The day before the college entrance exam, Fei Ni's face finally returned to normal, no longer requiring medicated patches.
Fang Muyang pinched her cheek and said, "Your face has slimmed down."
"Stay away from me. I might not be completely recovered yet."
"You didn't infect me even at your worst, let alone now."
"Better safe than sorry." Fei Ni proactively maintained distance from Fang Muyang, observing him from afar. "Your face has slimmed down too."
After days of intense studying, Fang Muyang had grown thinner. Unlike others, when he lost weight, it showed immediately in his face.
They took photos of each other to document their current appearances.
Fei Ni also photographed that evening's dinner. These days she had been quite extravagant, completely unafraid of wasting film, having taken dozens of photos.
Since Fei Ni was diagnosed with mumps, at her request, they had begun eating separately with individually marked bowls and utensils. That evening, if not for Fang Muyang's strong insistence, they would have continued eating separately. Fei Ni partially accommodated his request by agreeing to eat together, but insisted on using serving chopsticks when picking up food.
"Using serving chopsticks for just two people is even more troublesome than eating separately," Fang Muyang thought. Though reluctant, he agreed.
During the meal, Fei Ni first used the serving chopsticks to give Fang Muyang some beef, then he used them to give her a meatball. Both kept serving each other, forgetting to eat their own food. Looking at the mountain of food in her bowl and the piled-up dishes in Fang Muyang's, Fei Ni said, "Let's just start eating."
They toasted with water instead of wine.
Fei Ni wished Fang Muyang exceptional performance in tomorrow's exam.
Fang Muyang wished Fei Ni normal performance in her exam.
Though the college entrance exam was tomorrow, Fang Muyang didn't mention it at all, instead jumping directly to post-exam plans. He asked Fei Ni where she wanted to travel after the exams, suggesting they compile a list of places they both wanted to visit so he could plan their itinerary afterward.
Fang Muyang told Fei Ni about the places he had visited. His familiarity with local customs and landscapes made him seem like a native rather than a tourist.
"You know, I used all the money you gave me to buy drawing paper," Fang Muyang told Fei Ni. "Without that paper, my memories wouldn't be so vivid." During his inter-city exchange days, he had traveled across the country's magnificent landscapes, transforming all his blank paper into drawings. These artworks were all given to villagers during his rural work assignment—some hung on their walls, others used to patch windows—yet he felt little regret. The happiest moments had always been while he was painting; among all the works he created, there were only a few he actually wanted to keep.
Fei Ni remembered that money had been payment to Fang Muyang for giving her a box of books to enrich her impoverished spiritual life. When she opened the box, she discovered the books were completely useless to her.
As Fang Muyang recounted his past travels, Fei Ni felt sorry that his paintings hadn't been preserved.
"Where did you go during the inter-city exchange?"
"Nowhere," Fei Ni said. When everyone was flocking to trains for inter-city exchanges, she had wanted to go out and see the world too. But her parents worried about her, and her older siblings refused to take her along, so she had to stay home feeling stifled. Since then, she never had the chance for distant travels, having rarely even ridden trains—something she had always regretted."It's just as well you didn't go. This time we'll ride around to all the places you wanted to visit." Back then, Fang Muyang had also considered going with Fei Ni for inter-city exchange, but it was merely a thought he never voiced. If Fei Ni's parents had any sense of responsibility, they wouldn't have allowed their daughter to travel far with a boy who had just graduated from elementary school. And from Fang Muyang's understanding of Fei Ni, even if her parents agreed, she herself wouldn't have consented.
"I still have to work after the exams." Fei Ni added another meatball to Fang Muyang's bowl. "Once we're in school, we'll have winter and summer vacations. We can go then. You can even go sketching in other cities."
This time, the paintings Fang Muyang created couldn't be lost again.
Even before the college entrance exams, under Fang Muyang's guidance, Fei Ni began envisioning life after the exams, her voice growing increasingly lighthearted, as if she were drinking wine instead of water.
Fei Ni looked at Fang Muyang and smiled, but soon restrained her expression. Celebrating something that hadn't happened yet could easily jinx it, and extreme joy often begets sorrow. To avoid a sorrowful outcome, it was best not to be too joyful before the official results were out.
"Let's talk about these things after the exams." Fei Ni quickly changed the subject and began quizzing Fang Muyang, helping him review key points.
Her shift was too abrupt, and Fang Muyang had to remind her, "Ni, let's eat first."
