The Gaokao was over. Lin Hao walked out of the examination hall, gathered his luggage, and prepared to go home.
Under a kapok tree, cicadas were chirping, and a tall, pure-looking girl was waiting.
That girl was Xu Yanyu!
Xu Yanyu had exquisite features, red lips, and pearly white teeth. Her beauty dazzled everyone at first sight. She was a top student and the object of many people's pursuit.
Unfortunately, Xu Yanyu was Lin Hao's Girlfriend!
Aside from his handsome appearance, Lin Hao had hardly any other strengths, which made countless boys jealous.
At that moment, Lin Hao walked toward the kapok tree and looked at the girl. Her hair fluttered in the wind, and her cheeks radiated unparalleled confidence. Even her eyes were smiling.
Lin Hao guessed that she had done well. As he approached, he said, “Yanyu.”
Xu Yanyu looked him over before saying, “Lin Hao, I performed exceptionally well this time. I should be able to get into one of the top ten Key Universities...”
Lin Hao smiled. “Congratulations.”
A trace of resolve arose in Xu Yanyu's undershirt. “Lin Hao, thank you for keeping me company all this time. Throughout the Gaokao, you gave me a great deal of support and helped me maintain a stable mindset. You are a good person.”
Lin Hao did not understand at first. Surprised, he said, “Yanyu, are you saying that you want to break up with me?”
“Yes!”
Xu Yanyu nodded, her expression growing colder. “You will meet a girl better than me. If we have a long-distance relationship, both of us will suffer. Rather than endure prolonged pain, it is better to end it now and give each other freedom!”
Xu Yanyu brushed back her hair and continued.
“You are good. You just lack a little drive.”
“You should strive for progress, but I have not seen you make any effort in that regard.”
“I do not think we are suitable for each other. Let us go our separate ways.”
Hearing this, Lin Hao fell silent.
He had thought that being handsome would be enough to win a girlfriend who truly loved him.
It turned out he was wrong. Being handsome was not enough; he still lacked many things. Perhaps it was talent, or perhaps money.
People strive for higher ground, while water flows downward.
He did not blame Xu Yanyu. Instead, he accepted this fact.
Then Xu Yanyu smiled. “Let us go home.”
No joy or sorrow showed on Lin Hao's face, but a grudge had already formed in his Undershirt. “You go to your home. I will go to mine.”
Xu Yanyu did not look into his eyes, but she agreed with him completely.
After a breakup, everything becomes a comparison. Whoever lives worse will be the embarrassed one.
In Xu Yanyu's view, that embarrassed person would never be her.
Afterward, the two walked side by side, but the joy of holding hands and the satisfaction of being together had vanished. Only unfamiliarity remained.
Even when they walked together and their shoulders brushed, they felt only numbness.
A few minutes later, they encountered more than a dozen classmates.
“Xu Yanyu is amazing. She can definitely get into Peking University.”
“If you ask me, she should be able to get into Qinghua University.”
“After all, she is the top student in our class.”
“Classmate Xu Yanyu, Classmate Lin Hao, we wish you both happiness!”
Xu Yanyu basked in her classmates' praise, but a classmate's following remark made her smile fade.
Xu Yanyu hurriedly explained, “We broke up!”
As soon as she said this, everyone looked at Lin Hao. How could someone so handsome have ended up being dumped?
Lin Hao said calmly, “Yes. For the sake of our respective futures, we have decided to walk our own paths. Classmate Xu Yanyu, I wish you a bright future.”
When Xu Yanyu heard this, her undershirt trembled, but she did not regret it.
What was so good about Lin Hao?
He was not ambitious at all!
If Lin Hao truly liked her, he should have studied hard after they got together and tried to enter the same university as her.
Xu Yanyu brushed back her hair and said with a bright smile, “Classmate Lin Hao, I hope fate allows us to meet again. I will be waiting for you at university.”
Everyone applauded.
However, they also sympathized with Lin Hao. Getting dumped must feel terrible, right?
After all, Xu Yanyu was beautiful and talented. She was not only the prettiest girl at Guicheng No. 2 High School but also a top student. Losing such a girlfriend must feel awful.
Many people thought Lin Hao looked fine, but that his Undershirt was covered in scars and that he wanted to find somewhere to have a good cry.
At that moment, the students crowded onto a bus, each carrying their luggage home.
Xu Yanyu did not go with them. Her family was well-off, and her parents came to pick her up in a BMW.
