That year, in the apricot blossom rain, I glanced down at the quest panel

On his way home from evening study, Jiang Nian made a special mental note.

October 6, the second day since he and Xu Qianqian had made up.

Xu Qianqian: Did you have to be such a little girl about it?!

High schoolers had a certain beauty: lean figures, hair untouched by perms or dye, brimming with life. Except after evening study, that was. They didn't get out until 9:40.

In Zhen'nan County, even the textile factories wouldn't dare make people work overtime that late.

Some high schoolers had already been battered to pieces by their hellish schedules. They dragged themselves around all day, lifeless, with greasy, acne-covered faces and oily hair.

Only a select few looked bright and fresh. Most were high-achieving day students with rich families, or boarding students who were also rich-ah, for fuck's sake.

Rich people really didn't have to worry much. They could just have fun while their scores climbed.

Xu Qianqian had good skin because she genuinely went to bed early. Old Xu wasn't necessarily home every day; he randomly spawned at either the hospital or the house. She had long since gotten used to it.

She ate at school anyway. During holidays, she played it by ear.

It wasn't that Old Xu didn't care. He just seemed to use work to drown his sorrows. Besides, with no woman in the house, it was quiet and empty, so he didn't bother cooking.

And with the Jiang Family couple next door helping out, he didn't need to worry too much.

The two walked home beneath the dim yellow streetlights, one on each side.

Jiang Nian yawned. "I'm insanely sleepy today."

"When aren't you sleepy?" Xu Qianqian pursed her lips, then couldn't help putting on a stern little face to warn him. "You just moved up a class. You still need to work harder. There's another exam at the end of the month."

"I'd forgotten until you mentioned it. That's a thing?" Jiang Nian laughed.

Looking at Xu Qianqian beneath the orange streetlight, a whole head shorter than him, he entertained a slightly wicked thought. At her height, she could kick the covers around all night and still never let a draft in, right?

"Hmph! I'm done caring!" Xu Qianqian gritted her teeth, turned, and walked off.

"Hey, why get worked up after just a couple of words? What are you, the queen of impatience?" Jiang Nian chased after her, continuing the conversation. "Actually, there's a math problem I wanted to ask you about."

October 7, 6:30 a.m. No rain.

He still wanted to ask for the day off.

I already went to school yesterday. Why do I have to go again today?

He'd heard there was a god-tier student in his class whose grades rivaled Xu Qianqian's. He went to bed at 10:20 every night, got up at 5:30, and put in an extra hour of studying before heading out.

Every single day, without fail, for two months straight. While Jiang Nian slept, that guy worked hard. By the time Jiang Nian started working hard, that guy had already ascended to godhood.

Brushing his teeth, Jiang Nian addressed the mirror with a deadly serious expression.

"I can't keep sinking into depravity! Youth is for striving, not wasting! Tired? Who isn't tired? As long as studying doesn't kill you, study yourself to death!"

"Nian, stop sleeping. Get up. Class is about to start." Li Hua nudged Jiang Nian, who was slumped over his desk.

Jiang Nian sat up like a zombie, his eyes seemingly glued shut. He hung his head and spent a good while recovering in his seat before asking a classic question.

"What period is it?"

"Third. You slept so hard through the first two English periods that it was scary. I honestly thought you might die next to me."

Jiang Nian was stunned. Two whole periods had passed in a haze.

"Why didn't Qianbao call me out?"

"Who knows? Qianbao glanced at you and carried on teaching." Li Hua looked rueful. "Maybe she figured you'd just do math even if you woke up, so she might as well leave you asleep."

What kind of wronged-victim logic was that?

That explained it. Qianbao couldn't stand seeing me better myself.

After they chatted quietly for a while, Li Hua's expression grew strange.

"So you're saying you've spent entire nights anxious about studying, poured tons of energy into it, and already developed moderate agitation and severe bipolar disorder?"

"Yes."

"Then how late did you stay up doing homework after you got home last night?"

Jiang Nian struggled to keep a straight face. "Ten."

Li Hua froze for two seconds, then opened with a Great Imprisoning Desolation Finger.

"We got out at 9:40. So you little punk didn't spend a single second on it!"

During math class, Jiang Nian, refreshed by two periods of English, paid close attention. Senior year was exhausting. It was perfectly normal to allocate his energy sensibly.

Ding! The system panel popped up.

Don't mess with me! I'm in class!

With no other choice, Jiang Nian glanced at the virtual system quest panel.

[At thirty-eight, your workouts at the gym have begun to pay off. You have lost three kilograms. Keep a positive mindset. Rewarding yourself appropriately is also an important part of turning your life around.

Quest: Indulge in spending (limited to your remaining system-awarded funds). Reward: Triple reimbursement.]

After reading it, Jiang Nian casually closed it.

You're blocking my fucking math problem.

He looked up. Huh???? Wait!! Where were we? I'd been following along so eagerly just now, interacting with the math teacher all the time. How-

Math, that year, in the apricot blossom rain, I only glanced at a quest panel. How could you change on me?!!

So unfamiliar. So cold.

You bastard!

He glanced at his deskmate, Li Hua. His scratch paper was completely blank. Ah, shit. I wish I'd gone blind a second ago. Is this what a fucking science-track ace looks like?

He marked the previous problem, planning to ask Li Hua after class.

He didn't dare ask the math teacher. That foul middle-aged man would just give him a look and demand to know what the hell he'd been doing in class. Not listening during the lesson, then coming to ask afterward, was he?

Then he'd explain the problem while cursing away, leaving Jiang Nian feeling about as miserable as Ma Su after losing Jieting.

For zoning out in class, the fault lies with Nian.

By comparison, Li Hua offered much better value. This unassuming guy with decent emotional intelligence was dependable after all. With him around, steady improvement in math wasn't a dream. At the very least, Jiang Nian could climb a small step.

The moment class ended, Li Hua took off.

Jiang Nian reacted fast and grabbed him. "I've got a problem to ask you about. Don't go."

"This afternoon! It's urgent!"

"Bladder about to burst? It's fine. I'll bring the trash can over in a minute." Jiang Nian was tireless in his pursuit of knowledge. "Worst case, I'll duo-queue the bathroom with you afterward. Deal?"

"No, dude, it's PE!" Li Hua was practically ready to fly away. He struggled free. "I'm not talking anymore! All the basketball courts are going to be taken!"

At the door, Ma Guojun shouted.

"Li Hua, hurry up! What are you doing, camping in there?"

"Coming!"

Watching the two leave, Jiang Nian looked thoughtful.

Thump, thump, thump!!! After free activity began in PE class.

With a smooth early crossover, Jiang Nian blew straight past Li Hua and banked the ball into the hoop with a bang. Then he returned to stand in front of Li Hua and demanded loudly.

"Enjoying PE, huh, baby?

Answer me!"

Li Hua looked ready to cry. "Bro, I'm just a goblin. Go target someone else. Stop breaking my ankles!"

"Tell me how to solve the third sub-question from class, and I'll go straight back to the classroom," Jiang Nian said. "Otherwise, I guarantee I'll keep playing until school's out."

"Fine, fine. I give up." Li Hua left the basketball court, picked up a white stone nearby, and found a patch of concrete where he wrote out the problem.

Five minutes later, understanding dawned on Jiang Nian.

"Ohhh, got it. Go play ball."

To read the latest chapters of this book, visit .

Li Hua asked curiously, "You're really going upstairs to do homework? Come play with us."

"Nah. There's a girl upstairs." Jiang Nian waved and took his leave.

(End of chapter)