The weather in June was stuffy and hot. It either poured rain continuously or blazed with sunshine—either way, it was the weather that made people reluctant to go outside.

A battle prepared for more than a decade finally commenced on June 7th and 8th.

Silent, without gunsmoke.

After the first Chinese language exam finished, someone was sobbing beneath the building. Clearly, either they hadn’t performed well or something unexpected had happened.

The examinees merely glanced over and no one paid further attention.

At that moment, everyone was preparing for the afternoon battle, and no one had the energy to care about others.

Xue Jiao felt the difficulty of the Chinese exam was acceptable—not as hard as the second mock exam, about the same as the first mock.

Though she had a bit of a cold, she still performed to her full ability.

At noon, she took a nap at the hotel beside Number Seven High School.

This hotel was the closest to Number Seven High, and staying there during the two days of the college entrance examination required booking at least three months in advance.

It showed how much effort parents put into their children’s exams.

After waking from her nap at the hotel, Xue Jiao took her medicine and was sent to the exam room.

Neither Cheng Shuo nor the others asked how her Chinese exam went. That wasn’t important anymore; what mattered was how she would perform in the upcoming exams.

The afternoon test was mathematics.

The weather was somewhat hot, so the ceiling fan was on. Xue Jiao’s seat happened to be right beneath the fan. She sneezed but paid no attention to it.

This test was quite difficult.

Almost immediately after browsing through the exam paper, Xue Jiao knew that the difficulty of this math paper exceeded the second mock exam.

This might be the most difficult national exam paper in the past ten years.

Fortunately, during the second semester of senior year, Xue Jiao had focused on studying those especially difficult concepts. During math competitions, Lin Zhi Hua had given her many problems that were painfully difficult.

Xue Jiao heard many people sharply inhale—clearly, the test made many feel desperate.

She took a deep breath, then picked up her pen and quickly began.

With difficult problems, the challenging questions at the end would take a lot of time, so she had to cherish every second and not waste any time.

When Xue Jiao reached the last major problem, she heard someone sobbing, but soon a proctor went over and the sound stopped.

She knew someone was crying.

Many others were flipping through their papers back and forth, making frustrated noises.

Many had “finished”—more accurately, they had completed what they could do—and looked at the large blank spaces on their papers. Considering this was the college entrance exam, their faces turned red with anxiety.

Xue Jiao took a deep breath, feeling some dizziness in her head.

Moreover, the last part of the final problem had her somewhat stumped.

But this question was worth eight points—how could she possibly lose these eight points?

The window on the left was half-open, the wind blew in, and the ceiling fan above whirred. Xue Jiao felt her head growing hot.

But she ignored it.

She put down her pen and breathed slowly.

Her actions naturally attracted the proctor’s attention. One proctor walked over, glanced at her paper, and was slightly startled.

The proctors weren’t from this city, and most were elementary school teachers. Even though they were proctoring a math exam, they weren’t necessarily math teachers.

The proctor couldn’t solve these problems, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t see the difference between other students’ large blank spaces and this student’s neat, organized solutions.

The teacher was somewhat surprised, and then quietly walked away to the back to avoid disturbing the student.

Xue Jiao kept her eyes tightly closed, ignoring outside sounds.

A moment later, she opened her eyes and picked up her pen.

Just now, she had completely forgotten her previous train of thought and was starting the problem anew.

After completing the first sub-question, Xue Jiao didn’t stop but went straight through to solve the second sub-question in one go.

Then she looked at the answer she had originally calculated for the first sub-question and gently sighed in relief.

After writing all the answers on the answer sheet, only twenty minutes remained.

Xue Jiao quickly began to check her work. The twenty minutes were just enough to finish reviewing.

“Put down your pens.”

As soon as the proctor spoke, most students stopped writing, but a small number were still writing furiously.

“Put down your pens,” the proctor’s voice became serious.

Everyone knew that continuing to write after time was up could invalidate their answers.

So many students reluctantly put down their pens.

Xue Jiao waited until the teacher had collected all the papers before standing up.

Her vision went black, and she swayed.

She had to hold onto the desk to barely stand steady. After a moment, Xue Jiao shook her head and walked out.

“Wuwuwu…” Someone was crying as they walked.

Downstairs, others were sobbing loudly. This math test had left people desperate.

What Xue Jiao didn’t know was that shortly after they left the exam room, “Math Despair” became the top trending topic.

