Chapter 290: Hug, and We

Starting April 27, Fuyi Middle School entered a midterm exam period lasting three days.

For freshmen and sophomores, this was merely a straightforward midterm exam.

But for seniors, this was not only a midterm exam, but also the second provincial joint mock exam, commonly known as the "Second Mock."

Generally, the Second Mock was the most difficult of the three mock exams, thoroughly testing students' true abilities.

Among the freshmen, many were still immersed in the joy of the three major ball tournaments, and some even looked forward to the finals on the afternoon of the 30th during the exam.

Meanwhile, the seniors were in a completely different atmosphere.

However, since the three grades were housed in three separate teaching buildings, these atmospheres rarely influenced each other.

Li Luo, as a top student in the parallel class who ranked 23rd overall in the entrance exam, still had to go upstairs to Class One for this exam.

On the afternoon of the 29th.

Sitting in the second-to-last seat of the third row in the center of Class One's exam hall, Li Luo finished his geography paper, checked it once, then turned his gaze to the back of Ying Chanxi, who sat in window seat No. 1.

At this moment, Ying Chanxi had already finished her paper but was still carefully reviewing and correcting it.

According to Ying Chanxi, after completing the entire exam, she performed three rounds of corrections.

The first round focused on questions she had considered difficult during the exam, checking for errors, omissions, or traps set by the examiners.

The second round specifically revisited problems she had solved quickly using formulas or shortcuts, redoing them with standard, formal methods to confirm no mistakes were made.

The final round was a full-paper review, scanning from beginning to end to catch any last-minute oversights.

How to put it… the grade's top student had her reasons.

Li Luo, for his part, found such meticulousness too much trouble; after finishing his paper, he glanced at Ying Chanxi—and was immediately noticed by the proctor, Teacher Sun.

Most students would have lowered their heads by now.

But Li Luo just smiled at Teacher Sun, leaving the teacher speechless.

Teacher Sun didn't think Li Luo was cheating—after all, the classroom's forty desks were arranged in five rows with wide spacing, making it impossible to see anything.

But every exam, this kid kept glancing over at Ying Chanxi; Teacher Sun had figured it out, and the thought that they shared the same roof every day made him feel uneasy.

He constantly worried the two might spark something.

Fortunately, Ying Chanxi was well-behaved and sensible, with top-tier talent and diligence, so Teacher Sun didn't need to worry about her.

But what troubled him was that in recent days, he'd privately talked with Ying Chanxi about the new college entrance system and math competitions, even mapping out various strategies for her to aim for Tsinghua and Peking University.

Then Ying Chanxi told him she only wanted to attend Qianjiang University…

Teacher Sun's head spun, and he nearly fainted.

A top candidate for the entire grade, certain to win first prize in the provincial math competition, a strong contender for the national first prize—and she wanted to go to Qianjiang University?

If the school leadership found out, they'd scold him to death.

Teacher Sun racked his brain but couldn't understand Ying Chanxi's logic, and he didn't dare ask her why she made this choice.

Because he had a vague idea…

It was all because of this kid, Li Luo.

Li Luo was currently ranked around 15th to 20th in the school—excellent for a parallel class, and Teacher Sun had no complaints.

But honestly, while this score gave him a chance at Tsinghua or Peking University, it wasn't secure.

At minimum, he needed to be consistently in the top five schoolwide to be considered a solid candidate; otherwise, everything remained uncertain.

Fuyi Middle School wasn't among the absolute top schools in the province; its overall strength wasn't elite.

But because it was affiliated with Qianjiang University, students here enjoyed certain advantages when applying to Qianjiang University.

For example, policies like the "Three-in-One" admissions system were most easily accessible to Fuyi students.

This indirectly lowered the difficulty of getting into Qianjiang University for Fuyi applicants.

But these advantages had zero effect on Tsinghua or Peking University—only raw, genuine ability mattered.

Thus, although Fuyi Middle School sent nearly a hundred students to Qianjiang University each year, the number admitted to Tsinghua or Peking University rarely exceeded five or six.

