Be Passionately In Love

In the summer of 2016, right after the college entrance exams concluded, two torrential downpours had poured relentlessly, yet Qingyi City remained scorched by fiery clouds, the summer heat unrelenting.

The senior high school building of Rui Jun High was more boisterous than ever before. Some students shamelessly flung test papers at the juniors below, others blatantly whistled at the pretty female teachers, while a group of less enlightened ones gathered around the battered stone pillar in the corridor, playing some ridiculous collision game.

"Seriously, how old are you guys to still be playing this?"

Qu Yihua muttered in disdain as she passed by the corridor, ignoring the chaos. She simply grabbed a boy from her class and strode purposefully toward Class 8 of Senior Year. At the classroom door, she patted his back and said, "Go call Xu Zhi out for me."

Qu Yihua was the homeroom teacher of Class 8—a retired soldier who looked like Zhang Fei but acted like Zhang Ma.

The classroom was in an uproar. The girls, exhausted from estimating their exam scores, had seemingly given up and decided to conquer science with metaphysics. But by now, the conversation had derailed entirely.

"What about my future partner?"

"Let me see... Mars represents the type of person you're attracted to. Wow, according to your birth chart, it's probably someone really buff."

"What about me? What about my boyfriend?"

"Yours might be an older man—wealthy and powerful—but he’s pretty rational about love, not very impulsive, it seems—"

Xu Zhi stood out among the girls with her fair complexion. She wasn’t participating, instead focused on filling out a classmate’s yearbook at her desk, meticulously tracing the words "A Bright Future." Only the clean, slender nape of her neck was visible, yet there was an inexplicable air of resilience about her.

"Wait, what do you mean 'not impulsive'?" someone asked.

"It means your boyfriend’s probably bad in bed," a boy chimed in cheekily before the girls could react. He then turned to Xu Zhi, "Class President, Old Qu wants you."

"Guilinggao, I swear I’ll smash your skull into a flip phone!"

The girls instantly ganged up on him, grabbing books from the desks and chasing him down the corridor until he cowered and begged for mercy. "Alright, alright! Spare me, warrior ladies! Flip phones are so hard to maintain—they get water damage so easily in the rain!"

...

When Xu Zhi stepped outside, Old Qu was leaning against the corridor in a rather flamboyant pose, his ever-present stainless steel thermos tucked under his arm. His hair was slicked back, gleaming with oil, dressed like a "high-quality male" of the internet age. He launched into his usual spiel: "How’d the exams go?"

Xu Zhi was holding two books and a stack of materials, about to answer, when she suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure amidst the noisy corridor.

"Still aiming for Qing University?" Qu Yihua continued.

Xu Zhi stood absentmindedly at the edge of the corridor, watching that solitary, out-of-place figure disappear around the corner.

"Yeah, Qing University shouldn’t be a problem," Xu Zhi replied hastily, gesturing to the materials in her hands. "Um, Mr. Qu, I really need to—"

Qu Yihua glanced at the name on the papers. "Tan Xu’s?"

"Yeah, he borrowed my review notes before."

Tan Xu.

Qu Yihua had mentioned that he transferred from City No. 1 High in their sophomore year as part of an academic support program. Rumor had it that back at City No. 1, his competition awards were so numerous they could wallpaper a room. City No. 1 was a provincial key school, topping the list among thirteen elite high schools in the province—80% of the top 100 students in the province came from there.Rui Jun High School was an ordinary public high school. After Tan Xu transferred there, he never scored anything but first place. So during their senior year, with Tan Xu's help, Xu Zhi's grades improved by leaps and bounds, turning her into a dark horse. In the third mock exam, she directly broke into the top ten citywide. Meanwhile, Tan Xu himself kept underperforming in these exams, even falling out of the top ten in the third mock exam.

"Leave it in my office," Qu Yihua said. "Tan Xu will most likely repeat the year."

Xu Zhi was taken aback. "But the scores haven’t been released yet?"

