The College Entrance Examination, Concluded

Chapter 103

After lunch and a midday nap, the two of them began to prepare for the afternoon's math exam.

Walking to the examination hall, Gu Ran felt a bit emotional.

They always said that over the three years of high school, math was the hardest hurdle to overcome on the long climb to success.

If you didn't know the other subjects, you could still guess. But if you didn't know math, you truly just didn't know!

He couldn't agree with this statement more.

Had he not memorized the college entrance exam questions, even the months of torment under Ye Zhenzhen's devilish training would probably have been in vain.

At 3:00 PM, the ringing of a bell signaled the official start of the math exam.

Question one, sets...

Gu Ran looked at the test paper in front of him and nodded slightly. Sure enough, it was exactly as he remembered.

He quickly wrote down the answers he had prepared long ago onto the paper, not even needing to think.

It was nothing but practice making perfect!

These questions were already memorized by heart. Whether he knew how to do them originally or not, they had all been perfectly solved through his casual requests for help from his sister.

The rustling sound of pages turning was exceptionally noticeable in the otherwise quiet exam hall.

Many people's attention was drawn to him, and they frequently looked up to stare.

This guy...

He must be just showing off!

Even blind guessing wouldn't be this fast!!!

"Ahem, please maintain order in the examination hall."

Because too many people were looking around, and most of them were looking at him, the invigilator had no choice but to speak up and issue a warning.

As he spoke, he seamlessly cast a glance in Gu Ran's direction.

To be honest, he was also curious about what was up with this student.

Had he given up on the exam?

The invigilator's reminder immediately snapped Gu Ran back to reality.

He quietly slowed down his pace of answering, and the exam hall gradually returned to peace.

Meanwhile, in another exam hall in the same building, Ye Zhenzhen couldn't help but furrow her delicate brows.

As she finished one question after another, she began to feel an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Why did it feel like she had done all these questions before?

Having such a strange thought, she couldn't help but smile and shake her head.

Where could she possibly have done the college entrance exam questions beforehand...

...

On the other side, Gu Ran was breezing through the test without a hitch, right up until the final major question.

As the finale question, he had never asked Ye Zhenzhen about it.

Firstly, his study progress hadn't reached that point yet. Secondly, if he asked about every single original question in detail, he was afraid Ye Zhenzhen would notice something fishy.

Since he hadn't asked, he would just have to do it himself. After all, his months of revision weren't for nothing!

Five minutes...

Ten minutes...

His eyes gradually began to lose focus.

Staring at the question in front of him, he scratched his head and pondered for a long time, his efficiency comparable to that of a sloth...

Fine, he realized he really wasn't cut out for this.

Lu Xun once said that a person must be brave enough to admit their shortcomings, and he found that to be very reasonable.

After copying everything onto the answer sheet and checking his name and exam number, he calmly sat back and waited to hand in his paper.

As soon as five o'clock hit, the bell rang on time, and the candidates let out a collective sigh of relief.

Finally... it was over.

After promptly handing in his paper, he was among the first to leave the exam hall and went to wait by the small grove of trees.

Before he knew it, the sky began to darken.

Looking up at the sky, dark clouds had rolled in at some point. He turned his head to look at the first-floor lobby not far away.

Candidates were walking out of the exam halls one after another. Some were happy, some were anxious—a true portrait of the myriad states of human emotion.

Many gathered together to compare answers, sparking waves of heated discussion followed by cheers or groans of despair.

But Lu Xun also said that human joys and sorrows are not connected; he only found them noisy.

Gu Ran looked at the sky while leisurely waiting for the aloof young woman.

"Gu Ran! It's going to rain, time to go home and bring in the laundry!"

Just as he was feeling bored to death, a voice like heavenly music suddenly rang out.

He gently turned his head, and the slender figure of a young girl leaped into his line of sight.

She was standing prettily at the exit, her hands cupped around her mouth like a megaphone.

Seeing him look her way, she quickly extended her fair, lotus-root-like arm and waved at him.

He liked summer...

For the first time, Gu Ran discovered the beauty of summer... and it was definitely not because girls wore less!

That afternoon, Ye Zhenzhen was wearing a sky-blue long dress that revealed her well-proportioned, fair calves.

Her long hair was pinned up at the back of her head, making her look youthful and beautiful, a sight for sore eyes.

