Program Ming Ze was too busy. The day after Xue Jiao finished her college entrance exam, he packed his bag and returned to school.

Xue Jiao watched his receding figure and thought to herself: University isn’t the paradise everyone imagines it to be.

Those things teachers said about sleeping in until you naturally wake up and playing games all day—it turns out they were just fooling kids.

“Jiaojiao, come over and take your medicine!” Li Si Tong called out, and Xue Jiao quickly turned around.

Her cold hadn’t completely gone away, and Li Si Tong was keeping a close eye on her.

Xue Jiao obediently went over, took her medicine, and then sat down, feeling at a loss.

Honestly, having just finished the college entrance exam, Xue Jiao really didn’t know what she should be doing now.

“Jiaojiao, Mom is going shopping with your Aunt Qin. I probably won’t be back for lunch, so I’ll have the housekeeper make you something delicious! Eat more!” Li Si Tong instructed while changing her shoes.

Xue Jiao lay dejectedly on the sofa, nodded, and responded weakly, “Okay.”

Li Si Tong went out shopping. Their family was about to move to Beijing, and Xue Jiao had already finished her college entrance exam, so there wasn’t much for her to take care of at home.

As a result, Li Si Tong has been going out recently to meet up with her close girlfriends.

Even though they could still get together after moving to Beijing, it wouldn’t be as convenient as when they all lived in the same city.

Cheng Shuo hadn’t actively brought up the topic of moving these past few days. Xue Jiao knew they were worried that she might not have done well on her exam.

Xue Jiao thought that if she really hadn’t done well and was determined to retake the exam next year, Cheng Shuo and his wife might even decide to stay.

But regarding whether she had done well or not…

Xue Jiao didn’t want to say anything now, because she felt she had performed to the best of her ability. Whether the result was good or not would depend on her actual capabilities.

The day she finished the exam, Yin Fang had already posted the answers in the class group chat and asked Xue Jiao for her estimated score.

Xue Jiao hadn’t looked at the answers or estimated her score.

This was probably the only exam in her three years of high school where she didn’t need to know where she went wrong so she could correct her mistakes.

Because… it wouldn’t make any difference now.

Xue Jiao’s thoughts drifted as she continued to lie on the sofa.

What should she do today?

She didn’t need to work through her practice books anymore, didn’t need to read her textbooks, didn’t need to take notes…

A moment later, someone rang the doorbell.

“Who is it?” The housekeeper came out from the kitchen to open the door.

“A delivery for Gu Xue Jiao.” The delivery man smiled and put down what looked like a heavy box.

Xue Jiao was startled for a moment, then stepped forward. “For me?”

“Yes, it says Gu Xue Jiao on it. Please sign here.” The delivery man scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed.

Xue Jiao nodded and took the box.

Wow! It was really heavy!

The housekeeper had already come over with a box cutter. Xue Jiao smiled, “Thank you.”

“No problem.” The housekeeper smiled kindly. It was obvious she was very fond of the young girl in front of her.

As Xue Jiao opened the box, she wondered who had sent it to her.

She hadn’t heard anyone mention they were sending her something.

Opening it, Xue Jiao was taken aback.

It was a box full of books.

The Little Prince, Hamlet, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights…

In the middle was a card that read—

When you’re bored, you can read these. Lin.

Xue Jiao was stunned for a moment, then her eyes lit up. Ignoring the books on the floor, she rushed to the sofa to grab her phone.

[Are you a god?!!! How did you know I was bored???]

The other side was busy and replied after a few minutes—

[I’m not a god, I’m a sea snail.]

Xue Jiao buried her head in the sofa cushion and bumped her head against it a few times.

What should she do? She felt that Lin Zhi Hua had already repaid her kindness many times over!

Seeing she hadn’t replied, a moment later, he sent another message—

[It’s not because of any debt of gratitude, but because you’re my… friend.]

Xue Jiao read this message twice, then bumped her forehead against the sofa again.

[You’re my friend too!! Although I can’t do much for you now!! I’ll repay your kindness in the future!]

Lin Zhi Hua replied—

[Alright, alright, I’ll wait for you to repay me.]

This sentence was full of helpless resignation. Xue Jiao felt a bit embarrassed and hurriedly replied—

[Gotta go!! I’m going to read!!]

Then she carried the heavy box back to her room.

