Fish played in the water, and Colorful Bird chirped softly. Morning dew dripped down, and flowers bloomed.
Li Mu Yang had gotten up very early that day. He had risen before dawn, while the sky was still dim, yet he felt full of energy. This was worlds apart from how he used to sleep until the sun was high, get dragged out of bed by his little sister, stuff a piece of steamed bun into his schoolbag without even having breakfast, and run to school with his head groggy.
After one final physical examination, the doctor removed the gauze from his head.
Li Mu Yang patted down his hair, which was as messy as a bird's nest, and looked at the doctor, who was carefully examining the wound on top of his head. "Mr. Zhuge, my injury is all right now, isn't it?"
"It's fine." Doctor Zhuge shook his head. "It's been fine for a long time."
"Sorry for all the trouble these past few days, Mr. Zhuge." Li Mu Yang's face was full of gratitude. Although medical treatment cost money, Doctor Zhuge had indeed taken meticulous care of him. Li Mu Yang was a kind person, but he was also starved for affection. Even the slightest effort from others could move him deeply.
"It was no trouble." Doctor Zhuge reached out and parted Li Mu Yang's hair. "I remember there was a cut on your head, wasn't there?"
"I think so." Li Mu Yang nodded. He had been hit by a fruit tray at the time, and quite a lot of blood had flowed from his head.
"Where's the cut?" Doctor Zhuge asked.
"What?"
"The cut is gone." Doctor Zhuge's expression turned grave.
"Mr. Zhuge, if the cut is gone, doesn't that prove I've recovered well?" Li Mu Yang swallowed several times before forcibly suppressing his displeasure. What kind of doctor was this? How could he curse his own patient by wishing he wouldn't recover? The cut was gone, of course, because he had healed. Could it have run away?
"Recovery is one thing. Your head injury was never serious to begin with. It was only because Miss Cui insisted that I examine you repeatedly that it took so much time—but an injury shouldn't simply disappear. It should at least leave a scar." Doctor Zhuge was filled with confusion. "Now there isn't even the slightest scar. I've even forgotten where you were injured before. This recovery speed is truly astonishing."
"So that's what this is about." Li Mu Yang grinned. "Maybe I just have a good constitution, and you were willing to use good medicine on me, Mr. Zhuge, so I recovered a little faster."
Doctor Zhuge could only accept that explanation. "You can get out of bed and walk today. Don't overstrain your muscles and bones for the time being."
Li Mu Yang knew that Cui Xiaoxin had paid for his treatment out of gratitude for saving her life, and he wasn't going to be coy about it. "All right, thank you, Mr. Zhuge."
Doctor Zhuge waved his hand. "Let's hope we don't meet again. Seeing a doctor is never a good thing."
After seeing Doctor Zhuge off, Li Mu Yang took a bath and changed into the clean clothes that had been prepared for him.
His right hand was still wrapped in gauze. The doctor had said that the injury there was too severe—a penetrating wound—and couldn't be unwrapped for a while yet. However, the dressing had to be changed every seven days.
Looking at himself in the bronze mirror, Li Mu Yang felt somewhat unfamiliar.
His former self had been black as charcoal, like a piece of Ink Stone with absolutely no impurities.
Now, Li Mu Yang felt that he had become somewhat whiter. No—somewhat sallow. His skin was a deep bronze, making him look as though he had been scorched beneath the sun.
His skin was as good as ever, like metal shimmering with flowing radiance beneath the sunlight.
He was extremely pleased with this change. He even thought that, from now on, he would make a medicinal gauze facial mask every night after returning home. Perhaps, with enough time, all the melanin in his body would be absorbed?
He looked at his arm again. Aside from the slight change in skin tone, there was nothing else unusual.
But how had he managed to do those extraordinary things?
Whether it was punching Zhang Chen into the air or sending the black-clothed killer flying with a punch, that kind of strength had never belonged to his former self.
And those strange thoughts, those intermittent and hazy scraps of information that seemed to come from several centuries ago, as well as the method of solving problems that had dazzled Cui Xiaoxin—where had they all come from?
Li Mu Yang could stake his character and dignity on the fact that he had never learned any of those things.
Could it be that he was the dragon-slaying youth chosen by the Goddess of Fate?
At the thought of that possibility, Li Mu Yang's heart truly fluttered with excitement.
As soon as the hour of Chen arrived, Cui Xiaoxin and Li Sinian came together to Li Mu Yang's room.
Looking at the two who walked in hand in hand, Li Mu Yang asked curiously, "How did you two end up together?"
"We made plans last night." Li Sinian gave him an expression of disdain that said, You're an idiot. "We agreed to come accompany you to school today."