"Mm." Fei Ni used the serving chopsticks to take some vegetables for herself, then pushed the saucer toward Fang Muyang. "These are all yours. Eat more—you've lost weight these past few days."
The review session continued from the dining table to the bed. Fei Ni, still worried about infecting Fang Muyang, spoke to him with her back turned.
"Weren't we facing each other during dinner?"
"But that was only for a short while." Fei Ni also thought the chance of infecting Fang Muyang was minuscule, but she didn't want to take the risk. "After the exams, you can do whatever you want. For now, let's keep our distance." Even if they were ten meters apart, their hearts were close.
"Really, whatever I want?"
"Really."
"Don't go back on your word then."
"I won't." After stating her position, Fei Ni helped Fang Muyang organize the key points, all stored in her mind without needing to consult any books.
The more Fei Ni talked about the exam topics, the more excited she became. But to avoid disturbing Fang Muyang, she stopped speaking at 10:30 and pretended to be asleep. Fang Muyang knew she was awake and asked, "Are you asleep?"
Fei Ni said, "Let's sleep."
"But I can't fall asleep. Talk to me a little more."
"What should I talk about?"
"Whatever you most want to say."
"Then let me explain geometric sequences to you again."
"Alright."
Fei Ni began explaining again, continuing until she fell asleep herself.
Fei Ni's sleep was short but deep, and the morning rice porridge was sweet—Fang Muyang had added sugar to it.
Fang Muyang prepared two spare pens for Fei Ni, just in case. Before they set off, he wrapped a scarf tightly around Fei Ni's face and gave her a hat to wear. Everything from her clothes to her shoes, including her gloves, was newly bought by Fang Muyang. Fei Ni rode on Fang Muyang's bicycle to the exam venue. The wind was strong that day, whistling in her ears, but she didn't feel cold at all.The previous two days had covered the mandatory exam subjects. Outside the exam hall, it was bustling with activity—the moment the doors opened, relatives waiting for the candidates filled the area. Fang Muyang was momentarily stunned by the scene; he felt it was perfect for a painting. The atmosphere outside the exam hall captivated him more than what was inside. Finding each other in such a crowd wasn’t easy, but Fei Ni always managed to spot Fang Muyang after her exams, smiling at him from afar.
The two reunited in the crowd, had lunch together, then returned to the exam hall. After the exams, they headed home together, where they sat back-to-back reviewing their lessons—Fei Ni explaining while Fang Muyang listened.
Fei Ni hadn’t expected the exam questions to be so simple. Had she known, she would have devoted all her time to helping Fang Muyang with his review. For each subject, she finished the paper early but waited until the last minute to submit it, spending the remaining time repeatedly checking her answers.
On the final day, after the last exam, Fei Ni handed in her paper and, upon leaving the hall, spotted Fang Muyang standing with a girl amidst the crowd. The girl talking to Fang Muyang was Xu Hui. They had learned painting together as children before she moved to the Northeast with her parents. Later, they relocated several times, and recently, her parents were transferred back, so she returned as well, coincidentally taking the same college entrance exam as Fang Muyang. It was Xu Hui who initiated the conversation. The last time they had met was in their early teens, and both their appearances and builds had changed somewhat. At first, Xu Hui only found Fang Muyang familiar and didn’t immediately recognize him—it was only afterward that she did. Fang Muyang was always the first to submit his exam paper in their hall, making it impossible for her not to notice him. When Xu Hui exited the exam hall, she saw the first person to finish standing outside, sketching. The sight of Fang Muyang sketching overlapped with her memories of her former companion.
"Fang Muyang!" Afraid he might not recognize her, Xu Hui introduced herself first. Seeing her old painting companion still drawing, she was reminded of their time learning art together—those were her most carefree days, her biggest worry being that she lacked Fang Muyang’s natural talent and could never match his skill. Out of frustration, she occasionally caused him minor troubles. But even in mischief, her talent paled in comparison to his. Because of Fang Muyang, she once considered giving up painting. Yet, in the difficult times that followed, her greatest comfort still came from her brush. During her toughest moments, she would think of Fang Muyang, telling herself she couldn’t lose to him. After returning, she bought Fang Muyang’s sequential pictures from a bookstore, studying them page by page, imagining what his oil paintings might look like.
Prompted by Xu Hui, Fang Muyang quickly recognized her. That boisterous energy was hard to find in anyone else. Xu Hui told Fang Muyang she had applied to the Art Academy. Excitedly, she brought up the past, her vivid descriptions stirring Fang Muyang’s own memories.