Xue Jiao hadn’t read most of these books before. In her previous life, she had only worked and studied, and in this life, she studied even more diligently. She never had time to read extracurricular books in either life.

Xue Jiao sat at her desk and picked up the book on top—The Little Prince.

The time Xue Jiao spent at home waiting for her results was a period of transition.

Cheng Shuo and Li Si Tong never asked about her score. She had taken the exam while sick, and it was obvious that both of them were worried she hadn’t done well.

Sometimes, seeing her still reading books at home, Li Si Tong and Cheng Shuo would take her out and buy her clothes and pretty jewelry.

Every time Xue Jiao tried to refuse, Cheng Shuo would say—

“Before, you were preparing for the college entrance exam, so everything was simple. Your mom would just buy things and bring them to you. But now it’s different. Jiaojiao is a young lady now and can choose what she likes herself.”

Li Si Tong would nod and smile, then take her into stores suitable for her.

At these times, Xue Jiao would look at Cheng Shuo and Li Si Tong and smile with emotion. She was really lucky!

Liu Jia Xue also came to see her several times, each time bringing various snacks and delicious treats.

Yi Tian Yu sent her messages every day, wanting to invite her out to watch movies.

Xue Jiao never accepted.

He knew how Cheng Shuo and Li Si Tong felt about him, so he didn’t dare come to their home.

Time passed leisurely until the evening of June 23rd.

When the college entrance exam results were released.

“Jiaojiao, what time are they coming out again?” Li Si Tong was very nervous.

Xue Jiao was a bit helpless. “Mom, I’ve already said they can be checked at noon.”

Cheng Shuo was sitting next to Li Si Tong and soothingly stroked her back. “It’s okay, it’s okay, Si Tong, don’t worry.”

While saying not to worry, his other hand was constantly rubbing his knee, then pulling back, then putting it back, pulling back, putting it back.

Last year when Cheng Ming Ze took the exam, they hadn’t paid any attention to his results!

But this time, they were all more nervous than the next person.

Cheng Ming Ze had been admitted through a special recommendation, so they knew where he stood. But Xue Jiao needed to see her score before she could fill out her college preferences.

Naturally, Li Si Tong and Cheng Shuo were more anxious.

Plus, Xue Jiao had taken the exam while sick, so they were afraid she hadn’t done well and would be devastated.

They all knew how much Xue Jiao cared about her studies.

When the time reached eleven fifty-five, all three of them were constantly checking the clock.

Even though Xue Jiao knew that once the exam was over, the dust had settled and there was nothing she could do about the results, good or bad, she still felt nervous.

In her previous life, she had come to this world before her results were released.

So even though she had gone through high school twice and taken the college entrance exam twice, this was her first time waiting for results.

Each second passed extremely slowly as if years were going by.

As soon as it hit noon, Xue Jiao immediately logged in.

However, likely because too many people were checking their scores, she couldn’t connect.

“My God, is our internet this bad?!” Li Si Tong glared at the computer fiercely.

Cheng Shuo also gritted his teeth and said, “When we get to Beijing, we’ll get better internet!”

“Okay—”

As if hearing the threat to replace it, the computer refreshed.

The score was displayed clearly, and the three of them were momentarily silent.

Li Si Tong held Xue Jiao and Cheng Shuo’s hands, her face showing confusion and shock. After a moment, with a trembling voice, she asked, “Ah Shuo… what’s the… what’s the maximum score?”

Cheng Shuo’s voice was also tight—

“Maximum score is seven hundred and five…”

Then, both of them looked at Xue Jiao.

Holy crap!

731!!!

Seven hundred and thirty-one!!!

Perfect score in math!!!

This was the same math test that people online had been complaining was the hardest in recent years! The one where the average score might be just fifty!

Xue Jiao had scored one hundred and fifty!

For a moment, Cheng Shuo and Li Si Tong doubted what they were seeing.

But…

Their daughter had achieved this score!!!

At that moment, the phone rang.

Cheng Shuo answered shakily, “Hello…”

“Dad, how did Jiaojiao do?” It was Cheng Ming Ze.

How did she do?

What do you think?

Last year you scored seven hundred and ten something and were the top scholar!

What about Xue Jiao’s seven hundred and thirty-one?!

Even Xue Jiao herself was stunned. That she could score seven hundred and thirty-one on such a difficult test—this was an exceptional performance!

