Chapter 42

At this moment, the rain had long since stopped, and the rising sun shone upon the earth. The sunlight filtered through the transparent fabric of the tent’s front, filling the tent with ample light. Due to the events of the morning, both of them were wide awake. Zhang Chengyuan grabbed his backpack and the shirt he had taken off the night before, and after a hesitant conversation with Lee Hyori, he nervously crawled out of the tent. At this time, he was constantly worried that Lee Hyori would gradually distance herself from him in the future.

Turning around to look around, there was no one else on the mountain except for Zhang Chengyuan and Lee Hyori. The surroundings were silent, but there were a few people moving around at the foot of the mountain. Zhang Chengyuan put on his shirt, took a bottle of water to rinse his mouth, and did a set of exercises to stretch his muscles. After waiting for a few minutes, he saw Lee Hyori, who was dressed neatly, bend down and walk out.

Zhang Chengyuan hurriedly greeted her and offered a can of milk and a chocolate bread that he had prepared in advance, flatteringly saying, "Hyori-ssi, are you hungry? Have something to eat first." He smiled, but his expression was somewhat uneasy.

Lee Hyori did not take the food, not even looking at him. She walked to the east and gazed at the rising red sun, shouting a few times before saying, "The weather is really nice today!"

Zhang Chengyuan, who was following behind Lee Hyori, immediately echoed, "Yes, yes, the weather is really good, extremely good."

Lee Hyori ignored him, gazing at the morning sky in silence for a long time. Suddenly, she said, "Don’t tell Joo Hyun, Jin Ah, and Yoo Ri about what happened this morning, or I won’t forgive you! Do you hear me?"

Zhang Chengyuan replied joyfully, "Hyori-ssi, I promise I won’t say a word." He knew that this time, Hyori-ssi had truly forgiven him.

They continued their trip for another six days, climbing several peaks and driving through several cities and counties. Lee Hyori began to feel a bit tired of it. After all, she was not a professional mountaineer and had no great aspirations in this area. After being away for so long, she started to miss home and suggested they return. Zhang Chengyuan naturally did not dare to object. During these six days, the weather was quite good, and they did not spend another night on the mountain. Zhang Chengyuan could not relive the romantic morning scenery. It seemed as if nothing had happened between them, but what they felt in their hearts was something others could not guess.

Upon returning to Seoul, Zhang Chengyuan had a small gathering with the other three members of Fin.K.L. Then he threw himself back into his busy work. It seemed as if he was trying to make up for the lost time or to raise money for his university tuition next year. Zhang Chengyuan began a month of intense earning, taking on any job regardless of the type or pay, as long as it did not affect his image. Whether it was shooting ads, magazine covers, small roles in TV shows, or promotional events at malls, as long as it paid and did not take too much time, he was willing to do it. He would wake up at four in the morning and not go to bed until after one in the morning, and he did not rest during the day. Even when he was in the car heading to the next job, he was still thinking about how to improve his professional skills to perform better and earn more.

Thanks to Park Byung-ryul’s extensive network and Zhang Chengyuan’s “high-quality, low-cost” and hardworking qualities, he received countless job offers. Although most of them were small jobs with low pay and low screen time, at least on the surface, Zhang Chengyuan seemed more popular than top-tier stars. After accumulating these small earnings, his income was several times more than before. After a month and a half, Zhang Chengyuan’s personal income exceeded 8 million won. Although this was equivalent to the pay for one episode of a drama for a star actor, it was enough to cover his tuition for a private university for a year, and the leftover money was enough to support him for the next three months.

Before they knew it, it was September, and the new semester had begun. This was Zhang Chengyuan’s last semester in high school, and there were only about two months and ten days left until the annual national university entrance exam. All the students aspiring to attend university were in the final sprint stage, with scores and rankings being the most important things at this time. Although it was tedious and dull, it was crucial for their future and destiny, and they could not afford to ignore it. Even when they were tired and wanted to give up, their parents and teachers would push them to keep going. In such a tense atmosphere, some students with fragile mental health were even driven to psychological breakdowns and suicide.

At this critical moment, as the top student at Gyeonggi High School and the most likely candidate to be admitted to the prestigious Seoul National University, Zhang Chengyuan could no longer take time off to work as easily as before. His teachers wanted to lock him in the school to supervise his intensive studies. Even on weekends, which were legally designated rest days, Zhang Chengyuan, like most third-year students, was required to attend supplementary classes. Although he could handle the coursework and exercises easily, his teachers did not dare to relax at all, fearing that he might slack off and ruin his future.

In addition, his father, Zhang Donghu, and his agent, Park Byung-ryul, also intervened, forcing him to put aside all extracurricular activities and focus entirely on his studies. Zhang Donghu’s high expectations were understandable, but it was puzzling that Park Byung-ryul also insisted on this.

Zhang Chengyuan was initially confused but quickly understood. Compared to the short-term benefits, if he had the halo of a prestigious university, a little炒作 (promotion) would greatly increase his popularity and fame, and the benefits would far exceed his current earnings. Although he would not work temporarily and not earn money for the company, his contract with the company still had more than three years left, and there would be plenty of time and opportunities to make up for this small loss.

Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was the day of the university entrance exam.

On this day, over 600,000 candidates, both current and past students, participated in this exam, which was watched by millions. The exam lasted only one day, and many people saw this day as the one that would determine their success or failure in life.

On this day, whether it was the President of South Korea or the CEO of the Samsung Group, everyone had to step aside. Military training was suspended, flights were rescheduled, traffic was controlled, and companies and enterprises delayed their working hours. If anyone or any organization affected the exam, they would face the unanimous condemnation and criticism of the entire nation.

From morning to evening, all candidates had to race against time to perform at their best in the exam, even eating lunch inside the exam room. Outside the exam room, parents prayed and blessed them, and younger students cheered them on.

At around 8:10 AM, Zhang Chengyuan smiled and waved to his father and teachers, then calmly prepared to enter the exam room. For him, this exam was just a small challenge in life. He had absolute confidence and a 100% chance of achieving the best results, so there was no need for him to be as nervous as the other candidates.

Just as he was about to enter the exam room, he suddenly saw a very familiar car, the nanny car of the four Fin.K.L members. He knew they must be watching him from the car window, silently blessing him. So he waved to the car and made an OK gesture. After that, he turned and entered the exam room.