A gentle breeze blew under the dark clouds, causing the foxtail grass to sway. It fluttered the young girl's dark hair and stirred ripples in the young boy's heart...

Of course, the hem of the girl's dress was still held down very securely...

"What are you staring at? I get the feeling your gaze isn't very pure."

The girl walked up, gave him a light kick, and asked with her pretty brows furrowed.

Seeing his thoughts exposed, Gu Ran immediately jumped like a cat on hot bricks, his voice unconsciously rising a few decibels.

"Nonsense, Ye Zhenzhen, how can you tarnish my innocence with baseless accusations!"

She kicked him again, and then the aloof girl asked with a face full of suspicion, "If you weren't... then why are you getting so defensive?"

"Who, who's getting defensive!"

A certain Mr. Gu, proud all his life, was still acting tough.

Ye Zhenzhen rolled her eyes, casually plucked a stalk of foxtail grass, and gently swayed it in her hand.

"Tch, when you get cremated, your mouth will be the only thing left intact!"

Gu Ran: "..."

Why did he feel like his lines had been stolen?

Wasn't that phrase meant to describe this girl?

Before Gu Ran could puzzle it out, Ye Zhenzhen put her hands behind her back and took the lead, walking toward the school gate.

She decided not to stoop to the level of her stubborn younger brother.

...

Riding in Lao Gu's private car, the siblings arrived home, where Ye Shulian greeted them with a beaming smile.

She didn't ask how they did on their exams today, afraid of giving them pressure.

After dinner, Gu Ran wanted to sneak next door to revise, but he was shooed back to his room by his strict sister.

"Tomorrow is the comprehensive science and English exams. We've reviewed everything we need to. Tonight, you need to get a good sleep.

No sneaking on the computer. Hurry back and sleep. If I catch you disobeying..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but Gu Ran, who knew how to read the room, already understood the unspoken second half.

Returning to his room resentfully, Gu Ran let out a helpless sigh.

But it wasn't a total loss. At least before leaving, he managed to swipe the little bear he had left next door to soak up her scent.

Smelling the faint, elegant scent of osmanthus at the tip of his nose, his entire body couldn't help but relax.

He had to admit, this stuff was as pure as ever!

Satisfied, he washed up and went to bed. The night passed in the blink of an eye...

June 8th, the second day of the college entrance examination.

Gu Ran woke up early, opened the window, and took a deep breath as he looked at the pouring rain outside.

Instantly, his sluggish drowsiness was swept away, and he couldn't help but stretch.

He changed his clothes and went out, first knocking on the door next door before turning to wash his face and brush his teeth.

He looked as if he was racing against time.

But this was out of necessity.

Otherwise, if Ye Zhenzhen started dawdling, she would definitely show him what a girl's getting-ready speed really meant.

Passively yet reasonably managing their time, after breakfast, the siblings once again got into the private car and embarked on the final leg of their high school journey.

...

After a full day of exams, Ye Zhenzhen's strange sense of familiarity grew even stronger; she constantly felt as though she had done some of these questions before.

However, having ground through so many practice questions before, she couldn't immediately recall where she had seen it, much less associate it with Gu Ran.

When the afternoon English exam concluded, she walked slowly out of the exam room. Without even needing to search, she spotted Gu Ran at a glance within the crowd, having already waited there for quite some time.

She scrunched her delicate little nose, walked up to her lazy brother, and asked, "How come you always finish so quickly?"

"Not everyone is like you, dawd..."

Gu Ran replied subconsciously without a second thought. But before the rest of the word could leave his mouth, it was swiftly killed off by a dangerous glare.

Seeing him act so tactfully, the aloof girl nodded in satisfaction, her eyes flashing with a look of approval.

She then clasped her hands behind her back and strolled outside, radiating high spirits.

Her footsteps were light, like a bird finally escaping its cage; stepping out of the school gates meant embracing true freedom.

Even a top student like her exuded a profound sense of relief now that the college entrance exams were over.

Gu Ran, however, felt somewhat indifferent.

Although the exams were finished, watching the jubilant students all around him made him sigh inwardly.

They all thought the worst was behind them, like a light skiff that had already passed ten thousand mountains. Little did they know that once they entered college and stepped out into the real world, they would discover it was merely one endless mountain range giving way to another...