The warm spring melted the last of the winter snow, followed soon after by a scorching summer. It was as if someone had turned the hands of time; the agonizing days were finally reaching their destination, and the war without smoke that would determine the futures of countless people had quietly arrived.
The once spacious streets were now packed tight with a sea of people. Vehicles of all sizes lined the roadsides as crowds of students, ready for battle, swarmed into the testing center.
“Go on in,” Yun Qianxin said, patting Gu Yu on the head with a gentle smile that put anyone at ease. “Don’t feel pressured. If you fail, the worst that happens is your older sister will have to support you.”
“I’m not that useless. But thanks anyway, Sister Qianxin.”
“Then do your best. After the exam, your sister will grant Xiao Yu one wish.”
“Alright, alright. I’ll do my best.”
Gu Yu waved goodbye to Yun Qianxin and turned to blend into the crowded throng.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder. Gu Yu turned and saw a girl with a blooming smile.
He Yu was dressed in Jinhe’s summer school uniform, her hair tied in a neat ponytail. The bright sunlight shone on her fair skin, radiating the fresh beauty of youth.
“Come on, one last time. High-five me, and do well on the exam.”
“Mm, you do well too.”
Their palms met in a practiced clap before parting.
“Which testing room are you in again?”
“Building B, Room 305.”
“Oh, I’m in Building C. I’ll head out first.”
“Mm, good luck.”
“Good luck.”
He Yu turned and walked away quickly, her pace somewhat hurried.
Gu Yu watched her back disappear around a corner and then entered the hallway. A crowd of students waited outside the testing room door.
The bell rang, and the examinees filed into the classroom. Gu Yu found his seat without trouble. After listening to the mechanical female voice over the intercom announce the regulations, the test papers were quickly placed on his desk.
There was no turning back. The National College Entrance Examination was especially important for someone like him who had no one else to rely on. Gu Yu answered every question with twelve-fold caution, checked his work, and did not dare to be even slightly careless.
The clock hands ticked away as black ink filled the pristine white pages. With a clear ringing of the bell, his sweaty right palm relaxed. He set down his pen, and the papers were collected.
This was the final test. When Gu Yu left the testing center, he spotted Luo Ming. The girl was walking ahead of him, her slender, tall figure standing out.
On such an important day, many students had parents waiting outside to pick them up. Fathers draped arms over sons’ shoulders, mothers and daughters embraced, and joyful students excitedly discussed their wild plans for celebration.
But he watched Luo Ming leave the crowd alone, never once looking back. The surrounding noise had nothing to do with her. Her silhouette was lonely, but her footsteps were determined.
Gu Yu walked out of the school gates and saw Yun Qianxin waiting for him under the green shade of an old tree by the road.
“Why do you look so unhappy? Did it not go well?” Yun Qianxin pinched his cheek, her voice filled with tenderness.
“No, I did fine.”
“Then why aren’t you smiling? You’re finally free.”
“I… I don’t know…”
Yun Qianxin cupped Gu Yu’s face and looked into his clear eyes. She could see right through the emotions the boy was trying to hide.
She pulled the corners of his mouth upward, forcing a smile that didn’t look quite right. “Give me a smile. Your sister will buy you some milk tea.”
“I can’t.”
“Fine, fine. If Xiao Yu doesn’t want to smile, then he doesn’t have to.”
Yun Qianxin took Gu Yu’s hand, pulled out her car keys to start the black McLaren parked nearby, and led him inside.
“Shall we go home and rest? Or do you want to use the wish I promised you?”
Gu Yu sat in a daze, not saying a word. The air conditioner blasted cold air against his face as he turned to look out the window.
People came and went outside. Students who had finished their exams were laughing, their faces full of excitement and joy. Their parents watched them with tender, doting gazes.
The image of that girl’s lonely back magnified in his mind. They were about to part ways; that might have been the last time he would see her.
Regret and longing began to grow like wildfire.
“Sister Qianxin, you go ahead. I’ll head back on my own later. I have something to do.”
“What is it? I can go with you.”
“No need, I can handle it myself.”
Gu Yu hurriedly opened the car door and stepped out. The girl had walked in the other direction. He pushed through the crowd, urgently searching for her figure.
There were no forks in the road ahead. Gu Yu didn’t stop, moving forward under the scorching rays of the midsummer sun. Before long, he was drenched in sweat.
But he seemed to have lost her. She had clearly been just ahead, yet no matter how fast he ran, he couldn’t see that slender shadow.
Exhausted, Gu Yu finally sat on the steps in front of a convenience store, head lowered, and panted heavily. His heart pounded wildly.
‘We have to say goodbye sooner or later anyway, so why couldn’t it be now? Why am I looking for her like a madman?’
Gu Yu couldn’t answer. Perhaps it was because the girl was unique in his heart; even if there was only a chance for one more look, he wanted to fight for it.
Or perhaps he couldn’t stand her being alone. Even if it was just for the final stretch of the road, he wanted to walk it with her.
Suddenly, something cold touched his forehead. A pair of faded white canvas shoes appeared before his eyes.
“Why are you covered in sweat? You weren’t looking for me, were you?” Luo Ming let go, and the tin can she had pressed against Gu Yu’s forehead dropped onto his lap.
He looked up. The blinding sunlight shone from behind Luo Ming, outlining her figure with a golden glow.
A faint smile played on the girl’s exquisite face. A gentle breeze blew the strands of hair hanging by her cheeks. Her beautiful large eyes stared at him, blinking once.
“I was looking for you. Where did you go?”
“I was buying a drink in the store, silly,” Luo Ming said, sitting down beside him. “So, Gu Yu, why were you looking for me?”
“I…”
Gu Yu froze. He realized he didn’t have a legitimate reason to give. The real motives that had driven him to find her were impossible to say out loud.
“You what? Could it be that you just wanted to see me?”
The smile on Luo Ming’s face widened. She reached out and pinched Gu Yu’s cheek.
The arm revealed beneath her loose, short-sleeved school uniform was soft and slender, like flawless white jade. However, the sleeve opening was wide; through that small gap, Gu Yu accidentally caught a glimpse of what was inside… a white bra strap and a bit of the side of her budding chest.
A shy blush crept onto Gu Yu’s face. Seeing his strange reaction, Luo Ming naturally noticed her own oversight.
She patted Gu Yu on the head, her own cheeks flushing crimson. “Don’t look.”
“Sorry, I didn’t… mean to look,” Gu Yu stammered an explanation.
Luo Ming snatched the drink back from Gu Yu’s lap. Pouting, she said indignantly, “No more for you, you pervert.”
She opened the drink and took a sip. The sweet, icy liquid entered her stomach, dispelling some of the sweltering heat.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have looked,” Gu Yu apologized again.
“Whatever. It’s not like we haven’t kissed before; it’s no big deal.”
“…Mm.” Gu Yu didn’t know what to say and gave a dazed response.
“So, what does Mister Pervert want, following me all this way?”
“I just wanted to see you. After all, every meeting is one less than before.”
“Just a look? Didn’t Mister Pervert want to touch? If it’s just my face, I’ll allow it.”
“No, no. Just looking is enough.”
“Then can I touch you? As payment, you can drink the rest of this.” Luo Ming handed him the drink.
For some reason, Gu Yu dazedly accepted it.
“There, the payment has been accepted. Gu Yu, I can do whatever I want to you now.”
“Then what are you… going to do to me?”
“Hmph. Well, I’ll put it on your tab. I’ll tell you later.”