"You’re really impressive, finishing so quickly every time," she said. She had waited until the exam bell to submit her paper, with some questions still unfinished. Her only real concern was painting; if Fang Muyang surpassed her in other areas, she didn’t mind at all.
Fang Muyang laughed. "That’s because I know so little. There’s no point lingering over what I don’t know."They hadn't seen each other for years, and even upon meeting again, there were no pleasantries exchanged—neither of them was that type of person. Xu Hui had many things she wanted to say to Fang Muyang, but at the moment, he was painting, and she was eager to see his skill level. She forgot what she had intended to ask him earlier and simply stood silently by, watching him paint.
While others treated the college entrance exam as a life-changing event, Fang Muyang approached it like an autumn outing, even wearing a camera around his neck. During the exam, the camera had been left with the proctor, and after the test, Fang Muyang took it back.
Fang Muyang stood there sketching, his pen moving continuously. His gaze fixed on the crowd, and as he stared, his pen eventually stopped moving. Xu Hui followed his line of sight and spotted a girl wearing a large mask that concealed her features. The girl stood on tiptoe, waving in their direction—no, she was waving at Fang Muyang.
Fang Muyang picked up his camera and took several photos of Fei Ni as she greeted him.
Fei Ni walked over, and Fang Muyang introduced them to each other.
When introducing Fei Ni, he said, "This is my wife, Fei Ni. We got married last year."
After the exam, Fei Ni finally felt comfortable enough to remove her large mask, no longer worried about infecting anyone.
Through Fang Muyang's introduction, Fei Ni learned that the girl standing beside him had studied painting with him years ago. She smiled and greeted Xu Hui.
Xu Hui said to Fei Ni, "I feel like I've seen you somewhere before. Which school are you from?" The remark sounded like a boy trying to strike up a conversation with a girl, but Xu Hui genuinely felt Fei Ni resembled someone she had met before.
Fei Ni had never left the city, and she hadn't attended the same elementary school as Xu Hui.
Xu Hui explained it to herself: "Maybe good-looking people all share similarities."
Hearing others discussing the last math question from the morning exam, she realized her answer differed from theirs. She asked Fang Muyang and Fei Ni what their answers were. Fang Muyang said he hadn't done it. Fei Ni, having expected this from him, wasn't surprised and calmly told Xu Hui her answer.
Upon hearing it, Xu Hui found Fei Ni's answer completely different from her own—and it sounded like the correct one.
Fei Ni's logical approach to the problem inspired Xu Hui's trust in her. Xu Hui proceeded to compare her other math answers with Fei Ni's. The results delighted her: the differences between their answers amounted to over twenty points. Based on her judgment of Fei Ni, Xu Hui estimated Fei Ni would score at least ninety, while she herself would likely pass. Before the exam, her mother had hired the best math teacher from the affiliated high school to tutor her. She had gritted her teeth and studied for a month, and it had clearly paid off.
Xu Hui asked Fei Ni, "Who tutored you?" Fei Ni's secondary education couldn't have been much better than hers, so scoring so well must have meant she had a tutor. If Xu Hui didn't get into college this year and had to retake the exam next year, she would definitely need Fei Ni to recommend her tutor.
"I studied on my own."
Xu Hui repeated, "You studied on your own?"
Fei Ni confirmed it again.
"Then I must have seen you in some educational newspaper before—that's why you look so familiar. Did you ever share study tips in a newspaper?"
"No."
"Then where have I seen you?" Xu Hui asked Fei Ni, "What's your first-choice school?"
Fei Ni answered truthfully, and Xu Hui said, "Just based on your math score, I'm certain you'll get in."Xu Hui’s incessant chatter left little room for Fang Muyang to speak. Her mind was preoccupied with where she had seen Fei Ni before, her eyes darting between Fang Muyang and Fei Ni until she finally found the answer.
Back when she and Fang Muyang studied painting together, he had once drawn a portrait of a girl. He had sketched many of their peers, but Xu Hui thought that particular portrait was his best—not because the subject was particularly beautiful, but because it was vivid.
