136: Chapter 136 I've had a crush on Xiaowen since I was little

The hatch opened, and Li Wen stepped down the gangway together with Fang Chenghong and Fang Jingshan.

As soon as they landed, they saw Fang Chengwu, who had been waiting there.

He still had that somewhat ordinary appearance, but his eyes held a smile of relief and pride.

"You're back," Fang Chengwu stepped forward, his voice steady.

"Teacher Fang!" Li Wen quickly saluted.

"Brother Chengwu," Fang Chenghong also greeted him with a smile.

Fang Jingshan looked at Fang Chengwu and nodded slightly, everything understood without words.

After a brief exchange of greetings, Fang Chengwu's gaze fell upon Li Wen, his tone filled with emotion: "Global number one, top Scholar of Kindling University. Li Wen, well done! Your name is now causing a sensation throughout Hua Country—no, the entire Blue Star."

Li Wen smiled a little sheepishly: "It's all thanks to the cultivation of the teachers."

"Humility is good, but what is yours should be accepted with grace," Fang Jingshan said lightly from the side, his tone carrying a certain authority. "For the next few days, handle your private matters with peace of mind. I and Chengwu will be in the city; you are perfectly safe."

Li Wen nodded gratefully, then bid farewell to Fang Chenghong and Fang Jingshan, boarded the dedicated vehicle prepared for him by Kindling Hall, and drove straight to his new home in the Family residential area of Kindling Hall.

Just as he expected, since the news of his return to Qingshi County leaked yesterday, an opinion storm sweeping the entire county had already taken shape.

The gates and teaching buildings of Qingshi No. 3 Middle School were draped with bright celebratory banners: "Warm congratulations to our student Li Wen for winning first place in the Kindling University Global Freshman Assessment!" and "The Pride of the Third Middle School, the Glory of Qingshi!"

Outside the school gate, quite a few excited students and citizens had spontaneously gathered.

And within the Li Family clan, they were already submerged by a flood of congratulatory messages.

Those relatives, especially those who had been somewhat indifferent to Li Wen's Family during the ancestral worship ceremony, and whose words often flattered Li Changjie while belittling Li Wen, were now showing such enthusiasm that they nearly melted the group chat interface.

Words of excessive praise surged like a tide, as if Li Wen were a Qilin child they had watched grow up since childhood, upon whom the Family had poured all its heart's effort.

Thanks to Fang Chengwu's prior reminder and Li Wen's own insistence, his parents had moved into the Kindling Hall Family compound in advance.

— —

This courtyard, guarded by Marquis-level Experts, had become a solid barrier blocking the surging crowds from the outside world.

The Kindling Hall branch used the official reason that "Li Wen needs to enter secluded cultivation to prepare for subsequent matters and must not have contact with outsiders" to turn away all media attempting to interview him and all levels of officials wanting to get close.

Consequently, the reporters who couldn't get a story and the local leaders eager to bask in reflected glory all flocked to Li Wen's other relatives, his former neighbors, and—Qingshi No. 3 Middle School.

At Li Wen's home, the television was broadcasting the local news channel.

During dinner, the Family of three sat around the dining table, and a segment of an interview happened to be airing on the screen.

In the picture, a middle-aged woman—the same aunt who had said during the ancestral worship, "Qingshi County's Third Middle School isn't good enough, don't compare Li Wen with Changjie"—was smiling widely at the camera, spitting animatedly: "— — Ah! I told you our Li Wen is smart and sensible since he was little; even his eyes looked different! That spirit of refusing to admit defeat! I'm telling you, I could tell he was a Dragon when he was young! He was bound to soar sooner or later!

I have the best relationship with his mother; I often praised him for being promising and urged him to work hard. Look, hasn't it come true! Global number one! Our old Li Family's ancestral grave must be smoking with fortune—"

Looking at the radiant face on the television, completely different from her harsh demeanor back then, Li Wen and his parents exchanged a glance. They said nothing, merely sharing a complex, bittersweet smile.

Some things are better left unsaid once seen through.

Immediately after, the camera cut to Li Yue. Her delicate face showed genuine adoration: "Brother Wen— — — — Brother Li Wen has always been exceptionally hardworking and extremely low-key. When he was in school before, he studied quietly; none of us realized he was this amazing— — — — He is our role model!"

Then, Wang Hu appeared.

This head teacher, who had taught Li Wen for two and a half years, was now looking triumphant. Facing the long barrels of a group of reporters, he spoke eloquently: "I started paying attention to this child Li Wen since he entered school in his first year of high school. His Foundation was a bit weak, but that fighting spirit, that tenacity to be ruthless with himself, is rare among all the students I have taught in my life. What is 'ordinary talent, extreme effort, rising from adversity'? This is a living textbook!

Back then, I firmly believed this child would surely make a name for himself in martial arts. I am incredibly proud to have such a student! He has created a true miracle!"

Seeing Wang Hu's ruddy face, and hearing the undisguised pride and affirmation in his words, the smile on Li Wen's face subsided, replaced by a deep sense of respect and gratitude.

He recalled those two and a half years in high school; Wang Hu had indeed, as he said, always paid attention to him.

When applying for financial aid, Wang Hu had lobbied tirelessly. During Li Wen's financial difficulties, Wang Hu would always "happen" to find an empty slot for the "Outstanding Student Learning Fund" in classes that required self-payment.

