Extra 4

The second semester of junior year slipped away in a flurry of activity. As the cicadas' chirping once again echoed through the camphor trees of Jiangcheng No. 1 High School, the shadow of final exams loomed over every student. For Si Mianmian (Gu Mianmian), this was not only a contest of grades, but also a test of whether she could gain a foothold in this unfamiliar world.

Survival Handbook (Campus Finale): True strength lies in transforming the resilience honed in adversity into the wisdom to adapt to new rules. Proving yourself is about winning the right to choose.

The final exam hall. Si Mianmian took a deep breath and accepted the exam paper from the student in front of her. The smell of ink wafted towards her, and the symbols on it no longer seemed menacing, but rather had a familiar quality. Over the past few months, under the rigorous and systematic tutoring of her "advisor," Xuan Jing (Gu Yang), she had clearly grasped the structure of high school mathematics. Even more surprisingly, she discovered that many mathematical logics shared similarities with palace intrigue, celestial observation, and even medical principles, only expressed differently. This cross-temporal knowledge transfer made her learning twice as effective with half the effort.

The pen scratched softly. Solving trigonometric functions was like dismantling a political enemy's indirect arguments; proving geometric propositions was like deducing troop deployments on a battlefield. When faced with a difficult problem, she no longer panicked, but instead focused intently on recalling Xuanjing's explanations, unraveling the mystery step by step. When she explored "rules and flexibility" in her essay, cleverly quoting the viewpoints of "The Memorial on Expelling Foreign Guests" and "The Prince," and combining them with modern business management cases, she clearly felt the approving gaze of the proctor as they lingered beside her.

On the day the results were announced, the honor roll was posted. Si Mianmian's name appeared prominently on the list of the top fifty students in the grade, especially in mathematics and history, where she scored nearly full marks! This miraculous leap from the bottom of the class to an excellent student shocked the entire Grade 11 (3) class.

"Wow! Mianmian, you're amazing! How did you do so well?" Zhou Xiaoyun, her deskmate, exclaimed, hugging her arm.

As Chen Cong passed by, he whistled, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "Hey, it's only been three days since we last met, Gu Mianmian."

Si Mianmian smiled faintly, her gaze sweeping over the crowd to meet Xuan Jing, who was also looking at the rankings at the end of the corridor. He was still first in the grade, his face expressionless, but Si Mianmian didn't miss the fleeting, faint approval and smile in his eyes. She quietly gave him an "OK" sign, a gesture she had recently learned. Xuan Jing nodded almost imperceptibly, turned and left, his back view showing a hint of ease compared to usual.

The campus arts festival after the final exams is a stage for relaxation and showcasing talent. Encouraged by Zhou Xiaoyun and driven by a deep-seated desire to "let someone see," Si Mianmian signed up for the individual talent performance.

On the night of the gala, the auditorium was packed. When the host announced, "Gu Mianmian from Class 3, Grade 11, will perform a guqin solo, 'Flowing Water'," some whispers arose from the audience. Guqin? This seemed out of place at a gala dominated by pop music and street dance.

The lights dimmed, and a spotlight shone on the center of the stage. Si Mianmian, dressed in a moon-white modified cheongsam (made by herself using the fabric she bought with the money from pawning her last gold hairpin), sat quietly, burning incense, her hands caressing the guqin. There was no accompaniment, no virtuosity, only clear and ethereal music flowing from her fingertips. Her eyes were slightly closed, as if she had returned to the moonlit night in the Yu Palace, pouring her longing for her homeland, her bewilderment in the new world, and her unspeakable feelings for the person beside her into the seven strings. A piece called "Flowing Water," sometimes gentle, sometimes surging, with a lofty artistic conception, gradually quieted the noisy auditorium.

Xuan Jing sat in a corner of the audience, his gaze fixed on the elegant figure on the stage. He had seen her majestic presence as an empress, her cunning struggles within the palace, and her initial bewilderment upon arrival, but he had never seen her like this, so aloof and radiant. As the music entered his ears, he seemed to understand the emotions behind each note, his heart filled with a strange, tender yet intense feeling. When the last note faded, the hall was silent for a moment, then erupted in enthusiastic applause. Si Mianmian rose to take her bow, her gaze instinctively searching, only to meet Xuan Jing's deep eyes, where she saw an undisguised amazement and flutter of emotion she had never seen before.

The party ended, and the crowds dispersed. Si Mianmian, using the excuse of getting some fresh air, went up to the empty rooftop of the teaching building. The warm summer night breeze dispelled the heat from her face. Leaning on the railing, she gazed at the myriad lights of the city below, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

She heard familiar footsteps behind her. She didn't turn around, but she knew who it was.

