Campus and Home

After Evening Self-Study ended, Xue Yuantong deliberately left the classroom alone and deliberately walked slowly until Jiang Ning caught up from behind.

Jiang Ning pushed his Mountain Bike while Xue Yuantong trailed two steps behind him. Once there were fewer people around, Xue Yuantong spoke. "Not bad, Jiang Ning. You surprised me a little."

"What do you mean?" Jiang Ning asked.

"You're really good at fighting." Xue Yuantong said. She had often been bullied because she was short.

But she had never dared fight back and could only bottle it up inside. Just like today, when Song Sheng knocked over her desk—if not for Jiang Ning, it definitely would have been left unresolved.

She also had another question in her heart. She felt Jiang Ning was neither a person brimming with justice nor someone who liked showing off, so why had he stepped forward tonight? Could it have been because of me?

Xue Yuantong was suspicious. Could Jiang Ning have ulterior motives toward me, wanting to use this to earn my gratitude?

The more Xue Yuantong thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Her gaze became awkward. She was still just a child!

"Good at fighting? It's not worth mentioning." Jiang Ning looked calm. "Compared to using violence, I prefer convincing people with virtue."

Seeing Jiang Ning's unruffled demeanor, Xue Yuantong became puzzled again. She realized she could not see through him at all and had no idea what kind of person he was.

"Get on." Jiang Ning mounted the bike, one toe touching the ground.

"Mm." Xue Yuantong deftly sat sideways.

The following days of military training were much more peaceful. Perhaps what had happened that night had been too shocking; Grade One, Class Eight did not stir up any more trouble. Though minor conflicts arose in private, no one dared settle them openly.

Instructor Li was as strict as ever. Under the intense training, the students constantly cursed under their breath, but gradually adapted.

Whenever they rested, the freshmen gathered in groups of three or five to chat—about their plans for the three years of high school, which universities they wanted to attend, games they liked, anything under the sun.

Those who liked gaming and going online, those with high entrance exam scores, and those who had attended the same middle school formed one little circle after another.

Though high school students had not yet matured, they had already picked up some of the adult rules for dealing with people.

Some classmates also tried to pull Jiang Ning into their circles. Jiang Ning would agree with a cheerful smile, and when others came to recruit him, he agreed just the same. The students soon understood that Jiang Ning had connections with every circle, yet did not wholly belong to any of them.

This behavior made some students slightly uncomfortable. But because of Jiang Ning's performance that night, no one foolish enough to cause trouble came looking for him.

On the surface, everyone remained polite to one another. After all, they had witnessed Jiang Ning's sense of justice and saw that he was someone they could get along with.

Of course, romance was an indispensable part of high school youth. When the boys gathered together, they naturally talked about the girls in their class.

Bai Yuxia was unanimously recognized as the best girl in the class, with Shen Qing'e close behind. Chen Siyu's status as one of the Twins was discovered, giving plenty of boys something to talk about.

Taking advantage of military training, some boys began making their moves. Jiang Ning alone saw someone offer Bai Yuxia water during training, only for Bai Yuxia to decline politely and coolly.

Those with lower standards set their sights on girls of relatively ordinary appearance. Some even found hope of getting into a relationship after just a few days.

As for the boys who pursued the pretty girls, most received the nice-guy card and did not even get their QQ added.

Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.

On the morning of September 9, the military training performance was held.

The Vice Principal announced the top three classes: "Class One, Class Three, and Class Eleven."

The students of Class Eight beat their chests in dismay, their regret beyond measure. They had worked especially hard during military training, yet they had still failed to make the cut.

The top three classes had worked even harder than they had, especially Class Eleven. Not only did they train during the day, but while the other classes attended Evening Self-Study at night, they went to the School Field to keep practicing. There was simply no comparison.

As for Class One and Class Three, they had always been classes for top students. Their overall quality was a notch above that of ordinary classes, and since they worked just as hard, there was nothing strange about their high rankings.

After the military training performance ended on the morning of the ninth, school let out that afternoon. Tomorrow was Teacher's Day, and they had three and a half days off.

Aunt called and asked whether Jiang Ning would come over for dinner that evening.

Jiang Ning declined on the grounds that military training had exhausted him. He had something more important to do tonight.

On the way home after school, the sun was blazing. Jiang Ning rode quickly, while Xue Yuantong gripped the hem of his shirt tightly, afraid of falling off.

Though Xue Yuantong had hugged Jiang Ning around the waist when they had sped along last time, that had been out of fear. In the face of a life-or-death crisis, of course she had not thought about such details.

Now that it was daytime, she would be embarrassed to do that again. Wouldn't it make her seem timid?

How ridiculous. Was Xue Yuantong that kind of person? Still, the closer she leaned, the more she could feel a coolness.

Xue Yuantong, Xue Yuantong, you must be hallucinating! she warned herself.

"Jiang Ning, have you gotten taller?" Xue Yuantong was observant. She vaguely felt that Jiang Ning's body had grown much more slender. Though he was still lean, he carried an indescribable aura.

"Probably. I've been eating better lately." Given Jiang Ning's control over his body, he knew that in just ten days, he had grown from 1.65 meters to 1.70 meters, reaching the middle range among his classmates.

Every day, he drank three cartons of Pure Milk and ate five eggs. At noon, he ate at the cafeteria, spending over twenty yuan per meal, and he constantly bought fruit as well. Most of the money he had on him was nearly gone.

His nutrition was barely keeping up. The Body Tempering Lightning Skill stimulated his muscles and bones while also absorbing spiritual energy. With all these factors combined, and at an age when he was still growing, five centimeters in ten days was nothing much.

In his previous life, he had seen a classmate shoot up seven or eight centimeters in just over twenty days during Winter Vacation around the Lunar New Year. Human potential was simply immense.

"Can eating well make you taller?" Xue Yuantong looked longing.

That was her dream. She had been 1.5 meters tall in her first year of middle school, yet three years later, she was still 1.5 meters tall. It was truly miserable.

"Eating well isn't enough. You also need to exercise more. Things like jumping to touch a high point or playing Basketball can help you grow taller." Jiang Ning said.

Xue Yuantong hated exercising most of all. Upon hearing that, she silently gave up. Fine, short it is. At least I can kick off the blankets whenever I want.

"My mom came back at noon today and cooked at home. She knows you've been taking me home these past few days, so she wants you to come eat at our place." Xue Yuantong said.

Jiang Ning nodded. "Sure."

"Then it's settled. My mom's cooking is really good, hehe."

Jiang Ning rode down from the Dam and saw Aunt Gu standing at the entrance from afar. Aunt Gu was Xue Yuantong's mother. Last time, Jiang Ning had heard the nearby residents say that Xue Yuantong's father had died of illness years ago. Aunt Gu had not remarried and had devoted herself to raising Xue Yuantong.

When Aunt Gu saw Jiang Ning with Xue Yuantong, a gentle smile appeared on her face. She stepped forward and said:

"Jiang Ning, thank you for bringing Tongtong home these past few days."

A few days ago, she had taken Tongtong to school, but Tongtong had confidently said she did not need her. It happened to be the busy farming season, and several mu of peanuts in the village needed harvesting, so she hurried back.