Chapter 7

After Guo Ming left, Old Wang asked in a low voice, "Did he do anything suspicious?"

"Absolutely not, I watched him answer the questions. But I have some doubts," the young teacher said in confusion.

"Speak up!" Old Wang waved his hand.

"Guo Ming's grades are very good! How could he end up in Exam Room 76?" the young teacher asked, puzzled. "And he writes so quickly, I estimate his Chinese score will be at least 120."

"What?" Old Wang was shocked. "Impossible, his highest Chinese score before was 90, 120 is absolutely impossible."

"Hehe, why would I lie to you? Next is the math exam, why don't you supervise the whole process?" the young teacher chuckled.

Old Wang nodded and said, "You're right, I don't believe his grades could improve so much in just twenty days."

Guo Ming walked on the playground and took a deep breath. For him, today was a memorable day. From today, he could wash away all the past humiliations. His efforts had already paid off on the Chinese exam. He knew he didn't do too well, but Guo Ming was confident he would definitely get into No. 1 High School. With two months left, it was enough. Achieving this level in just over twenty days was something to be proud of.

A boy and a girl stood on the playground.

Guo Ming just glanced and was stunned. He couldn't see the girl's face clearly, but her unique aura made him recognize her immediately. Who else could it be but Chen Ziyu from the elite class? Guo Ming had always avoided this girl. The reason was simple: he could sense a dangerous aura from her, honed from his long experience in fighting.

He didn't understand it before, but after his transformation, Guo Ming immediately realized the source of that aura. Chen Ziyu was a martial artist. Although Guo Ming's strength couldn't match hers, he was an unpolished gem. Once he started practicing martial arts, he would unleash a terrifying potential.

The martial artist's aura from the girl was very strong. Guo Ming frowned and thought, "Maybe this is what they call true qi." Looking at her cold expression as she gazed into the distance, Guo Ming instinctively wanted to leave. This girl was too aggressive, like an ancient war goddess.

As for the boy beside her, Guo Ming guessed it was Zhang Zihan from the review class. His review was always a mystery, but Guo Ming vaguely knew the reason. Clearly, Chen Ziyu was the reason for his review. Willing to wait a year for his dream girl, it was evident that Zhang Zihan liked Chen Ziyu.

A long-haired girl walked over from a distance. She wore blue jeans and a red heart T-shirt, indicating her identity. Her eyes were filled with an unhidden sorrow, as if it could never be erased. Like the fallen leaves of autumn, it was heart-wrenching and pitiful.

Her appearance naturally caught the attention of the others.

A gentle breeze blew, and a strand of hair blew into Shui Mengyao's slightly parted lips. Shui Mengyao felt something inside her shatter. She had always thought she was the best, and Zhang Zihan was her prince. Without Chen Ziyu, everything might have been possible. But God is fair; there are many outstanding girls in the world. Shui Mengyao had hinted to Zhang Zihan several times, but the answers were always vague. Today, standing on the playground together seemed to say it all.

Zhang Zihan was infatuated with Chen Ziyu, not her.

Like a beautiful dream shattering, Shui Mengyao felt her world collapse. She didn't want to lose face in front of her rival, but the tears couldn't be held back.

"Why?" Shui Mengyao asked softly. She seemed to be asking why he didn't choose her, or questioning herself if she was really inferior to Chen Ziyu. But did it matter? No, the result was clear: Zhang Zihan was infatuated with Chen Ziyu, and that was enough.

At her age, Shui Mengyao viewed love with great reverence. This was the purest form of love, allowing no impurities. Like a broken porcelain, once broken, it's broken. Even if repaired with glue, the cracks would always be glaring, a constant reminder of the gap between them.

A gentle spring breeze blew, touching Shui Mengyao's face. It blew away her hair, revealing a girl who had regained her smile, but the tear marks betrayed her true feelings.

Zhang Zihan whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Hehe," Shui Mengyao laughed softly. Pointing at Chen Ziyu, she said, "It's because of her, right? Don't worry, I'll surpass her."