In better years, it reached a bit over ten.

Beyond that, there were none.

Far fewer than the top schools in the city.

So clearly, given Ying Chanxi's ability to enter Tsinghua or Peking University, her choice to aim for Qianjiang University was obviously to attend the same school as Li Luo.

Thus, when Teacher Sun saw Li Luo smile after finishing his exam, his expression darkened; he let out a silent huff, turned away, and refused to look at him.

Li Luo didn't understand why Teacher Sun had been so cold toward him lately, but he didn't care much.

After all, he wasn't his homeroom teacher.

So after smiling, Li Luo closed his eyes and drifted into his memory palace, watching "Hongmao and Lantu: The Seven Heroes," reliving his childhood.

Soon, with the sound of a bell, the midterm exam ended smoothly.

The next morning, homeroom teachers of each class arrived carrying thick stacks of documents.

They distributed the detailed guidelines for Qianjiang Province's new college entrance reform.

Kong Junxiang wrote a few keywords on the blackboard, then asked everyone to read through the full text.

Once the students had a general understanding, he gave a detailed explanation and answered their questions.

He kept talking until nearly ten in the morning, then drank some tea, exhaled deeply, and said: "In short, that's the general situation."

"During the May Day holiday, when you go home, take this document and show it to your parents first—make sure you understand the reform clearly."

"That way, when we hold the parent-teacher meeting next month, our discussions will go smoothly. Everyone understand?"

After receiving responses from Class Eight, Kong Junxiang nodded, told them to study independently, then called out several names.

"Li Luo, Lu Jiahao, Shi Yanran, Zhu Yufei, Zhang Guohuang, Ren Zheng."

"All six of you, come out."

Hearing his name, Li Luo thought about the others called, and immediately guessed why Kong Junxiang had summoned them.

Six people filed out in sequence, following Kong Junxiang all the way to the fifth-floor office.

Kong Junxiang held a teacup in his hand; he had just sat down when he realized the water inside was finished.

Li Luo saw this and extended his hand: "Teacher Kong, let me get you some water."

"Alright."

After pouring Kong Junxiang a full cup of tea, Li Luo returned to the desk.

Kong Junxiang sipped the warm tea, then said: "I called you out because this relates to the recent college entrance exam reform."

"I already mentioned all this in the classroom just now."

"This time, it's not just 'seven choose three'—the three elective subjects can also begin taking the selection exam as early as Gao Er, with those scores counting as your official college entrance exam results."

"So the school has done some preliminary research and, considering some of you are particularly strong in electives, we've decided next semester to tentatively recommend you register for the first selection exam."

"To ensure you perform well on this selection exam, you need to discuss it with your parents at home."

"If possible, confirm your three chosen elective subjects before the parent-teacher meeting."

"Then, starting from mid-May, the school will arrange extra intensive classes, including during summer vacation, continuing until just before next year's first selection exam."

At this point, Kong Junxiang took another sip of tea to moisten his throat and glanced at the few students who seemed lost in thought.

"This intensive class is originally designed specifically for students in the key class, but since your grades are all within the school's top 160, you're also eligible to sign up."

"Of course, the final decision rests with you—you must think carefully before choosing."

"After all, your actual curriculum pace is significantly slower than the key class's; if you join the intensive class, you'll be overwhelmed, forced to catch up on the remaining elective content within just a few months."

"My suggestion is that we pick only one elective subject to join the intensive class."

"If your learning results are good, you can then take the first selection exam and aim for a high score—this way, for the remaining two years, you can ignore one subject entirely and have an easier time."

"During this holiday, go home and explain clearly to your parents. Any specific questions can be discussed further at the parent-teacher meeting."

"Understood."

"Teacher Kong, is there anything else?" Li Luo asked curiously after watching Zhu Yufei and the other three leave.

"What I just said—about picking only one elective—is aimed at them, not at you two."

Kong Junxiang said, "Especially you, Li Luo—you should aim to pass all three electives in one go."

"Mm." Li Luo nodded. "That's my thought too, but…"

"But what?"

