Chapter 018

Two days before the college entrance examination, No. 2 Middle School gave the senior high school students a holiday.

He Ye stayed home alone, preparing all the stationery and documents she would need for the exam, packing them into a storage bag.

It was impossible for her to be idle. She didn’t need any special way to relax; she continued to work on key exercises as usual but went to bed around 8 p.m. and didn’t stay up late.

The group chat was very lively, with everyone discussing their current situations at home. He Ye glanced at it for a while before temporarily muting the messages to avoid distractions.

Changzhou Xiangming: [He Ye, do you want to come out and play badminton?]

Ye Ziyuanyuan: [No, I’m afraid my arms will get sore.]

Changzhou Xiangming: [Why don’t you come out and watch us play? It’s so boring to stay indoors all the time.]

Ye Ziyuanyuan: [Forget it, the sun is still very hot.]

Changzhou Xiangming: [You’re so lazy!]

He Ye smiled as she looked out at the sunshine from her window, preferring to stay in the comfortable air-conditioned room.

At the badminton court, Zhou Xiangming put down his phone and complained to Lu Jin, who was nearby fiddling with his racket. “Your little Ye Zi is too lazy. She’s afraid of getting tired and being exposed to the sun.”

Lu Jin’s drooping eyelashes fluttered slightly, and his gaze fell on a camphor tree next to him. Under the scorching sun, the green leaves looked listless.

Zhou Xiangming continued, “I was wrong. It’s still your little Ye. So, what’s the plan? After a whole year of patience, are you going to start pursuing her after the college entrance examination?”

Lu Jin waved his racket, walked to the side of the court, and replied calmly, “Let’s talk about it after the exam.”

Ancheng had adopted a new college entrance examination model. In addition to the four regular subjects, there were also 60 elective subjects, tested over three consecutive days with a full score of 810.

He Yong finally stopped obsessively monitoring the supermarket and prepared three meals a day for his daughter himself, concerned that any issues with her diet might affect her performance on the college entrance examination.

The father didn’t dare to say much, his eyes were filled with anxiety and concern, which made He Ye want to laugh.

How should she put it? She felt that she had performed quite well.

Before the last exam, aside from a few people communicating in the class group, her good friends tacitly agreed not to mention anything related to the exam.

Until the afternoon of the 9th, when the student group was abuzz with excitement, and someone posted the unofficial answers to various subjects.

Although the answers were unofficial, they seemed almost accurate. He Ye estimated her own score based on the answers, and her heart raced uncontrollably.

She had never sent a message to Lu Jin before, but this was the first time she reached out: [Have you seen the answers in the group? Do you think they’re credible?]

Team Leader: [I think they’re credible. What’s your estimate?]

He Ye hesitated, fearing her estimate was too optimistic.

Team Leader: [I estimate around 775.]

He Ye: […You’re amazing! Last year’s champion in science didn’t even have such a high score, did they?]

She had actually looked it up, and sure enough, the top scorer in science scored five points less than Lu Jin’s estimate. Lu Jin might very well be the top scorer this year.

Team Leader: [It’s your turn. Can you pass 700?]

Since Lu Jin had reported his results first, He Ye replied with a mix of excitement and uncertainty: [I passed; maybe I can get 730.]

Team Leader: [Given your personality, your actual score might be a bit higher.]

He Ye: [Anyway, the highest is 733, so it definitely won’t be more.]

Team Leader: [Wait a moment.]

He Ye wasn’t sure what he was doing, and just then, Zhu Qing, Wu Yuanyuan, and several classmates started chatting with her privately.

A few minutes later, the team leader said: [I just talked to the class teacher, and he estimates that your score is probably just enough to get into Peking University or Tsinghua University.]

He Ye’s heartbeat quickened. After walking around the living room to calm herself, she picked up the phone again: [Let’s wait for the official results. Maybe my estimate isn’t accurate.]

Team Leader: [Have you thought about what major you want to study?]

He Ye: [Mechanical Engineering.]

Team Leader: [That’s a bit unexpected. What made you choose this major?]

He Ye: [My father has a bad leg and may need more care as he gets older. With robots developing faster in the future, I want to work hard in this field. Maybe I can help design a nursing robot for him.]

Team Leader: [What a coincidence, I’m also interested in robots.]

