"I can't believe it! Is this teacher messing with us?!" "Damn it, who highlights exam material like this?" "Seriously, that's so irresponsible! Two minutes to cover it all? What's the difference between that and saying nothing?" "Ugh, look on the bright side, at least now you know the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period won't be on the test." "Pfft, I bet this teacher is deliberately trying to trick us. What if he ends up testing us on it anyway!" "Uh... you have a point there. This teacher is completely unreliable!"

The students in the classroom were on the verge of rebellion, and even Li Yundong couldn't help but lose it: "What the hell, isn't this clearly trying to screw me over?"

Feng Na exchanged a look with Cheng Cheng. Feng Na said sympathetically, "Try to look on the bright side. At least you still have half a month to cram this stuff."

Li Yundong picked up the thick textbook of Chinese Classical Literature History, roaring, "Damn it, a book this huge and thick! I might as well memorize the Kangxi Dictionary! At least the Kangxi Dictionary is a fraction of the size of this textbook!"

Cheng Cheng chimed in, "Are you sure you don't want me to burn some joss paper for you? I hear there’s a discount on funeral services lately!"

Li Yundong playfully slapped Cheng Cheng with the textbook: "Pah! You bringer of bad luck!"

Cheng Cheng shrieked with laughter and dodged away.

Su Chan, who had been silent until now, looked at Li Yundong with complete bewilderment: "What are you laughing about?"

Li Yundong turned to her and offered a smile that looked worse than crying: "Nothing much!"

Feng Na secretly stuck out her tongue and said to Li Yundong, "Come on, we're leaving now. We won't disturb your dedicated study session. Good luck, you still have half a month, maybe you can still make it?"

Saying that, she pulled Cheng Cheng and bolted out of the classroom. As soon as they were gone, Li Yundong heard the two girls erupt in wild laughter outside the door.

"Damn it, they have no humanity, not a shred of sympathy!" Li Yundong seethed with anger.

Su Chan took hold of Li Yundong’s arm, blinking up at him: "What’s wrong?"

Li Yundong covered his face and let out a long sigh, pointing at the history book: "This teacher is dead set on making me fail! Memorizing a book this thick in two weeks!"

Su Chan looked puzzled: "That doesn't sound hard!"

Li Yundong instantly dropped his hands and stared wide-eyed at Su Chan: "Not hard? You recite it for me then!"

Su Chan flipped open the first page, her eyes quickly scanning the text. After murmuring a few words under her breath, she closed the book and handed it back to Li Yundong: "I only looked at the first page. Let me recite it for you."

Then, Su Chan began to recite aloud.

Li Yundong had initially been waiting to see Su Chan make a fool of herself, but after a moment, he realized she had recited the first three paragraphs perfectly, word for word. Although there were slight pauses, her memory retention ability truly stunned him.

"Hey, no way! You’re this beautiful and you have a photographic memory? Are you some kind of child prodigy?" Li Yundong pulled Su Chan into his arms, equally shocked and amused, and kissed her cheek without caring who was watching.

"Ah, what a pity. If only I could bring you into the exam hall with me, that would be perfect!" Li Yundong's elation faded quickly into another sigh.

Su Chan giggled: "You can do it too! Try it, you might be surprised?"

"Me?" Li Yundong laughed and shook his head. "Not a chance. I’ve always been terrible at memorizing this stuff since I was little; just seeing so many characters makes my head spin!"

Su Chan pouted coquettishly: "Just try it!"

Li Yundong feared nothing in heaven or earth, except when Su Chan unleashed her full arsenal of coquetry. He threw his hands up in surrender: "Fine, fine, I’ll try! You really won't give up, will you?"

He opened the book, looked at one page, and recited the content under his breath. After a moment, he closed the book and was suddenly astonished to find that the text he had just read was crystal clear in his mind.

Li Yundong was instantly overjoyed. He quickly handed the book back to Su Chan, flipping it open to the page he had just read: "Check if I recited it correctly for me?"

Then, Li Yundong began to recite, smoothly and without any hesitation, everything he had just read.

Once he finished reciting everything he had seen, Li Yundong stared wide-eyed at Su Chan: "Well? Was I right?"

Su Chan gazed at Li Yundong calmly, but remained silent.

A chill ran down Li Yundong's spine: "Did I get it wrong?"

Seeing Li Yundong tense up, Su Chan suddenly smiled, lunged forward, and planted a loud kiss on him: "Everything was perfect! Not a single word out of place!"

Li Yundong was ecstatic: "Really?" He snatched the book and checked for himself; sure enough, he seemed to possess perfect recall!

Li Yundong burst into laughter, his face beaming with triumph: "I really am a genius!"

Seeing Li Yundong so happy, Su Chan laughed along with him.

After a while, Li Yundong suddenly remembered something and asked, "Why has my memory suddenly become so good? Is this because of my Qi training?"

Su Chan smiled brightly: "Of course!"

Li Yundong looked confused: "Why is that?"

Su Chan explained: "Peng Zu lived from the Xia Dynasty all the way to the Zhou Dynasty—over eight hundred years. Even at 767, he showed no signs of aging; his speech was sharp, his mind agile, and his memory clear. This was because he was skilled in the practice of nurturing Qi and health..."

Li Yundong interrupted Su Chan in shock: "What? Someone lived for over eight hundred years in this world?"

Su Chan blinked her eyes: "Does that seem strange? There are people in this world who live forever!"

Li Yundong laughed heartily: "You’ve been reading too many fairy tales..."

He was about to tease Su Chan a little more, but then he suddenly remembered the incredible power he now possessed. His smile froze instantly, his heart hammering against his ribs, and he looked at Su Chan with doubt and surprise.

