The weather in June was stiflingly hot. If it wasn't pouring rain, then the sun was blazing down—either way, it was the kind of weather that made people want to stay indoors.
A battle prepared for over a decade was about to begin on June 7th and 8th.
Silent, without smoke or fire.
The first subject was Chinese. Right after the exam ended, someone was already sobbing downstairs—clearly, they either hadn’t done well or something unexpected had happened.
Most examinees barely spared a glance. At this moment, everyone was focused on preparing for the afternoon battle. No one had the energy to worry about others.
Xue Jiao felt the Chinese exam was manageable—not as difficult as the second mock exam, but about the same as the first. Though she had a slight cold, she still performed to the best of her ability.
At noon, she took a nap in a hotel near Seventh High School.
This hotel was the closest to the school, and booking a room during the two days of the college entrance exam required reservations at least three months in advance.
It was clear how much effort parents put into ensuring their children had the best conditions for the exam.
After waking up from her nap, Xue Jiao took her medicine and was sent back to the exam hall.
Cheng Shuo and the others didn’t ask how she had done in Chinese—it didn’t matter anymore. What mattered was how she would perform in the upcoming exams.
The afternoon subject was math.
The weather was a bit hot, so the ceiling fan was on. Xue Jiao happened to be sitting right beneath it. She sneezed but paid it no mind.
This test was difficult.
Almost as soon as she skimmed through the paper, Xue Jiao knew—this math exam was harder than the second mock test.
It might have been the most difficult national exam in the past decade.
Fortunately, during the second semester of her senior year, Xue Jiao had focused heavily on mastering the most challenging concepts. And during math competitions, Lin Zhihua had given her many notoriously difficult problems to solve.
Xue Jiao heard several sharp intakes of breath around her—clearly, this exam was making many people despair.
She took a deep breath, picked up her pen, and started quickly.
Difficult problems meant they would take more time, so she had to treasure every second and not waste a single moment.
When Xue Jiao reached the last major problem, she heard someone sniffling. Soon after, an invigilator walked over, and the sound stopped.
She knew—someone had cried.
Many others were flipping their papers back and forth in frustration.
Most of them had "finished"—or rather, finished what they could—only to stare at large blank spaces on their papers. The realization that this was the college entrance exam made their faces flush with panic.
Xue Jiao inhaled deeply, feeling slightly dizzy.
And then—the last sub-question of the final problem stumped her.
But this question was worth eight points. How could she afford to lose them?
The window to her left was half-open, letting in a breeze. The fan above her head whirred relentlessly. Xue Jiao felt her head growing warm.
But she ignored it.
She set down her pen and took slow, steady breaths.
Her actions naturally drew the attention of the invigilators. One of them walked over, glanced at her paper, and froze slightly.
The invigilators weren’t from the city, and most were elementary school teachers. For the math exam, they weren’t necessarily math teachers either.
Just because he couldn’t solve these problems didn’t mean he couldn’t see the stark contrast between the other students’ blank pages and this student’s neatly written answers.
The teacher looked surprised but quietly stepped away to avoid disturbing her.
Xue Jiao kept her eyes tightly shut, shutting out all external noise.
A moment later, she opened them again and picked up her pen.Just moments ago, she had completely forgotten her previous train of thought. Now, starting fresh, she began working on the problem again.
After completing the first sub-question, Xue Jiao didn’t pause and immediately solved the second one in one go.
Then she glanced at the answer she had originally calculated for the first sub-question and let out a soft sigh of relief.
By the time she had transferred all her answers to the answer sheet, only twenty minutes remained.
Xue Jiao quickly started reviewing her work. Twenty minutes later, she had just finished checking.
"Pens down."
As soon as the invigilator spoke, most students stopped writing, though a few were still scribbling furiously.
"Pens down!" The invigilator's voice grew stern.
Everyone knew that continuing to write after time was called could invalidate their papers.
With that, many students reluctantly put down their pens.
Xue Jiao waited until the teacher had collected all the papers before standing up.
Her vision darkened, and her body swayed slightly.
She steadied herself by holding onto the desk, then after a moment, shook her head and walked out.
"Wahhh—" Some were already crying as they left.
Downstairs, others were wailing loudly—this math exam had been utterly despair-inducing.
