Chapter 18

The graduation dinner started at around five in the afternoon and didn't end until eight at night.

They hadn't drunk alcohol, but the sadness of parting was more intoxicating than any liquor.

After night fell, everyone parted at the entrance of Jiangnan Restaurant.

Two more emotional female classmates, whose homes were in the city center and who might not attend high school in Yinjiang District, hugged their best friends and cried uncontrollably.

For those living farther away, parents had already arrived by car to pick up their children.

Li Luo and the others lived near the school, so after saying goodbye to Teacher Zhang, they walked along the sidewalk with Ying Chanxi and the rest.

"Burp~" Li Luo patted his slightly bloated stomach as he walked. "Feels like half my belly is filled with juice."

In the first half of the meal, everyone had gone around to toast the teachers.

By the second half, once they'd loosened up, the kids imitated adults, toasting each other and pouring out their hearts—refusing to drink meant disrespecting your buddies.

They'd brought all that cultural trash to the dinner table.

As if this was the only way to prove they'd grown up.

And during this process, three boys rushed to Ying Chanxi right before the meal ended to confess their feelings.

One from Class Five, two from the neighboring Class Six—they'd always been quiet, but now, facing the final separation of junior high, they finally gathered the courage to burn this feeling to ashes.

Why say that? … Because no one actually thought Ying Chanxi would say yes.

It wasn't so much a confession as it was a farewell to the youthful fluttering of their three years in junior high.

Even those who didn't confess—hadn't any of them ever fantasized about a girl like Ying Chanxi, their white moonlight?

But Ying Chanxi's polite smiles of thanks and gentle refusals sent those fantasies straight into the grave of a beautiful youth.

The other boys looked on with envy as Li Luo, without a hint of awkwardness, picked up Ying Chanxi's backpack.

Many in the class knew they were childhood neighbors living across from each other.

But the two had never shown anything beyond their usual, lifelong-friend-like behavior.

Still, being able to spend every day beside Ying Chanxi, listening to her talk, was enough to make many envious.

Li Luo, blissfully unaware of his good fortune, belched and unzipped Ying Chanxi's backpack to check his award certificate, confirmed it wasn't damaged or wrinkled, then sighed in relief.

"You really need to be this careful?" Ying Chanxi glanced at his pitiful expression and laughed. "This kind of award doesn't really mean anything—it's just a fancy-sounding title."

Unlike the title of Outstanding Teacher, which could serve as a foundation for professional promotion, the Outstanding Graduate award from Yucai Middle School was purely ceremonial, with no tangible benefits.

At most, once in high school, you could use it to impress your homeroom teacher and classmates when competing for class officer positions.

But Li Luo frowned seriously at Ying Chanxi. "You, the award wholesale dealer, have no idea how painful it is for a slacker like me."

"After over a decade of schooling, this is the first time I've ever won an award with this much prestige."

"I'm hanging it right on the living room wall so my parents can admire it every day."

Ying Chanxi smiled faintly, then asked, "Can I hang mine on your wall too?"

"Why would you hang your award on my wall?" Li Luo said, dumbfounded. "You just want to show off in front of me?"

"No, no," Ying Chanxi blinked. "I have too many awards—my house can't fit them all. I just need to borrow your wall."

"…Ying Chanxi, don't pretend to be so stiff and fake—it's kind of annoying."

"Fine, I won't ask you. I'll go ask your dad and mom instead."

"Then I'm begging you—wait until I take out the award and show it to my parents first."

"Since you're begging me like that, I'll reluctantly agree."

The two bantered and chatted along the way, quickly leaving behind all their classmates who'd been walking with them.

When they finally came to their senses, no one else was around—only the two of them, side by side, heading home.

…

Eight-thirty at night, Jincheng Community.

Li Guohong sat back on the sofa, a cigarette dangling from his lips, quietly savoring the curling white smoke.

On the other side, Lin Xiuhong was smiling brightly on the phone.

"Yeah, yeah! 555 points!"

"Oh, of course! Fuyi High is a sure thing."

"Nah, don't flatter me—it's all thanks to the kid himself working hard."

"Yes, definitely having a celebration—why else am I calling you?"

"Next weekend—will you and your spouse be free?"

"Alright, alright, it's settled then."

From the time the breakfast shop closed in the evening until now, Lin Xiuhong had made over ten calls.

Now, nearly every close relative knew that Lin Xiuhong's son, Li Luo, had scored 555 on the high school entrance exam and had been accepted into Fuyi High.

They'd also already scheduled a promotion banquet for next weekend to celebrate his successful admission.

Originally, Li Guohong had planned to help make the calls.

But Lin Xiuhong shoved him aside and insisted on making them all herself.

She spent over two hours straight calling every close relative.

Talking nonstop for two hours would normally leave anyone's throat dry.

But Lin Xiuhong now felt refreshingly clear-headed, more energized than she had in ages—as if her very soul had been elevated.

"Should be three tables total," Lin Xiuhong said, putting down her phone. "Shufen's restaurant has no bookings next weekend—why don't we reserve three tables now? We'll get a discount since it's family."