"Why did you come up here?" Xuan Jing's voice sounded deep in the night.

"It's a bit stuffy in there," Si Mianmian replied softly. "Thank you... for the previous notes, and... many more."

Xuan Jing walked to her side and stood beside her. After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke, the topic abruptly: "I've checked the information about our 'parents'."

Si Mianmian's heart tightened, and she looked at him.

“Gu Yang’s parents are archaeologists who spend most of their time overseas. Si Mianmian’s parents… were ordinary employees who were transferred to another city.” He paused, his voice growing deeper. “All of this is too ‘reasonable,’ as reasonable as a meticulously arranged backdrop. We may… not be able to go back for the time being.”

This suspicion was unspoken between them, but its bluntness still made Si Mianmian's heart sink. She gazed at the starry sky, her voice somewhat unsteady: "Then... what should we do?"

“Live on.” Xuan Jing’s answer was concise and powerful, with his usual decisiveness. “Like everyone else here, study, take exams, go to university. And then…” He turned his head, looking intently at her, “find a way back, or, here, create a world that belongs to us.”

His words carried a reassuring power. Si Mianmian suddenly felt that even if she couldn't go back, as long as he was there, it didn't seem so scary anymore.

"Gu Yang." She called him by his full name for the first time, with a hint of seriousness in her voice, "If we really can't go back, will you... regret it? Regret leaving your empire?"

Xuan Jing (Gu Yang) remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "The country... is a responsibility. But here, I am just Gu Yang." He looked at her, his gaze exceptionally bright under the starry sky, "And Si Mianmian is just Si Mianmian. Perhaps, this is another chance that heaven has given us, a chance... just as Xuan Jing and Si Mianmian, to start over."

There was no ruler and subject, no nation and family, just two independent souls. Si Mianmian's heart suddenly raced.

At that moment, several bright shooting stars streaked across the night sky.

"Look! A shooting star!" Si Mianmian pointed to the sky in surprise.

Xuanjing also looked up.

Si Mianmian immediately clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and made a sincere wish. After making her wish, she opened her eyes and found Xuan Jing quietly watching her.

"What did you wish for?" she asked curiously.

“Wishes won’t come true if you say them out loud.” A very faint smile appeared on Xuan Jing’s lips, with a hint of youthful mischief, an expression Si Mianmian had never seen on his face before.

"Fine, don't tell me then." Si Mianmian pretended to be angry, turned her head away, but couldn't help but smile.

“However,” Xuan Jing’s voice rang out again, with a solemn gentleness, “I can tell you one of them… I hope that Si Mianmian will always be as radiant with smiles as she is today.”

A gentle night breeze blows, and the Milky Way sparkles. Two hearts, transcending time and space, quietly draw closer on this ordinary summer night.

As summer vacation began, Xuan Jing (Gu Yang) devised a detailed study plan under the guise of a "summer intensive study group," with Si Mianmian naturally being the only member. The library, cafes, and even his spacious living room became their hangouts. He discussed the rigorous logic of mathematics and physics, while she explored the profound breadth of literature, history, and philosophy. They asked each other questions and tested each other, developing a strange tacit understanding and complementarity.

Occasionally, like ordinary teenagers, they would steal a moment of leisure. He would take her to try the ice cream on the street corner, and she would drag him to see the latest movie (although his comments on the special effects made Si Mianmian chuckle). He used the money he earned from his first "investment" in stocks (Si Mianmian still doesn't understand the principle) to give her an exquisite fountain pen; in return, she used the meager earnings from performing the guqin to buy him a pair of platinum cufflinks, simple in design but subtly reflecting his former imperial status.

The final lesson of the survival manual: No matter what era we live in, love and growth are eternal themes. Learning to dance within the rules, maintaining your true self, and cherishing those around you are the best ways to survive.

On the last evening of summer vacation, they climbed to the rooftop of the teaching building once again to watch the sunset paint the clouds a magnificent orange-red.

"I'm in my final year of high school," Si Mianmian said softly.

"Hmm," Xuan Jing replied, "Are you scared?"

“With you here, I’m not afraid.” Si Mianmian turned to look at him, her eyes shining. “We promised to go to A University together.”

Xuan Jing looked at her, the setting sun casting a warm golden glow on her. He reached out and gently took her hand, which rested on the railing. No words were spoken, yet they spoke volumes.

The road ahead may still be unknown, but their clasped hands are the stars that illuminate the future. Their modern campus life has only just begun.