...
This area is a protected historical and cultural zone. No buildings can be demolished, and constructing high-rises is out of the question... It's somewhat like an urban village, but the environment is a bit better.
Tap. Tap.
...
"Xiaoci, Xiaoci, come back for dinner!" (Xiaoci: a nickname meaning "Little Words"; can be adapted to 'Little Ci' or left as is with note)
Occasionally, residents passed by, glancing curiously at Andrew Han. Their expressions were wary, but when they saw the blue-and-white school uniform under his jacket, they simply smiled and shook their heads.
Just a student.
There's no denying that being a student is quite useful... If it were a strange middle-aged man instead, people would be much more guarded.
"Hmm."
Andrew Han pressed his lips together, quietly watching... Watching the fleeting scenes outside, watching as night fell over Riverdale, he finally felt a sense of reality.
As for those who reach Fifth Rank or higher and get into top-tier universities, martial arts students like that are few and far between.
"Let's try another road."
Andrew Han blinked and continued to wander around as if nothing had happened.
Based on his analysis and conclusions... inconspicuous items like door rings were actually the most likely to contain Graywhite Aura. After all, these things weren't considered valuable, and even if they lasted a hundred years, they wouldn't be seen as precious.
"This way."
Andrew Han stepped into another narrow lane, flanked by houses on both sides.
...
Time flew by in the blink of an eye.
An elderly man walked by with his hands behind his back, a small speaker strapped to his waist.
...
He strolled along leisurely.
It was as if he was savoring the pleasures of life. As he passed by Andrew Han, he glanced at the blue-and-white school uniform and smiled, nodding.
Andrew Han hurriedly smiled back.
......
"Xiaoci, Xiaoci, come back for dinner!"
A middle-aged woman wiped the sweat from her cheek and called out loudly. In the distance, a little boy in colorful clothes hurried home.
"Dinner time!"
"Finally, it's dinner time!"
He shouted happily.
......
Andrew Han watched silently, his resolve growing stronger.
He surveyed his surroundings, moving forward step by step, carefully observing every object that might contain Graywhite Aura.
"Huh?"
"This door ring is actually dark red?"
Catching sight of a closed wooden door, Andrew Han couldn't help but touch it. Instantly, he sensed a trace of Graywhite Aura within the door ring.
Absorb it.
He made up his mind.
That wisp of Graywhite Aura drifted uncertainly, then flowed out from the dark red door ring and merged into Andrew Han's body.
"The first wisp of the day!"
Andrew Han's eyes lit up with joy as he continued searching for more Graywhite Aura.
......
Until dusk fell.
Satisfied, Andrew Han left and boarded the bus home, secretly amused: "Searching for Graywhite Aura feels a bit like a citywide treasure hunt. How interesting..."
"But."
"Finding two wisps of Graywhite Aura today is actually pretty good."
He sat on the bus, looking out the window.
Colorful city lights, streets blooming with flowers, endless streams of vehicles, and pedestrians waiting at traffic lights.
Beep beep.
Occasionally, a car horn sounded.
Andrew Han pressed his lips together, quietly watching... Watching the fleeting scenes outside, watching as night fell over Riverdale, he finally felt a sense of reality.
Since his rebirth, it felt as if he'd been drifting among the clouds—now, at last, he was grounded.
A sense of security, satisfaction, and anticipation enveloped his heart.
"The troubles with my grades have finally disappeared."
Andrew Han looked out the window, vaguely seeing his own reflection. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips: "My Martial Arts Rank is at least Seventh Rank, maybe even Sixth."
So.
Reaching Fifth Rank before the college entrance exam isn't just wishful thinking—it could very well become reality.
......
Time flew by like a white horse galloping past a crack.
Senior year passed with surprising speed. Before anyone realized it, time had slipped away.
The results of the third mock exam were about to be announced next Tuesday, and the atmosphere in Class Seven was tense and anxious.
Third row by the wall.
"Andrew Han."