"Tan Xu didn’t even attempt the last few math problems. This isn’t just a slip-up—he wasn’t in the right state to take the exam at all. His parents have already called me. They’re demanding the school give him another free chance to repeat."

Qu Yihua didn’t tell Xu Zhi that Tan Xu’s parents had used harsh words, even mentioning her in the call and throwing around terms like "seduction," blaming her for distracting Tan Xu by dating him. They insisted she come forward to explain the situation and admit it was her fault.

"You and Tan Xu..." Qu Yihua trailed off.

"We’re not dating, and we never will."

Xu Zhi was grateful to Tan Xu. For a while, she had mistaken that gratitude and emotion for romantic feelings. But after enduring his repeated cold shoulders and unreasonable tantrums, she suddenly realized how utterly dull boys in their late teens could be. Once she sorted out her emotions, she gradually understood that what she felt for him was mostly just appreciation. She had planned to have a proper talk with him after the exams, but he kept avoiding her.

Qu Yihua let out a dry chuckle. "Alright, never mind. I was just asking casually. Think carefully about your college applications. We really think you should consider Beijing or Shanghai—your scores give you a real shot."

Xu Zhi’s gaze was calm. "Qing University’s cutoff isn’t low either. I remember last year’s was around 680."

Qu Yihua had always believed that excessive calmness was just another way to feign normalcy.

"Without the Self-selected module, you’re already close to 700. Don’t tell me you skipped that too?"

"What do you mean, 'too'? Did someone else skip it?"

"Yeah," Old Qu said, unscrewing his thermos from under his arm and blowing away the floating tea leaves before taking a resigned sip. "The top high school in the city produced a real prodigy."

That one was truly a prodigy. After all, the competition at that school was notoriously cutthroat. If Tan Xu’s competition awards were enough to wallpaper a room, that student’s could probably cover a city wall.

As it happened, this was the final year of the education reform in S Province. The Self-selected module was an additional subject worth only 60 points, exclusively for first-tier university applicants. Even without it, students could still apply to first-tier universities as long as their raw scores met the cutoff. And that student from the top high school? Rumor had it their estimated score without the Self-selected module was already over 700.

Qu Yihua didn’t elaborate further, just screwed the cap back on. "So, I still need to talk to you seriously about your applications. The parallel admissions process is a whole science—"

"Mr. Qu, I get it," Xu Zhi said, growing impatient. She had heard this spiel at least ten times already.

"Don’t dismiss me as nagging. Sometimes, a single choice determines the path you take and the people you’ll meet."

"I know. Since I was little, I’ve been determined to be someone useful to society."Xu Zhi had a special talent for delivering the most perfunctory remarks in the most sincere tone—a master of saying one thing while meaning another. Those who knew her well were aware of this, but the tactic worked particularly well on Qu Yihua.

Old Qu indeed walked away contentedly, clutching his thermos.

The slanting wind and drizzle from the corridor slowly seeped in, the muggy breeze carrying a dampness as it brushed against her face. Dark clouds loomed ominously at the horizon, as if brewing the next storm. Xu Zhi thought to herself, Old Xu’s arthritis was bound to act up again. She sighed aimlessly. A person useful to society—how useful, how much use, she didn’t know. Just useful would suffice.

The sky hung low, thick with clouds, as a fierce wind swept across the ground, rustling the trees violently. In an instant, the rain poured down in sheets.

Xu Zhi waited by the roadside for Cai Yingying—the girl who had just been mysteriously matchmaking for someone in the classroom. The two had been childhood friends, classmates from elementary through high school, living in the same neighborhood and practically inseparable. If Xu Zhi hadn’t suddenly surged ahead academically in their senior year, they’d probably still be glued at the hip.

The moment Cai Yingying spotted her, her backpack swaying behind her, she rushed over with a grin and threw her arms around Xu Zhi. “Ah, wifey, I knew you’d bring an umbrella!”

