In the evening, Chen Minyue and Shen Shi drove home, and Shen Nian heard the sound of tires rolling over the concrete from the third floor.
After studying all afternoon, his mind was foggy, but he finally finished the third set of monthly exam papers.
Eighty damn test papers—just kill me already.
Shen Nian put down his pen. His parents were back, but he hadn’t even rinsed the rice or started cooking.
The thought of his parents working hard all day at the farm, bustling around the livestock pens, only to come home to no warm meal waiting for them made Shen Nian feel…
But there was nothing he could do about it.
Even though Chen Minyue and Shen Shi probably wouldn’t believe him, he really had been studying all afternoon, so absorbed that he didn’t realize it was already 6 p.m.
What a joke.
Shen Nian went downstairs to cook with his mom while Shen Shi organized tools in the car outside. They didn’t eat until around seven.
"Mom, were you tired today? Any back or leg pain? I can give you a massage later." Shen Nian remembered his mom often complaining about back pain before—perfect chance to test his healing hands.
"Not tired at all. We didn’t go to the farm today."
"Huh? Then where’d you go?"
"Your dad and I went to the neighboring village to watch the lion dance. Oh, what a spectacle!"
"…"
So his parents went out to have fun while he was stuck at home grinding through study sessions.
Betrayed. Only Xia Yanchun’s affection could make up for this.
At night, after dinner and a shower, Shen Nian sat alone in his room. His desk was cluttered with messy test papers, eraser shavings scattered everywhere.
Tackling ten mid-tier monsters wasn’t as formal as the first time—just filling out the papers half-heartedly would do. That was the conclusion Shen Nian drew after finishing the third set.
If every test demanded his absolute best, he’d burn out completely.
Still, he didn’t slack off entirely. For essays, like argumentative writing, he usually had to quote famous sayings or historical events to support his points.
Normally, that meant reading extensively to gather material.
But Shen Nian found a comfortable shortcut:
"I am a slow walker, but I never walk backward." —Mark Twain.
"Success is achieved by those who are deeply passionate." —Mark Twain.
"Ate at Wallace today without getting diarrhea—truly a divine miracle." —Mark Twain.
"If you don’t know who said a quote, just attribute it to Mark Twain." —Mark Twain.
He stuffed his essays with made-up nonsense. No one checked or graded them anyway.
Mark Twain was a lifesaver.
Anyone who badmouthed Mark Twain was Shen Nian’s enemy.
By 2:30 a.m., he finished the fourth set. The endless writing had worn him out.
Leaning back in his chair, Shen Nian exhaled deeply. No matter how hard he worked, the gap between him and Xia Yanchun remained vast—an insurmountable chasm between a mere mortal and a true prodigy.
Last year’s provincial science top scorer got 723. While scores fluctuated with test difficulty, rankings didn’t. If Xia Yanchun kept this up, she’d easily land in the top 50 for the national college entrance exam.
Damn prodigy. Why settle for a local 985 university? Just go straight to Tsinghua or Peking.
Knock knock—
"Hm?"
"Cut some fruit for you. Want some?"
"Sure."
Chen Minyue opened the door, smiling, then froze at the sight of Shen Nian studying. She placed the fruit plate on his desk, eyeing him like he was an imposter.
Is this really my son?
He looked similar—maybe even handsomer. But after not seeing him much lately, he seemed like a different person.
Hah. Growing up.
Shen Nian speared a piece of watermelon with a toothpick, the sweetness lingering in his throat.
"Oh, I found your old toys in the storage room. Want them? They’re dusty. If not, I’ll give them to your cousins or toss them."
"Hey, don’t throw them!" Shen Nian protested. "I paid good money for those. When I’m old, I’ll take them out and reminisce. Sounds fun, right?"
"Reminisce? You never even look at them now."
"That’s why I said when I’m old." Shen Nian waved dismissively. "Mom, you’ll understand when you’re my age."
Ah, there’s the familiar brat. Time to find a clothes hanger.
Chen Minyue fetched a box of toys from storage, wiping off the dust. Inside were Shen Nian’s childhood playthings, untouched for seven or eight years.
If not for his rare visit and her cleaning spree, they might’ve stayed buried forever.
"Handle this yourself."
"Yeah, yeah."
It was late, so Chen Minyue left him to his studying.
Shen Nian glanced at the box, then sat cross-legged on the floor. Opening it revealed a jumble of forgotten toys—Lego minifigures, Transformers, robotic beetles…
At eighteen, he couldn’t yet taste nostalgia. So he closed the box and shoved it under his cabinet.
Let twenty-eight-year-old Shen Nian relive childhood. Right now, eighteen-year-old Shen Nian had a mission: become Xia Yanchun’s best friend in the whole world.
Yeah. Just best friends.
Outside, the wind howled, rustling the curtains. Shen Nian strode over and pushed the half-open window wider, letting the autumn breeze wrap around him.
The temperature had dropped tonight.
Wait—why was Xia Yanchun out here too?
She stood on her balcony in pajamas, leaning against the railing as the wind played with her short, wisteria-like hair.
"What’re you staring at?" Xia Yanchun tugged her collar, annoyed. Who just steps onto a balcony and ogles people?
"Enjoying the breeze?" Shen Nian grinned, edging closer until only two railings separated them. The scent of her freshly showered skin seemed to drift over.
"Yeah, just washed up."
"Want some fruit?" Shen Nian darted back inside and returned with the plate, toothpicks still in it.
"Oho, a pleasant surprise. How filial of you."
Xia Yanchun leaned in, reaching easily across the narrow gap between balconies. The railing stopped just below her chest—like at school, the space was too tight to even fit a leg through.
Only now did she realize how easy it’d be to climb over to Shen Nian’s side. Even she could do it safely…
Not that she would. If anyone was climbing, it’d be him.
Wait—no! That’s not okay either!
"Filial? My mom cut these. That’s disrespectful to her!" Shen Nian pointed accusingly, escalating the situation. "Penalty: show me your legs and send me 200 yuan."
"Here, look." Xia Yanchun lifted her pants slightly. "Lower legs count too. Or do you eat drumsticks but skip the lower part?"
Only people who refuse chicken lower legs deserve to see legs.
Shen Nian cursed inwardly. Next time, he’d specify thighs.
Live and learn.
Watching Xia Yanchun nibble watermelon under the cool breeze, Shen Nian felt an odd contentment.
"Ahhh, Xia Yanchun, you’re like a sweet, soft…"
"Shut up, stop spouting nonsense here."
"Oh..."
Yanxi reminds you: Due to Tomato's request for 3 million+ daily visits causing excessive server pressure, we now recommend switching to other top-tier sources.
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!
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!" "......"
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
