The sound of pen tip falling on paper

The countdown clock on the back wall of the classroom had been painted over with a red pen to form a "3," with the word "Final Battle" written in small print next to the number. The class monitor had secretly added it after school yesterday. The air was filled with the mixed smell of test paper ink and mentholatum. Even the boys who usually loved to fool around were quiet, either hunched over their desks doing practice problems or muttering to themselves while looking at their notebooks of mistakes.

Luo Yan's error notebook had been turned to the last page, the edges worn rough from her fingers. She had neatly organized the past five years' science exam papers by question type, clipped them together with binder clips, and placed them in the most conspicuous spot on the corner of her desk.

She was indeed nervous. She would wake up in the night, dreaming that her pen ran out of ink during the exam, or that she had filled in the wrong number on the answer sheet. Her heart would pound like a drum after waking, and she would have to sit at her desk and flip through several pages of her error notebook before she could fall back asleep. But more often, however, she felt a reassuring certainty—she knew how much she had put in; those nights spent under the desk lamp, those scratches blackened by erasers, wouldn't lie to her.

On the last evening of self-study before the exam, the classroom was so quiet you could hear each other breathing. Luo Yan stared blankly at a challenging physics problem, her pen hovering over the paper, a thought replaying in her mind: Should she contact him?

This "he" is Qi Sheng.

Since Qi Sheng returned to Yishi University after his internship, they have almost lost contact. That group photo is still on her old phone. Occasionally, she will find it and be stunned for a moment, but more often, it is submerged in the overwhelming sea of ​​exam papers. He is like a pebble thrown into the center of a lake. The ripples he initially created have subsided in the daily grind, leaving only faint traces at the bottom of the lake.

Did she need a word of encouragement? It seemed not. The teachers' "keep going," her parents' "don't worry," and the chocolate Pan Yue handed her had already wrapped her up completely. But a little voice inside her kept saying: If it were him, perhaps things would be different.

When the bell rang for evening self-study, Luo Yan made a decision.

Back in her rented apartment, she opened the chat window that was almost completely flooded with messages; the cursor in the input box blinked repeatedly.

She typed and deleted, finally sending only one sentence: "Teacher Qi, the college entrance exam is tomorrow, I'm a little nervous."

The moment she pressed the send button, she suddenly felt her cheeks burning. She quickly shoved her phone deep into the pillow, as if she had done something wrong.

Ren Qin brought her warm milk and kept reminding her of the important points to remember during the exam. Luo Yan responded half-heartedly, but her mind kept drifting to her phone. Would he see it? Would he think it was strange of her to send such a message at a time like this?

Before going to bed, she couldn't help but take out her phone. The screen was dark, and there were no new messages. She felt a little disappointed, but also thought it was only natural—he was a college student, probably busy with final exams and maybe club activities, how could he have time to pay attention to her insignificant message?

She put her phone on silent, placed it on the bedside table, and told herself: Stop thinking about it and get some sleep.

The next morning, before the alarm clock rang, Luo Yan woke up. The sky outside was just beginning to lighten. After washing up, she took a deep breath in front of the mirror. The girl in the mirror had faint dark circles under her eyes, but her eyes were bright, as if they had been tempered with light.

Before leaving home, she touched her schoolbag, her fingertips brushing against the outline of her phone. She hesitated for a moment, but still took it with her—perhaps she could check her messages after finishing her first exam.

The examination hall was packed with people. Parents, dressed in cheongsams, held up signs that read "May you achieve great success" and "May you be listed on the honor roll," and they seemed even more nervous than the examinees. Luo Yan followed the crowd into the examination center. When she turned around, she saw Ren Qin and Luo Zhongheng waving at her from the crowd, their eyes red-rimmed.

The first exam was Chinese. She closed her eyes, recalling the word "calm" she had written in her error notebook last night, and slowly calmed down. The pen tip landed on the answer sheet, making a clear "swish" sound. The ancient poems and prose she had recited countless times, and the essay materials she had practiced repeatedly, all became docile at this moment, flowing from the tip of the pen.