The difficulty of this national exam paper sparked heated discussion.

Only two subjects had been completed, yet some people already seemed to have their fate sealed, crying miserably.

Difficult problems naturally benefited talented students like Xue Jiao, as they could score much higher than others.

But Xue Jiao didn’t feel happy at all.

Anyone who saw those crying faces couldn’t feel happy.

Especially those with poor mindsets—when the problems were difficult, they got anxious and their minds became unclear. Then the more they panicked, the less they could solve. Someone with seven points worth of ability might only demonstrate three or four points.

More than a decade of hardship might go to waste.

When Xue Jiao walked to the school gate, her head felt increasingly dizzy. By the time she reached Cheng Shuo and Li Si Tong, she could only manage a forced smile, her eyes half-closed.

Cheng Ming Ze noticed her condition almost immediately.

He reached out, quickly pulled her into his arms, and felt her forehead.

“Jiaojiao has a fever!”

Li Si Tong’s legs went weak. Cheng Shuo hurriedly supported her, his face changing with worry.

“Quickly, take her to the hospital!”

Cheng Ming Ze picked up Xue Jiao horizontally and rushed toward where the car was parked. Cheng Shuo and Li Si Tong grabbed their things and hurriedly followed behind.

Just as they reached the road, a car stopped in front of Cheng Ming Ze, the window rolling down halfway.

Lin Zhi Hua’s voice was urgent: “Get in.”

Without hesitation, Cheng Ming Ze directly opened the back door.

“Mom, Dad, I’ll take Jiaojiao to the nearest hospital first. You come quickly.” The car couldn’t possibly fit two more people.

As soon as he finished speaking, the car sped away.

Cheng Shuo and Li Si Tong continued rushing toward their car.

“Whose car did Ming Ze just get into?”

“Couldn’t see who it was.”

“Old Cheng, hurry up!”

“Mmm.”

Lin Zhi Hua’s car raced toward the hospital.

Chen Yan was driving, Lin Zhi Hua was in the passenger seat, and Cheng Ming Ze was holding Jiaojiao in the back.

Lin Zhi Hua handed Cheng Ming Ze a thermos while dialing a number, saying, “Give her some water first. This is lukewarm water.”

Cheng Ming Ze looked at him deeply, then accepted it.

Right now, Jiaojiao was the most important thing; everything else could be put aside for now.

“Hello, Director Cen, this is Lin Zhi Hua. Please help me arrange a doctor quickly. Someone here has a fever, and I’m about to reach the hospital.”

“Yes, yes, also arrange two quiet hospital rooms for tonight.”

“Yes, good.”

“Thank you.”

Then he hung up.

Cheng Ming Ze anxiously comforted Jiaojiao while listening to Lin Zhi Hua’s urgent yet orderly arrangements.

The car arrived at the hospital entrance. Cheng Ming Ze carried Xue Jiao while Lin Zhi Hua and Chen Yan led the way straight upstairs.

In a private examination room, two doctors with chief physician badges took over Xue Jiao.

They measured her temperature and performed various tests, all very quickly.

“It’s just a common cold with fever. The most effective treatment would be an IV drip overnight, and she should be better by tomorrow noon.”

“But why is she barely conscious?” Cheng Ming Ze’s voice was anxious.

Xue Jiao’s face was flushed red, her eyes closed, her brows tightly furrowed.

“Her temperature is already over 39°C. She must be very uncomfortable, so she’s closed her eyes to sleep,” the doctor explained.

“Will it affect tomorrow’s exam?” Lin Zhi Hua suddenly spoke.

“Exam?” Both doctors were surprised.

“She’s taking the college entrance exam today,” Cheng Ming Ze said. Both doctors were taken aback.

A student falling ill during the college entrance exam—this child had bad luck.

Finally, the doctor only said, “If her fever breaks tonight, she should be able to take the exam tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, in her condition, the fever should break tonight,” the other doctor nodded.

“Not ‘should’—it must,” Lin Zhi Hua’s voice turned cold.

The two doctors suddenly remembered the director’s instructions and became more serious, no longer using conservative wording.

“The fever will break tonight. She can take the exam tomorrow, but her condition will depend on herself.”

At this moment, two nurses came over with several bottles of IV fluid.

Just as they were about to administer it to Xue Jiao, Lin Zhi Hua reached out to stop them.

