The green apricots shed their fuzz, blushing with the rouge of early summer, and the pomegranate blossoms ignited their scarlet skirts.
Once May passed, the college entrance exams loomed ever closer. Zhao Rui had to temporarily set aside the important business of "sparring practice" and focus on preparing for his tests.
The atmosphere throughout the school grew solemn and quiet, thick with a palpable tension.
Even the number of students exercising or loitering on the athletic fields dwindled noticeably.
"Our class's scores on the third mock exam were very poor. Right now, only about ten of you have met the cutoff for university admission. I hope the rest of you will intensify your review and bring your scores up as quickly as possible..."
In the classroom, their homeroom teacher, Xue Maohua, earnestly admonished the students.
"Sigh, I'm one of the ones the teacher has already given up on!"
Yang Fan sighed under his breath. To be honest, he wanted to do well in his studies, too. Who's born wanting to just slack off?
"So dramatic!"
Zhao Rui chuckled. This guy was a real piece of work. He was the one who didn't want to study, even though his old man had already arranged a university for him.
'If my old man were rich, I'd choose to lie flat, too.'
'Who wouldn't want to just eat, drink, and have fun? Why bother struggling so hard?'
"In a few days, the school will be taking graduation photos. Everyone get ready. If you have any good suggestions, you can discuss them with me beforehand. Class president, gather the class officers and talk it over!"
After arranging the details for next week's photo session, the homeroom teacher left the classroom.
The room immediately erupted into a clamor of discussion.
"Graduation photos, huh? I need to get a good haircut!"
"Don't bother. No hairstyle would look good on you!"
"Damn it!"
"Do we need to buy matching outfits, or are we wearing our school uniforms?"
"Let's wear our uniforms. It's more meaningful!"
"I still think buying matching outfits would be better!"
For third-year high school students about to graduate, the graduation photo was a pretty important event.
After all, they had spent three years of high school together. In another month, they would all go their separate ways. Their feelings of reluctance and sentimentality were plain to see.
"Zhao Rui! Luo Min should be back by the time we take graduation photos, right? How about I prepare a confession ceremony for you?"
Yang Fan said teasingly, raising an eyebrow.
"Zhao Rui, are you going to confess to Luo Min?"
Upon hearing this, Sun Tiantian, who sat in the front row, whipped her head around, her gaze burning as she stared at Zhao Rui.
In that instant, the young woman's feelings were laid completely bare.
"What are you talking about? Don't listen to Yang Fan's nonsense!"
Zhao Rui shot Yang Fan a glare, then turned to the girl and said casually.
It wasn't that he was deliberately trying to explain himself; he truly had no interest in this Luo Min.
Whether it was the him before he gained his past life's memories, or the him of today, he'd never had the slightest thought about this "peerless beauty" in everyone's eyes.
'It's probably just that my aesthetic sense isn't quite aligned with hers.'
'Yeah, it's kind of like how I felt about Guan Xiaotong in my past life. She's not bad-looking, and her figure is out of this world, especially those long legs—they're practically perfect.'
'But still, I just don't feel that... you know... impulse.'
"Really! Then... then who in our class do you like?"
Sun Tiantian tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her face flushing slightly, though she tried to act casual.
"I don't like anyone. But if I had to say I liked something...!"
Zhao Rui paused. The girl's expression instantly tensed, and she looked at him with a mix of hesitation and nervousness. "Who is it?"
"The Martial Dao, of course!"
Zhao Rui chuckled slyly.
"Jeez, the Martial Dao isn't a girl!"
Sun Tiantian instantly realized Zhao Rui was teasing her and protested.
"Zhao Rui, Sun Tiantian, that's enough from you two. Have you considered the feelings of the 'main wife' here?"
"Jeez, whose 'main wife' are you!"
Sun Tiantian frowned and shot Yang Fan a playfully reproachful look.
"Brother Rui's, of course! Isn't that right, Brother Rui? Oh, I adore you so much!"
Yang Fan twisted his hips, pinched his fingers together, and struck a coy, feminine pose. Combined with his rather portly figure, it made Sun Tiantian burst out laughing as she grabbed a textbook and threw it at him.
"So gross! You're awful!"
"*You're* the awful one!"
Yang Fan retorted, not to be outdone.
"Stop, stop! I can't take it anymore!"
Zhao Rui shivered, feeling goosebumps crawl all over his skin.
"You heartless man! Now that you have your Little Sweet, you don't want me anymore!"
The more Yang Fan talked, the more he got into it.
Just then, a commotion stirred at the classroom door.
"Did you hear? Xu Chongming broke through to become a Sixth-level Martial Artist!"
"Who's that?"
"A student from Class 2. He usually keeps a low profile. I can't believe he just dropped a bombshell like this!"
The conversation from outside the door carried clearly into every corner of the classroom.
"Holy crap, for real? I know that Xu Chongming guy! Last year, he was only Level 4!"
"Really? That's incredible!"
The students in the class who knew him heard the conversation and immediately started whispering to those around them.
Everyone in the class was a Martial Arts Student. Even if their levels were low, they could still channel True Qi to their ears, giving them hearing superior to that of ordinary people.
Instantly, the topic of conversation in the class shifted from graduation photos to the Sixth-level Martial Artist.
For a regular university, a Martial Arts Student was required to have a Martial Arts Level of at least Level 2, though most were Level 3.
At this level of strength, you still needed excellent academic scores to get into a university. If your academics weren't up to par, you wouldn't get in.
As for a Fourth-level Martial Artist, they were in a bit of an awkward spot. Students at this level might get into certain universities with lowered academic requirements through preferential admission.
It was also possible they'd have to rely on their exam scores to get into a school, just like most other candidates.
However, they already met the recruitment requirements for Martial Arts Students at top-tier universities and had a chance of getting in.
Level 5 was definitely top-tier university level, and they might even be admitted by some schools with a reduction in their score requirements.
But upon reaching Level 6, you no longer had to worry about academics. As long as you weren't completely ignorant, you could take your pick of any top-tier university.
As for Level 7, it was no longer a matter of being admitted; it was a matter of which school you wanted to grace with your presence.
This situation was roughly similar to the college entrance exams in his past life, or perhaps the case of a sports champion.
The only difference was that in this world, the Martial Dao had replaced athletic specialties and was held in much higher regard by the Court.
After listening to the others' conversation, Zhao Rui couldn't help but clench his fists in determination.
He had been at Level 3 for a while now. After using the system to add points, his Cloud Hand Star-Picking technique had reached a critical point.
With just one more point added, it would reach the Mastery level.
And that level corresponded to strength above that of a Fourth-level Martial Artist.
'There's still a month until the exams. I can definitely finish copying Yong Chun Inquiry and my senior brother's Cloud Hand Star-Picking before then.'
'And get two more points to add.'
'Level 4!' A fervent hope rose in Zhao Rui's heart.
"I'm only Level 2... Sigh, no comparison, no comparison at all!"
Yang Fan sighed, feeling genuinely depressed. 'We're all human, so why is the gap between us so huge?'
"If it were a contest of fatness, none of them could beat you!"
Just then, Xiaoxue, who had been facing forward the whole time, spoke up softly and faintly.
"..."
GIGGLE!
Sun Tiantian howled with laughter, rocking back and forth. She chimed in, "Yeah, yeah! See, Yang Fan, you have your strengths after all!"
"That's enough out of you guys!"
Yang Fan's face darkened. He hmphed twice and said, "Women and petty men are the hardest to deal with!"
GIGGLE GIGGLE!
...