Originally, quite a few people in the class thought Evan Lin would make a fool of himself, but to their surprise, after he came back, he acted like nothing happened. Some just grumbled internally about how thick-skinned he was, while others guessed that since he seemed in a good mood, maybe he had already beaten someone up and vented his anger.
There were all sorts of theories, but when Byron Yang was announcing the scores, Evan happened to be called away, so his individual subject scores weren't posted to the whole class, and hardly any students knew the details.
But then, the physics, biology, and chemistry teachers—who usually just ignored Evan—each came in before class and, shockingly, all singled him out for praise.
This left the students in Class 12 feeling pretty weird.
How could a 425-point score get you that kind of treatment?
Only the Chinese teacher, during class, didn't so much as glance at Evan.
It wasn't until the last period in the afternoon that Byron Yang finally posted the full class grade sheet on the wall. As soon as it went up, the whole class erupted—everyone stared in shock at the perfect integrated science score and the terrifying 125 in English.
By then, Evan already had his hands in his pockets, walking out of the classroom under the worshipful gazes of everyone around.
Over in the Jinnan Military District, Eldest Brother Su called Evan and told him that First Blade and the others had already set off for Beijing to undergo a new round of higher-level assessments. If they pass, they'll officially join the Tiger Special Forces reserves.
For the Su family, this is a huge deal.
Victor Su had deliberately brought Molly Su to wait at the gate of Capitalview First High School for Evan Lin to come out.
Ever since Evan had extracted the Fire Spirit Physique from her body, Molly Su’s complexion and aura had improved dramatically. Just standing there, silent, she shone so brightly she could rival most celebrities.
"Master Lin!"
Victor Su’s eyes lit up the moment he saw Evan walk out of the school gate, and he strode forward to greet him.
Evan nodded at Victor, then glanced at Molly, sizing her up from head to toe. Seeing her recovery was going well, he looked satisfied.
Molly blushed under Evan’s gaze. Normally she was cold and aloof with everyone, but in front of Evan, she couldn’t help softening.
Victor caught this scene but said nothing, just smiling with quiet satisfaction.
"You’re recovering well. Just rest more, and your body will be healthier than anyone else’s," Evan said, looking at Molly.
In fact, Evan had deliberately left a harmless trace of the Fire Spirit Physique in Molly’s body when he extracted it. Not only would it never hurt her—it would make her constitution even stronger. Even in winter, she could wear less and never catch cold.
“Thank you for caring, Master Lin.” Molly flashed a sweet smile, her eyes full of admiration.
The boys who got knocked over didn’t even have time to curse; one by one, they turned their heads to look, and every single one froze on the spot, dumbstruck.
“Even movie stars aren’t that good-looking! Her skin’s like a freaking peach!” Another guy’s heart was pounding; he was totally smitten.
Just then, Lynn Chen walked out of the school gate with a bright smile. Hearing the boys’ chatter, she instinctively glanced toward the street.
At the very end of the street, right at the corner.
Victor Su stepped ahead around the corner, leaving Evan and Molly side by side, their backs perfectly aligned in the afternoon light.
Just one look was all it took.
Lynn’s heart suddenly sank. Out of nowhere, she felt a wave of frustration; her smile disappeared, leaving her with a mess of emotions.
No matter what, she could always recognize Evan’s back from a single glance.
As for the girl next to him, Lynn couldn’t remember who she was for a moment, but just from her silhouette—pale skin, long legs—Lynn felt a stab of inadequacy.
"Lynn, I’m heading home to review. Still got a few questions I don’t get—ask you tomorrow, okay?"
Eric Yu forced a grin. After taking that kick to the gut from Evan, all he could think about was making it home to the bathroom.
He noticed Lynn didn’t answer and felt a little awkward, so he hurried off to his family’s car.
Lynn stood there for a moment, then tugged her backpack straps and walked toward Lucy Lu’s car parked not far away.
She pulled open the door and climbed into the front passenger seat.
Lucy Lu sat in the driver’s seat, her gaze drifting back from the end of the street. She glanced over at Lynn, concern flickering in her eyes.
"If you’re upset about something, it’s okay to cry. It’s just me here. And if you don’t want to cry in front of your mom, I can step out for a bit and get some air."
Lucy’s voice was soft as she reached over and gently ruffled Lynn’s hair, her face full of complicated emotions.
She’d just witnessed Victor Su and Molly Su going to find Evan Lin. But in Lucy’s eyes, maybe Molly and Evan wouldn’t have much to do with each other in the long run.
Still, that was just a possibility.
After all, Evan Lin had already pulled off way too many things nobody ever saw coming.
"Mom, I’m not gonna cry. Let’s go home—I still have a whole integrated science paper to finish tonight!" Lynn shook her head, determined.
Seeing Lynn like this, Lucy sighed, wondering if she should find time to call Evan out for an honest talk.
Or maybe she should talk to Joy Zheng first?
Lucy kept thinking quietly, her mind drifting. Ever since the beginning, she’d always liked Evan as a kid.
That feeling had never changed—whether Evan was ordinary or extraordinary, she’d always cared about him.
A short distance away, Victor Su finally spoke up, seeing that the crowds had thinned. He turned to Evan, hesitated for a moment, then said, "Master Lin, as far as I know, Ethan Xu has already put your name on Nightstar’s candidate list."