I Just Made the Same Mistake Every Young Man Makes

When it came to what had happened in the past, Zhao Cheng could only say that he'd made the same mistake every young man made.

He wouldn't deny it, but he wouldn't let it weigh on his mind, either.

As for Chen Shan, he only stood out in Zhao Cheng's class. It wasn't that he was especially impressive; compared with his peers, his family was fairly well-off, and he knew how to have a good time. In one little circle at school, he had a bit of a "big brother" air about him.

But that was all!

In the eyes of classmates their age, he might have seemed incredibly impressive, but in reality, he was nothing special.

And as for pretty girls, naturally, hardly anyone could dislike them.

Of course, Chen Shan was clever enough not to do anything foolish that would blow his cover. Instead, he slowly built up her good opinion of him, and he and Wu Yiran grew fairly close.

Wu Yiran, like many pretty girls, enjoyed being admired, so she never confirmed a relationship with anyone. She kept everyone at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

If someone got the wrong idea and thought the time was right, well, that was just one more guy getting the "nice guy" treatment.

You couldn't exactly call this behavior bad. It was just a matter of each getting what they wanted.

Having been through high school once already, Zhao Cheng could see things more clearly now, with the benefit of greater experience.

When he'd been in his teens in his previous life, he'd been no different from how he was in this one. He'd been too foolish to see what was going on, and had accidentally gotten caught up in the "game."

Now that he'd been given another chance, he naturally wouldn't repeat the same mistake and waste his time and effort.

At sixteen or seventeen, a person was in their prime. Failing to work hard to improve yourself at that age, and instead wasting your time and effort on something utterly pointless, was no different from throwing your life away.

People who were "older" sure knew how to talk tough.

Chen Shan, Wu Yiran, and the like were just passersby to him. Even if the Panel hadn't appeared, Zhao Cheng was confident he could keep striving forward and wouldn't let them get to him.

As for now, he was even more confident.

Confidence grew along with ability. In Zhao Cheng's eyes, the Panel's appearance meant his abilities had improved.

The only question now was how he should make use of them.

Even without Source Points, the Panel's basic function—showing his current condition and quantifying his progress—was impressive enough.

But clearly, that ability was just an extra. Simulation and the Shop were the real essence of the Panel.

"So when are you planning to start grinding?!"

Zhao Cheng answered casually, changing the subject.

"Is that a serious question?!"

Zhou Yu said solemnly.

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

"Wait! Lao Zhao, look! There's a gorgeous girl!!"

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

How did Zhao Cheng know Zhou Yu was so easily distracted? It wasn't because he was especially observant. When talking to people, Zhou Yu was always listening in every direction and keeping an eye out for pretty girls.

There was no way someone like that could keep his mind on anything else.

Still, Zhao Cheng knew that, as far as Zhou Yu was concerned, there were only two and a half truly gorgeous girls in the entire school—at least for now.

Zhou Yu might not be old, but he'd developed an eye for beauty early. He could tell at a glance if someone was wearing makeup or had undergone cosmetic work. He was practically an expert.

That kind of eyesight was undoubtedly a talent. If he'd applied it to swordsmanship, he could've easily seen through his opponents' sword techniques. Combined with his natural strength, he would've been more than twice as formidable. What a shame he'd put it to the wrong use.

One of those two and a half beauties was, of course, the older schoolmate Zhou Yu couldn't stop thinking about.

But at this hour, she was unlikely to show up at school.

Zhao Cheng followed Zhou Yu's gaze toward the other one, and the sight was exactly what he'd expected.

The girl looked about fifteen or sixteen. Her ink-black hair fell to her waist, gleaming as the light played across it. Her face and figure were flawless. Though she wore a school uniform, it didn't make her look old-fashioned or awkward. It fit her perfectly, as if she'd stepped out of a painting. She was living proof that beautiful people looked good in anything.

