Chapter 37

"Students, this is just a regular mock exam. Overall, our class performed quite well. We have 13 students in the top 60 of the entire grade. But I want to tell you that this is just the beginning. The early admission in March next year and the college entrance exam in June are the real goals. So those who did well shouldn't be arrogant and should continue to work hard. Those who didn't do well shouldn't be discouraged; find the gaps and catch up..."

"Ding Hao, come to my office for a moment!" As the class was about to end, the homeroom teacher Huang Rongwu called Ding Hao to his office.

"Teacher Huang." Although Ding Hao despised the worldly-wise homeroom teacher, he was in a good mood today because something good had happened.

"Ding Hao, you did well this time, and you should continue to work hard! Also, think about boarding at school; it will help improve your grades!" The homeroom teacher Huang Rongwu had a different view of Ding Hao's performance compared to Cao Zhe. First, the invigilation was very strict, making cheating unlikely. Second, Ding Hao's previous grades in the first and second years were also quite good, especially in the first year.

Moreover, during the school sports meet, Ding Hao scored a lot of points for Class 207, which was originally expected to be at the bottom but ended up in second place. Huang Rongwu's impression of Ding Hao naturally improved. He also remembered that Teacher Zeng Ya had repeatedly recommended Ding Hao to him. Huang Rongwu had planned to have Ding Hao participate in the physical test, but the boy refused. This meant that Ding Hao was confident and believed he could get into a good university through academic performance alone.

This was worth encouraging, so Huang Rongwu called Ding Hao to his office to encourage him and talk about boarding. In the end, Ding Hao had to admit that he lived in the school's staff dormitory. Since it would eventually be known, he might as well admit it himself. After hearing that Ding Hao lived in the staff dormitory, Huang Rongwu no longer insisted.

Back in the classroom, Ding Hao was immediately surrounded by many boys. At this moment, Ma Zhen stood up from his seat: "Everyone, please be quiet. Let's quickly elect a new class president!"

"..." Cao Zhe was seething with hatred. He thought Ding Hao would be so pleased that he wouldn't bring this up, but this woman...

Ding Hao was delighted. Evil people will be punished by other evil people!

"Right, Cao Zhe, are you going to back out? I'm the notary! By the way, the results of the previous bets are now announced. Those who lost should pay up, and those who won will split the money after school... Ha..." Su Jin was also very excited. He never thought Ding Hao would be so awesome, humiliating Cao Zhe in the school sports meet and this monthly exam!

"Right, my dear class president, are you still a man?"

"Oh oh oh..."

At this moment, if there were a hole in the ground, Cao Zhe would have jumped into it without hesitation. He regretted his impulsiveness. But why did Ding Hao manage to rank 43rd? And those boys were so idle, joining in the commotion even though it wasn't their business...

"Stop it, I'll talk to the homeroom teacher!" Cao Zhe knew he couldn't avoid it, so he had to take the initiative.

Ding Hao looked at Cao Zhe with a playful expression, thinking that this guy wasn't so bad after all. Of course, on the condition that he no longer harassed Xia Lin!

The matter of changing the class president was ultimately dismissed by Huang Rongwu, who called it nonsense. After all, Ding Hao didn't insist much, and Cao Zhe's father was the deputy head of the student affairs office. Huang Rongwu didn't want to offend him. However, after this incident, Cao Zhe's credibility in the class was greatly reduced, and he temporarily stopped harassing Xia Lin.

This outcome was very satisfying for Ding Hao. Most importantly, it proved that he still had hope and could gain Xia Lin's recognition. The words "Rich guy, I don't like you" were deeply etched in Ding Hao's mind. The rest of his senior year was relatively peaceful. Due to the lesson from Yu Feng, the small hooligans avoided Ding Hao. And Cao Zhe, with his new target, temporarily had no energy to deal with Ding Hao.

Speaking of Cao Zhe's new target, Ding Hao was very familiar with her—Gu Wen from Class 208. In Cao Zhe's view, since Ding Hao was well-rounded in morality, intelligence, and physical fitness, and was childhood friends with Xia Lin, it would be difficult for him to insert himself. Moreover, Xia Lin's sidekick, Ma Zhen, was a hot-tempered girl he couldn't provoke. On the other hand, Gu Wen, a sports student from the neighboring class, was a good choice.

Unlike typical sports students, Gu Wen's academic performance was decent. She wasn't as crude as other sports students and was smart despite her athletic build! Compared to Xia Lin, who was more reserved, the two had similar appearances. Due to frequent training, Gu Wen often wore training clothes instead of school uniforms, making her figure more curvaceous and well-proportioned.

After morning exercises, Cao Zhe could see Gu Wen training in shorts and a sports top. Her well-built but not fat figure was quite attractive. Standing at nearly 1.7 meters tall, she had long, slender legs...

