Chapter 016: The Wager

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On Sunday morning, after Yang Tian finished his martial arts practice and rested for a while, he took his badminton racket and went downstairs to Huang Juan’s dorm to play badminton with her. Huang Juan had always been frail—her tendency to get carsick was proof enough. So, after being reborn, Yang Tian resolved to change all that and help Huang Juan become stronger.

Back in Great Willow Village, Yang Tian and Huang Juan had played badminton together before. With his skilled technique and endless patience, Yang Tian always guided her, making every match a joy for her. Now, whenever badminton was mentioned, she would be filled with excitement. Soon, she emerged from the dormitory dressed in loose, floral-patterned clothes.

“You’re up so early? I thought you’d still be sleeping in!” Huang Juan said openly, taking Yang Tian’s hand as they walked to the west corner of the playground. The two of them began volleying the shuttlecock back and forth, the autumn breeze gently blowing, mingling with their cheerful laughter.

“From now on, let’s play badminton together every Sunday and during every PE class, shall we?” Yang Tian didn’t answer her question directly but smiled as he spoke. Besides exercising, he had also quietly studied nutrition, planning to reshape Huang Juan’s health and happiness over the next three years.

“Sure! But if our classes get too busy, can we skip? Like today, can we just play for half an hour? There’s a placement test tonight, so we should save some time to review,” Huang Juan replied with a cheerful smile, her dimples appearing, then she frowned slightly.

“Even though we used to live in the countryside and now in this poor little town, our vision must reach far. We’re at a stage of growth—studying is important, but so is physical exercise. Both require perseverance above anything else, so we mustn’t let anything interrupt our training. Do you understand?” Yang Tian spoke calmly, like an experienced elder advising a younger girl.

Huang Juan was momentarily stunned, surprised by his maturity. Over the past few years, Yang Tian had given her countless surprises—traits she’d never noticed in the nine years before. She vaguely felt that Yang Tian wasn’t just a peer but someone with great ambition and composure—a big brother figure admired by children.

“So, what are your thoughts on tonight’s exam? We’re strong in Chinese and math, but English is our weakness. I’m afraid we kids from the countryside will end up in the back row again,” Huang Juan said as she played, her tone showing she trusted Yang Tian’s judgment.

“In my opinion, English won’t be the key in this placement test. Teacher Bao surely knows that if the test focuses on English, it would unfairly disadvantage students from the countryside, which would defeat the purpose of the placement and fuel disputes over seating. So, Chinese and math are what matter in this test,” Yang Tian replied, feigning a guess. In truth, he already remembered the content from before his rebirth.

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“Really? You’re that certain?” Huang Juan squinted with a smile, pretending to doubt but inwardly full of trust.

“It’s just a guess. If I’m right, the Chinese exam will be an 800-character essay about our feelings after entering middle school, and the math test will use elementary school Olympiad questions. As long as we focus our review there, we’ll do well,” Yang Tian said with a faint smile.

“You make sense, but that’s still just your guess. We’ll only know for sure tonight!” Huang Juan thought for a moment, then swung her racket for a smash.

“It’s not just a simple guess. When you get back to the dorm, don’t tell anyone else and review accordingly. With your foundation, you’ll definitely get into the top three in the class,” Yang Tian replied easily, stoking her enthusiasm for the game.

“Xiao Tian, you sound so confident! But what if things don’t go as you say?” Huang Juan teased, her dimples deepening, her eyes bright and lively.

“Then let’s make a bet!” Yang Tian chuckled, knowing she believed him but wanted to play along.

“Alright! What should we bet?” At the mention of a bet, Huang Juan perked up. Back in Great Willow Village, they often made bets. Even though she always lost to Yang Tian, she loved the thrill.

“How about this: If I win, you have to listen to me more in the future. If I lose, I’ll do whatever you say. How’s that?” Yang Tian thought of taking advantage but in the end made a simple, old-fashioned wager—he wanted her to be happy, not to take advantage of her.

“That’s no fun at all! Let’s do it this way: If you win, I’ll give you a kiss. If you lose, I get to twist your arm!” Huang Juan declared, pouting, her face turning red at the mention of a kiss, even at twelve.

“That’s not good—twisting arms hurts!” Yang Tian frowned, but his heart skipped a beat. If he agreed, her kiss would be within reach.

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“Too bad! I’m going to review just as you said. If the test isn’t like you predicted, you’d better be ready for a swollen arm!” Huang Juan stamped her foot, handed her racket back to Yang Tian, and dashed back to the dormitory.

Watching her hurried figure and the blush rising up her neck, Yang Tian could only shake his head and smile. In his more than twenty years before being reborn, he’d never received a kiss from his childhood fiancée. It seemed this time, both of them would be giving away their precious first kiss.

Back in the dorm, Chen Ming was still studying his English dictionary. Yang Tian quietly shared his conversation with Huang Juan. Honest Chen Ming believed him, seeing Yang Tian wasn’t joking, and immediately crammed for the composition about entering middle school and reviewed elementary school Olympiad math questions.

Chen Ming had actually won awards in math Olympiads during elementary school and still had a problem book, which now came in handy.

For students, the time spent reviewing always flew by quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was Sunday night and the placement test began—a one-hour Chinese test, followed by ninety minutes of math and thirty minutes of English.

Everything happened just as Yang Tian had said: the Chinese test was indeed a composition about their feelings upon entering middle school, the math test was made up of elementary-level Olympiad questions to assess their mathematical talent, and the English test was a simple dictation of letters, words, and greetings.

Huang Juan and Chen Ming were both delighted, as was Sun Hui and the others who had managed to get the questions early from the teacher. The rest of the class, however, was in an uproar—none of this had been expected.

As for Yang Tian, he answered the questions with the calm composure of a college graduate.

P.S. The novel has been recommended! There will be an extra chapter tomorrow. Please vote and add to your favorites—thank you!