The High School Entrance Exam

"Liu Qingqing, what are you doing here?"

The curtains in the art room were drawn back, and the bright red morning sun shone through the window, illuminating the girl in front of the easel. She looked as if she were wearing a flame-colored veil, and because of her low-key presence, she seemed ethereal, like a fairy who might fly away on a cloud at any moment.

The classroom, the morning glow, the girl, and the easel together create a beautiful scene. Although each element is something very common in daily life, when put together, they have a captivating magic that makes it impossible to look away.

Even though Murong Qing had not yet recovered, she was filled with inspiration at this moment. In the past, she probably would have been unable to resist using her paintbrush to capture this scene forever.

Liu Qingqing was looking at Murong Qing's unfinished work. After hearing the sound, she turned to the side and casually tucked her hair behind her ear. It was just a simple action, but under the right circumstances, it inexplicably carried a sacred aura, making people want to bow down in worship.

Was she always this elegant? Why didn't I notice before?

Fortunately, Murong Qing was also a woman, and without any lesbian tendencies. She was only surprised, not amazed, by what she saw.

Liu Qingqing said, "Last night, Si Ming told me about your situation. He hoped I could come and comfort you."

"He's such a busybody."

Murong Qing sighed. Although she and Liu Qingqing were not strangers, they were not particularly close, far from being best friends. It was not a good choice for Si Ming to ask Liu Qingqing to comfort him; on the contrary, it would make both of them feel awkward.

Of course, Murong Qing could understand, because among the acquaintances Si Ming knew, only Liu Qingqing had been in contact with him, and he really had no better choice, so he could only resort to desperate measures.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry to have troubled you. It has nothing to do with you, there's really no need to take his words to heart. I'm fine now."

Murong Qing wanted to use polite words to give both sides a way out, but Liu Qingqing shook her head.

"No, even without Si Ming's request, I still want to say a few words to Murong. I wonder if you remember, I also participated in the art group in the second year of junior high."

Upon hearing this, Murong Qing tried hard to recall, but she had no recollection whatsoever. At most, after comparing it with her memories, she noticed that there was an extra person in the art room, but she couldn't remember who that person was.

"Sorry, I have a bad memory."

"It's okay, it's normal that you don't remember me, because I only stayed in the art studio for two months and then quit, without leaving any noteworthy works."

Murong Qing felt that two months was long enough; even stray cats and dogs would have become family by now. But this wasn't the time to dwell on that question, so she asked, "Why did you quit?"

"Because I realized that I had absolutely no talent for drawing, and what I produced would always be at the level of a lower elementary school student. Moreover, after seeing Murong's paintings, I knew that this was called talent, and that no matter how much I practiced, it would be useless, so I gave up."

"Sorry."

Murong Qing quickly apologized; she had never imagined that she had unintentionally played the same role as Hongdou.

"It's okay, it's a very common thing for me. I've given up on a lot of things: paper cutting, jump rope, music, track and field, volleyball... I'm good for nothing, I've never discovered that I have any talent in any area, but that was all in elementary school. I gave up when I was in junior high. The reason I joined the art room wasn't because I thought I had any artistic talent, but because I saw a painting."

"A painting?"

"It's a work by Murong, called 'Nebula Chain.' When I saw it, I felt very warm, and I felt compelled to see for myself how this genius, who is the same age as me, creates such a heartwarming painting."

Before yesterday, Murong Qing might have offered a few words of modesty and restraint, but now she only felt bitter. "I'm not as outstanding as you imagine..."

Liu Qingqing stepped forward, took Murong Qing's hand, and said, "I may not have the right to say anything now that I've already given up, but Murong is my idol, not just for painting, but also for studying, martial arts, organizing, and so on. You can do things that I can't do at all. I used to fantasize about what I would be like with such outstanding talents, but I couldn't imagine it until I saw Murong. Then it dawned on me—this is the perfect image in my mind!"

Murong Qing was stunned. No one had ever said such a thing to her before, and Liu Qingqing's tone was so sincere that she couldn't even feel shy.

"Although it's a very unreasonable request, I hope that Murong can continue drawing. I don't know exactly how special Hongdou is, but in my heart, Murong is the most special, which is why I'm placing my hopes on you."

