As usual, the first day of school was a placement exam. This time it covered all subjects. The two days of exams flew by in a flash, and the excitement remaining from the holiday was completely worn away in the tense testing.

On the evening of exam day, evening self-study was held as normal. After finishing the last English exam, Ruan Mian returned home once. Her suddenly arriving period had left her somewhat out of sorts throughout the entire exam.

After changing clothes and passing by Zhao Shutang’s room, Ruan Mian’s footsteps paused, but she quickly quickened her pace and left the house.

By the time evening self-study arrived, Zhou Hai talked in class about the math, physics, and chemistry competition classes the school was opening this semester. “The school opening this is just a suggestion—we’re not advocating that everyone sign up. After all, not everyone is suited to take this path. Registration starts this week. Everyone should go back and discuss it with your parents. Those interested in signing up should first register your name with the class monitor.”

Every year, Eighth High had a batch of students who received recommendations through competitions. This year was the first time they were opening tutoring classes specifically for this program. As students in the experimental class, they might have more advantages taking this route than students in regular or key classes.

But this wasn’t a decision that could be made in one fell swoop. The class buzzed with discussion for a while. Zhou Hai didn’t say much else, just instructed Fu Guangsi to keep an eye on discipline, then returned to his office.

Ruan Mian had gotten the news early on. Now feeling unwell, she buried her head on the desk, listening to the surrounding classmates discussing this matter.

Fu Guangsi poked her arm. “Ruan Mian, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” She turned her head, still pillowed on her arm, looking listless. “Period.”

“Then keep resting.” Fu Guangsi rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a heating pad to give her. “I bought these last time. There’s one left.”

“Thank you.”

Fu Guangsi waved her hand. “No problem.”

Ruan Mian had been in severe pain at first, but after applying the heating pad, it eased somewhat. However, she didn’t sleep deeply and wasn’t completely unaware of the surrounding movements.

The classroom was noisy, mixed with the sounds of footsteps moving around. Ruan Mian adjusted her position and pulled her school uniform up over her head.

Before long, in her half-awake state, she heard Jiang Rang’s voice: “Class monitor, sign me and Chen Yi up too.”

Fu Guangsi asked, “You and Chen Yi are both planning to go to the competition class?”

“Chen Yi wants to go. I’m just joining for fun.” Jiang Rang stood in the aisle by Fu Guangsi’s side, his gaze falling on Ruan Mian as he asked casually, “What’s wrong with Ruan Mian?”

“Oh, she’s feeling a bit unwell.”

“Is it serious?”

“She’s fine. She’ll be better after resting.” Fu Guangsi clicked her pen and changed the subject. “Okay, I’ve already registered you both.”

“Great, thanks.”

Jiang Rang returned to his seat. Fu Guangsi was busy with her own things. Ruan Mian woke in darkness until just before class ended, when she lifted her uniform and sat up.

Fu Guangsi looked over. “Are you feeling better?”

“Much better.” Ruan Mian rubbed her uniform, her face somewhat pale. After a while, she asked, “How many people in our class have signed up for the competition class now?”

“Not many, only five or six.” Fu Guangsi flipped open her notebook. “Are you signing up? With your grades, Teacher Zhou will definitely suggest you participate.”

Ruan Mian fastened the zipper on her uniform. “Then… register my name for now.”

“Okay.”

After evening self-study ended, Meng Xinglan dragged Ruan Mian to the bubble tea shop outside school to try the new products the shop had launched. Qi Jia and Fu Guangsi came along as well.

At this time, the shop was crowded. The line had already extended outside the store. The four girls joined the end of the queue. Around them was nothing but the chatter of other girls.

Qi Jia quickly spotted an acquaintance in the front of the crowd. She put away her phone and called out, “Sheng Huan!”

Ruan Mian, who had been looking down kicking a small stone to the side, heard this name and suddenly stiffened. Without controlling her force, she kicked the stone directly onto the road.

She looked up and saw Sheng Huan, who seemed like a completely different person.

The girl’s previously big wavy hair had been straightened into long black hair. Several streaks of bright color highlighted in her hair were especially dazzling under the light and shadow. She had removed her heavy makeup, revealing her originally very pretty features, and gained several degrees of girlish charm.

Qi Jia asked her to buy four extra cups of bubble tea. Meng Xinglan came out from the queue, and the four of them stood to the side chatting.

Meng Xinglan grabbed Qi Jia’s arm and asked, “Why did Sheng Huan straighten her hair?”

