Chapter 42

However, Ding Xian didn't think he was jealous, because he asked too calmly, as if just casually asking.

Ding Xian began packing her things, holding back her strength, 'bang bang bang—' she threw a few books and stationery in all at once. "I'm leaving first. Tomorrow I have to go home for Chinese New Year. Thank you and Auntie for taking care of me this semester."

Zhou Siyue sat on the chair, quietly watching her 'act up'.

After packing her things, Ding Xian slung her bag over her shoulder and kicked his stool. "Move, I need to get out."

Zhou Siyue didn't move, nestled in the chair, watching her with a mocking gaze.

Ding Xian couldn't stand his knowing-it-all, not-caring attitude, as if he was the smartest person in the world and everyone else was an idiot. The more she looked at his handsome face, the angrier she got, and the harder she kicked.

I've had the worst luck for eight lifetimes, liking you.

"Are you really not taking the exam?"

Zhou Siyue suddenly stood up, immediately creating a height advantage that made Ding Xian feel like she was a head shorter even when breathing.

"Not taking it, not taking it, anyway, you don't—"

Her words were cut short when her head was suddenly held from behind, gently lifted, and the tall figure bent down, covering her lips with soft, warm ones. Ding Xian stared blankly with wide, round eyes, watching him kiss her.

Ding Xian could clearly hear the boy's soft exhalation, like a gentle beast, taking a breath, and her own heart thump-thump-thumped wildly, about to burst out of her chest.

Time seemed to stand still.

Ding Xian was so idle she started counting the eyelashes of the boy opposite her.

One, two, three...

All so long.

Zhou Siyue's lips were thin, but softer and more comfortable than she had imagined.

It was just that her neck was a little sore from being pressed against.

Ding Xian suddenly had an epiphany, finally understanding why the couples on TV would always turn while kissing.

She suggested, "How about we turn around?"

The boy's ears were bright red. "Shut up."

She obediently said, "Oh."

Outside, a row of plane trees stood side by side, as if keeping watch for them. The wind gently swayed, startling the people inside, who quickly separated.

Looking down through the window, it was a false alarm.

The atmosphere in the room was slightly tense. The boy awkwardly rubbed his neck with his hand and leaned against the edge of the desk. Ding Xian snatched her backpack, kicked the chair away, and hunched over, quickly slipping past him. "Goodbye."

Zhou Siyue watched her flee in a panic, feeling doubt about himself for the first time.

Surely, she didn't run away?

Ding Xian stayed in Yanping for the entire winter holiday. The town was lively during Chinese New Year, with children setting off firecrackers everywhere. She'd walk a few steps and hear 'bang bang bang' behind her. Especially since Ding Xian didn't come back often, several familiar children chased her, throwing firecrackers.

Ding Xian had nowhere to hide. Several firecrackers exploded right by her feet, and she could only cover her head and scream.

It was Xu Ke who came out to help, coaxing the children away. Then, like a big brother, he offered a few words of comfort. Originally, Ding Xian hadn't been thinking about Zhou Siyue that much, but as soon as she saw Xu Ke, that face in her mind could no longer be hidden. She wanted to fly back immediately to see him, to rub his head.

Finally, the new semester arrived.

Ye Wanxian returned to the city with Ding Xian, and the very next day, they went to the Zhou Family to thank Mrs. Zhou for taking care of Ding Xian during this time.

As soon as she sat down, Ding Xian began looking around, but didn't see him. Only then did she learn from Mrs. Zhou that Zhou Siyue had gone to attend university courses and was having lunch with a professor.

No matter how one looked at it, his future was bright.

In the blink of an eye, the new semester began, with the 100-day pledge rally.

Liu Jiang, as the classroom representative for the grade level, passionately read the oath under the national flag, while Zhou Siyue, as the student representative, led their group of 'little soldiers' in reciting it.

As soon as Zhou Siyue stepped onto the stage, it caused quite a stir among the audience.

He was dressed casually, in leisure wear, a baseball shirt and athletic pants. His tall figure stood under the national flag, and his clear yet magnetic voice echoed throughout every corner of the school. In fact, he rarely participated in such activities. In other words, he wasn't one to seek the limelight and always kept his distance from such events.

This time, it was considered helping Yang Weitao out.

The days of Senior Three were short, and they passed quickly.

The countdown on the wall steadily decreased until it reached single digits. The days were magnified, emotions and life were cast aside, leaving only study! Test papers! Scores!

The phrase Liu Jiang most often said was: "At the cruelest time, one point is fifty thousand people! Fifty thousand people for one point!"

"You still get such simple questions wrong? Just now another 150,000 people trampled over your corpses and passed you!"

"The Gaokao is not a joke, it's a battle, the only battle in your life, the only battle to rewrite your destiny. If you're unwilling to fall behind, then work hard! Either you trample over others' corpses, or others trample over yours!"

Zhou Siyue, on the other hand, went against the grain. "Don't be too nervous. Although the Gaokao is cruel, an exam still tests your fundamentals. If your fundamentals are solid, there's nothing to be nervous about."

And so, amidst this intense and grand atmosphere, the Gaokao began.

...

The night before the exam, Zhou Siyue went to Shanghai with his professor for a week.

The night before he left, he called Ding Xian out, and the two stood under the plane trees at the small alley entrance.

