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..."
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!
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
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!