A thought flashed through Li Yundong’s shocked mind: This girl's origins are so bizarre, and the power I have came from nowhere! Could there really be immortals in this world?

Li Yundong found the idea too incredible to process and instinctively wanted to press for answers, but then he heard a girl's voice nearby say, "Excuse me."

Li Yundong turned to see Ding Nan looking at him with a smile—a smile Li Yundong had never seen on the perpetually sharp-tongued girl. He was momentarily stunned.

"Is something the matter?" Li Yundong recovered and asked.

Ding Nan smiled, took a deep breath, placed her hands together in front of her, nervously twisting her fingers while constantly glancing around, her gaze flickering. She stammered, "Um, could I talk to you alone for a moment?"

Li Yundong looked at Ding Nan, confused. He glanced around; after the teacher finished marking the key points, the students had quickly emptied out of the classroom, and there was almost no one left.

Li Yundong gestured toward Su Chan: "She's not an outsider. Whatever you need to say, just say it."

Ding Nan’s cheeks flushed slightly. She bit her lip, gave Li Yundong a resentful look, and said hesitantly, "I... I wanted to speak with just you. Is that not allowed?"

Although Li Yundong held no favorable opinion of Ding Nan, she was undeniably a rare beauty—tall, graceful, and lovely. Seeing her look at him so mournfully made it difficult for Li Yundong to harden his heart and refuse.

"Fine..." Li Yundong turned to Su Chan and said, "Wait for me here for a moment."

Su Chan nodded obediently.

As Li Yundong and Ding Nan left the classroom, Zhou Qin, who was still seated inside, frowned slightly as she watched them go. She hesitated, thought for a moment in her seat, then stood up and followed them.

Li Yundong and Ding Nan walked out to the small grove of trees downstairs. Li Yundong looked around and said, "There’s no one here now. What is it?"

Ding Nan was not much shorter than Li Yundong. Her gaze drifted over him, and her usually sharp and critical eyes held a surprising softness and hint of admiration. Before she could speak, her cheeks were already burning red.

Li Yundong looked at her, puzzled, and didn't rush her to speak.

Ding Nan, usually so composed and fashionable, now seemed like a lost young girl. Her cheeks flushed, and she mumbled, "Thank you..."

Li Yundong asked, "Thank me for what?"

Ding Nan lifted her eyes to look at Li Yundong: "For saving me last time."

Li Yundong smiled: "It was nothing to thank me for. I think anyone else would have done the same if they were able."

Ding Nan slowly shook her head: "No, it’s not like that. In this world, I've seen plenty of people offering congratulations when things are going well, but never anyone offering charcoal in snowy weather—let alone someone who jumps in to save a life without considering their own safety."

Ding Nan looked up, staring at Li Yundong with a bold, fiery gaze: "When I was falling from the building, I thought I was done for. But when you caught me in mid-air, I felt something like being back in my father’s embrace—so warm, so strong..."

Ding Nan’s gaze became distant. She looked fixedly at Li Yundong and said, "I just wanted to say thank you."

Li Yundong felt rather uncomfortable under Ding Nan's intense scrutiny. He smiled: "No need for thanks."

Seeing Li Yundong look like he wanted to leave, Ding Nan hurried to say, "You still hate me, don't you? You think I'm sharp-tongued, merciless, and that I humiliated you before, right?"

Li Yundong’s hidden thoughts were laid bare, and he fell silent, tacitly agreeing.

Ding Nan hastily tried to explain, taking a step closer: "Actually, I'm not like that..."

Li Yundong smelled a whiff of alluring perfume mixed with the unique, natural scent of a young woman wafting toward him, and he instinctively took a step back, frowning slightly.

That single step backward shattered Ding Nan's heart and crushed all her remaining courage. Ding Nan froze stiffly, the expression on her face seeming to solidify. Her complexion turned ashen, and her eyes fixed desperately and sadly on the young man before her.

"I understand..." Ding Nan offered a desolate smile. "I’ve said what I needed to say. I... I won't bother you anymore."

Seeing the girl looking so downcast, Li Yundong felt a touch of pity. As he walked past Ding Nan, he couldn't help but look back and say, "Actually, you don't need to wear that perfume. It’s very strong; I'm not used to the smell..."

Ding Nan’s eyes lit up. The ashen color instantly receded, replaced by warmth and spirit. She grabbed Li Yundong’s hand urgently: "You don't like it? Then I’ll never wear it again! If you tell me not to wear it, I won't!"

Li Yundong was startled and subtly pulled his hand away: "Ding Nan, you're actually a very spirited girl, pretty too, and you have a great figure. Plenty of boys will like you; you don't need to do this for me."

Ding Nan looked at Li Yundong like a startled fawn, saying tentatively, "W-what do you mean by that?"

Li Yundong replied, "Nothing much." Then he turned and walked away.

Ding Nan watched Li Yundong’s back for two steps, then suddenly called out loudly, "Can we be friends?"

Li Yundong turned back, suddenly smiling: "As long as you stop saying things that make people uncomfortable in the future."

Hearing this, Ding Nan’s heart leaped. She rushed forward two steps and called out loudly, "I didn't mean to speak that way, it’s just that..."

Before she could finish, a girl's voice rang out: "Nannan, what are you doing?"

Li Yundong and Ding Nan both turned to see Zhou Qin smiling at them.

At the sight of Zhou Qin, a flash of vicious resentment crossed Ding Nan’s eyes. She whispered to Li Yundong, "Don't get close to her. She's a beautiful viper!"

Then, Ding Nan glared fiercely at Zhou Qin and hurried away.