What Xue Jiao didn’t know was that shortly after they left the exam hall, "Math Despair" would become a trending topic.
The difficulty of this national exam sparked heated discussions.
With only two subjects completed, some already felt as though their fates were sealed, crying in anguish.
For top students like Xue Jiao, difficult problems were actually an advantage, as they could widen the gap in scores.
But Xue Jiao didn’t feel the slightest bit of joy.
No one could feel happy seeing so many tear-stricken faces.
Especially those who struggled with nerves—when the problems were tough, panic clouded their minds, making it harder to think clearly. With seven parts ability, they might only perform at three or four.
Over a decade of hard work could easily go to waste.
By the time Xue Jiao reached the school gate, her dizziness had worsened. When she reached Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong, she could only manage a weak smile, her eyes half-lidded.
Cheng Mingze immediately noticed something was wrong.
He reached out, swiftly pulling her into his arms, then felt her forehead.
"Jiao Jiao has a fever!"
Li Sitong’s legs nearly gave out, and Cheng Shuo quickly steadied her, his face also paling with worry.
"Get her to the hospital, now!"
Cheng Mingze scooped Xue Jiao up and sprinted toward the parking area, while Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong grabbed their things and hurried after them.
Just as they reached the road, a car pulled up in front of Cheng Mingze, the window rolling halfway down.
Lin Zhihua’s urgent voice came through: "Get in!"
Without hesitation, Cheng Mingze yanked open the back door.
"Mom, Dad, I’ll take Jiao Jiao to the nearest hospital first. You catch up as soon as you can." There wasn’t room for two more in the car.
The moment the words left his mouth, the car sped off.
Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong rushed toward their own car in a panic.
"Whose car did Mingze just get into?"
"I didn’t see clearly."
"Hurry up, Lao Cheng!"
"Right, right."
Lin Zhihua’s car raced toward the hospital.
Chen Yan was driving, Lin Zhihua in the passenger seat, while Cheng Mingze held Jiao Jiao in the back.
Lin Zhihua handed Cheng Mingze a thermos, dialing a number as he spoke. "Give her some water first—it’s lukewarm."
Cheng Mingze gave him a deep look before accepting it.
Right now, Jiao Jiao was the priority. Everything else could wait.
"Hello, President Cen? This is Lin Zhihua. Please arrange for a doctor immediately—I have someone with a fever, and we’ll be at the hospital shortly.""Right, arrange two quiet hospital rooms for tonight."
"Understood, right away."
"Thank you."
Then he hung up.
Cheng Mingze comforted Jiao Jiao with concern while listening to Lin Zhihua's urgent yet methodical arrangements.
When the car reached the hospital entrance, Cheng Mingze carried Xue Jiao inside, with Lin Zhihua and Chen Yan leading the way straight upstairs.
In a private examination room, two doctors with "Chief Physician" badges took over Xue Jiao's care.
Temperature checks and various tests were completed swiftly.
"It's just a common cold with fever. The fastest treatment would be an IV drip overnight—she should recover by tomorrow noon."
"But why is she barely conscious?" Cheng Mingze asked anxiously.
Xue Jiao's face was flushed red, her eyes closed tightly with furrowed brows.
"Her temperature is already over 39°C. She's feeling extremely uncomfortable, hence the closed eyes and sleep," the doctor explained.
"Will this affect tomorrow's exams?" Lin Zhihua suddenly interjected.
"Exams?" The two doctors looked puzzled.
"She's taking the college entrance exams today," Cheng Mingze said, causing both physicians to pause.
Falling ill during gaokao... this child's luck is truly unfortunate.
Finally, one doctor said, "If the fever breaks tonight, she should be able to take the exams tomorrow morning."
"Indeed, her condition suggests the fever should subside by tonight," the other nodded in agreement.
"Not 'should'—it must," Lin Zhihua's voice turned icy.
Remembering the dean's special instructions, the doctors adopted more serious expressions and abandoned conservative phrasing.
"The fever will definitely break tonight, and she can attend the exams tomorrow. As for her condition during the test, that depends on her own resilience."
At this moment, two nurses arrived carrying multiple IV bags.
Just as they prepared to administer the IV, Lin Zhihua raised a hand to stop them.