The girl in the drawing was so lifelike, as if she were sitting right across from her. Xu Hui told Fang Muyang she was willing to trade her own best painting for his portrait of the girl. Fang Muyang refused, and his blunt rejection hurt Xu Hui’s pride. But she wanted it so badly that she offered to exchange it for a painting manual her father had given her. Her father had high hopes for her artistic talent and provided her with the finest materials—not just paper and paints, but also art books and 1:1 replicas of famous paintings that others seldom had access to. This time, Fang Muyang didn’t outright refuse; he hesitated for a long time but still didn’t agree. On the day Xu Hui left with her father for the Northeast, Fang Muyang finally agreed to the exchange and urged her to take good care of his painting.
Xu Hui left her hometown with the painting Fang Muyang had given her. Years passed, and she moved from one place to another, but the painting remained with her. Throughout those years, she never stopped honing her skills. In her eyes now, Fang Muyang’s childhood technique seemed immature, yet she still found the portrait vivid.
Its vividness always stirred memories of the past, reminding her of her joyful childhood days—a time when she, too, had eyes full of curiosity about the world.
She had looked at that painting so many times that the girl’s features were etched in her mind, which was why she found Fei Ni familiar the moment she saw her as an adult.
Once again, Xu Hui felt that Fang Muyang was fortunate to have married the girl from the painting.
She said to Fang Muyang, "Do you remember the painting you gave me back then? I still have it, and even now, I think it’s well done." Technique was certainly important, but what moved people was often not skill alone.
To Fei Ni, however, these words carried a different meaning. A childhood painting companion still held onto a drawing Fang Muyang made when they were young—yet the candidness of the two before her left no room for other interpretations.
Xu Hui turned her gaze to Fei Ni. "When you have time, let me paint your portrait." She was no longer the Xu Hui of the past; she wanted Fang Muyang to see that her skills were now on par with his. Back then, he had looked down on her work—why were her own paintings not as good as those replicas? Yet she couldn’t criticize his taste, for whether in painting or in marriage, his judgment was impeccable.
Fei Ni had only ever modeled for Fang Muyang and wasn’t accustomed to being scrutinized by others, so she politely declined.
Xu Hui said, "Don’t refuse so quickly. Take a look at my current work before you decide. Are you free tomorrow?"
Fei Ni explained that she had an English exam the next day. The required subjects took two days, and on the third day, candidates applying for foreign language majors had to take an additional English test.
"You’re applying for a foreign language major? The country is indeed in urgent need of language talents." Xu Hui affirmed Fei Ni’s choice of major before returning to her original topic. "Then you must be free tomorrow afternoon. If you don’t want to come to my place, I can bring my paintings to you."Fei Ni couldn't understand why Xu Hui insisted on painting her portrait after just a brief encounter. Fang Muyang, however, understood perfectly. After years apart, this person was still as competitive as ever, determined to outdo him, treating every painting session like an exam. He had painted Fei Ni as a child, so she wanted to paint Fei Ni as an adult, and do it better than him.
Xu Hui pressed, "If you're not free tomorrow, then when..."
Fei Ni had no choice but to reply, "I'm free tomorrow."
"Then I'll come find you both tomorrow. I haven't given you a wedding gift yet." Xu Hui glanced at Fang Muyang's camera. "Give me the camera, I'll take a photo of you two. A couple taking the college entrance exam together is quite meaningful."
Fei Ni's gaze turned to Fang Muyang, who handed the camera to Xu Hui. He reached out to put his arm around Fei Ni's shoulders, but worried she might feel embarrassed in the crowd, his hand ultimately returned to his pants pocket. No matter how intimate they were in the bedroom, outside they had to maintain distance. The two exchanged a smile, and Xu Hui captured the moment with the camera.
When the formal photo was taken, Fei Ni didn't look at Fang Muyang. Although her upper body maintained distance from him, the positioning of her feet still revealed their relationship.
Fei Ni took the camera from Xu Hui. "Let me take one of you two as well."
After so many years apart, meeting at the college entrance exam was fate.
Xu Hui noticed Fang Muyang was much taller than her now. The last time they met, he was only slightly taller.
After taking the photo, Xu Hui said to Fang Muyang, "Now you take one of us."
Xu Hui naturally put her arm around Fei Ni's shoulders. Since they were both women, there was no embarrassment.
Xu Hui offered to develop the film herself.
Fang Muyang declined her suggestion. "I'll develop it myself."
Xu Hui wrote down her home address and phone number for Fei Ni, inviting them to visit, and asked Fei Ni to write hers down too so she could visit tomorrow.
Fei Ni wrote an address, telling Xu Hui they didn't have a phone.
Looking at the address and their lack of a phone, Xu Hui concluded that Fei Ni and Fang Muyang didn't live with their parents.