Like the other students, Lin Hao prepared to board the bus.
Xu Yanyu's father said, “Lin Hao, would you like to ride with us?”
Xu Yanyu stood there, glancing at Lin Hao as she waited for his explanation.
Lin Hao shook his head. “Uncle Xu, no need. Classmate Xu Yanyu and I have already broken up. From now on, we are ordinary classmates.”
After saying this, Lin Hao hefted his suitcase and squeezed onto the bus with the other students.
Xu’s father froze for a moment. He looked at Lin Hao on the bus, then at his daughter. The news had come too suddenly.
Madam Xu smiled. “Good thing you broke up. Yanyu, do not let anything delay your future. You will find an even better man in the future. Mom supports you!”
“Mom, stop talking. Let us go home.”
Xu Yanyu climbed into the car and did not look at Lin Hao again. The moment she initiated the breakup, her heart had already become hard as iron.
She told herself that Lin Hao was an ordinary person.
She would become a Top Student, and after graduation, she would have boundless prospects.
Xu’s father sighed. “A breakup is a breakup, but I am worried that Lin Hao might not get over it.”
Madam Xu snorted. “It is fine. He is not that fragile.”
Their family drove home, leaving the bus far behind.
On one side, a large group of people crowded onto a bus; on the other, a family of three rode in a BMW. The contrast was stark.
Before long, Lin Hao returned home.
The home was ordinary: only a few dozen square meters and located in the suburbs. It was nothing like Xu Yanyu's home in an Upscale Residential Complex.
Lin Hao's father had died long ago, when Lin Hao was in his first year of high school.
Now, he had only his mother.
His mother, Ye Huilian, worked as a Kindergarten teacher.
Ye Huilian said, “My son is home.”
Lin Hao replied, “Yes, mom.”
Seeing how dusty and travel-worn he looked, Ye Huilian asked, “How did the Gaokao go?”
Lin Hao put his suitcase in his room, wiped away his sweat, and said, “Mom, do not ask. I will probably only get into a Second-Tier Undergraduate University.”
Ye Huilian smiled. “A second-tier undergraduate university is not bad. Why do you look unhappy? Right, did you take your girlfriend home?”
Lin Hao told mom the truth. “Mom, Xu Yanyu and I broke up.”
“You broke up?”
Ye Huilian looked surprised. After three seconds, she said, “It is nothing. You deserve someone better. People have to look forward; do not do anything foolish. If necessary, Mom will find you a Girlfriend.”
“Pfft.”
Lin Hao could not help laughing and waved a hand. “Mom, forget it. I will handle my own affairs. I am fine. It is only a breakup. From now on, I will work hard to make money.”
Ye Huilian gave him a thumbs-up. “Good. You really are my son. You have courage. You are as handsome as your father, so plenty of girls will like you!”
“Hahahaha!”
Lin Hao and Ye Huilian laughed at the same time.
After their conversation, the gloom in Lin Hao's heart disappeared.
That day, Ye Huilian prepared the most delicious food for Lin Hao, including the beef he liked.
As a result, Lin Hao ate with great relish and finished three bowls of rice in succession.
After dinner, he went outside alone to take a walk and watch the sunset.
Lin Hao felt that heaven and earth stretched endlessly around him, while people were tiny, no more than a drop in the ocean.
A transcendent Cultivation Mindset emerged within Lin Hao, and Both Eyes saw through many things.
At that moment, Lin Hao heard a ding.
It came from within his mind.
“The Immortal Cultivation System is loading. Loading progress: 10%... 33%... 76%... 100%!”
“Ding.”
“Loading complete.”
Lin Hao was astonished. “The Immortal Cultivation System? What does it do?”
The System said, “This is the Immortal Cultivation System. Immortal Cultivation allows one to grow without limit, and then the Host can do whatever they like.”
What did Lin Hao like to do?
Being dumped left Lin Hao feeling deeply wronged. He was no broad-minded saint; he had to prove that he could live better than Xu Yanyu and make her regret leaving him.
Therefore, Lin Hao wanted to practice Immortal Cultivation, make money, improve his life, and use this Summer Vacation to grow stronger.
The System said, “The Host's long-cherished wish has been detected. Meditate and take one hundred and twenty deep breaths to unlock the Qi Refining Realm and receive an additional reward!”
Has the beginner quest arrived?
Lin Hao found a large rock, sat cross-legged, and practiced breathing exercises, beginning his journey into Immortal Cultivation.