Murong Qing remained silent for a moment, then Shu Yan exhaled and said, "This is truly a one-sided demand, but it's not unpleasant."

She paused for a moment, then said firmly, "I can't promise you what you expect, because I'm not a perfect person, and there are many things I can't control. But I can assure you one thing: I won't give up painting. As long as there's one person willing to watch, I will keep painting."

Liu Qingqing laughed upon hearing this, then, as if remembering something, pulled Murong Qing and said, "Oh, right, there's a note here left for you by Teacher Xu."

In the upper right corner of the unfinished artwork, there was a label with a short message written in pen.

—I'm so sorry. I'm a terrible teacher. I hope you won't hate yourself or this painting because of it.

"... What? I'm such a fool. So many people care about me, and all I did was throw a tantrum."

Tears welled up in Murong Qing's eyes as she suddenly remembered what Si Ming had said last night.

She didn't need to envy Hongdou at all, because she was much happier than Hongdou.

Chapter Ninety-Two: The Junior High School Entrance Examination

After completely resolving her inner conflict, Murong Qing brought limited-edition pastries from the famous Guhe Bakery in the city to apologize to Hongdou.

With her single-minded personality, Hongdou immediately forgot all her troubles from that night, happily accepted the snacks, and made a small request: she hoped that Murong Qing could be her friend.

Murong Qing readily agreed and frequently visited him in the days that followed, taking the opportunity to spar with Si Ming.

Sometimes Murong Qing would ask Hongdou for advice on painting techniques, but she gave up after a few tries. Hongdou's personality was not suited to teaching others at all, especially since the field of painting is more about emotion than reason. She would often say things like, "It looks cuter this way," "Adding this stroke will make the little flower feel warmer," "The theory is so complicated, I don't really understand it," "Just paint however you like," and "I love doodling," which were completely baffling to her.

Murong Qing could only sigh, realizing that the realm of geniuses was indeed inaccessible to ordinary people.

Although Si Ming believed that this was a manifestation of Hongdou's abnormal brain sulci, belonging to the same category as mental patients.

Not long after, Yao Bilian returned, and Auntie Liu also brought back Ying Zhou, who had just undergone surgery and was said to recover in six months. At the same time, she brought good news: Si Ming's novel, "Ghosts and Gods Metropolis," had caught the eye of an editor at Prince Publishing House, who offered him a very generous contract for a new author and signed him to write the book.

There was no bribery or condescending conflict; Si Ming's process of receiving his royalties was so smooth that it was completely unlike what one would expect from a protagonist.

After its publication, "Ghosts and Gods Metropolis" neither became a cold reception nor an instant hit. Its market performance was roughly in line with the editor's expectations, successfully gaining Si Ming his first batch of loyal readers. The number of readers was neither too many nor too few, and he received several letters from readers every month.

Si Ming wasn't in a hurry about this. The turning point in his novel was in the middle of the plot, when the protagonist discovered the class conflict between the incompetent and the superhuman. After a series of internal struggles, he finally stood on the side of the ordinary people and fought against the superhumans who were the beneficiaries of the system. Meanwhile, the League of Legends, the righteous organization in the early stages, when faced with a conflict involving its own fundamental interests, ruthlessly tore off its mask of protection and turned its sword against those who originally needed to be protected.

The novel begins as a typical fast-paced, action-packed story of leveling up and defeating monsters, but it only begins to develop intellectual depth in the middle stages, with its struggles for class interests, shifts between good and evil identities, and the split within the League of Legends... which significantly elevates the novel's overall meaning.

As for whether readers will accept this change, Si Ming couldn't judge. After all, he had never written a physical book and didn't know the difference between physical readers and online readers. But he had some confidence, since this was the land of the Mohist School disciples were on the side of the common people. They had a natural affinity for rebellion and revolution when people couldn't survive.

If it were a Confucian School approach to Li State, Si Ming certainly wouldn't dare write it like this. Although Li State doesn't prohibit rebellious writings, it has two requirements: either the rebels must fail, or the rebels must be granted amnesty by the court. Otherwise, they won't be published. This is the political correctness of Li State.