Huo Feng had his heart broken, and it was a crushing defeat.
Huo Feng's mood was so bad that on his already fierce-looking face, it seemed as if 'Burn Silence Death Aura' was about to emerge.
During evening self-study that day, because Huo Feng's aura was so overpowering, the circle of sons sitting around him didn't dare to talk to him.
As his deskmate, Pan Bo felt like he was sitting on pins and needles next to Huo Feng, wishing he could raise his hand to switch seats and get farther away from that deathly aura.
Brother Feng was really acting weird today!
The person who usually secretly played 'Honor of Kings' during evening self-study was actually reading a book today.
However, after two whole class periods, he hadn't turned a single page in the book.
When the third class period came around, Pan Bo boldly stretched out a hand and helped Huo Feng turn a page.
That action finally got some reaction out of Huo Feng.
Huo Feng took a deep breath, exhaled long, and sighed, "Damn... I can't concentrate at all."
Seeing that Huo Feng wasn't about to explode, Pan Bo dared to ask cautiously, "Brother Feng, are you really reading?"
Huo Feng had actually wanted to transform his grief into motivation, to give himself a try at accepting Tsinghua's challenge.
But, after trying for an entire evening, he didn't know where his gaze or heart had wandered off to.
It was indeed a wild fantasy.
How could he, such a poor student, ever have the 'Courage' to set his sights on Tsinghua?
Huo Feng felt utterly at his wit's end and said with a vacant look, "Do you think my chances of getting into Tsinghua are high?"
"Pfft..."
Pan Bo almost laughed out loud without any mercy.
The only reason he didn't succeed in laughing was because Huo Feng gave him a look that could have turned him to ash.
Pan Bo coughed and quickly straightened up, "Well, here's the thing, Brother Feng. If you want to apply for Tsinghua, you'd better transfer schools right now to Altay No. 2 High School in Xinjiang."
Huo Feng seemed to see a glimmer of hope, his dark eyes flickered, "What do you mean?"
"At Altay No. 2 High School, Xinjiang, 338 points gets you into Tsinghua!" Pan Bo said with an unchanged expression.
This was a joke Pan Bo saw online, about a boy who transferred to a school in Xinjiang to chase after a girl, aiming for Tsinghua.
Of course... it was just a joke.
Who would believe such an absurdly low score could get you into Tsinghua except a fool.
Yet Huo Feng seemed to take it seriously, hastily widening his eyes and instructing, "Check out the admissions information for this school right away. I'm going to talk to my dad about transferring to Xinjiang afterwards. Hurry up!"
"..."
Pan Bo was so frightened by Huo Feng's reaction that his mouth fell open.
Is Brother Feng an idiot? He believes this crap?
Huo Feng not only believed it, but he was also quite serious, "If I transfer to Xinjiang, I'll leave Sangzhi in your care for these next few years. Cut off every peach blossom around her, warn anyone who dares to pursue her, of course, none of you guys should set your sights on her either! Daddy's going to study at Tsinghua and wait for her!"
Only then did Pan Bo realize that the very object bringing Brother Feng's IQ to a halt... was Pu Sangzhi!
It's said that when people fall in love, they become dumber. Brother Feng really couldn't escape this saying.
No, this isn't just Brother Feng being dumb, he's completely lost his mind!
Pan Bo was almost too embarrassed to remind him, it was a joke!
"However, this school in Xinjiang or something, I don't know what its school spirit is like? If I go there alone..." Huo Feng had already started to think deeply about it with utter seriousness.
Pan Bo really couldn't stand it any longer and patted his arm hurriedly, admitting embarrassingly, "Brother Feng, Brother Feng, don't think too much. What I just told you was a joke I saw on the internet, don't believe it..."
"A joke..."
Huo Feng almost didn't catch his breath.
After a silent second, he raised his hand and slapped it onto the back of Pan Bo's head, "Are you f*cking playing me? You looking to die?"
The classroom, which had been very quiet, suddenly reverberated with Huo Feng's angered words.
All the students in the classroom couldn't help but look at Huo Feng, even the class discipline committee took a glance in his direction, but no one dared to stop Huo Feng.