"Doctors, this seems excessive. Could we consider alternative treatments?"
"Ah?" The medical staff appeared surprised again.
Gazing at the girl on the bed, Lin Zhihua said earnestly, "As long as she can take the exam tomorrow, her condition won't be an issue. But this much IV fluid could cause physiological effects. An entire night of IV drips would also disrupt her sleep..."
Multiple IV bags meant introducing large amounts of fluid into her system.
Xue Jiao had been carefully regulating her water intake recently, precisely to avoid bathroom breaks during exams.
Moreover, changing IV bags throughout the night would mean constant disturbances.
After consideration, the doctor explained, "IV treatment offers the most stable results—she'll definitely recover by tomorrow. Injections and oral medication are less effective, and we're concerned about recurring fever tonight."
Cheng Mingze looked at the doctor. "So IV is the most reliable treatment?"
The doctor nodded. "Correct. Injections are possible, but if the fever returns late at night without timely intervention, she might miss tomorrow's exams entirely. The choice is yours."
Cheng Mingze frowned deeply, visibly torn.
"Go with injections and oral medication," Lin Zhihua said after a deep breath.
Cheng Mingze turned to look at him.
Lin Zhihua spoke with gravity: "For her, the exam is paramount."
Cheng Mingze was taken aback—he hadn't realized Lin Zhihua understood Xue Jiao so well.
"But what if she can't take the exam tomorrow?"
"That won't happen," Lin Zhihua stated with absolute certainty.
Cheng Mingze studied him intently, then looked at Xue Jiao's furrowed brow on the hospital bed.
After a long pause, he finally said:
"Very well. Thank you, doctors."The doctor left, and Lin Zhihua approached, reaching out to gently touch Xue Jiao's forehead.
Under Cheng Mingze's piercing gaze, he quickly withdrew his hand and strode away.
Not long after he left, Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong arrived in a fluster.
"How is she? How is she?"
"It's just a cold and fever. She'll get an injection soon, take some medicine, and stay overnight for observation." Cheng Mingze reached out again to feel Xue Jiao's forehead.
He then explained the situation in detail, omitting any mention of Lin Zhihua. Since Xue Jiao herself didn’t bring it up, neither did he.
"Of course her health comes first—the college entrance exam is secondary!" Cheng Shuo widened his eyes.
Cheng Mingze sighed. "But Jiao Jiao cares deeply about the exam."
At these words, Cheng Shuo fell silent.
Li Sitong looked anxious and helpless. "How did this happen?"
Cheng Shuo took a deep breath and sat down. "What will be, will be."
After a moment, he added, "Then let’s all stay here tonight and book a hotel nearby. Thankfully, you got Jiao Jiao a private room—otherwise, it might disturb her sleep."
Cheng Mingze was silent for a while before saying, "I’ve booked the room next door as well. Dad, you and I can stay there tonight."
Cheng Shuo gave him a suspicious look. It wasn’t unusual for Cheng Mingze to book a single-patient room, but two?
And this was the best, quietest ward available.
But with Jiao Jiao’s condition as the priority, Cheng Shuo didn’t dwell on it.
Around seven o’clock, a nurse respectfully led an older doctor into the room. He wasn’t wearing a white coat and seemed to have rushed over from somewhere else.
The doctor checked Xue Jiao’s condition again and prescribed new medication.
"Her fever will definitely break tonight—don’t worry. For now, find a way to get her to take this medicine." The doctor handed the new prescription to Cheng Shuo.
"Thank you, Doctor!" Cheng Shuo was visibly moved—this doctor clearly wasn’t ordinary.
The doctor shook his head. "No need to worry. Her fever will break by ten at the latest. Then she can eat something, rest well, and be ready for the exam tomorrow."
"Thank you, thank you!" Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong could only repeat their gratitude.
The doctor smiled. "She’s a senior high school student—we’ll do whatever we can to help."
With that, he shook his head and left.
Cheng Mingze watched his retreating figure intently but said nothing.
Outside, the doctor headed straight for the stairwell.
"Boss Lin, you dragged me out of my house just to check on a cold?"
Lin Zhihua gave a faint smile. "Thank you, Uncle Liao. How is she?"
Dr. Liao clasped his hands behind his back, looking proud. "With me handling it, what do you think?"
