Youth never says goodbye

"Is that really necessary?"

Seeing how lightly her husband took it, Lin Wanxiu grew agitated.

"Of course it is! What if he's a bad kid and leads our daughter astray?"

"She's so innocent. If someone deceives her, you'll have nowhere to cry when the time comes, even as her father."

Su Xuecheng thought about it and agreed.

"All right. Leave this to me."

"I'll get to the bottom of it."

But Lin Wanxiu still felt uneasy.

"I'm taking leave from work tomorrow. I'll take our daughter to school and pick her up every day until the college entrance exams are over."

Su Xuecheng had wanted to say that his wife might be making too much of this.

But after thinking it over, he nodded instead.

"Suit yourself."

"Don't forget to find out who that boy is."

"I know. Go to sleep."

In the bedroom next door.

Su Ruochu lay in bed, with Chen Fan's neatly folded school uniform beside her pillow.

She reached out and gently stroked it.

A rather helpless expression crossed her face.

"I ended up saying yes to him after all."

But soon, the corners of her lips lifted again.

"Su Ruochu, you can do this!"

"Trust your own judgment. Everything happens for the best!"

Early the next morning.

Chen Fan walked into the classroom and immediately spotted Su Ruochu sitting at her desk.

Their eyes met.

Still a little shy, Su Ruochu blushed and looked away.

As soon as Chen Fan sat down, Su Ruochu handed him the bag containing his uniform jacket.

Chen Fan handed her the umbrella in return.

This time, Su Ruochu didn't avert her eyes.

They exchanged a smile.

Nothing needed to be said.

Although the website had only just launched and there was still so much to do.

Chen Fan no longer had the energy to keep an eye on it.

The college entrance exams really were almost here.

Perhaps it was because Su Ruochu had agreed to be his girlfriend.

Chen Fan was in high spirits all day.

His memory seemed divinely inspired, and he actually recalled several more major exam questions.

Even when the four of them had lunch at a small restaurant outside school, Guo Shuai noticed the change in Chen Fan's mood.

"Something's off. Something's seriously off..."

On their way back after lunch, Guo Shuai stared at Chen Fan and muttered to himself.

"What are you mumbling about?"

Guo Shuai grabbed Chen Fan. "Tell me the truth. Are you hiding something from me?"

Chen Fan looked startled.

"You already know?"

"Know what?"

Guo Shuai looked utterly bewildered.

What am I supposed to know?

Chen Fan said casually, "I've been secretly keeping an eye out for anyone with diarrhea."

"Didn't you say you'd drink three pounds of the runny stuff?"

"You know, it's surprisingly hard to find someone with diarrhea right now."

"Fuck!"

Guo Shuai immediately flipped him off.

Then realization suddenly struck him.

"You... you won Su Ruochu over?"

"She agreed to be your girlfriend?"

Chen Fan deliberately gave him a mysterious smile.

"Take a guess!"

"Shit!"

Guo Shuai lost it.

"You're a lousy friend!"

Chen Fan teased him with a smile. "The exams are almost here. When are you planning to confess?"

At the mention of that, Guo Shuai suddenly grew nervous.

He stole a glance at Su Ruochu and Li Na, who were chatting up ahead.

"What do you think my chances are if I confess to Li Na?"

Chen Fan frowned and gave it some serious thought.

"Fifty-fifty, I guess. From what I've seen these past few days, she doesn't seem to dislike you."

Guo Shuai took a deep breath.

"Then what do you think about me confessing to her after school tomorrow?"

Chen Fan froze.

"Tomorrow? The exams start the day after tomorrow, and you want to confess tomorrow?"

Guo Shuai looked serious.

"I want to leave myself something to remember high school by."

Chen Fan had wanted to tell him not to be impulsive.

Then he remembered that he, too, had confessed to Su Ruochu without caring about anything else.

Who was he to lecture anyone?

"All right. You've got my full support."

Guo Shuai clenched his fist.

"Don't worry. Just wait for my good news."

The last day before the college entrance exams on the seventh.

Most of the students in class no longer had their minds on studying.

Their subject teachers took turns coming into the classroom, chatting with everyone for a while before wishing them success in the exams and a bright future.

The mood grew rather sad, and some of the girls who cried easily were already secretly wiping away tears.

Having gone through the college entrance exams in two lifetimes, Chen Fan was already immune to all this.

Now, he only wanted the exams to be over.

Then he could go to Yunhai with Ruochu and attend the same university.

He turned to glance at Su Ruochu.

Her eyes were red. The teachers' words had clearly moved her too.

As if sensing something, Su Ruochu turned to look at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan simply kept smiling at her.

Su Ruochu didn't look away this time. Instead, she gave a soft huff.

"What are you staring at?"

"My gorgeous wife."

"You..."

Su Ruochu immediately stole a nervous glance around them.

Then she shot Chen Fan a fierce glare.

"Which university are you planning to apply to, wifey?"

Su Ruochu froze, then hesitated.

She seemed afraid that naming her chosen university would put too much pressure on Chen Fan.

"I... I haven't decided yet."

Chen Fan smiled.

"It's all right. Whichever university you apply to, I'll be there enrolling with you."

During the last lesson of the morning, their homeroom teacher, Wang Qiming, walked into the classroom.

He was carrying a document envelope containing everyone's exam admission tickets.

The college entrance exams they had talked about countless times.

Had finally arrived.

"Come up and collect your admission ticket when I call your name."

"Li Chengli, First High School, exam room six, seat three."

"Yao Qiang, Seventh High School, exam room two, seat fourteen."

Each time the teacher read out an assignment, a student stood up and walked to the front.

"Su Ruochu, First High School, exam room three, seat twelve."

"Good luck!"

Chen Fan smiled and flashed Su Ruochu a victory sign.

After one student after another was called, it was finally Chen Fan's turn.

"Chen Fan, First High School, exam room thirteen, seat twenty-one."

When Chen Fan returned with his admission ticket, Su Ruochu suddenly spoke in a low voice.

"You're in the same exam room as Huang Hu."

Chen Fan paused.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Chen Fan hadn't noticed that at all.

And he couldn't remember whether he had shared an exam room with Huang Hu in his previous life either.

He turned toward Huang Hu's seat, only to find Huang Hu looking their way.

Their eyes met.

Then both looked away without expression.

Su Ruochu said quietly, "He's in seat four. You're pretty far apart."

Chen Fan smiled. "It doesn't matter how far apart we are. It's not like we can copy answers in the college entrance exams anyway."

After handing out the last student's admission ticket, their homeroom teacher picked up the board eraser and tapped it lightly against the desk.

"Quiet down."

"Students, this is our last lesson, and the last lesson of your high school years."

"Tomorrow, you'll enter the exam rooms and fight the most important battle of your lives..."

As soon as their homeroom teacher began, many students' eyes reddened.

"We have no classes this afternoon. You'll be dismissed at noon, so you can pack up your books and take them home."

"Those who live far away can move them to the dorms first."

"Also, you can visit your exam venues this afternoon and check your classrooms and seats in advance. Make sure you don't go to the wrong place tomorrow."

"And before you set off tomorrow, make sure you have all the supplies you need for the exam..."

"Whatever you do, don't forget your admission tickets..."

Their homeroom teacher went on and on at the front about all the things they needed to remember.

But few students were still listening closely.

Everyone was whispering to one another, discussing who would be in the same exam room.

Chen Fan watched the scene in silence.

His gaze lingered fondly on the classroom and his classmates.

He knew they might not feel it yet.

But several years, or a decade or more, later.

Once they entered society and started working, they would realize.

Those three years of high school had been the time in their lives they would cherish most.