Another reason was that compared to Xia Lin's cold beauty, Gu Wen seemed more approachable. Whether she liked someone or not, Gu Wen always smiled, which gave Cao Zhe a false impression, even a delusion. He felt that Xia Lin might seem unapproachable, but Gu Wen would be much easier to get along with, and even if she didn't get into a better university than him, that was important!

Of course, this was a story of unrequited love. The relatively peaceful senior year was tense and heavy for others, but Ding Hao was eager for the college entrance exam to come sooner so he could go to Qianjiang! However, while focusing on his studies, Ding Hao didn't neglect upgrading in the Magic Space. After all, there would be many uncertainties when he went to Qianjiang.

And who wouldn't want more money? Although Xia Lin was a very down-to-earth girl, the material temptations in big cities were unknown. Ding Hao didn't want his future girlfriend, whether or not it was Xia Lin, to suffer, so he needed to earn more gold coins!

Ding Hao soon learned about Gu Wen's boldness. She often came to the living room in her underwear after taking a shower, making Ding Hao blush. She would laugh, and it was unclear what she was thinking. Sometimes she even asked Ding Hao to pass her towels, underwear, and other items. Gu Wen wasn't Chen Fang, and Ding Hao naturally refused everything! Whether Gu Wen was being deliberate or careless, Ding Hao didn't want to appear lecherous in front of her.

If he showed any signs of interest, Gu Wen might tell Xia Lin everything when she returned to the dorm. It was precisely because of Ding Hao's "honesty" that Gu Wen developed a good impression of him and often praised him to Xia Lin. However, these were secrets between girls, and Ding Hao had no way of knowing.

During this period, Teacher Zeng Ya called several times to inquire about Ding Hao's recent situation. When she learned that Ding Hao's grades had improved significantly and he was now in the top 30 of the grade, she was very happy and asked which university he planned to apply to. Ding Hao was open with the beautiful teacher.

One day, Zeng Ya called again: "Ding Hao, do you know Chen Tao?"

"Chen Tao? Yes, how did you know?"

"Hehe, Chen Tao is my classmate. Good job, Ding Hao, for saving the damsel in distress!" Zeng Ya's voice on the other end of the phone rose an octave.

"Teacher Zeng, are you in Qianjiang now?" Ding Hao knew Chen Tao was from Qianjiang but was puzzled why she didn't ask Zeng Ya to accompany her on the trip to Yungang. He only mentioned saving the damsel in distress in the cave but didn't tell Zeng Ya that the damsel was Chen Tao.

"Yes, I went back to my school and met Chen Tao, who told me she had been to Yungang. By the way, how is Zhang Yongwei recently? Has he caused you any trouble?"

"Oh, no, no. His father has been placed under investigation. By the way, thank you, Teacher Zeng, for your classmate Chen Tao." Ding Hao always thought Chen Tao must have been working behind the scenes, which led to the quick investigation of Deputy County Magistrate Zhang. Now that Zeng Ya mentioned it, Ding Hao realized that although he had helped Chen Tao once, she had thoroughly solved a big problem for him. Otherwise, Director Yang wouldn't treat him as he does now.

"You two are both being too polite. Work hard, and when you get into Zhejiang University, you'll have the chance to get back at her! I'll tell you, she has a lot of influence, so if you need anything in Yungang, just call her!"

"Understood, thank you, Teacher Zeng..."

"Sure, you should work hard too!"

"I will, no matter the outcome, I'll go to Qianjiang after the college entrance exam..."

"Oh..." Ding Hao didn't realize that his casual words made Zeng Ya make a significant decision. After leaving Yungang No. 2 High School, Zeng Ya returned to Changsha, where her parents promised to help her find a job at a university in Changsha. She took the opportunity to visit Qianjiang, originally just to see her alma mater, but unexpectedly met Chen Tao. They chatted, and Zeng Ya learned about Ding Hao's conflict with Zhang Yongwei when he saved Chen Tao.

Thinking of the handsome young man, remembering the time he accompanied her up the mountain... Although she had only spent a few days with Ding Hao, hearing his voice again made her feel an indescribable excitement. When she learned that Ding Hao was determined to go to Qianjiang, she made up her mind to stay in Qianjiang. She hoped to teach at her alma mater, but even if she had to teach at a middle school, as long as she stayed in Qianjiang, she would often see Ding Hao!

Ding Hao didn't realize he had unintentionally attracted another admirer. He didn't take Zeng Ya's encouragement to heart. From the current situation, as long as he continued to work hard, his chances of getting into Zhejiang University were very high! In October and November, he ranked in the top 30 of the grade in two consecutive mock exams. The homeroom teacher Huang Rongwu officially included Ding Hao in the key cultivation program.

Of course, unlike Xia Lin and others who buried themselves in their studies, Ding Hao didn't put too much pressure on himself. With the existence of the Magic Space, he was constantly getting stronger. Studying was no longer his only path! Therefore, Ding Hao appeared to be the most relaxed among his peers, even becoming a model of balancing work and rest.