Early the next morning,
Qin Siyang leisurely set off for school.
In the past, he was always one of the first to arrive in class. After school, he'd go home, eat dinner, take a bath, and go to bed—no nightlife, just a habit of early to bed and early to rise.
In contrast, Li Jingwen usually arrived just as the bell was about to ring.
But today, when Qin Siyang walked into the classroom, Li Jingwen was already there. The moment she saw him, she looked noticeably flustered—her guilty conscience written all over her face.
Qin Siyang smiled faintly. He knew she was clearly hiding something.
Li Jingwen stood up, as if wanting to ask him something, but hesitated for a moment before sitting back down, unsure how to phrase it.
Qin Siyang walked past her seat casually, maintaining the cold distance he'd kept these past few days—no eye contact, no words exchanged.
Her uncle Kun Chenglong hadn't come home last night, and the family was growing worried.
But thinking that Qin Siyang and Wen Shu were just ordinary students with no real power, they'd convinced themselves that Kun Chenglong must have stayed out to handle some follow-up matters.
Yet today, seeing Qin Siyang safe and sound at school, Li Jingwen realized the truth: her uncle had failed. Or worse—he'd never even gone to kill Qin Siyang and Wen Shu, getting distracted by some other trouble instead.
Looking at Qin Siyang's calm expression, which showed no resentment toward her, Li Jingwen leaned toward the latter idea.
"What an idiot!" she muttered, clenching her fists. "Kun Chenglong always brags about how capable he is, how reliable he is. But he can't even prioritize! Who knows what he's been up to?"
Qin Siyang sat down at his desk and glanced casually at Li Jingwen. Noticing she seemed to be angry, he looked away.
Until he officially revealed his identity as a Sequence Ability user, he wouldn't mention to anyone that he'd met Kun Chenglong.
Let Li Jingwen's family squirm in the dark a little longer.
Right now, they might be annoyed, anxious, desperate for answers.
But when they finally learned the truth, they'd miss these days of mere annoyance and anxiety—days without true fear.
Qin Siyang's lips turned downward. He thought he'd been too lenient with Li Jingwen. She deserved a bit more mental torment.
But right now, his mind was fully occupied with researching what he needed to do before revealing his ability. He couldn't be bothered to waste even a second on Li Jingwen.
During lunch and the afternoon, he continued to help organize books in the library.
Wen Shu was there early as usual, working through difficult problems in her exercise book.
Qin Siyang walked past her with an armful of books. "Move your eyes away from the page a little. Hunching over like that—if you get nearsighted, you won't have the money for glasses."
"Oh, thank you."
Wen Shu lifted her head slightly, putting a healthy distance between her eyes and the book.
In their daily interactions, Wen Shu had always been a gentle, polite classmate—and Qin Siyang could feel her quiet courtesy in every gesture.
He went back to sorting books, and the library fell into peaceful silence.
Watching the two of them, Ms. Zhu smiled like a proud mother.
"It looks like Young Qin is finally listening to reason. What a shame two such good kids aren't together."
Ms. Zhu sat proudly at her desk, sipping hot water, feeling as if she'd accomplished something worth bragging about.
After school, Wen Shu stayed in the library until closing time, just like always. The two of them left together, then parted ways at the same fork in the road.
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
...
...
[Blue Star Calendar, January 20, 2010]
[Gregorian Calendar, Wednesday]
[Lunar Calendar, Year of the Ox, 6th day of the 12th lunar month – Auspicious for gathering with relatives and friends]
"Gathering with relatives and friends?" Qin Siyang shook his head as he got out of bed. "Since when do I have any of those?"
He grabbed his lunchbox and headed out the door.
In the classroom, he planned to do what he usually did—sit and zone out for a while before heading to the library.
But just then, a boy walked up to his desk.
"Are you Qin Siyang?"
Qin Siyang looked up. The boy was refined-looking, neatly dressed—not luxurious, but clearly from a far more privileged background than Qin Siyang.
Yet Qin Siyang had no memory of him.
