Start as a top student after transmigrating.

In Han Ning'er's room next door, the lights were also on.

"Finally, it's all up."

Han Ning'er was also preparing a birthday gift for Chen Dong. Like Ye Wanwan, she chose to make it by hand instead of buying it directly.

Her gift was a photo album, containing both pictures and text, recording every little detail of her and Chen Dong's relationship since they met.

2002 7 Month 6 Day.

"Today is the first day I met you, and also the first time I've ever been to an internet cafe. You taught me how to play games and how to forget my troubles. When you found out I was unhappy because of my birthday, you even bought me a cake."

"I know you don't have money, and the way you and your friends pooled your money was so funny, yet it made me feel so warm."

The text was accompanied by a picture, which clearly showed a group of blond-haired young men in an internet cafe, pooling together 30 or 50 yuan to make money, a typical example of young men with a lot of youthful energy.

They couldn't even find a few dollars in their pockets.

But the scene was also so heartwarming, showing someone willing to give everything for their friends.

"The cake was small, but I was very happy for my birthday. You even smeared cake on my face when I wasn't looking. No one has ever dared to 'bully' me like that..."

"I'm not having it, so I'll smear your face like a little kitten. Look, isn't the little kitten pathetic?"

The next picture shows people blowing out candles and eating cake. To be precise, they weren't eating, but rather playing around and laughing. Everyone in the picture is smiling very happily.

2002 9 Month 1 Day.

"Today we're middle school students! On my first day of school, I was bullied, and you stood in front of me without saying a word. There were so many people in front of us, how could you be so stupid? Look at your pig head, don't you look like a stupid pig?"

The next picture shows Han Ning'er putting a band-aid on Chen Dong's face. The band-aid couldn't cover the bruises, and the face looked swollen and ugly.

On the evening of December 1, 2002.

"You never suffer a loss, and after getting beaten up, you went to Xiao Mo to retaliate. You're all idiots, afraid of nothing for me. What do I have to be afraid of? This is my first time fighting..."

The reputation of the Three Ruthless Heroes was beginning to emerge.

On the evening of December 31, 2002.

"Finally, someone's here to celebrate New Year's Eve with me! The fireworks were so beautiful..."

The photos included pictures of fireworks and a photo of her with Chen Dong, one of her reluctantly being dragged into a photo by a smiling girl.

2003 2 Month 26 Day.

"You said your birthday wasn't anything special, that the world wouldn't give you an extra second for it, but when the cake was placed in front of you, you couldn't help but smile. I don't know what you wished for then, but I just wanted to give you a cake every year on this day and celebrate your birthday with you..."

There was a photo of Chen Dong blowing out candles, and another photo of Han Ning'er smiling at him.

2203 7 Month 5 Day.

"Today is my birthday, and you said you would spend every birthday with me."

2004...

2005 October.

We've graduated.

There was no class graduation photo, only a photo of Chen Dong and Han Ning'er together, captioned, "We've been together for three years, and I hope there will be countless more three-year periods in the future, and we'll never be separated."

2005 10 Month 1 Day.

"Today is National Day, and I wanted to ask you guys out, but you said you wanted to go on a date and told me not to get too close to you in the future. You stinky Dong-ge, you bad Dong-ge, you big bastard."

There were no accompanying pictures, only Han Ning'er's angry words.

2005 12 Month 7 Day.

"You got into a fight, but this time it wasn't to protect me. There was another girl by your side, but I'll still fight alongside you without hesitation."

This time there are pictures showing Chen Dong with bruises all over his face, yet still grinning foolishly at a girl. Only the girl's back is visible, but it's not hard to guess who she is.

"You've completely severed ties with me, and we've ultimately drifted apart... I'm sorry, I couldn't keep you..."

Below this text is a picture of Han Ning'er turning around, her back blurred, and you can almost see her red eyes.

2005 12 Month 9 Day.

"The alcohol today is so strong, it's made me speechless. The cigarette is so pungent, it's making my eyes water... I feel like the world has abandoned me again, and I've become all alone..."

"You scoundrel Dong-ge, I'm granting your wish to leave Qingjiang Middle School. Will you still miss me?"

……

2005 12 Month 31 Day.

"No one's with me to celebrate New Year's Eve. The fireworks are beautiful, but I feel so lonely..."

It was the same place for New Year's Eve celebrations, but this time I was all alone, watching the fireworks in full bloom. The splendor of the sky and the emptiness on the ground created a stark contrast.

2006 2 Month 15 Day.

"Another birthday has come again, Dong-ge. I'm sorry, I broke my promise and couldn't be with you for your birthday."

The accompanying picture shows Han Ning'er secretly watching Chen Dong from afar.

2006 October.

"Brother Dong, they're so annoying. I couldn't help but beat them up. Don't worry, I'm fine. It's just that... it's just that no one is cleaning my wounds."

2006 October.

"Dong-ge, you broke your promise too. You said you'd spend every birthday with me, and I foolishly waited for you until dawn..."

The accompanying photo shows Han Ning'er holding her phone, sitting alone in a corner of the rooftop.

2006 October.

"Dong-ge, I got into another fight. I miss you so much..."

……

2007 12 Month 6 Day.

"Xiao Mo told me that you gave up on her. My first reaction was not happiness or excitement, but sadness. You gambled so much, but you still lost."

"Dong-ge, I hope you can win, even if it costs me."

September 9, 2007, evening.

"I mustered up my courage and came to Qingjiang Middle School. This time, I wasn't just secretly watching you from afar. I stood right across the street, looking at you, and you saw me."

