Chapter Fifteen: The Azure Sky

“Who is it?”

As the car left the evaluation center, Zhao Rui asked aloud, facing the gust of hot wind rushing in.

“A cousin. You know how big families are—there’s all kinds of weirdos!”

“Oh? Then I’ve got to hear about it!”

“Not a chance. Just focus on your martial arts training. Once you become a grandmaster, I’ll have your back. Let’s see how arrogant they act then!”

“Haha, I’ve got a Level Six Pact too. We really are two brothers in hardship.”

“Damn it, don’t bring that up. Just get through the college entrance exam quickly; out of sight, out of mind!”

Yang Fan spat in disdain.

Frustration was hard to shake off.

About ten minutes later, the two arrived at a barbecue restaurant. Determined to turn humiliation into appetite, they ordered ten plates of grilled meat without holding back.

Then they devoured it ravenously.

Zhao Rui’s family was modest; usually when eating barbecue out, his family would only order four or five plates of beef and lamb, with the rest being vegetables.

Only because he was with Yang Fan, who didn’t care about money, could they feast so extravagantly.

Having a well-off friend in youth truly allowed one to enjoy a better quality of life in advance.

They ate for over an hour, only stopping when they were completely full.

“Except for women, whatever my brother wants, you can have it!”

As they left the barbecue joint, Yang Fan said, facing the slanting sunlight. The colorful light cast shadows upon him, making him look a bit more impressive.

“Stop pretending. You don’t have that charm! Besides women, I don’t want anything from you!”

Zhao Rui chuckled.

“Damn it, scoundrel! I knew you had your eyes on my sister. Listen, not a chance!”

“Nonsense. Hanhan is my sister too! I’m just joking; don’t talk nonsense about her.”

“Actually, it’s not impossible. With you as a brother-in-law, I could barely accept it.”

Yang Fan raised an eyebrow.

“Get lost!”

Zhao Rui patted Yang Fan on the shoulder, then headed straight to the motorcycle.

“That’s a relief. Others don’t know you, but I do. You’re the quiet type, but you’re quite the lecher!”

“Get lost, asshole!”

The two laughed as they rode off from the barbecue restaurant.

For the next month, Zhao Rui devoted himself fully to preparing for the college entrance exam. Having passed Level Four in martial arts, his specialty courses were almost guaranteed; no need to worry there.

The only concern was his academic subjects.

Zhao Rui was above average academically, but to get into a top university, he still needed to study hard and have a bit of luck.

In his previous life, Zhao Rui had missed out on many things because of playing table tennis, a regret he would carry forever.

Now, given a second chance and living a similar modern urban life, he was determined to seize this rare opportunity and enjoy a different kind of youth.

Youth is fleeting; days of bloom do not last a hundred.

Naturally, he wanted to preserve these moments. In the final month, the school organized a day for graduates to take commemorative photos.

Besides the official group shots, many students brought cameras or used their phones to capture memories with classmates and teachers.

Zhao Rui wasn’t outstanding in class, but not unnoticed either.

Handsome, skilled in martial arts, and one of the few Level Four fighters in the class.

That day, quite a few classmates came over to take individual photos with him and write messages in his yearbook.

Even some boys and girls who usually had little contact with him greeted him warmly.

Who says students are innocent?

They’re not fools!

“Zhao Rui, look, who’s coming?”

As the group took photos around the campus, Yang Fan nudged him, signaling to look ahead.

Zhao Rui looked up and saw a graceful girl walking through a crowd of students. Her flowing clothes and refined aura made her stand out.

Her delicate face was framed by soft eyebrows, her porcelain skin flawless. Every smile carried charm, and her demeanor was elegant and poised.

Compared to the others, she was like a crane among chickens.

“Luo Min!”

Zhao Rui glanced twice but lost interest; she wasn’t his type.

“So beautiful! Too bad she’s a tigress!”

Yang Fan clicked his tongue. Although the girl was pretty, few dared to approach her in class or even the whole school.

No wonder—last year she was already a Level Five martial artist. After a year of advanced training, who knew what level she was now?

Maybe even Level Six!

“Sweetie, Xiaoxue, over here!”

Yang Fan spotted two girls nearby, pouting with jealous and annoyed expressions.

He waved at them to come over.

“What? You’re not looking at the beauty, so why bother with us?”

Xiaoxue snorted coldly.

“You’re the only one in my eyes!”

“Pfft, who cares!”

The two immediately started bickering. Zhao Rui listened amused, then relaxed, lying back on the grass and staring up at the blue sky.

A blade of grass dangling from his mouth, he was at ease.

“Zhao Rui! Luo Min’s here!”

A familiar sweet scent drifted by as Bai Xue Ning sat down beside him.

“No need to guess; of course it’s her.”

“I know!”

“Why don’t you go say hi? Don’t you like her?”

“There are so many who like her; missing one won’t matter.”

“Alright then.”

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Bai Xue Ning’s pretty face.

“Where’s your yearbook? Give it here!”

“Here. Why?”

“Don’t you want me to write something?”

“Sure!”

Zhao Rui replied succinctly, tossing his yearbook casually.

Bai Xue Ning rolled her eyes at his nonchalance, but since he didn’t like Luo Min, she let it slide.

Taking the yearbook, she wrote a short message in elegant handwriting.

She even quickly sketched a simple portrait resembling him about sixty or seventy percent.

“Here!”

After finishing, she handed the yearbook back.

Zhao Rui flipped through it, chuckling at the sketch.

“Not bad!”

Then he lay back down again.

“Too lazy to bother with you!”

Bai Xue Ning glared at him, somewhat annoyed, then got up and left the grass.

Zhao Rui smiled quietly and said nothing more, his gaze blending into the deepening blue sky.

…

Time passed swiftly like a spinning wheel; a month vanished in the blink of an eye.

Like many other senior students, Zhao Rui faced the most crucial moment of his life—the college entrance exam.

Under the scorching summer sun, students arrived at the exam venue, surrounded by their parents.

When the entry time came, they flowed into the school gates like migrating fish.

“Almost there, just these final three days. Keep it up, son!”

Outside the gate, Zhao Jincheng silently prayed for his son.

They had witnessed Zhao Rui’s hard work these past months, feeling both heartache and pride.

They hoped their son would achieve great results.

“The second kid’s still at home. Go back and cook. I’ll wait here.”

Zhao Jincheng calmed his mind and turned to his wife, Xue Wenhui.