On June 7th, volunteer drivers across the city organized to help transport exam takers. There was free water at the school gates, construction sites paused work, and no cars were allowed to honk around exam venues… the whole world seemed to make way for the college entrance exam.
Xu Si had imagined sitting in the exam room many times, but when the first Chinese exam started, he still felt inexplicably nervous. Thinking of Jiang Qian helped calm his heart.
On June 8th at 4:45 PM, Xu Si wrote the last word of his essay.
“There are fifteen minutes left before the exam ends. Those who haven’t filled in their answer sheets should do so now. When the bell rings, no more answers will be allowed, or it will be treated as cheating.”
Xu Si checked his exam paper thoroughly, making sure there were no mistakes or missing answers, then reviewed the reading comprehension section again. After checking everything, he arranged his answer sheet and scratch paper neatly on the desk, waiting for the proctor to collect them.
At 5 PM sharp, the end-of-exam bell rang.
At the same moment, in the hospital, the heart monitor flatlined.
Xu Si felt a sudden sharp pain in his heart. He was stunned for a moment before quickly recovering, thinking it was just nervousness.
The broadcast announced: “The exam is over. Please stop writing immediately. If any student continues answering, proctors should stop them and issue a public warning.”
When the last English exam finished, the college entrance exam was officially over. The tension and pressure that had been weighing on his heart finally disappeared.
Outside, cicadas buzzed noisily in the rolling heat waves. Many people were discussing how this year’s exam was very difficult, while others said it was average. Xu Si just wanted to leave quickly – he wanted to see her.
As soon as he left the school gates, he went to the flower shop. It was a bouquet of pure white roses with light green wrapping that he had ordered in advance. He had also pre-ordered a cake, which he picked up from the bakery.
The sun had heated the ground until it was scorching. The flowers were delicate, and Xu Si worried they wouldn’t look as nice by the time he gave them to her. He held the flowers close to his chest and ran quickly to wait for transportation in the shade.
The young man in his clean, bright white shirt ran with steps full of joy and happiness.
Today was Jiang Qian’s eighteenth birthday. He wanted to wish her happy birthday in person, and ask her again if she would consider being with him.
After getting off the vehicle, he ran all the way to the bottom of Jiang Qian’s building. He looked up, took out his phone to call her. His phone was still turned off from the exam, and he hadn’t turned it back on yet in his hurry.
As soon as his phone powered on, he saw Jiang Qian’s WeChat messages – two voice messages.
He played the first one. She said: “I’m sorry.”
The second one. She said: “I can’t wait for you anymore, Xu Si.”
No matter how he heard it, both sentences sounded like a farewell.
Xu Si froze for a moment, trying to calm himself as he sent her a message. His hands were shaking as he typed.
[Xu Si]: What are you sorry for? What do you mean you can’t wait?
He called her number. It connected quickly.
“Hello.”
Xu Si checked the number to make sure he hadn’t dialed wrong: “Hello?”
“Is this Xu Si? I’m Qianqian’s mother.”
“Hello Auntie, yes it’s me, I’m Jiang Qian’s desk mate.”
There was a pause before he heard her say: “Please come to the hospital. Qianqian left something for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Qianqian has passed away.”
“Auntie, is Jiang Qian playing a prank with you? Please give her the phone, I need to talk to her.”
“I wish I was lying.” Tian Ling’s last words came out as a sob: “Please come quickly to the City People’s Hospital…”
Xu Si was too shocked to speak. He understood this wasn’t a joke or prank from Jiang Qian. In an instant, he felt like he’d fallen into an ice pit, his whole body trembling. His heart seemed to stop, his ears ringing, his mind blank.
He hailed a taxi, repeatedly urging the driver: “Please hurry, please hurry.”
He didn’t even know how he got out of the car, his legs feeling like they weren’t his own. Only one thought supported his nearly collapsing consciousness – to get what she had left for him.
At the hospital room door, his fingertips trembled as he pushed it open. His first glance fell on the person lying in bed with closed eyes.
She wore loose hospital clothes, eyes tightly shut, face peaceful as if just sleeping.
Tian Ling was crying uncontrollably, Jiang Zhien’s eyes were red, and Nanny Liu’s eyes were swollen from crying.
Xu Si’s legs felt like lead as he moved forward step by difficult step. He placed the flowers and cake on the cabinet beside the bed.
Jiang Zhixu saw Xu Si come in and shook her head gently: “Qianqian couldn’t hold on, couldn’t wait for you.”
Around 5 PM, Jiang Qian had seemed to rally, her vital signs suddenly trending toward normal. She struggled to sit up, pulling off her oxygen mask, her voice weak: “Ah Xu.”
Jiang Zhixu’s tears fell like broken beads, unstoppable. She gripped Jiang Qian’s hand: “Don’t speak, don’t talk, just lie down properly.”
Jiang Qian knew deeply that some words, if not said now, would never have another chance to be said. She spoke with difficulty: “Let’s be friends again in the next life. I’m sorry, Ah Xu, I can’t accompany you to the end, can’t be your bridesmaid… this time… this time I have to break my promise.”
Jiang Zhixu cried so hard she could barely breathe: “Good Qianqian, you must be my bridesmaid in the next life, no more breaking promises. I forgive you for this life.”
“Okay.” Jiang Qian smiled weakly at her.
“Nanny Liu.”
Hearing Jiang Qian call her, Nanny Liu crouched in front of her to listen.
Jiang Qian leaned close to her ear and softly called her “Mom.”
Nanny Liu’s just-stopped tears began falling again as she responded with a sound of acknowledgment.
“Nanny Liu has been like Qianqian’s mother, thank you for your hard work all these years.”
“It wasn’t hard work.” Nanny Liu could barely speak through her sobs, repeating: “It wasn’t hard work.”
When she had been scorned by her in-laws and suffered from gossip, it was little Jiang Qian who had hugged her, telling her which people didn’t know how to treasure her goodness. From that time on, she had been determined to stay with Jiang Qian for life.
She was well-behaved and understanding, never causing any worry in over ten years. How could it be hard work? She looked at her like her own daughter.
Jiang Qian said to Tian Ling and Jiang Zhien: “Fight less in the future.”
She had actually disliked how they were, but had never said it out loud.
As if giving her last words, she said goodbye to everyone.
“Phone…” Jiang Zhixu took her phone and found Xu Si: “Do you want to send him a message? Tell me, I’ll record it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I can’t wait for you anymore, Xu Si.”
After Jiang Qian said the last two words, the heart monitor flatlined, and Jiang Zhixu watched her hand fall.
At that same moment, the final exam bell rang on the other side.
The doctor looked at the indicators on the equipment and shook his head heavily.
Leave a Reply