After finishing the Chinese exam, she walked out of the exam hall, the sunlight a bit dazzling. She took out her phone, unlocked it, and a message popped up at the top of the screen—it was from Qi Sheng.

There's only one sentence: "Stay calm, you'll be fine."

There were no extra words, no emoticons, yet it was like a warm current that instantly flowed through her body. Standing in the crowd, she smiled at the screen, and the tension in her heart suddenly eased.

The next two days felt like they were on fast-forward. After each exam, she didn't compare answers with her classmates; she simply returned quietly to her rented room, read some books, or closed her eyes to rest. Qi Sheng never messaged her again, and she didn't send any more messages either, as if that one sentence was enough to sustain her through this ordeal.

When the bell rang to signal the end of the last exam, Luo Yan put down her pen and stared at the densely written words on her answer sheet, suddenly feeling a little dazed. Cheers erupted throughout the exam hall; some threw their pens into the air, while others buried their faces in their desks and cried. She slowly packed up her stationery, walked out of the exam hall, and saw Pan Yue waiting for her at the door, holding two ice cream cones.

"We're free!" Pan Yue shoved a strawberry ice cream into her hand, her eyes crinkling with laughter. "Want to stay up all night tonight?"

Luo Yan took a bite of ice cream, the sweet taste spreading on her tongue. She shook her head: "I'm going to Su Yi tomorrow."

She booked the high-speed rail ticket to Suyi before the exam. There was no particular reason; she just wanted to spend a few days in the city and see the sights before the results came out.

The wind in Suyi was gentler than in Lin'an, carrying a moist, damp air. She didn't contact Ren Xiangzhou, but instead found a guesthouse near the Yi River in the city to stay in. Every day, she would walk along the riverbank, watching the elderly fish and the children chase bubbles, gradually letting the fatigue accumulated during her senior year of high school melt into the gentle breeze.

One afternoon, she followed the navigation to the gate of Yishi University.

The school gate is an ancient archway covered with ivy, and sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Students in school uniforms come and go in twos and threes; some walk briskly with books in their arms, while others sit on the stone steps by the gate chatting, their faces bearing innocent yet bright smiles.

Luo Yan stood not far away, looking at the door, and suddenly thought of Qi Sheng. Did he have classes here? In which teaching building did he study? Did he, like these students, carry his books and walk through the ivy-covered corridor?

She remembered the way he taught everyone how to pass the ball at the sports meet, the "good luck" he said when he left, and the short encouraging message he sent before the college entrance exam. Those fragmented feelings of affection that she had carefully hidden in her heart became clear at this moment—not to hold on tightly, but to strive to grow in the direction he was.

She took out her phone, opened her browser, and searched for this year's admission brochure for Yiyang Normal University. As she swiped her finger across the screen, looking at the program descriptions, a clear idea suddenly popped into her head.

Why can't it be here?

Here she has her favorite major, a free and easy academic atmosphere, and the university life she longs for. Perhaps... she can get a little closer to that outstanding person.

A breeze brushed against her cheek, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees. Looking at the gates of Yishi University, Luo Yan felt as if she could see her future reflected there. She took out her phone and sent a message to Ren Qin: "Mom, I think I know which university I want to apply to."

After sending the message, she turned and slowly walked back the way she came. The willow branches by the river swayed gently in the wind, as if applauding her. The smoke of the college entrance examination had not yet dissipated, but the outline of the future was already unfolding before her eyes, clear and bright.

The results haven't come out yet, and the future may still be uncertain, but at this moment, she is absolutely certain of her direction. Just like the countless problem-solving steps she wrote in her error notebook throughout her senior year of high school, every step was solid and every step was firm.

The wind still blows through Su Yi, carrying her hopes, drifting towards the approaching summer, drifting towards the school gate covered with ivy.