“Doctor, there are too many IV fluids. Let’s use a different treatment method.”

“Ah?” They were surprised again.

Lin Zhi Hua looked at the girl on the bed and said seriously, “As long as she can take the exam tomorrow, her condition won’t be a problem. But with this much IV fluid, it might physiologically affect her. A night of IV drips will also affect her sleep…”

So many bottles of IV fluid would be equivalent to the body taking in a lot of water.

Recently, Xue Jiao had been trying to limit her water intake, worried about needing to use the bathroom during the exam, affecting her test.

Moreover, they’d need to change the IV bottles throughout the night, repeatedly disturbing her.

The doctor thought for a moment and said, “IV fluid treatment has the most stable effect and will make her better by tomorrow. Injections and oral medicine are less effective, and I’m worried she might develop a fever again tonight.”

Cheng Ming Ze paused, looking at the doctor. “So IV fluid has the best effect?”

The doctor nodded. “Yes, injections are also possible, but if she develops a fever again in the early morning and isn’t treated promptly, she might not be able to take the exam tomorrow. You decide.”

Cheng Ming Ze’s brows were knitted together, looking conflicted.

“Let’s go with injections and oral medicine,” Lin Zhi Hua took a deep breath.

Cheng Ming Ze turned to look at him.

Lin Zhi Hua’s voice was very serious: “For her, the exam is most important.”

Cheng Ming Ze was startled; he hadn’t expected Lin Zhi Hua to understand Xue Jiao so well.

“What if she can’t take the exam tomorrow?”

“That’s impossible,” Lin Zhi Hua’s voice was certain.

Cheng Ming Ze looked at him deeply, then turned to Xue Jiao who was frowning on the bed.

After a moment, he slowly opened his mouth:

“Alright, thank you, doctor.”

The doctors left, and Lin Zhi Hua approached, reaching out to gently touch Xue Jiao’s forehead.

He then withdrew his hand under Cheng Ming Ze’s needle-like gaze and quickly left.

Not long after he left, Cheng Shuo and Li Si Tong finally arrived, flustered.

“How is she? How is she?”

“Just a cold with fever. She’ll get an injection soon, then take some medicine. She’ll stay overnight for observation,” Cheng Ming Ze touched Xue Jiao’s forehead again.

Then he explained the situation in detail. He didn’t mention Lin Zhi Hua; since Xue Jiao hadn’t mentioned him, neither would he.

“Of course, health is more important—the college entrance exam is secondary,” Cheng Shuo’s eyes widened.

Cheng Ming Ze sighed, “But Jiaojiao cares a lot about the exam.”

With these words, Cheng Shuo fell silent.

Li Si Tong looked anxious and helpless: “How did this happen?”

Cheng Shuo took a deep breath and sat down. “Blessings or misfortunes, you can’t escape fate.”

After a moment, he continued, “Then we’ll all stay nearby tonight. Let’s book a hotel in the vicinity. Fortunately, you booked a private room for Jiaojiao; otherwise, it would affect her sleep.”

Cheng Ming Ze was silent for a moment, then said, “I’ve also booked the room next door. Dad, I’ll stay next door with you tonight.”

Cheng Shuo looked at him suspiciously. It wasn’t difficult for Cheng Ming Ze to book a private hospital room, but two rooms?

And in the best, quietest part of the hospital?

But now Jiaojiao was the priority, so Cheng Shuo didn’t think too much about it.

Around seven o’clock, a nurse respectfully brought in an older doctor. He wasn’t wearing a white coat and seemed to have rushed over from somewhere else.

The doctor came in, examined Xue Jiao’s condition, and prescribed a new medicine.

“The fever will break tonight, don’t worry. Now try to get her to take this medicine.”

The doctor handed the new medicine to Cheng Shuo.

“Thank you, doctor,” Cheng Shuo was visibly excited; this doctor wasn’t ordinary.

The doctor shook his head, only saying, “Don’t worry. The fever will break by ten o’clock at the latest. Then she should eat something, get a good night’s sleep, and go take the exam tomorrow.”

“Thank you, thank you,” Cheng Shuo and Li Si Tong could only express gratitude.

The doctor smiled and said, “A high school senior taking exams—we all try to help.”

With that, he smiled, shook his head, and left.

Cheng Ming Ze watched his retreating figure deeply, saying nothing.

