Li Shiyan pursed her lips, thinking that Shen Nian was truly amazing. Huang Chen, who specialized in sports, only did twenty, but Shen Nian actually did more than a sports student.
People always said that top students' grades were inversely proportional to their athletic abilities. Li Shiyan felt that she and Xia Yanchun both fit this description, but when it came to Shen Nian, why was it directly proportional?
Having high grades was one thing, but having such great physical stamina too... It was too exaggerated.
He was like a monster with maxed-out stats.
While the group chatted and laughed, only Huang Chen's expression was less than pleasant.
He hadn't been able to outrun him in the 1000-meter race last time, and now he couldn't beat him in pull-ups either. How ridiculous was that?
If he had known Shen Nian was this capable, he wouldn't have tried to show off.
After PE class, Xia Yanchun, in a rare move, walked to the tuck shop together with Shen Nian.
Li Shiyan followed behind Xia Yanchun without speaking. She listened to Xia Yanchun, Shen Nian, Chen Dong, and Ma Mingfan chatting, and whenever she heard something funny, she would giggle to boost her presence.
She was terrified that if she took too long buying her things, they would forget she was still at the tuck shop and just leave without her.
"There's an urban legend at our Cinan No. 2 High School. It's said that whoever ranks first in exams but doesn't treat everyone will become incredibly ugly three days later." Chen Dong spoke earnestly, not looking like he was acting.
"If you want me to treat you, just say so," Shen Nian said with a fake smile.
"Haha, Shen Nian, I didn't mean it like that. This urban legend has been around for a long time, I'm just worried about you."
Ma Mingfan, who had scored high this time and had been in a good mood all day, chimed in:
"Oh man, let me tell you, this is a true story. There's an old man in our village with the Third Eye. One midnight, he saw a shadow standing in front of his yard..."
"And then?"
As soon as ghost stories were mentioned, Li Shiyan, who had been quiet, couldn't help but lean in.
"Brace yourselves, because it's a true story and very scary. After spotting the shadow, he only dared to pretend he didn't see it and went back inside to sleep...
It's said that after that day, he became completely dazed and lethargic, as if possessed by a ghost..."
"A-and then?" Li Shiyan's big eyes blinked rapidly. Even though the sun was shining brightly, she still felt a chilling draft.
"Later, after asking around, they found out the battery of his electric scooter was stolen. That shadow was the battery thief."
"????" Question marks popped up above everyone's heads.
Li Shiyan snapped back to reality, pouting her small mouth, completely losing interest. "And here I thought it was a horror story..."
Shen Nian couldn't hold back his laughter. "It is indeed terrifying. The battery got stolen, after all."
People who owned NIU electric scooters couldn't bear to hear such horror stories.
Putting himself in those shoes, if his beloved scooter's battery was stolen, he would definitely be depressed for at least two days.
The tuck shop was packed, but Shen Nian treated them anyway.
They didn't buy much—just a 4.5 yuan drink each. Only Xia Yanchun grabbed two extra duck feet. The whole treat only cost twenty or thirty yuan.
"Not going to share one with me?" Shen Nian held his hand out to Xia Yanchun.
"No way. Shiyan and I get one each, which is perfect. If you want to eat them, can't you buy them yourself?"
"Stingy," Shen Nian clicked his tongue.
Li Shiyan listened with trepidation, genuinely afraid that Shen Nian would turn to her and demand back the duck foot she had just been given.
Still, she got a free drink out of Shen Nian, hehe.
The remaining two periods were still spent reviewing the mock exam papers, and the evening self-study session was also taken over by the teachers.
Shen Nian didn't listen much. For those wrong questions, checking the answers once was enough. As long as he understood where he went wrong and copied them into his mistake notebook, he could ensure he wouldn't make the same mistakes next time.
The campus paths on a summer night were steeped in the fragrance of vegetation. Streetlamps cast shadows of trees onto the road, and the chirping of crickets echoed from the grassy patches everywhere. Xia Yanchun didn't find it noisy at all, bouncing lightly on her toes as she walked.
Walking like this with Shen Nian along the campus paths after school every day was quite enjoyable.
