That night, Su Zelin really did have insomnia.
He didn't dare to sleep, fearing that when he woke up in the morning, he'd find today's experiences were just a fleeting dream.
If it is a dream, then let it last a little longer.
In the dorm, one brother was grinding his teeth, and another was snoring, creating a symphony.
Su Zelin kept his eyes open until midnight, and only when he couldn't hold on any longer did he dazedly drift into sleep.
The next morning, just as dawn broke, Su Zelin opened his eyes to the shrill sound of the alarm.
Finding himself still lying on the wooden bed in the dorm, he let out a long sigh of relief.
He jumped up in a flash, washed up, and put on his sportswear before heading straight to the mountaintop sports ground.
Though Su Zelin slacked off in studies, he was passionate about sports.
Dumbbells and arm strength bars were always ready in the dorm, and he would practice whenever he had time.
Besides, a healthy body is crucial for anything.
Even if you intend to be a playboy, a strong physique is indispensable.
Otherwise, dealing with so many women, your body would collapse early on.
In his previous life, Su Zelin could indulge among the flowers, full of energy and ease, because from a young age, he had exceptional physical aptitude and maintained a habit of working out, a good habit he kept even after graduation.
Early in the morning, the sports ground was already bustling with people.
At this time, sports attire wasn't too varied, many used their school uniforms as sportswear.
As for sneakers, they were mostly Warrior brand, with the occasional pair of Double Star.
Su Zelin, donning a full set of Li Ning gear, stood out exceptionally on the sports field, but back then, the concept of brand names didn't really exist.
After jogging on the track for a bit, it was time for morning exercises, and he returned to his class's lineup.
In high school, we were still doing the eighth set of radio calisthenics.
Some took it seriously, while others just went through the motions.
When it came to the hip-twisting move, some were too shy to really let loose...
After two sets of radio calisthenics, the lineup scattered like birds and beasts.
Lunchboxes were placed all around the outside of the sports field: on the grass, branches, low walls, big stones... basically everywhere one could fit in.
The owners of these lunchboxes were students who liked convenience; this way, after morning exercises, they didn't have to return to the dorm, saving them time to head straight to the cafeteria.
...
Class 2 of Grade 3, Classroom.
After the morning classes, Su Zelin lounged idly on the chair, a Hero fountain pen twirling swiftly between his fingers, spinning left, right, up, and down, as if performing a magic trick.
Pen spinning was one of the few joys for many middle school students, and Su Zelin was especially good at it, playing masterfully.
Tang Yan sneakily turned her head, glancing at him intentionally or unintentionally several times through the corner of her eye.
Finally, Su Zelin couldn't resist. When Tang Yan turned her head again, he casually asked, "Xiaoyanzi, why do you keep looking at me? If you want to confess, just say it, you won't have the chance after graduation!"
"Pah, only a fool would confess to you! Su Zelin, what's got into you? You haven't rushed off right after class lately!"
Tang Yan was puzzled. If Su Zelin stayed in the classroom once after school, it would've been fine. But for two days straight, he stayed through noon and evening till self-study at night, which made her a bit unsettled.
Su Zelin slapped the desk, "Xiaoyanzi, how could you say that? Can't I have a bit of ambition?"
"Ambition? Su Zelin, does your dictionary even have that word?"
Tang Yan sneered, having been classmates with the slacker for six years, believing his nonsense was foolish.
She could be sure that Su Zelin's odd behavior these past few days had nothing to do with that bet. Because although Su Zelin stayed in the classroom after classes, he was aimless, like today after school, he had been spinning his pen, not even opening his books or exercises.
Watching that Hero fountain pen fly up and down in Su Zelin's hand without ever dropping, Tang Yan couldn't help but shake her head.
One has to admit, this rascal had a knack for whatever caught his fancy, becoming proficient almost immediately.
Like pen spinning, there wasn't anyone in the class who could do it better. With athletic prowess, he excelled in running, jumping, playing ball, and even in fights, he was formidable; he also played the guitar well and danced breakdance impeccably, making him a frequent guest at school art evening parties.
As for looks, no need to mention, it was a given — enough to make all the male students in school envious and jealous.