"Teacher Kong, can we skip the intensive class?" Li Luo grinned. "Actually, I've already studied all the high school material with Ying Chanxi on my own, and reviewing with her regularly feels sufficient—I don't need the intensive class."

Kong Junxiang frowned at this: "Really?"

"I have no reason to lie to you, Teacher Kong."

"Wait a moment." Kong Junxiang stood up, walked to the bookshelf, glanced up and down, then pulled out a stack of test papers and paused to think.

He put the papers back, sighed after a few seconds, and smiled helplessly: "You really are giving me a hard time—do you just not want to attend the intensive class?"

"Not exactly," Li Luo coughed twice. "It's just that this high-pressure learning style doesn't suit me. I prefer self-study—it works far better for me."

"Then here's the deal," Kong Junxiang considered, then smiled. "Once the intensive class starts, there will be subject-specific tests covering the entire high school curriculum."

"I'll register you now—if you score in the top twenty in all three electives on that test, I won't require you to attend the intensive class."

For this intensive class, the key class has 160 students, plus some top performers from regular classes have signed up—total enrollment is estimated around two hundred.

Divided across seven electives, each subject averages about a hundred students.

Making the top twenty is actually quite difficult.

After all, Li Luo occasionally ranks in the school's top twenty overall, but that doesn't mean he's top twenty in every subject—the difference is significant.

Still, Li Luo nodded in agreement.

After all, with Ying Chanxi and Xu Youyu at home, why would anyone go far away to attend the school's intensive class?

For humanities, ask the senior; for sciences, ask Xixi.

Much more reliable than the intensive class.

After leaving Kong Junxiang's office, the self-study period ended, and Li Luo joined Yan Zhusheng and the others to head to the cafeteria for lunch.

During lunch, Ying Chanxi quietly asked Li Luo: "Has your homeroom teacher told you yet?"

"The intensive class?"

"Mm."

"Are you guys in the key class also attending?" Li Luo asked curiously.

"Yes, but I won't be attending," Ying Chanxi shook her head. "I've already finished all the high school material, and I'll be attending the competition class during summer vacation."

"Good, neither will I."

"Huh?" Ying Chanxi blinked. "You… aren't attending?"

"Yeah, you're not going—why should I?"

"But…" Ying Chanxi blinked, thinking that even though she wouldn't attend the intensive class, she'd still have to come to school for the competition class in summer—if Li Luo attended, they could commute together.

After all, Xu Youyu, being in Gao Er, definitely wouldn't come to school during summer.

Yan Zhusheng's grades weren't high enough for the intensive class.

That way, she could commute alone with Li Luo.

But now…

"Why won't you go?"

"I've got you," Li Luo said. "If I have any problems, I just ask you directly—it's far more reliable than the intensive class."

"But… but…" Ying Chanxi couldn't think of a counterargument; hearing him say that, it actually sounded reasonable.

"Don't overthink it," Li Luo waved his hand. "This college entrance exam reform looks complicated, but right now it's just one thing."

"Prepare for the first selection exam: three electives, aim for the highest possible scores, try to get full marks in all three, and that's it."

"There's still a game this afternoon, don't overthink it."

Matters regarding course selection and exams were temporarily set aside.

After lunch, they rested briefly in the classroom, then Li Luo and Yan Zhusheng set off early, heading straight to the second-floor rock club room in the gymnasium.

At this point, Niu Qingling and the others had already arrived, and members of the student council came over to help move the equipment downstairs to the main court and set up the sound system.

According to the afternoon's match schedule, table tennis would come first, then badminton, and finally the basketball final.

So right now, apart from the rock club's equipment, a table tennis table had already been set up in the center of the court.

Zhao Rongjun had arrived early to warm up, and he looked slightly nervous.

After Li Luo came down with the student council members, he went behind Zhao Rongjun and patted his shoulder with a grin: "Big Brother Zhao, I'll cheer for you later—play well, and after the match, we'll celebrate your championship together this evening."

