Test Me!

Fish play in the water, colorful birds chirp softly. Morning dew drips, flowers bloom.

Li Mu Yang woke up very early today, getting out of bed while it was still dim in the early morning, yet he still felt full of energy. This was a world of difference from before, when he would be dragged out of bed by his sister after the sun was high in the sky, rushing to school with his head groggy, stuffing a steamed bun into his schoolbag without even having breakfast.

After a final physical check-up, the doctor removed the bandages from his head.

Li Mu Yang ran a hand through his hair, which was as messy as a bird's nest, and looked at the doctor who was carefully examining the wound on his head. "Mr. Zhuge, is my injury okay now?"

"It's fine." Doctor Zhuge shook his head. "It has been fine for a while."

"Thank you for your hard work these past few days, Mr. Zhuge." Li Mu Yang said with gratitude. Although treating illnesses cost money, Doctor Zhuge had taken exceptionally good care of him. Li Mu Yang was a very kind person, and also someone who lacked affection; even a small gesture from others could move him deeply.

"It was no trouble." Doctor Zhuge reached out and parted Li Mu Yang's hair, asking, "I remember there was a cut on your head, wasn't there?"

"There should have been." Li Mu Yang nodded. He had been hit by a fruit tray and had bled quite a bit from his head.

"Where is the cut?" Doctor Zhuge asked.

"What?"

"The cut is gone." Doctor Zhuge said with a grave expression.

"Mr. Zhuge, isn't the cut being gone proof of good recovery?" Li Mu Yang swallowed several times, forcing down his inner dissatisfaction. What kind of doctor was this? How could he curse his patient to not recover? The cut was gone because he was better, of course. Could it have run away?

"Recovery is one thing. Your head injury wasn't serious to begin with, it was just that Miss Cui asked me to check it repeatedly, which is why it took so much time—but the wound shouldn't have disappeared completely, there should at least be a scar." Doctor Zhuge said, full of confusion. "Now there isn't even a trace of a scar, I've even forgotten where the injury was—this recovery speed is truly astonishing."

"So that's how it is." Li Mu Yang grinned and said, "Perhaps it's because I have a good constitution, and also because you used good medicine on me, Mr. Zhuge, so I recovered faster."

Doctor Zhuge could only accept this explanation and said, "You can get out of bed and walk today. Don't overexert yourself in the short term."

Li Mu Yang knew that Cui Xiaoxin had paid for his medical expenses out of gratitude for saving her life, and he wouldn't be petty about it. He said, "Okay, thank you then, Mr. Zhuge."

Doctor Zhuge waved his hand and said, "Let's not meet again. Seeing a doctor is never a good thing."

After Doctor Zhuge left, Li Mu Yang took a shower and changed into clean clothes that had been prepared for him.

His right hand was still wrapped in bandages. The doctor had said that it was severely injured, a penetrating wound, and couldn't be removed yet, but the dressing needed to be changed every seven days.

Looking at himself in the bronze mirror, Li Mu Yang felt a little unfamiliar.

His former self was as dark as charcoal, like a piece of pure obsidian.

The current Li Mu Yang felt that he had become fairer, no, more sallow. A deep bronze color, as if he had been baked under the sun.

His skin was still as good as ever, like metal shimmering under sunlight.

He was very satisfied with this change, even thinking that he would do a medicinal gauze mask every night from now on—perhaps over time, all the melanin in his body would be absorbed.

He looked at his arm again. Apart from the slight change in skin tone, there was no other abnormality.

But how had he achieved those extraordinary things?

Whether it was punching Zhang Chen away or punching away the black-clad assassin, such strength was something he hadn't possessed before.

And those bizarre thoughts, those intermittent, vague pieces of information that felt like they were from centuries ago, and the problem-solving methods that had amazed Cui Xiaoxin, where did they all come from?

Li Mu Yang could stake his reputation and dignity on it, he had never learned the things he now knew.

"Could it be that I am the dragon-slaying youth chosen by the goddess of destiny?"

Thinking of this possibility, Li Mu Yang felt a little excited.

As soon as the hour of the Chen (7-9 AM) arrived, Cui Xiaoxin and Li Sinian came to Li Mu Yang's room together.

Li Mu Yang looked at the two of them walking in hand-in-hand and asked curiously, "How did you two end up together?"

