Lingzhou City!
Building 3, Happiness Residential Complex!
It was the day after checking the results. Jiang Fan's parents, Jiang Jingguo and Li Guiqin, had specially taken a day off to stay home with their son!
Jiang Fan had scored 300 on his college entrance exam. They were terrified that their son might take it too hard and do something foolish!
To their surprise, however, Jiang Fan had gone for an hour-long run first thing in the morning, then come home to shower and eat, showing no sign of sadness at all!
What was more, over breakfast, he had even told them a joke for the first time ever, although it was not funny in the slightest.
At that moment, what was Jiang Fan rummaging through the cupboards and drawers for?
Li Guiqin quietly asked Jiang Jingguo.
"Honey, what's gotten into our son? He scored 300 on the college entrance exam, yet he's happier than ever. Do you think he's pretending?"
"Ah! When did our son ever smile during his final year of high school? Ever since he checked his score yesterday, he's been smiling every so often, and he even told us a joke," Jiang Jingguo said!
"He probably doesn't want us worrying about him, so he's forcing himself to look happy. Who knows how many tears he's wiped away when he's alone!"
Thinking of how desperately her son had studied all year, only to score 300 on the college entrance exam, Li Guiqin felt it was so unfair to him that she could not stop her tears from flowing!
"Guiqin, what are you doing? If our son sees you, he'll definitely be upset. Since he doesn't want us to be sad, let's go along with him and have a good time!"
After hearing Jiang Jingguo's words, Li Guiqin wiped away her tears.
"Dad! Dad!"
Hearing his son call for him, Jiang Jingguo hurriedly answered!
"Coming!"
Then he gave Li Guiqin, who was beside him, another reminder.
"Remember to look happy!"
Li Guiqin nodded, but bitterness welled up in her heart.
Jiang Jingguo came out of the bedroom and into the living room, where he found Jiang Fan waiting for him with the video game controllers from his childhood.
"Dad, let's play a couple of rounds!"
Jiang Jingguo froze for a moment, then laughed.
"Are you trying to get revenge for when you were little?"
"Hehe..." Jiang Fan chuckled.
Jiang Jingguo took a controller and sat down on a cushion!
They were playing the classic fighting game The King of Fighters. Working the controller with somewhat rusty hands, Jiang Jingguo thought back to Jiang Fan's eighth birthday.
He had spent half a month's wages buying this console for his son!
It had kept Jiang Fan excited for months. Back then, whenever he got off work, his son would pester him to play a few rounds!
Since Jiang Fan had been smart from childhood and always ranked first in the entire school, Jiang Jingguo had not restricted his gaming!
He was also very disciplined. After playing for an hour, he would stop and go read of his own accord!
That had made Jiang Jingguo immensely proud!
"Dad, you picked your signature fighter, Yagami, again!"
"Scared, are you? Haha..."
Jiang Jingguo laughed smugly. When Jiang Fan was little, he had almost never beaten him whenever he used Yagami!
"Then I'll use my signature fighter, Gato," Jiang Fan said!
They selected their characters and clicked to enter the game!
A fighting arena appeared on the television. Jiang Jingguo's Yagami had red hair covering one eye and looked incredibly dashing!
Jiang Fan's character, Dao Ya, wore loose clothes that offered glimpses of his firm muscles. Had he appeared in real life, he would definitely have attracted plenty of girls!
The fight began!
Controlling Yagami, Jiang Jingguo immediately attacked Dao Ya with Shadow Dance: Dream Bullet, but Dao Ya jumped straight out of the way!
"Oh, not bad, kid! You actually dodged it!"
"Hehe... get a taste of my Succession Severing Kick!"
Jiang Fan made Dao Ya jump right up beside Yagami.
"108 Shiki: Yami Barai!" Jiang Jingguo refused to be outdone.
"Unruly Kick!"
"100 Shiki: Oniyaki!"
"Command move, Wild Dance... special move, Wind Fang..." Jiang Fan shouted!
"212 Shiki: Kototsuki In... 127 Shiki: Aoi Hana..." Jiang Jingguo shouted as well!
Their voices echoed throughout the living room. Watching father and son so absorbed in their game, Li Guiqin could not help smiling happily!
It was as though time had suddenly returned to Jiang Fan's childhood!
"Forbidden 1211 Shiki: Ya Otome... cry, scream, then die!"
Seeing that Jiang Fan had only a sliver of health left, Jiang Jingguo immediately unleashed his ultimate move!
But Jiang Fan retreated several times in succession, dodging it outright, then rolled along the ground and came right up in front of him before saying with a grin!
"Leader super special move, Heavenly Dragon Fierce Fang!"
"KO!"
Jiang Jingguo's Yagami collapsed straight to the ground. Unwilling to accept it, he said!
"I was going easy on you! Who knew you'd play for real, brat? Again."
"Dad, your skills have gone downhill!" Jiang Fan said with a chuckle!
"Cut the chatter. Pick your character!"
Jiang Jingguo smacked Jiang Fan on the back of the head as he spoke!
"Bring it on, but let's agree first-no playing dirty!" Jiang Fan said.
"Is your old man that kind of person?"
"Then why did you touch my hand when I used my ultimate just now?"
"That was an accident!"
"I think you did it on purpose!"
They traded barbs back and forth, while Li Guiqin watched from the side, utterly delighted!
Their home had never been so lively. Just as the family was enjoying this warm, harmonious moment, a knock suddenly came at the door!
"Mom, someone's knocking!" Jiang Fan reminded her!
"All right, you two keep playing. I'll get it!"
With that, Li Guiqin stood up, went to the door, and opened it. She was immediately startled-it was actually that pretty girl from last time!
"Hello, Auntie!"
"Oh! Ruoxi, you're here. Come in!"
Li Guiqin greeted her warmly.
Chu Ruoxi paused, not expecting Auntie to have such a good memory. She had only visited once a month ago, yet Auntie still remembered her name!
Chu Ruoxi followed Li Guiqin into the living room, and the sight before him left him somewhat dumbfounded.
This was completely different from what she had imagined on her way over. She had come mainly to comfort Jiang Fan today, and before coming, she had even searched online for advice on how to comfort a student who had scored only 300 on the college entrance exam.
She had found several very inspiring passages and memorized them outright, believing they would surely help Jiang Fan!
Yet now, she saw Jiang Fan and his dad enthusiastically playing a video game together, without the slightest trace of sadness!
What was going on?
Had Jiang Fan already gone mad?
Or had she misread Jiang Fan's score?
She looked at Li Guiqin in confusion.
"A-Auntie, is Jiang Fan all right?" Chu Ruoxi asked in bewilderment!
"He's fine! He's really good now, even better than his dad!" Li Guiqin replied.
Chu Ruoxi looked utterly speechless. She had clearly been asking about Jiang Fan's college entrance exam, yet Li Guiqin was talking about his gaming skills!
As the two letters "KO" appeared on the television once again.
Jiang Jingguo was so annoyed that he threw the controller straight onto the floor.
"I'm done! I keep losing!"
"All right, Xiao Fan, stop playing. Look who's here!"
Only then did Jiang Fan notice Chu Ruoxi!
At that moment, Chu Ruoxi wore a white dress that reached her knees, with two fair, slender, jade-like legs beneath it!
He stared, somewhat dazed. Although he had shared a desk with Chu Ruoxi for over ten days before, he had never looked at her closely!
Clear, bright eyes, curved willow-leaf brows, a faint rosy blush showing through her fair, flawless face, and delicate lips as luscious and vivid as rose petals!