Pan Bo both gave Brother Feng hope and then smacked it to pieces; now being beaten by Brother Feng like this, he pretty much deserved it, and he admitted his guilt.
However, Brother Feng's serious attitude seemed to give Pan Bo a bit of a realization.
Pan Bo rubbed the back of his head where he had been slapped and asked, "Brother Feng, are you saying she shut you out because of Tsinghua's threshold?"
At Pan Bo's question, all the classmates perked up their ears to listen.
Huo Feng's nine sidekicks also turned their gazes to Huo Feng, extremely concerned about the matter.
Huo Feng didn't mind everyone's attention; instead, he slapped the desk with the back of his hand, as if addressing the whole class, "Listen up, I, Huo Feng, have taken a liking to Sangzhi from Class 1. For her, I, Huo Feng, am willing to do anything. Even if I can't have her now, I won't allow anyone to sneak in between us. Whoever dares to make a move on Pu Sangzhi, I, Huo Feng, will not let you off easily!"
He said these harsh words as a warning to everyone in the class.
Huo Feng believed that after making this declaration, it wouldn't be long before the whole first year would know, and possibly even the entire school would be aware.
Huo Feng had to plan ahead; he had to draw a circle around Pu Sangzhi, locking her into his own world, and not allow others to covet her.
After that, he could make his plans with peace of mind.
He thought about how he could possibly... get into Tsinghua.
Huo Feng conceded defeat.
Even though he was well aware of his own capabilities, even though he knew Tsinghua was a wild dream for him... he still had to try.
After all, didn't they say that the loved one has nothing to fear? How could Huo Feng refuse her high standards?
"Brother Feng, so Tsinghua is..." Pan Bo still wanted to confirm if it was because of Tsinghua that he was going insane.
Then, Huo Feng huffed heavily, "Who made me fancy good students? Shouldn't I set the same goal as her?"
Pan Bo's mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg.
His inner thoughts screamed: Holy shit... that's Tsinghua, Brother Feng!
*
That same evening, during self-study, in the same school building but in Class 1's classroom, Pu Sangzhi was indeed working hard for Tsinghua.
Huo Mingshan was very responsible towards her, to the point that in addition to the heavy course load, he also brought her test papers from other provinces to do more practice and learn more.
Thus, Sangzhi's homework load was heavier than that of the other students.
But Sangzhi was truly intelligent.
With double the workload, it didn't take her much time at all; even papers that others couldn't finish in three classes, she could swiftly complete in one.
Usually in the second period of evening self-study, she did the test papers from other provinces assigned by Huo Mingshan, and in the third period, she previewed the next day's textbook.
Her deskmate, Yao Meimei, typically started frantically copying her homework during the third period, since when faced with the verge of collapse, it's hard for most people to resist the temptation of ready answers.
That day, when Yao Meimei opened Sangzhi's Chinese textbook, she accidentally discovered a pink envelope.
On the outside of the envelope, written in shining, graceful characters was: A Letter for You, Huo Feng.
Yao Meimei's mouth dropped open in surprise, her eyes filled with temptation. She nudged Sangzhi with her elbow, "Can I... read this?"
Sangzhi, who was flipping through a textbook, glanced sideways and unexpectedly saw the love letter she had hidden away, not wanting anyone to see it.
Her face reddened instantly, and she quickly retrieved it and stuffed it into her backpack.
Yao Meimei looked on regretfully, shaking Sangzhi's arm, "I want to see, I want to see... Sangzhi."
Sangzhi refused, "No."
Ever since she received that love letter, she had hidden it in her Chinese textbook, kept it hidden for so long she had forgotten to throw it away in a place where no one could find it.
And now, quire coincidentally, someone else had stumbled upon it.
Sangzhi didn't want anyone to know that Huo Feng liked her, although Huo Feng had already been making it obvious for an entire day...
Yao Meimei asked, "So it's true that Huo Feng is pursuing you? I always thought it was just a rumor..."
Sangzhi's expression darkened, "He has already given up. There won't be such things in the future."