"We made plans last night." Li Sinian gave him a look of disdain, as if he were an idiot. "We agreed to accompany you to school together today."

Li Mu Yang gave a wry smile and said, "I was just asking out of curiosity, do you need to be so smug? I'm all ready, are we going straight to school?"

"Of course." Li Sinian nodded. "The written exam is coming up soon, you can't skip class anymore. What if fate is blind and you happen to guess all the questions correctly? Think about it, even lightning can strike you, so it's not entirely impossible—"

Cui Xiaoxin looked at Li Sinian with a strange expression, seeming to want to say something but stopping herself.

Li Sinian thought Cui Xiaoxin was scolding her for discouraging her brother, so she shook her hand and said, "Sister Xiaoxin, don't worry, I'm used to talking to my brother like this—his ability to withstand criticism is super strong. Do you want to give it a try?"

Seeing that Cui Xiaoxin was unwilling to try, Li Sinian beckoned to Li Mu Yang. "Let's go, to school."

Then, she proudly took Cui Xiaoxin's hand and walked out.

Li Mu Yang had no choice but to pick up his schoolbag and a few fruits himself and follow behind them.

"Hey, I'm still a patient, okay? My head is injured, and one hand is bandaged. Can't you help me with some of this burden?" 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, so of course I have to help you with your burden—I'll eat a banana."

Cui Xiaoxin took an apple from the fruit bag, showed it to Li Mu Yang, and said, "I'm helping too."

Li Mu Yang's home was not far from Fuxing Middle School, and the three of them soon arrived, chatting and laughing.

It was currently the time when students were entering the school. Li Mu Yang, accompanied by the two stunning beauties Li Sinian and Cui Xiaoxin, attracted considerable attention in the crowd. After all, the three of them were all prominent figures on campus, and their appearances were so different that it was impossible not to draw a crowd.

"Oh my god, isn't that guy Black Charcoal from our school? Who are the two women next to him?"

"Ah, my goddess—how is Cui Xiaoxin with that good-for-nothing?"

"Li Sinian isn't dating anyone, is she? My heart is broken—"

The students pointed and whispered at Li Mu Yang, Li Sinian, and Cui Xiaoxin. Cui Xiaoxin's and Li Sinian's admirers were heartbroken.

"Are you stupid?" a smart person interjected. "Li Sinian is Li Mu Yang's sister, his biological sister. How could they possibly be dating?"

"Ah? It's great that Li Sinian isn't that scoundrel's girlfriend—"

"Of course not. Li Mu Yang's only girlfriend is Cui Xiaoxin— Li Sinian herself said so. I heard they've been spending a lot of time together lately. I'm only telling you this, so don't tell anyone else—"

"—"

Li Sinian glanced at the surging crowd, suddenly feeling a bit guilty. She said, "Brother, Sister Xiaoxin, it's almost time for class. I won't walk you to the classroom—"

She waved goodbye to them and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Li Mu Yang watched her retreating figure with a smile, then said to Cui Xiaoxin, "Don't mind her. She's just always had a fiery temper—"

"It's fine," Cui Xiaoxin replied with a smile. "I understand her personality."

"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 Li Mu Yang was kicked out by the teacher, Cui Xiaoxin chased after him—"

When Li Mu Yang and Cui Xiaoxin walked into the classroom side-by-side, it caused a stir.

Seeing the two of them walking together, chatting and laughing, everyone felt stunned.

Zhang Chen was fooling around with a group of friends. The classroom suddenly fell eerily silent, and he couldn't help but turn his head to look.

"Li Mu Yang, you still dare to come back? I thought you were so embarrassed by the written test that you'd just get yourself kicked out of school early. You'll get the same result whether you take the exam or not."

Li Mu Yang placed his schoolbag and fruit bag on his desk, then walked step by step towards Zhang Chen.

"What do you want?" Zhang Chen's eyes were filled with fear. Ever since the incident at the lake, he had been afraid of Li Mu Yang's fists.

"Test me," Li Mu Yang said, enunciating each word.

"What?" Zhang Chen looked at him, completely bewildered.

"Test me—" Li Mu Yang said. He casually pulled a textbook and tossed it to Zhang Chen. "Hurry up and test me."

"—"