In September, the air in Jiangcheng still held the lingering heat of midsummer.
Jiangcheng First High School, Principal's Office.
The air conditioning was blasting, and the Longjing tea on the coffee table gave off curling wisps of steam.
A white-haired but vigorous old man put down the file folder in his hand.
"So, you missed the placement exam because you went to your uncle's wedding?"
The old principal pushed his reading glasses up his nose, looking over the rims to study the casually standing boy in front of him.
Chen Zhi stood before the desk in a relaxed posture, completely lacking the nervousness typical of a new student meeting the principal. He scratched his head with a helpless look. "I couldn't help it. My uncle Zhang Jianguo is in his thirties and finally got a wife. It was a huge event for our family, I had to go."
The principal's mouth twitched.
As the head of Jiangcheng First High, he had seen students miss the placement exam due to illness, traffic, or even oversleeping. But someone giving up the chance to enter the honors class just to "attend a wedding banquet"—Chen Zhi was definitely the first in the school's history.
The old principal's hand paused in mid-air holding his teacup.
"What a pity."
The principal picked up a file from the desk and tapped it with his finger. "Perfect scores in the science subjects on the high school entrance exam. Logically, a talent like you goes straight into the 'Strong Foundation Class.' Even though you didn't take the placement exam, I can make a special exception and put you in Class One."
Class One was the legendary prep squad for Tsinghua and Peking Universities. It was filled with academic gods and relentless overachievers, including quite a few freaks of nature who had been directly promoted from middle school.
"No, no, no."
Chen Zhi waved his hands frantically, shaking his head like a rattle. "Principal, please spare me. I can't handle the atmosphere in the Strong Foundation Class. If I go in there, I'd probably have to time my breathing by the second. I'm used to being lazy; a regular class is much better suited for my well-being."
You've got to be kidding.
He had spent his entire life slacking off in class. Going to a class with such an intense study environment would be the death of him.
The principal laughed out of sheer exasperation and gave him a thumbs-up. "Fine, you're the first top scorer to justify wanting to slack off with such confidence. But let me make this clear: if you don't make the top ten in the grade on the next monthly exam, I will personally drag you into Class One."
"Deal. If my grades slip next time, I'll walk over there myself," Chen Zhi agreed readily.
"Alright, off you go." The principal waved him away, pointing to a middle-aged teacher waiting by the door. "That's Zhu Liming, the homeroom teacher for Grade 10, Class 10. Go report in with him."
Leaving the administration building and passing through two corridors, they arrived at the freshman academic building.
It was class time, so the hallways were quiet.
Zhu Liming looked like a very amiable middle-aged man. He held a thermos in his hands and walked at a leisurely pace, looking every bit the "zen" type of teacher.
"Chen Zhi, even though we're a regular class, you have a solid foundation, so don't slack off," Zhu Liming advised as they walked, his tone mild. "In our class, you can study however you want. As long as you don't tear down the building, I generally won't interfere."
"Understood, sir. I've always been a good student in the eyes of my teachers," Chen Zhi played along smoothly.
"We're here."
Zhu Liming stopped in front of a classroom on the third floor, cleared his throat, and pushed the door open.
The previously noisy classroom instantly fell silent.
Dozens of pairs of eyes simultaneously turned toward the door.
Teenagers going through puberty were always full of curiosity about the phenomenon of transfer students.
"Quiet down, everyone."
Zhu Liming walked up to the podium and tapped the desk with an eraser.
"Let me introduce a new classmate. Due to some special circumstances, he's just reporting in today."
He stepped aside to make room.
Chen Zhi stepped onto the podium, picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote his name on the blackboard.
Chen Zhi.
He turned around, tossed the chalk aside, and clapped the dust off his hands.
The movements were smooth and fluid.
"I'm Chen Zhi. I hope we can all get along."
A commotion broke out in the audience.
"Chen Zhi? Why does that name sound familiar?"
"Holy crap! Isn't that the top scorer of the entrance exam? I saw his name on the honor roll!"
"Are you serious? The top scorer is in Class 10? Is this some kind of charity work?"
