Chapter 4

Chen Mo stood in the small courtyard, feeling his own true essence, which had only grown a little bit. He felt both comfort and pain and hardship, but this had already become a habit for him. Four years of time, persisting in doing the same thing every day, was not easy. He had long formed a habit.

The air in the early morning was not very good, but it was much better than in the city. Chen Mo stretched his body, wondering if he should find a proper internship? For cultivation, he was currently in the internship period, but he was only doing courier work, and the rest of the time he was busy cultivating.

Without reaching the first stage of Qi cultivation, there would be no divine consciousness, and he would not be able to step onto the path of a cultivator. He would never be able to open that storage bag, nor would he ever decipher what the white jade bead was. He was really unwilling! This was why he cultivated so hard, all due to the pressure of reality.

If it weren't for the matter of the transmission jade talisman, he wouldn't be so persistent, but with the transmission jade talisman, the techniques for guiding Qi into the body and refining the tendons and bones made Chen Mo realize that the path of cultivation was within reach. He had persisted for so long. No one could give up the ability to fly and hide in the earth, the dream of a long life, especially when that dream was right there, just waiting to be pursued. Who could not persist in such a situation?

However, some things could no longer allow him to continue like this. His parents were getting older, and due to the hard work in their youth, they were now plagued by illness. They had overworked themselves to ensure that he and his brother could attend university.

Another issue was his brother Chen Hui's university expenses. Although the family had never told him, he was very clear about the family's situation. It was likely that the family had taken out loans to pay for his brother's tuition. Chen Hui was a freshman, having been admitted to university last year. The tuition for both brothers each semester had caused his parents a lot of worry.

So Chen Mo could not continue like this, focusing only on himself. It was time to take on some of the family's burdens.

He took a deep breath, silently encouraging himself. At that moment, his phone rang.

"Old Four, today is the return-to-school exam, don't forget," his dorm mate Ma Yuan said.

"Got it, I know. I'll be there right away, and I'll treat you to lunch," Chen Mo replied.

"Go! You're Old Four, remember? Even if you treat us, you're still Old Four! Also, you don't need to treat us to lunch. The class president said there's still some class funds, so he's booked a restaurant. It's the class's last gathering!" Ma Yuan reminded him.

"Alright, alright, I know. You sound like a nagging wife! I didn't know the class was having a gathering at noon," Chen Mo said with a laugh.

Chen Mo and Ma Yuan, along with their dorm mates Zhao Guodong and Li Rui, were very close. From the beginning of university, they had established a hierarchy based on their birthdates, with Li Rui as the oldest, Zhao Guodong as the second, Ma Yuan as the third, and Chen Mo as the youngest.

"How many days have you been away from school? The class president asked me to tell you. Also, Dachangtui is going to be there today. Are you still coming?" Ma Yuan asked.

When Chen Mo heard "Dachangtui," he thought of the girl with the beautiful legs, Gong Hui, who was also his classmate.

As for what happened between them, it started in his second year of university.

Back then, mushrooms were for eating, chrysanthemums were for looking at, and cucumbers were only for cooking. Everyone was still innocent.

In his second year of university, he was still diligently cultivating, but he did it in the morning. One day, after finishing his cultivation, he was walking back to the dormitory when he encountered Gong Hui. She wasn't out early for exercise but had just returned from off-campus. She had accidentally twisted her ankle on the campus road and was sitting on the curb, rubbing her foot. When she looked up, she saw Chen Mo.

Chen Mo didn't take out his phone to record the scene or ask her to sign a no-liability contract. He thought that in the campus, there was no way she would try to extort him, and besides, Gong Hui was his classmate, so he offered to help her.

He helped Gong Hui to the infirmary, and after the diagnosis, he helped her back to the dormitory. Since the distance was quite long and she had trouble walking on one foot, out of humanitarian spirit, he carried her to the girls' dormitory.

After reaching the girls' dormitory, he quickly left, feeling a bit embarrassed as it was his first time carrying a girl. He thought that would be the end of it, and he wouldn't have any further interaction with Gong Hui. However, he was still young and naive, thinking the matter would just pass. Unexpectedly, someone posted a photo of him carrying Gong Hui on the campus forum, with the caption: "Young lovers showing affection in the morning!"

What the hell! I was just helping someone! Can't people do good deeds anymore? Chen Mo was a bit angry, but he couldn't do anything about it, so he ignored it.

Unexpectedly, the next day, Gong Hui, for some reason, replied to the post: "No need to envy!" This caused a stir. Gong Hui was considered a campus beauty, and the fact that she was seen with the most unremarkable Chen Mo made everyone quite envious.

Chen Mo only found out about Gong Hui's comment when his dorm mates mentioned it. He was very confused; he and Gong Hui weren't familiar, so why would she say such a thing? For such matters, Chen Mo just let it go and didn't pay much attention. He had a lot to do every day, including studying, cultivating, and working part-time to earn a living. He really didn't have time to think about these things. His dorm mates teased him several times, making him laugh bitterly. He told them it was nothing, just helping a classmate in need, but no one believed him, so he just let it be.

After that incident, Gong Hui didn't explain anything. The next day, she found him and said she had done it for fun and hoped he wouldn't mind. She even invited him to lunch as an apology.

That's how they became friends. They occasionally studied together and treated each other to meals. Over time, their relationship gradually warmed up. Because of this, Chen Mo even had a conflict with a few guys in the college, but thanks to his extraordinary physique and strength, he easily dealt with them.

However, just as Chen Mo was thinking about starting a relationship with Gong Hui, one morning after his cultivation, he saw her get out of a BMW and give the driver a goodbye kiss. His heart turned cold.

Chen Mo stood behind Gong Hui, and when she turned around, she was startled and her face turned pale.

He didn't listen to any explanations, nor did he need them. He had some feelings for Gong Hui, but he hadn't confessed yet, so he wasn't her boyfriend and had no right to interfere in her affairs. The best way was to turn and leave. A love that hadn't even begun was thus cut short.

When Gong Hui came to find Chen Mo later, he made excuses to avoid her. Gong Hui was very smart and seemed to understand something, so she gradually stopped interacting with Chen Mo. Even when they met, they no longer spoke to each other. His dorm mates asked him about it several times, but he always evaded the questions.

"Why is Dachangtui coming? Isn't this a class gathering?" Chen Mo asked.

"Someone invited her. I saw it when the class president was booking the restaurant and counting the number of people," Ma Yuan said.

"Oh!" Chen Mo replied.

"Old Four, the past is the past. I don't know much about what happened between you and Gong Hui, but since we're all graduating in our senior year, let's just let it go. After all, we were classmates, and even if the affection is gone, the classmate bond remains!" Ma Yuan said.

Chen Mo thought about it and agreed. "Alright, I'll go to the gathering. It's a way to put the past behind us and move on."

Gong Hui represented Chen Mo's unfulfilled love in university, the only chance he had to fall in love, but he gave it up after discovering the truth. He didn't want to be a scapegoat or a backup.