William Carter chanted for half an hour, then slowly opened his eyes and leapt up from the rock. “Heh ha, heh ha…” William Carter began practicing his punches, one move after another. The movements of this set of boxing were open and graceful, exuding a kind of masculine beauty. However, this set of moves was neither karate, taekwondo, nor any other foreign martial art, nor was it traditional Chinese martial arts like Bajiquan or Xingyiquan.

This was the boxing technique William Carter had learned in his dreams after thousands of nightmares. The set consisted of just a few simple moves, but when used by that golden-armored man, it was incomparably fierce and unstoppable. However, when William Carter practiced it, it lacked that innate domineering force.

He only kept practicing it for fun. By now, it had become a habit. The most awkward thing about this set of moves was the lack of techniques for the right hand. That hand was originally meant to hold a knife. So, strictly speaking, this was a set of sword techniques. Yet William Carter had practiced it into something neither here nor there.

After going through the routine a few times, William Carter stopped and let out a long breath. All his tasks for the day were done. Standing at the highest point of North Mountain, he admired Ancheng bathed in the golden light of the rising sun. This city, with a population of over half a million, could only be considered a small city in China. Ancheng was located at the intersection of the three provinces of Heishui, Baishan, and Yuanning, making its geographical position very important. However, due to the empire’s current policies, the northern economy lagged far behind the south, and this once vital hub had lost its former glory.

By now, more people had come up the mountain, and many elderly folks, like William Carter, were pointing at the city below. William Carter disliked standing too close to strangers, so he frowned slightly and was about to turn and go home.

“Gao, Yuan…” At that moment, a clear and sweet female voice called from behind. Gao Feiyang turned to look and saw a beautiful girl in a snow-white tracksuit waving at him. Her long, slanted eyebrows and bright, expressive eyes radiated an indescribable charm. She was tall and graceful, and though still a bit youthful, she was almost as tall as William Carter, making her slender figure nearly perfect.

Especially her long legs—even in jeans, they easily drew everyone’s attention. Unfortunately, today she wore slightly loose track pants for exercise. Emily Foster, the beautiful girl who had transferred in from another city in the second half of the semester. From her first appearance, the beautiful, generous, elegant, kind, intelligent, and lively Emily Foster had almost captured the hearts of all the boys and men at No. 3 High School.

The reason it was “almost” was because there are always exceptions. For example, William Carter. Although he also found Emily Foster pleasing to the eye, he had no romantic interest. William Carter was a realistic and indifferent guy. Judging from Emily Foster’s words, actions, and attire, they were simply not from the same world. Even academically, Emily Foster was the top student in the school, while William Carter was always at the bottom of his grade.

In terms of background, studies, hobbies, and personality, they had nothing in common. So, with not a trace of youthful passion, William Carter shrewdly concluded that this beautiful girl was just the brightest scenery in his high school years. But that was all.

“You’re out for morning exercise too?” William Carter greeted blandly. Emily Foster beamed, “Yes, the college entrance exam is over, so I can finally relax. This feeling of ease is wonderful. I finally have time to climb the mountain and work out…”

Emily Foster was also a bit curious about William Carter; this quiet, taciturn boy was so easy to overlook. When she saw him, Emily Foster hesitated before calling his name. But the air of decadence and indifference about him was like that of a man who had seen much of life.

At the same age of eighteen or nineteen, he had none of the youthful energy or passion, which Emily Foster found odd. “Do you always come for morning exercise?” Emily Foster asked curiously. As Emily Foster approached, a faint fragrance wafted from her, making William Carter feel dazed. And her flawless, jade-like skin dazzled William Carter to the point of dizziness.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you pretending to be Little Li Tan Hua?” Emily Foster laughed lightly. William Carter wasn’t used to joking with beautiful girls and replied awkwardly, “No, I don’t like Little Li Tan Hua.” In his heart, William Carter thought, “Your radiance is like the blazing sun, already burning my shadowy soul…”

Hearing William Carter’s honest answer, Emily Foster felt that although he was dull and silent, he was actually very honest and simple. “Hehe, just kidding.” The beauty’s charming smile and Emily Foster’s pure, heartfelt joy infected William Carter, and he awkwardly showed a sincere smile.

“Her beauty is dizzying…” William Carter thought silently. But somehow, this beauty only made William Carter feel even more hopeless. After a moment of silence, William Carter lowered his gaze and said, “It’s time, I have to go back…” “Oh, then goodbye. See you tomorrow.” William Carter had finally spoken, but after just a few words, he was about to leave, which Emily Foster found a bit odd. Still, she sincerely said goodbye to William Carter.