After evening self-study, Sheng Yuan put on his down jacket and backpack, ready to go home.
Xia Zhiqi: “Brother Sheng, are you going to have supper?”
He walked up to Sheng Yuan and said, “There’s a barbecue place nearby. I heard the food is good.”
Cun Tou: “But it’s always crowded, nowhere to sit.”
“Then we’ll eat standing by the roadside and go home after we finish.”
Sheng Yuan didn’t refuse. “Let’s go.”
Having supper wouldn’t take up much time anyway.
[System: Having supper doesn’t take up time?]
A meal with so many people would take at least ten minutes, if not more.
Sheng Yuan raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised by the system’s unexpectedly insightful question.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
Ten minutes later, Xia Zhiqi held three skewers in his hand.
“Anyone want to challenge me? Let’s eat all three together.”
He spoke arrogantly, with an overbearing attitude.
No one in the entire gathering dared to take up the challenge.
Truly Ambitious: “…”
Xia Zhiqi, it’s you again!
Sheng Yuan let out a long sigh in the wintry night, creating a white mist.
The barbecue supper ended in just five short minutes.
Xia Zhiqi choked a little from eating too quickly. “I’ll go buy some soda. Who wants?”
Sheng Yuan threw money for the barbecue and soda at him, then stood by the roadside, waiting. Xia Zhiqi couldn’t carry everything alone, so Cun Tou and Xiao Pang went with him to buy the soda.
The barbecue place was not far from No.1 Middle School, and it was crowded with people during this time after school, as the streets were filled with pedestrians.
Sheng Yuan stood there, tilting his head to gaze at the stars.
“Hey!”
A shout came from behind. Sheng Yuan lazily turned around to see a student wearing the freshman uniform of No.1 Middle School, his face filled with arrogance.
“So you’re Sheng Yuan?”
Sheng Yuan looked at him. “Who said so?”
“This is for you… what?”
The freshman was instantly dumbfounded.
???
Isn’t it him?
The freshman standing under the streetlight had half of his face hidden beneath a red scarf. Obviously, he had no interest in chatting with him, his lips freezing with the cold winter wind.
Sheng Yuan could even guess from the hair strands in his hand that the student was here to challenge him.
[System: How did you know?]
Sheng Yuan: “He’s holding a challenge letter.”
Truly Ambitious: “…”
The system didn’t pay enough attention to the details.
The freshman felt a bit dazed by Sheng Yuan’s question.
“You’re Sheng Yuan!”
Sheng Yuan asked back, “Are you sure?”
The freshman replied, “I’m sure!”
Sheng Yuan said, “Remember this feeling.”
Freshman: ?
“You’ll need it when you’re writing exam answers.” Sheng-Life Mentor-Yuan: “You’re welcome.”
Freshman: “…”
He really was as arrogant as the rumors said.
The freshman extended the envelope with the challenge letter towards Sheng Yuan, but he didn’t take it.
10:30 p.m.
It probably wouldn’t work.
The freshman pushed the envelope forward again.
Sheng Yuan politely declined, “I can’t make it.”
The freshman’s confidence surged after hearing that. “Why? Are you scared?”
“It’s not that. My house has a curfew at 10:30,” Sheng Yuan replied nonchalantly.
“…”
Don’t push it too far.
Which deliquent boss cares about curfew!
The freshman looked at Sheng Yuan, who seemed uninterested and lacking any fighting spirit. It was clear that he held no regard for him.
Just as he was about to step forward and hand over the challenge letter to Sheng Yuan, Xia Zhiqi and his group, who had returned with the soda, formed a circle around Sheng Yuan and blocked him. Several people surrounded him, completely obstructing any view of Sheng Yuan.
The freshman couldn’t bear It any longer. “Hey!!”
In the next moment, Xia Zhiqi and his group turned around, casting cold glances at him.
“What’s the matter?”
A group of people, each tall and sturdy, stood like a human wall, emanating an intimidating aura. Each one of them seemed like a formidable fighter.