She could hardly believe it.

Remember, according to her estimate after the exam… she thought she’d get around seven hundred and twenty.

This score…

“731…” After Cheng Shuo said this, there was silence on the other end of the phone.

Then quickly, laughter burst out from the other end, and Cheng Ming Ze’s voice filled with joy came through—

“Jiaojiao! You’re amazing! This score will break records!!!”

Every year, their province’s top scholar scored around seven hundred and ten, unless the test was easy, in which case someone might get seven hundred and twenty-something.

With this level of difficulty, Xue Jiao’s score was truly shocking!

It seemed that her cold hadn’t affected her performance!

After saying a few more words, Cheng Ming Ze hung up.

His roommate, Zhan Yi Chen, closed his book and asked with a smile, “Ming Ze, what record-breaking were you talking about? Your sister’s score?”

He had been listening intently since Cheng Ming Ze made the call.

During this past year, Cheng Ming Ze has become quite famous at school.

Zhan Yi Chen was both jealous and helpless about it, but he always paid attention to everything about Cheng Ming Ze, caring about every little thing.

Just now he had heard “Jiaojiao… break records…”

He remembered that Xue Jiao was taking the college entrance exam this year. Could it be that she had broken the total exam record? Impossible, right? It must be a single subject.

Cheng Ming Ze gave him a deep look. He knew this person’s messy thoughts, but at this moment, he didn’t mind giving him a shock.

“Yes, Xue Jiao’s college entrance exam score.”

“How much did she get that surprised you so much?”

Cheng Ming Ze smiled, “731.”

Zhan Yi Chen raised his voice, “Which exam paper?!”

“National paper.”

Suddenly, there were only three gaping mouths in the room.

Especially Zhan Yi Chen, who didn’t even notice when his book fell.

Xue Jiao’s results weren’t just of interest to her. At this time, the office at the Seventh Middle School was full of people, all holding a form with students’ exam registration numbers.

Yin Fang was the first to check Gu Xue Jiao’s score, but evidently, she couldn’t get through either.

However, Li Ping on the opposite side managed to get through, and after a moment, he shouted—

“Ahh!!! Chu Sheng broke the record!!!”

“How many points? How many points?” The surrounding teachers immediately asked.

“726!”

“Wow!” There were only shocked faces all around.

“The exam was so difficult this time, yet he managed to score 726, he’s the province’s top scholar!”

“My goodness, Chu Sheng did incredibly well!”

“He’s always been excellent, hardworking, and talented!”

“Many students with good grades don’t always perform consistently in the college entrance exam, but Chu Sheng performed at his peak!”

“It’s shocking, congratulations to Teacher Li!”

“Haha, congratulations, congratulations!”

“By the way, how much did Gu Xue Jiao score?”

They all looked toward Yin Fang, who was staring at the screen without saying a word.

Looking carefully, one could see her trembling lips and the blue veins popping out on her forehead.

Her eyes were wide open, staring at the computer as if she wanted to devour it.

Could it be that… she didn’t do well?

“I heard Gu Xue Jiao took the exam while sick.”

“It seems Chu Sheng has won this time. Even if Gu Xue Jiao had performed at her peak, she would probably be about the same as Chu Sheng.”

“But I still hope the top three scholars are all from our school! Hahaha!”

“By the way, Teacher Yin, what’s Gu Xue Jiao’s score exactly?”

“Did she get over seven hundred points?”

Yin Fang’s voice was hoarse like a blade had scraped across it. Her lips trembled, her right hand gripped the mouse tightly, turning somewhat white, but she tried to raise her voice as high as possible—

“Gu Xue Jiao… 731…”

“Holy—”

Across from her, Li Ping’s previously joyful smile froze, his pupils contracted in disbelief as he stared at Yin Fang.

At that moment, he suddenly thought of a saying.

Why must Yu be born when Liang is already here?

After the results came out, Cheng Shuo received countless calls—from the homeroom teacher, school leaders, and various people offering congratulations…

Her score was announced almost as soon as it was released.

It even caused a big stir online.

This year’s difficult exam set was conquered by a girl with a super high score of seven hundred and thirty-one, breaking the record.

Her scores for each subject were quickly published online, followed by the ID photo used for her exam.

“This is the first time I’ve known… that someone can look so good in those college entrance exam ID photos…”

“How come others look so good? While I look like a pancake face?”