He Ye: [What major are you thinking of? Several majors seem suitable for this career direction.]

Team Leader: [Computer Science.]

He Ye understood and guessed which school Lu Jin would attend. It was indeed the most suitable school for a top student like him.

Before the official release of the college entrance examination results, most students were in a state of anxiety. He Ye couldn’t focus on anything else. Even if she attended a classmate gathering, went out with her good friends, or helped her father in the supermarket, she couldn’t fully immerse herself in it. Her mind kept drifting back to the exam scores, and she was always worried and anxious.

Scores could be checked online at 10 p.m. on the 22nd.

He Ye, fearing she would be too nervous at home, decided to help her father in the supermarket.

The task of checking out the bills was taken over by his daughter. He Yong, now free, began to feel nervous himself. He realized he was getting anxious along with his daughter.

He Ye’s phone suddenly rang. It was a video call from Zhou Xiangming.

He Ye answered the call in front of her father and saw Zhou Xiangming sitting in a bright living room. Someone walked by—it was Lu Jin.

“Are you at the supermarket?” Zhou Xiangming asked, staring at the camera.

He Ye nodded and glanced at her father behind her.

Zhou Xiangming smiled brightly: “Hello, Uncle. Since the results will be released tonight and we must be thinking about it, I want to invite He Ye to come and wait with us. We’ll play cards and watch a movie; it’s easier to distract ourselves with more people.”

He Yong thought this was a great idea. Since his daughter would be with her classmates, he could wait more calmly by himself.

“Okay, I’ll pack you some snacks.”

Seeing He Yong leave, Zhou Xiangming shouted, “No need, Uncle. I’ve already bought some crayfish!”

He Ye did see a coffee table full of food.

But He Yong still insisted on packing a shopping bag of snacks, including iced cola and popsicles. “I’ve been holding out for so long; now I can eat whatever I want without worrying about an upset stomach!”

He Ye took the large bag with a smile and said goodbye to her father.

As night fell, He Ye turned into the community from the east gate. Not long after, she suddenly saw Lu Jin.

He was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt and stopped beside her on his bicycle, clearly here to pick her up.

He Ye said, “…It’s not far. There’s no need to pick me up.”

Lu Jin didn’t reply; he simply tilted his head and looked at her, his eyes…

He Ye couldn’t hold his gaze any longer. She lowered her eyes and slowly sat down on the side of the seat.

The high temperature that had lingered all day became even more unbearable at night. Lu Jin rode faster, creating a slight breeze.

He Ye saw young parents taking their children for a walk on the roadside and couples holding hands. 

It seemed there were still students around.

Regardless of whether others recognized him or not, He Ye turned her head slightly toward Lu Jin.

She had never considered falling in love and was embarrassed at the thought of being misunderstood by people she knew.

They arrived at Building 10.

He Ye followed Lu Jin to park the bike and then asked, “Are Uncle and Aunt home?”

Lu Jin replied, “Everyone is on a business trip. My dad will be back the day after tomorrow.”

He Ye found it inexplicably funny. Mr. and Mrs. Lu really let their son have free rein.

“Go ahead,” Lu Jin said, taking the heavy shopping bag from her and walking ahead to lead the way.

There wasn’t much difference between the public spaces of Building 10 and Building 7. After entering the elevator, He Ye saw Lu Jin press the button for “8.”

The Lu family lived on the 8th floor, in apartment 801.

It was He Ye’s first time visiting a male classmate’s home. Through the thick security door, she heard Zhou Xiangming seemingly singing.

“Oh, you’re finally here. I thought you two had left me alone to play!” 

As soon as the door opened, Zhou Xiangming made a deliberate joke with a wink.

He Ye was used to his outspoken nature and didn’t take it to heart.

Lu Jin took out a pair of new white slippers and placed them in front of He Ye’s feet.

He Ye was wearing sandals and was barefoot. Her toes were round and plump, and she shrank back in embarrassment under Lu Jin’s gaze.

“I’ll get you a glass of water,” Lu Jin said.

He Ye took the opportunity to change into the slippers.

Zhou Xiangming, who seemed like another son of the Lu family, enthusiastically invited He Ye to sit on the sofa. He grabbed the remote control, turned on the movie channel, and asked He Ye which movie she wanted to watch.