Her features were exquisite, and there seemed to be a touch of spiritual brilliance in them, something like Cloud Mountain. At a glance, you could sense the "Wisdom Light" that ordinary people didn't possess. It was as gentle as moonlight, yet not the least bit soft or feminine; there was a sharpness to it.

Once that aura shone through, her face and figure became almost beside the point.

There were pretty girls in Qingyuan, but compared with the one before them, they weren't even in the same dimension.

It wasn't a difference in looks. The gap lay in their spirit and bearing.

The difference was like that between a rough stone and a piece of fine jade. Even if the stone had exactly the same shape as the jade, you could still see the difference at a glance.

As Zhou Yu put it, the prettiest girl in their class, Wu Yiran, was only a cute beauty to him. She was good-looking, but her spirit and bearing were too ordinary. She only had a particular kind of appeal to a particular group of people.

A true great beauty dazzled with her spirit and bearing, making people feel inferior at a glance. She even possessed a beauty that transcended age and gender—the kind that captivated men and women, young and old alike.

Even a little kid would see her and cry, "That big sister is so pretty!"

She was the very image of a celestial immortal descended to earth.

And that was exactly what happened. It wasn't just the boys who looked her way; plenty of girls did, too.

Who said only boys appreciated beautiful women? It wasn't that girls didn't like pretty girls. They just weren't pretty enough yet!

Even Zhao Cheng, with two lifetimes' worth of experience and half a year of cultivating his composure, still couldn't help thinking how beautiful she was.

Of course, all that life experience and half a year of cultivation had helped. He wasn't like some people who were already planning where they'd be buried together after death.

After a long while, when she'd already gone who knew how far, Zhou Yu finally said gravely, "The older schoolmate doesn't seem quite so appealing anymore. A younger schoolmate's pretty great, too."

Zhao Cheng didn't say anything. After all these years as classmates, he knew Zhou Yu was just like that.

Three months earlier, before summer vacation, Zhou Yu had run into Li Qingmeng once and said the exact same thing afterward.

Then, during summer vacation, he'd gone to a fan meet-and-greet for an older schoolmate and successfully "fallen for someone else."

Now, Zhao Cheng reckoned he hadn't seen that older schoolmate in a while. Judging by the timing, he was about due for another change of heart.

As for Zhou Yu calling her a younger schoolmate, Li Qingmeng was in her first year of high school, one grade below them.

Of course, compared with the two of them, who were practically nobodies, she was a genuine celebrity. She was popular not just at school, but outside it, too—in Xiangnan and even throughout the entire Yanhuang Ancient Kingdom.

She was beautiful, and her grades were excellent. She'd held first place in her grade year after year without fail.

On top of that, her swordsmanship was impressive. They said her skill in Quietude was almost perfected.

Two years earlier, she'd even taken part in an academic competition show organized by the national television network, leading her team to victory.

That was where her popularity outside school came from.

In short, her life was like a cheat code. No explanation needed.

For a while, even Xiangnan had been called a land of good feng shui online, all because of Li Qingmeng and Li Huang'er. Since both of them had the surname Li, people joked that the Li family was full of talent, and that even the Supreme Sword Ancestor had been named Li.

These days, Li Qingmeng's popularity had cooled off outside the school, while Li Huang'er remained in the spotlight thanks to her long-running acting career.

"Wait, Lao Zhao. I remember that more than half a year ago, after you blew your cover, you said a man should either go big or go home—if he was going to pursue someone, he should go for the best. So all that hard work you've put in these past six months was to pursue one of the prettiest girls in the entire school, wasn't it?"

Zhou Yu had suddenly spotted the flaw in the story.

"Li Qingmeng is in the Kendo Class, too."

"As expected of you. You really did plan it all out!"

Zhao Cheng spotted a flaw, too. "Wait, why do you still remember what I said six months ago?!"

As he spoke, Zhao Cheng had already slipped out of Zhou Yu's "embrace" and hurried two steps away.