November 1st, the sky was blue, clouds drifted leisurely, sunlight was warm, and the breeze gentle.
Midterm exams were scheduled for next Tuesday. That meant after the weekend break, Monday would be for tidying desks and changing seats.
Today was Saturday, and there was still a weekly test. Because it was simple, Shen Nian finished all the test papers for the three main subjects and the science composite in just three class periods.
After comparing answers with Xia Yanchun, for this relatively easy weekly test, Shen Nian's scores weren't far off from Xia Yanchun's, excluding math.
"Hehe, almost catching up to you, huh? Ready to be overthrown by your subordinate?"
"Is that even how you use that phrase?"
"The meaning gets across, that's what matters."
Shen Nian smiled. It was break time now. Most students were resting, with a small handful still working on the weekly test.
Shen Nian was the only one who could finish the weekly test in three periods; even Xia Yanchun still had a math paper left.
If math scores were included, it wasn't impossible for Shen Nian to surpass Xia Yanchun on this weekly test.
But weekly tests had too low a reference value to bother comparing. For Xia Yanchun, weekly tests were just casual practice papers, less indicative than the usual exercise books. She wouldn't even check them, not bothering to correct a wrong character if she wrote one.
A monster of this level isn't qualified to puff its chest.
Xia Yanchun took a sip of water. Her cup was empty. She pouted slightly and shoved the cup into Shen Nian's hand. "Get me some warm water."
"Two bucks."
"It's just a turn around!" Xia Yanchun instantly got annoyed.
"What are you thinking? Fetching water is definitely free." Shen Nian turned to get the water. The cup was full, but he didn't hand it back to Xia Yanchun. "Fetching water is free. The cup costs two bucks."
"You're robbing me! I'll kick it right into your mouth."
"Alright, alright, here you go."
"You should've done that earlier. You're such a pain." Xia Yanchun rolled her eyes, took another gulp, then glanced sideways at Li Shiyan, who had been lying on the desk watching with wide eyes, and muttered, "What are you looking at? I'll scold you too in a minute."
"Hehe, hehe." Li Shiyan's eyes curved like crescent moons as she giggled foolishly. The world of a shipping bird is something mere mortals will never understand.
If they weren't bickering and teasing, she wouldn't have anything to ship. Rivals-to-lovers is just too good to ship, ya!
The class bell rang, and Shen Nian returned to his own seat, openly glancing sideways at Xia Yanchun.
Lin Xiyuan liked to wear cute clothes on weekends, which was quite a unique flavor on campus. Unlike Lin Xiyuan, Xia Yanchun at school mostly wore the plain, long-pants school uniform—a proper good girl.
This bad woman actually disguises herself as a sweet, cute beauty at school. How despicable.
The world is full of disguises between people. Honest folks like Shen Nian, who don't talk much, are truly rare in this world.
Old man, not many honest words.
Just kidding, he's not actually old. A freshly eighteen-year-old male high school student, at the age of fastest reflexes, peak physical strength, and intellectual prime—a favorite of wealthy ladies.
After being stared at for a while, Xia Yanchun shot a disdainful look back at Shen Nian, her eyes seeming to speak.
Shen Nian curled his lips at her, withdrew his gaze, and had just taken out his "Five-Three" exercise book to do his own thing when a small eraser hit his hair.
"Haki Chun, you're the class monitor. Can you not play such childish games?"
Xia Yanchun gave him an innocent, confused look. "What are you talking about, Shen Nian? I don't really understand."
"Fine, fine." Shen Nian gave a forced smile, too lazy to retort.
He had only thrown thirty or forty eraser bits at Xia Yanchun before, and she actually held a grudge until now, even retaliating by throwing a small eraser piece.
Sigh, all one can say is, don't let hatred blind you.
Shen Nian was bullied by Xia Yanchun like this when they were kids, and now he only thinks about nibbling the grass near his own nest. If that's not being a saint, what is? Shen Nian thinks the Leshan Giant Buddha should give up its seat for him.
"Damn, I..."
Ma Mingfan at the front row suddenly jolted awake. Seeing the stack of six test papers piled by his desk, he felt utterly terrible.
Checking the clock, it was already past ten.
Haha, so I accidentally time-traveled. Thought I just slept through three periods.
