Dazzling

Qing Ye walked along the Gobi beach until she reached the street before hailing a taxi back to Xing Wu's home. She placed the 3,200 yuan in her grandmother's room drawer and then went directly to the county town.

Qing Hongzhi and Sun Hai had circled the county town before finally finding a reasonably decent hotel to check into. Qing Ye went to that hotel to find Qing Hongzhi and told him she would return with him, but not tomorrow—she needed one more day.

Qing Hongzhi informed her that time was tight; they must return to Beijing the day after tomorrow. There were procedures to handle after going back, and with the college entrance exam approaching, there was no more time to delay. Qing Ye agreed with her father.

That same night, she returned to the factory and listed out everything she could think of, item by item. Worried that Du Qiyan and Liu Nian might not manage, she specifically gave Quan Ya additional instructions. No one had expected her departure to be so sudden, and everyone's mood sank with her leaving. Several times, Liu Nian wanted to ask her, "Are you really leaving just like that? Not waiting for Brother Wu?"

But each time the words reached his lips, seeing Quan Ya shake his head at him, he couldn't bring himself to ask.

Qing Ye left in a hurry, without even having the chance to say goodbye to all the people she knew. She only went to Lao Yang's office the next morning to fill out forms. Lao Zhu and Miss Yu, who liked Qing Ye the most, came to give her repeated advice and see her off one last time. In all their years in education, they had never taught a child as naturally gifted as Qing Ye. If she hadn't transferred away, perhaps her college entrance exam results would have been the most brilliant achievement of their teaching careers. But that achievement would ultimately belong to her alone, not to them. After all, she was born in an environment of high achievers and was now simply returning to where she belonged.

When Qing Ye left Lao Yang's office, she walked back to Class 2's doorway. Everyone was studying independently; most were bent over their desks solving problems, some were memorizing materials, and a few were discussing questions in groups.

Qing Ye remembered when she first arrived—the class was always in chaos, especially during self-study sessions, so noisy she couldn't even focus on solving problems.

But now, looking around, most people were making final preparations for their futures. Regardless of how this battle would ultimately end, at least they had tried.

Qing Ye's gaze shifted to the solitary seat in the last row. It had been empty for a long time. Even though she knew no one would be there, Qing Ye still glanced at it every day when she came to class. Often after class, she would turn around to look, as if by persistently turning to find him, he would suddenly appear behind her one day, watching her with that casual, warm smile.

But she knew she wouldn't wait for that.

In the end, Qing Ye called Fang Lei, Pang Hu, Shi Min, and Xiao Ling Tong out of the classroom and told them what she planned to do. This was probably the only thing she could do for them before leaving.

So that night, after the final class ended, half of the senior year students didn't leave. Everyone gathered in the fifth-floor corridor facing the main gate. The unprecedented scene quickly attracted the attention of many parents at the gate and the school administration.

Several school administrators rushed to the high school building downstairs, shouting questions at them, "What do you think you're doing?""At that moment, two banners suddenly unfurled from the fifth-floor corridor, bearing ten powerful brushstroke characters in gold on red cloth: "Return our evening self-study, return our future." These resolute words were personally penned by Qing Ye.

The school administrators were stunned. When the decision to cancel evening self-study was initially made, many teachers had protested and expressed their disapproval to the administration. However, they ultimately couldn't withstand parental pressure, and the matter had never been revisited. Most Anzhong students had been completely indifferent about the cancellation.

What surprised the school leadership was that these students would now spontaneously organize to demand the restoration of evening self-study—something unprecedented in Anzhong's history.

It began with the senior third-year students on the fifth floor chanting in unison: "Return our evening self-study, return our future!"

Gradually, the first and second-year students who had been heading toward the school gates stopped and joined their senior classmates, their voices filled with passion.

When Principal Zhong arrived, he witnessed the campus enveloped in twilight, with deafening chants rising and falling like waves. Having been at this school for over a decade and experienced numerous collective incidents, this was the first—and only—time he had seen these usually troublesome students rallying for the sake of their studies.

He had come intending to disperse the students after receiving the phone call, but standing beneath the massive banners, hearing their shouts and seeing the third-year students' yearning for their futures, Principal Zhong found himself deeply moved by their passion for the very first time.

More and more parents gathered at the school gate—some there to pick up their children, others rushing over upon hearing about the student protest. Neighbors from the surrounding area also emerged from their homes, curious about the commotion.

It was at this moment that Fang Lei pushed through the crowd and handed a prepared megaphone to Qing Ye. Qing Ye asked, "Are your parents here?"

Fang Lei nodded. "Both my mom and dad are here. I've notified everyone in other classes too, though I'm not sure how many actually came. But all the parents from our class who could make it are here."

Qing Ye nodded. Fang Lei voiced her concern: "Are you sure about this? Once you speak up, the school might target you. After all, the nail that sticks out gets hammered."

Qing Ye directly took the megaphone and looked at her. "My transfer procedures are already complete. Strictly speaking, they can't control me anymore. I have to be the one to voice this."

With that, the students around Qing Ye automatically made way for her. The last rays of the setting sun cast their glow across the corridor, illuminating every determined face. Under everyone's watchful eyes, she stepped forward to the center, positioned herself between the two banners, raised the megaphone, and addressed the numerous faculty, students, parents, and curious onlookers below:

"I apologize for taking up your time, for making all of you—who should be having dinner—watch a group of senior third-year students causing a scene. I imagine the school administrators downstairs and the parents at the gate must think we're being unreasonable. But our time has already been wasted for months. We wouldn't resort to this unless absolutely necessary—we don't want to spend our final sprint on making trouble.