Outside, the doctor went straight to the stairwell.

“Mr. Lin, you dragged me from home today just to see a common cold?”

Lin Zhi Hua’s mouth twitched slightly, “Thank you, Uncle Liao. How is her condition?”

Doctor Liao held his hands behind his back, looking proud, “With me involved, what do you think?”

Lin Zhi Hua smiled slightly, relieved.

Xue Jiao woke up around nine in the evening. Li Si Tong quickly fed her medicine, which she would need to take once more that night.

Meanwhile, Cheng Shuo and Cheng Ming Ze were concerned, asking various questions.

“Jiaojiao, are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

“Are you feeling bad?”

“Jiaojiao?”

At this time, someone knocked on the door.

Cheng Shuo went to open it.

“Hello, your takeout order,” the person handed it to Cheng Shuo and turned to leave immediately.

Cheng Shuo was stunned for a moment, then brought it inside.

As he unpacked it, he said, “Ming Ze, you’ve thought of everything today, even ordered food.”

Looking closer, he saw it was all suitable for a sick person to eat. Cheng Shuo’s smile became more obvious.

Cheng Ming Ze didn’t say anything, just looked at Jiaojiao with concern.

He had been so worried about Jiaojiao that he hadn’t thought about ordering food at all.

This was most likely Lin Zhi Hua’s doing.

That night, Xue Jiao stayed in the hospital.

Cheng Shuo, Li Si Tong, and Cheng Ming Ze all tried to give her a quiet environment. After ten o’clock, the doctor checked once and said the fever had broken. No one disturbed her after that.

She slept until seven in the morning, then was driven to the exam site by Cheng Shuo.

“Jiaojiao, are you alright?” Mrs. Qin had just sent Chu Sheng in when she saw Xue Jiao arriving.

“I’m fine,” Xue Jiao’s face was still a bit pale, but when she smiled, her complexion didn’t look problematic.

“That’s good, that’s good. Hurry in now, good luck!” Mrs. Qin raised her fist in encouragement.

Xue Jiao said goodbye to Cheng Shuo and the others, and then went straight into the exam room.

She had arrived somewhat late, but fortunately, the exam hadn’t officially started.

After she left, Mrs. Qin worriedly said, “How could she catch a cold during the college entrance exam? Si Tong, this shows you haven’t taken good care of her as a mother.”

Li Si Tong felt quite guilty, managing a strained smile, “I’ve never checked on how she sleeps at night. It’s my fault; I didn’t take good care of her.”

Xue Jiao had worked so hard, only to encounter such a mishap right at the college entrance exam.

“Mom, it’s not your fault,” Cheng Ming Ze looked at Li Si Tong, remembering Lin Zhi Hua’s words. “Once Jiaojiao enters the exam room, she won’t let her physical condition affect her.”

Lin Zhi Hua—this man who somehow knew Jiaojiao—understood her so well.

But he wouldn’t let Lin Zhi Hua have another chance to get close to Jiaojiao.

His situation was too complicated, and he was much older—completely unsuitable for Jiaojiao.

In the distance, Lin Zhi Hua, watching Xue Jiao enter the exam room, let out a slight sigh of relief.

Beside him, Chen Yan glanced at him.

“Boss, take a rest.”

Lin Zhi Hua nodded and closed his eyes to doze.

Chen Yan knew that this man had anxiously kept watch in the room next to Xue Jiao’s all night.

Lin Zhi Hua was right—once Xue Jiao entered the exam room, she absolutely wouldn’t let her physical condition affect her.

The morning exam was English. After yesterday’s math exam, one person was missing from their exam room today.

Many exam rooms had absent students, possibly for various reasons, or perhaps because the pressure from the math test was too great, so they weren’t taking today’s exam.

For most candidates, it was the latter.

Before beginning to answer, Xue Jiao briefly closed her eyes.

She forgot all her physical discomfort, then picked up her pen and devoted herself entirely to the exam.

Three years in her previous life, two years in this life—a total of five years.

Xue Jiao didn’t know how many test papers she had completed.

Countless papers had built up to today’s proficiency.

Compared to yesterday’s math, the morning English exam was simple. Xue Jiao completed it with ease, checked it twice, and submitted her paper ten minutes early.

But the afternoon comprehensive science test was challenging again. Though not as difficult as yesterday’s math, it was slightly harder than the first mock exam.