Lin Zhihua smiled slightly in relief.
Xue Jiao woke up at nine in the evening. Li Sitong quickly fed her the medicine—she would need to take it once more that night.
Meanwhile, Cheng Shuo and Cheng Mingze bombarded her with concerned questions.
"Jiao Jiao, are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
"Are you uncomfortable?"
"Jiao Jiao..."
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
Cheng Shuo went to answer it.
"Hello, your takeout order." The delivery person handed the food to Cheng Shuo and left immediately.
Cheng Shuo paused, then carried the food inside.
As he unpacked it, he said, "Mingze, you’ve thought of everything today—even ordering food."
Noticing that everything was suitable for a patient, Cheng Shuo’s smile grew a little brighter.
Cheng Mingze didn’t respond, his attention fixed on Jiao Jiao.
He had been too worried about her to remember ordering food.
This was most likely Lin Zhihua’s doing.That night, Xue Jiao stayed at the hospital overnight.
Cheng Shuo, Li Sitong, and Cheng Mingze all tried their best to give her a quiet environment. After the doctor checked on her once past ten o'clock and confirmed her fever had subsided, no one disturbed her further.
She slept soundly until seven in the morning, then was driven by Cheng Shuo back to the exam venue.
"Jiao Jiao, are you alright?" Mrs. Qin, who had just sent Chu Sheng in, turned around and saw Xue Jiao arriving.
"I'm fine." Xue Jiao's face was still a little pale, but she smiled, looking otherwise fine.
"That's good, that's good. Hurry inside, and good luck!" Mrs. Qin waved her fist encouragingly.
After saying goodbye to Cheng Shuo and the others, Xue Jiao headed straight into the exam hall.
She arrived somewhat late, but fortunately, the exam hadn't officially started yet.
Once she was gone, Mrs. Qin said worriedly, "How could she catch a cold during the college entrance exams? Sitong, this is your fault as her mother for not taking good care of her."
Li Sitong also felt guilty and forced a smile. "I never checked on her at night to see how she was sleeping. I didn’t do my part—I really didn’t take care of her well enough."
Xue Jiao had worked so hard, only to face such a setback right before the exams.
"Mom, it's not your fault," Cheng Mingze said, looking at Li Sitong and recalling Lin Zhihua's words. "Once Jiao Jiao enters the exam hall, she won’t let her condition affect her."
Lin Zhihua—this man, who somehow knew Xue Jiao—understood her so well.
But Cheng Mingze wouldn’t let Lin Zhihua have another chance to get close to Jiao Jiao.
His circumstances were too complicated, and he was much older—completely unsuitable for her.
In the distance, Lin Zhihua, who had been watching Xue Jiao enter the exam hall, let out a slight sigh of relief.
Beside him, Chen Yan glanced at him.
"Boss, you should rest for a bit."
Lin Zhihua nodded and closed his eyes, feigning sleep.
Chen Yan knew this man had spent the entire previous night in the hospital room next to Gu Xue Jiao’s, worriedly keeping watch.
Lin Zhihua was right—once Xue Jiao entered the exam hall, she would never let her physical condition affect her performance.
The morning exam was English. After yesterday’s math test, one person in their exam hall didn’t show up today.
Many exam halls had absentees—some due to various reasons, others because the pressure from math had been too much, and they had given up.
Most examinees fell into the latter category.
Before starting, Xue Jiao closed her eyes briefly.
She pushed aside all discomfort, then picked up her pen and immersed herself fully in the exam.
Three years in her past life, two years in this one—five years in total.
Xue Jiao had lost count of how many practice tests she had done.
Countless, endless papers had built up her proficiency to this point.
The morning’s English exam was much simpler compared to yesterday’s math. Xue Jiao finished with ease, checked her answers twice, and handed in her paper ten minutes early.
But the afternoon’s science comprehensive exam was challenging again—not as difficult as yesterday’s math, but slightly harder than the first mock exam.
This time, Xue Jiao didn’t breeze through it. Though she could solve every problem, time was tight. She had just finished the last question when only two minutes remained.
She barely had time to check if her answers were correctly filled in—positions, answer sheets, exam numbers—before smoothing out her paper as the bell rang.
