As evening fell, the figures on Youlan First High School's field gradually thinned out.
The campus, noisy all day, returned to peace. The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the rubber track a warm orange-red and stretched the lone boy's shadow long behind him.
"The miscellaneous work for freshman registration is done, and the dormitory has been sorted out too. After class tomorrow, I can go out and see if there are any part-time jobs..."
Meng Yichen walked along the empty track, quietly calculating all the way.
Before he knew it, he had reached a relatively secluded corner at the edge of the field, far from the last few students fooling around beneath the basketball hoops.
The ground here was level and the view open. He would not disturb anyone here, and... it would not be easy for anyone to notice him either.
"Tomorrow's matters can wait until tomorrow. Time to train!"
Meng Yichen's expression instantly brightened. He swiftly took off his brand-new school uniform and folded it meticulously on the grass beside him.
Underneath, he wore a short-sleeved undershirt that had been washed somewhat white, but was equally clean.
His thin shoulders and arms looked especially frail beneath the sunset, as if a gust of wind could knock him down, yet they could not suppress the boy's vibrant smile.
"The Stars Are Calling, thirty-seventh edition!"
He planted his feet, closed his eyes, and focused his mind.
When he opened them again, only concentration remained in those slightly weary eyes. He assumed the most basic opening stance—
The Stars Are Calling, First Form.
Shoulders lowered, elbows dropped, chest tucked, back drawn straight, knees slightly bent, center of gravity sunk.
His movements were so standard they were almost rigid.
For every detail, he did his utmost to imitate the demonstrations of