room door at the end of the hallway pulled open.
Luo Ruiyu walked out, looking a bit tired.
She held three test papers in her hands and looked up to see Fang Jun and the others at the other end.
"You guys... are still here?"
Fang Jun wanted to say that if they weren't there, who knew if the interview results might change, but considering the poor soundproofing, he instead said, "We're old classmates. Of course, we had to wait for you."
As he spoke, he walked over.
"Here, have a drink. It's room temperature." Fang Jun handed her the Sadamu milk tea.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting so long. I'll treat you guys to dinner later."
"We'll see about that. Go turn in your papers first."
Fang Jun waved his hand, acting indifferent.
Meanwhile, Lin Mo and An Yuexin stood a bit farther away.
"Master Mo, do you think Bro Fang still has feelings for Luo Ruiyu?"
"Probably not. Didn't you notice? After I found out about this, his attitude actually became... a lot more normal."
“So what do you think, will Luo Ruiyu’s appearance make Cai Junhuang change his mind?”
An Yuexin still hoped Fang Jun would succeed.
But Lin Mo didn’t know either; he was only in the Golden Core stage, still far from it.
What he could confirm, however, was that certain trajectories in this lifetime had shifted once again.
The eighth class would welcome new students.
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