The night was deep, cicadas chirped, and willow banks swayed in the gentle breeze.

Zhou Siyue patted her head. "Nervous?"

Ding Xian shook her head. "Not really. Aren't you going to Shanghai? How come you're still here so late?"

Zhou Siyue leaned against the tree, smiling casually. "The professor booked a twelve AM flight to save money. Since I had nothing to do, I came out to give you a boost."

"What?"

"Do well on the exam, there's a reward when you finish."

Ding Xian confirmed with him, "Is the reward for doing well, or for just finishing the exam?"

She was quite a clever one. Zhou Siyue ruffled her hair. "You'll get it when you're done."

The young girl finally smiled. "Alright!"

A small tabby cat on the wall meowed, as if on cue, and the crabapple blossoms at the foot of the wall bloomed brilliantly.

At the base of the wall, the two exchanged knowing glances, then smiled and looked away.

Two fervent hearts thump-thump-thumped wildly in this fervent season.

The two-day Gaokao ended.

When Ding Xian walked out of the exam hall, she felt like her whole body was floating. After packing her things and leaving the classroom, a gust of strange wind swept through the corridor, rumbling and flashing like thunder and lightning.

In an instant, paper scraps flew everywhere in the classroom, full of the ripping sound of torn books. Even the aisle was covered with scattered exercise books and test papers.

"I'm finally out of here!!!!!!!!"

"Screw your mother's Senior Three!!!!!!!!"

"Screw your mother's Gaokao!!!!!!!!"

"Screw all of it, then!!!!!!!!"

The entire teaching building was filled with shouts, curses, and cathartic roars. Everyone seemed to have gone mad the moment the bell rang. All their actions were a lament for the almost captive three years of high school.

They yelled excitedly, tears welling up in their eyes, like a group of trapped beasts finally released from their cages.

Class Three's class meeting was specially rescheduled for a week later. That day, Zhou Siyue and his professor had just returned from Shanghai, rushing to the hotel as soon as they landed.

As soon as he entered, Song Ziqi led a group of people in cheering, "Come on, come on, our future university student is back—"

Zhou Siyue pushed him away with one hand. "Where's Ding Xian?"

Song Ziqi handed him a drink while gesturing towards a corner. "She's drinking with Liu Xiaofeng!"

Liu Xiaofeng?!

Zhou Siyue looked back and indeed, she was having a lively drink with him.

Seeing everyone present, Liu Jiang went onto the stage with his wine glass. His cheekbones were red, and he had drunk quite a bit. As the alcohol took effect, he snatched the microphone from a student and slapped the table. "Come on! Let's settle the scores from the past three years."

Everyone stopped and looked at Liu Jiang, their teacher, who was usually serious but now, being drunk, seemed somewhat inexplicably adorable.

"Old Liu, I confess, I threw chalk into your cup." Someone started.

Liu Jiang suddenly realized, "No wonder I had diarrhea that day."

The boy laughed again. "Actually, no, your diarrhea was because your belt was too tight!"

Liu Jiang laughed. "You rascal!"

Suddenly, he became serious. "Tonight, once we step out of this threshold, we might never find another reason to gather everyone together again. I'm too lazy to bother you with all those trivial old matters from the past three years. Do you really think I'm stupid? I couldn't care less about who threw chalk into my cup. And that time someone complained about me to the principal, saying I used corporal punishment, do you really think I didn't know? Can the principal be on the same side as you? He immediately came to my office and, in front of all the teachers, said, 'Xiao Liu, I heard you're still practicing corporal punishment?' I laughed like a subservient child and said, 'How dare I? Every one of you is a master, and if you're slightly unhappy or displeased, you take it out on the teachers. Is it easy being a teacher nowadays? Every single one of you is a troublemaker. And yet, you damn rascals, you're the ones I'll miss the most!!!"

At this, everyone stopped smiling, and the atmosphere suddenly grew heavy.

Liu Jiang's eyes reddened, and he gritted his teeth furiously. "You really are the naughtiest batch of students I've ever taught!!!!"

Perhaps because there were no students from other classes, Liu Jiang's emotions slightly unraveled, and he choked up. "Seeing you, I always see myself from back then. That drive and resilience in you really can't be compared to previous students. I also heard that a boy from Class Eight went to join the army, right? That junior high classmate of yours, Zhou Siyue, what was his name, Jiang Chen? That drive is truly impressive! And Song Ziqi, if you get into pilot school, send me a message so I can brag to other teachers that at least one of my students flies planes! And Zhou Siyue, when you get to Tsinghua University, take a photo of the main gate and mail it back! All of you, when it's time to get married, get married. It's best to find someone among your classmates, that way you can save me some wedding gift money."

At this point, Liu Jiang deliberately glanced at Kong Shadi and Song Ziqi. "Right? Huh? You two? Do you think your teacher is stupid!"

By the end of the class meeting, everyone's eyes were moist. Liu Jiang was eventually lifted into a taxi by Zhou Siyue and a few others.

He was put into the car, but he didn't forget to reach out his hand and wave to them. "Alright, don't see me off anymore, hurry back—" Even then, he was still worrying about them.

Eighteen years of arduous study finally came to an end on this fiercely competitive path.

No matter where we are in the future, as long as our passion still flows, let's hit the road together.