This time Xue Jiao didn’t find it easy. Though she could solve everything, the time was extremely tight. She had just finished the last problem when only two minutes remained.

She only had time to check if her answers were correctly filled in—positions, machine cards, exam number, etc. Then she smoothed out her paper as the bell rang.

“Put down your pens.”

As soon as the proctor finished speaking, the two teachers quickly came down to collect the papers.

“Awu…” Inside the exam room, a female student burst into tears.

Others only glanced at her before being drawn to the sounds outside.

“Ahhhhh!” Screaming.

“We’re free!” Shouting.

“I finally finished the damn exam!” Howling.

“Graduation!” Cheering.

When Xue Jiao walked out of the exam room, her eyes gradually moistened.

Her three years plus two years—a full five years of struggle and effort—had finally ended today.

There was no pain, nor the imagined jubilation. Xue Jiao’s eyes merely reddened slightly, with an indescribable sense of emptiness in her heart.

Her eyes watched the students rushing downstairs—some laughing, some crying, some discussing answers.

This group of children and her youth were coming to an end today.

Their arduous yet memory-filled high school life was completely over.

The world that had been sheltered from them had now opened its gates. From now on, they would have to venture into the boundless world outside on their own.

Whether to remain stationary, to wander the world sword in hand, or to bravely climb to the summit.

What the future would look like—the teachers who had been responsible for everything in high school, and the parents who had arranged everything for them—could no longer arrange or be responsible for them.

As Xue Jiao went downstairs, Liu Jia Xue hugged her.

“Jiaojiao! I heard you caught a cold. I was so worried!”

“I’m fine,” Xue Jiao smiled, showing her teeth, though her face was still somewhat pale.

“That’s good,” Liu Jia Xue sighed in relief. “How did you do on the exam? Did it affect your performance?”

“I think I performed to the best of my ability. This is all the ability I have.”

Liu Jia Xue completely relaxed and said, “That’s good. If you performed to your ability, there’s no problem.”

“What about you?”

“I also tried my best. Never mind, anyway, it’s over now.”

Liu Jia Xue smiled.

Most people were like this. Walking out of the exam room, regardless of how they performed, they were mostly immersed in the excitement of liberation.

This excitement—no one knew how much was joy and how much was emptiness.

When Xue Jiao walked outside, she saw Cheng Shuo and the others squeezed among the crowd.

Not far away were Qian Yu and Liu Jun.

Xue Jiao and Liu Jia Xue walked towards their respective parents.

“Jiaojiao, how are you feeling?” This was what Cheng Shuo and the others cared about most.

Xue Jiao smiled and replied, “Quite good.”

“You’ll be going to a dinner gathering tonight. Remember not to drink alcohol or eat cold foods,” Cheng Ming Ze reminded her.

Xue Jiao obediently nodded.

He couldn’t resist reaching out to pat Xue Jiao’s head again.

Li Si Tong even took out medicine and water, handing them to Xue Jiao. “Take some medicine first. Call us when you come back tonight. Don’t stay out overnight, don’t—”

Cheng Shuo pulled her. “Enough, Xue Jiao knows her limits.”

Li Si Tong fell silent. Cheng Shuo looked at Xue Jiao and smiled, “Be careful tonight. Remember to call us if anything happens. We’ll head back first.”

“Alright, thank you, Dad, Mom, Brother. I’ll come home early tonight.” Xue Jiao waved, and Cheng Shuo and the others left.

“Bookworm!” Just as Xue Jiao rejoined Liu Jia Xue, Yi Tian Yu rushed out.

Xue Jiao glanced at him. “Back to the classroom.”

“Together, together,” Yi Tian Yu’s face was thicker than a city wall.

In the distance, Lin Zhi Hua waved his hand. “Let’s go.”

“Not going to say hello?”

Chen Yan wasn’t a fool. He could see how much his boss cared about that young girl, as long as he had eyes.

Lin Zhi Hua didn’t respond. After a moment, he said four words:

“There’s time ahead.”

When Xue Jiao and the others reached the senior high building, some students were standing by the windows throwing exam papers.

Below, the director shouted heartrendingly, “Don’t throw the exam papers!”

But nobody listened to him anymore.

A moment later, the director shouted:

“Throw them over there—there are people here!”

The group finally moved away from the windows with giggles, and looking up, one could still see the group of jubilant students in the classroom.