Freshman: !!!
What’s going on? Why is the atmosphere so different now?
Just a moment ago, they returned happily, carrying sodas, giving him the illusion of fools who were oblivious to hunger and only cared about showing off.
Sheng Yuan looked at him through the crowd, his gaze unwavering, as if he were a predator lurking in the night, his eyes emitting a faint blue light.
The freshman trembled, but he gathered his courage.
“You… you forgot to raise a toast.”
Xia Zhiqi: “Oh, right!”
Truly Ambitious: “…”
They turned back, raised their sodas for a toast, and the freshman took the opportunity to escape.
The atmosphere among the group returned to normal, and they drank their sodas with joy.
“See you tomorrow.”
The next day, Sheng Yuan went to school as usual. With the end of the year approaching, the third-year students entered the intensive review stage, with quizzes and tests coming one after another, catching them off guard.
At first, the students complained, but eventually, they became numb to it and got used to the pressure.
Although the pressure of studying in the third year was immense, Sheng Yuan didn’t feel stressed. He was intelligent and had a high IQ, and he had thoroughly mastered all the topics of the third year. He had held the top position in his grade for a long time.
However, he also understood the saying, “Pride comes before a fall.” Whenever one becomes too arrogant, a dangerous sense of self-importance emerges. This had to be eliminated. He always maintained a mindset of learning, consolidating his knowledge while simultaneously preparing for the physics competition in the winter camp.
After having lunch, he returned to Dorm 408. No one was inside, and the beds were not stacked together. He took off his down jacket and shoes and immediately lay down, burying his head in the pillow.
The air conditioner in the room was running orderly, blowing warm air inside the dorm, gradually raising the temperature.
When Sheng Yuan woke up, his face was red.
Truly Ambitious: [You look like you just came back from the plateau.]
Sheng Yuan felt dry and hot, as if there was no moisture in the air to replenish him. He stayed bewildered by the bed for a while before going to the bathroom to wash his face.
As soon as Yu Zuojin entered Dorm 408, he heard the sound of running water inside.
The water gushed out of the tap with a splashing sound. Since Sheng Yuan didn’t have his towel in Dorm 408, and Yu Zuojin wasn’t there either, he couldn’t use the other person’s towel.
After wiping his face with his hands, he walked out with water droplets still hanging from his face and saw Yu Zuojin standing in the dorm.
“You’re back.”
His voice carried a hint of sleepiness, with rosy cheeks and dewdrops on his eyelashes. He looked like he had just woken up, his body languid. When he saw Yu Zuojin, his eyes curved into an adorable smile. He was wearing a beige sweater, giving off a well-behaved appearance.
If one didn’t know him, they would subconsciously think he was a studious, quiet student.
Yu Zuojin stared at him and took a few steps forward, approaching his side.
Sheng Yuan almost instantly knew what he was up to.
As Yu Zuojin approached, he quickly evaded with a swift turn.
Fuck! He was now wide awake.
Yu Zuojin wouldn’t give up if he couldn’t get close to him, but Sheng Yuan had turned into an automatic alarm system. He would dodge whenever Yu Zuojin got near.
Finally, he was cornered against the wall.
Sheng Yuan: “…”
Because he couldn’t get close, Yu Zuojin started feeling anxious, afraid that Sheng Yuan would continue to evade. He grabbed Sheng Yuan’s face with his big hand, but Sheng Yuan blocked him with his own hand.
Smack!
Sheng Yuan firmly covered Yu Zuojin’s mouth with one hand.
“I’m declining, ha.”
Yu Zuojin: “…”
His intense eyes were piercing, making people weak in the knees.
Sheng Yuan looked at Yu Zuojin and reminded him, “Young man, have you forgotten our agreement?”
It happened yesterday, in this dorm room, at this time.
“We agreed to wait until our grades improve before we kiss again.”
“Mmm mmm…”
Sheng Yuan: “What?”