“I go to the same school as her! She is very beautiful!! A top student and school beauty!”

“Are you lying? Just because her grades are good, you’re forcing the school beauty title on her?”

“She’s so beautiful! Is there a problem calling someone with this appearance a school beauty?”

“That score is terrifying… how does her brain work?”

…

The photo controversy was small and was taken down before it could spread widely. Afterward, only the score and “Student Gu” remained, without even a full name.

At the Lin Corporation.

“Boss, all the photos have been taken down. Only the score and school remain,” Tan Qi said respectfully.

Lin Zhi Hua nodded.

Tan Qi asked again, “Should we remove the school information as well?”

Lin Zhi Hua just shook his head. “No need. Their school wants publicity. Taking down the photo is enough.”

“Yes!” After saying this, Tan Qi walked out.

Lin Zhi Hua looked out the window.

Jiaojiao was indeed very beautiful. Once her appearance was put online alongside her score, it would become widely known.

But this wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

Her appearance alone would make her stand out wherever she went. Under such fame, not everything would be positive.

The world might favor those who are good-looking, but being too good-looking creates problems.

Xue Jiao was a person with ability and dreams. He wanted to give her a free sky to soar in.

Of course, he also had a small selfish thought—he didn’t want too many people to see Xue Jiao. He couldn’t bear it…

His gaze remained fixed outside when his phone rang.

Lin Zhi Hua picked it up, paused slightly, then smiled.

“Jiaojiao.”

The voice on the other end was filled with joy. “Lin Zhi Hua, my results are out 731. Our family will be moving to Beijing in a few days. I’ll treat you to dinner then!!”

Lin Zhi Hua’s lips curled upward. “Why do you want to treat me to dinner?”

Xue Jiao looked at the sky outside, very sincerely saying, “Thank you for helping me these two years, for always encouraging me. You’re my best friend, and also my…”

Lin Zhi Hua’s heart tightened, and his breathing almost stopped.

Xue Jiao smiled, her voice cheerful, “Also my most important teacher. Thank you.”

She saw him as a benefactor and also as the best teacher on her life’s journey.

On the other end, Lin Zhi Hua’s fingers holding the phone turned white, his heart sinking for an instant. But he was only quiet for a second before saying lightly, “It’s alright. I’m willing to help you.”

“Then I still need to say thank you!” Xue Jiao insisted.

Lin Zhi Hua’s mind was a bit chaotic, maintaining his rationality only by force of will. “Okay, I accept. When you come to Beijing, treat me to dinner.”

“Okay!” Xue Jiao nodded firmly.

On the other end of the phone, after hanging up, Lin Zhi Hua seemed dazed, his gaze fixed on the window outside.

His sight drifted far away, his eyes somewhat lost.

After a long while, Lin Zhi Hua pressed a button, and Tan Qi immediately came in.

“Make arrangements to visit the Seventh Middle School tomorrow morning.”

The day after learning her results, Xue Jiao’s day was very eventful, with many phone calls coming in.

Some universities called Xue Jiao directly, others called Cheng Shuo, but regardless, they were determined to contact Xue Jiao.

Over the years, the competition for outstanding students has never ceased.

With Xue Jiao’s record-breaking high score, she was bound to attract the attention of all universities.

After all… she had scored full marks in mathematics… and had won first prize in last year’s mathematics competition!

Among several universities, Fudan University’s admissions office was the first to call. The call was directly to Xue Jiao.

Xue Jiao politely declined them. Her goal was clear, so she didn’t hesitate anymore.

Of course, they offered various scholarship benefits and even other privileges, but Xue Jiao declined them all.

They could tell she had a target in mind, so they regretfully ended the call and moved on to recruit other outstanding students.

Several other universities called afterward, and Xue Jiao politely declined them as well.

“Hello, who are you looking for?” It was another unfamiliar phone number.

“Is this student Gu Xue Jiao?”

“Yes, it’s me. Who is this?”

“We’re from Peking University’s admissions office…”

The voice on the phone was polite, and Xue Jiao was equally courteous in her responses.

Peking University had an impression of this student, after all, she had won first prize in the mathematics competition last year. During the special recommendation period, they had wanted to recruit this young woman. In mathematics, female students sometimes had strong advantages.

But clearly, she had rejected their offer.

