Shen Qing opened her mouth, looking at Butler Lou, explaining: “Ah Lian’s grades are very good…”
Last time at the Xu house, Xu Zhiyue had mentioned Bai Lian was at some “Source” base. Shen Qing wasn’t highly educated, and after half a year, she had mostly forgotten. She couldn’t remember exactly what base it was, but knew Bai Lian might get early admission to Jiangjiang University.
For her, Bai Lian getting into Beicheng University would already be surprising, let alone Jiangjiang University.
“I know,” Butler Lou glanced at Shen Qing when he heard this, his tone slightly dismissive. He had heard Shen Qing say multiple times that Bai Lian’s grades were good.
But the Mu family was after all a prestigious family. Butler Lou had seen many geniuses in the Mu family. No matter how good Bai Lian’s grades were, could they surpass those world-class geniuses from the Mu family’s past?
“Ah Lian’s mother hasn’t gone back,” Ji Shaojun pulled out a cigarette, held it between his fingers without lighting it, and said, “If we two don’t go back, it might affect her state.”
Affect her state? Butler Lou thought silently, whether it affects her or not probably doesn’t matter.
But having known Ji Shaojun’s personality for so long, Butler Lou didn’t force Ji Shaojun and Shen Qing to stay, only saying: “Alright, I’ll have Xiao Jie drive you back, but return quickly.”
He calculated the time – after the college entrance exam would be the Dragon Boat Festival.
If Ji Shaojun left immediately after her exam finished, perhaps they could make it.
June 5th.
In Class 15, during the last class of high school, even the usually energetic Wen Qi became quiet.
Lu Lingxi placed both hands on the podium, her gaze sweeping across all the students, finally pausing briefly on the seat beside Ning Xiao. “Students, the day after tomorrow you will head to the battlefield. This is a solo struggle, and I’ll be waiting for you here.”
Outside the window, the sunset fell on the forest, half-hidden in clouds and mist, light refracting from all around, casting a red glow.
Lu Lingxi began speaking about exam precautions, though she had already mentioned them many times.
The classroom was very quiet, all students listening to her speak.
No one knew if they were listening to her talk about exam precautions, or listening to her talk about precautions for their last high school exam.
After a while.
Wen Qi finally led the teasing: “Teacher Lu, you have to treat us to hotpot.”
“Yes, Teacher Lu!” The boys started laughing and joking again.
As if they were still those carefree young people.
“Alright,” Lu Lingxi also laughed, “After the college entrance exam, I’ll treat you all.”
Lu Xiaohan’s deskmate turned around gently, looking at Lu Xiaohan and Bai Lian, “After the college entrance exam, will we be in the same city? Or will we be able to meet again?”
Bai Lian sat quietly in her seat. On her desk were many papers – friendship albums from classmates in her class and other classes.
She lowered her head, writing slowly, hearing the other’s words, and gradually looked up.
The light from outside fell on her profile, her eyes as lazy as ever. She used her finger to carefully smooth the paper in her hand, her voice very soft: “We will.”
Lu Xiaohan hugged her deskmate’s shoulders, “Don’t worry, no matter where you get into, I’ll come visit you.”
After the last class ended, Lu Lingxi stood at the podium watching all the students pack up and leave.
Bai Lian finished writing in the friendship albums and handed the stack of papers to Lu Xiaohan – these were all from students in other classes who had asked Lu Xiaohan to pass them to her.
Lu Xiaohan walked in front of her, with Bai Lian a step behind. She carried her backpack and stopped beside Lu Lingxi.
She handed Zhang Shize’s letter to Lu Lingxi.
Zhang Shize’s handwriting was so bad that Lu Lingxi recognized it at a glance.
Her students were about to take the college entrance exam. Among the many students in her class, Wen Qi had become serious about studying in the latter half of the semester. The only one she couldn’t let go of was Zhang Shize.
Lu Lingxi lowered her head and opened the letter—
[Hi, Teacher Lu, this is Zhang Shize. I never thought I would be writing to you in this kind of place. I’m sorry, Teacher Lu…]
Zhang Shize’s letter was very long.
Lu Lingxi didn’t know…
Since Zhang Shize’s incident, he hadn’t apologized to anyone, nor admitted fault to anyone, because he didn’t think he had done anything wrong.
The only person he said sorry to was Lu Lingxi.
“He says he’s seriously studying and reforming in there, and wants to become a lawyer in the future,” Lu Lingxi carefully put away the letter, “So I can rest assured now.”
June 7th.
Early in the morning.
Ji Shaojun and Shen Qing came to Ji Heng’s courtyard to accompany Bai Lian to the college entrance exam.
Bai Lian woke up early as usual, getting up at six to study for a while.
Shen Qing wore festive red today. Seeing Bai Lian’s room door open, she brought the food she made in the morning to her room: “Ah Lian, don’t you want to sleep a bit more?”
She and Ji Shaojun had arrived yesterday morning and had made many nutritious foods for Bai Lian these two days.
“No need,” Bai Lian unhurriedly turned a page of printed paper. Beside her, her phone vibrated several times. “I’m used to this time.”
The phone messages were good luck wishes from Xu Nanjing, Yan Lu, Sister Xin and others.
Everyone knew she was taking the college entrance exam today.
Except for one person.
He Wen: [[Document.woc]] He Wen: [Take a look at this first today]
Bai Lian ate breakfast while glancing at it, replying leisurely: [Not today]
He Wen: [What’s wrong? Have you changed to a new direction recently?]
