The comments said I was deeply affectionate, I just added points by using an alternate account.

In the distance, students in sportswear were already jogging on the playground, their breath leaving long trails in the cool air.

Everything was exactly the same as when he left a few days ago.

Chen Guan changed his clothes, pushed open the dormitory door, and went out.

The leather boots crunched dryly on the stone path covered with fallen leaves.

He walked across the playground toward the teaching building, encountering students along the way who seemed to be in a hurry, many with tired faces that showed signs of not having slept enough.

The atmosphere around us was noticeably more tense than usual.

Chen Guan didn't care; he was currently uninterested in anything around him.

As I entered the teaching building and followed the stairs to my floor, the familiar noise came from the classroom at the end of the corridor—some were arguing loudly, while others were laughing and playing.

Chen Guan walked to the back door of the classroom, his hand just touching the door frame.

The once noisy classroom fell silent the moment he pushed open the door.

At least seven or eight pairs of eyes were fixed on him.

There was surprise, curiosity, and a few others, filled with undisguised resentment.

Chen Guan paused, looking around.

Most of the people in the classroom were looking at him, whispering and talking amongst themselves.

Chen Guan tried his best to ignore everyone and sat down in his seat.

Wang Hanyue didn't look at him, but lowered his head and pretended to tidy up the books on the table. His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but it clearly carried throughout half the classroom.

"Tsk, you're back."

He picked up a thick book, "Illustrated Compendium of Strange Beasts," and then slammed it down with a thud.

"I heard the three of you went on an A-level escort mission. You're really young and promising, doing a great service to the people."

That sounds like a compliment, but the underlying sourness in it could ruin the books on the table.

"The timing was perfect, so precise."

Wang Hanyue finally raised his head, his gaze passing over several rows of heads to meet Chen Guan's. He tugged at the corners of his mouth, but the smile didn't reach his eyes at all.

"It just so happens that the monthly exams were scheduled to fall on the same two days. With that kind of luck, it would be a shame not to buy a lottery ticket."

A few suppressed chuckles echoed in the classroom.

The source of those resentful thoughts that were nailed to Chen's coffin was instantly found.

Monthly exam.

Chen Guan remembered; it seemed like there was such a thing.

He skipped the monthly exam, no wonder his classmates are so resentful.

Chen Guan immediately focused his attention on his own mind, treating himself like a stone. He picked up his textbook and adopted a strategy of ignoring everything else and concentrating solely on studying the classics.

His reaction was like punching cotton; all the sarcastic remarks Wang Hanyue had prepared were stuck in his throat, and his face turned blue with frustration.

[Hahaha, I just escaped death from the Ancient Ruins, and you're talking to me about monthly exams?]

[The resentment of top students is the world's most powerful weapon.]

[Coffin Bro: Who am I? Where am I? I don't know anything about monthly exams.]

[What Origin Returning Group, what ninth-tier big shots, they all have to take a backseat to the monthly exam.]

Just then, Chen Guan heard a commotion coming from the corridor.

Long Ao's cursing voice came in.

"Get out of the way, what are you all doing blocking the doorway?"

Chen Guan immediately perked up his ears. What sage's books? He didn't know anything about them. He wanted to hear what was happening outside the window.

His voice was quickly drowned out by another burst of noise.

Several boys were blocking Long Ao in the corridor. The one in the lead was named Zhou Tong. Although he was from the knowledge department, he had become increasingly strong and powerful under the training of his two teachers, Li Yan and Chen Beixuan.

At first glance, their physiques are similar to Long Ao's.

Long Ao's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

"Brother Ao, I heard you encountered a landslide during your mission?"

Zhou Tong looked concerned and patted Long Ao's shoulder loudly: "Are you alright? Are you hurt? We were all so worried."

"let."

Long Ao squeezed out a single word through gritted teeth.

"Hey, don't get so angry."

Zhou Tong's smile widened. He took out his phone, the screen lit up, and brought it close to Long Ao's face.

"Look, the practical theory questions in this monthly exam were particularly easy. I reckon you can get at least 90 points."

On the phone screen, the newly released grade rankings were displayed.

Long Ao's name was not mentioned because he missed the exam. Even though his practical course performance was excellent, his average total score was dragged down to a dismal position, ranking him outside the top 300.

Zhou Tong, on the other hand, consistently ranks in the top ten.

The veins on Long Ao's temples throbbed twice.

"Don't be so fierce. Classmates should help each other out."

Zhou Tong, oblivious to the danger, kept stirring things up: "I have a photocopy of the test paper, how about I give you some extra lessons?"

Several boys around him joined in the laughter; they were all Long Ao's usual buddies.

Because Long Ao usually appears aloof, his friends never miss an opportunity to tease him.

Long Ao's chest heaved violently, a breath stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down.

I really want to have an American-style exchange.

But the other person kept expressing concern, and if he actually threw a punch, it would confirm that he was angry and embarrassed, and he would be at a disadvantage.

This feeling of frustration was even worse than being mocked by the Three Platforms in the ancient temple.

Just as Long Ao was about to explode on the spot, a gentle voice saved him.

"What are you all doing here? Class is about to start."

An Changqing appeared at the other end of the corridor at some point, holding an unfinished breakfast in his hand.

When the boys surrounding Long Ao saw him, their playful smiles faded, and they reluctantly made way for him.

An Changqing's authority was still intact.

Zhou Tong put away his phone, and Chong An Changqing nodded in greeting.

Long Ao was finally able to enter the classroom.

An Changqing followed behind him, shook his head, and was about to say something.

"An Changqing".

A resentful male voice came from the front row of the classroom.

An Changqing turned around at the sound and was startled. Sun Miao looked at him with a resentful expression, like a top-level cursed spirit.

"I remember you missed the exam too, right? You don't have to copy the wrong questions a hundred times as punishment, right...?"

"Right, right, right! You just wanted to avoid being punished by copying lines, didn't you!"

An Changqing's gentle and proper smile finally crumbled.

He looked at his classmate Sun Miao, whose eyes were bloodshot and red, and the resentment in Sun Miao's eyes seemed to turn into black mist and swirl above his head.

"..."

An Changqing opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

How can he explain this?

Because that's really what he thinks.

[Haha, An Changqing's CPU overheated.]

[The main problem is that Teacher Situ is too devilish; I would have run away too.]

[Having just finished sparring with a ninth-tier genius, Lao Qing returned to find there was a second level.]

The suppressed giggles in the classroom made the farce seem all the more real.

Long Ao plopped back into his chair with a thud. Seeing An Changqing's discomfiture, his anger subsided a little.

It turns out I wasn't the only one being attacked.