This time, she rejected them again.

Toward the end of the conversation, there was a pause on the other end, and then the person asked, “May I know which major you intend to apply for?”

Since she kept rejecting them, it seemed she wasn’t interested in studying mathematics.

The phone was on speaker, so both Xue Jiao and Cheng Shuo heard the question, and they exchanged a glance.

Xue Jiao smiled and said, “Mathematics.”

On the other end of the phone: “…”

Are you kidding me? You want to study mathematics but won’t apply to Peking University???

“Our mathematics program is the strongest in the country,” the person finally said.

Xue Jiao just smiled and didn’t respond.

The other end: “…”

Fine, if you want to go to another school, go ahead. You’re the one missing out on our excellent mathematics department!

Peking University ended the call.

Of course, at this time, Peking University didn’t know that in the years to come, they would wish they could return to today.

They would have done anything to recruit Gu Xue Jiao!

Cheng Shuo asked her, “Will you regret it? Peking University’s mathematics department is truly the best. Although Tsinghua has been doing well these past two years, it’s still not the strongest.”

Xue Jiao shook her head, looking at the phone with determined eyes, “I won’t regret it.”

Of course, she wouldn’t regret it. That was her obsession, the school she wanted to attend no matter what.

Cheng Shuo nodded and said nothing more.

Their family had never expected Xue Jiao to do anything specific. It was enough for her to go to the school she wanted and live the life she desired.

Xue Jiao kept waiting for one specific phone call—the call from the school she had her heart set on.

She wanted to study under Professor Tan in the future, which meant she had to attend that particular school. That was her most desired choice.

Tsinghua University’s call came at almost five in the afternoon, and it went to Cheng Shuo.

Due to the company relocation issues, Cheng Shuo had been at home organizing things recently and hadn’t gone to the company in the city.

“Hello, who is this?”

“Hello, is this Gu Xue Jiao’s father? We’re calling from Tsinghua University’s admissions office.”

Cheng Shuo glanced at Xue Jiao, turned on the speakerphone, then mouthed silently: Tsinghua.

After a moment, he smiled into the phone, “Hello, hello, yes, I am Gu Xue Jiao’s father.”

The person on the other end didn’t beat around the bush: “We’ve seen Gu Xue Jiao’s results and would like to ask if she’s willing to come to our school. Our university warmly welcomes outstanding students like Gu Xue Jiao.”

A smile spread across Xue Jiao’s face—the happiness of a wish fulfilled.

But Cheng Shuo raised an eyebrow slightly and said, “Oh, is that so? Well, my daughter wanted to be recommended to Tsinghua initially, but there was no quota available…”

“…”

There was a moment of silence on the other end, with the sound of breathing growing heavier.

How had they missed such a promising seedling?

Perhaps they had assumed that all first-prize mathematics winners would go to Peking University.

But…

The admissions officer smiled.

Gu Xue Jiao wanted to be recommended to Tsinghua but there was no quota, yet she didn’t get recommended to Peking University either—what did that mean?

It meant that Tsinghua was the one she had her heart set on!

Afterward, both sides engaged in a friendly and cordial conversation. By the time they hung up, the person on the other end was already calling Cheng Shuo “brother.”

“Jiaojiao, stop grinning and go pack your things. Tomorrow you still need to go to school to get your admission notice. After that, we’ll leave the day after tomorrow. Make sure to say proper goodbyes to your teachers; who knows when you’ll have the chance to come back,” Cheng Shuo instructed.

Xue Jiao nodded and went upstairs to pack.

June 25th, Tuesday.

Xue Jiao was in a great mood. She wore a pair of denim shorts and a simple T-shirt. Li Si Tong had put her hair up in a bun, making her look very sweet.

As she was leaving, Xue Jiao looked up at the gloomy sky. It was stuffy and humid.

Was it… going to rain?

“Jiaojiao, do you want us to pick you up later?”

“No, no need,” Xue Jiao said while changing her shoes.

Cheng Shuo nodded, thinking that she might have dinner with her classmates today, so he didn’t say anything more.

As Xue Jiao closed the door, Li Si Tong called out, “Don’t stay out too late tonight!”

“Okay—”

Xue Jiao responded and then got into the car to go to school.

She didn’t have to go today; many students wouldn’t be going.

Xue Jiao went because she had a purpose…

Her gaze was lost outside the window, and before long, the car arrived at the school gate.