Gu Yuanliang whispered, "It's over, I'm really done for this time... The questions on this mock exam were so tricky, I couldn't answer a single one."
Andrew Han replied calmly, "Relax."
Gu Yuanliang, slumped over, forced a smile and said, "You're right... It's not like my dad would really beat his own son to death, right?"
Andrew Han glanced at Gu Yuanliang and frowned, "What does your dad expect from you?"
"Sigh."
Gu Yuanliang let out a sigh.
His face was full of despair as he said heavily, "My dad told me two days ago... If I get first place again, he'll break my legs! But it doesn't matter, I'm his own son, I don't believe he'd really do it!"
Andrew Han couldn't help but laugh.
This time, the top spot was definitely Andrew Han's... Gu Yuanliang would have to settle for second.
Creak.
The classroom door opened, and homeroom teacher Li Ming walked in carrying three stacks of test papers.
"Here are your test papers."
Li Ming's voice was a bit low, making every student tremble inside. Facing the imminent test results, everyone felt tense and uneasy.
Even the top student, Zoe Li, glanced at Mr. Li on the podium.
This was the third mock exam—no one could afford to take it lightly... The results would indirectly predict their college entrance exam scores and estimate their chances of getting into university!
Absolutely critical.
Looking around the class, the calmest student was probably Andrew Han.
Although he cared deeply about the college entrance exam, he had already paved another path: taking the exam as a martial arts student!
A moment later.
The test papers for all three subjects were distributed to every student.
"Oh no!"
Gu Yuanliang stared blankly, his face pale as he fixed his gaze on the three papers in front of him, feeling as if his heart had sunk to the bottom of a valley.
Chinese: 68 points.
Math: 31 points.
Comprehensive: 45 points.
"Damn."
Gu Yuanliang sighed unwillingly: "I thought I did really well on the math exam, but out of 150 points, I only got 31... And out of 300 for Comprehensive, just 45."
He shook his head silently.
He figured he'd get a scolding when he got home tonight... Whether his legs would stay intact was anyone's guess.
"Sigh."
Gu Yuanliang took a deep breath and slumped over his desk, looking utterly defeated.
But all the other students were focused on their own scores or discussing key questions, paying no attention to Gu Yuanliang's gloom.
After a while.
Gu Yuanliang, still listless, glanced at the calm-faced Andrew Han and managed a weak smile: "Andrew, how did you do? You must've done well—"
Before he could finish, his eyes widened in shock!
He saw—
At the top of Andrew Han's math test, in bright red ink, was the score: 7 points!
Gu Yuanliang's mouth hung open, his forehead twitching: "???"
"Such bad luck."
Andrew Han frowned, speechless.
He hadn't expected it himself... There were twelve multiple-choice questions on the math test, and he only guessed the first one right! That kind of luck was rare indeed.
Gu Yuanliang looked at Andrew Han sympathetically, saying, "Did you mark the answers wrong on your math test? There's no way the score should be so low. How could you get a single-digit result? Something must've gone wrong."
"Don't worry."
Gu Yuanliang tried to think of a solution: "Let's check the answers with other classmates, then ask the math teacher—"
He was interrupted again.
"Chinese: Thirty-eight?"
"Comprehensive: Fifty-one?"
Gu Yuanliang stared blankly at Andrew Han's Chinese and Comprehensive scores, as if thunder had struck his head, thinking his eyes must be playing tricks on him.
This made no sense.
If those really were his scores, Andrew Han could compete with him! No... Even then, he couldn't match Andrew Han's wild numbers!
"This, this..."
Gu Yuanliang stammered.
Andrew Han shook his head and chuckled, "Yuanliang, to keep you from getting beaten, I'll take the top spot from now on. What do you say?"
Gu Yuanliang was speechless, his mind in a daze.
Just then—
Homeroom teacher Li Ming, with a stern face, stood at the door and called out, "Andrew Han, come out for a moment."
Andrew Han put down his test papers, followed Mr. Li out of the classroom, ready to face a storm of criticism.
......