Chapter 8

Guo Ming entered the examination room a few minutes before the test, and dozens of eyes turned to look at him. They were doubtful about the feat he had just accomplished.

Guo Ming's face was calm, and he did not even glance at the people around him. He returned to his seat and fell into deep thought.

At this moment, a boy behind him wanted to tap him to ask some questions about the exam, but unexpectedly, Old Wang arrived early. His gaze was fixed on Guo Ming, which frightened the student so much that he quickly withdrew his hand and sat up straight. He did not want to be implicated by Guo Ming.

Old Wang came to Guo Ming's side and said in an unfriendly tone, "Guo Ming, I will supervise you throughout the math exam. I want to see how you cheat this time."

Guo Ming looked up and shook his head, saying, "Fine, but please don't get too close to me; it will affect my answering."

Old Wang was furious; this was clearly the greatest disrespect Guo Ming could show him. He did not believe Guo Ming could score so high, and due to his preconceived notions, he did not seriously consider that with the young teacher's full supervision, who could Guo Ming cheat from? Even if he could somehow manage to cheat, who in this classroom had such good grades?

One by one, the flaws in his reasoning made the shrewd Old Wang lose his ability to discern right from wrong.

However, half an hour later, his face was full of shock. The young teacher had been somewhat considerate, sitting a bit away from Guo Ming, but Old Wang sat right next to him, watching him solve each problem.

Another hour passed, and Guo Ming checked his name again, stood up, and said calmly, "Teacher Wang, please move aside; I want to submit my paper."

Old Wang stood up in a daze, his eyes filled with disbelief as he looked at Guo Ming's figure. Was it that Guo Ming had been holding back before, or had he really worked hard? Old Wang had been teaching math for decades, and as soon as Guo Ming finished the test, he immediately knew Guo Ming's score: 125. While not the highest, it was definitely an excellent score.

He naturally saw that Guo Ming had not cheated at all, and his problem-solving speed was terrifying. Old Wang believed that with focused cultivation, Guo Ming would definitely be admitted to the top high school. However, he had also heard about Guo Ming studying alone at home. At first, he was somewhat dismissive, but everything today showed that Guo Ming had indeed grown and worked hard. The little rascal seemed to have completely changed. Old Wang somehow believed that this was the result of Guo Ming's efforts over the past month. Because Guo Ming had once gone to great lengths to cheat, his purpose was to avoid disappointing his parents and making them sad. He finally understood his mission. Old Wang smiled with satisfaction. No matter what, his student's success was not a bad thing for him.

After the science and technology exam, Guo Ming took a deep breath. The two-day test was finally over, and he could finally rest. Even with his improved physical condition, he could not endure the sleepless nights over the past twenty days.

As soon as he returned to the neighborhood, Neighbor Aunt Peng immediately asked, "How did you do, Xiao Ming?"

"Pretty good!" Guo Ming smiled.

Aunt Peng was taken aback. In the past, whenever she asked, Guo Ming would always mumble and avoid answering, and if pressed, he would give a vague excuse. What was different today? How could he dare to say such things?

She had intended to mock Guo Ming to highlight her son's superiority. Hearing Guo Ming's words, she said sarcastically, "Hehe, I hope your dad doesn't beat you, or it will be embarrassing."

"Don't worry about that, Aunt. You should keep an eye on your son, Jiahao. According to my estimate, even getting into the second high school is risky for him!" Guo Ming smiled and then turned and entered his home without looking back.

Aunt Peng was so angry that she trembled. It was not her fault; the children on this street all had good grades, and the worst, besides Guo Ming, was her son Jiahao. Therefore, when others talked about their children's grades, she liked to bring up Guo Ming.

This was a human flaw, or it could be seen as the spirit of Ah Q.

"Xiao Ming is back, how did you do?" Yu Xia came out of the kitchen and asked urgently.

"Pretty good," Guo Ming said calmly.

Seeing that her son did not show any signs of extreme joy, Yu Xia's heart sank. Yes, she had expected too much from her son. How many days had it been? Even if his intelligence was not low, he still lacked the necessary foundation. How much could he have improved? She sighed and said, "Wash your hands and come eat."

"No, Mom, I want to go out. I'll come back for dinner tonight," Guo Ming put down his books and said.

"Okay, remember to come back early," Yu Xia nodded. She believed that her son had not done well and wanted to go out to clear his mind. She had no reason to refuse.

Guo Ming returned to the lake, circling it several times but still could not find the mysterious old man. He felt a bit disappointed, but he also understood that being given unparalleled memory was already a great blessing. To expect more would be greedy. Realizing this, Guo Ming shouted by the lake, "Grandpa, I thank you for your great kindness."

