Chapter 24: The Loser Has to Bark Like a Dog

Tian Jiaojiao seemed to notice this situation as well, feeling a mixture of delight and indignation.

She was delighted that Chu Nan had ignored He Qianqian, but indignant that this guy had ignored her as well. Had he forgotten their original agreement? She believed that as long as she helped him pursue He Qianqian, he should be grateful to her; even if he failed, he still owed her his gratitude. In her mind, she, Tian Jiaojiao, was Chu Nan’s great benefactor, and he should listen to her at all times. To think that Chu Nan had forgotten this agreement in the blink of an eye was simply infuriating. She would settle this with him sooner or later!

Chu Nan, however, was not thinking about any of that. He had no idea the internal monologue of these two was so dramatic, and even if he did, he would likely just brush it off with a smile.

When Chu Nan entered the classroom, the first person his eyes sought was Jiang Yuwei. While everyone else in the class looked up at him, she remained quiet, head bowed over her book as always. She was still the same Jiang Yuwei he knew—cool, intelligent, and indifferent, not sparing him a single glance. Yet, for some reason—perhaps because he had borrowed her notebook—this girl held a strange attraction for him. Of course, this attraction was more of an appreciation, a "look but do not touch" attitude, unlike Zhou Xiaonan and Huang Jingjing, whom he felt a primal urge toward whenever he saw them.

"Old Chu, you're finally back! Do you have any idea how miserable I've been these past few days?" his seatmate, Yang Jingtian, suddenly complained.

Chu Nan frowned. "What’s so miserable about it? Did Long Junhao and Luo Xiang bully you again?"

"Not really," Yang Jingtian said, looking at Chu Nan with a smitten expression and leaning his entire body toward him. "I just feel like my life loses its color without you."

"Get lost! I’m not into guys!" Chu Nan pushed him away with a look of disgust.

Yang Jingtian chuckled. "What kind of guy are you talking about?"

Chu Nan figured this guy must have been reading too much smut lately and was clearly unwell. If he remembered correctly, the copy of *A-Bin* he had was actually passed to him by this very person.

"Oh, look, Chu Nan! Feeling better? Already discharged from the hospital?" A sharp, grating voice suddenly sounded by his ear.

Chu Nan didn't need to look up to know who it was; the guy’s voice was just too unpleasant.

"What’s the matter, Zhang Hao? Not happy that I’m out?" Chu Nan didn't even lift his eyelids.

"How could I not be happy? Congratulations on your discharge. But I have some unfortunate news for you." Zhang Hao leaned one hand on the desk, staring at Chu Nan with a gloating expression.

Many people nearby heard this and couldn't help but look over out of curiosity.

Chu Nan chuckled. "What unfortunate news? Let’s hear it."

"Are you playing dumb, or are you really that slow, Chu Nan? You’ve been in the hospital for half a month, and we have only seventeen days left until the college entrance exam. You’ve effectively wasted half a month. You know your grades aren't exactly stellar to begin with. Tsk tsk, I don't even dare to imagine your results. I mean, even I wouldn't dare skip reviewing for half a month right before the exam..." Zhang Hao said, looking at a boy nearby. "Right, Lu Xiuyang?"

"Yeah, exactly!"

This Lu Xiuyang usually hung around Zhang Hao, and the two were on decent terms. However, Chu Nan vaguely remembered that near their graduation, Lu Xiuyang and Zhang Hao would end up in a brawl, the reason being that Zhang Hao had stolen Lu Xiuyang's girlfriend. It was the only thing that had left a deep impression on Chu Nan back then, and if his memory served him right, that incident was only a few days away.

Chu Nan suddenly felt that Lu Xiuyang was quite pitiful. You treat him like a brother, and he goes after your girlfriend...

Seeing the two of them egging each other on, Chu Nan laughed. "It seems like you'd be very happy if I failed the exam. No, wait, why is your heart so dark? We’re classmates, after all. I wish you an extraordinary performance on the exam, so why are you hoping for my demise?"

Zhang Hao’s expression changed instantly. "Don't spout nonsense, Chu Nan. That’s not what I meant. I’m just stating the facts. Not reading for half a month will surely affect your exam. I genuinely hope you do well; this is just a friendly reminder. I hope you can accept reality!"

"How about this, Zhang Hao? Let’s make a bet."

"Bet... bet on what?" Zhang Hao asked, looking surprised.

Chu Nan smiled. "Let’s bet on whether I get into a first-tier university. If I make it into a first-tier school, you have to bark like a dog on the day we fill out our preferences. How about that?"

A "sinister" smile appeared on Zhang Hao’s face. "Fine! But if you lose, you have to bark like a dog too, and you have to crawl on the floor like one!"

Chu Nan chuckled. "You just said you hoped I’d do well, so why show your true colors so quickly?"

Zhang Hao’s expression soured. "You were the one who suggested the bet."

"Alright, remember the bet today. Don't be afraid to show up when you lose."

Zhang Hao sneered. "I think you’re the one who will be too afraid to show up when you lose."

"Alright, get lost and go play somewhere else. Looking at you ruins my mood."

"I don't want to look at you either! Acting all high and mighty!" Zhang Hao was furious; lately, just seeing this guy made his blood boil.

Chu Nan couldn't be bothered with him. This guy loved to seek validation by picking on him—was it really all for the sake of He Qianqian? Was it worth it? Besides, He Qianqian would never look twice at a fool like him. Chu Nan still couldn't understand how this guy, having just stolen Lu Xiuyang's girlfriend, dared to confess to He Qianqian before graduation. Was there something wrong with his brain? But Chu Nan had no interest in warning Lu Xiuyang; birds of a feather deserved to be beaten together.

"Old Chu, Old Chu, have you lost your mind? Why would you make that kind of bet with him?" As Chu Nan remained calm and collected, Yang Jingtian was panicking. What was Old Chu thinking? Daring to make a bet like that with Zhang Hao—the guy’s grades weren't even as good as his own!

Chu Nan raised an eyebrow. "Why shouldn't I make such a bet?"

"Don't you know your own limits? You, of all people, want to get into a first-tier school? Whether you can even get into a second-tier school is a question mark! Isn't this just sending yourself to your death?" Yang Jingtian looked at Chu Nan as if he were an idiot.

Chu Nan patted Yang Jingtian on the shoulder. "Old Yang, you have to believe in me. A first-tier university is mine."

"How is that possible? You..."

"Shh! Haven't you heard that the bird that doesn't sing, sings the loudest? Actually, I’m a genius. For the past few years, I’ve been keeping a low profile just to shock everyone at the college entrance exam. Old Yang, you need to work harder, too; don't fall behind my pace!" Chu Nan suddenly feigned the air of a reclusive master.

"You... would it kill you not to brag?"

"Heh, whether I’m bragging or not, you’ll understand after the exam." Chu Nan left Yang Jingtian with a mysterious smile.

Seeing that smile, Yang Jingtian suddenly felt a sense of unease. Thinking about it, Old Chu had changed significantly lately. Not only had his style of speaking changed, but his way of handling things had as well. What bothered Yang Jingtian the most was that the usually timid and dull Chu Nan hadn't panicked at all when facing thugs like Long Junhao and Luo Xiang. That was simply not something the old Chu Nan could have done. Even if a person changed, could they really change this much?

"Could this guy have been hiding his true strength all these years?" For a moment, a sense of urgency welled up in Yang Jingtian's heart.