"Pens down!"
As soon as the invigilator spoke, two teachers quickly moved to collect the papers.
"Waaah—" A girl in the exam hall burst into loud sobs.
The others barely glanced at her before their attention was drawn outside by the noise.
"Ahhhh—!" Screams.
"We’re free—!" Shouts of liberation."Fuck yeah, I'm finally done with the exams!" someone howled.
"We graduated!" others cheered.
Xue Jiao walked out of the examination hall, her eyes gradually moistening.
Her three years, plus another two—five full years of struggle and hard work—had finally come to an end today.
There was no pain, nor the exhilaration she had imagined. Xue Jiao only felt her eyes grow slightly red, accompanied by an indescribable sense of melancholy.
She watched the students rushing downstairs—some laughing, some crying, some comparing answers.
These kids, along with her own youth, were drawing their curtains today.
Their arduous yet memory-filled high school lives had officially ended.
The sheltered world they had known was now opening its gates. From this moment on, the boundless world outside awaited their own exploration.
Would they stagnate, wander freely, or strive for greatness?
What the future held, the teachers who had guided them through everything in high school and the parents who had arranged their lives could no longer dictate or take responsibility for.
As Xue Jiao descended the stairs, Liu Jiaxue suddenly hugged her.
"Jiao Jiao, Jiao Jiao! I heard you caught a cold—you scared me to death!"
"I'm fine," Xue Jiao smiled, revealing a row of teeth, though her face was still a little pale.
"That's good!" Liu Jiaxue sighed in relief. "How did the exam go? Did it affect your performance?"
"I think I gave it my all—this is the best I could do."
Liu Jiaxue finally relaxed completely. "That's good! If you did your best, I’m sure you did well!"
"What about you?"
"I also tried my hardest. Whatever, it's over now anyway!"
Liu Jiaxue laughed.
Most students felt the same way. Stepping out of the examination hall, regardless of how they had performed, they were more immersed in the excitement of liberation.
No one could tell how much of that excitement was joy and how much was melancholy.
When Xue Jiao walked outside, she spotted Cheng Shuo and the others squeezed among the crowd.
Not far away stood Qian Yu and Liu Jun.
Xue Jiao and Liu Jiaxue each headed toward their own parents.
"Jiao Jiao, how are you feeling?" Cheng Shuo and the others were most concerned about this.
Xue Jiao smiled. "Pretty good."
"You’ll probably go out to celebrate tonight, but remember—no alcohol, and no cold foods," Cheng Mingze reminded her.
Xue Jiao nodded obediently.
He couldn’t resist reaching out and ruffling her hair again.
Li Sitong even pulled out medicine and water, handing them to Xue Jiao. "Take some medicine first. Call us when you’re coming home tonight. No staying out overnight, no—"
Cheng Shuo tugged at her. "Alright, Jiao Jiao knows her limits."
Li Sitong fell silent. Cheng Shuo smiled at Xue Jiao. "Be safe tonight. Call us if anything happens. We’ll head back first."
"Okay. Thank you, Mom, Dad, and Brother. I’ll come home early tonight." Xue Jiao waved, and Cheng Shuo’s family left.
"Bookworm!" As soon as Xue Jiao reunited with Liu Jiaxue, Yi Tianyu rushed over.
Xue Jiao rolled her eyes at him. "Let’s go back to the classroom."
"Together, together!" Yi Tianyu had skin thicker than a city wall.
In the distance, Lin Zhihua waved his hand. "Let’s go back."
"Aren’t you going to say hello?"
Chen Yan wasn’t stupid. Anyone with eyes could see how much their boss cared about that girl.
Lin Zhihua didn’t respond. After a moment, he uttered four words:
"There’s plenty of time."
By the time Xue Jiao and the others reached the senior high school building, some students were already standing by the windows, throwing out their exam papers.
Below, the dean screamed hoarsely, "Stop throwing papers!"
But no one listened to him anymore.
A moment later, the dean shouted—"Throw it over there, someone's here."
The group of people finally left the window, laughing and joking. Looking up, they could still see the students inside the classroom letting loose.
Xue Jiao and Yi Tianyu chuckled lightly. They waited until the book-throwing stopped before entering the classroom of Class One.