Li Mu Yang smiled bitterly. "I was only asking out of curiosity. Do you have to look so smug? I'm all packed. Are we going straight to school?"
"Of course." Li Sinian nodded. "The Literary Examination is coming up, so you can't skip class again. What if Heaven loses its sense of justice and lets you guess every answer correctly? Think about it—even lightning managed to strike you. Something like that isn't completely impossible—"
Cui Xiaoxin looked at Li Sinian strangely, appearing as if she wanted to speak but hesitated.
Li Sinian thought Cui Xiaoxin was blaming her for undermining her brother's confidence so harshly. She shook her hand and said, "Don't worry, Sister Xiaoxin. My brother and I are used to talking like this. He has an incredibly strong tolerance for blows. Do you want to try?"
"—"
Seeing that Cui Xiaoxin had no intention of trying, Li Sinian waved at Li Mu Yang. "Let's go. To school."
Then, with an arrogant little air, she pulled Cui Xiaoxin's hand and walked out.
Li Mu Yang had no choice but to pick up his schoolbag and several pieces of fruit himself and follow behind them.
"Hey, I'm still a patient, all right? My head is injured, and one of my hands is wrapped in gauze. Aren't you two going to help lighten the load a little?" Li Mu Yang shouted.
Li Sinian turned around, plucked a banana from the fruit bag in Li Mu Yang's hand, and said, "You're my favorite brother. Of course I'll help lighten your load—I'll eat a banana."
Cui Xiaoxin took an apple from the fruit bag, waved it at Li Mu Yang, and said, "I helped too."
"—"
Li Mu Yang's home was not far from Fuxing Middle School, and the three of them soon arrived while chatting and laughing.
It was the time when students were entering school. Li Mu Yang appeared in the crowd with Li Sinian and Cui Xiaoxin, two peerless beauties, and naturally drew considerable attention. After all, all three were famous figures on campus, and the contrast between their appearances was so enormous that avoiding a spectacle was impossible.
"Oh my God, isn't that guy our school's Black Charcoal? Who are the two women beside her?"
"Ah, my goddess—why is Cui Xiaoxin together with that good-for-nothing?"
"Could Li Sinian be in love? My heart is breaking—"
The students pointed at Li Mu Yang, Li Sinian, and Cui Xiaoxin. The admirers of Cui Xiaoxin and Li Sinian were utterly heartbroken.
"Are you stupid?" a clever student helped explain from among them. "Li Sinian is Li Mu Yang's little sister—his actual little sister. How could the two of them be dating?"
"What? Li Sinian isn't that bastard's girlfriend? That's wonderful—"
"Of course not. Li Mu Yang has only one girlfriend, Cui Xiaoxin—that's what Li Mu Yang's little sister said herself. I heard they've been together frequently lately. I'm only telling you, so don't spread it around—"
"—"
Li Sinian glanced at the surging crowd and suddenly felt a little guilty. "Brother, Sister Xiaoxin, class is about to start. I won't walk you to the classroom—"
She waved at the two of them and quickly vanished into the crowd.
Li Mu Yang watched her retreating back with a face full of amusement and said to Cui Xiaoxin, "Don't mind her. She's always been so hotheaded—"
"It's all right." Cui Xiaoxin smiled. "I understand what she's like."
"Oh my God, did you see that? The goddess is smiling—"
"Could the rumors be true? Is Cui Xiaoxin really dating Li Mu Yang?"
"It's possible. I heard that when the teacher kicked Li Mu Yang out, Cui Xiaoxin even chased after him—"
When Li Mu Yang and Cui Xiaoxin walked side by side into the classroom, they caused an uproar.
Looking at the two of them walking together and chatting happily, everyone was struck dumb with astonishment.
Zhang Chen had been fooling around with a group of friends. When the classroom suddenly fell into an eerie silence, he couldn't help turning around to look.
"Li Mu Yang, you still dared to come back? I thought you were afraid of embarrassing yourself in the Literary Examination and had decided to get lost from school ahead of time. Either way, whether you take the exam or not, the result will be the same."
Li Mu Yang placed his schoolbag and fruit bag on his desk, then walked step by step to Zhang Chen.
"What are you trying to do?" Zhang Chen's eyes filled with fear. Ever since the incident at the lake, he had begun to fear Li Mu Yang's fists.
"Test me." Li Mu Yang spoke each word distinctly.
"What?" Zhang Chen stared at him, utterly bewildered.
"Test me—" Li Mu Yang said. He casually pulled out a textbook and tossed it to Zhang Chen. "Hurry up and test me."
"—"
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