"Alright, book them," Li Guohong nodded. "Your little uncle will come too, right?"

"Yes," Lin Xiuhong said. "We need to talk about the house with them anyway—perfect chance to bring them over for dinner and discuss details."

"Mm." Li Guohong thought for a moment, then nodded. "What about Wei Dongrong?"

"Hold off for now?" Lin Xiuhong considered. "Little uncle's house deal isn't finalized yet. Let's wait until we're sure we can buy it, then turn down Wei Dongrong."

"That's true." Li Guohong agreed with his wife's thought, then couldn't help sighing, "It's like a dream—how could Li Luo possibly score so well?"

As he said this, Li Guohong felt Lin Xiuhong lean closer to him.

The next instant, a palm lightly slapped his face.

"What… what are you doing?" Li Guohong clutched half his face, staring at his wife in shock.

"You said it felt like a dream," Lin Xiuhong chuckled. "Does it hurt? If it hurts, it's not a dream."

"I really owe you one."

As the old couple chatted at home, the sound of keys turning in the lock came from the door.

The next instant, Li Luo walked in.

Behind him followed Ying Chanxi.

"Dad, Mom, your pride is back!" Li Luo stepped inside, swapped his shoes for slippers, then strode into the living room, arms wide, announcing loudly, "Miss me?"

Whether due to the hormones of youth or not, Li Luo was growing increasingly comfortable in his fifteen-year-old body.

But Li Guohong and Lin Xiuhong looked at their son's display, then turned to Ying Chanxi behind him and said, "Xixi, come sit."

Ying Chanxi obediently sat beside Lin Xiuhong, glanced at Li Luo, saw his silent signal, and reluctantly opened her backpack, pulling out a certificate and handing it to her uncle and aunt.

"Aunt Lin, look what this is."

"Huh?" Lin Xiuhong paused, taking the certificate from Ying Chanxi.

Li Guohong leaned over beside her, reading as he looked: "Congratulations to student Li Luo for being awarded the title of Outstanding Graduate of Yucai Middle School… 2014 cohort…"

"What kind of award is this?" Lin Xiuhong asked, puzzled. "Did the school give it to you? Or did you buy it from the convenience store?"

"What? Mom, doubting me like this really hurts!" Li Luo protested. "Of course it's from the school! I even went up on stage to receive it at the graduation ceremony! I'll ask Teacher Zhang for a photo of me getting it."

"Of course I believe you," Lin Xiuhong glanced at her son. "But if you can get this award, then Xixi must have one too—otherwise, even if it's real, this certificate has no real value."

Li Luo: "..."

Seeing Li Luo's expression of utter disbelief, Ying Chanxi, sitting beside Lin Xiuhong, covered her mouth and giggled, shoulders shaking with laughter.

Finally, with no other choice, Ying Chanxi pulled out her own certificate from her backpack.

"Aunt Lin, I actually got one too," Ying Chanxi kindly explained for Li Luo. "Only eleven students in the whole school received this Outstanding Graduate award—Li Luo is already incredibly impressive."

"Oh, really?" Lin Xiuhong took Ying Chanxi's certificate, examined it closely, then declared, "Then I'll have to stick both your certificates up together."

"Just stick mine up," Li Luo grumbled. "I only get this once in a lifetime."

"Precisely because it's rare, I must stick Xixi's next to yours!" Lin Xiuhong said seriously, giving him a proper analysis. "Only with Xixi's certificate beside yours does yours gain real value—otherwise, who knows what kind of cheap award it is?"

I swear to god—

Li Luo was so annoyed his teeth hurt.

Ying Chanxi, however, laughed even harder, clinging to Lin Xiuhong's arm, shaking with mirth, unable to stop.

Still, Ying Chanxi thought of Li Luo's feelings and pulled out a photocopy of his perfect-scoring essay, handing it to her uncle and aunt.

"Aunt Lin, look at this," Ying Chanxi patiently explained. "Li Luo got a perfect score on his Chinese composition—this one. It's amazing. I never got a perfect score more than a few times in all three years of junior high."

"Whoa!" Li Guohong exclaimed in surprise. "He got a perfect score on his essay? I've got to read this carefully."

Lin Xiuhong and Li Guohong studied it intently, sometimes even reading aloud—making Li Luo feel a creeping sense of embarrassment.

But seeing his parents' happy expressions, Li Luo felt a strange, awkward satisfaction, deeply content inside.

Still, the couple had low educational backgrounds and limited appreciation skills; after all, they could only say, "It's well written."

By the time they finished chatting, it was already past nine at night.

Ying Chanxi took her leave and went home. Li Luo walked her back to her apartment next door, then stopped by the apartment across the hall to borrow their computer. He messaged Qianzhou on QQ: "You online?"

Even at this hour, the overworked editor was still online, so Li Luo returned home to find his father had finished showering and gone to bed. He pulled his mother—who was about to shower—onto the sofa.

"Mom, do you know why my essay was so good?"

"Why?" Lin Xiuhong asked, curious and puzzled. "Do you have some secret trick?"

"Of course I do," Li Luo nodded eagerly, then grew serious, his expression solemn. "Actually, let me tell you a secret…"

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