"The moment you walked towards me, I felt as if I could hear my own heartbeat."

"When you said 'I'm sorry' to me, I stopped in my tracks. At that moment, loneliness and grievance welled up in my heart, but then quickly dissipated."

"My name is Han Ning'er, Chen Dong's younger sister."

"This time, let's not get separated again."

Future: To be continued...

……

The album was small and couldn't hold too many things, but it was also large, containing the friendship she and Chen Dong had built over the years, making it a very meaningful 18th birthday gift.

"Dong-ge, I hope you like it."

Han Ning'er flipped through the photo album she had made herself, her face full of smiles. She turned to the last page, waiting to see what the future held.

She put a lot of effort into this photo album, searching through her entire social media feed to find the photos she couldn't find. There were sweet and cheerful moments, as well as some sad ones.

But the ending was good, and I hope the future will be even better.

slap~

Closing the photo album, Han Ning'er glanced at the time and realized it was almost 2 a.m., but her face showed no signs of weariness or fatigue, only tender happiness and anticipation in her eyes.

No longer staying up late, Han Ning'er carefully put away the photo album full of memories, tiptoed to open the door, and prepared to go to the bathroom before going to sleep.

Stepping out of the room, she found it completely quiet. Not daring to make a loud noise, she tiptoed towards the toilet, feeling somewhat guilty, like a thief.

"Crunch."

Suddenly, a soft sound came from Ye Wanwan's room. The door was gently opened, and Ye Wanwan cautiously peeked out.

In an instant, their eyes met, and they both froze in shock.

"You're still awake?"

Han Ning'er broke the silence first, asking a slightly awkward question.

"Sister Han, aren't you asleep yet?"

Ye Wanwan asked almost immediately afterward.

After saying that, the two of them felt a little awkward again.

"I did a practice test and didn't pay attention to the time. Before I knew it, it was this late." Han Ning'er quickly made up an excuse. Preparing a gift was a somewhat private matter, and she was inevitably nervous, especially if she might be discovered.

"I... I'm doing practice problems too." Ye Wanwan rarely lies, but she made an exception this time.

"Haha, we're so competitive, even the most competitive student at No. 1 High School isn't as competitive as us." Han Ning'er suddenly chuckled upon hearing this.

She was faking it; Ye Wanwan was genuinely diligent. She had to attend early morning self-study at 6:30 and dared to study until 2:00 AM. That's incredibly diligent.

Little did Ye Wanwan know that she also admired Han Ning'er. There was a reason why she was able to turn from a poor student to a top student. Her perseverance in learning deserved her success.

Do you need to use the restroom?

Han Ning'er pointed to the toilet and asked.

"Okay, I'm going to sleep now," Ye Wanwan replied. She had almost finished knitting and should be able to finish it by working overtime tomorrow night, so she wasn't planning to stay up all night.

"Then you go first." Han Ning'er gestured for Ye Wanwan to go first.

"Sister Han, you go ahead." Ye Wanwan didn't leave the room.

Han Ning'er didn't stand on ceremony anymore; it was no need for such a small matter. She quickly finished using the restroom, came out, and smiled at Ye Wanwan, "Get some rest, goodnight."

"Okay, goodnight, Sister Han." Ye Wanwan nodded.

……

early morning.

The two women looked sleepy and listless, leaving Chen Dong puzzled when he saw them.

"What's going on? It seems like you guys haven't been sleeping well these past few days. Is the pressure of the second semester of senior year really that great?" Chen Dong asked, puzzled.

"You don't understand."

Han Ning'er shook her head, naturally not explaining the reason. Instead, she teased Chen Dong, "I heard from Ye Zi that you sleep at school. You're the only one in the class with the privilege of sleeping. Can your mental state compare to ours?"

"There's nothing I can do, I'm number one in the city." Chen Dong shrugged. Good grades, is it my fault?

"Don't be smug. Shanshan is a super genius. She won't give up easily. She didn't even know you existed before the first mock exam. The second mock exam is your peak competition."

Thinking about how Jing Shanshan seemed obsessed with studying Chen Dong, she was worried about both Jing Shanshan and Chen Dong.

When two tigers fight, one will surely be injured.

"I will stand at the summit and see how you view this battle. Whether it's Shanshan or either of you, whoever can dethrone me from my supreme and invincible position, I will do as you please," Chen Dong said arrogantly, exuding a chuunibyou (adolescent delusions of grandeur) aura.

"Ye Zi and I don't have much of a chance, but Shan Shan is different. I'll pass on your message," Han Ning'er said with a smile, seemingly finding herself much more energetic after chatting with Chen Dong for a while.

Without further ado, I waved goodbye and headed to school.

"Get in the car."

Chen Dong tilted his head to signal Ye Wanwan to get in the car.

"oh."

Ye Wanwan got into the car as instructed.

Chen Dong turned on the switch and headed straight for Qingjiang Middle School, asking along the way, "What are you two doing? You always look sleepy-eyed every morning. Didn't you sleep last night?"

"She's asleep," Ye Wanwan replied.

"And you all look exhausted, with dark circles under your eyes that could make you look like a national treasure. You wouldn't be secretly working behind our backs to try and seize my throne, would you?" Chen Dong speculated.

"Mmm." Ye Wanwan blinked playfully. Since Brother Dong had already guessed that, how could she contradict him?

"It's useless. You can't catch up to the number one in the martial arts world just by working hard. Geniuses are indeed composed of 99 percent effort and 1 percent talent, but without that 1 percent, you're nothing."

Chen Dong looked proud.

Ye Wanwan chuckled to herself from behind.

……