Chapter 13: From Now On, Brother Will Buy You Treats

"Brother Ye Chen, my mom and dad never give me any pocket money," Gu Nianxi said, holding her candied hawthorn. She looked at him with envy.

He had so much pocket money!

Ye Chen chuckled to himself. This little girl probably didn't get much pocket money because Uncle Gu and Auntie Lin knew she loved sweets too much.

They were probably worried she'd ruin her teeth at such a young age. Besides, eating too many sweets wasn't good for her health.

"It's okay. From now on, Brother will buy you all the treats you want!" Ye Chen said, pinching her chubby cheeks.

"Wow… Brother Ye Chen, you're the best!"

Gu Nianxi beamed with joy, quickly munching on her candied hawthorn as they walked. The sweet-and-sour flavor soon left her mouth covered in red syrup.

Ye Chen gently wiped the corner of her mouth. "Slow down. The exam starts in half an hour!"

This little foodie couldn't resist anything sweet. The sight of cotton candy or candied hawthorn was enough to make her stop in her tracks.

---

Soon, it was time for the English test.

Ye Chen glanced over the entire exam sheet once before beginning to write.

He didn't even need to think; the answers came to him instantly.

Having majored in foreign languages at university in his previous life, these elementary school questions were a breeze.

This time, he finished the test in just over ten minutes!

Even Gu Nianxi, who was the class's English monitor, usually took about an hour to complete her test—an impressive record in itself.

But Ye Chen? Ten minutes!

The other students couldn't believe their eyes.

"Is he even answering the questions seriously?"

The invigilator was equally skeptical.

However, Ye Chen remained as calm as ever, walking out of the classroom without a care.

---

Two hours later, the English test ended.

"Ye Chen is incredible! He finished in just over ten minutes!"

"He must've cheated!"

"Cheated? I was watching him the whole time. He didn't even look up while writing."

"Ten minutes? No way he did well."

"Jiang Wenxin, don't you dare speak ill of Brother Ye Chen! He's definitely going to do great this time!" Gu Nianxi couldn't hold back anymore, glaring at the boy. She hated it when people badmouthed Brother Ye Chen.

Jiang Wenxin lifted his chin. "Hmph! When has he ever done well on an exam?"

"Yeah! Let's see if he's still at the bottom of the class again. That'd be embarrassing!"

"You guys, stop it!"

---

When Ye Chen walked in, he saw Gu Nianxi standing up for him, her face red with anger.

Upon hearing what had happened, he couldn't help but laugh.

He had no intention of arguing with these kids. Whatever his score, the results would speak for themselves in a day or two.

"Brother Ye Chen, are you mad?"

Ye Chen patted her head and smiled. "Why would I be mad?"

"But… but they were saying bad things about you."

"It's fine. Let them talk; I don't care."

Gu Nianxi's eyes sparkled with determination. "Brother Ye Chen, I believe you'll do great!"

Ye Chen smiled.

---

After the final test of the day, it was time to go home.

The homeroom teacher reminded everyone to be careful on their way home before dismissing the class.

As Ye Chen and Gu Nianxi walked out, they passed by the usual line of snack vendors outside the school gates.

There were all sorts of treats—fried skewers, grilled gluten, roasted sausages. These were a big hit among the students.

But not all kids could afford them; pocket money was a luxury for many.

Back then, parents believed that eating too many snacks was bad for children. Times were different now—these days, many parents indulged even more than their kids.

---

"Ye Chen!"

A tap on the shoulder made Ye Chen turn around.

The person behind him was Zeng He, a classmate from the neighboring 3(2) class. They were good friends.

Zeng He had been absent for the past few days due to a cold, which explained his absence.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Zeng He asked.

"Nothing much. What's up?"

Grinning, Zeng He rubbed his hands together. "Let's hit the arcade! It's been days since we last played."

Previously, Ye Chen and Zeng He often hung out at the arcade, playing Super Racing and other games.

"You go ahead. I'm not interested," Ye Chen replied.

Zeng He froze. What? Ye Chen turning down an invitation? This had never happened before.

"You serious? Come on, I've been sick for days, and now that I'm better, you won't even play one round with me?"

Ye Chen had zero interest in arcade games.

But Zeng He wasn't giving up, pestering him all the way.

Finally, unable to endure it any longer, Ye Chen reluctantly agreed to go.

Before heading out, he made sure to walk Gu Nianxi home safely.

Watching this, Zeng He felt puzzled. When did Ye Chen start caring so much about his little sister?

---

At the Qingfeng arcade.

Despite its name, it was just a simple game room. Still, it was hugely popular among local students.

This was Ye Chen's second time visiting since his rebirth.

As they entered, he spotted Meng Fei and Meng Ze playing Super Racing with some other kids.

"Pfft, their skills are trash. Why even bother?" Zeng He muttered under his breath.

He dared not speak louder, knowing the Meng brothers were notorious for bullying others.

Ye Chen didn't care. He glanced around but found nothing interesting.

The arcade was packed, and all the machines were in use. The two had to wait over half an hour for a turn at Super Racing.

Finally, they each took a seat at a machine.

"Finally! Let's do this," Zeng He said, cracking his knuckles in excitement.

---

Just a few minutes into the game, Zeng He was dumbfounded.

Ye Chen's skills had improved dramatically. His speed and precision were on another level, making it hard to believe he was the same person who had played with him before.

By the end of their session, Zeng He had lost three games in a row. He was utterly crushed.

"Ye Chen, you're amazing!" Zeng He exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief.

Their little showdown had also drawn a small crowd. The young onlookers were awestruck by Ye Chen's gameplay, showering him with praise.

Ye Chen felt a bit awkward. Playing games with a bunch of elementary school kids felt... odd.

Just then, a familiar voice called out.

"Ye Chen! Do you dare to take me on?"

Ye Chen turned to see Meng Ze approaching him, his tone full of challenge.

Zeng He frowned and whispered, "Watch out. Meng Ze is actually good at this game—not like his little brother, who's just terrible."