As soon as she got out of the car, she saw banners hanging in the distance, two in total.

The first one read: Congratulations to our school’s Gu Xue Jiao for achieving 731 points and becoming the province’s top scholar!

The second one read: Congratulations to our school’s Chu Sheng for achieving 726 points and becoming the province’s second-place scholar!

Even though Xue Jiao was usually composed, seeing the banners hanging at the entrance made her feel a bit embarrassed.

With slightly flushed cheeks, she walked quickly inside.

Before she even approached the front of the senior high building, she heard reporters interviewing—

“How does student Gu Xue Jiao usually perform at school?”

Then came the principal’s excited voice: “This is Gu Xue Jiao’s homeroom teacher, who also teaches English! Teacher Yin knows that our school has always been excellent in nurturing students, especially…”

Xue Jiao stopped in her tracks. At that moment, someone walked up beside her.

“Bookworm…”

“Shh—” Xue Jiao leaned against the wall, placing a finger to her lips.

Yi Tian Yu quieted down, slightly lowering his head, his heart racing as he looked at the girl in front of him.

—This was the girl in his heart, also the motivation for his struggle and efforts, and the aspiration for the rest of his life.

Xue Jiao continued listening for a while and heard the reporter ask, “Will Gu Xue Jiao come today? This student has never accepted interviews, and the media is very curious about her. The public is also very interested.”

Yin Fang frowned slightly, hesitating, “Today is when students pick up their admission notices, but our school doesn’t know if she’ll come or not, so…”

She truly didn’t know if Xue Jiao would come today.

“Then we’ll chat for now, and I’ll wait here.” The reporter frowned.

We must find a way to interview Gu Xue Jiao! There’s a lot of attention online!

When Xue Jiao heard this, she furrowed her brows.

Yi Tian Yu beside her lowered his head and spoke quietly, “Are you going to accept the interview?”

Xue Jiao wanted to leave and also lowered her voice, “I’m planning to retreat.”

“Sure!” He had only come to see Xue Jiao anyway. If she wanted to leave, what was the point of him staying?

They hadn’t gone far when they ran into Liu Jia Xue.

“Jia Xue!”

“Jiaojiao—” Liu Jia Xue’s voice was also excited.

She ran over and threw herself at Xue Jiao, hugging her.

“I’ve missed you so much!!”

“Didn’t we just see each other a few days ago?” Xue Jiao said helplessly.

“I still want to see you!” Liu Jia Xue’s excitement hadn’t subsided.

After a moment, she said, “Jiaojiao, I’m planning to apply to Nanjing University. We won’t be in the same city anymore!”

Xue Jiao reached out and patted her head, “It’s very close. You can come over on weekends.”

“That’s true! Hahaha!” Liu Jia Xue laughed.

She knew Xue Jiao would apply to Tsinghua.

Her gaze turned to Yi Tian Yu beside them, and she raised an eyebrow slightly, “Which school are you applying to?”

Yi Tian Yu glanced at Xue Jiao, pursing his lips with a light smile, “Beijing Institute of Technology or Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications.”

Liu Jia Xue also looked at Xue Jiao, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the two, “Oh—That’s good too. Beijing Institute of Technology is better, and Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications is also close to Tsinghua University. It mainly depends on what your major is.”

As she spoke, she noticed that the two were walking side by side toward the exit of the school, and she put on a meaningful expression, “Oh my, I won’t disturb you two. I’m going to get my admission notice!”

Liu Jia Xue ran off quickly, leaving only Xue Jiao and Yi Tian Yu.

Xue Jiao shook her head, looking helpless.

Yi Tian Yu said softly, “Shall we walk?”

Xue Jiao nodded.

Neither of them spoke as they walked, maintaining a half-meter distance between them, all the way to the artificial lake.

Before they reached the bridge, a raindrop fell from the sky, but neither of them noticed.

Yi Tian Yu moved closer to Xue Jiao, and she didn’t back away. The distance between them went from half a meter to ten centimeters.

Yi Tian Yu clenched his fist nervously, his heart beating faster. He was ready to confess to Xue Jiao right now!

“I…”

“You…”

They both started speaking at the same time, then stopped.

“You go first,” Yi Tian Yu smiled.

Xue Jiao’s expression was somewhat earnest, “Yi Yu, do you want to apply to the Beijing Institute of Technology and Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications?”