Xu Zhi opened the umbrella. “If you could even tell that the class rep’s boyfriend was a hunk, this should be no challenge for you.”

“Ugh, what did Qu-mom want with you just now? Still about your college applications?” Cai Yingying ducked under the umbrella and asked.

“He wants me to apply to H University.”

Cai Yingying knew Xu Zhi had her heart set on Qingda University, a local school.

“That’s a top-tier jerk—do you think just anyone can get in?”

Cai Yingying had a golden rule: the college entrance exam was like a jerk to underachievers. It never outright said whether you could make it, but if you worked hard, maybe the outcome would be what you wanted.

“Besides, the scores aren’t even out yet. Why’s he in such a hurry? What if you totally exceed expectations and rank first in the province? Then why settle for H University? You’d go straight to A University!”

Xu Zhi sighed. “…Your brain is simpler than a watermelon.”

“Exactly! Ugh, I’m so mad at Zhai Xiao,” Cai Yingying pouted, pulling out her phone to show Xu Zhi their chat logs, eager to vent. “I may not like those little fools who skip the last two exam questions for love, but a big idiot like Zhai Xiao, who keeps bragging about how well he did, is truly one of a kind. Does he not realize my score might not even be as high as my dad’s blood pressure?”

Zhai Xiao was Cai Yingying’s almost-boyfriend, a student from City No. 1 High. Their relationship had blossomed secretly during a basketball game and had been heating up ever since, with only a thin layer of paper left to pierce.

Xu Zhi glanced at their chat logs unprepared—flooded with “baby,” “miss you,” and “kisses”—it was truly eye-searing.

Xu Zhi mercilessly pointed out, “Is that layer between you two really just paper? More like tempered glass.”

“Whatever it is, we’re not officially together,” Cai Yingying stubbornly denied. “By the way, where’s Tan Xu?”

Passing by a pharmacy, Xu Zhi closed the umbrella and went in to buy two boxes of pain relief patches for Old Xu, heading straight for the familiar shelf. “He bombed the exam.”

“No wonder he’s been ignoring you lately. Guess he’s taking it out on you again,” Cai Yingying said, following behind belatedly. “Ugh, why does he always do this? Last time he bombed the physics competition, he gave you the silent treatment too, then randomly lashed out. I think he’s just gaslighting you.”"Yeah, I'll find a time to make it clear to him," Xu Zhi said, head bowed as she studied the difference in ingredients between Yunnan Baiyao and musk bone-strengthening plaster, seemingly unconcerned. "Hey, which one does Director Cai usually use?"

"He doesn't use any of these. His idol image is too important, you know how he is," Cai Yingying shrugged.

"Then what does he do about arthritis?"

"Just uses a hot water bottle to warm it up."

"Old Cai sure has his standards," Xu Zhi couldn't help but praise.

"He's just being pretentious about it," Cai Yingying teased.

Neither of them had mothers, but the difference was that Cai Yingying had grown up without one. Old Cai had been too busy with work to discipline her properly in the early years, and by the time he wanted to, Cai Yingying had unfortunately entered her rebellious phase, so their relationship had always been quite tumultuous. Xu Zhi's mother had passed away just a few years ago, leaving her and Old Xu to rely on each other. Plus, Old Xu was severely socially anxious, and Xu Zhi was very sensible, never giving him any extra worries—she didn't even let him attend parent-teacher meetings.

When Xu Zhi's mother was still around, she had actually been more of a spoiled princess than Cai Yingying, crying a lot as a child. Old Xu used to say that while other girls were made of water, his daughter was made of a faucet—once she started crying, it was endless.

Now, though Xu Zhi had become much more outgoing and talkative, she still didn't cry easily or get angry. If she was wrong, she'd apologize, and she had a no-nonsense attitude with everyone—even when Tan Xu treated her the way he did.

**

"Dad, I went back to school this morning to estimate my scores."