Xue Jiao and Yi Tian Yu chuckled lightly. After the paper-throwing stopped, they walked into Class 1’s classroom.

Quite a few people had already returned. As soon as they walked in, they saw exam paper fragments floating in the air, and the floor was covered with papers.

“Damn, I’m going to throw mine too!”

Liu Jia Xue turned to look at him and said deeply, “They started throwing so quickly. What if they need them next year?”

Yi Tian Yu: “…”

Several jubilant classmates who heard this paused.

Thinking about the chaotic math they had just taken, they silently picked up their papers again.

At this moment, Teacher Yin walked in.

This was probably the first time she had smiled so relaxed and happy. Seeing the messy classroom, she didn’t frown or scold anyone.

Due to years of strict discipline, when they saw her, students instinctively sat in their seats.

By now, almost everyone in the classroom had arrived.

Yin Fang smiled. “You’ve all been completely liberated. Why are you sitting so obediently waiting for my lecture?”

This joke immediately brought tears to some people’s eyes.

“Congratulations on your graduation,” Yin Fang smiled again.

She then picked up a piece of chalk and wrote a line on the blackboard.

“Since you’re all sitting so obediently, let me say a few more words. In the future, your lives will be colorful. You may engage in various professions, and some may become famous. I hope that no matter how far you go or where you go, you won’t forget your goals. Move forward bravely in one direction. In high school, the college entrance exam was your goal. I hope that after graduation, you’ll all have new goals and dreams. Don’t completely waste away once you relax.”

As she finished speaking, the sentence on the blackboard was complete: “In the future, through mountains high and waters far, on the long road of life, let nothing stop you.”

Yin Fang looked at the children below. Some say teachers send off class after class without emotion.

That’s not true. Over the past two years, she had spent more effort on them than on her children, and the emotions formed were also intense.

But these children had better futures ahead. She was just a temporary pavilion on their journey. Now that they were leaving, she could only send her best wishes.

Yin Fang’s eyes reddened as she looked at each student. “Children, no matter where you are in the future, please remember how you feel sitting in this classroom today and the dreams you cherish.”

“Only yourself and your dreams should never be let down.”

Below, there was a wave of crying. When together, they longed for separation; when separation came, they felt even more distressed.

Xue Jiao’s eyes also reddened.

“Alright, everyone is free now. Class 1, Senior Year 3 is officially on vacation!”

With Yin Fang’s shout, Class 1 students cried and laughed, their emotions complex.

June is a season of farewells.

After Yin Fang left, the class monitor stood up. “Our class still has quite a bit of prize money left. Let’s invite the teachers for a farewell dinner tonight.”

As soon as the monitor finished, someone threw exam papers at him, then chided, “Our Senior Year 3, Class 1 isn’t saying farewell!”

The monitor scratched his head. “So, are we going or not?”

“Yes, yes, yes! Pick a good place. If there’s not enough money, I’ll make up the difference,” Yi Tian Yu stood up, standing on his chair and shouting.

“Brother Yu!” The boys cheered, rushing over to lift him.

They said they wanted to fleece Yi Tian Yu, but in reality, there weren’t any expensive restaurants near the school that could do that.

Finally, they decided to have dinner with Class 2 at a restaurant at 7 o’clock. Although they would be in different private rooms, at least they could invite all the teachers.

After all, Class 1 and Class 2 had mostly the same teachers.

Xue Jiao and the others were just packing up in the classroom. Boarding students had to stay a bit longer, while day students could go home.

If they needed to handle anything later, they could come back to school.

After Xue Jiao and the others packed up, the boarding girls in the class had all changed into pretty clothes.

The boys had also taken off their uniforms and washed their hair clean.

Uncle Xing came to help her take away her things first, then she and Liu Jia Xue walked arm in arm, following the crowd toward the restaurant.

“Jiaojiao, why didn’t you change your clothes?” Liu Jia Xue was slightly surprised. Xue Jiao was still wearing her school uniform.

Xue Jiao looked at her, smiled lightly, and shook her head. “I won’t be wearing it much longer.”

This was probably the last time she would wear the Number Seven High School uniform.

During student days, everyone tried every way to take off the uniform, dreaming of wearing pretty clothes every day.

After a long time, they would begin to miss the days of wearing the uniform, hoping to return to the present, to wear the uniform again, or even to choose their life path anew.

