235: Chapter 235 I'm happy for you

In late June in Jiangcheng, the air was already thick with stifling heat.

The ceiling fans in the classroom whirred overhead,

but it felt like they were stirring a pot of lukewarm soup, blowing air that only made people feel more irritable.

The LCD screen in the top left corner of the blackboard showed the "College Entrance Examination Countdown" at 344 days,

but for the soon-to-be seniors, that invisible sense of pressure had already arrived ahead of schedule.

Lin Que was the only exception.

Propping his chin up with one hand, he twirled a pen with the other.

Although his eyes were on the textbook, his thoughts had long since drifted far away.

"Brother Que, Brother Que!"

He was poked twice in the elbow.

Lin Que snapped back to reality and turned his head to look at his deskmate.

Wu Di was burying his head behind a pile of books, lowering his voice as he pointed at the blackboard with a miserable expression:

"The final exams are next week. I'm so nervous!"

"What's there to be nervous about?"

Lin Que shifted his posture, his tone lazy.

"True. After all, you're a national award-winning big shot recommended for admission to Tsinghua and Peking University."

Wu Di curled his lip in envy, then his eyes darted around, the gloom instantly vanishing to be replaced by a mischievous grin.

"Hey, since you're already recommended, where do you plan to hang out this summer?"

"Most likely just staying at home."

Lin Que replied casually, though he hadn't actually decided yet.

"Don't! What a waste!"

Wu Di got excited and pushed his phone toward Lin Que. On the screen were several pictures of stunningly beautiful islands.

"I've already thought it through. If I don't fail too miserably in the finals, I'll beg my dad to sponsor a trip abroad.

I heard the scenery in Europe... ahem, over there is really great."

Lin Que glanced at those typical internet-scam travel photos, a half-smile on his face:

"Did you even pass English? When you're abroad, aren't you afraid of asking for a kitchen when you want a toilet?"

"Psh, what era is this? Why bring up my sore spot?"

Wu Di shook his phone defiantly.

"Translation apps are so advanced now. You just speak into them and they translate. You can travel the world without fear."

The speaker was casual.

Lin Que stared at the oversaturated blue water on the screen, his fingertips tapping unconsciously.

Lately, the domestic media had been like sharks smelling blood.

They had surrounded Xisheng Mansion so tightly that not even a drop of water could get through. He even had to wear a mask just to go downstairs and buy soy sauce.

Abroad.

On July 8th, "the ferryman" would be released simultaneously in sixteen countries worldwide.

In this world of cultural desert, Huaxia literature had always been a marginal existence, excluded by mainstream Western circles.

Although Wang De'an was full of confidence and the data looked good,

but the real feedback from readers of different cultural backgrounds couldn't be seen clearly through the internet.

Besides, there was also that girl who was going to play the piano at the Golden Hall in Vienna.

Rather than being hounded in Jiangcheng by various media outlets and organizations trying to ride his coattails,

he might as well take advantage of this few-month gap to go out for a while.

The so-called "Qinglan Project" intensive training wouldn't officially start until October 1st.

The time in between was enough for him to go somewhere else for a breather.

"Maybe I really should go out and see."

Lin Que murmured to himself.

"Right! I told you so!"

Wu Di thought he had convinced Lin Que. Just as he was about to continue his pitch,

the rhythmic clicking of high heels suddenly came from the front door of the classroom.

The classroom, which had been buzzing with whispers, instantly fell silent, like a duck being grabbed by the neck.

Shen Qingqiu walked in carrying a thick stack of exam papers.

She looked well today. Although she was still in her sharp professional attire,

but the sternness in her eyes seemed to have softened slightly.

However, the moment she placed the exam papers on the podium, that familiar sense of pressure returned.

"Everyone, wake up."

Shen Qingqiu tapped the blackboard, causing chalk dust to flutter down.

"I've received notice from the Education Bureau. The rules for this year's final exams have changed."

A chorus of groans erupted from the students.

"What are you wailing for?" Shen Qingqiu glared at them. "This time it's a city-wide unified exam, completely simulating the College Entrance Examination process.

All high school sophomores in Jiangcheng will have their order shuffled and be randomly assigned to exam rooms,

one person per desk, signals will be jammed, and proctors will be swapped between different schools."

"Huh? They're going that far?"