After exchanging addresses, they said goodbye. In just one meeting, Xu Hui had become familiar with Fei Ni.
After Xu Hui left, Fei Ni got on the back of Fang Muyang's bicycle and asked him, "How did the exam go?" Though she wanted to ask what painting Fang Muyang had given Xu Hui, that was far less important than the college entrance exam.
"Not bad, pretty good." Fang Muyang felt his performance was just average, but if he said it was poor, Fei Ni would immediately start tutoring him to prepare for the next exam, which would be unbearable.
"I'll treat you to a restaurant meal."
With the two-day exam over, Fang Muyang was completely liberated. Fei Ni, who had applied for English Language and Literature, still had an additional English test tomorrow, so her burden wasn't fully lifted. She had originally planned to celebrate properly with Fang Muyang after her exam, but she really wanted the thinner Fang Muyang to have a good meal, so she moved the celebration forward.
When ordering, Fei Ni was generous, even ordering a bottle of wine. "We'll take this back and drink it tomorrow. I want to finish this bottle with you tomorrow."
Although Fang Muyang wasn't taking the English test, he woke up even earlier than Fei Ni. When Fei Ni woke up, she could smell tomatoes.
Fang Muyang was cooking tomato noodles for her.
Winter tomatoes weren't easy to come by, and she didn't know where Fang Muyang had managed to get them.Fei Ni had fully recovered from her illness, and Fang Muyang's exams had already concluded. Feeling completely at ease, Fei Ni shared a bowl of tomato noodles with Fang Muyang.
After finishing the noodles prepared by Fang Muyang, Fei Ni rode on his bicycle to the examination venue.
The English exam was as straightforward as the other subjects. Fei Ni quickly completed the test paper and, though confident, still reviewed her answers several times before submitting it.
A boy followed closely behind her as she left. The boy, named Su Jing, had recognized Fei Ni in the exam hall as the girl he had encountered at the ice rink the previous year. Seated at the desk next to hers, he could observe her progress at any time. Before he had even started the translation section, Fei Ni had already finished the entire paper. Though he considered himself proficient in English, her speed in completing the exam put him under considerable pressure. However, it was only after he finished his own paper that Fei Ni finally handed in hers.
Su Jing asked Fei Ni how she did on the exam, and Fei Ni said it was okay. It was common for strangers to ask each other about their exam results after finishing, and when Fei Ni saw this boy who was less than twenty years old, she had only one thought: the college entrance exam had been reinstated too late. She envied the boy in front of her, who could take the exam right after graduating high school. If the college entrance exam had always existed, she would have already been in graduate school. Fei Ni recalled what Fang Muyang had told her about graduate school...
"Do you think the English questions were very easy this time?"
"Not bad." At any rate, they weren’t difficult.
"Which school are you planning to go to?"
After hearing Fei Ni’s answer, Su Jing said, "We might be schoolmates in the future." Most likely even in the same major.
Author's Note: Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or gave me nutrient solutions from 2021-10-24 21:52:20 to 2021-10-26 20:53:24~
Thank you to the little angel who threw a shallow water bomb: Winter Rose 1;
Thank you to the little angels who threw landmines: Dong Budong, Miss Orange, Amily, Me, Ganle, Sabrinaplus, White Radish 1;
Thank you to the little angels who irrigated nutrient solutions: Everyday Reading Addicted to Reading 94 bottles; Huan Niu 33 bottles; Ji An 30 bottles; Me 20 bottles; Ji Qing 19 bottles; Pomelo 17 bottles; Changed Nickname Again Today 12 bottles; Four One One, Tang Yuyu, Yan Yan Miao Miao, Is It Too Hard to Find a Book I Like?, Potato’s Bean, Mosu Mingli, Owpu 10 bottles; Third Rib 9 bottles; Thank You 7 bottles; Luo Lin, Gong Shiliu, Kowtowing to the Big Shot Bang Bang Bang, Gan Shi, Dunbu’s Little Annoyance, Liang De Zhu 5 bottles; Ting Yun, Ying He Miao, Re-start 3 bottles; The Dawn Here Is Quiet, Anonymous Netizen Friend, Ah Hua Is Not a Flower, Que Chuan, Real, 930616y 2 bottles; Granny (，Midnight Snack Classmate, Pomelo, 43023494, Wiegaths, Green and Pollution-free, Little Big Big, Lily, Two Cats One Dog 1 bottle;
Thank you all very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!
OpenNovel