"We're not even sure we'll win," Zhao Rongjun nervously rubbed his paddle, not as confident as Li Luo.

Xie Shuchen also stepped over and said to Li Luo: "Table tennis doesn't matter, but your Class Eight basketball team isn't guaranteed to beat ours—don't jump to conclusions yet."

Li Luo smiled: "We'll see then."

Although the basketball final was about to begin, there was no tension between the two.

To be fair, Xie Shuchen and Liu Shaowen weren't hard to get along with—only their pursuit of Ying Chanxi occasionally made their thoughts and actions hard for Li Luo to tolerate.

When Ying Chanxi wasn't involved, the two were perfectly normal and easy to be friends with.

The atmosphere of this match between Class One and Class Eight wasn't as hostile as the last one against Class Seven.

As time passed.

Soon it was one o'clock in the afternoon.

From the teaching building came the bell signaling assembly for morning exercises.

Probably hoping that Gao San students could relax after their second mock exam, this sports event allowed not only Gao Yi and Gao Er students, but also Gao San students to line up and come watch.

Within about half an hour, all the seats in the gymnasium were filled.

Before the event started, Li Luo went upstairs to the restroom.

Just as he finished washing his hands and stepped out, he bumped into Xu Youyu at the corner.

"Huh?" Xu Youyu spotted Li Luo, glanced around, then smirked and pulled him into a secluded corridor, pinning him against the wall, "Little freshman, the basketball final's coming up, right?"

"Senior... what now?" Li Luo sighed, looking exasperated, "The performance's about to start—I still need to go downstairs and get ready."

"Heh..." Xu Youyu grinned, "Then good luck in the final—if you win... let me think... what reward do you want this time?"

"A normal senior?"

"So you think I'm not normal now?"

"What's normal about bullying a freshman?"

"Haha~" Xu Youyu burst out laughing, her chest trembling slightly under her uniform, "Where's the bullying? I'm just showing concern—and gathering material."

"Your novel's protagonists already went through all that—do you still need material this extreme?"

"Why not? Or are you implying..." Xu Youyu raised an eyebrow, her knee sliding into the gap between his legs, eyes narrowing with flirtation, "You're actually hoping to gather that kind of material with your senior?"

"... I didn't say that."

"You hesitated for two and a half seconds." Xu Youyu chuckled, "Do all guys talk like this?"

"I'm afraid your dad will just chop me to pieces." Li Luo rolled his eyes.

"How could he?" Xu Youyu waved her hand, "Didn't you see when my dad stormed into your hotel room last time? He's way more rational—he wouldn't really do anything to you."

"But then again..."

"Judging by how you say that, if my dad agreed, you'd really go for it, wouldn't you?"

"Eww~ I didn't expect you to be this kind of freshman."

Li Luo stared blankly: "... You were the one who brought it up."

"I'm just gathering material. What about you?"

"Do you think I won't write down your recent behavior in my book?" Li Luo narrowed his eyes. "And next time your dad comes for parent-teacher conference, I'll invite him over for dinner and discuss real-life inspiration for online novel writing—tell him exactly where certain plot ideas come from."

"You dare!" Xu Youyu glared at him, flustered.

But Li Luo just smiled lightly: "So, Senior, be a little more careful—or one day, when I'm in a good mood, I might just tell your dad who the author of Literary Era really is."

"No, please..." Xu Youyu immediately put on a pitiful expression, pulling Li Luo backward until she leaned against the opposite wall, reversing their positions into his embrace against her.

Then she bit her lip, pleading softly: "Freshman, if you don't tell my dad, I'll do anything you want—even... even that kind of thing... please."

Li Luo was so taken in by her masterful acting he nearly got swept up in it.

Fortunately, faint footsteps echoed from the corridor corner, snapping him back—he stepped back two paces, disengaging from Xu Youyu and putting distance between them.

Soon, the footsteps drew closer and appeared at the corner.

Yan Zhusheng's figure appeared, turning to look at Li Luo and Xu Youyu, and asked with confusion: "Aren't you here to use the restroom? Why are you here?"