Qi Jia said with a laugh, “Isn’t it because of Chen Yi? She got information from somewhere that Chen Yi likes girls with straight black hair and a natural look. Didn’t you see she’s not even wearing makeup today?”

“…” Meng Xinglan clicked her tongue. “She’s really ruthless with herself.”

“That’s just how she is. When she wants to do something, even her parents can’t stop her.”

After chatting for a bit, Ruan Mian saw Sheng Huan walking over carrying a bag of bubble tea. Meng Xinglan wanted to pay her, but she refused and said with a smile, “No need. Just consider it my treat.”

Later, after she left, Meng Xinglan bit on her straw and wailed, “Being pretty is one thing, but she’s also so nice. Honestly, when she smiled at me just now, my heart stopped.”

Fu Guangsi echoed her with frantic nodding.

Ruan Mian lowered her eyes. The bubble tea in her hand was warm. Taking a sip, it was bitterly sweet—just like her girlish feelings that she could tell no one about.

Registration for the competition class closed by the evening of the second day.

During the last biology class in the afternoon, Zhou Hai received the list and saw that several students he favored were all on it. His heart immediately settled.

He placed the list on the lectern and spoke up. “The competition class is divided into math and the four science subjects. Everyone needs to choose their subject independently. This Saturday, the school will organize an evaluation exam. After that, based on the evaluation results and comprehensive consideration, they’ll decide whether to admit you. So, course representative, after class go to my office to get the registration forms. After filling them out, collect them and turn them in to my office tomorrow at noon.”

Ruan Mian nodded. “Okay.”

After class ended, Zhou Hai called both Chen Yi and Ruan Mian to his office. “Teacher Yan from the competition class hopes you two can both go to the math group. What are your own thoughts?”

Chen Yi’s grades had always been stable without much bias, but regarding choosing a subject, he thought for a while before saying, “I still want to go to the physics group.”

Zhou Hai didn’t say anything and asked Ruan Mian, “What about you? You should go to the math group, right? With your grades, going to math would be most stable.”

Ruan Mian’s hands twisted together behind her back. After hesitating for a long time, she nodded and said, “Then… math, I guess.”

“Alright then, let’s go with that for now.” Zhou Hai pulled out a small stack of registration forms from his drawer and handed them to Ruan Mian. “I don’t have anything else. You two can go back.”

The two of them came out of the office. Chen Yi took a registration form in his hand and glanced at Ruan Mian, who remained silent. He gently offered, “Regarding choosing a subject, you don’t need to care too much about what others say. The main thing is to see what you yourself are interested in.”

Ruan Mian nodded. “I know.”

Chen Yi didn’t say anything more. Back in the classroom, he and Jiang Rang went out to eat. After Ruan Mian finished distributing the registration forms, Meng Xinglan also brought dinner back.

While eating, they chatted about choosing subjects. Meng Xinglan slurped her noodles, her voice muffled. “I think what Old Zhou said makes sense. Look at last semester—every exam, your math never dropped below 145. Teacher Yan has praised you all over in Shen Yu’s class.”

Ruan Mian remained hesitant in her heart.

Seeing this, Meng Xinglan put down her chopsticks and asked, “Let me ask you—if you chose for yourself, what would you want to choose?”

Ruan Mian suppressed her heartbeat and nervousness. “Physics.”

“Then just choose physics.” Meng Xinglan picked up her chopsticks again and buried her head in eating with gusto. “Your physics isn’t bad anyway. Plus you’re also interested in it. Studying it definitely won’t be harder than math.”

Ruan Mian sighed, wanting to choose but not daring to.

By evening self-study, classmates gradually returned. Before class started, Ruan Mian received three completed registration forms.

They were from Chen Yi, Jiang Rang, and the physics course representative Dai Shuo. All three boys had chosen physics. Ruan Mian spread out her own registration form on the desk and stared blankly at the subject column.

She passed the entire evening in a daze. Near the end of the last self-study period, Ruan Mian went to Zhou Hai’s office and mentioned to him that she wanted to choose physics.

Zhou Hai clearly didn’t quite approve. “Are you sure? This relates to many things later on—choosing schools and majors for exams. Once you decide, it won’t be easy to change. Don’t you want to go back and think about it more?”

But Ruan Mian no longer hesitated. “Teacher Zhou, I understand everything you’ve said. But compared to math, I’m still more interested in physics.”

