Shen Nian wasn't completely hopeless at badminton; he knew the most basic skills, having played a little here and there in the past.
But if you asked if he was any good, well, that was embarrassing.
He could beat a seven-year-old brat from his hometown.
But he'd get utterly destroyed by an eight-year-old. Sorry kid, couldn't give you a proper game...
But times had changed. Now stepping onto the court was the eighteen-year-old Shen Nian: lightning-fast reflexes, disciplined, super fit, and getting stronger the longer he played.
Shen Nian took the racket, swung it a couple of times, and could faintly hear it slicing through the air.
"Let's start a new game."
Zheng Bu served a standard shot.
Shen Nian returned it cleanly. When Zheng Bu hit it back, Shen Nian smashed it with force.
Swish!
Before Zheng Bu could even move, the shuttlecock had already hit the ground.
Chen Dong's eyes widened. "You actually know how to play! Are you really the buffed-up guy?"
Shen Nian cleared his throat. "Just average."
Zheng Bu was speechless. "Dude, it's just one point, no need to act so cool! My serve, my serve!"
He already had a plan: aim for the corners, make Shen Nian scramble side to side, and wear down his stamina.
It was a basic strategy, but since none of them were high-level players, it was easy to get caught in that rhythm.
Hehehe, not that Zheng Bu was some sneaky, cunning person or anything.
After a couple more rallies, he started using this tactic to control the flow.
From these exchanges, he could tell Shen Nian's badminton skills were truly foundational, with almost zero technique.
He relied entirely on quick reflexes. Sometimes his positioning was off, and he could only barely return the shuttle. Any return that wasn't a smash like before was easy to handle.
This kind of side-to-side scrambling burns energy fast. Zheng Bu figured Shen Nian wouldn't last long and felt victory was assured.
...Not happening!
Seriously, bro, how are you not tired?
Zheng Bu couldn't take it anymore. Dammit, how long have we been playing? This guy's stamina is insane, brother.
Things started feeling off. Even though Shen Nian was the one constantly running, Zheng Bu was the one getting winded.
Seizing an opportunity, Zheng Bu delivered a smash to Shen Nian.
And then Shen Nian effortlessly returned it.
Zheng Bu stared at the shuttlecock now flying far out of bounds, lost in thought...
"Damn, what a shame!" Shen Nian sighed. If that shot had landed, it would've felt better than... well, you know. That satisfying feeling of a hard-fought battle ending with a narrow victory. Too bad he lost. He'd definitely have trouble sleeping tonight, would need to lie in the same bed as Chun Bao to fall asleep.
"Forget this, I'm not playing anymore." Zheng Bu finally retrieved the shuttle, panting heavily.
How does the guy setting the pace get worn out by the guy being led around? Does that make any sense? Are you cheating or something?
Zero technique, doesn't even breathe hard after being run around for ages. How do you fight a stats monster?
"Why stop?"
"My stamina bar is empty. You're seriously something else."
"Huh?" Shen Nian was confused. He'd just lost two points in a row, how was that impressive?
"Chen Dong, you go. Let's have a proper duel."
"I'm tired too, my nose is even running."
"Fine."
But he wasn't that into playing badminton anyway; it felt a bit lacking. Since they didn't want to play, he might as well go chat with the girls.
P.E. class ended.
Shen Nian couldn't resist going to the school store with Chen Dong to buy a drink.
"The honor roll's been updated. Aren't you going to check it out?" Chen Dong took a swig of his iced tea and said casually.
"That fast? Let's take a quick look."
The honor roll seemed to have been updated at noon. There were still quite a few people gathered around it during break.
Shen Nian squeezed in and found himself on the first page under the top awards.
Life Motto: Ad space for rent. Five bucks a day.
Wouldn't the teachers and administrators making the honor roll find that funny?
Some underclassmen also noticed this ridiculous life motto and completely lost it.
"Is this life motto even human? I nearly laughed my magic pills out, hahaha!"
"He looks familiar... seems like the guy who ate watermelon during military training in freshman year..."