Many had already returned. As soon as they stepped in, they saw fragments of test papers flying everywhere, the floor already covered with them.
"Damn, I'm gonna go throw some too!"
Liu Jiaxue turned to glance at him and said meaningfully, "Throwing them away so soon? What if we need them next year?"
Yi Tianyu: "..."
Several students who had been reveling heard this and paused, their hands freezing mid-throw.
After thinking about their disastrous math scores, they silently picked the papers back up.
At that moment, Teacher Yin walked in.
This was probably the first time she had smiled so freely and happily. Seeing the chaotic classroom, she neither frowned nor scolded anyone.
Because of her long-standing authority, the students instinctively returned to their seats the moment they saw her.
By now, almost everyone had arrived.
Yin Fang smiled and said, "You're all completely free now. Why are you sitting so properly? Waiting for me to give another lecture?"
This joking remark immediately made some students' eyes redden.
"Congratulations on your graduation," Yin Fang added with another smile.
Then, she picked up a piece of chalk and wrote a line on the blackboard.
"Since you're all sitting so properly, I'll say a few more words. From now on, your lives will be rich and colorful. You might pursue different careers, and some of you might even become famous. No matter how far you go or where life takes you, I hope you never forget your goals. Move forward courageously in one direction. In high school, the college entrance exam was your goal. After graduation, I hope you all find new goals and dreams. Don't let yourselves fall apart just because the pressure's off."
As she finished speaking, the words on the blackboard were complete: "The road ahead is long and arduous, but let nothing stop you."
Yin Fang looked at the children before her. Some said teachers had no emotions, sending off batch after batch of students.
But that wasn't true. Over these two years, she had invested far more thought into them than into her own child, and the bonds formed were deep.
But these children had brighter futures ahead. She was just a temporary stop on their journey. Now that they were leaving, all she could do was offer her sincerest blessings.
Yin Fang's eyes reddened as she gazed at each student in turn. "Children, no matter where life takes you, please remember how you felt today, sitting in this classroom, and the dreams you carried with you."
"Never betray yourself and your dreams."
The classroom erupted into sobs. While together, they had longed for separation, but now that the moment had come, the pain was even greater.
Xue Jiao's eyes also welled up.
"Alright, you're all free now! Class One of Senior Three is officially dismissed!"
At Yin Fang's announcement, the students of Class One laughed and cried, their emotions in turmoil.
June was a season of farewells.
After Yin Fang left, the class monitor stood up. "We still have quite a bit of money left in our class fund. Let's invite the teachers to a farewell dinner tonight!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, someone threw a test paper at him and retorted, "Class One of Senior Three isn't saying farewell!"
The monitor scratched his head. "So... are we going or not?"
"Of course we're going! Pick a nice place. If the money's not enough, I'll cover the rest!" Yi Tianyu stood up and shouted from his chair.
"Brother Yu!" The boys cheered, rushing over to lift him up.
They threatened to make Yi Tianyu pay dearly, but truthfully, there weren't any restaurants near the school that could really drain his wallet.Finally, it was decided that both classes would gather at a restaurant at seven o'clock. Though seated in separate private rooms, at least all the teachers could be invited since the teaching staff for both classes were largely the same.
Xue Jiao and the others who lived off-campus packed up their things in the classroom while the boarding students stayed behind a little longer. Those who could leave headed home, only needing to return to school if there was anything else to handle later.
After Xue Jiao and the others finished packing, the boarding girls in the class had all changed into pretty outfits. The boys had also shed their school uniforms, their hair freshly washed and clean.
Uncle Xing came first to help her carry her things away. Then, arm in arm with Liu Jiaxue, she followed the crowd toward the restaurant.
"Jiao Jiao, why didn't you change your clothes?" Liu Jiaxue asked, slightly surprised that Xue Jiao was still wearing her school uniform.
Xue Jiao glanced at her and shook her head with a light laugh. "I won't be wearing it much longer anyway."
This was probably the last time she would wear the uniform of Seventh High School.
During their student days, they schemed every day to take off their uniforms, dreaming of wearing pretty clothes all the time. But years later, they would start missing the days of wearing their school uniforms, wishing they could return to this time, put on the uniform again—or even make different life choices.
Perhaps what they missed wasn't the uniform itself, but the days of their youth.