Perhaps what they missed wasn’t the uniform but their youth.

Liu Jia Xue understood and pulled Xue Jiao, walking happily toward the restaurant.

In the evening, Class 1 and Class 2 were in two separate private rooms, with teachers evenly distributed between the two rooms.

Teacher Yin was here, Teacher Li was there, Teacher Yuan was here, Teacher Chen was there…

They were balanced like this.

After the college entrance exam graduation, it was like a complete lifting of restrictions. There were several boxes of beer next to them.

Xue Jiao ate some hot food, then sat with Liu Jia Xue, smiling as they watched the other classmates.

“Gu Xue Jiao, have a drink!” Across from them, a boy with a red face from drinking came over.

It had only just begun, clearly he had intentionally drunk more.

Xue Jiao shook her head and smiled. “I have a cold. I shouldn’t drink alcohol.”

As soon as she spoke, the boy scratched his head awkwardly.

Then he said, “Um, Gu Xue Jiao, I… I…”

He stammered, trying to say something that everyone knew.

“Confess! Confess!” Others egged him on.

“Get together! Get together!” They all teased inappropriately.

Yi Tian Yu, who was having a drinking contest next to Xue Jiao, put an arm around the boy’s shoulder and pulled him away. “What are you doing? Don’t talk nonsense when you’re drinking!”

“Hahaha!” Everyone laughed.

Someone joked, “Brother Yu, do you like the top student?”

Yi Tian Yu glared at him, but his face reddened. “Don’t talk.”

“Hahaha!”

Teacher Yin and several other teachers also laughed. Laughing, Teacher Yuan suddenly said, “Yi Tian Yu, just let him finish.”

Yi Tian Yu hadn’t said anything, but the boy became embarrassed and scurried back to his seat.

He wasn’t going to say it now.

Teacher Yuan smiled and shook her head.

Children this age all thought the future was long, that a lifetime was an endless series of years and days.

They wouldn’t know that some words not spoken would never have the chance to be spoken.

Some goodbyes truly meant never seeing each other again.

No class reunion could gather everyone together; no wedding would have all guests attend.

Those vague feelings of youth, without the chance to express them, could only become memories in the heart.

Late at night, a person’s solitary memories.

Tell it to others, and no one would understand that once-beating heart.

Afterward, others came to find Xue Jiao, from both Class 1 and Class 2. She raised her water, while the visitors held alcohol.

Some said nothing and just downed their drinks; some lowered their voices to say, “Gu Xue Jiao, I like you.”

Yi Tian Yu no longer tried to stop them.

Although he sat nearby drinking with a dark face, he didn’t intervene.

Perhaps it was Xue Jiao’s consistent response—smiling, taking a sip of water, then saying “Thank you”—that reassured him, or maybe it was confidence. Either way, he didn’t interfere anymore.

What surprised Xue Jiao was a girl who came over after just two beers: Yu Fang Fang.

Formerly Cheng Ming Jiao’s friend, she had quite disliked Xue Jiao.

“Gu Xue Jiao.”

Xue Jiao raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

Yu Fang Fang took a deep breath. “Thank you.”

Xue Jiao was startled. She had thought this girl would come over to say something provocative.

Yu Fang Fang looked at her with complex emotions. “After Ming Jiao dropped out, I thought you would make things difficult for me, but you didn’t.”

Xue Jiao smiled. “I didn’t make things difficult for you because you didn’t appear in front of me. I couldn’t even remember you.”

Yu Fang Fang was stunned, then took a deep breath and quickly drank the alcohol in her hand.

“Anyway, I thought you would make things difficult for me, but you didn’t. Then every time I saw you achieve good results, I was very angry and very jealous. Later, you became more and more excellent, and I could hardly even be jealous anymore when I looked at you.”

“Because I could never become like you. Thank you for teaching me that one shouldn’t always focus on others,” Yu Fang Fang said, then hurriedly left.

She probably knew Xue Jiao didn’t want to see her.

Indeed, Xue Jiao didn’t want to see her. She wasn’t a saint; she could let go of the past, but she wouldn’t want people who had hurt her to appear before her again.

These people were essentially strangers to her.

Xue Jiao returned her attention to speak with another person who had come over. The ice queen had a good attitude today, not burying her head in books or reciting while walking. Quite a few people wanted to say a few words to her.