Or he would give him some inexpensive training supplements under the guise of a personal award— — — — Little by little, silently nurturing him, supporting Li Wen through those difficult years.

The last time he returned from Kindling Hall, he had sought out Wang Hu, intending to use a portion of the huge deposit Kindling Hall had given him to repay this teacher's kindness.

As a result, Wang Hu's face stiffened, and without a word, he threw Li Wen out of the office, leaving behind the sentence: "Stinky boy, looking down on your teacher? Take your money back! Teaching a good student is enough reward for my lifetime! If you really want to repay me, go out there and achieve even greater fame!"

This bond transcended money.

It settled heavily in Li Wen's heart like a warm cornerstone.

He knew the best way to repay Wang Hu was to live up to his expectations and climb ever higher on the peak of martial arts.

In the following few days, Li Wen did not completely "enter seclusion."

He first solemnly invited Wang Hu and Fang Chengwu to a Family dinner to express his thanks.

The two teachers, while pleased, repeatedly cautioned him to remain humble and steady upon entering Kindling University and to build a solid Foundation.

Next, he received some truly caring relatives and elders who came to visit, as well as some high-ranking officials from the county, city, and even Xijiang Province.

These visits were mostly ceremonial. The other party understood that Li Wen's time was precious; most just offered congratulations and encouragement, promising that the local area would provide whatever care was within their power, mainly ensuring the safety and comfort of his parents within the county.

Finally, under his parents' wishes, Li Wen still arranged a modest Family banquet in the small dining room of the Kindling Hall Family compound, inviting the main members of the Li Clan.

The atmosphere during the meal was subtle; the center that once revolved around the Li Fude Family had quietly shifted to Li Wen.

The Li Fude Family also attended, but Li Changjie was much quieter, his eyes fixed on Li Wen filled with complex emotions.

Time slipped away like flowing water.

In the blink of an eye, it was June 7th.

The morning sunlight streamed through the window into the room.

Li Wen woke up on the comfortable large bed, feeling refreshed.

After washing up, he went to the dining room. His father's health had recovered quite well, his complexion ruddy, and his mother was setting a rich breakfast on the table.

"Morning, Mom and Dad."

— —

"Morning, A Wen, hurry and eat. Have you checked everything?" his mother asked with concern.

"Mhm, everything is ready. Don't worry," Li Wen sat down with a smile and enjoyed a harmonious breakfast with his parents.

The College Entrance Examination was no longer a turning point in his destiny; it was more like a ritual of witnessing and conclusion.

After breakfast, Li Wen politely declined his parents' suggestion to see him off to the exam, and instead traveled alone in the exclusive black sedan provided by Kindling Hall to the Qingshi No. 1 Middle School examination site located in the county center.

The vehicle drove smoothly on the familiar streets under perfect sunshine.

When the exclusive car stopped silently a short distance from the entrance of the First Middle School, the scene before him was already a sea of people.

The bustling crowd consisted mostly of parents seeing off their children, their expressions a mixture of tension, anticipation, excitement, and blessings.

The school gate was packed, and police officers and volunteers were diligently maintaining order.

Li Wen was wearing a T-shirt and long pants, looking no different from an ordinary student. Taking advantage of the fact that no one noticed this low-key yet extraordinarily distinguished exclusive car,

He quickly opened the door and slipped into the crowd like a fish, merging into the stream of students heading towards the gate within a few steps, passing through the security check smoothly among the examinees.

Stepping into Qingshi No. 1 Middle School was a first for Li Wen in his life.

The campus before him, shaded by green trees, lined with teaching buildings, and featuring a spacious sports field, felt both unfamiliar and tinged with a historical sense of distance.

His steps were unhurried, his gaze calmly sweeping the surroundings.

A unique sense of emotion welled up in his heart.

Once upon a time, this best middle school in Qingshi County was the goal he yearned for during his middle school years, like a dazzling dividing line in life.

He had studied with all his might, only to ultimately be defeated by the reality of the Talent Theory due to unsatisfactory martial arts test results, sadly entering Qingshi No. 3 Middle School, which was considered the bottom tier at the time.

At that time, Qingshi No. 1 Middle School was a peak he had to look up to, seemingly unattainable.

Who would have thought that just over two years later, he would stand on the soil of this school again, but in a completely different capacity?

He was the legendary graduate who made the Third Middle School hang banners; he was the peerless Prodigy personally escorted by a Marquis-level Expert from Kindling Hall;

He was the name that made the entire Qingshi County boil over—Li Wen.

Furthermore, he was the global freshman number one who was about to step into Kindling University, the Holy Land of human martial arts.

Today was far beyond the past.

The county's First Middle School, which he couldn't aspire to before, was now like a tiny stepping stone beneath his feet.

Li Wen tilted his head slightly, looking at the banner hanging on the teaching building that read "Calm and Composed, Honest in Examination," and a faint, imperceptible smile touched his lips.

He walked towards the classroom marked as his examination room, unhurriedly, under the bright sunshine, amidst the nervous and hurried footsteps of the surrounding examinees, as if experiencing life.

In that room, a national College Entrance Examination—which for ordinary examinees was a "change of fate," but for him was merely "adding flowers to the brocade"—would unfold calmly and uniquely.

His goal was perfectly clear: to perfectly accumulate experience points for the Scholar profession using the final practical scenario of the College Entrance Examination, completing his final transformation.

Then, he would set foot on the sea of stars leading to the higher peaks of martial arts.