"Our second son, too... his own brother is taking the most important exam of his life, and he doesn't even show up. He needs to change that little temper of his."
Xue Wenhui said with a hint of resignation.
"Isn't that because you always spoil him!"
Zhao Jincheng retorted.
"How have I been spoiling him? He was born without any talent for the Martial Dao. I just feel bad for him!"
"That's not the right way to show you care. Look at him, slacking off all day."
"I feel like we both dote on him more than enough! Why can't that child understand his parents' good intentions!"
Zhao Jincheng couldn't figure it out for the life of him. Ever since his second son started high school, he had grown more and more withdrawn, to the point where he wouldn't even talk to his own brother.
He seemed utterly distant.
He would even nitpick over the smallest things.
"After Ruirui finishes his exams, let's find a chance to have a good talk with both of them."
"Yes! I was thinking the same thing!"
After their discussion, Xue Wenhui hailed a cab and went home first to start making lunch.
The exam lasted for three days. The subjects were more or less the same as in his previous life, except that English had been demoted from a major subject to a minor one, and a few courses unique to this world, like Martial Dao Aptitude, had been added.
In the silent examination hall, where the only sound was the rustle of pens on paper, the students were hunched over their desks, writing furiously.
The waxing and waning songs of the cicadas outside drifted slowly into the room on the cool air-conditioned breeze, sounding like the chanting of scriptures in an ancient mountain temple.
Solemn and magnificent!
The exam went on like this for three days.
The moment the final exam ended, the school gates were flooded with lively greetings.
The students' faces showed a hundred different expressions, each a mix of joy and sorrow.
'It wasn't much different from his past life,' he thought. 'People, after all, can never escape their passions and desires.'
"How did it go, son?"
Seeing Zhao Rui stroll leisurely out of the examination hall, Zhao Jincheng couldn't help but ask anxiously.
"It was okay, about the same as usual," Zhao Rui said with a smile.
"That's good. Based on your usual performance, getting into an undergraduate program should be a sure bet."
Zhao Jincheng continued, "Now that the exam's over, you should relax. Let's go. Time to head home and eat. Your mom made your favorites: soy-braised beef and scrambled eggs with tomato."
"Okay!"
Zhao Rui nodded with a smile and followed his dad into their family's old Baojun, a car they'd had for ten years.
"Dad, when I start making money, I'll buy you an Audi!"
Zhao Rui said, stroking the seat, which was old but clean and well-maintained.
"Just hearing you say that is enough for me, son."
Zhao Jincheng laughed heartily. Spotting a small supermarket nearby, he pulled over and came back with an ice cream bar.
"Here. The exam's over, so you can have this now!"
"Thanks, Dad!"
Zhao Rui took the ice cream bar with a smile.
As a Martial Artist, he could do more than just eat an ice cream bar. With his Inner Strength, he could survive for days in a frozen cellar.
'But in my parents' eyes, no matter how powerful I am, I'm still just a child who needs to avoid cold foods and requires special care.'
'I guess that's just how it is. You dote on the ones you brought into this world.'
Having awakened the memories of his past life, Zhao Rui naturally understood his parents' good intentions and their love for him.
After all, he had loved his own children in his past life just as much.
At that thought, various memories from his past life surfaced in his mind, and his eyes grew a little misty.
The memories of his past and present lives blended together, leaving him disoriented, unable to tell who he was or what was real.
"What's wrong?"
Sensing something was off with his son, Zhao Jincheng glanced back and asked.
"Nothing, just happy that I'm finally on break!"
Zhao Rui gave a vague excuse.
"Don't go too crazy, though!"
Zhao Jincheng smiled knowingly, tacitly giving him permission to fully relax during the summer break.
'Might as well accept it!'
Zhao Rui suppressed the chaotic emotions in his heart and put on the joyful expression expected of a teenager, shouting to Zhao Jincheng, "Thanks, Dad!"
"If you did well on your exam, I'll make the call and buy you a laptop."
...
Half an hour later, the ten-year-old car slowly pulled into the residential complex, parking in an unassigned spot.
Zhao Jincheng and his son got out of the car, carrying the fruit they had bought on the way.
"Brother Zhao, is Ruirui done with his exams?"
They had barely taken two steps when a plainly dressed middle-aged woman walked toward them and asked upon seeing the returning father and son.
"Yeah, he just finished. Were you out grocery shopping?"
Hearing this, the woman's expression turned slightly awkward, and she instinctively shifted the grocery basket in her hand to her side.
She mumbled an affirmation before changing the subject. "Ruirui looks like such a promising young man. He must have done very well on his exams!"
"Who knows? The results aren't out yet!" Zhao Jincheng said with a laugh.
"He's sure to get into a good university!" the woman said with a chuckle.
"Thanks for the kind words. Well, we'll be heading home now."
"You go on, you go on!"
The woman politely gestured for them to go ahead.
Zhao Jincheng grunted in acknowledgment and headed home.
Once they were in the stairwell, Zhao Jincheng looked back at Zhao Rui and said, "Stay away from her family from now on."
Zhao Rui asked, surprised and confused, "Why?"
"You're a kid, don't ask so many questions. Just keep your distance, that's all."
"Oh, okay!"
Zhao Rui nodded in agreement, though he felt a little puzzled.
The woman was a neighbor from the next building. They used to often cool off and chat downstairs together.
They were fairly well-acquainted.
It's just that he hadn't seen her much recently.
He never expected that after not seeing her for so long, his dad would say something like that to him.
But he wasn't in the mood for gossip, so he just acknowledged it and didn't ask any more questions.
A short while later, the two of them arrived at their front door, where Xue Wenhui naturally showered them with another round of questions.
She only breathed a sigh of relief when her son said it went "okay." 'As long as it's "okay,"' she thought, 'and not "I bombed it" or "I didn't perform well," that's good enough.'
After some brief chatter, the family sat down at the dining table for dinner.
His younger brother, Zhao Ke, was still silent and sullen, looking as if everyone owed him money.
Zhao Rui couldn't be bothered with him and just chatted with his parents.
In the middle of their conversation, Xue Wenhui casually mentioned the middle-aged woman they had met earlier. She said she had seen her that afternoon at the wet market, picking up discarded vegetable leaves that others had thrown away.
Only then did Zhao Rui recall how secretive the woman had been when they met.
'So that's why. She was afraid someone would see the spoiled leaves in her basket.'
"What happened to her?"
Hearing this, Xue Wenhui let out a long sigh. "She's a poor, unfortunate soul. In this world, it's so hard to be a good person!"
"Don't talk about this in front of the kids. Anyway, just don't talk to her much and keep your distance!"
Seeing this, Zhao Jincheng quickly cut Xue Wenhui off.
Zhao Rui raised an eyebrow but didn't ask any further. A seed of curiosity, however, had been planted in his heart.
After dinner, they cleared the dishes and sat on the sofa to watch TV.
Zhao Rui enjoyed the rare moment of relaxation. After watching for about an hour, he left the living room, returned to his own room, and began to meditate and practice his skills.
'The Martial Dao is so much more interesting than television.'
'That pleasant sensation of his Meridians filling with energy was no less satisfying than a rush of dopamine!'