Chapter 97

Chen Jian had always been an excellent student, but due to a poor performance in the college entrance exam, he ended up at Bingcheng University of Technology. When he received the acceptance letter, he locked himself in his room for three days without speaking, hesitating whether to retake the exam or directly attend university.

In the end, he decided to go to university directly. However, he vowed to become the top student at Bingcheng University of Technology. He aimed to secure a place in Shuimu University for postgraduate studies with outstanding performance, fulfilling his dream.

Therefore, he took the midterm exams very seriously and worked extremely hard. After deciding to study at Bingcheng University of Technology, he set extremely high standards for himself, like a monk in ascetic practice.

Throughout the summer, he stayed at home, studying and reading books, except for eating and sleeping. He completed the entire advanced mathematics course and even finished the advanced mathematics problems in the postgraduate review materials.

Hard work pays off. After entering university, despite the difficulty of the two mathematics courses, he handled them with ease. His classmates all waited to copy his homework, which quickly made him stand out among the top students, becoming the recognized top student in the Microelectronics College.

He was quite proud of this. He wanted to become the top student in the entire Basic Studies Department. He put in extra effort, staying in the study room until the main building closed every day, and waking up at 6 a.m. to study English, aiming to pass the CET-4 exam with a high score in the first semester.

The midterm exams arrived, and he was excited, seeing it as an opportunity to make a name for himself.

His hard work did not disappoint him. In the three degree courses, he only lost three points in English, which shocked his classmates. He was very proud and eager to show off in front of all the students in the Basic Studies Department.

However, he never expected that Liu Meng would appear and score full marks in all subjects.

When he heard the news, he thought it was impossible. How could this be? How could someone score full marks in English? Even his excellent essay was marked down by three points!

The honor he thought he had secured was snatched away, and he could only be the top student in the Microelectronics College. How could he accept this? He was furious and believed there must be some foul play.

At the student assembly after the midterm exams, Liu Meng stood on the stage to speak. The Microelectronics College was close to the front, and he stood right at the front, staring at Liu Meng and the position he should have occupied, feeling an intense pain in his heart.

After the assembly, he continued to watch Liu Meng in the crowd. A beautiful girl from the Architecture Department even approached Liu Meng to introduce herself, which made him even angrier. He thought the girl should have approached him!

After Deputy Dean Chen announced Liu Meng's essay, he became even more determined. He started getting up early to recite classical poetry, reading Chinese classics, translating one ancient text every day, and revising it repeatedly. He was determined to regain his honor in the final exams.

Of course, top students also need to relax. He soon fell in love with ice skating, spending two hours on it every day. Even in his leisure activities, he had high standards. With his strong will and learning ability, he quickly became a prince of the ice rink.

When he skated past the beginners with grace, Chen Jian felt a great sense of satisfaction, which made him love the sport even more. He practiced diligently, regardless of the weather.

Gu Pan's lips curved slightly, wanting to smile but not quite. She was quite pleased to have found out about this guy. He was a legendary top student in the Microelectronics College, overshadowed by Liu Meng, and was unhappy about it. She had seen Liu Meng, a beginner, come to the ice rink and couldn't resist the urge to tease him.

However, she had read Liu Meng's essay multiple times. It was not a direct translation but a creative adaptation of the story of Emperor Taizong and Wei Zheng. Both the theme and language structure were excellent, and it was no coincidence that it was highly regarded by Nan Huaiyin.

But when she thought about how he had just teased Liu Meng on the ice, she felt uncomfortable. Although she had laughed at Liu Meng's clumsiness, she didn't like it when others did the same.

This feeling was like only being able to scold one's own child, but feeling angry if others did the same.

Gu Pan said, "You skate very well. How about we have a race?"

Chen Jian, eager to show off in front of a beautiful girl, readily agreed. They set a finish line and started together, racing neck and neck.

Gu Pan, a native of Bingcheng, had been skating since childhood. Her skills were deeply ingrained, and she truly loved the sport. She glided gracefully on the ice, feeling her heart dance with her.

She maintained her speed, not slowing down even at the turns. Her legs moved in perfect arcs, her body leaning at a small angle to the ground, and her arms almost touching the ice.

Chen Jian, being competitive, tried to catch up after falling slightly behind. With his powerful legs, he accelerated, maintaining a distance of about a meter from Gu Pan. Seeing the finish line ahead, he crossed his legs to gain more speed, trying to overtake her.

However, this caused him to lose balance and fall forward. Gu Pan, seeing his high speed, feared he might be seriously injured. She had only intended to humble him, not to hurt him.

She immediately accelerated, being on the outside, and supported Chen Jian with her arm.

Chen Jian, skilled but caught off guard by the sudden acceleration, quickly regained his balance with her help.

However, Gu Pan didn't stop, reaching the agreed finish line with a perfect circle and a stop, coming to a perfect halt.

"You won. Your skills are better than mine. But I will practice even harder. Next time, I won't lose to you."

Chen Jian, though defeated, did not give up. He resolved to practice for an extra half-hour each day.

"Good, I welcome your challenge!" Gu Pan said, preparing to continue skating to the middle area to tease Liu Meng, the beginner.

Chen Jian, who had always taken winning and losing very seriously, was surprised that he wasn't angry despite losing. This was unprecedented. His heart warmed, and he called out, "You're from the Electrical Engineering College, right? What's your name?"

Gu Pan pretended not to hear, gliding like a butterfly into the middle area for beginners.

Watching the graceful girl on the ice, Chen Jian felt a stir in his heart. For the first time, he wanted to get to know her, his eyes determined and focused.

After entering the middle area, Gu Pan circled around and quickly found Liu Meng, who was practicing diligently. He had improved a lot, able to skate in a straight line and was practicing the technique for turning.

After watching for a while, she saw him fall three times but immediately get up and continue practicing. His fearless spirit deeply impressed her.

A temporary gap was not important; this relentless spirit was truly awe-inspiring.

She remembered her own childhood, when she had to wear many protective gear to skate and would cry when she fell, needing her parents to comfort her before continuing.

For some reason, she felt especially happy about this sport where Liu Meng was weak and she was strong. She felt a sense of triumph.

Feeling mischievous, she decided to scare him. She skated over, planning to tap his shoulder, imagining he might fall flat on his face. However, Liu Meng, while trying to turn, lost his balance and fell sideways.

Gu Pan, caught off guard, couldn't avoid him and was knocked down.

She had no time to adjust her steps or body weight to absorb the impact.

As Liu Meng fell backward, he noticed someone behind him. Turning, he saw it was Gu Pan.

Due to his two subconscious states, his body's flexibility and sensitivity had increased. Seeing Gu Pan about to fall, he instinctively used one foot to brace himself, twisted his body, and grabbed her, causing himself to fall faster.

Even so, both lost their balance and fell onto the ice, with Gu Pan landing on top of Liu Meng. Liu Meng hit the hard ice, feeling intense pain.

Gu Pan, pale with fright, hadn't fallen on the ice in years and had closed her eyes in fear.

The expected pain didn't come. Opening her eyes, she found herself on top of Liu Meng, who was in obvious pain, his mouth tight and brows furrowed.

The two were in a close embrace, their eyes meeting, their breaths forming white mist.

At that moment, Gu Pan felt a sense of gratitude. This man had injured himself to protect her, even though she had intended to tease him.

......

This is the second update. Many top students are like Chen Jian, very proud and with strong self-esteem, unable to face failure.