Li Jing was silent for a moment, then reached out and slowly peeled off the wrapper of the milk candy, putting the white candy with a rich milky aroma into her mouth.
The sweetness melted on the tip of my tongue, seemingly dispelling some of the bitterness in my heart.
"Thank you for the candy, Comrade Guan."
Her voice was still a little hoarse, but her emotions were noticeably calmer.
She turned around, her eyes still red, but she dared to look him in the eye. "Which university do you want to go to in the future?"
Guan Hongqi breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she was getting better. She leaned against the bookshelf opposite her and said, "I estimated my grades and chose Beijing University of Technology from the universities I could get into. My sister wants me to study architecture. She said that the country needs these things for its current development."
Hearing that he had a goal, Li Jing nodded, "That's good."
Guan Hongqi raised an eyebrow. "What about you? Where do you want to go?"
Li Jing thought for a moment before speaking, "If my score is high enough, I want to go to teacher's college and become a teacher so that I can teach more children the knowledge I have learned."
Guan Hongqi looked at her with gentle eyes, "Being a teacher is good. Teaching and nurturing students is a very meaningful thing. Comrade Li Jing, you are thoughtful and patient. You will definitely become a good teacher."
Li Jing looked up, a hint of approval in her eyes. "You really think I can do it?"
"Of course," Guan Hongqi nodded firmly, his tone leaving no room for doubt, "If we work together, we'll definitely both pass the exam!"
"Yes!" Li Jing nodded vigorously, and a smile finally returned to her face. The smile was filled with relief and a renewed fighting spirit.
In the narrow space between the bookshelves, two hearts striving for a shared future drew closer because of this small setback and timely encouragement.
...
Time flew by amidst the intense review sessions, and before we knew it, the year was drawing to a close.
On New Year's Eve, the library closed early, and the librarians urged the readers who were still not satisfied to leave.
Li Jing and Guan Hongqi were among the last few to leave.
They packed their heavy schoolbags, pushed open the heavy doors of the library, and were greeted by a chilly yet refreshing breeze.
Outside, snow had started falling heavily, turning the world into a vast expanse of white. The streetlights cast orange halos of light amidst the swirling snowflakes.
Li Jing exhaled a puff of white breath, tightened her scarf, and smiled, "Wow! It's snowing again."
Guan Hongqi stretched out his hand, letting the snow fall into his palm, and couldn't help but smile.
A moment later, he put the warm cotton military cap on Li Jing's head without saying a word, so quickly that she didn't have time to refuse. She said naturally, "Let's go, I'll take you home."
Li Jing smiled and nodded, not intending to refuse.
She enjoys spending more time with him.
The snow is falling heavier now. There are few pedestrians on the road, and the occasional sound of firecrackers can be heard.
The two walked side by side on the snow-covered street, chatting about the difficult points they had just reviewed and about the preparations for the New Year at home. The topics were trivial and ordinary, but they made the journey on this snowy night seem particularly peaceful and warm.
As we approached the alley where Li Jing lived, the snow fell even harder.
The two stopped under the dim streetlight at the alley entrance.
Although reluctant, Li Jing said, "Let's leave it here. The road inside is slippery and difficult to walk on."
Inside were all neighbors who knew Li Jing. Guan Hongqi was also afraid that if he went in rashly, people would gossip about Li Jing. So he nodded and said, "Okay, be careful."
As soon as he finished speaking, a heavy yet melodious chime came from the direction of the telegraph building in the distance.
Ding ding…
It's midnight!
Almost simultaneously, from all directions, countless fireworks and firecrackers seemed to be awakened by the sound of the bell, and they exploded with a loud bang!
The pitch-black night was instantly illuminated, and colorful lights competed to bloom in the snow-covered sky, while a huge commotion swept through the entire city.
Amidst the deafening noise, Guan Hongqi turned his head, looked at the girl's face illuminated by the flickering fireworks, raised his voice, and shouted to her:
"Li Jing! Keep going! We will all achieve our wishes this year!"
His voice pierced through the booming of firecrackers and reached her ears clearly.
Li Jing looked into his incredibly bright eyes and saw in them the same aspirations and determination she had felt herself.
She couldn't say anything, she just nodded vigorously.
Yes!
This year... both she and he will get what they want!
At that moment, the deafening noise around us, the snowflakes flying everywhere, and the fireworks that bloomed brilliantly and then faded away all seemed to become a blurred background.
It was as if the world had shrunk to just the two of them, standing under the dim streetlights, on the threshold of the transition between the old and new year, at the entrance to a hopeful future.
A surge of immense courage gripped Li Jing.
Under the cover of another round of fireworks exploding in the sky, she suddenly stepped forward, reached out, and gently hugged Guan Hongqi.
Through the thick cotton coat, she could feel the instant tension in his chest and the warmth emanating from it.
She hugged me for only one moment, then immediately let go, took a step back, her heart pounding, her voice trembling, "This...this is my New Year's gift!"
After saying that, she didn't dare to look at Guan Hongqi's reaction. She turned around and ran quickly into the deep alley, her figure disappearing into the snow and night.
"..." Guan Hongqi remained frozen in place, maintaining that slightly surprised posture.
The brief but real soft touch in my arms seemed to linger, and the faint scent of face cream from her hair still seemed to linger around my nose.
Only after her figure completely disappeared, leaving only the heavy snow and the still-noisy firecrackers in the alley, did he slowly come back to his senses.
An irrepressible smile, like spring water breaking through the ice, started from the corner of his mouth, slowly spreading upwards, and finally blossomed into an incredibly clear and gentle smile on his face, which was slightly red from the wind and snow.
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