Who understands the redemptive feeling of a high schooler arriving at the classroom at 6:30 AM, planning to nap at the desk for ten minutes, only to open their eyes and find they've time-traveled to the last period?
Deskmate Chen Dong was still asleep. Ma Mingfan's head was fuzzy as he turned to look at Shen Nian.
"Did you finish the test papers?"
Shen Nian propped his chin on his hand. "Of course. Not lending."
"I haven't even asked yet." Ma Mingfan trembled with indignation. "In your eyes, do I only look for you to copy test papers? Am I that kind of person?"
"Then why did you call me?"
"Lend me your papers to copy." Ma Mingfan grinned. Sorry, bro, I spoke too loudly earlier. I really am that kind of person.
Shen Nian did a playful finger-pointing gesture, amused.
Ma Mingfan also laughed even more heartily, acting all 'we're bros'.
We're bros.
"What are you laughing at? Are we that close? Not lending." Shen Nian wiped the smile off his face. Just messing with you, and you actually laughed.
"Are we still brothers? Have you forgotten we went through fire and water together in our past life?"
"Past life... seems like I did have a brother in my past life. Its name was Bruce. To me, it was more trustworthy than many people..."
Shen Nian had a sudden realization. "Bruce, could you be Bruce reincarnated?"
"Dammit, Shen Nian, you've really changed. You weren't like this before. Have you forgotten the days we copied Chen Dong's papers together? Weren't we so happy back then?"
"I'm happier now finishing them easily myself. Why aren't you happy? I remember you were very happy when you used the head-pat emoji. Why aren't you happy now? Don't want to be?"
Ma Mingfan: ...
Guys, I've encountered a resentful spirit. Do you think I can successfully borrow the papers?
Was I really wrong for spamming head-pat emojis for thirty minutes? Enough for Shen Nian to remember for a month.
Everyone knows my methods, but no one knows my good heart.
He just wanted to comfort Shen Nian, that's all. Where you fall, you must get up. Can you play another round with me so I can send two more head-pats?
"Really not lending?" Ma Mingfan sighed. For the test papers, he gave up his dignity. "Bro, let me put on a little show for you, okay? Please."
"What kind of show?"
"I'll perform a marching kick for you, okay?"
"You can do that?"
“Nothing special, just skilled from practice.”
"If it's no good, no papers." Shen Nian wanted to see what kind of show he could come up with.
Ma Mingfan nodded, stood up, walked around Chen Dong, ran over to a classmate, and lightly kicked the person's calf.
Zheng Bu: ?
Shen Nian: ?
Kicking Zheng Bu, huh? Lame pun. Major points deducted.
"Sorry, bro, Shen Nian told me to kick you. Since I called you bro, what more needs to be said? Just let me kick you, okay?"
Ma Mingfan gave another kick.
Nothing special, just skilled with the feet.
Zheng Bu: ???
Not cool, bro, playing like this? Opened the Creative Workshop?
"Zheng Bu, I'll treat you to the cafeteria's free soup later. Let's leave it at that." Ma Mingfan made a quick escape before he got beat up.
"You win." Shen Nian covered his face. That last line about treating someone to the cafeteria's free soup really did make him laugh.
Some people are far from human. Shen Nian felt that in this class, he was the normal one.
"Shen Nian baby, where are the test papers?"
"Ugh, you're so gross. Here, take it, now get lost."
"Babe, you're the best." Ma Mingfan beamed, turning back to copy the test paper.
Xia Yanchun grumbled to herself, wishing she could block her ears.
If the final bell before class hadn't just rung, marking it as not officially started, she definitely would have written down these boys' names.
Do guys often call each other 'babe'?
Xia Yanchun was mortified. Even girls don't call each other that so casually, but boys... is that, is that normal?
She's never even called Shen Nian 'babe', yet Ma Mingfan just did. Could it be that the gays are among us?
Well, she would never call Shen Nian 'Nian-bao'.
"Shiyan, babe~" So, she cooed at Li Shiyan in a sickly-sweet voice.
Li Shiyan was taken aback, a pair of tiny question marks practically floating above her head.
"Never mind, never mind. I'll treat you to Haidilao tomorrow~"
"Yay! You're the best, Xiaochun!"
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
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?"
