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Psst! We're moving!
After half a year apart, they finally reunited, and Sun Hong naturally wanted to arrange another outing.
They picked a Sunday and agreed to meet at the school gate.
Zheng Yimian was the last to arrive, carrying a delivery package that she was wrestling with as she walked.
Jiang Qin looked at her: “Mianmian, are you alright? As a girl, you actually can’t open a package with your bare hands.”
Zheng Yimian: “Lin Zhan spoiled me.”
As she spoke, Lin Zhan took the package from her, and without even using a key, found a small opening and directly tore the entire box open along the seam.
Jiang Qin: “To be honest, normally I might be surprised, but I also have the skill of opening packages with bare hands.”
After opening the package, Lin Zhan casually tossed the box into the trash can.
The male classmates, witnessing this scene for the first time, collectively froze. Sun Hong straightened up and said, “Sister Zhan, I just thought of a poem that perfectly matches your valiant posture.”
Lin Zhan smiled: “Speak.”
Sun Hong coughed and grandly proclaimed: “My strength uprooted mountains, my spirit covered the world, yet what can I do for Zhan兮 Zhan兮?”
Lin Zhan: “...”
“Get lost, don’t curse me to death. Hero Zhan won’t sing the Gaixia Song at the end of her rope.”
“Alright,” Sun Hong bowed, “Long live Empress Zhan.”
Qi Lijie kicked him: “Are you done with your role-playing? Do you want me to buy you some other equipment?”
Zheng Yimian suggested: “I think a sailor uniform would be nice.”
Sun Hong: “I don’t think so.”
Qi Lijie: “I think it’s okay.”
...
The group chatted and laughed their way to Happy Valley, leaving most of their cheer along the road. By now, everyone was a little thirsty.
They went into a nearby convenience store to buy water. Zheng Yimian had a quirk: she could only open one brand of bottled water; she couldn’t open any others. So, she smoothly handed her bottle to Lin Zhan.
Lin Zhan skillfully took it and opened it with a light twist.
Seeing this, Sun Hong sighed, “I remember once I brought a bottle of Lao Gan Ma (chili crisp) for lunch, and I couldn’t open it for the life of me. Lin Zhan was the one who finally opened it.”
Lin Zhan smiled. She took her own water bottle from Shen Xi’s hand, and before twisting it, it opened with a gentle turn.
Later, as everyone went ahead to play, Lin Zhan and Shen Xi walked behind. He whispered to her, “From now on, when you’re with me, I’ll do anything I can by hand. You don’t need to.”
Lin Zhan froze.
He continued, “By my side, you don’t need to be so tired. Be like any other girl.”
While touched, Lin Zhan still interjected, “Then wouldn’t I become... what was it?”
“What?”
“A superficial vase, just with a beautiful exterior.”
Shen Xi: “...Enough.”
________________________________________
With three months left until the college entrance examination, Lin Zhan found a one-on-one tutor to specifically work on her weak subjects.
Shen Xi would organize essential knowledge points for her every week and supervise her memorization.
Sometimes, when the two of them were chatting happily, Shen Xi would suddenly call her name.
Shen Xi: [Lin Zhan.]
Lin Zhan: [What?]
Shen Xi: [How do you say “analyze”?]
Lin Zhan: [...]
Lin Zhan: [Analyze says, Lin Zhan is so pretty.]
Shen Xi: [...]
Lin Zhan: [analysis.]
After answering a single word, she immediately asked: [I am really smart, right?]
Shen Xi: [Solve a math problem, then you’ll be considered smart.]
Then he sent a problem.
Shen Xi: [Video call me, no Baidu.]
Lin Zhan: [Smile gradually disappearing.Jpg]
Lin Zhan: [Shen Xi, you’re trying to kill me.]
...
Later, Lin Zhan and Shen Xi barely discussed anything outside of studying. Their chat and video call records were like exercise books, filled with past college entrance exam questions and mock tests.
He encouraged her every day, saying that if she held on for another hundred days, she would be free.
One evening, on her way home, Lin Zhan told him, “I have an idea now.”
Shen Xi: “Mm?”
Lin Zhan: “It might be a side effect of problem-solving. Now, when I hear people talk, I want to do reading comprehension and summarize articles; when I go out to buy water, I want to set up an equation to solve; when I see a screenshot from an American TV show, I can’t help but memorize vocabulary; when I see someone struggling, I want to analyze the universality and particularity of contradictions with them... Shen Xi, I’m going to die.”
Shen Xi chuckled, “That’s a good thing.”
Lin Zhan gritted her teeth: “Yeah, so good that when I look at you now, I just think you must be delicious.”
Shen Xi: “...”
Was his understanding problematic, or was Lin Zhan problematic?
________________________________________
A month later, the results for Weida University’s independent entrance exam were released.
Lin Zhan ranked second in the entire university.
When she checked her score, she was a little incredulous herself, staring at the Arabic numerals for a long time until Zheng Yimian sent her a message.
[Did you check your score!! 279! Weida University second overall, W City first place!]
Lin Zhan dumbfoundedly opened the chat box, her hands and heart trembling.
[I saw it...]
[You can just take the college entrance exam casually now. With this score, you can get into Weida University with your eyes closed, oh my god.]
