(This side story takes place after the male and female leads' timeline and will be interspersed among side stories of other characters.)
"Mom."
Shen Qiao, dressed in his high school uniform, grabbed a pack of instant noodles from his family's supermarket, then rushed up to the second floor and said to his mother, "I'm having this for dinner."
"Hey, kid, you're eating just one pack of instant noodles for dinner? Oh, right, isn't your college entrance exam tomorrow? Make sure you prepare properly."
Hearing that, Shen Qiao backed up and said to his mother from the stairway landing, "It's just the college entrance exam. Easy."
When it came to studying, Shen Qiao had never given anyone cause for concern. He was one of the top students in his class.
Handsome, academically gifted, and great at basketball, he naturally had plenty of admirers.
But the one who left the deepest impression on Shen's Mother was the shy girl.
Since she often came to their supermarket looking for Shen Qiao, Shen's Mother remembered her name: Ai Xiaoya.
It was obvious that Shen Qiao liked Ai Xiaoya too, so Shen's Mother was very fond of the girl.
The neighbors all said the two of them were made for each other. If they got together after graduation, wouldn't Shen Qiao have his biggest life matter settled in one stroke?
The more Shen's Mother thought about it, the happier she became, and she could not help humming a tune behind the supermarket counter.
The next day was the national college entrance examination.
The school was very close to Shen Qiao's home. After leaving his room and going downstairs, he casually grabbed a grilled sausage and a tea egg from home before setting off for school.
Along the way, he could see other students in