Parting Again from Our Youth

"You still say you're not interested in her?"

Yang Fan sneered, deeply dissatisfied with Zhao Rui's protestations to the contrary.

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Zhao Rui didn't ask any more, but he knew that Luo Min's decision to apply to Dongqi University was all but certain.

It'd be nice to have a classmate there, too.

"How about I apply to your school?"

Zhao Rui poked Sun Tiantian in the back with his finger, hitting the clasp of her bra. It was hard, and he could feel it quite clearly.

"Ugh! Who said you could just apply wherever you want?"

Sun Tiantian still looked annoyed, but inside, she was already happy.

She'd just been caught off guard by their parting and couldn't bear the thought of it.

After all, she'd had a crush on him for so long, and soon they'd all be going their separate ways.

"That stench of sour, moldy unrequited love!"

Yang Fan scrunched up his nose in disgust, making Sun Tiantian so angry she spun around and threw a short punch. The two traded blows, and the classroom instantly descended into chaos.

Zhao Rui pressed down on the desk just in time to stop it from being overturned.

The classroom was already packed and noisy, so a little scuffling was nothing unusual. Nobody paid it any mind.

"Can you all quiet down?"

An impatient voice rang out sharply from the window-side seat in the front row.

It belonged to their "good teacher," Wang Han.

This time, though, his voice had no effect. The classroom remained in an uproar.

They used to listen to him because they didn't want trouble and were afraid of hurting their chances on the Gaokao. Now they weren't listening because they'd graduated and were all going their separate ways. Who cared what he thought?

Wang Han's chest heaved with anger, his face dark as a storm cloud.

"Why isn't Bai Xuening here?"

After the commotion had gone on for a while, Yang Fan glanced in surprise at the empty seat not far ahead and asked Zhao Rui.

Just then, a girl in a pink-and-white bubble-sleeved dress came gracefully into view.

A sailor collar scarf was tied at her neckline, and her skirt flared just right, rippling with layers of lace as she walked.

The ends of the ribbons hanging at her waist were trimmed with lily-of-the-valley-shaped embroidery, like willow branches stirred by a spring breeze.

White stockings hugged her shapely calves, reaching straight down to a pair of pretty, round-toed Mary Janes.

That outfit?

In an instant, the classroom, which had been buzzing moments earlier, fell completely silent.

Was this Bai Xuening?

What had happened to the icy girl who used to wear such a cold expression and never smile?

After a brief silence, the room erupted into chatter.

"Xuening, you look so pretty!"

"You've changed your style so much, I almost didn't recognize you. Xuening, I didn't know you liked the lolita look! It's so cute!"

With the girl's arrival, the classroom once again burst into lively conversation.

As she responded to the girls' excited chatter, she casually glanced toward Zhao Rui's seat.

When she saw the surprise in Zhao Rui's eyes, a smug smile flickered across her face.

That smile naturally didn't escape Zhao Rui's notice, and he couldn't help but laugh.

If he went over to talk to her later, Bai Xuening would probably pretend she didn't want to speak to him.

She really was still a little kid!

The students chatted without a care in the world. They seemed to know that once this day was over and their applications were submitted, they'd truly be going their separate ways.

Some of them might never see one another again.

The classroom stayed noisy for another half hour before their homeroom teacher finally arrived.

As soon as he stepped up to the podium, he had the class monitor hand out a grade sheet and several application forms to everyone.

The students looked at their grade sheets with all kinds of expressions. Those who'd done well smiled, their eyes full of anticipation for the wonderful college life ahead.

Those who hadn't done well hung their heads, utterly despondent.

Some didn't care at all and had given up trying, carrying on as they pleased.

"Wow, Zhao Rui, you came fourth in the class this time! That's amazing!"

A classmate in the aisle to Zhao Rui's right leaned over and spoke to him.

"Yeah, with grades like yours, you're a shoo-in for a top-tier university!"

Another classmate heard him and turned around to look.

Everyone more or less knew how their classmates had done, but they were still surprised that Zhao Rui had jumped from the teens all the way to fourth in the class.

"You all know your grades now. Think carefully before you fill out your applications, and discuss it with your families..."

After giving them a few reminders, the homeroom teacher stepped down from the podium and started chatting with the students.

He'd been their teacher for three years, and now they were about to part ways. He was reluctant to see them go, too.

Zhao Rui had discussed his applications with his family early on, and Zhao Jincheng and his wife had given him a great deal of freedom and respect.

He'd looked at Dongqi University's admission scores from previous years. As long as he agreed to accept a different major if necessary, he had a good chance of getting in with his grades.

He didn't care much about which major he got. That was just a step toward getting a diploma. What mattered more to him was the Martial Arts platform.

Only by getting into Dongqi University would he have the chance to encounter a higher level of the Martial Arts World and step into a different future.

Filling out the applications wasn't complicated. Within a single class period, most of the students had finished.

After collecting the forms, the homeroom teacher told everyone who was done that they could head home.

Years would pass before they met again. Who knew when that would be?

Zhao Rui finished early, and Yang Fan had already settled on a lower-tier private college, so he didn't need much time to think it over. But Sun Tiantian insisted they wait for her and Xiao Xue to finish theirs so they could all leave together.

So the two of them stayed in the classroom a little longer.

Over the three years of high school, Zhao Rui hadn't made many friends, and even fewer of them were girls.

Sun Tiantian had always treated him as someone special. He wasn't a heartless person, so even if they couldn't be lovers, he still considered her a friend.

Someone who fell for you when you were utterly ordinary was the rarest gift this world could offer.

It was well past ten when Sun Tiantian and Xiao Xue finally finished agonizing over their applications.

The four of them tidied their desks. There wasn't much to put away, and then they left the classroom together.

Just before they reached the classroom door, Sun Tiantian called the other three back and took a photo with them in front of the classroom sign.

By the time they left the school building, the girl's eyes were already red-rimmed. Her lips were pursed, and she looked so fragile it made your heart ache.

"Come on, it's not like we'll never see each other again. We can still get together during winter and summer vacation!"

Seeing how emotional she was, Zhao Rui felt moved. He reached out and gently wiped the tears from the corner of her eye.

"Mm, I know you don't like me, but I just...!"

"I know, I know. You won't look pretty if you keep crying!"

Zhao Rui gently rubbed the girl's head. "Come on, everyone's watching!"

Sun Tiantian nodded, lowering her head, and obediently followed Zhao Rui outside.

Yang Fan, who'd been watching from the side, couldn't help feeling envious. He glanced at Xiao Xue beside him.

"What are you looking at?"

Xiao Xue furrowed her delicate brows and glared at him.

"I won't let a girl who likes me shed a single tear!"

"..."

Xiao Xue rolled her eyes and left him with the slender silhouette of a girl, already striding away.

Do you remember those days of youth, when flowers bloomed red and leaves shone green, and our first meeting left us shy?

Now, nothing has changed. Girls still vie to outshine one another, just as they did when love was new.

Our temples have grayed; we still think of those days among the flowers. We regret that we never understood—who can we borrow joy from now?