"It's over, it's over... I was hoping to copy—I mean, learn from others one last time this semester, but now it's all ruined."

Wu Di looked even more devastated, his head thumping directly onto the desk:

"Heaven wants me dead!"

Amidst the gloom, Shen Qingqiu's gaze swept across dozens of miserable faces,

and landed precisely on the figure in the back row calmly twirling a pen.

"Lin Que."

The entire class's gaze snapped onto him.

Lin Que stood up:

"Present."

Shen Qingqiu looked at this student who was both her pride and her headache.

In just a few months, from being unknown to becoming famous nationwide, this kid's growth rate was startling.

"Will you still be participating in this city-wide unified exam?"

Shen Qingqiu asked, her tone somewhat inquisitive.

Logically, as a member of the school, participating in such a major exam was mandatory.

But Lin Que's current status was too special. With his recommendation for admission already secured,

an exam meant to test one's level really held no practical significance for him.

Lin Que was a bit surprised and asked back directly:

"I can... not participate?"

The whole class gasped.

Was this the privilege of the strong?

Shen Qingqiu adjusted her glasses, her brow furrowing slightly:

"In principle, it is required..."

Lin Que didn't wait for her to finish, interjecting naturally with a sincerity that no one could find fault with.

"Teacher Shen, as you know, I just secured a spot in the Qinglan Project.

I want to use this time to properly settle down and prepare for the national team's intensive training in October.

After all, that's creating works on behalf of the country. I don't want to bring shame to our No. 1 High School."

Shen Qingqiu's grip on her lesson plans tightened,

and her gaze behind the lenses circled Lin Que's "sincere" face twice.

This excuse was grandly stated.

He even brought up "winning glory for the country." It was obvious he just wanted to slack off.

But on second thought, having him take a standard exam-oriented essay test,

was indeed like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

"Fine."

Shen Qingqiu sighed and relented:

"Since you have your own plans, you may be absent from this unified exam."

A low wave of envious and jealous whispers immediately rippled through the classroom.

"However—"

Shen Qingqiu shifted her tone, her gaze becoming sharp as she looked directly into Lin Que's eyes:

"Even though you've already secured your recommendation for Tsinghua and Peking University, it doesn't mean you can completely let yourself go.

In literature, talent is one thing, but accumulation and refinement are even more important."

She gave a pointed look at the corner of the phone peeking out from Lin Que's desk.

"Don't think that winning one championship means everything is fine. I've seen plenty of cases where people lose their ambition through distractions, as I've seen many times.

Maintain the habit of learning. Don't let your talent rust in the midst of hollow praise."

These words were both a warning and a teacher's purest concern.

She no longer feared this young man being led astray by the extreme style of the "Dream Weaver."

She feared that, having achieved fame at a young age, he would lose himself in the vanity fair of the future.

Lin Que wiped the casualness from his face and nodded solemnly:

"Don't worry, Teacher. I know what I'm doing."

...The bell for the end of school rang.

Normally at this time, Wu Di would have been noisily dragging Lin Que to the school gate's shop to grab grilled sausages.

But today, this guy was unusually silent.

Carrying his backpack printed with an exaggerated skull, he kept his head down,

aimlessly kicking small stones on the side of the road, looking like he had lost his soul.

The two walked out of the school gate side by side, strolling slowly along the street lined with plane trees.

The setting sun stretched their shadows long, crossing and then parting on the ground.

"What's up?"

Lin Que glanced at him, breaking the silence:

"Scared you'll bomb the finals and get a 'mixed doubles' beating when you get home?"

Wu Di didn't respond, only shaking his head gloomily.

After a long while, he stopped and looked up at Lin Que.

The setting sun hit his usually cheerful round face, which now looked somewhat lonely.

"Brother Que."

Wu Di's voice was a bit hoarse:

"Say, why is the threshold for Tsinghua and Peking University so high?"

Lin Que raised an eyebrow:

"What? You want to give it a shot?"

"Psh, am I that kind of person?"

Wu Di punched his shoulder, but the force was light.

"I'm happy for you. Really. Tsinghua and Peking University... that's a place you might not even get into even if your ancestors' graves were billowing smoke."

He took a deep breath, his gaze drifting.

"But I just feel... in the future, it might be hard for us to see each other again."

...