Yu Zuojin lowered his gaze, and only then did Sheng Yuan realize that he was still covering the other’s mouth.
He let go of his hand.
Yu Zuojin: “I didn’t agree.”
Smack!
Sheng Yuan covered his mouth again.
Yu Zuojin: “…”
Sheng Yuan took a deep breath.
That was close. He almost got eaten.
Luckily, he reacted quickly, with reflexes as sharp as a knee jerk.
Sheng Yuan’s beautiful eyes scrutinized him. “Yu Zuojin, you don’t keep your promises.”
Yu Zuojin sniffed his fingertips and shifted his gaze. When he felt guilty, he wouldn’t meet Sheng Yuan’s eyes.
“I thought you would do well.”
He pretended to be disappointed. “I even planned how we would kiss.”
Yu Zuojin’s tall figure stiffened.
Sheng Yuan’s eyes were like hooks.
“After your grades improve, we’ll kiss again.”
“After studying, you’ll improve your grades and we can also kiss, a win-win situation.”
“After studying, you can also go to college.”
“We can’t stay high school students forever.”
Sheng Yuan hinted at something in his words, emphasizing the words “college” and “future.”
Yu Zuojin had saved his life, and he couldn’t repay him adequately, but he could guide him towards a better future.
Even if they broke up later, at least Yu Zuojin’s life wouldn’t remain stagnant but would continue to move forward, and he would feel less guilty.
Yu Zuojin immediately came to a realization.
Sheng Yuan was thinking about their future.
Sheng Yuan cautiously released his hand from Yu Zuojin mouth and pulled him closer to the edge of the bed, reaching for the Chinese test paper placed on the bedside.
“We used this subject yesterday; you need to bring something else to exchange.”
His tone was business-like, as if he were conducting a transaction at a counter.
Of course, if he wanted the horse to run, there had to be a sweet reward. Sheng Yuan leaned down in front of him, his cheek slightly tilted.
“At that time, I’ll give you a French kiss.”
Yu Zuojin looked at him, his gaze asking if he was serious.
Sheng Yuan: “If you score above 100 on a major subject, you can kiss me for a day.”
He felt he was quite generous.
Truly Ambitious merged from behind the shield.
[System: What if he really scores above 100?]
Wouldn’t he get kissed to death?
Sheng Yuan: “I’ll just make sure he doesn’t catch me that day.”
Sheng Yuan asked again, “What do you think?”
As he spoke, he pouted at him, appearing innocent and cute.
Even he understood the art of teasing.
Yu Zuojin seemed to be tempted.
“When the time comes…” his voice was hoarse, like an eagle soaring over the desert, “you have to stick out your tongue.”
The amount of information in those words was overwhelming. Truly Ambitious was blocked immediately, and Sheng Yuan gulped.
“Of course, I can do that.”
His answer was very straightforward.
Yu Zuojin maintained a cold and indifferent expression, and he seized the opportunity to make his request.
“I…”
“On my lap.”
Sheng Yuan: “…”
Hey, don’t go too far.
He understood every single character of Yu Zuojin’s request. He wanted him to sit on his lap.
Sheng Yuan squeezed out a few words through his clenched teeth. “No problem.”
Yu Zuojin’s eyes darkened.
It was settled.
The next morning, the class teacher of Class Ten set off from the office. It was 7 o’clock in the morning, just as the morning self-study session had begun. She wanted to see who in their senior year would dare to be late for self-study.
She was determined, those brats better not let her catch them.
They were too out of control. Was she studying for them?!
As she reached the floor where Class Ten was located, she saw a tall figure appearing at the opposite stairwell, heading in the direction of Class Ten.
She couldn’t let him get away!
She dashed towards him in high heels, and before she reached him, she shouted, “Why are you late?!”
Yu Zuojin turned around with his backpack.
Class teacher of Class Ten: “…”
Author’s Note:
Class teacher of Class Ten: It’s already good enough that he came!
Yu Zuojin drives a hard bargain…..