"He's kinda good-looking though..."
"Big brain move, taking commercial gigs all the way to the school honor roll."
"Schools can only filter out slackers, not legends. The higher the score, the more legends, and the more legendary they are."
Shen Nian's mouth twitched. He was fuming.
My proud business acumen, and you call me a legend? Typical Android mindset.
The class bell rang. Shen Nian made it back to the classroom just in time. Passing by Xia Yanchun, he had to hide the drink behind his back to avoid getting scolded.
His sneaky behavior made Xia Yanchun pay more attention, and she immediately spotted the drink bottle in his hand.
"If you bought a drink, just say so. Why are you hiding it?"
"Hehe." Shen Nian played dumb. "Played some badminton earlier, got a bit thirsty."
"I saw. Zheng Bu was playing you like a monkey."
"Can't help it. I'm not really good at it. Playing against them is like them smurfing against a noob."
"Wasn't that bad."
In her memory, Shen Nian really didn't play much. He'd only occasionally join in, and even struggled against little kids.
Back when she used to play with others, she'd always bring Shen Nian along to pick up the shuttlecocks for her.
"But you seemed pretty decent, lasting that long."
"Mainly because Zheng Bu was going easy. You saw, sometimes I couldn't even return his shots."
"True. If it were me, you'd have lost ten times over."
"Ugh, don't push it, or I'll smack you with the racket."
"Hmph."
The teacher arrived soon after, so Shen Nian didn't continue bantering with Xia Yanchun.
In the past, he was always trailing behind Xia Yanchun. When did he ever play badminton? He only played a few times with kids from his hometown in middle school, and didn't do well then either.
What if he was a once-in-a-generation badminton prodigy? Yet, at the age when he should have been showcasing his talent, he was suppressed by Xia Yanchun and turned into a ball boy.
Chun Bao, you've really done me in.
The wind turned bitingly cold. After sunset, thick clouds rolled in.
Although it didn't rain, the wind picked up, and the temperature dropped noticeably compared to the daytime.
The classroom was warm from all the people. Students who usually liked to go out to the corridor during breaks now all huddled inside.
During the last self-study period, Shen Nian closed his "Five-Three" review book, leaned back on his chair, and stretched. Holding one position for too long was uncomfortable.
Next to him, Xia Yanchun was still buried in her homework, her small hand gripping a pen, scribbling and drawing on her scratch paper. When she hit a difficult point, she'd place the pen horizontally on her upper lip, holding it there and wiggling it back and forth.
Like a little goofball. Adorable.
After class, Xia Yanchun clearly wanted to go home and quickly called for Shen Nian to head downstairs.
The cold wind made her shrink her neck into her shoulders. Only by hiding next to Shen Nian would it do.
Shen Nian habitually smoothed her hair. Seeing her slightly pink earlobes, he found it amusing. "Buy some earmuffs. Your ears are all red."
"Mhm, I'll look on Taobao when I get back... Want me to get you a pair too? I'll give you an eleven percent discount."
"Seriously, charging a service fee too?"
"Consider the extra as a gift from you to me."
"If I gave Chen Dong ten bucks, he'd call me 'daddy' all day. If I gave you ten bucks, would you call me 'daddy' for a day?"
"Get lost."
Xia Yanchun snorted and butted him with her forehead, like a little calf.
A cold gust of wind rustled the leaves by the roadside and crept up her sleeves, making her so cold she could barely keep her eyes open.
Hmm, she suddenly thought Shen Nian seemed so much bigger now, even though back in middle school he hadn't been taller than her.
Shen Nian glanced around. Seeing no supervisors nearby, he grew bold. He slipped one arm around Xia Yanchun's neck, pulling her close into the crook of his arm.
"Is it that cold? Well then, there's no other choice. How about you come sleep in my room? I'll warm the bed for you."
"...No way."
"Then I'll go to your place and warm your bed."
"..."
Yan Xi reminds you: Due to Tomato's request for over 3 million daily visits causing excessive server pressure, it is now recommended you use sources from other big platforms.
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
