The bell for the last exam hadn’t rung yet, but Yan Yu had already put down her pen.
The exam paper bore her name and student ID, and the subject was Introduction to Art. She picked up the paper and checked it from beginning to end again.
The answers were clear and logical, the arguments solid, and the handwriting neat and beautiful. She flipped through the previous multiple-choice and essay questions again, confirming there were no omissions or obvious mistakes. She had put considerable effort into reviewing this course, and now on the paper, there were no unexpected test points.
Overall, the exam was of moderate difficulty with no overly tricky questions. Turning it in should yield a decent score.
Ding “Exam time is over. Candidates, please stop writing.”
Yan Yu smoothly pushed her exam paper to the corner of the desk and let out a light sigh.
This exam had tested both the basic art history framework and allowed room for theoretical opinions.
She felt she had answered securely.
The proctor began collecting the papers by groups.
She leaned back in her wheelchair, flexed her fingers that had grown stiff from holding the pen for so long, and was about to pack up and leave when her gaze inadvertently swept across the other side of the classroom.
Jiang Muyun was sitting in the row by the window, lowering her head as she handed her paper to the proctor.
The expression on her face was very ugly.
Ever since the end of the first exam that morning, Yan Yu had felt something was off with her. It was during break time, and Jiang Muyun’s phone vibrated. She rushed out to take the call.
When she came back, her entire face had sunk, as if covered by a gray tone. Her two sidekicks—Sister Song and Curly—immediately hovered around her, pressing her with questions from left and right, chattering in a low but piercing voice.
Yan Yu vaguely caught a few words:
“What’s wrong, Muyun?”
“Did you do poorly on the exam?”
“Want to grab something to eat?”
Jiang Muyun didn’t respond at all. She just shook her head, stuffed her things into her bag, and sat there in silence.
Yan Yu didn’t care why Jiang Muyun was in a bad mood.
What she cared about was whether those two could stop making noise in the classroom.
The exam was already over, they could have gone outside to talk, but they insisted on blocking the aisle, going back and forth, their voices buzzing like flies, giving her a headache.
She didn’t stay any longer.
She picked up her faded canvas shoulder bag from the side of the desk, turned the metal wheels of her wheelchair, and glided toward the door.
Ruo Xiaozhen was still in the exam. Their majors were different, so the exam schedule differed. Ruo Xiaozhen wouldn’t finish until 12:30 PM, so they couldn’t have lunch together today.
Bai Yan’er, on the other hand, hurried over wanting to see her off.
But before she could finish her sentence, she was called away by a junior from the dance club. Recently, the dance club she was in had changed leadership, and as the new president, she had to be present for the afternoon modern dance rehearsal.
Thus, in the corridor of the teaching building after the exam, Yan Yu was alone.
The wheels rolled over the smooth marble floor, making a soft sound. She instead enjoyed the solitude and quiet.
She took the elevator down.
She glided out of the lobby of the teaching building via the wheelchair ramp. The early summer wind rushed toward her, carrying the scent of grass and sun-warmed dust.
The view suddenly opened up.
The sunlight was just right.
Through the new leaves of the plane trees, swaying spots of light fell on the gray-white path. The sky was a clear light blue, with a few white clouds drifting lazily, loosely shaped like cotton candy blown by the wind.
On the distant playground, a group of students in PE class were running, their white sportswear standing out against the green lawn. On a bench by the flowerbed, two female students sat with their heads together, looking at the same phone, occasionally bursting into laughter.
Yan Yu took a deep breath, her lungs filled with the fragrance of plants.
She loved this time. Her tense nerves relaxed, and she bathed in the sunlight.
She wheeled her chair, slowly moving along the tree shade.
Suddenly, she froze.
Under the tall ginkgo tree ahead stood a familiar figure. The person was leaning against the trunk, wearing a simple black vest and a dark blue long skirt, looking down at her phone.
The afternoon light filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dappled light and shadow on her.
It was Dai Feng.
Yan Yu was a little surprised. Was Dai Feng here to audit an art class? But today the entire college had midterm exams, and all classes were suspended.
As she thought this, her hands had already turned the wheels, gliding over there.
Dai Feng looked up. The moment their eyes met, a gentle smile spread across her face. Her voice was gentle and pleasant.
Then she blinked. “Oh, I should call you Teacher Yan instead.”
Yan Yu shook her head. “Don’t call me that at school. If other teachers hear it, they’ll misunderstand.”
“Okay, no joking,” Dai Feng readily agreed, smiling as she took two steps closer.
“Finished with the exam? How did it feel?”
“Mm, just finished. It felt… okay.”
“I just happened to be passing by today. A friend needed to deliver something, so I came along.”
She paused, her gaze falling on Yan Yu’s face, her voice lowering a bit. “By the way, Yan Yu, these past few days… has Su Qinghan said anything special to you?”
Yan Yu shook her head. “No. Same as usual, we didn’t chat. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Dai Feng smiled. Her gaze drifted to a corner of the teaching building in the distance, her voice light as if talking to herself. “I just wanted to ask. After all, Qinghan and I have known each other for so long, so long that… we know each other better than many sisters.”
She withdrew her gaze and looked back at Yan Yu, her eyes carrying a gentle yet unmistakable seriousness.
“I just hope she doesn’t do anything that would disappoint me.”
Having said this ambiguous remark, Dai Feng raised her hand and brushed aside a strand of hair blown onto her forehead by the wind.
“I have things to do. I’ll be going now. Get some rest—you must be tired after half a day of exams.”
Without waiting for Yan Yu’s reply, she turned and left.
The figure in the black vest and blue skirt soon melted into the dispersing crowd and light and shadow of the afternoon.
Yan Yu remained where she was, her wheelchair stopped in the shade cast by the ginkgo tree.
The warm breeze still brushed her face. The chatter and laughter of surrounding students still buzzed. But those light words were like a small pebble thrown into the lake of her heart.
She stared in the direction where Dai Feng had disappeared, slightly furrowing her brow. A bad premonition arose in her heart.
Dai Feng and Su Qinghan were old friends. Asking this suddenly—was it a test, or a warning? Or perhaps Su Qinghan had done something? Or was about to do something?
Yan Yu knew she had to find the answer. This would concern her upcoming task of playing the substitute.