Liu Jiaxue thought about it and agreed, pulling Xue Jiao along as they cheerfully headed to the restaurant.
That evening, Class One and Class Two were seated in two separate private rooms, with the teachers evenly distributed between them. Yin Fang was in one room, Li Ping in the other; Teacher Yuan was here, Teacher Chen was there—perfectly balanced.
With graduation from the college entrance exams came complete liberation. Several crates of beer sat nearby.
Xue Jiao ate some warm food and then sat with Liu Jiaxue, smiling as they watched their classmates.
"Gu Xue Jiao, have a drink!" A boy with a flushed face walked over from the opposite side. It hadn't been long since they started, but he had clearly drunk more on purpose.
Xue Jiao shook her head and smiled. "I have a cold—better not drink."
As soon as she said this, the boy awkwardly scratched his head. Then he stammered, "Uh, Gu Xue Jiao, I—I—"
Everyone knew what he was trying to say.
"Confess! Confess!" the others egged him on.
"Get together! Get together!" they all cheered mindlessly.
Yi Tianyu, who had been drinking competitively next to Xue Jiao, slung an arm over the boy's shoulder and pulled him away. "You what? Drink your beer and don't talk nonsense!"
"HAHAHA!" Everyone burst into laughter.
Someone teased, "Yu-ge, do you have a crush on the top student?"
Yi Tianyu glared at him, his face reddening. "Shut up!"
"HAHAHA!"
Teacher Yin and the other teachers also laughed. Amid the laughter, Teacher Yuan suddenly said, "Yi Tianyu, just let him finish speaking."
Before Yi Tianyu could respond, the boy got too embarrassed and scurried back to his seat. Clearly, he wasn't going to say it anymore.
Teacher Yuan shook her head with a smile.
At this age, kids all thought the future was long—that a lifetime was an endless stretch of years and days. They didn’t know that some words, if left unspoken, would never have another chance to be said. That some goodbyes truly meant never meeting again.
No class reunion could ever gather everyone. No wedding would ever have every invited guest in attendance.
Those vague, budding feelings from their youth, if never spoken aloud, could only become memories buried deep in their hearts—recollections revisited in the quiet of the night, alone.To others, no one could truly understand the beating heart she once had.
After that, more people came to find Xue Jiao—some from Class One, some from Class Two. She held a glass of water while they raised their drinks.
Some downed their drinks in one gulp without saying a word; others lowered their voices and confessed, "Gu Xue Jiao, I like you."
Yi Tianyu didn’t stop them this time.
Though he sat nearby with a dark expression, drinking with others, he didn’t interfere.
Perhaps it was because Xue Jiao always smiled, took a sip of water, and said, "Thank you," that reassured him. Or maybe it was confidence—either way, he didn’t intervene again.
What surprised Xue Jiao the most was Yu Fangfang, a girl who rushed over after just two beers.
Once a friend of Cheng Mingjiao, she had always disliked Xue Jiao.
"Gu Xue Jiao."
Xue Jiao raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"
Yu Fangfang took a deep breath. "Thank you."
Xue Jiao was taken aback. She had expected the girl to come over and provoke her.
Yu Fangfang looked at her with complicated emotions. "After Mingjiao dropped out, I thought you’d make things difficult for me. But you didn’t."
Xue Jiao smiled. "I didn’t because you never crossed my mind unless you appeared in front of me."
Yu Fangfang froze, then inhaled sharply and downed her drink in one go.
"Anyway, I thought you’d make my life hard, but you didn’t. Every time I saw you achieve great results, I’d get angry and jealous. But later, the more outstanding you became, the harder it was for me to even feel envy."
"Because I could never become you. Thank you for teaching me that I shouldn’t always focus on others." With that, Yu Fangfang hurried away.
She probably knew Xue Jiao didn’t want to see her.
And indeed, Xue Jiao didn’t. She wasn’t a saint—she could let go of the past, but she didn’t want those who had hurt her to reappear in her life.
To her, these people were practically strangers.
Xue Jiao shook off her thoughts and turned to the next person who approached her. The usually aloof goddess was in a good mood today—not buried in books or reciting lessons on the go—so many wanted to chat with her.