Zhou Hai was silent for a while, then let out a long sigh. “Alright then. Anyway, I’ll say it again—however you choose is your own matter. As long as you’ve thought it through yourself, the teacher has no objections.”

Ruan Mian breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Teacher Zhou.”

Zhou Hai smiled and said it was nothing.

Ruan Mian was about to leave when Zhou Hai remembered something and pulled out several test papers from his drawer. “Oh right, take these papers back to Zhao Shutang. Have her do them at home, and bring them back on Wednesday.”

“Okay.”

That evening when she got home, Ruan Mian mentioned to Fang Ruqing about going to the competition class. Fang Ruqing maintained her non-interfering attitude. “As long as you’ve thought it through yourself.”

Ruan Mian hummed in acknowledgment and took out the test papers from her bag. “These are the papers Teacher Zhou asked me to bring to Zhao Shutang. Could you give them to her for me?”

Fang Ruqing laughed. “You go yourself. It’s just delivering papers—it’s nothing.”

Ruan Mian scratched the area under her eyes. Seeing Fang Ruqing insist, she couldn’t very well say anything else and took the papers upstairs.

The door to Zhao Shutang’s room on the second floor wasn’t closed. She stopped in the hallway and raised her hand to knock on the door frame.

A voice came from inside. “Who is it?”

“It’s me.” Ruan Mian looked down at her shoes, her tone flat. “Teacher Zhou asked me to bring you the papers from this placement exam.”

The room was quiet for a few seconds before there was a response. “Then come in.”

Ruan Mian walked in and stood about a meter away from the foot of the bed. “Teacher Zhou wants you to do the papers in the next two days. The day after tomorrow I’ll take them to school for him.”

“Got it.”

Ruan Mian held her breath. “Where should I put the papers for you?”

“Just put them on the desk.”

Ruan Mian walked over and put the papers down. Zhao Shutang watched her figure and pressed her lips together. Her “thank you” came out especially awkwardly.

Ruan Mian paused but didn’t turn around to look at her. She only softened her tone a bit. “You’re welcome.”

After coming out of Zhao Shutang’s room, Ruan Mian stood in the hallway, shrugged her shoulders, and let out a long breath of relief before turning back to her own room.

A few days later, the school organized the evaluation exam—written test in the morning and interview in the afternoon. The two rounds eliminated a third of the students. Jiang Rang was among them.

When the new week arrived, Eighth High’s first batch of competition classes was fully formed. Ruan Mian got her wish and went to the physics group. Most of the classmates from Class One who had signed up for the competition class were in this class. Following the crowd, this also made her choice seem less prominent.

In the initial period, competition class sessions were held every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening from seven to nine-thirty, as well as Saturday afternoon for half a day.

Ruan Mian was indeed, as Zhou Hai had said, a good candidate for competitions. After entering the class, she placed first on all three mock exams.

In the most recently concluded placement exam, she and Chen Yi tied for first place. But because Ruan Mian had placed first in the previous two exams, when ranking them, the teacher still put Chen Yi, who had always been in second place, in second place.

Teacher Wang, who taught the class, joked with Chen Yi during class. “Chen Yi, have you dug yourself a pit in second place and moved in?”

The classroom was flooded with sunlight. The boy sitting in the back row smiled carelessly. “She really is that good. I can’t beat her in the exam—there’s nothing I can do about it. I can’t exactly beat her up and say, ‘Let me get first place next time,’ can I?”

With these words, the whole class burst out laughing. Ruan Mian sat in the sea of laughter, dimly hearing the sound of her own heartbeat.

Class let out early on Saturday—at five in the evening, the sky was still bright.

Usually at this time, Chen Yi would go to the basketball court with Dai Shuo and a few other boys to play ball, but today he had to go to Li Zhi’s place. After class, he and Ruan Mian happened to go back the same way together.

On weekends, aside from the senior year students and their group, the school had no other students. There were only a few scattered figures on the tree-lined path. The afterglow of the setting sun filtered down through the gaps in the branches and leaves.

The two people’s shadows fell behind them, swaying back and forth on the ground, sometimes touching together, sometimes separating again, adding quite a bit of lingering and tender ambiguity.

Ruan Mian inadvertently looked back and saw the two people’s shadows nearly pressed together. In that moment of distraction, Chen Yi’s footsteps didn’t stop.

The two shadows seemed to kiss by mistake.

—

**Author’s Note:** Posting the acknowledgment list—it’s a bit long. Thank you for liking this.