God almost opened every window for him, except he shut the door to learning.
Su Zelin had no interest in studying, acting careless, but even so, he managed to squeeze into the prestigious old high school, No. 2 High School, during the middle school entrance exam.
"Su Zelin, if you put as much effort into studying as you do into spinning that pen, even Shiqing wouldn't compare!"
Tang Yan sighed.
"Studying is too boring, nowhere near as fun as spinning pens. Besides, pen spinning is a form of training too!"
"Training what?"
"The dexterity of fingers. It's very important, Xiaoyanzi. You'll understand when you grow up!"
Su Zelin said meaningfully.
"Drop dead, and no ivory ever comes from a dog's mouth!"
Tang Yan wasn't some wilting flower, immediately catching his drift.
She was also a sharp-tongued girl, but she couldn't do anything with Su Zelin.
Tang Yan turned her face away in anger, "Shiqing, look, he's just a rascal!"
Qin Shiqing drew her gaze away from the English materials. She was taking this bet seriously and had spent most of her efforts on reviewing for this subject in the past few days.
"Xiaoyanzi, why are you taking him seriously? It's not like you just met him today."
Qin Shiqing said helplessly.
"That's true, arguing with this guy makes me seem so petty!"
Tang Yan convinced herself.
Su Zelin glanced at her, saying sympathetically, "It's already pretty small!"
"You jerk, what did you say?"
Tang Yan had just calmed down a bit, but burst out instantly.
Feeling that Su Zelin's words had another implication.
She wasn't developed as well as Qin Shiqing, something she was quite conscious of.
If it were someone else, it might not have meant that, but she was sure Su Zelin did, because of the mischievous tone and expression he had when he said it.
Lu Haoran shrank his neck.
No one else in the class dared to provoke Tang Yan like this except his deskmate, who often did it, and if it were him, he'd have been scolded to death by Xiaoyanzi's sharp tongue.
Moreover, Su Zelin kept teasing Xiaoyanzi, yet their relationship hadn't broken down, which was strange.
His buddy would sometimes say a few nice words, flatter her a bit, or treat her to a soda, soon Xiaoyanzi would act like nothing had happened, even Lu Haoran couldn't help but admire his deskmate's skills.
"Okay, okay, you two, just say less!"
Seeing them about to argue again, Qin Shiqing had to step in to mediate.
Su Zelin's looseness could be let slide, but Xiaoyanzi was just immature.
Knowing his nature, she still liked to bicker with him at times.
Bickering could've been fine, but she kept losing, and didn't learn from it, losing every battle.
"Humph!"
Tang Yan pouted, but after a short while, most of her anger dissipated.
She had been bickering with Su Zelin from the first year of high school until the third; if she held onto every grudge, she'd have been angered to death by the slacker long ago.
In fact, they got along well; being middle and high school classmates meant quite a bit of fate.
Other boys were a bit scared of Xiaoyanzi's fiery temper and didn't dare talk to her much; only Su Zelin would often chatter with her, and given Qin Shiqing's connection, they could be considered good friends.
...
The next day, the third mock college entrance exam began, with mixed class testing.
In his previous life, Su Zelin had already forgotten most of what he learned in high school, but his foundation remained. Combined with his excellent memory, he recalled a lot of information after casually flipping through books.
The last day was the English test. After it ended and he returned to the classroom, many students were back, engaging in lively discussions.
"English genius, how did it go?"
As soon as Su Zelin sat down, Xiaoyanzi in front turned her head again, her tone a bit mocking.
"Not too difficult, should be a perfect score."
The slacker chuckled.
"If you get a perfect score, I'll call you dad!"
Tang Yan rolled her eyes, thinking he didn't even need to prepare his boasts, speaking them right away.
Scoring a perfect in English was extremely challenging; not to mention, writing almost inevitably resulted in point deductions, with listening and reading comprehension also being common areas for point loss.
Qin Shiqing scored a 142 on the second mock exam, already the highest in the entire grade. Though the third mock would be slightly easier than the second to boost students' confidence before the college entrance exam, a perfect score was still extraordinarily difficult.
Su Zelin smiled without replying.
Having an extra obedient daughter seemed pretty nice too.
...