It Was Just a Mistake Any Young Person Would Make

Regarding the things that happened in the past, Zhao Cheng only wants to say that he made a mistake that every young person makes.

He will not deny this, but he will not let it weigh on his heart either.

As for Chen Shan, he is only relatively prominent in Zhao Cheng's class. It is not that this person is particularly capable, but compared to his peers, Chen Shan has a decent family background and knows how to play the social game, giving him a bit of a "big brother" vibe within a small clique in the class.

But that is all!

In the eyes of his classmates at this age, he might seem impressive, but in reality, he is nothing special.

And as for pretty girls, naturally, there are few who do not like them.

Of course, Chen Shan is quite smart; he did not do anything stupid like exposing himself, but instead chipped away at building favor, managing to get relatively close to Wu Yiran.

And Wu Yiran, like many pretty girls, enjoys the feeling of being pursued, so she has not confirmed a relationship with anyone, maintaining a distance that is neither too close nor too far.

If someone develops an illusion and feels the timing is right, then naturally, it is another "nice guy" card added to the collection.

This behavior cannot be called evil; it is merely a case of each getting what they need.

Because Zhao Cheng has experienced high school once before, he can see this clearly from the perspective of someone with greater life experience.

When he was a teenager in his previous life, he was no different from this life; he was foolish and unable to see clearly, which led him to accidentally fall into this "game."

Having a second chance, he naturally will not repeat the same mistakes and waste his time and energy.

At sixteen or seventeen, one is in the prime of life. To not strive to improve oneself at this time, but instead engage in things that waste time and energy with no benefit, is simply a waste of life.

People who are "older" speak with more conviction.

The likes of Chen Shan and Wu Yiran are merely passersby to him. Even if the Panel did not appear, Zhao Cheng is confident that he could forge ahead on his own without taking these things to heart.

As for now, Zhao Cheng is naturally even more confident.

Confidence is something that grows with the improvement of one's abilities, and the appearance of the Panel, in Zhao Cheng's view, is the improvement of his own abilities.

The only question now is how to utilize this ability.

Although even without Source Point, the basic functions of the Panel—which can display one's own status and quantify progress—are already very powerful.

But clearly, this ability is just an accessory; the Simulation and the Shop are the true essence of the Panel.

"Then when do you plan to start grinding?!"

Zhao Cheng responded casually, changing the subject.

"This is a serious question?!"

Zhou Yu said solemnly.

"Of course, next time for sure..."

"Wait! Old Zhao, look, a great beauty!!"

Halfway through his sentence, Zhou Yu's tone suddenly changed.

The reason Zhao Cheng knows Zhou Yu's mind is unfocused is not because his observation is particularly detailed, but because when chatting with people, Zhou Yu is always listening to all directions and watching everything, observing where the beauties are.

It would be strange if such a person could keep his mind settled.

However, Zhao Cheng also knows that in the entire school, there are only two and a half people who can be called great beauties by Zhou Yu.

Do not look at Zhou Yu's young age; his eye for beauty was cultivated early on. Any trace of makeup or plastic surgery can be spotted at a glance; he is an expert.

This kind of discernment is undoubtedly a talent. If applied to swordsmanship, he could easily perceive an opponent's sword path, and coupled with his innate divine strength, it would be a case of 1+1 being greater than two. Unfortunately, he used it in the wrong place.

Among these two and a half great beauties, one is naturally the senior student Zhou Yu cannot stop thinking about.

But presumably, at this hour, the probability of her appearing at school is low.

As for the other, Zhao Cheng followed Zhou Yu's gaze, and the result was exactly as Zhao Cheng had expected.

The girl looks to be only fifteen or sixteen years old. Her ink-black hair is cut at the waist, with a luster flowing over it. Her face and figure are flawless. Although she is wearing a school uniform, it does not look old or ugly; rather, it is extremely well-fitted, as if she had walked out of a painting. It perfectly demonstrates that good-looking people look good in anything.

