The next day, at the police station.

After a night's rest, Ruan Qing'an had tidied herself up and even put on makeup, but she still couldn't hide the dark circles under her eyes, making her look somewhat haggard.

The police handed her a glass of water: "They have been temporarily detained. Next, they will be interrogated about the details of the fire. They will likely receive long sentences."

"Um……"

Ruan Qingan's voice was hoarse as she asked, "May I say another word to them, officer?"

The police nodded slightly, got up and took Ruan Qing'an away. When they saw Xia Hua and Ruan Chengzhi again, they looked much older in an instant. Their eyes lit up when they saw Ruan Qing'an.

Looking at the bandage wrapped around Ruan Qing'an's neck, Xia Hua couldn't help but ask, "Does it still hurt, Ruan Ruan? Have you seen a doctor?"

"It's all over now, Mom."

After Nguyen Thanh An finished speaking, the atmosphere fell silent again.

Xia Hua spoke first: "Although you put a knife to our necks and forced us to turn ourselves in at the police station, Ruan Ruan, don't feel guilty. Your mother and father thought about it a lot last night."

"Over the years, it seems I've been blinded by what happened back then, thinking only of what's best for you, but in the end, even when you came home for vacation, your mother didn't know..."

Ruan Qing'an's eyes flickered slightly, and she forced a smile: "I've said it before, Mom, it doesn't matter if the family is poor, as long as our family is happy."

“Ruan Ruan…”

Xia Hua's eyes were filled with tears.

But by then the police had arrived and were urging him to leave, so Ruan Qingan had no choice but to leave. He didn't know how much time would pass before they met again...

As Ruan Qing'an walked home after leaving the police station, her counselor called to ask, "Ruan Qing'an, why are you suddenly asking for leave at such a crucial time?"

"Sorry, teacher, I missed my train."

"Oh, this has actually happened. But Ruan Qing'an, you should resolve this as soon as possible. If you delay any longer, you'll miss the national competition, which is very important!"

Ruan Qing'an gave a bitter smile, answered, and hung up the phone—in fact, if you think about it carefully, her current situation is exactly the same as Song Xijun's in her previous life.

The elevator stopped, and Ruan Qingan walked into the hallway, only to see a figure that shouldn't be there in front of the closed door.

The young man was tall and slender, leaning against the cold wall. He was still wearing the same simple shirt and jeans, looking clean and sunny. His slightly long hair was tied into a small braid with a strawberry hair tie, which added a touch of cuteness and softened his overly aggressive look.

After hearing footsteps, Song Xijun looked up.

Separated by only a few meters, the two gazed at each other from afar, yet for a moment it seemed as if an insurmountable chasm lay between them...

Ruan Qing'an snapped out of her daze, her eyes darkening: "Why are you here, Song Xijun? Do you even realize what a missed opportunity is—"

"Oh, special training? It doesn't matter whether I participate or not."

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

Ruan Qing'an gritted her teeth in anger and stepped forward to grab Song Xijun's collar: "You said it didn't matter, do you know that your eyes light up when you mention TIP!"

Seeing her furious expression, Song Xijun suddenly lowered her head and hugged Ruan Qing'an tightly, holding her waist tightly: "I've already spoken to them over there, it won't have any impact, so I'm here to pick you up, Ruan Ruan."

Ruan Qingan was taken aback: "Wh-what?"

"I can't leave you here, much less—"

Song Xijun paused, then lowered his head to kiss the corner of Ruan Qing'an's lips, his dark eyes seeming to devour her: "I could never give you up, a final farewell is impossible, Ruan Ruan."

Their lives were already completely intertwined.

In a dark corner of the stairwell, love surged, leaden gray and dark green clashed, and the ignited emotions spread in their intertwined breaths.

The national competition was in three days. As the bell rang signaling the end of the exam, the first girl to finish ran happily downstairs, while outside the teaching building—

The young man was standing and waiting when a "koala" suddenly appeared on his back. He instinctively lifted her up a little.

"I'm sure I'll do exceptionally well on the test!"

"Definitely."

He spoke indulgently, turning his head to look at her, captivated by Ruan Qing'an's smiling, leaden-gray eyes, which were like dazzling jewels, and he was fortunate enough to possess them.

【Affection Level: 100】

...

Inside the cell, Xia Hua was operating a sewing machine. The woman beside her was a well-known boss in the prison, with whom she had a good relationship. The woman said, "Hey, your daughter's name is Ruan Qing'an, right?"

"Hmm, what's wrong?"

"She's amazing. I heard she's participating in some TIP now. When you asked me to find someone to inquire about her, I didn't expect that the person I found would be able to see her on TV so easily."

The woman continued talking to herself, while Xia Hua stood there stunned. After a long silence, she finally laughed, but tears streamed down her face: "Yes, Ruan Ruan is amazing..."

Meanwhile, in the cramped rented room, bottles of liquor were scattered all over the floor. The only light in the dark room was from the television, where a bearded man named Leon Lai sat cross-legged, drinking.

On television, a report on TIP was playing, and the award winners were none other than familiar faces—Ruan Qingan and Song Xijun, whom he had looked down upon back then…

Just then, the television was suddenly turned off.

Tang Siya, who had unplugged the TV, appeared behind the television. She had long lost the refined air of a wealthy young lady, and her face was pale: "Li Ming, stop watching! We're about to run out of electricity!"

"Don't fucking bother me!"

Dawn roared and smashed the bottle straight at him: "If it weren't for you, I would have had a chance to go too!"

"Dawn, are you crazy?!"

The rented room was in complete chaos, and the sounds of fighting and cursing could even reach the ears of the other tenants, but they were already used to it.

Their mundane, chaotic life and miserable circumstances were no longer connected to the two people abroad; they had long since stood on a higher stage—a much wider world.

The lights flashed, the media clamored, and the trophy was excessively heavy.

Under the spotlight, Ruan Qingan and Song Xijun stood side by side, their hands, one big and one small, holding the trophy. This was a rare scene in the TIP International Physics Competition, where they were so outstanding that they were able to compete side by side and share first place.

The photo of the two standing side by side on the awards stage has been preserved.

After the trophy was placed down, looking at the bustling media below the stage, Ruan Qingan muttered to himself, "This trophy is so heavy. If I had known, I wouldn't have wanted first place. I would have just given it to you."

Song Xijun retorted, "Do I need to be number one?"

"But this is the highest award you can achieve at this stage, given your qualifications. To reach a higher level, you need to accumulate more academic achievements—"

Before Ruan Qing'an could finish speaking, Song Xijun suddenly lowered his head and kissed her lips almost reverently, finally silencing the noisy media.

As their lips intertwined, she vaguely heard his low, husky voice: "Your love is the greatest reward I can receive in this life."

The live stream spread across the world via the internet—behind the two men stood a trophy representing their shared honor.

And they kissed each other in front of the world.

This is a summer miracle; sunlight streams down the path, and the boy's future shines even brighter than the rising sun.

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