Age of Legends

Chapter 272 Back then
But in the end, they still couldn't do anything to the two of them. Instead, they had to go into the temple with them and throw coins into the pond together. Just as Shen Nuoyi and Zhang Chen's coins were about to fall into the same spot, Wang Shuowei's coin wobbled from the side and blocked them, stirring up the water so that they landed on opposite sides. Wang Shuowei even shouted "Yay!" "Blocking successful!"

You intercepted a ballistic missile, so excited!
But it is still pleasant in the end. Listening to the wind under the pine trees, watching the scenery among the fallen leaves, and having people by your side in the ethereal fragrance of Buddhist and Taoist temples. This is the little happiness that books talk about.

The two "sticky dogs" still gave them some space to be alone: ​​when they closed their eyes and touched the Buddhist characters in the temple, when they rested on the wooden bench and watched the fish in the water tank next to them, and when Wang Shuowei and Zheng Xue went to feed the stray cats with the biscuits and bread they brought with them. Zhang Chen and Shen Nuoyi could talk a lot.

But often the two don't talk much; instead, they sometimes quietly appreciate each other.

"Your perfect essay last time was really well written. I was actually a little unconvinced and even a little jealous at the time," Shen Nuo said, glancing over as she looked at the fish.

Zhang Chen was slightly taken aback; she hadn't expected her to be so frank.

envy?

But thinking about it, it makes sense. Shen Nuoyi has always written very well, and her essays have often been read aloud as model examples for the whole class. Zhang Chen remembers one of her essays about her maternal grandmother. It was a routine essay, yet it conveyed a deep sense of affection and closeness between her and her grandmother, with a calm yet insightful tone. It's a pity it wasn't a mock exam, otherwise she might have gotten a high score.

For someone who occasionally writes sentimental pieces, it's natural to feel ashamed when seeing towering mountains.

Zhang Chen felt ashamed. His essay, based on two lifetimes, was essentially cheating. Come to think of it, Zhang Chen wouldn't have known about this if she hadn't mentioned it. This girl was actually secretly jealous of him. Interesting. You look like a female knight-errant, but I couldn't tell at all.

At this point, she might feel better if she said something like, "It was just a coincidence."

"It's okay, keep trying, who knows when you might catch up with me a little bit," Zhang Chen said shamelessly.

"Tch! You're really not being polite." Shen Nuo frowned, but then said dejectedly, "However... I also thought it was a coincidence. I've read all your essays since then, and they're all quite good. They're definitely not as good as mine for now."

See? The difference between top students and ordinary people is clear. Top students like Shen Nuoyi are more aware of themselves. If they can't compete, they can't compete. They know their shame and then strive to improve. Ordinary people, on the other hand, just stubbornly insist on it, so they are prone to crashing into an impenetrable wall and getting crushed.

"So what? You didn't know when you secretly read my essays?" Zhang Chen smiled.

“Sometimes the teacher will ask someone to help grade the papers, or to carry the papers around. And when the test papers are handed out, you can ask Wang Shuowei to review them and check the answers. He would never report these little things to you.” Shen Nuoyi said somewhat embarrassedly.

Zhang Chen suddenly realized that she could picture Wang Shuowei handing her the test papers after they were handed out, or taking a look at his test paper while she was moving things in the classroom or office.

Xiao Shen, the way you look like a thief is so vivid!

"You used to be so clueless, but now you seem completely different. Is this what they call a boy growing up?"

"I'm just like you, I suddenly woke up. I can't stay in a daze like before, otherwise I won't be able to get into university... And so far, I still can't beat you academically." Zhang Chen smiled.

There's one more thing I haven't mentioned. If it weren't for this, the two of us wouldn't be where we are now. In fact, we had already drifted apart back then. Under the pressure of senior year, facing the impending turning point in our lives, and amidst the uncertainty of the future, we were caught in the torrent of fate, struggling and gasping for breath, barely able to take care of ourselves.

Zhang Chen's current composure is largely due to his ability to handle the disturbances around him after his rebirth.

Without those changes, she probably wouldn't have discovered his strengths. So now, they are still like two intersecting line segments that meet but don't overlap.

"It's okay, keep trying, who knows when you might catch up with me a little bit." Shen Nuo put her hands on her hips, glanced at him sideways, and mimicked Zhang Chen's boastful words. Her delicate nose was adorned with the slivers of light from the pines, making her look lively and pretty. Zhang Chen looked at the path they had climbed and said, "Speaking of which, I remembered when we used to climb mountains together, you treated us to ice cream and water."

Shen Nuoyi paused slightly, looked at him, her eyes darting away to the side, "You still remember this..."

“Of course,” Zhang Chen said earnestly. “Do you know what our impression of you was back then?”

"A fairy maiden, a kind-hearted, lovely, and benevolent beauty?" Shen Nuo blinked and unabashedly showered Zhang Chen with praise, while her pretty eyes glanced at him with interest.

"How can you talk such nonsense!" Zhang Chen's lips twitched. "So narcissistic."

Shen Nuoyi couldn't help but laugh and punched his arm hard a few times.

She continued with the same movements as always; it must have hurt a lot when she used to hit and kick people like this when she was little.

"What is that?" she asked, staring at him with a half-smile.

"This woman is really rich!"

Zhang Chen said, and then immediately said, "Hey hey hey! Be gentle, be gentle!" to block Shen Nuoyi's swinging hammer and elbow strikes.

But it's true. Back then, a bottle of mineral water cost two yuan, and double that on the mountain. An ice pop cost five mao at the foot of the mountain, but two yuan on the mountain. He was lucky to get ten yuan from his parents to go out and play, let alone cover travel expenses and saving money to play games with Wang Shuowei afterwards. Why drink bottled water while hiking? Just find a place with a mountain spring and drink your fill!
Bottled water and popsicles were luxuries. Little did they know that the mountain spring had dried up that time, and he and Wang Shuowei hadn't brought any water with them. They were so thirsty that their throats were parched. But unexpectedly, Shen Nuoyi bought a case of mineral water from a local stall selling water along the way, and then at an intersection, each of his friends who had climbed up gave him a bottle.

She stood there, a water tank at her feet. When Zhang Chen and Wang Shuowei climbed up, she handed him a bottle of water, the wind ruffling her hair. At that moment, looking at her, words like "fairy," "kind-hearted," and "cute" paled in comparison.

I couldn't bring myself to say those compliments back then, and now, even though I'm standing right in front of her, I still can't bring myself to say them.

However, the stirrings of a young heart are like the free-flowing wind in the forest, the wildly growing grass in the midsummer fields, and the clear springs in the snow-capped mountains. They are not so grand and are easily overlooked, but they contain all the vitality and excitement of this planet.

From then on, in those afternoon shadows and dappled years, the image of a young girl appeared in his eyes, becoming an obsession for a long time afterward, making the years carry a heavy burden and make him stumble along.

"Actually, I'm not as rich as you think." After pausing for a moment, Shen Nuoyi continued, "The money my dad gave me for treating you guys still cost a lot of the activity funds he gave me that day."

"That's all thanks to your generosity, boss," Zhang Chen said with a smile.

Shen Nuo's face suddenly turned bright red.

"Actually... I saw you and Wang Shuowei falling behind, and I saw how thirsty you were."

"But if I buy water separately, I don't know what kind of trouble they'll cause... So, I bought a case... to distribute to you on the way."

As Shen Nuoyi spoke, her gaze fell upon Zhang Chen, who was suddenly stunned in a distorted time and space.

(End of this chapter)