Even though he didn't recognize the boy, the girls in the class were looking at him with obvious admiration. Even Li Jingwen, who'd been in a bad mood these past few days because of her uncle's disappearance, glanced at him with bright eyes.
No doubt, he was another popular figure at school.
But popular or not, Qin Siyang didn't care.
He hadn't even remembered what Wen Shu— the school's top beauty—looked like before. Why would he bother with some popular guy?
Qin Siyang frowned. "Who are you?"
"I'm Zhao Liwen from Class Two."
"Zhao Liwen?"
Qin Siyang's brow furrowed. The name sounded faintly familiar, but he couldn't recall any details.
"Sorry, I don't think I know you."
Immediately, several girls whispered among themselves.
"He doesn't even know Zhao Liwen—the second-ranked student in the grade? What does Qin Siyang even do all day?"
"Typical. He just zones out in class. Of course he doesn't know the top students."
"Zhao Liwen, don't waste your time with him—he's not right in the head. Do you need something? We can pass it along!"
Qin Siyang glanced at the mocking girls, who were fawning over Zhao Liwen and vying for his attention. He couldn't help but laugh.
He turned to them and said, "I zone out all day, and yet my grades are still better than yours. If I'm not right in the head, what does that make you?"
"Qin Siyang! How dare you speak to us like that!"
"I just like telling the truth."
Ah—so this was Wen Shu's permanent runner-up. That's why the name sounded familiar.
"You need something from me?"
Looking at Zhao Liwen's gentle, scholarly appearance, Qin Siyang thought they were complete opposites. He had no idea how he'd managed to provoke him.
Zhao Liwen spoke seriously. "Qin Siyang, these are crucial times for the college entrance exam. I hope you'll focus on your studies."
Qin Siyang was confused. "Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Exactly what I said. I hope you'll study hard—don't regret it later."
Qin Siyang let out a laugh. "You're hilarious. Whether I study or not is none of your business."
He turned his head away from Zhao Liwen, staring out the window at the starry sky and the distant gods.
Seeing Qin Siyang ignore him, the girls came to Zhao Liwen's defense again.
"Qin Siyang, even if your grades are better than ours, Zhao Liwen is only trying to help you! Why are you being so rude?"
"That's right! You're hopeless! Zhao Liwen, I want to study hard, but no one helps me. Can you study with me?"
"I want to study too!"
Qin Siyang turned back to them. "You're all fawning over him like crazy, but has he even glanced at you since he walked in? Let me save you the trouble—Zhao Liwen doesn't look twice at girls like you."
"You!"
"What did you say?!"
"All of you hoping to latch onto Zhao Liwen and ride his coattails to success after he gets into an academy—give it up. He has standards. He wouldn't waste his time on mediocre girls like you, unlike some guys who'll take anyone."
As he spoke, Qin Siyang shot Li Jingwen a meaningful look.
Li Jingwen knew he was calling Zhou Yang "someone who'll take anyone"—and by extension, insulting her for being beneath him. She gritted her teeth, let out a cold huff, and turned away.
Zhao Liwen looked annoyed by the commotion. Unwilling to stay any longer, he finally got to the point.
"Qin Siyang, if you don't want to study, at least don't distract others who are preparing for the exam. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Ruining it for someone else would make you regret it forever."
Qin Siyang narrowed his eyes. "Zhao Liwen, are you out of your mind?"
"Huh?"
"I sit in this corner every day—sleeping or zoning out in class. Who am I distracting? What, the thought of me doing nothing makes you lose your appetite and unable to focus on your studies?"
"If I really am distracting you, I apologize. But the thing is—I don't even know you!"
Zhao Liwen clenched his teeth. "I'm not talking about me."
"Not you?" Qin Siyang raised an eyebrow. "Then why are you here?"
"I'm here on behalf of Wen Shu. You've been distracting her while she studies in the library lately. I want you to stay away from her."
At the mention of Wen Shu's name, the girls fawning over Zhao Liwen fell silent.
