Chapter 77: That Star Student

For a while, Zhang Pu and Zheng Xiaoming returned to their classroom. Because Zheng Xiaoming had just gone out of his way to introduce Huang Xiaobiao as if with some preconceived notion, Zhang Pu, unconsciously, began to pay particular attention to a certain someone. It is always like this: when you don’t care about someone, you barely notice them day after day, but once you start to pay attention, it feels as if you are always running into them.

Zhang Pu didn’t analyze whether such a principle was truly at work now. In any case, the moment he entered the classroom, his eyes immediately landed on Huang Xiaobiao. It was as if Huang Xiaobiao had been the very first to leap into his sight—perhaps an act of the subconscious?

Huang Xiaobiao was not the tall, imposing type; he was of average height, and though he didn’t wear glasses, he naturally possessed a scholarly air. To most people, he seemed fairly decent. Yet, with that sharp insight born of two lifetimes, Zhang Pu could see straight through his exterior, piercing into his essence.

Most people considered Huang Xiaobiao an outstanding student, and indeed, he was currently doing better academically than Zheng Xiaoming. Once Zhang Pu’s keen observation was engaged, even the attitudes of those around Huang Xiaobiao became part of his perception. Indeed, even Lin Xuehong, Du Aizhu, and a string of other female class officers had begun to favor Huang Xiaobiao, and some girls, even more secretly, had already envisioned him as their future husband. No wonder Zheng Xiaoming felt as wounded as if by a lost love.

Zhang Pu could tell that, at his core, Huang Xiaobiao was not a good person. Zheng Xiaoming, for all his petty-mindedness, was not so bad… but as for exactly how Huang Xiaobiao was flawed, Zhang Pu could only surmise based on his accumulated experience from two lives; he had not yet dug into Huang Xiaobiao’s specific faults. In truth, there was no need. All Zhang Pu wanted was to curb his arrogance.

In his previous life, Zhang Pu had had little interaction with some of the notable figures he now met after his rebirth—figures such as the renowned Elder Zeng Guoxing, or the first beauty of Modern High, Liu Qingyan. In his past life, he had barely crossed paths with them. Yet in this life, thanks to the vast improvement that came with his rebirth, these famous characters from Qingwu District seemed to leap, one by one, into the reel of his life, as if inevitably.

Back then, Zhang Pu had only vaguely heard of Huang Xiaobiao’s outstanding grades, but they had never interacted. Even though Huang Xiaobiao ultimately surpassed Zheng Xiaoming by far in academics and nearly destroyed Zheng Xiaoming’s confidence, Zhang Pu had been in no position to help Zheng Xiaoming humble Huang Xiaobiao—he had been too overwhelmed by his own struggles. In that previous life, Zhang Pu himself was so weak that life nearly swallowed him whole, and were it not for a stroke of fortune that led him to the world of cultivation, his fate would have ended in tragedy.

Because of Zheng Xiaoming, Zhang Pu now regarded Huang Xiaobiao with seriousness, and was surprised to find that, at the same moment, Huang Xiaobiao’s gaze also swept over to him. It was not surprising that Huang Xiaobiao recognized him; had it not been for that basketball game, Zhang Pu would have remained obscure—hardly anyone at the school would have known him. But because of that game, even a studious type like Huang Xiaobiao remembered him rather well.

However, some time had passed since the game—enough for many to have already forgotten. Zhang Pu saw Huang Xiaobiao subtly arch an eyebrow at him, as if to say: “Come on, then! If you have the ability, beat me in academics. Basketball is not the main focus of our school, after all!”

Zhang Pu understood: Huang Xiaobiao knew full well that his own grades were average and that he was often absent. To Huang Xiaobiao, it seemed Zhang Pu’s academic performance was hardly worth a second thought. In his mind, once he himself put in a bit more effort, he would graduate high school and go on to one of the nation’s top universities in the capital, while Zhang Pu—if he continued to take so many absences—might well fail the college entrance exams and end up “laying down his arms” and returning to the countryside to “face the earth with his back to the sky.”

Of course, Huang Xiaobiao didn’t truly believe Zhang Pu’s fate after the exams would be as harsh as he imagined, but he did think that even if Zhang Pu went into business, these days, without formidable knowledge, being “drowned” in the business world was not uncommon.

In short, in Huang Xiaobiao’s heart, he was certain: no matter how much Zhang Pu might leap about, in this era where knowledge mattered more than ever, he would soon enough be like a grasshopper after autumn—unable to hop for long.

With a thousand years of experience in the cultivation world and his current cultivation firmly rooted at the Foundation Establishment stage, not to mention some minor spells and the ability to see into people’s hearts, how could Zhang Pu not see through all the weeds and flowers in Huang Xiaobiao’s mind?

Yet Zhang Pu only smiled at Huang Xiaobiao—a smile equally filled with contempt. But how could a mere ordinary mortal like Huang Xiaobiao possibly fathom the thoughts of someone like Zhang Pu? He even assumed that Zhang Pu, like those other students who admired his academic prowess, was simply trying to curry favor.

Huang Xiaobiao smiled back at Zhang Pu, unaware that his smile was, in truth, a foolish one.

Others saw his smile for what it was; only he did not. As class began, Zhang Pu put thoughts of Huang Xiaobiao aside. Since he now intended to puncture the other’s arrogant spirit, he needed to see just how much he was capable of. Of course, his greatest advantage came from those minor spells learned in the cultivation world—without them, defeating an academic star would be nothing but a fool’s dream.

As for Zheng Xiaoming, he simply thought Zhang Pu was trying to comfort him and quickly put the matter out of his mind. He didn’t know that Zhang Pu was planning a little experiment in this very lesson!

He began studying a minor spell from the cultivation world, one that would allow him to remember his lessons perfectly after a single glance. This was an English class, and the sudden appearance of a new English teacher caused quite a stir in the class.

The former English teacher, a rather shabby old man, had reportedly retired, but Zhang Pu had little impression of any of these teachers. The new arrival was a stunning beauty in her twenties. Being only a little older than the seniors in the class, her striking looks were enough to make a whole group of love-struck boys fall for her at first sight; even the girls couldn’t help but steal glances at the lovely new teacher.

Amid such commotion, even though Zhang Pu was burying himself in the study of his minor spell, he couldn’t help but be distracted. He only glanced at her once—after all, after a thousand years in the cultivation world, what beauties had he not seen? In his heart, he truly felt indifferent.