Thought it was a towel, didn't see the person on the clothes.

From being overlooked by teachers to becoming the focus of their attention—this transformation isn’t actually complicated. Most of the time, teachers just want to see if you have a passion for learning.

And as luck would have it, Shen Nian had that passion in spades.

In a single night, Shen Nian mastered magnet links, BT seeds, cloud storage sharing, third-party software extraction, changing file extensions, and the krkr emulator. The next day, he reviewed everything, and by the third day, he had refined his skills.

If that’s not passion for learning, what is?

With that kind of drive, success was inevitable in anything he pursued.

Shen Nian returned to his seat and buried himself in his studies, shutting out the world around him—eyes on the books, ears deaf to distractions.

Though if some mythical figure suddenly appeared outside the fourth-floor window, even Shen Nian would take a peek.

Later in the study session, Su Kexi came into the classroom, asked Xia Yanchun for the attendance sheet, and called out the students with the most disciplinary marks.

None of this concerned Shen Nian, though. Even when he wasn’t paying attention in class, he rarely disturbed others—unlike certain tanned jocks who couldn’t sit still and constantly annoyed everyone around them.

Sure enough, Huang Chen was among those called out. Lin Xiyuan, however, wasn’t on the list this time. Come to think of it, Shen Nian hadn’t heard Lin Xiyuan speak much in class all week.

When Huang Chen returned, his expression was sour—clearly, Su Kexi had given him an earful.

Rage!

The scolding festered in Huang Chen’s mind until he couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed an empty bottle, marched to the back of the classroom, and executed a flawless imaginary fadeaway jump shot.

Some primal instincts just can’t be suppressed.

Sometimes, you really can’t blame stereotypes for being so… stereotypical.

After two straight classes of studying, Shen Nian stood up to stretch—just as Chen Dong turned around.

"I miss the old you, the one who was always happy."

"I’m not Xiao Nanliang."

"Who the hell said anything about Xiao Nanliang?" Chen Dong was slightly triggered. "What I mean is, ever since you got hooked on English, you’ve been like a stagnant pond—lifeless. I miss the guy who used to ride shotgun with me."

"Stagnant pond? Did you just say stagnant pond? And what’s this about it being ‘yin’ too?"

"There he is! That’s the Shen Nian I know!"

Shen Nian cracked a smile.

Bathroom trips are always better with company. Shen Nian dragged Chen Dong along, and on the way back, he slung an arm over Chen Dong’s shoulder, speaking with mock solemnity.

"Little Chen, did you know? Compared to the older generation, the youth of today are… significantly younger."

"What kind of nonsense is that? Your brain’s gone pointy."

"Hey bro, how’d your shirt end up in my hand?"

"Damn it, Shen Nian!"

"Ah, my bad, dude."

Shen Nian clasped his hands together in apology.

Sorry, my dude—thought it was a towel. Didn’t realize there was a person attached to it.

"If you’re gonna be like that, then what’s there to say? Might as well throw hands." Chen Dong shrugged it off.

"Really, my bad."

"What a mess."

♫ Trading yesterday’s hardships for tomorrow’s happiness and joy… ♪

Li Shiyan, passing by, tilted her head in confusion.

Why does it feel like there’s background music playing when I’m just walking past?

Where’s the bottle cap? Performance art?

After evening self-study, Xia Yanchun and Shen Nian walked home one after the other.

Shen Yue had already gone to bed, so Shen Nian stopped by Xia Yanchun’s place to collect the sleeping mat and pillow he’d used the night before.

The next morning, Shen Nian was up at 5 AM.

The early bird catches the worm—what kind of teenager sleeps in?

Shen Nian strongly advocated for all middle schoolers to wake up at 5 AM and finish school at midnight.

After all, he only needed five hours of sleep to feel refreshed all day. Whether others could manage the same wasn’t his problem.

If five hours isn’t enough for you, maybe look inward.

Wait—the "Four Provinces of Mountains and Rivers" already follow this schedule?

Shen Nian’s respect skyrocketed.

At the park, elderly folks were already out in full force—tai chi practitioners, sword dancers, and even shirtless joggers.

Shen Nian saw boundless energy in these sixty- and seventy-year-olds, while his seventeen- and eighteen-year-old classmates seemed like they were on death’s doorstep.

What’s wrong with this world?

Why do middle-aged people get to become seniors just by aging, while high schoolers have to pass exams to become college students?

Seniors should have to take a test too—earn that "Senior Citizen Certificate."

"Well, well. A young face in the park." A white-robed elder with his hands clasped behind his back gave Shen Nian an approving once-over.

"Here for exercise, old-timer?" Shen Nian returned the appraisal. The guy was in ridiculously good shape.

"Who comes to the park at this hour if not to exercise?"

"Uh… fair point." Shen Nian chuckled. "Tai chi, or…?"

"I don’t train the body. I train the mind."

"The what now?"

The elder nodded approvingly at a group of dancing aunties nearby.

Hands behind his back, occasionally stroking his beard—the very picture of sagely wisdom.

Shen Nian: ?

Age is just a number—this was the true meaning of "training the mind." Respect.

Still, Shen Nian would pass on this particular training. Milfs were his limit; aunties and grannies were a bridge too far.

After some thought, Shen Nian walked over to the square-dancing aunties and started recording a video.

The lead auntie noticed and immediately marched over.

"Did you turn on the beauty filter?"

Shen Nian braced for a scolding—since when were public spaces no-photo zones?—but her question caught him off guard.

She repeated, "The beauty filter. Show me."

"Yeah, max out the skin smoothing. And the whitening. Perfect."

"No filter, no recording. That’s the rule."

With that, she returned to her position and resumed leading the dance.

Shen Nian stared at his phone screen, where the aunties’ skin was whiter than a corpse left out for ten days.

Well, everyone’s got their principles. Respect.

He opened his gallery, edited the video’s thumbnail, and renamed the file.

[Shen Nian]: Little Chen, Dad gets you now. Thought you’d appreciate this.

[Shen Nian]: [Outdoor_Dance.mp4]

Chen Dong used to browse the weird side of the internet—this should be right up his alley.

The park had exercise equipment, but at this hour, it was mostly tank-top-clad grandpas hogging the machines.

With nothing available, Shen Nian settled for push-ups and a jog.

By 6:10 AM, the sun hung red in the sky.

Wiping sweat from his brow, Shen Nian decided outdoor workouts beat indoor ones any day.

He checked his phone—Chen Dong had replied.

[Chen Dong]: Hell yeah, bro! You know me too well. From this day forth, you’re my ride-or-die. Bros before hoes, call me anytime.

[Chen Dong]: School Wi-Fi’s trash, but it’s almost downloaded. I’ll buy you soy milk later.

[Chen Dong]: Ameno!

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