Chapter 2

The next day, Guo Ming got up early, washed up, and looked at his reflection in the mirror, a seemingly handsome young man. Guo Ming smiled, then quickly reined in his smile, touched the faint stubble on his upper lip, and whispered softly, "Guo Ming, you are no longer a child; it's time to repay your parents."

Taking a deep breath, Guo Ming returned to his room, opened the window, and inhaled the fresh air outside. He couldn't help but feel a sense of awe, looking at the scenery of all things coming back to life, and the rising sun peeking through. He realized that he had missed many beautiful scenes all along.

He decided he would never oversleep again. "Why sleep for a long time when you are alive, and you will surely sleep for a long time after you die." For some reason, Guo Ming thought of this famous quote.

But now was not the time for reflection. His first early rise in life was not for the sake of enjoying the scenery. He sat down and started reading words. His English had always been the worst. He used to think, "I am Chinese, why should I learn English?" This statement had some truth to it, but China now emphasized exam-oriented education. Without good scores, you couldn't even think about attending a good school, let alone getting a degree, which required passing the College English Test Band 4.

Suddenly, a stretch of skin more beautiful than a swan's neck appeared before him. A glint of surprise flashed in Guo Ming's eyes, and he quickly lowered his head, muttering the words.

Shui Mengyao stood gracefully, opened the window, breathed in the fresh air, and stretched, immediately revealing a large expanse of skin. This was exactly what Guo Ming had seen just now. At sixteen, Shui Mengyao had already developed quite well, though she still had a hint of innocence, she showed great potential.

Suddenly, she saw Guo Ming reading a book on the balcony, and a smile involuntarily appeared on her lips. This was something she had never seen in the past seven or eight years. It was truly strange. She waved at Guo Ming, though they weren't very close, they had been neighbors for over ten years, and it was necessary to greet each other.

Guo Ming's heart raced uncontrollably, and his face turned hot. A voice in his mind shouted, "How embarrassing, now she saw you." Thinking of this, Guo Ming didn't dare to look up, not even daring to breathe, hoping the girl would leave quickly.

Seeing that Guo Ming ignored her, Shui Mengyao smiled and turned to leave.

Guo Ming couldn't help but sigh in relief, stood up, and was about to leave. But the large "100" on the wall fiercely stimulated him. He gritted his teeth and said softly, "Why be afraid of her? She studies her own, and I study mine. If I'm still afraid of being embarrassed, haven't I been embarrassed enough over the years?" Thinking of this, Guo Ming firmly returned to his seat and continued muttering the words.

Ten minutes later, Shui Mengyao returned, glanced at Guo Ming, and picked up her book to read.

An hour later, Guo Ming recalled the words he had just memorized and couldn't help but feel happy. He had remembered quite a few words by fully concentrating. It seemed he needed to work hard in the future! Knowledge truly comes from accumulation. Building a solid foundation and then making a breakthrough is the right way.

Through his study, Guo Ming realized he wasn't stupid; he just hadn't taken it seriously before. He tore off a piece of paper, revealing the large "99," which was his final countdown.

Guo Zheng smiled and said, "Ming, eat more."

"Yes! You need to supplement your brain for studying. I'll make you chicken soup for lunch," Guo Ming's mother said with a smile she hadn't shown in a long time.

Guo Ming was a bit uncomfortable at first but quickly guessed what had happened. It must be that his parents had seen him get up early to study. Seeing his parents happy, Guo Ming naturally smiled. His family was well-off; his parents had started a business in the 1980s, and although they didn't have millions, they had a net worth of hundreds of thousands.

After eating, Guo Ming rode his semi-new bicycle to school. Although Guo Zheng was wealthy, he was strict with his child and never allowed him to spend money recklessly.

Suddenly, a bell rang behind him. Guo Ming turned around and saw Shui Mengyao. Today, she was wearing faded jeans and a white T-shirt with a large heart on the front. It had to be admitted that this outfit looked particularly pleasing on Shui Mengyao.

Guo Ming was momentarily lost in thought and then chuckled, "Beautiful lady, going so early?"

"Hehe, I've always gone this early," Shui Mengyao said sweetly, "I'm just curious about you. Today you got up so early, did the sun rise from the west?"

Shui Mengyao was just joking, but Guo Ming's face turned red, and he hurriedly said, "Well, well, because I went to bed early yesterday, so I woke up early today."

"Is that so! I thought you were really going to work hard," Shui Mengyao said with a light laugh, "Let's go, let's go together."

Guo Ming smiled and nodded.

On the way, Shui Mengyao seemed to be thinking about something and almost collided with a pedestrian on the side of the road. Fortunately, Guo Ming reminded her in time.

"What's wrong? You don't seem to be in good shape," Guo Ming said with genuine concern.

"Nothing, I'm just thinking about whether I can surpass Chen Ziyu from the experimental class and Zhang Zihan from the review class in the monthly exam in seven days. To be honest, I really don't have much confidence," Shui Mengyao said in a low voice.

Guo Ming nodded, but he felt a bit uncomfortable. From her tone, he sensed a condescending attitude. Yes, she had her own goals and social circle. If it weren't for being neighbors, she might not even acknowledge him.

Since it was only six o'clock, there was almost no one in the school. The main gate was still slightly ajar.

Shui Mengyao said sweetly to the old gatekeeper, "Grandpa Zhang, open the door for us."

The old Zhang, who was over seventy, opened his half-closed eyes. Seeing Shui Mengyao, he immediately chuckled, "Wait a moment, grandpa will open it for you." For Old Zhang, there were few people who respected him like Shui Mengyao. Most people just shouted at him. Moreover, he knew that her father was the deputy county magistrate. Facing such a considerate granddaughter, he was naturally very pleased.

After saying that, he slowly stood up and opened the school gate. Guo Ming knew that Old Zhang could still be a gatekeeper because he had some connection with the principal; otherwise, he would have been replaced long ago.

Old Zhang suddenly saw Guo Ming with Shui Mengyao and his face changed slightly. He pointed at Guo Ming and said, "Mengyao, why are you with him? He's not a good person." After saying that, Old Zhang felt a bit regretful. Wasn't he clearly undermining her in front of the school's beauty?

Guo Ming was furious, but fortunately, his family had strict discipline. He could still control his anger towards the elderly. He thought to himself, "Why say it in front of me? I know I often fight, but ask around, have I ever extorted anyone or bullied the innocent? Saying this is really not giving me any face."

Angry, Guo Ming pushed his bike away.

Shui Mengyao shook her head slightly and said, "Grandpa, Guo Ming is very kind."

"I'm telling you, this guy is the fighting king around here. Really, he's very bad. You'd better stay away from him. You're so beautiful, he might have some bad ideas," Old Zhang whispered.

Guo Ming happened to be at the intersection and saw Shui Mengyao nod when he turned the corner.

A sharp pain pierced his heart, and Guo Ming sighed. It seemed his bad reputation had spread far and wide. Whether Shui Mengyao was just humoring Old Zhang or really wanted to distance herself from him, it all indicated that he was not considered a good person in everyone's eyes.