They'd always resented Wen Shu—for being smart, beautiful, and kind. Since she was practically perfect, they had nothing real to criticize her for. So they'd resorted to calling her scheming, claiming her kindness was all an act.
Qin Siyang sized up Zhao Liwen. "So that's why you're not interested in these girls—you like Wen Shu. Good taste!"
He grinned. "So you're her boyfriend! No wonder she never mentioned it. Hey, Brother Zhao, I apologize—I had no idea she was taken. I never meant to hit on her, I swear! Wen Shu and I are just friends—nothing more!"
Zhao Liwen froze. "I'm not her boyfriend, and we're not dating. But after the college entrance exam, we'll be going to the same academy. And then we will be together."
"Huh?" Qin Siyang was also stunned. "Wait—are you a simp too?"
"Why do you say 'too'?"
"Doesn't matter… Going to the same academy as her?" Qin Siyang sneered. "No offense, but you're always tens of points behind Wen Shu in exams. What makes you think you can get into the same academy as her?"
"I know my grades aren't as good as hers, but I'm certain to get into one of the lower-ranked academies. And as it happens, the two academies Wen Shu is interested in—Tiantong Academy and Renxing Academy—are the lowest-ranked of the eight."
Qin Siyang felt a twinge of confusion.
The academies with private dormitories that Wen Shu had mentioned—they weren't the best, but the worst?
What a waste of her talent!
As Wen Shu's only friend at [Ju'an School], Qin Siyang felt a surge of regret for her.
He immediately understood why she'd settled for them: money. Without money, even a top student like her struggled to get by in the safe zone—especially with a blind grandmother to support.
"So I beg you—stop distracting Wen Shu from her studies. Qin Siyang, some things are simply not meant for you. I hope you can accept that reality."
Qin Siyang looked at Zhao Liwen like he was an idiot. "Why don't we go ask Wen Shu later if she wants to be with you after graduation?"
Zhao Liwen hadn't expected him to say that. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Even if she doesn't want to now, I'll win her over eventually. She'll come around."
"Win her over? Make her accept you?" Qin Siyang pointed at Li Jingwen sitting in front of them. "Ask her how well that worked for me. I did everything for her—did I win her over?"
Zhao Liwen didn't turn around. "That was your mistake. I'm confident in myself."
"You're right about one thing."
"What?"
"Some things are simply not meant for you. I hope you can accept that reality."
"You! You're impossible!"
Realizing he couldn't reason with the unruly Qin Siyang, Zhao Liwen stormed out of the classroom in anger.
Qin Siyang glanced dismissively at his retreating back, then turned to stare out the window again, lost in thought.
He didn't know what kind of guy Wen Shu liked, but from their interactions, it was clear she was exceptional—intelligent, kind, and surprisingly calm under pressure. She was equally adept at walking both the path of good and evil, as evidenced by how she'd handled their little "incident" with the bodies.
As for Zhao Liwen—a sheltered rich kid like him didn't stand a chance. He was the kind of simp who wouldn't even get a thank-you for his efforts.
Qin Siyang could already see how this would end: Zhao Liwen would end up just like him with Li Jingwen.
But Wen Shu wasn't as cruel as Li Jingwen. So his fate would be slightly better.
At worst, he'd be a stray dog—not sent to the dog meat shop.
Qin Siyang thought seriously about Zhao Liwen's words. "He's actually right. His constant pestering might really distract Wen Shu from her studies."
"Zhao Liwen is correct—Wen Shu can't afford to be distracted during such a crucial time."
"Besides, I need to prepare for the Sequence Ability assessment after the exam. I should reveal my ability soon. I might as well do her a favor and help her out while I'm at it."
"Once I reveal my ability… I'll finally be free from this miserable, orphaned life!"
Just thinking about the day he announced his awakening made him eager with anticipation.
Time to soar!
"I originally planned to rest during the school week and research Sequence Abilities on the weekend. But forget it—I'll sleep less tonight. After school, I'll go to Wang Defa's internet café and check the forums."
Qin Siyang sighed contentedly. "I'm such a good person."