Chapter Six: The Beginning of the School Year

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Changqing No. 1 High School is the only national key high school in Changqing City, located in the very heart of the city, occupying four acres of land—a privilege that marks its significance. Among the ten national key high schools in Ludong Province, Changqing No. 1 ranks second, surpassed only by the Provincial Capital Experimental School. To be able to claim four acres in the city's central district to build its campus speaks volumes about what Changqing No. 1 means to Changqing City.

A pristine grass football field, an international-standard four-hundred-meter rubber track, the city's only basketball arena—facilities that other ordinary high schools in Changqing can only dream of are mere standard features here. The school's annual college entrance examination success rate consistently exceeds ninety-eight point five percent, and its acceptance rate into elite 211 Project universities reaches an astonishing fifty-three percent. It can be said that stepping through the gates of Changqing No. 1 High School is halfway into a prestigious university already!

Due to its overwhelming reputation, unmatched within the city, not only do the truly outstanding students strive to enter, but also the children of powerful city officials and wealthy families, who will go to any lengths to squeeze their way in. These students form a unique group within Changqing No. 1: some are as academically gifted as any ordinary student, while others become stubborn thorns in the school's side.

September 1st is the day all schools in Changqing open for the new term. Qin Anyi stood outside the school's main gate and let out a long breath.

But this kind of freedom is only relative. While students are granted ample autonomy in their studies, the school still conducts frequent checks to ensure this independent learning is on track. Should any student show signs of trouble, the school is quick to detect and correct them. Naturally, the best measure of self-directed learning is the seemingly endless barrage of exams. Scores are the devil; scores are everything!

"Ah, I get it, but my brain just won’t absorb it. One class and I’m drowsy, but if it’s one of those action movies from overseas, I could watch all day and night," Wei Dong grumbled, clearly troubled by his own predicament.

As the two conversed, their homeroom teacher Zhao Guoping strode onto the podium clutching a stack of test papers. Zhao Guoping had just turned thirty, stood at a towering six feet, weighed one hundred eighty pounds, and from behind resembled a small mountain—solid and sturdy. It was said he had an athletic background, so his physique was particularly robust. He was both the language teacher and homeroom teacher for Qin Anyi's Class Two.

"Excellent, no one’s late. Everyone’s spirits are high on the first day," Zhao Guoping boomed. "As usual, after a long break, we’ll have a baseline test to see who’s been slacking off during the holidays. As always, you assist me with monitoring."

A girl with a ponytail in the fourth row stood up in response and calmly walked to the podium, distributing the test papers Zhao Guoping held.

Qin Anyi’s attention was immediately drawn to her…

Wang Yiran, the most beautiful girl in the class—indeed, the whole school. Even someone as indifferent to his classmates as Qin Anyi knew much about her, largely thanks to his gossipy seatmate, Wei Dong. Wang Yiran’s name at Changqing No. 1 was not just synonymous with academic excellence, but also with the dreams of every boy from first-year to third-year. At eighteen, her beauty was still shy and budding, not yet breathtaking or dazzling, but she possessed a refined, ethereal grace that could drive any young man wild.

Because Wang Yiran’s academic abilities were so outstanding, and since these informal baseline tests were not monitored by other teachers, Zhao Guoping routinely asked her to assist with proctoring. Her results never needed checking; if she participated in the exam, there would be no suspense about who topped the list.

Once Qin Anyi received his test paper, he finally tore his attention away from Wang Yiran and was surprised as he glanced over the math exam. Normally, these baseline tests covered four subjects—language, math, English, and general studies—all completed in one day. Yet this time, something was different. After a quick scan, Qin Anyi was astonished to find the math paper was far more difficult than usual—far exceeding standard levels.

Though these questions now posed no challenge to him, had it been before he gained the power of the Qilin, he might well have failed this exam! Such difficulty, even surpassing the college entrance exam, appearing in a baseline test... Something was definitely amiss!