On behalf of all Anzhong students, especially us third-year students facing the imminent college entrance exams, I hereby request that the school restore evening self-study!"

As soon as she finished, the entire fifth floor erupted in unison: "Restore evening self-study!"It was at this moment that a middle-aged woman among the crowd at the school gate suddenly challenged, "Why should evening self-study be reinstated? The daily classes are already more than enough. Those who want to study can do so at home. Dragging everyone into staying so late—what if someone’s health collapses before the college entrance exam and they can’t take it? Who will take responsibility for that?"

Instantly, an uproar erupted. A group of parents echoed, "Exactly! Let those who want to study do it at home. No more extended hours—students are under enough pressure as it is."

Principal Zhong glanced back at the parents outside the school, exchanging uneasy looks with the other school administrators. The school had always preferred to avoid conflict, which was why they had compromised when many parents demanded the cancellation of evening self-study, fearing protests. Now, caught in the middle, the school was trapped between opposing demands.

This was probably the first time in Anzi County’s history that students and parents were publicly debating across the school gates.

Shi Min whispered into Qing Ye’s ear, "Parents from Class Six."

Qing Ye remained completely unfazed. Raising the megaphone, she declared, "This parent is talking to us about responsibility. Well, today, all the students present will talk to you about responsibility.

You say those who want to study can do so at home. Then, if we encounter problems we don’t understand after returning home, can we come to you for guidance? If we struggle to organize our review framework, can we ask for your help? If we can’t manage our time effectively, will you assist in planning our three-hour evening study schedule and ensure we stay on track?

You claim to fear our health deteriorating, yet you outright deprive all students of three hours daily. Over four months, that’s 360 hours. If your child’s physical condition is too weak to handle heavier academic demands, and as a result, everyone loses 360 hours of study time—hours during which we could have maximized our efficiency—leading to failure in the college entrance exams, can you take responsibility for that?

If you can guarantee the future of every student here, we will disperse immediately. We await your answer!"

In an instant, more parents began voicing support for reinstating evening self-study. The majority of them had not been without opinions when it was canceled earlier; they simply hadn’t realized the magnitude of the issue or taken it seriously.

But after Qing Ye directly linked evening self-study to their children’s futures, all the parents were stirred up. Those who had remained silent now began speaking out, fighting for their children’s interests.

In what seemed like no time, the parents opposing evening self-study were surrounded by opposing voices. The two sides argued fiercely, faces flushed with emotion.

Qing Ye picked up the megaphone again and addressed the school administrators, "On behalf of all Anzi High School students, I respectfully request the school to consider reinstating evening self-study based on the circumstances…"

Before she could finish, a group of teachers had reached the fifth floor and were heading straight for her. Qing Ye turned to face them, her gaze steady and unwavering. Staring directly at them, she delivered her final words: "We... truly have no time left…"

With that, she placed the megaphone on the ground. She was then taken to the administration office. After she left, the usually listless, introverted, and shy students crouched down one by one to pick up the megaphone she had set down—like a silent passing of the torch. She was gone, but she had left them with her unwavering resolve for the college entrance exam.The overwhelming chorus of voices finally moved the school administration. Despite facing opposition from some quarters, they managed to carve out space for these high school seniors at the last moment, securing evening self-study classrooms and teaching resources. Eventually, the parents' protests were drowned out by the collective passion. Even the onlooking residents could feel the ignited youth and longing for a brighter future radiating from within the school gates.

The school ultimately did not make things difficult for Qing Ye, only giving her a lecture. It was very late when Principal Zhong, having dealt with matters outside, entered the administration office. Qing Ye looked up at him, mentally preparing for the worst, but Principal Zhong simply said, "It's late. Go get some rest."

Qing Ye stood up in a daze and bowed deeply to him. "Thank you, Principal."

Principal Zhong said nothing, merely nodding. As Qing Ye was about to step out the door, he finally added, "You've worked hard, child."

When Qing Ye turned back, her eyes were red. Principal Zhong smiled and said, "I wish you success in the college entrance exams."

A look of relief finally appeared on Qing Ye's face. She walked into the night, leaving the campus where she had spent most of the past year behind—the familiar playground, the familiar corridors, the familiar classrooms. Goodbye.

...

Qing Ye left Anzi County with her father early the next morning. Besides Li Lanfang, she hadn't told anyone. She didn't want to face farewell scenes—not so much afraid of seeing others cry, but afraid she wouldn't be able to control her own emotions. This was better: arriving quietly, leaving quietly.

Alone in the backseat, she kept typing and retyping a message to Xing Wu, trying to explain her departure. She wrote paragraph after paragraph until the wheels hit a deep pothole, splashing muddy water across the windows. Jolted, she set down her phone and stared at the mud splatters, her gaze shifting to the scene outside.

A cheerful aunt argued good-naturedly with a garlic vendor while carrying her basket. Middle school students chased each other down the street, followed by a pack of wagging-tailed local dogs. The faded green paint on the mailboxes had been freshly coated without her noticing. At the street corner fried skewer stall, the elderly vendor wore a tattered apron, his hands covered in grime, yet his face maintained the same warm smile she remembered from her first day here.

Time moved slowly here. This county town, seemingly preserved from the last century, possessed its own tranquility and peace, struggles and uncertainties, courage and resilience.

Perhaps it developed slowly. Perhaps it couldn't compare to major cities. But the people here wouldn't be crushed by their inherent circumstances. Maybe someday in the future, this would become a completely renewed place.

A faint smile touched Qing Ye's lips. She lowered her head and deleted all those lengthy paragraphs, simply telling him: "I've returned to Beijing with my father."

She believed he would understand.