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..."
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
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?"