Nearby, girls also came to talk to Yi Tian Yu. Some offered blessings, and some looked at Xue Jiao beside him and wished him success in his pursuit.

They bid farewell in this form, not expressing their affection aloud, because—

Yi Tian Yu liked Gu Xue Jiao. It was common knowledge.

The teachers also had students coming to them continuously, chatting and talking. The teachers gave their best wishes, then a hug, and that was goodbye.

Xue Jiao didn’t drink, but in this atmosphere, she still felt somewhat intoxicated.

She was the last to go find the teachers. Raising her glass, with reddened eyes, she sincerely said, “Teacher, thank you.”

Thank you for nurturing me these two years of high school.

Thank you for your wholehearted dedication.

Yin Fang’s eyes immediately reddened. Her feelings toward Gu Xue Jiao were complex—from initial dislike to growing fondness, to placing high hopes on her.

Xue Jiao had changed some of her perceptions. Every child has the potential to improve, and as a teacher, she must encourage that.

Disdain and suppression could also prevent good seedlings from having the chance to sprout.

“The teacher thanks you too,” Yin Fang hugged her.

Finally, when they separated, she whispered in her ear, “I’m sorry.”

Sorry for my past distrust of you.

Sorry for my past contempt toward you.

Teacher Yuan also hugged Xue Jiao. This outgoing female teacher had already begun to cry.

“The teacher is quite reluctant to part, but you all have better futures ahead. Gu Xue Jiao, you’re very hardworking, and the teacher likes you very much. In the future, you must maintain your diligence. The college entrance exam is just the beginning, not the end. The teacher believes you will go higher and further in the future, achieving your dreams.”

Tears flowed from Xue Jiao’s eyes. “Teacher Yuan, thank you.”

She was grateful for each teacher who had dedicated themselves to students on her path of growth.

After dinner, the boys walked out arm in arm, while the girls linked hands, chatting.

Teacher Yin and several other teachers had also drunk a bit, but they still responsibly escorted the students to school.

Boarding students had to be sent back to the dormitories, while day students were escorted to the school gate and handed over to parents.

Along the way, Classes 1 and 2 gradually walked together, along a wide street with students walking two or three abreast.

They sang the school song, then Pu Shu’s “Those Flowers,” followed by Lao Lang’s “You, My Deskmate.”

Finally, they sang Wang Zheng’s “We Are All Good Children.”

Echoing in the street were the youthful, unrefined howls of the youngsters.

Off-key, random singing, shouting along—venting the emotions in their hearts.

Opening the window to see white birds on the horizon

Remembering your mint-flavored smile

Back then you were running on the field

Shouting, “I love you, do you know?”

Back then we weren’t afraid of anything

Watching the coffee-colored sunset about to fall

You said you’d love forever, be good forever

Never to part like this

We are all good children

Children with wild imaginations

Believing love can last forever, ah

We are all good children

The kindest children

Missing those who hurt us

Shouting, “I love you”

Xue Jiao stood at the school gate. She had only sent a message to Cheng Shuo when she left the restaurant, so she still had to wait a while at the gate.

Stars dotted the sky, and Yi Tian Yu approached her.

It was almost ten o’clock. Even though it was June, the night carried a slight breeze—not hot, but rather a bit cool.

“Bookworm Jiaojiao,” Yi Tian Yu’s voice was very soft. He had drunk a lot today, but his alcohol tolerance was surprisingly good; he wasn’t drunk.

“Hmm?” Xue Jiao turned around.

The wind blew her loose strands of hair, making them somewhat messy.

Yi Tian Yu looked at her, his heart pounding.

He felt the time had come, and there were things he should tell her.

“I—”

Xue Jiao met his gaze, her heart tightening.

Her fingers curled into fists, fingertips digging into her palms.

“Jiaojiao, let’s go.” Cheng Shuo had come to pick her up. The car was parked not far from them.

“Okay,” Xue Jiao responded first.

Then she looked at Yi Tian Yu and said softly, “What did you want to say?”

Yi Tian Yu forced a smile. “Nothing, nothing. You go home first. I’ll tell you next time.”

He felt there was still plenty of time; saying it next time would be the same.

Xue Jiao looked at him, then after a moment, averted her gaze.

She smiled and turned around. “Then, goodbye.”

“Okay, goodbye.”

Yi Tian Yu watched her back, thinking there would still be chances to say it. Next time.