Chapter 74 School Starts [VIP]

Chapter Summary: "I only want to date you."

Fu Xianyin's birthday falls on the eighth day of the lunar calendar, and they have to go back to school for self-study on the evening of the ninth. After discussing it, the group decided to postpone Fu Xianyin's birthday by one day to the ninth, so they could play all day and then go back to school together for self-study in the evening.

Cheng Zhaozhao initially thought it wasn't a good idea to postpone her birthday by a day. It wasn't like she didn't have time because of school, and besides, it was such an important eighteenth birthday that she should celebrate it on the day itself. But she was convinced by Chen Nianke's comment that she had already celebrated New Year's Eve with Gu Linzhao.

The final grades were released during the evening self-study session after students returned to school, along with the seating chart for the new semester.

Fu Xianyin finally left her position as the right-hand protector of the podium and sat at the same table with Gu Linzhao again.

The two were seated in the last row of the large middle column.

When Gu Linzhao moved her table over, Fu Xianyin was still in a state of slight excitement.

She said, "I was thinking of going to talk to Sister Gao and asking her to put us together in the same class, but I didn't expect that before I could even say anything, Sister Gao had already arranged it like this."

As soon as she finished speaking, Fu Xianyin belatedly realized something.

The seating arrangement for the high school girls is usually randomized, and the tone suggests that it's not such a small probability event that it would happen; rather, it's more accurate to say that someone deliberately arranged it.

She turned to look at Gu Linzhao and asked, "Was it you...?"

Gu Linzhao did not deny it, and nodded, saying, "It's me."

Fu Xianyin, having received a satisfactory answer, sat down, squinted, and began to organize her belongings.

The report card has been posted on the bulletin board. Fu Xianyin's ranking has improved compared to the last monthly exam, from third in the class to second. Her ranking in the grade has also improved a bit, and she can barely get back to the top of the exam hall.

My score also improved compared to last time; I got 667.

Gu Linzhao still ranks first, his score seems to be consistently above 700, while Yin Zexuan's score is also consistently hovering around 650.

Fu Xianyin wasn't in good spirits, and this result was within her expectations; the lessons she had missed for so long couldn't be caught up in a short time. She didn't have time to be upset about the result, so she quickly composed herself and threw herself back into her studies.

Evening self-study is mainly to help everyone put away their playful and carefree attitude from the holidays and gradually return to a study mindset. Fu Xianyin did two practice tests to maintain her skills and also reviewed some of Gu Linzhao's notes.

The school bell rang, and everyone packed their bags and headed out. It was as if this were just an ordinary evening, not some holiday.

Just as Chen Nianke said

During the senior year of high school, no one deserves a birthday, and no one deserves a holiday.

The first round of review was completely finished last semester, but Fu Xianyin still fell behind in chemistry in the last two months.

Aside from Gu Linzhao's notebook, she still needs to make a lot of effort to catch up on the parts she has fallen behind in.

Fu Xianyin considered leaving school to find one-on-one tutoring. She planned to take two weeks off to study intensively, and then return to school to continue with a second round of review.

But after discussing it with Gu Linzhao, she quickly dismissed the idea.

Besides chemistry, which is a drag on her studies, she is also unclear about biology. She takes time off work to attend tutoring classes for chemistry, but when she comes back, she falls behind in other subjects.

The final decision was to stay at school, attend classes and review materials during the day, and have Gu Linzhao tutor her in chemistry during one evening self-study session each night.

After finishing the last question, Fu Xianyin packed her bag and followed Gu Linzhao out the back door.

This time, Chen Nianke was reassigned to sit next to Ji Zhumiao, and it just so happened to be the first row, near the front door. As soon as the school bell rang, Chen Nianke packed her schoolbag and stood at the door waiting for Fu Xianyin and the others. Naturally, she didn't see Ji Zhumiao's hand, which was halfway outstretched and then silently withdrawn.

Cheng Zhaozhao studied for three evening self-study sessions and felt dizzy and lightheaded. She clung to Fu Xianyin's arm and wailed, "Oh my god, how come winter vacation is over so quickly? I don't want to study at all!"

Fu Xianyin patted her head and said, "There are less than four months left. It will be over soon. Just hang in there until the college entrance exam."

Cheng Zhaozhao counted on her fingers: "Next week is the 100-day countdown rally, and a few days after that is the first mock exam. After that is the coming-of-age ceremony, and after that is three rounds of review. A month after those three rounds of review is the college entrance exam! Oh my god!"

Chen Nianke said, "We'll see whether it's a mule or a horse when the time comes."

Fu Xianyin comforted her, "Don't think that far ahead. The most important thing is the mock exam. Let's focus on getting the mock exam done first."

Cheng Zhaozhao said with a long face, "My mom wants me to get 600 points in the mock exam. I got 577 on the last final exam, which is still a long way from 600."

Fu Xianyin said, "23 points is not that far. If you divide it up to each subject, it's less than 4 points. A single multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank question in math is worth 5 points."

“That seems to be true.” Cheng Zhaozhao straightened up briefly, then slumped down again: “But last semester I hovered around 550 or 560 for the whole semester, and I only improved by a dozen points by the end of the semester. Now there are less than two months until the first mock exam, and I feel like I really can’t improve that many points.”

Fu Xianyin said, "You can do it. Just do more practice problems in math and physics, summarize the types of questions you often get wrong and the knowledge points you don't understand. Getting 600 points isn't that hard."