After saying this, Guo Ming rode his bicycle back home.

Not long after he left, an old man emerged from a corner. He looked in the direction Guo Ming had gone and said softly, "I have already cleansed your body and soul. The rest is up to you. I can only do so much for you. If one day you reach the Seventh Star, perhaps we will meet again. But is it possible?" The old man shook his head. What the Seventh Star represented, only martial arts families would understand. It almost meant the impossible. The old man laughed at himself, looking at the setting sun and coughing violently, muttering, "Tianyi, have you also reached the end like this setting sun? Hahaha."

No one understood what the old man was laughing about. His laughter was so沧桑 (沧桑 means "weathered" or "aged") and so late in life. Perhaps, as he said, he had reached the end of his life, and now he was just living a humble existence.

The next day, Guo Ming slept until noon. He stretched and yawned, and Yu Xia chuckled, "Finally awake, right? By the way, Meng Yao came to look for you just now."

"Meng Yao? Guo Ming's heart stirred. What did she want?"

"I'm not sure. I told her you were sleeping, and she left. You should go ask her," Yu Xia said.

Guo Ming nodded and went to the Shui family's house. Looking at their grand gate, Guo Ming was slightly taken aback. He had not been to her house for a long time, at least a few years. Even during the New Year, Guo Ming only played with his friends and never went to her house to pay respects. Things had changed, and he felt a bit estranged, realizing he had missed a lot.

Shui Meng Yao opened the door and was also slightly taken aback when she saw Guo Ming outside. She quickly reacted and said, "It's you! Come in quickly."

The sunlight shone on Shui Meng Yao's face at that moment. Guo Ming was stunned; the girl before him was instantly draped in a mysterious veil. Her hazel eyes seemed to exude a stunning charm, and her porcelain-like face revealed a breathtaking beauty. Despite being used to Shui Meng Yao's beauty, Guo Ming could not help but be captivated.

Since she was at home, Shui Meng Yao was dressed casually. She wore a low-cut tank top and shorts that exposed most of her legs. Guo Ming quickly turned his head, worried that he might start bleeding from his nose. Although it was tempting, it was best not to let such things happen at someone's doorstep.

Shui Meng Yao clearly realized this and quickly turned and ran, leaving Guo Ming outside.

Guo Ming was in a dilemma, not knowing whether to go in or leave. Fortunately, Shui Meng Yao soon came out of her room, her face flushed, and said softly, "Come in."

Guo Ming nodded, looked around, and asked, "Where are Uncle and Aunt?"

"Oh, they are at work. I'm alone at home," Shui Meng Yao said softly. She poured him a glass of water and sat opposite him.

Guo Ming's heart raced. With her parents not at home, the two of them were alone in the house. He naturally thought of the consequences of a man and a woman being alone together. Although he did not mind if something happened, what was the look in Shui Meng Yao's eyes? Disdain? Guo Ming quickly collected his thoughts and frowned, "Meng Yao, what did you want to see me about?"

Seeing him put away his lecherous expression, Shui Meng Yao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Her heart had been racing just now. Guo Ming did not seem like a good person, especially with the words of the gatekeeper, Grandpa Zhang, still fresh in her mind. Being alone with someone like Guo Ming was too dangerous.

"I want to go to the deep mountains. Can you come with me?" Shui Meng Yao said, then immediately regretted it. This was like playing with fire! By doing this, she was putting her safety entirely in Guo Ming's hands. Although she knew Guo Ming would not dare to do anything to her, given the relationship between their families, what if he took some liberties? Such things could not be publicized.

Actually, Shui Meng Yao was also in a difficult situation. She still remembered her father's severe coughing from a few nights ago. She secretly asked the doctor if there was any special treatment.

The old Chinese doctor finally revealed his remedy—Pinellia. Pinellia is a valuable Chinese medicine, but it is rare and toxic, yet it has excellent cough-suppressing effects. It was a case of using poison to fight poison. However, Pinellia could not be bought in pharmacies and could only be found in the deep mountains.

Shui Meng Yao originally wanted to invite other friends, but she did not have many, and inviting a girl in such a situation was inappropriate. So, she could only invite a male friend. The deep mountains were said to have wild animals, and Guo Ming, known for his fighting skills, would make her feel safer.

After much consideration, Shui Meng Yao made this decision.

After hearing her purpose, Guo Ming fell silent for a moment and then said seriously, "Describe the characteristics of Pinellia to me. I will go alone. It's dangerous there, and it's not suitable for a girl to go."