Golden September.
The fragrance of osmanthus wafted in waves as the north wind blew towards the distance. The summer heat lingered, but the morning breeze already carried a hint of coolness.
The sun still shone brightly, but its light cast on the walls had turned pale. Autumn had stripped away summer's passion, calming the restlessness in people's hearts.
Huo Guining officially became a middle school student.
As with every previous school start, Huo Xiaozheng personally escorted her to school.
Fortunately, Huo Guining was tall for her age, so she didn't stand out too much among the group of middle schoolers.
The middle school section was only separated from her former elementary section by a playground, so Huo Guining didn't feel out of place.
After Huo Xiaozheng left, the homeroom teacher entered the classroom, introduced Huo Guining with emphasis, and urged everyone to take good care of the young girl.
The classmates widened their eyes in surprise, their gazes a mix of astonishment and care.
In the unfamiliar environment, Huo Guining was slow to warm up.
After politely introducing herself, she sat up straight with a serious expression.
Seeing her aloof demeanor, her classmates didn't actively approach her.
Huo Guining didn't seem to mind this.
Lion's art exhibition was set to begin its tour next month, so she planned to complete her schoolwork in class and devote herself wholeheartedly to painting during her free time.
When the results of the placement test were announced soon after, Huo Guining secured the top position.
The homeroom teacher asked her to share her study methods with the class.
Huo Guining didn't hold back. After sharing her usual study tips, she concluded, "Actually, I've already gone through the middle school curriculum during the summer vacation with the help of a tutor."
"So, the current courses are not learning for me, but review."
"You can try this method too. It makes classes much easier."
Huo Guining finished speaking, politely bowed, and ended her talk.
The classroom fell into silence, then erupted into thunderous applause.
Huo Guining became famous overnight.
In October, Huo Guining, accompanied by Huo Xiaozheng, began the city art exhibition tour with Lion.
The father and daughter only arrived in each city for the opening days of the exhibition, leaving when it ended.
During this time, Lion introduced Huo Guining to many renowned artists.
Over the three months, Huo Guining felt like a sponge, soaking up knowledge.
The last exhibition was in South City.
Huo Guining invited her family to attend.
On that day, Huo Guining had her long black hair pinned up, wearing a beige knit long dress with a white camellia at the chest that looked incredibly beautiful under the lights.
Old Master Huo watched her grow from a tiny tot into the graceful young lady she was today.
After the exhibition, the old master sighed, filled with emotion.
"I'm glad you've grown into who you are today. Grandpa is very proud. I hope in the future you'll continue to walk the path you want and spread your wings high."
Huo Guining smiled brightly: "Thank you, Grandpa."
Shortly after the exhibition ended, Huo Guining faced her end-of-term exams.
As expected, Huo Guining secured the top spot in her grade.
During her three years of middle school, Huo Guining took two years off to study art in Country E with Lion.
Huo Xiaozheng bought her a house in Country E, near the university where Lion taught.
Not only that, Huo Xiaozheng also shifted his work focus to Country E.
For those two years, he stayed with Huo Guining in Country E.
During school holidays, Huo Guining would return to China with Huo Xiaozheng.
After finishing middle school exams, Huo Guining unsurprisingly advanced directly to the high school section of her school.
That year, Huo Guining turned 13.
Huo Xiaozheng asked about Huo Guining's plans for high school.
Huo Guining had a clear goal: to enter a top domestic art university.
"You're not going to Lion's place?" Huo Xiaozheng asked.
Huo Guining shook her head: "After two years, I've learned most of what Lion can teach. Now, I want to study traditional Chinese painting."
Huo Xiaozheng didn't comment.
As she grew older, Guining's independence strengthened, and Huo Xiaozheng didn't interfere with her decisions.
Occasionally, when she was unsure, Huo Xiaozheng would advise her to try everything.
After all, with her father as a safety net, there was no cost to her trial and error.
Under Huo Xiaozheng's indulgence, Huo Guining grew increasingly confident and self-assured.
In her first year of high school, Huo Xiaozheng was still present for her first day.
By then, Guining had grown to 162cm tall.
Because she hadn't skipped grades in middle school, the age gap between Guining and her classmates wasn't too noticeable.
Due to Huo Guining's outstanding performance, the homeroom teacher approached her, hoping she would take on the role of vice class monitor.
Huo Guining, thinking of the many things she still wanted to do, refused without hesitation.
The homeroom teacher was a woman nearing 50, surnamed Zhang. She had shoulder-length short hair and unremarkable features, but when she smiled, she exuded a particularly strong sense of warmth.
She wasn't surprised by Huo Guining's attitude. Instead, she smiled and said, "Teacher knows you're an exceptionally talented girl. You skipped grades in elementary school, took two years off in middle school, and still managed to advance to the high school section with grades in the top ten of your year."
Huo Guining lowered her head without responding.
"But Guining, flowers bloom in their own time. In the most brilliant years of your youth, you should bloom fully. Don't be in a rush," Teacher Zhang said gently.
Huo Guining looked confused.
Teacher Zhang didn't elaborate further: "Take on the vice class monitor role for now. If there's anything you don't understand, you can discuss it with the class monitor."
Seeing her firm stance, Huo Guining couldn't refuse outright.
She secretly decided to give up the position after a while.
When Huo Guining returned to the classroom, her classmates were receiving new textbooks.
Huo Guining sat at the back of the classroom, in the third row by the window.
To her right was a girl with straight bangs named Chen Xi.
"Huo Guining, over here, I got your new books for you," Chen Xi waved at her.
Chen Xi had an outgoing personality and was naturally friendly to everyone. She had delicate features, and her single-lidded eyes almost disappeared into slits when she smiled.
She wasn't ugly, in fact, she was quite cute.
Huo Guining nodded at her and sat down: "Thank you."
Chen Xi waved her hand dismissively: "It's no big deal, don't mention it."
Then, she leaned in curiously: "What did Old Zhang call you for?"
Huo Guining subtly moved back a bit and replied good-naturedly: "She asked me to be the vice class monitor."
Chen Xi rubbed her chin: "Your entrance exam score was the highest, so logically, you should be the class monitor."
She looked towards the boys at the back of the classroom: "Old Zhang isn't gender-biased, is she? Why did she choose Fan Xingzhou as the class monitor?"
"Although his grades are good too, he's still second place after all."
Seeing her chatter on, Huo Guining had to interrupt: "Who is Fan Xingzhou?"
"Ah, when Old Zhang chose Fan Xingzhou as the class monitor, you were outside talking with your dad," Chen Xi suddenly remembered and understood.
Chen Xi pointed towards where the boys were sitting: "See that handsome guy? That's Fan Xingzhou."
The boy was wearing a black shirt, and from his profile, one could tell he was good-looking, with impressive facial contours.
Huo Guining couldn't help but admire Chen Xi: "It's only the first day of school, and you already remember everyone's names?"
Chen Xi had an expression that suggested this was no big deal: "My grades might be at the bottom, but I'm great at remembering names."