"No, don't be foolish. I've liked Ziyu since childhood. I don't like you, really don't be foolish," Zhang Zihan said with difficulty. Although he knew these words would hurt Shui Mengyao, feelings couldn't be given lightly. Like broken promises, how many could be picked up? In such matters, it was best to cut the ties quickly. Zhang Zihan wasn't completely indifferent to Shui Mengyao, but his persistence, his childhood dream, kept him from wavering.

Shui Mengyao was stunned. She didn't expect such a decisive response, effectively closing all possibilities.

Guo Ming didn't step forward. He felt a bit jealous, a bit uncomfortable. He had once fantasized about a girl as beautiful as Shui Mengyao, but after his transformation, he no longer feared moving forward. He wanted to show his strength to Shui Mengyao step by step. But today's events were a harsh blow. Shui Mengyao already had someone she liked, and Guo Ming felt like a third wheel, which made him feel awkward.

Thinking about this, Guo Ming turned and left. These three people had nothing to do with him, so why stay?

"Stop," Chen Ziyu's cold voice rang out.

Chen Ziyu's unexpected words stunned Zhang Zihan and Shui Mengyao. They looked at Guo Ming, a seemingly ordinary boy. Chen Ziyu was extremely proud and only interacted with those of similar background or grades.

Guo Ming turned, his eyes calm, and asked, "What is it?"

"Why were you eavesdropping on our conversation?" Chen Ziyu said coldly.

Guo Ming looked at the cold-faced Chen Ziyu, a flash of anger in his eyes, and turned to leave.

"Hmph," Chen Ziyu was furious. No boy had ever dared to treat her like this. This was a clear insult to the pride of a top student. She took a coin from her pocket and flicked it at Guo Ming.

Guo Ming suddenly felt a strong sense of danger. The human body has a natural ability to sense danger, though mysterious, it exists.

But who was Chen Ziyu? With his mediocre skills, how could he be her match? Guo Ming stumbled and fell, but no one saw due to Chen Ziyu's quick action.

Guo Ming felt a sharp pain in his liver and gallbladder. He struggled to stand up and turned to look at Chen Ziyu angrily.

Chen Ziyu stared back, her eyes filled with disdain. She only respected the strong; everything else was irrelevant.

Shui Mengyao rushed to Guo Ming's side, supporting him and comforting him, "What happened? Are you okay now?"

Guo Ming saw the worried look on Shui Mengyao's face and felt a warmth in his heart. No matter what, she still considered him a friend. He shook his head, feeling disheartened. It wasn't worth arguing with someone like Chen Ziyu.

People from prestigious families seemed to have it all, but they had their own hidden troubles. They had few true friends, mostly proud individuals, leading to psychological issues. Their elders' teachings from a young age left them with no freedom or choices, forced to follow the elders' decisions, like puppets. They earned applause from others but were actually pitiful and sad.

Losing freedom is like a bird losing its wings; what's the point?

Guo Ming looked at Chen Ziyu with a strange expression, smiled faintly, and said to Shui Mengyao, "Mengyao, maybe you never really liked Zhang Zihan. You were just blindly admiring and fantasizing about a fairy-tale love. But remember, fairy tales are just that—fairy tales. They exist only in Andersen's imagination, but we live in the real world. The exam is about to start, I'll go now."

With that, Guo Ming pushed Shui Mengyao's hand away and walked away.

Shui Mengyao was stunned, staring at the direction Guo Ming left. She didn't expect him to see through her so clearly. Guo Ming was right about one thing, but there was another: she was competing, competing with Chen Ziyu.

Shui Mengyao felt that Guo Ming had changed in some inexplicable way. The former troublemaker had transformed into someone she couldn't understand.

Chen Ziyu was also stunned. She didn't expect Guo Ming to leave so calmly.

Guo Ming quickly crouched down at the corner and muttered, "Damn, that was harsh!" It took him five or six minutes to stand up, the pain in his back lessening. Now he truly understood the gap between him and Chen Ziyu. The children of martial arts families were not to be trifled with.

It seemed he needed to go to the park again, Guo Ming thought, rubbing his chin. He hoped to see the mysterious old man again, even if he was thrown into the river again.