Her mind went blank for a moment. She randomly exited the chat and found Shen Xi’s chat window.
Lin Zhan: [I checked my score.]
Lin Zhan: [279.]
Lin Zhan: [Second in the entire university.]
Shen Xi paused when he saw the message.
He thought she would do well, but he didn’t expect her to do this well.
An indescribable emotion intertwined in his chest, like tangled seaweed finally being brushed aside, allowing one to breathe freely and fully.
Shen Xi paused, then said:
[You did very well. A verbal reward.]
Lin Zhan quickly replied: [What kind of reward is a verbal reward?]
Shen Xi: [?]
Lin Zhan: [If you don’t say anything, then it’s a reward with the first character of my last sentence~]
Shen Xi: [Can you be more reserved?]
Lin Zhan instantly replied: [I don’t need to be reserved with you /smile]
Before their chat was over, the former teacher from Tingmo Art Studio also sent blessings in the WeChat group.
[I’ve taught many batches of students, and this batch is the most promising. Zheng Yimian got third in the joint entrance exam, Lin Zhan got second in Weida University’s independent entrance exam, Fan Hu got seventeenth in X Art Academy, everyone passed the joint entrance exam, and most of those who took independent exams passed too. You’ve really brought us honor!]
[As a reward, the boss is treating us to dinner. See you at Sheng Tang Hotel the day after tomorrow evening!]
Jiang Cheng: [Sheng Tang Hotel is super expensive, teacher.]
Fan Hu: [Wow, isn’t that a huge investment!]
Li Meimei: [Okay, will definitely be there.]
Lin Zhan: [ok~]
Zheng Yimian: [Okay.]
...
The group fell silent for a moment.
Jiang Cheng: [Screenshot for posterity.]
Li Ming: [Praying to the study gods, bless me to pass my independent exams.]
After they “prayed” to the two of them, the conversation ended.
________________________________________
The atmosphere at the dinner table was lively. Everyone was drinking beverages and wine, enthusiastically discussing their future plans.
Later, Teacher Song had heart-to-heart chats with each student, also cheering them on for the college entrance exam.
When it was Zheng Yimian’s turn, the teacher patted her shoulder: “I’ve taught many batches, and you are the one with the highest score from my hands. Keep it up. As long as you do well in the college entrance exam, you can pick any 985 university you want.”
The two chatted for a bit, then it was Lin Zhan’s turn.
The teacher smiled at her: “I know you’re a very strong-willed child. The greater your ability, the greater the pressure, but don’t always keep yourself so tense, otherwise your mindset will go awry, and it will be counterproductive.”
Lin Zhan nodded.
The teacher continued, “That boy who’s always by your side, he’s quite good.”
Lin Zhan paused, then realized after a moment that he might be talking about Shen Xi. She vaguely asked, “Who? ...Shen Xi?”
“Is that child named Shen Xi?” The teacher smiled, “Before your university exam, he came to find me.”
Lin Zhan was stunned.
________________________________________
After dinner, it was past seven in the evening. Everyone dispersed in the warm, bustling lobby.
Zheng Yimian’s family, worried about her, specifically rushed to pick her up at this time.
Lin Zhan pushed open the door and saw Shen Xi standing amidst the fleeting car lights.
Above his head stood a strong and lush tree.
Most of spring had passed. The new branches and leaves were mottled and neat, rustling as the wind blew, swaying the plane tree leaves along the roadside.
Shen Xi felt her gaze and waved at her, signaling that he was there.
Lin Zhan’s eyes welled up. She rushed forward, threw her arms around his neck, and buried her head in the crook of his neck.
He was taller than she imagined.
She had to stand on her tiptoes just a little.
Shen Xi raised his hands, feeling the warm breath on his neck. For a moment, he was at a loss, his hands raised, hovering above her head, but he made no further movement.
“...What’s wrong?”
He still carried her familiar scent, a warm and comforting fragrance of sunlight, which made her eyes feel even hotter.
This person felt so real and vivid, almost as if he shouldn’t exist.
The teacher’s words from just now flooded back into her mind—
“Just before your Weida exam, he privately came to me to discuss the art exhibition. He said he hoped to move the exhibition up as much as possible, while still considering the overall situation, to cheer you on for your exam. We had originally planned to hold it at the end of the month, but we thought moving it up would be good, and it could also help you.”
At that time, Lin Zhan was completely stunned. This news came so suddenly; she was utterly unprepared and simply couldn’t have imagined that things were actually like this.
The teacher then told her, “Because it was moved up, the promotion period and preparation period became a bit tight, so he helped us with the promotion. Every day after school at noon, he would come to help us set up the venue. He was also hardworking, carrying those heavy picture frames back and forth, and the sculptures and spotlights... Looking at your expression, he didn’t tell you any of this, did he?”
Lin Zhan parted her lips, but no words came out. She just managed to force out a difficult “Mm.”
Teacher: “The emotions of student days are very pure. I wish you two a successful future.”
...
Just thinking about it made her eyes well up.
She was truly foolish, still believing there was such a thing as divine protection in the world—
The one protecting her had always been right in front of her.
That intense emotion, upon its arrival, almost overwhelmed her, leaving her at a loss.
Her eyes burned, and she whispered, “I know everything now.”
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