"He's so handsome! With those looks, he could debut as an idol right now, couldn't he?"
Whispers and discussions rose and fell.
Chen Zhi ignored the chatter, his gaze sweeping across the room.
However, when his eyes brushed past the corner of the last row by the window, his gaze suddenly halted.
A girl was sitting there.
Wearing a blue-and-white school uniform, her long hair was tied into a casual ponytail, revealing a stretch of fair, slender neck.
She was resting her chin on one hand, her head turned as she stared blankly at the sycamore trees outside the window, seemingly indifferent to everything happening in the classroom.
Her side profile was as cold and clear as melting first snow.
Pei Ningxue?
Chen Zhi raised an eyebrow.
This was somewhat unexpected.
Given her grades, she should have easily made it into the Strong Foundation Class even with her eyes closed.
As if sensing the gaze from the podium, Pei Ningxue slowly turned her head.
Their eyes met.
In that instant, Chen Zhi clearly saw a fleeting trace of subtle panic flash through her originally cold eyes, but it vanished in a flash, and she returned to her previous aloofness.
"Um..."
Zhu Liming looked around the classroom and pointed to the empty seat next to Pei Ningxue.
"Chen Zhi, just sit there for now. That's the only empty seat left in our class at the moment."
The entire class's gaze instantly became suggestive.
That was Pei Ningxue's spot.
When the class was first assigned, several boys had tried to sit there, only to be frozen away by Pei Ningxue's glare.
Although this young lady was incredibly beautiful, her personality was genuinely ice-cold.
Carrying his backpack, Chen Zhi swaggered over under the envious, jealous, and hateful stares of all the boys in the class.
He pulled out the chair, sat down, and stuffed his bag into the desk cubby.
"Long time no see."
Chen Zhi leaned sideways, lowering his voice with a hint of teasing. "I didn't expect our bond to be this deep. We still ended up together in high school."
Pei Ningxue pursed her lips, redirecting her gaze back to the textbook in her hands, her voice light and cool.
"Mhm."
Chen Zhi didn't mind. He pulled a brand-new math book out of his bag and asked casually,
"My lady, you're easily top five in the whole school. What happened? Did you fill out the placement exam answer sheet with your feet? How did you end up in a regular class?"
Pei Ningxue's finger paused slightly as she turned the page.
She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow over her eyelids, hiding the emotions in her gaze.
"I had a stomachache during the placement exam."
Her voice remained steady, betraying not the slightest ripple of emotion.
"I missed two subjects."
Hearing this, Chen Zhi raised an eyebrow.
A stomachache?
You've got to be kidding.
This girl was a badass who could stay up all night playing CS:GO with him and then run an 800-meter race the next day without breaking a sweat.
Furthermore, the seating for the placement exam was arranged based on the high school entrance exam scores.
Chen Zhi didn't show up that day, so his seat was empty.
And Pei Ningxue, being in the top five of the school, would definitely have been seated near Chen Zhi, possibly even right in front of or behind him.
As long as she went to the exam room, she absolutely would have seen that empty seat.
Chen Zhi leaned back slightly against his chair, his gaze landing brazenly on Pei Ningxue's face.
"What a coincidence."
His tone was playful.
"I didn't go to the exam, and you just happened to get a stomachache?"
Pei Ningxue's hand froze mid-page.
She whipped her head around to look out the window, leaving Chen Zhi to stare at the back of her gorgeous head.
"It's just a coincidence."
Her voice was slightly higher than usual, betraying a hint of panic.
Chen Zhi didn't press the issue.
He didn't need to, as he could clearly see a crimson flush rapidly spreading across the girl's fair earlobes.
She sure talks tough.
Chen Zhi looked away, his mood inexplicably lifting.
It seemed the next three years wouldn't be so boring after all.
Just as Chen Zhi was about to rest his head on his desk to catch up on some sleep, a sudden chill ran down his spine, making him shiver involuntarily.
On the other side of the classroom, an elegant-looking girl was glaring daggers at him—or rather, at the sight of Chen Zhi and Pei Ningxue sitting together.
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
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.