“I’m fine with either. You pick,” He Ye replied.

“Let’s watch something exciting. Things that are too bland won’t work for us,” Zhou Xiangming decided.

Lu Jin gave him a warning look, then handed the cup of water to He Ye and sat on the other side of her.

In the unfamiliar living room with classmates she wasn’t too familiar with, He Ye held the cup of water stiffly, staring at the TV screen.

“Jurassic Park—have you seen it? It’s quite a classic.”

He Ye shook her head. She didn’t usually watch TV or movies.

“That’s settled then. Let’s eat and watch,” Zhou Xiangming said.

Zhou Xiangming sat on the floor in front of the coffee table, picked up a spicy crayfish without wearing gloves, and started peeling it.

Lu Jin leaned over to help peel the crayfish, placing the peeled ones on a plate.

He Ye smelled the tempting aroma but remained focused on the movie, eating only a few of the crayfish.

After a while, Lu Jin went to the kitchen to wash his hands. When he returned, he placed the plate of peeled crayfish in front of He Ye. “Eat these.”

He Ye felt flattered.

“I’ve already eaten, and I peeled them just for you,” Lu Jin said.

“Hey, He Ye and I are both guests. Why don’t you give it to me? Are you favoring girls over boys?” Zhou Xiangming teased.

“You’re not a guest,” Lu Jin replied.

He Ye was amused, and her smile eased the tension she felt. She took the chopsticks from Lu Jin.

The movie was so captivating that He Ye didn’t eat many of the crayfish. The rest were quickly consumed by Zhou Xiangming, who said they would spoil if left to cool.

They finished watching the movie at 9:30.

He Ye helped the two boys clean up the living room, and when they were done, there were still five minutes left until ten o’clock.

Lu Jin led them to the study.

The study had two chairs and a bay window on the south side.

Zhou Xiangming lay on the bay window, supporting his head with one hand, and teased He Ye, “If your score isn’t ideal, will you cry?”

He Ye didn’t respond.

Zhou Xiangming laughed and added, “Don’t worry, I know you did well on the exam this time.”

He Ye whispered, “Not necessarily.”

Zhou Xiangming said, “Of course, of course. I prayed to the Buddha to look after you as well.”

He Ye was amused by him again.

Zhou Xiangming glanced at Lu Jin and said, “Why are you two standing? I gave you my chair on purpose.”

Lu Jin checked his watch—it was almost time.

He sat down in front of his laptop. “Whose score should I check first?”

Zhou Xiangming said, “Girls first.”

He Ye, feeling nervous, said, “You guys go first.”

Lu Jin opened the score-checking page and quickly input the candidate number and other information with his slender fingers.

He Ye stood on his left, Zhou Xiangming on his right, and all three pairs of eyes were fixed on the page.

He Ye was the first to see Lu Jin’s total score: 776!

Zhou Xiangming swore.

The second person’s score was Zhou Xiangming’s, totaling 635.

Zhou Xiangming said, “Haha, an exceptional performance—20 points higher than I expected!”

“You two take your time to check. I want to go home and tell my parents the good news!” 

With that, he ran off.

Lu Jin looked at He Ye. “Do you want to check it yourself, or should I help you?”

He Ye’s hands were shaking slightly. “Help me. The candidate number is…”

Soon, He Ye’s results appeared: Chinese 125, Math 143, English 129, Science 281, Self-selected 55, Total: 733.

Lu Jin didn’t look away, but He Ye’s reflection appeared on the screen. She held the back of the chair with one hand and leaned in, her fair cheek close to his. Her serious and nervous expression gradually changed to a surprised smile, a little silly and a little cute.

“Congratulations,” Lu Jin said, standing up and looking at her.

He Ye was so happy she didn’t know what to say. Her phone rang in her pocket.

After calling her father, she saw that Zhu Qing had also achieved a good score of 636. He Ye was even more thrilled.

“Come on, I’ll take you home.”

“No need, I’m going to the supermarket to find my dad!”

“Then I’ll take you to the supermarket.”

The street lights illuminated the road inside the community. He Ye sat on the back seat of the bicycle, high-spirited. For the first time, she didn’t consider whether it was appropriate to be carried by the boy in front of her.

733, she thought, is also a very good score!