In the final year of high school, exams came almost every half month, with constant simulations and rankings. The school’s print room worked day and night, printing materials and exercises for the students. When an exam didn’t go well, there was no time for sorrow—another exam would be right around the corner.

In a school filled with top-tier students, any small lapse in focus meant a bunch of people would soon surpass you. But Qianye and Han Chao both did well, consistently ranking in the top ten of their grade.

Over these three years, all her effort had been for the sake of getting closer to him, though of course, it was also for herself. After all, she had no family, no stunning looks, no money. What other future could she expect beyond studying hard and getting into a prestigious university?

After the mid-term exams of senior year, Qianye stopped riding home with Han Chao and Zhao Nanzhuo every day. At this point, with time so precious, they naturally couldn’t afford to wait for each other after school to chat on the way home like they used to.

It was “live or die” now. After that, she made no effort to see Han Chao. Sometimes, she wouldn’t run into him for half a month, even though they were in neighboring classes. Without fate, even being so close felt as distant as the horizon. But the brief separation was for the sake of a longer reunion. After June, they would meet again in a university in another city. Perhaps there would be new stories then.

The next semester quickly arrived. Before the Spring Festival had even passed, the countdown to the college entrance exam began in every class. Bold red numbers started from three digits and decreased day by day. They constantly reminded everyone of the passing time and the urgency of their studies. To save time, Qianye stayed at school all day long, from the morning until the evening self-study session was over. Lunch and dinner were both eaten at school, and when she returned home at night, she hurriedly took a shower before diving back into studying. Washing her hair wasn’t easy, either—her waist-length hair took several extra minutes to dry, more than most people.

Sometimes she even considered cutting it into a short, neat style. But in senior year, everyone was focused on their own desks and textbooks. Who had time to worry about things like that?

Still, she imagined the day they would meet again at university. She would wear a green dress, her hair cut short like a sharp, clean line. Would his gaze linger a little longer on her? This was the only thing Qianye refused to compromise on in the face of the college entrance exam.

Ten days before the exam, the school gave the students a break to review. But everyone still conscientiously came to class to study. Looking out the window at the sudden downpour, Qianye saw a leaf helplessly floating in the rain. Suddenly, the word “mayfly” came to her mind. In front of the college entrance exam, in the torrent of fate, she and all the other students here were like mayflies—small and powerless. Any tiny mistake could burn away the results of three years of hard work.

It wasn’t until two or three nights before the exam that, after the evening study session, everyone suddenly started talking more. The natural sense of mutual understanding and appreciation in that moment was more touching than any future farewell ritual. Then, the school announced that all students had to clean out their desks and drawers because the classrooms were going to be used as exam rooms.

Everyone hurriedly threw out old practice papers, test papers, and notebooks into the back corner for the school to collect and dispose of.

In the evening, after finishing her usual meal of egg noodles with stir-fried squid, Qianye walked back to school and saw the janitors bagging up trash from each classroom. Among the green sacks, she spotted something—six neatly written notebooks, the ones she had carefully copied for him. A wave of unbearable sadness washed over her. The emotions she had been numbing with her busy studying all came rushing back. She bent down and picked up the notebooks, one by one, wiping the dirt off them.

Actually, he wasn’t wrong. After all, the exam was in two days, and these notes were no longer needed, so they had become burdens to discard. She had never asked him to love her, so there was no need for him to treasure anything related to her.

On the day of the exam, it rained lightly. It was said that every year, the college entrance exam was marked by rain, and this year, she wasn’t an exception. The moment the final exam bell rang, it felt as though youth had come to an end. The story of these three years wrapped up quickly, with no chance for a proper goodbye.

The days spent waiting for results felt like a sword of fate hanging above her head, her eyes wide open, awaiting judgment. When the results finally came, Qianye breathed a sigh of relief. She and Han Chao had both been accepted by G University, to the Architecture and Finance programs.

Zhao Nanzhuo’s first choice was A University in Zhejiang, but he was ultimately accepted by C University in Chongqing. As for Zhou Ran, she had applied to a university in Zhejiang for him, but ended up getting into a different one. In the end, they were going in separate directions, which brought a bittersweet sadness. One admission notice could start so many stories, but also bring so many to an end.