"Who was that?"
As the car pulled away from the evaluation center, the hot wind blasting their faces, Zhao Rui asked.
"A cousin. You know how it is, the bigger the family, the more weirdos you get."
"Whoa, now this I've gotta hear!"
"Hear my ass. Just focus on your Martial Arts training. Once you become a Grandmaster, I'll have someone to back me up. Let's see them act so arrogant then!"
"Haha, I've got a Level 6 pact of my own. We're really a pair of brothers in misfortune."
"Damn it, let's not talk about it. I just want to get these college entrance exams over with. Out of sight, out of mind!"
Yang Fan spat.
He was seething.
About ten minutes later, the two arrived at a barbecue restaurant. Intent on turning their humiliation into hunger, they ruthlessly ordered ten plates of grilled meat.
Then, they scarfed it all down.
Zhao Rui's family was of average means. When they went out for barbecue, his whole family would usually order just four or five plates of beef and lamb, with the rest being vegetable dishes.
It was only when he was with Yang Fan, a guy who wasn't short on cash, that he could really pig out.
Having a rich friend when you're young really lets you get an early taste of the good life.
The two of them ate for over an hour, not stopping until their stomachs were full to bursting.
"Anything I have is yours for the taking, my brother... except for my women!"
Stepping out of the barbecue restaurant, Yang Fan spoke into the setting sun. The mottled light and shadows cast upon him gave him a certain flair.
"Stop trying to act cool. You don't have that kind of vibe! And other than women, I don't want anything from you anyway!"
Zhao Rui chuckled.
"Damn it, you bastard! I knew you had your eyes on my sister. Let me tell you, not a chance!"
"What are you talking about? Hanhan is my little sister too! I was just kidding. Stop talking nonsense about Hanhan."
"Actually, it's not entirely out of the question. I could probably live with having you as a brother-in-law."
Yang Fan said, raising his eyebrows.
"Get lost!"
Zhao Rui clapped Yang Fan on the shoulder and walked straight to his motorcycle.
"That's a relief. Others might not know you, but I do. You're the quiet-but-pervy type, a total lech!"
"Fuck off!"
The two of them laughed and joked as they got on the bike and left the barbecue restaurant.
For the next month, Zhao Rui threw himself completely into preparing for the college entrance exams. Having passed Level 4, his specialized subject was basically a sure thing, so he didn't need to worry about it anymore.
The only thing he needed to focus on was his academic subjects.
Zhao Rui's academic performance was slightly above average. To get into a top-tier university, he would need to study hard and have a little bit of luck.
In his previous life, Zhao Rui had missed out on so much because of table tennis, a regret he carried for the rest of his life.
Now that he had a second chance, even the torturous college entrance exams, which others saw as unbearable, were a sweet experience for him.
Flowers don't bloom for a hundred days, and a person is never young twice.
Given a second chance at life, and in such a similar modern city, he was determined to seize this rare opportunity to enjoy a different kind of youth.
And with youth comes the need for mementos. In their final month, the school dedicated a full day for the graduating students to take commemorative photos.
Besides the official group photo organized by the school, many students brought their own cameras or just used their phones to capture memories with friends and teachers they were close to.
In his class, Zhao Rui wasn't a standout, but he wasn't a nobody either.
He was handsome enough, his Martial Arts weren't bad, and he was one of the few Fourth-level Martial Artists in the class.
On this day, quite a few classmates came over to take individual photos with him and write in his yearbook.
Even some of the boys and girls who didn't usually interact with him came over to say hello.
Who said students were simple and naive?
They weren't stupid, after all!
"Zhao Rui, look who's here!"
While everyone was taking pictures of each other and scouting for scenic spots around campus, Yang Fan jutted his chin at him, motioning for him to look ahead.
Zhao Rui followed his gaze and saw a young woman with an extraordinary air about her walking toward them, surrounded by a crowd of students, her clothes fluttering elegantly.
The girl had a delicate, oval face with lightly-penciled brows and skin as fair as snow. Every frown and smile held its own charm, and she spoke with elegance and grace.
Compared to the other boys and girls around her, she stood out like a crane among chickens.
"Luo Min!"
Zhao Rui glanced at her twice, then lost interest. 'She's not my type.'
"She's gorgeous! Too bad she's a tigress!"
Yang Fan clicked his tongue as he commented from the side. Although the girl was beautiful, almost no one in their class, or even the whole school, dared to hit on her.
It couldn't be helped. She was already a Fifth-level Martial Artist last year. After a year of advanced training elsewhere, who knew what level she was at now!
She might even be Level 6!
"Sweet, Xiaoxue, over here!"
Yang Fan immediately spotted the two girls from the front row a short distance away, pouting with expressions of jealousy and annoyance.
He quickly waved them over.
"What do you want? Why aren't you looking at the great beauty? What do you want with us?"
Xiaoxue huffed.
"You're the only one I see!"
"Pfft, as if I care!"
The two instantly fell into their usual bickering. Zhao Rui listened from the side, amused, then lay back on the lawn in a relaxed mood, gazing at the azure sky.
He chewed on a blade of grass, completely at ease.
"Zhao Rui! Luo Min is coming over!"
Just then, a familiar, fresh scent wafted from his side. Without needing to guess, he knew it was Bai Xuening who had sat down next to him.
"I know."
"Why don't you go say hi? Do you really not like her?"
"Plenty of people like her. She won't miss one more."
"Okay!"
Hearing Zhao Rui's words, a smile blossomed on Bai Xuening's sweet, pretty face.
"Where's your yearbook? Give it here!"
"Right here. What for?"
"Don't you want me to sign it?"
"I do!"
Zhao Rui was a man of few words. He simply tossed the yearbook he'd been using as a pillow over to her.
Bai Xuening rolled her eyes at him. 'So careless,' she thought. 'But since you don't like Luo Min, I'll let it slide!'
Taking the yearbook, she wrote a short message in her elegant handwriting.
Then she quickly added a simple sketch of herself, which was a decent likeness.
"Here!"
After she finished writing, Bai Xuening handed the yearbook back.
Zhao Rui glanced at it and couldn't help but smile when he saw the sketch. "Not bad!"
After saying that, he placed it behind his head as a pillow again.
"I can't be bothered with you!"
Bai Xuening glared at him, then stood up and left the lawn, slightly annoyed.
Zhao Rui just chuckled, saying nothing more as the sky in his eyes grew even bluer.
...
The sun and moon turned, and time flew like a shuttle. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.
Like all the other high school seniors, Zhao Rui reached the most important juncture of his life—the college entrance exams.
Under the scorching summer sun, the exam-takers, surrounded by their parents, arrived outside the test centers.
Then, once it was time to enter, they filed through the school gates like a school of migrating sturgeon.
"You've worked so hard for so long. It all comes down to these last three days. Go for it, son!"
Outside the school gate, Zhao Jincheng silently prayed for his son.
During this period, they, as his parents, had seen how hard Zhao Rui had been working. It pained them, but they were also proud.
They hoped their son would achieve a good score.
"Our younger one is still at home. You should go back and make dinner. I'll wait here."
Zhao Jincheng calmed himself and turned to his wife, Xue Wenhui.