"Ugh, do you guys think the director of physical education is completely insane, making a bet like that with Haigui?"

"Impulsive. Impulse is the devil, man."

"You guys know nothing. Wang Zhuo definitely has a trump card ready. Just wait for the good show."

"I think he's waiting to be caught cheating, more like it. There’s no way in hell something like 'a son being born without a backside' will actually happen."

"Hmph, do you even know him? I trust he's the type who’d rather lose face than renege on a lost bet."

"Whatever the case, I'm dying to see Haigui crawl backward around the track. Just thinking about it gets my heart racing!"

...

In the disciplinary office, Deng Haixia checked in briefly on Wang Zhuo’s recent well-being before letting him go; she was still unaware of the bet he’d made with Liu Guoyang.

When Wang Zhuo returned to the classroom, the last period had already started. His entrance caused a minor stir—perhaps it was destined for a charismatic man to be the center of attention wherever he went?

The moment he sat down, Gan Lin reached over, pinching a chunk of flesh on his thigh and twisting it hard. It hurt so much Wang Zhuo grimaced, quickly grabbing her violent hand.

Gan Lin’s hand was soft, just like the impression she gave to others. Cao Xueqin wrote that women are made of water, and she was the perfect example.

Although a moderate rain was falling outside, the classroom remained stiflingly hot, like a furnace. Gan Lin, usually conservative in her attire, was forced to wear a linen-blend short-sleeved top today. Because she was leaning down to make small movements, her full, fair chest was faintly visible beneath the loose neckline.

Fiercely wrenching her hand free from Wang Zhuo’s grasp, Gan Lin whispered furiously, "Are you crazy? How could you make a bet like that with him?!"

Wang Zhuo grinned cheekily and whispered back, "I’m confident I’ll win. Why else would I gamble with him?"

Gan Lin scoffed lightly, clearly not believing him. "Where’s your confidence coming from?"

"Do you know the results of the English test from a few days ago?" Wang Zhuo countered.

"Just found out," Gan Lin said suspiciously. "Qian Xiaomeng quietly told me your score was first in the grade? But your name wasn't posted when the school released the scores. How did you cheat?"

"How did she know my score?" Wang Zhuo asked, slightly puzzled.

Gan Lin snapped back, "She helped the teacher grade your paper. Hurry up and tell me how you cheated."

"Absolutely high-tech!" Wang Zhuo laughed proudly. "To tell you the truth, I was just using that test as practice. See the effect now? When the college entrance exam comes, I’ll do the same. Forget just getting into a top-tier university; even Tsinghua or Fudan might be possible."

"You used an electronic device?" Gan Lin was half-convinced but skeptical. "That still doesn't add up. Was someone outside the exam hall cooperating with you that day? You couldn't possibly be colluding with others for the actual Gaokao, could you? That's illegal."

"Don't worry about it. When have I ever done something I wasn't sure about?"

"I have to remind you, they’re deploying signal jamming vehicles outside the exam halls this year. The teacher told us yesterday not to even think about it; all electronic devices will be useless."

Wang Zhuo sat calmly, "I know, I know. I'll show you what true mastery looks like when the time comes."

Gan Lin shot him an exasperated glance and turned back to listen to the lesson.

Wang Zhuo seized the moment to quickly skim his textbook—this was also necessary preparation, in case he copied an unfamiliar formula or symbol incorrectly during the actual exam, which would be disastrously embarrassing.

The class period quickly drew to a close. The teacher reserved a few minutes for free use. Gan Lin seemed to remember something and quietly asked Wang Zhuo, "If you lose this bet, will you default?"

Wang Zhuo smiled composedly, "How could I lose? It’s impossible."

Gan Lin wouldn't let it go. "But what if you do lose? I mean, if."

"Oh..." A sly glint flashed in Wang Zhuo's eyes. "Let me guess, are you worried about the health of our future son?"

A blush immediately spread from her earlobes, rapidly climbing up Gan Lin's cheeks. "You are so lewd!"

Wang Zhuo chuckled, saying confidently, "Don't worry, that kind of thing will absolutely never happen. You will have a healthy baby."

"Go to hell," Gan Lin retorted, angrily twisting Wang Zhuo’s arm in mock fury.

The small, flirtatious antics between the two were witnessed by many students in the back rows, finally putting an end to all speculation about their relationship.

However, this only spurred the competitive spirit of many of Gan Lin’s admirers. In their eyes, besides being good at fighting, Wang Zhuo had no other merits—ugly, poor, and bad at studying. Such a rival was no match at all. Even if Gan Lin was temporarily charmed by him, they would surely break up after graduation, leaving them with a chance!

In reality, these boys’ calculations were completely off the mark this time. Wang Zhuo was just dressed plainly. Perhaps many boys didn't find him handsome, but the girls disagreed. Pretty-boy looks were only a niche preference; guys with Wang Zhuo's masculine appeal had a much broader market. As for being poor, setting aside whether Gan Lin cared, Wang Zhuo had already escaped poverty long ago—they simply didn't know it. And as for being bad at academics, after the Gaokao, Wang Zhuo would make them look at him with completely new eyes!

The day passed for Wang Zhuo in tranquility and warmth. As if by unspoken agreement, whether it was lunch, breaks between classes, or self-study periods, he and Gan Lin were always together, an undercurrent of ambiguous affection gently rippling between them.

Starting from that day, Wang Zhuo settled into a routine of two fixed points: school during the day, home to sleep at night. On the rare occasion he stayed out late after school, he would walk Gan Lin to the entrance of her complex, lightly holding her hand before she got out of the car.

Every day, Wang Zhuo would call his aunt once, chatting and talking, and learn about the progress of her illness from his uncle. Besides that, every other day he would also call Guan Yingying to check on the status of that piece of Imperial Green jadeite.

The calm before the storm finally broke on the afternoon of June 5th.

When the homeroom teacher, Zheng Zhixiu, announced that their three years of high school life were officially over, the classroom erupted in grief. Even many boys had red-rimmed eyes, quietly wiping away tears.

They scribbled blessings for their classmates in countless yearbooks; shook hands and hugged countless classmates of the same and opposite sexes; shared a knowing, forgiving smile with long-time rivals; and shouted loudly to their kind homeroom teacher, "Teacher, we love you!"

Walking out of the school gate side-by-side, Gan Lin, still red-eyed, looked up at the clear blue sky. After a long moment, she let out a deep breath, turned back, and smiled radiantly at Wang Zhuo. "I never noticed before, the trees are so green now. Will you walk with me to the riverside?"

Just as Wang Zhuo was about to speak, a crisp car horn blared from the roadside, shattering the sweet atmosphere.

Gan Lin glanced at the car and pouted, "My dad is here to pick me up. Looks like we can’t go now."

Wang Zhuo could only force a wry smile. He watched Gan Lin run over and get into the car, then turned back and waved, "See you tomorrow!"

June 6th, the last day before the Gaokao, saw the graduating students capturing their brilliant youthful smiles and taking their final group photograph with their alma mater in the center of the school field.

June 7th, Thursday, cloudy turning clear, with a high of thirty-eight degrees—the annual College Entrance Examination finally began.