Bai Lian: [No] Bai Lian: [College entrance exam these two days]
On the other end of the phone, He Wen, who had lost track of time in the research institute, checked the date – indeed it was June 7th.
He felt somewhat dazed.
Although Bai Lian had told him she was a high school senior, her ability to communicate with him without barriers often made He Wen forget she was a high school student.
“Who’s taking the college entrance exam this year?” He Wen turned to ask his team member beside him.
That person didn’t know either. “Don’t know, why?”
“Nothing,” He Wen sent Bai Lian a “Good luck on the exam” message before muttering quietly, “Just feel sorry for them.”
How unfortunate that they had to take the exam the same year as Bai Lian.
At No. 3 Middle School.
Lu Lingxi stood at the main gate. By this time, traffic police were already in position, and some students had arrived at the exam site.
She had arrived at eight and kept watching the intersection.
At eight twenty.
She saw a black electric bike appear at the intersection, marked with the Xiangcheng Local Restaurant logo. Lu Lingxi’s steps paused – she recognized this as the restaurant where Yang Lin worked part-time.
The person on the bike was Yang Lin.
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Lu Lingxi saw her stop and immediately walked over.
“Yang Lin.”
Yang Lin parked the bike. She lived far from here. When she went back last night, the restaurant owner knew she had the college entrance exam today and let her take the delivery bike home.
“Teacher.” Yang Lin took off her helmet and retrieved her bag from the side.
She had no one to accompany her to the exam, but Lu Lingxi had been waiting for her.
Lu Lingxi made a sound of acknowledgment. She reached out to touch Yang Lin’s grown-out hair. “Did you bring everything? The national exam questions will be a bit difficult, but don’t be nervous. Teacher will wait here for you to come out.”
Yang Lin wanted to say something. She looked at Lu Lingxi through her bangs but ultimately didn’t speak.
It seemed that since Bai Lian came, she had refused people fewer times.
Yang Lin seemed to be silent for a long while before handing her phone to Lu Lingxi. “Teacher, please keep this for me.”
Her grandparents were still in the countryside, and she was alone. If Lu Lingxi hadn’t come today, she would probably have had to leave her phone at the security office.
Xiangcheng had never had a college entrance exam as lively as this year.
On Xiangcheng’s main roads, routes near the major exam sites all had traffic police directing traffic, with “No Honking” signs set up.
Bai Lian’s exam site was at the Experimental Middle School. She had gone to check it out with Jiang Fuli yesterday.
Bai Lian and Shen Qing’s group took a taxi designated for exam students, with a “Exam Student Inside” sign on the car. Along the way, almost all vehicles gave way to this taxi.
She sat in the back with Shen Qing, while Ji Shaojun sat in the front passenger seat.
Taking part in the college entrance exam for the first time, cars behind the taxi didn’t even honk their horns. This was a scene Bai Lian had never seen before – today, everyone was making way for these high school seniors heading to their exam sites.
The people here really cared for students.
At eight thirty, their taxi stopped at the Experimental Middle School.
Many people were dropping off examinees at this time.
As soon as Bai Lian got out of the car, she saw Jiang Fuli standing under a tree.
Today he wore a dark gray casual jacket, his tall figure standing straight. At the busy school gate, only the area around him was peaceful.
“Xiao Jiang!” Shen Qing waved to Jiang Fuli, walking with Bai Lian towards him.
Today Bai Lian wore a white silk blouse with light yellow flowers embroidered on the cuffs and collar, paired with a peach blossom-colored long dress. Under the bright sunlight, it looked like peach-colored jade, delicate to the ground, with a warm luster.
Since the graduation photo, she seemed less resistant to wearing bright-colored clothes.
Jiang Fuli stood under the tree, quietly watching Bai Lian walk over. She was backlit, making her face a bit hard to see.
He watched her walk step by step towards him, feeling somewhat dazed for a moment.
After they came over, he greeted Shen Qing and Ji Shaojun before looking down at Bai Lian: “Did you bring your pens, ID, and admission ticket?”
Bai Lian raised an eyebrow, not expecting him to say this, “I did.”
“Good,” Jiang Fuli lowered his eyelashes, “Go to your exam room, I’ll watch you go in from here.”
Other people weren’t allowed into the exam site.
“Xiao Jiang, we can wait here. Why don’t you head back first?” Shen Qing looked around, remembering that Jiang Fuli was usually very busy.
“It’s fine.” Jiang Fuli replied softly.
Ji Shaojun looked at Jiang Fuli, then took out his cigarette pack from his pocket but didn’t speak.
Jiang Fuli just stood there, watching Bai Lian carry only a pencil case, walking step by step into the exam site, her figure composed and determined.
She marched alone to the battlefield, yet seemed to have thousands of troops behind her.
Bai Lian remembered her exam room and seat. After passing through security and showing her admission ticket, she went in.
Most people had already arrived in the exam room. When she entered, she still attracted many glances.
At eight fifty.
The two invigilators looked calm as they handed out the test papers after the preparation bell rang, telling the students about precautions, “Everyone write your name and admission ticket number first, don’t forget.”
Bai Lian looked down at the distributed test paper.
National Unified College Entrance Examination (A) Chinese.
She looked at the test paper, opened her pencil case, and took out her usual black pen.
At nine o’clock, the sunlight outside the classroom was just right. Bai Lian looked down at the black pen and removed its cap.
Lu Lingxi said they would fight alone today, but Bai Lian didn’t feel that way. She picked up her pen and carefully wrote her name on the answer sheet—
Bai Lian.
Beginning her first true battle since coming to this world—
Today the pen could serve as a spear, rising against the current to the azure clouds!
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