Yi Tian Yu nodded shyly.

Xue Jiao looked up at him, “Why?”

Because of you!

Yi Tian Yu thought to himself, but he was too embarrassed to say it out loud. He scuffed his foot on the ground.

Finally, he just said, “I want to go there.”

Xue Jiao stared at him, her expression extremely serious, “With your scores, if you go the special talent route, you could get into Fudan University.”

Yi Tian Yu was stunned for a moment, then said, “But Fudan is in Shanghai.”

“So what?” Xue Jiao frowned deeply, “Your best choice is Fudan, and the major you want to study is excellent at Fudan too.”

Yi Tian Yu froze, staring at her blankly.

Her gaze was serious, with a seriousness that made him sad.

After a long time, Yi Tian Yu opened his mouth, “You don’t want me to go to Beijing?”

Xue Jiao’s fingers dug into her palm as she looked at him, enunciating each word, “Fudan is the most suitable for you.”

“Suitable?” Yi Tian Yu suddenly felt like a fire was burning inside him, “Don’t you know why I’m going to Beijing? Don’t you know why I chose Beijing Institute of Technology and Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications?”

“I don’t know,” Xue Jiao raised her head, her expression even colder.

Yi Tian Yu stepped forward, somewhat anxious, “Then let me tell you…”

“I don’t want to know!” Xue Jiao’s expression became so cold it frightened Yi Tian Yu.

He instinctively stepped back, looking at her, his lips trembling slightly, “Shanghai and Beijing are more than a thousand kilometers apart…”

“So what?” Xue Jiao looked at him, “Can’t you stop being so childish and stop joking with your future?”

Her fingers tightened into fists. If it were Cheng Ming Ze or Lin Zhi Hua, they would have noticed that she was very angry now.

Xue Jiao was angry.

But Yi Tian Yu didn’t see it.

A young man’s passion is about giving everything, about having only you in his world.

All of me is only for you.

But Xue Jiao wasn’t like that. Girls of the same age are more mature than boys, and Xue Jiao’s mental age was two years older than his.

Between them, there was a painful gap in understanding.

Yi Tian Yu trembled slightly, looking at Xue Jiao, his eyes reddening.

At that moment, the rain began to fall more heavily.

“I’m childish? So where I am and how far I am from you doesn’t matter to you?!” Yi Tian Yu asked blankly, his eyes growing redder.

Xue Jiao looked at him, her face expressionless.

“Correct.”

“Gu Xue Jiao, do you have a heart?!”

The rain grew stronger, and Yi Tian Yu felt something emerge from his eyes.

He shouted this sentence as if roaring with all his might.

Xue Jiao didn’t speak, stubbornly looking at him.

She didn’t care about him at all…

He had studied hard, tried to keep up with her, prepared for university, and searched the map school by school, wanting to be close to her…

But she didn’t care at all!

Yi Tian Yu looked at her, the hot feeling in his eyes unstoppable, rushing down continuously.

He shook his head and ran away in despair.

He felt his heart was completely broken. He felt he couldn’t stay there for even a second longer, couldn’t stay in a place that made him so uncomfortable.

So he ran away, leaving this heartless girl who had hurt him.

But at this stage, Yi Tian Yu couldn’t imagine that if the girl truly didn’t care about him, would she know that Fudan was the most suitable university for his scores?

The girl he liked had also spent nights looking through college application guides she didn’t need at all, going through universities one by one.

If this girl had no feelings for him at all, would she have helped him study constantly? Would she have written down knowledge points she didn’t need to write, and then passed them to him to read?

Yi Tian Yu knew none of this. A young person’s immature love makes him childish and stubborn.

Understanding only becomes clear as time passes. His self-perceived love and youthful impetuousness had never considered what was best for her.

But she had always wanted the best for him.

He felt an emptiness in his heart as he ran away.

At that time, Yi Tian Yu felt he was hurt, so he hid temporarily.

In the spot he had left, Xue Jiao was stunned for a moment, then turned and took a few steps in the direction he had gone.

The rain gradually fell harder. Her vision was blurry, and her foot slipped, causing her to fall to the ground.

Xue Jiao lay there blankly, her foot aching, her eyes staring numbly at the lake surface.

She blinked, and something welled up.

Yi Tian Yu was very childish, and Yi Tian Yu was also very foolish.