"Why didn't you do a few more pull-ups today? Aren't you able to do over thirty?"
"Why do so many?" Shen Nian linked his arm with hers. "If you hadn't been watching, I would've dropped down after doing ten."
"Hmph, is this your way of acting like a peacock spreading its tail?"
"Uh, not at all. Your bro just wanted to show off a little to let you know how awesome I am. I can take first place whenever I want. It's not a courtship display."
"Hmph, show-off."
"Baby, when you scold people, it sounds like you're acting spoiled."
"You're the one acting spoiled."
Shen Nian was in a great mood, and it seemed like the weather wasn't so hot anymore.
After riding his bike home, Shen Nian spent ten minutes taking a shower. Before his older sister could go back to her room to sleep, he quickly sat down on the sofa.
Shen Yue shot him a suspicious glance.
Why wasn't her little brother going next door to be all lovey-dovey with Xia Yanchun? What was he doing sitting here?
During his sophomore year of high school, this was exactly how Shen Nian acted when he wanted to ask her for money to buy monthly gaming passes.
Crossing his legs on the coffee table, Shen Nian cleared his throat. "Sis, I'm the top scorer in this mock exam."
"Really?"
"Absolutely. Not just the top scorer in the province, but the first across several provinces."
"Well, well, I always knew my little brother had great potential. The younger generation is truly formidable. My tutoring wasn't in vain. By the way, is there a scholarship for the mock exam? You're still young and might not handle it well, so give half to your sister to keep safe for you."
"?"
I wanted you to wish me luck on the college entrance exam, and you're eyeing my scholarship, huh? Fine, fine.
"The college entrance exam is so close, there aren't any scholarships anymore."
"Oh."
"Could you not be so obvious? At least pretend to care, will you? This is the top scorer of the mock exam we're talking about."
"Wow, my brother is so amazing. You really are your sister's good little brother."
"..."
Who could understand the eerie feeling of Shen Yue saying these words with a deadpan expression? Damn, she looked just like a female ghost.
Seeing Shen Nian's speechless expression, Shen Yue's eyes curved into crescents as she curled the corners of her lips. "Alright, my brother is the best. I'm being serious right now."
Shen Nian scratched his cheek and said sheepishly, "Guaranteed to be the best. Can you wish me luck on the college entrance exam, Sis? Maybe in the future, my bonus money will magically find its way into your WeChat account."
"Hmm... I wish my brother knows everything on the test, gets all his guesses right, succeeds with flying colors, and has top universities fighting over him."
"Oh man, my sister sure knows how to talk. It sounds way better than Xia Yanchun."
Shen Nian bared his teeth in a grin. After confirming that the system task process was complete, he turned and walked toward the entryway.
"I'm going next door to hang out with Xia Yanchun for a bit."
"Are you coming back tonight?"
"Uh..." Shen Nian dropped his smile, figuring that since Shen Yue already knew anyway, he couldn't be bothered to act. "Not coming back. Remember to lock the door."
"..."
That brat, actually managing to win Xia Yanchun over without making a sound. When did this even happen? He hid it well.
Those two kids had such a good relationship. Seriously, she didn't even know when their friendship started to change its nature.
Shen Nian entered Xia Yanchun's house and was slightly stunned when he saw her brushing her teeth at the sink.
The tips of her hair draped over her shoulders, and the soft straps of her nightgown clung to her skin. The young girl stood at the sink, looking in the mirror, twirling the ends of her hair around her fingertips. The lace-trimmed nightgown hung loosely, barely covering her fair thighs.
Xia Yanchun looked a bit spaced out, even her breathing carrying a hint of lethargy.
So pretty...
Shen Nian closed the door and looked Xia Yanchun up and down. Unable to suppress the affection in his heart, he stood behind her and hugged her like a little penguin.
"Chunbao, you are a fragrant and soft Chunbao..."
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.
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.”
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…
nce】【Lighthearted Comedy】【Ultimate Gentleman's Novel】【Viewer Discretion Advised for Under 16】 The mightiest human hero, Sharen Morian, is resurrected after a thousand years by his wife—the Demon King. This is not your typical hero-vs-demon-king tale.