Comrade Xu Guangji was cooking in the kitchen, his glasses perched on his smooth forehead, the clatter of pots and pans drowning out her words. He turned around, spatula in hand, looking confused. "What? Sun Wukong cried?"

"..."

"Yes! Tang Seng was captured by Zhu Bajie!" The old lady playing Landlord nearby snapped, furious. "Estimating scores! Your ears are worse than mine!"

Xu Guangji finally heard her this time and turned back with a smile. "How'd you do?"

"Not bad," Xu Zhi replied, helping her grandmother play Landlord on her phone.

Xu Guangji gave an "oh" and asked, "What about Little Cai? How'd she do?"

The old lady tossed out a pair of twos. Xu Zhi, head down, was debating whether to play a bomb. After a long pause, she finally answered:

"You sure care a lot about Little Cai."

Xu Guangji was flipping a potato pancake, not turning around. "I'm mainly concerned about Director Cai's blood pressure. He's not as healthy as me—can't handle the stress."

Hearing this, Xu Zhi looked up from her phone at his busy figure in the kitchen and smiled. "Dad, you know, I used to hate it when people asked me what my dad did for a living because I found it kind of embarrassing. But now I think you're pretty great—healthy, spending lots of time with me. Little Cai said she didn't even know what her dad looked like when she was little, though that might just be because she's always been face-blind."

Seeing Xu Guangji about to react, Xu Zhi quickly raised her hand in a pledge. "I swear, I respect all professions in this world, especially urologists."

"Then please respect my razor too—don't use it to shave your legs," Xu Guangji retorted in a mock-serious tone, then glanced back at her. "Any plans after the exams?"

"Thinking of getting a job," Xu Zhi tilted her head. "I heard your department is looking for an uncle to collect bedsheets and quilts?"Xu Guangji couldn't be bothered to respond to her. He poured the freshly blended watermelon juice slowly, pretending not to hear, and said, "If you've got nothing better to do, go on a trip with some friends—Xinjiang, Kashgar, Mohe, doesn't matter how far. The world's so big, no need to make your old man's life difficult every day."

After Xu Zhi's mother left, Xu Guangji's life and career took a nosedive. There was a time when he almost lost his job, but he still loved putting on a brave face, telling Xu Zhi, "I've got money, you can travel the world." Xu Zhi couldn't be bothered to call him out on it.

After lunch, Xu Guangji reminded Xu Zhi not to forget to help her grandmother bathe before rushing off to work, leaving Xu Zhi and the old woman staring at each other across the dining table.

"No."

Xu Zhi cleared the dishes, her tone leaving no room for argument. "That's not up to you."

Her grandmother had always been hot-tempered, but when it came to bathing, she was like a powder keg—one spark and she'd explode. "I said I'm not bathing. If you dare try to wash me, I'll call the police and say you're trying to drown me."

Without turning around, Xu Zhi replied, "You'd be better off just taking your clothes off now."

In the end, the old woman didn't call the police. She cranked the bathroom heater to the max, turning the space into a stifling sauna, and spent the entire noon hurling curses at Xu Zhi—

"Whole family's nothing but sinners, sinners!"

"Your dad's useless! So are you! You're nothing like your mother!"

Ever since Ms. Lin Qiudie passed away, the old woman couldn't even be bothered to maintain basic decency—she'd curse when angry, lash out when upset. Despite this, Xu Guangji couldn't bear to leave her alone in their hometown and decided to bring her to live with them.

Xu Zhi was used to it. Unfazed, she tested the water temperature while warning the old woman coolly, "You can curse me all you want, but don't curse my dad."

The old woman snapped, "Your dad, your dad—you ungrateful brat! You have no idea, when your mother was first pregnant with you, your dad didn't even want you—"

With a loud bang , Xu Zhi slammed the door shut without a word. Her chest heaved violently as she tried to steady her breathing. It felt like floodwaters rising—the storm inside her chest was nearly drowning her, leaving only the barest space to gasp for air between the downpour.