Gift Talisman
On the final mock exam before the competition, Chen Yu's score firmly held the top spot in the grade. His homeroom teacher, beaming from ear to ear, praised him as a math talent to everyone he met. Chen Yu himself wasn't overly impressed, but when he saw Jiang Yizhou's name appear above the passing score, a subtle smile curled his lips.
"I can't believe that even poor students have their day." Chen Yu pushed the newly handed test paper in front of Jiang Yizhou, with a hint of ridicule in his tone.
Jiang Yizhou scratched his head and chuckled: "That's right, it doesn't matter who taught you." As he spoke, he secretly raised his eyes to look at Chen Yu, and when he saw that the other party did not refute, the smile in his eyes became even deeper.
Jiang Yizhou had indeed changed a lot these days. Although he still dozed off in class, at least he no longer skipped classes to go to the internet cafe. Although he still needed Shen Yu to explain math problems over and over again, at least he would take the initiative to open his workbook instead of using it as a table leg.
On the way home from school, Jiang Yizhou suddenly stopped, took something out of his schoolbag and stuffed it into Chen Yu's hand: "This is for you."
It's a small amulet, made of red cloth, with a bit rough edges, as if it was handmade.
"My mom went to the temple to pray for it. She said it would keep me safe." Jiang Yizhou's voice was a little unnatural. "If you bring it with you on the day of the competition, you'll definitely win first place."
Chen Yu held the amulet in his hand, feeling the rough texture of the fabric, but his heart softened. He looked up at Jiang Yizhou, who was looking away at the trees by the roadside, his ears red and almost bleeding.
"Thank you." Shen Yu's voice was very soft, but it reached Jiang Yizhou's ears clearly.
Jiang Yizhou turned his head abruptly, his eyes gleaming: "Why thank me? When you win the award, just treat me to orange soda."
"Okay." Shen Yu nodded with a smile.
On the day of the competition, the weather was beautiful. Sunlight streamed through the windows of the examination room, falling on Shen Yu's spread-out test paper. He touched the amulet in his pocket, took a deep breath, and placed his pen on the paper, steady and smooth.
Outside the exam room, Jiang Yizhou didn't leave. He leaned against the wall, holding a bottle of orange soda in his hand, his eyes fixed on the exam room door, like a dedicated bodyguard. A passing classmate teased him, "Jiang Yizhou, are you standing guard here?"
He grinned, "Wait until my top student comes out."
The pride and confidence in his tone made everyone who heard it stunned for a moment, and then they smiled in understanding.
When the bell rang, signaling the end of the exam, Jiang Yizhou stood up almost immediately. Shen Yu walked out of the exam room and immediately saw Jiang Yizhou in the crowd. He was waving a soda in his hand, like a conspicuous signal tower.
"How did you do on the exam?" Jiang Yizhou rushed up and handed him the soda.
"Not bad." Chen Yu took the soda, unscrewed it and took a sip. The familiar sweet and bitter taste spread on the tip of his tongue, but this time, it brought a sense of peace of mind.
In the setting sun, two young men walked side by side, their shadows overlapping and stretched very long. Chen Yu looked down at the amulet in his hand, then looked at Jiang Yizhou, who was smiling brightly beside him. Suddenly, he felt that those hurdles that he once thought he could not cross, those days that he once thought he could not endure, seemed to have been melted away bit by bit by the warmth before his eyes without him noticing.
In the distance, the sunset glow dyed half the sky red, like a gorgeous painting. Their spring seemed to be really coming.
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