"Cough..." Li Luo subtly adjusted his underwear, turned toward Yan Zhusheng, "Nothing. Just got pulled aside for a quick chat. Senior, if there's nothing else, I'll go now."

"Go ahead, go ahead," Xu Youyu waved cheerfully, "Good luck in your final, Zhusheng."

"Thanks, Senior," Yan Zhusheng nodded, then followed Li Luo downstairs.

But as they passed the entrance to the rock club room, Yan Zhusheng suddenly grabbed Li Luo's sleeve and pulled him inside the empty room.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Yan Zhusheng shook her head, then looked up at Li Luo and opened her arms, "Hug me."

"Why again?"

"This is encouragement before the final," Yan Zhusheng said seriously. "Good luck in the basketball final."

Saying this, Yan Zhusheng immediately threw herself into his arms.

Li Luo, now accustomed to her soft body, wrapped his arms around her and, following the rule among close friends, whispered in her ear: "Good luck in your badminton final."

The second-floor activity rooms of the gymnasium were located around the perimeter of the roof, forming a roughly encircling corridor and set of rooms.

So looking down from the activity room window, one could clearly see the basketball court below and the surrounding spectator stands.

If one looked down from the Rock Club activity room window, one could see directly the spot that Class 1 of Year One had occupied.

Ying Chanxi was sitting in Class 1's seats, holding drinks and snacks bought at the canteen at noon, chatting and laughing with Qiao Xinyan beside her.

If she looked up now and carefully gazed toward the Rock Club activity room window, she would probably see two blurry yet somewhat familiar figures, tightly embracing at that very moment.

"The best friend's encouragement should be over now." In the second-floor activity room, Li Luo saw Yan Zhusheng still refusing to let go and immediately reminded her, "The president and the others are still waiting."

"Mm." Yan Zhusheng was a little reluctant, but obediently let go of Li Luo. Her ponytail bouncing up and down, she followed Li Luo downstairs.

A few minutes later.

As the host's opening remarks ended, the principal who had come to watch the match enthusiastically announced that the competition officially began.

Li Luo and the others immediately took the stage.

Guided by Niu Qingling's drum set, the stirring music began to play.

Yan Zhusheng stepped up to the microphone, opened her eyes, and slowly drew a breath.

"I want to fly up to the sky, shoulder to shoulder with the sun~ The world is waiting for me to change~"

"The dreams I want to chase, I'm never afraid for others to see~ Here, I can make them all come true~"

The moment she opened her mouth to sing, Yan Zhusheng effortlessly drew the gaze of everyone in the venue, becoming the sole focal point of the gymnasium.

The boys and girls in the spectator stands all focused their eyes on this tall girl who was releasing her resonant singing voice.

But probably no one could have imagined.

Just a few minutes earlier, this very girl whose singing stirred the heart had been in the second-floor activity room, still asking Li Luo for a hug.

But just as Li Luo was gazing at Yan Zhusheng's radiant back ahead of him, Yan Zhusheng, having just finished the first half of the chorus climax, turned around, held the microphone out to him, and even snatched his guitar away.

Li Luo: "?"

"You sing too." Yan Zhusheng leaned close to his ear and whispered to him.

Li Luo gave a helpless smile and turned to look at Niu Qingling and the others.

He saw Niu Qingling also break into a smile and give him a thumbs-up.

Xie Shuchen and Shao Youpeng both laughed as well, winking at him in encouragement.

So Li Luo took the microphone and walked to the center of the stage, listening to the music in his ears, and slowly drew a breath.

"I believe I am who I am~ I believe in tomorrow! I believe youth has no horizon~"

Perfectly picking up from Yan Zhusheng's first half, Li Luo's singing voice swiftly conquered the audience.

Only Ying Chanxi sat alone in the spectator stands, the scene of Yan Zhusheng whispering into Li Luo's ear flashing ceaselessly through her mind, and she couldn't help biting her lip.

But watching Li Luo blooming with brilliance on the stage, she couldn't help a faint light kindling in her eyes.

So handsome.