Her features are also exquisite, seemingly containing spiritual brilliance, with a feeling like that of cloud-covered mountains. At a glance, one can feel a "wisdom light" that ordinary people do not possess. This wisdom light, while as gentle as moonlight, does not appear effeminate, but carries a hint of sharpness.

Once this temperament is revealed, things like facial features and figure become secondary.

It is not that there are no pretty girls in Qingyuan, but compared to the girl before him, they are in a completely different dimension.

This is not a gap in looks, but a vast difference in spirit and temperament.

The difference is roughly that between a common stone and fine jade. Even if the stone is shaped exactly like the jade, one can see the difference at a glance.

According to Zhou Yu's own words, Wu Yiran, the prettiest girl in the class, can only be considered a "small beauty" by his standards. She is born pretty, but her spirit and temperament are too poor, possessing lethality only for a specific demographic.

A true great beauty has a dazzling spirit and temperament that makes people feel inferior at a glance, possessing a beauty that transcends age and gender—what is known as being universally appealing to men, women, young, and old.

Even a child of a few years old would shout upon seeing her, "This big sister is so beautiful."

A celestial being incarnate; it is nothing less than that.

And in fact, it is indeed so. Not only the boys, but many girls also cast their gazes over.

Who says only boys are fond of beauty? If girls are not fond of beauty, it is simply because it is not beautiful enough!

Even Zhao Cheng, having lived two lives, with experience far exceeding his peers, and having practiced Qi cultivation for half a year, still feels she is very beautiful.

Of course, the experience of two lives, plus half a year of Qi cultivation, still has its effects; he did not end up like some people, who have already planned out where they would be buried together after death.

After a long while, until the people were long gone, Zhou Yu said heavily, "The senior doesn't seem as fragrant anymore; the junior is actually quite good too."

Zhao Cheng didn't speak. Having been classmates for so many years, he knew this guy was just like that.

Three months ago, before the summer break, Zhou Yu had also encountered Li Qingmeng, and afterward, he had said the exact same thing.

Then, during the summer break, he attended a fan meeting for a senior, and thus successfully "transferred his affections."

Now, estimating that it had been a while since he had seen that senior, Zhao Cheng calculated the time and figured it was about time for another transfer of affections.

As for why Zhou Yu called her a junior, it was because Li Qingmeng was in her first year of high school, one grade below them.

Of course, compared to the two of them, who were mere nobodies, she was a true celebrity. Her popularity wasn't just high within the school; outside, in Xiangnan, and even across the entire Yanhuang Ancient Kingdom, she held a certain level of fame.

It would be one thing if she were just good-looking, but her academic grades were also excellent; she had consistently held the top rank in the grade for years, never wavering.

Beyond that, her swordsmanship was also formidable; it was said that her practice of Quietude was nearing perfection.

Two years ago, she even participated in a program for top students organized by the national television station and led her team to a successful victory.

This was the source of her popularity outside the school.

In short, a life with cheats needs no explanation.

For a time, even Xiangnan was jokingly referred to online as having good feng shui because of Li Qingmeng and Li Huang'er. Because both shared the surname Li, people claimed the Li family was full of talent, noting that even the Supreme Sword Ancestor was surnamed Li.

As for now, outside, the hype surrounding Li Qingmeng had passed, whereas Li Huang'er's popularity remained steady due to her constant acting work.

"Wait, Old Zhao, I remember more than half a year ago, after you blew yourself up, you once said that if a man is going to do something, he should do something big—either don't do it at all, or go for the best. So, this past half-year, you've been working yourself to the bone just to pursue one of the most beautiful girls in the entire school, right!"

Zhou Yu suddenly discovered a blind spot.

"Li Qingmeng is also a member of the Kendo Class."

"As expected of you, you really are a master planner!"

And Zhao Cheng also discovered a blind spot: "Wait, why do you still remember what I said half a year ago?!"

While speaking, Zhao Cheng had already broken free from Zhou Yu's "embrace" and hurriedly stepped away.