He always inadvertently did some funny things, and he always created ridiculous jokes in front of her.

He wanted to take her to eat noodles but ended up making her uncomfortably cold.

He didn’t want her to walk in the cold wind, so he carried her on his shoulders…

Such a young man had occasionally made Xue Jiao unconsciously glance his way.

The small sprouts that grow in our hearts during youth, everyone has them, but most don’t grow to maturity.

When leaving home, Xue Jiao had told herself that if Yi Tian Yu said—I like you.

She would reply: I’ll think about it.

But it seemed… there was nothing to think about now.

The rain grew heavier, and tears were hidden in the rain, making everything invisible.

After a moment, the rain above her head was blocked.

Xue Jiao opened her eyes and saw a pair of exquisite leather shoes in front of her.

Lin Zhi Hua looked at her, his eyes mixed with various complex emotions. Finally, he just reached out his hand, his voice hoarse, “Your foot is injured… let me carry you…”

His hand extended, grabbed hers, and pulled her up.

Then he dropped the umbrella, half-squatting, and carried her on his back.

Xue Jiao was still dazed. Lin Zhi Hua left the umbrella where it was.

“Do you want to stand in the rain and cry? If you’re sad, just cry. After crying, you won’t be sad anymore.”

After saying this, Lin Zhi Hua carried her away in the opposite direction.

The rain grew heavier. Yi Tian Yu had run far away, but he felt the rain falling on him…

Did Xue Jiao bring an umbrella?

Would she catch a cold?

Her cold had just gotten better…

Yi Tian Yu stopped, turned around, and ran back.

“Jiaojiao—”

At the spot, there was nothing but an umbrella.

Yi Tian Yu clutched his chest as if something had been dug out, leaving an emptiness.

He half-knelt on the ground, his heart aching to the point of panic, but he still believed this was just a small conflict, just a lack of mutual understanding.

She wasn’t soft-hearted enough toward him yet; he would try harder to warm her heart in the future.

But what Yi Tian Yu didn’t know was that this summer, this summer that concluded his high school career, the girl he loved most in his youth was leaving with his youth.

What remained for him was only this heavy rain and decades of regret for the rest of his life.

There were so many coincidences and twists of fate, but a miss is still a miss.

It’s something that a lifetime and all one’s efforts cannot reclaim.

When we’re young, we don’t understand why boys and girls who once liked each other don’t end up together, just like, we don’t understand why Shen Jia Yi wouldn’t choose Ke Jing Teng. We cursed Jiu Ba Dao, cursed Chai Zhi Ping, and even cursed Ke Jing Teng…

But in the very end, Shen Jia Yi still chose someone else.

We don’t know if she ever felt sad or regretful about missing Ke Jing Teng, but we do know that she missed the person who wasn’t right for her. And in the future, she would spend the rest of her life with the most suitable person, the one she loved most.

The small sprouts that we can’t control during our youth are just memories that we occasionally recall in the quiet of the night.

Later, when Yi Tian Yu accidentally saw a movie, he angrily smashed the TV and sobbed.

He was sad and unwilling, but most of all, he felt irredeemable regret.

He spent a huge sum to gather all the actors, bringing them back one by one, as if bringing back his youth that hadn’t yet ended and the girl who was still by his side…

Everyone gathered together, and the director asked him how to proceed with filming.

Yi Tian Yu was stunned.

How to film?

He covered his face and cried, then had others perform the same scene again, except for one part in the middle—that rainy night.

Standing in front of Shen Jia Yi, Ke Jing Teng smiled and said—

I’m sorry, I’ll listen to you.

I like you.

I know it, you like me too.

The story ended there. This film, shot up to this point, had no continuation or conclusion.

It was as if he had truly stopped everything at this moment.

This film, which changed only three lines, was never released. Yi Tian Yu, hugging a black and white checkered notebook, sat in an empty theater.

Crying as he watched it again and again.

Watch once, cry once.

Then closed his eyes, and in his dreams, he could return to his youth, embracing the girl who was still young, who still didn’t belong to someone else.

Saying those three sentences, the words he had been telling himself for a lifetime.

I’m sorry, I’ll listen to you.

I like you.

I know it, you like me too.

And then, with a smile, living through the rest of his life that he had dreamed of countless times in his youth.

But it was only in his dreams.