In the blink of an eye, more than a year had passed.

Lin Zichen and Shen Qinghan were now in their fifteenth year of school life—third year of high school.

Over the past year, Lin Zichen’s biological level had successfully evolved to Ordinary Tier Six and all aspects of his physical data had greatly improved.

He could sprint 100 meters in just 2.87 seconds.

His vertical jump reached 8.32 meters.

He could lift 2,450 kilograms with one hand.

During the summer of second year, he once again brought home a championship trophy for Shanhai High School, achieving an unprecedented two-time consecutive win and becoming the first in the school’s history.

Shen Qinghan, though not as dazzling, had also made remarkable progress. Through consistent effort, her martial arts grades improved drastically, climbing from the bottom ten to twelfth from last.

That made her thirty-fourth overall in the class, one of the top-ranked girls.

With results like that, even though she had once been called a “connection student,” no one could criticize her anymore.

Her personality grew brighter by the day—more outgoing, more cheerful, smiling as she once had in childhood.

As for their research into superpowers, there had still been no progress.

* * *

October 14th.

It was Shen Qinghan’s eighteenth birthday.

Lin Zichen was only one day older—he had celebrated his birthday yesterday.

That evening, both families gathered together to hold a simple celebration at home for the childhood sweethearts’ coming-of-age ceremony.

“Alright, candles blown out. Now it’s time to exchange gifts! You two, the handsome young man and pretty young lady, take out your carefully prepared presents for each other. I’ll take pictures! I’ll record the video.”

Lin Yansheng and Zhang Wanxin handled the camera and phone respectively, recording and photographing.

Meanwhile, Shen Jianye and Xu Meng sat quietly to the side, smiling warmly as they witnessed their children exchange gifts.

“Xiao Chen, this is my gift for you.”

Shen Qinghan lifted a cloth-covered picture frame from behind her, placing it gently on the table. Her smile was sweet as she looked at him.

The frame was large—almost a meter long and wide.

No one knew what kind of painting inside required such a huge frame.

“Go on, lift the cloth. You’ll be surprised when you see what’s inside.”

Shen Qinghan smiled confidently.

Zhang Wanxin teased, “That sounds just like a bride telling the groom to lift her red veil.”

Lin Yansheng laughed, “Haha, true. I wonder when our son will get to lift one for real.”

Flustered, Shen Qinghan turned away, her face crimson, unable to meet Lin Zichen’s gaze.

He stayed calm, a faint smile tugging at his lips and reached forward to lift the cloth.

At once, a colorful portrait was revealed—a watercolor painting.

It depicted three versions of himself.

Each one was distinct.

On the left was his Gene Fuser form, with wings on his back and a wild look in his eyes.

In the center stood his human form in his school uniform, harmless and serene.

On the right was his Cyborg form, his body half-covered in alloy, exuding cold, mechanical ruthlessness.

Together, the three figures evoked the contrast of angel and demon standing beside a mortal, strikingly artistic and symbolic.

Before Lin Zichen could speak, Zhang Wanxin gasped in awe, “Hanhan, this is incredible! It’s so beautiful—I’m genuinely amazed!”

“This watercolor painting took Hanhan an entire year to complete,” Xu Meng added with a smile, “Before it was finished, she went through enough sketch paper to fill a backpack.”

She had watched her daughter’s dedication daily and now wanted Lin Zichen to understand the heart behind it.

Lin Zichen stared at the three versions of himself, then looked up at Shen Qinghan, meeting her gaze with sincerity.

“This is the best gift I’ve ever received. I’ll treasure it forever.”

“Of course you will.”

Her eyes curved like crescent moons, her smile radiant.

Hearing his words made her feel that every hour spent on that painting had been worth it.

Lin Zichen carefully set the painting aside, then picked up a bag from the sofa and handed it to her.

“This is my gift for you. I made it myself. I hope you’ll like it.”

“I definitely will.”

Beaming, she accepted the bag and eagerly opened it.

Inside was another frame.

This one was smaller, about the size of an award certificate—but thick, nearly as thick as a dictionary.

Inside the frame were preserved specimens of twenty different small flowers: Baby’s Breath, Morning Glory, Plum Blossom, Orchid and more.

At the center of the frame was her favorite—Dandelion.

Each flower was carefully set in a soft, clear resin, lifelike and beautiful.

“Xiao Chen, I love it!”

Her eyes shone as she admired the framed flowers, holding it dearly.

Noticing both gifts were frames, Zhang Wanxin chuckled, “You both gave frames—did you plan this together?”

“No,” Shen Qinghan replied with a small laugh, “It’s just coincidence.”

Zhang Wanxin smiled knowingly, “Not surprising—after growing up together, your hearts must be perfectly in sync.”

She raised her camera again, “Come on, sit together with your gifts for a photo.”

Lin Zichen and Shen Qinghan sat close on the sofa, legs touching, shoulders pressed together—looking inseparable.