Nearby, girls also came to talk to Yi Tianyu. Some offered blessings, while others glanced at Xue Jiao and wished him success in his pursuits.
They bid farewell in this way, never voicing their feelings aloud—because everyone knew Yi Tianyu liked Gu Xue Jiao.
The teachers were also surrounded by a steady stream of students, chatting and receiving heartfelt blessings. Hugs were exchanged as final goodbyes.
Xue Jiao didn’t drink, but in this atmosphere, she still felt a little intoxicated.
She was among the last to approach the teachers. Raising her glass, her eyes reddened as she said sincerely, "Thank you, teachers."
Thank you for nurturing her over these two years of high school.
Thank you for your dedication.
Yin Fang’s eyes welled up. Her feelings toward Gu Xue Jiao were complex—from initial dislike to growing fondness, and eventually, high expectations.
Xue Jiao had changed some of her beliefs. Every child had the potential to improve, and as a teacher, she had to encourage them.
Disdain and pressure could stifle even the brightest sprouts.
"Thank you too," Yin Fang said, pulling her into a hug.
As they parted, she whispered in Xue Jiao’s ear, "I’m sorry."
Sorry for once doubting her.
Sorry for once underestimating her.
Teacher Yuan also hugged Xue Jiao. The bold and straightforward woman was already in tears."The teacher is also reluctant to see you go, but you all have brighter futures ahead. Gu Xue Jiao, you’ve worked very hard, and I truly admire that. Keep up your efforts—the college entrance exam is just the beginning, not the end. I believe you will go far and achieve your dreams."
Xue Jiao’s tears fell. "Thank you, Teacher Yuan."
Gratitude—for every teacher who had dedicated themselves to their students along her journey of growth.
After the meal, the boys slung their arms over each other’s shoulders, chatting with the girls who walked arm in arm as they headed out.
Teachers like Mr. Yin and the others had also had a few drinks but remained dutiful, ensuring the students were safely escorted back to school.
Boarders had to be returned to their dorms, while day students were to be handed over to their parents at the school gate.
Along the way, the students from Class 1 and Class 2 gradually merged into one group, filling the wide street in clusters of twos and threes.
They sang their school anthem, then moved on to Pu Shu’s "Those Flowers," followed by Lao Lang’s "You at the Same Desk."
Finally, they sang Wang Zheng’s "We Are All Good Kids."
Filling the streets were the raw, youthful voices of the teenagers—some off-key, some shouting along—pouring out the emotions in their hearts.
I open the window and see white birds in the sky
Remembering your minty laughter
Back then, you ran across the playground
Shouting, "I love you, do you know?"
Back then, we feared nothing
Watching the coffee-colored sunset dip again
You said we’d love and stay together
Never to part, just like this
We are all good kids
Kids with wild imaginations
Believing love could last forever
We are all good kids
The kindest of kids
Missing even those who hurt us
Shouting, "I love you"
Xue Jiao stood at the school gate. She had only messaged Cheng Shuo when leaving the restaurant, so she still had to wait a little longer.
The sky was dotted with stars as Yi Tianyu approached her.
It was almost ten o’clock. Even in June, the night breeze carried a slight chill.
"Bookworm Jiao Jiao," Yi Tianyu said softly. He had drunk a lot today, but his tolerance was surprisingly good—he wasn’t drunk.
"Hmm?" Xue Jiao turned to look at him.
The wind tousled her loose strands of hair.
Yi Tianyu gazed at her, his heart pounding.
He felt the time had come—there were things he needed to say to her.
"I—"
Xue Jiao met his eyes, her chest tightening.
Her fingers curled into fists, nails digging into her palms.
"Jiao Jiao, let’s go." Cheng Shuo had arrived to pick her up, his car parked not far away.
"Okay," Xue Jiao responded first.
Then she turned back to Yi Tianyu and asked gently, "What did you want to say?"
Yi Tianyu forced a smile. "It’s nothing, nothing. You go ahead—I’ll tell you next time."
He thought there would be plenty of opportunities. Next time would be just as good.
Xue Jiao studied him for a moment before looking away.
With a faint smile, she turned. "Then, goodbye."
"Okay, goodbye."
Yi Tianyu watched her retreating figure, thinking to himself—there would still be chances. Next time.
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