As she was talking, she suddenly felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

Fu Xianyin took out her phone and saw that it was a message from Qin Yi.

It's a picture.

Their chat history was still from when they wished each other a Happy New Year on the day of the Lunar New Year. Fu Xianyin clicked on the picture and her gaze lingered for a moment.

She slowed her pace a bit, and Cheng Zhaozhao and Lin Anxu, who were talking, didn't notice that she had fallen two steps behind.

After replying with "Thank you, teacher," Fu Xianyin put her phone back in her pocket.

When she looked up again, she met Gu Linzhao's gaze.

"What's wrong?"

He asked softly.

Fu Xianyin shook her head, intending to say it was nothing, but then suddenly realized that their relationship had changed to something else entirely.

So she said, "It was the agent who helped me apply that gave me an offer from Boston University, and she congratulated me on getting a place to study."

Gu Linzhao asked, "Is this the first offer?"

Fu Xianyin nodded.

Gu Linzhao said, "That's good news."

Fu Xianyin pouted and said, "No, that's not true."

Seeing that she was clearly sulking, Gu Linzhao couldn't help but chuckle and reach out to pinch Fu Xianyin's puffed-up cheeks.

Fu Xianyin turned her head away from his hand and snorted.

She said, "I wish no school would accept me, I wish no place would take me."

Gu Linzhao simply stroked her earlobe in a comforting manner.

These were just words spoken in anger, and both of them knew it.

Fu Xianyin's education in China was not a steady and methodical process. If Fu Xianyin was really determined not to apply, she would not have studied properly in Beijing at all.

She will make as many preparations as possible for her life, and she will fight desperately to find a way out of her messy life.

If you want to attend the best universities in China, you should do so abroad as well.

She hasn't reached the point of giving up everything yet.

The next day, the second semester of senior year officially began.

As Fu Xianyin walked into the classroom yawning, she saw a black thermos on the table next to her.

A cute little bear head was drawn on the cup in pink.

They got the couple's thermos cups from the prize they won at the arcade on New Year's Day.

Fu Xianyin's heart pounded. She gripped the strap of her schoolbag and slowly placed it on the ground.

Inside her backpack, there lay a matching pink thermos.

This is what Fu Xianyin hesitated for a long time before finally putting in her bag this morning.

The day Fu Xianyin received the thermos, she carefully washed it inside and out. After that, it remained in her dorm room and she never dared to bring it to school to use.

She actually wanted to be brave.

Countless times she filled the thermos with warm water, put it in her schoolbag, and then countless times she poured the water out and took the thermos out of her schoolbag again.

She dared not, dared not use this blatant hint, dared not reveal her thoughts to the world, to Gu Linzhao.

So the thermos was left in the most conspicuous place in the dormitory and was never used.

I actually went through this struggle and hesitation this morning as well.

Fu Xianyin put the thermos down and took it back, then put it down again.

Finally, seeing that she was about to be late, she gritted her teeth, put the thermos in her backpack, grabbed the backpack, and walked out of the dormitory.

Noticing her gaze, Gu Linzhao tilted his head and glanced at her, then followed her gaze to the thermos on the table.

He chuckled softly, deliberately turning the thermos around so that his cute bear face was facing Fu Xianyin.

Fu Xianyin suppressed her secret joy, raised her hand, and poked the little bear's ear.

She said, "Why are you using this thermos? Did the old one break?"

Gu Linzhao teased her deliberately, saying, "Yes, it's broken. What about yours? Is it broken too?"

Fu Xianyin met Gu Linzhao's smiling eyes, bit her lip, and said, "What a pity, mine isn't broken."

She said, "Let's stop studying for a minute and mourn for the lost thermos cup."

Gu Linzhao put down his pen and said, "Let us mourn for it."

Fu Xianyin said, "Wait a moment."

She opened her backpack, took out the pink thermos, placed it next to the black cup, and said, "Let's mourn together."

The black and pink thermos cups were pressed tightly together. As if that wasn't enough, Fu Xianyin turned the two cups around so that the faces of the two little bears were pressed against each other.

She childishly tapped the two cups together lightly, their little bear faces touching briefly before separating. Fu Xianyin said, "Good friends, kiss."

Gu Linzhao held a black pen between his fingers, twirled it twice upon hearing this, and then lightly drew a line on the manuscript paper. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Can good friends kiss?"

A smile spread across Fu Xianyin's face.

She nodded confidently and said, "Of course we can. Aren't we good friends?"

Gu Linzhao tapped his pen on the draft paper, then suddenly realized and said, "So what you mean by being together is being good friends? And kissing me is the ritual before we become good friends?"

Fu Xianyin suppressed a laugh and said, "Yes."

Gu Linzhao said, "Then I have to go back on my word."

Fu Xianyin asked, "What are you going back on your word about?"

Gu Linzhao said, "I'm going back on my word and want to be your good friend."

He placed his hand on the table, turned his body towards Fu Xianyin, and leaned forward.

The two were very close, and Fu Xianyin could clearly see the smile in his eyes, as well as those clear eyes that held only her.

She heard Gu Linzhao say, "After all, I don't want to be good friends with you."

"I only want to date you."

[Author's Note]

Our beautiful love story as a couple has begun!

After writing about the two of them dating, I realized how bad I am at writing about romance! I'm much better at writing the bittersweet, unrequited love or the ambiguous, unspoken feelings before confessing. But it's okay, in a while our little couple will be breaking up again (whispering devil).