Chapter 65 Strategy: Good luck on the 65th day of the college entrance exam!
Sunflowers have many meanings, the most well-known of which is "silent yet passionate love".
Xiang Di accepted the bouquet, looked at the vibrant yellow blossoms in her hand, and couldn't help but smile sweetly.
On the way home, she sat in her aunt's car, holding the bouquet of sunflowers the whole time, taking pictures with her phone from left to right, and even taking several selfies with the camera.
Seeing this, Luo Yayi couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Now that she had Zhishu, she didn't need her aunt anymore. The bouquet of pink roses that she had specially picked out for her today could only be put on the back of the list.
Luo Yayi sighed and said, "If I had known someone would send you flowers today, why would I have bothered buying them for you? I even went to the florist today to find flowers that matched your dress."
Xiang Di immediately put down the sunflower and picked up the neglected pink rose from her feet, trying to mediate between her aunt and Bai Jiangxin.
"No, no, I like pink roses very much too."
Luo Yayi: "No, you can only choose one: sunflowers or pink roses."
Xiang Di pouted, looking at her aunt with a troubled expression.
Luo Yayi glanced at her sideways.
It's true that Luo Yayi is a little jealous of Naoki, but she can also understand her niece.
At the age of just becoming an adult, before experiencing the trials of society and reality, the feeling of love is too fresh. The liking for someone is the purest and most passionate. I wish I could think about that person for 24 hours a day, and see that person's image every time I open and close my eyes.
She was like that when she was in school. The boy she liked was everything to her. She experienced all kinds of joys and sorrows for him, but she was still happy to do so. It was as if having him meant having the whole world.
Although her student days were quite a while ago, Luo Yayi had been through that period herself, so she could understand her niece's feelings at this moment very well.
But she is, after all, my aunt and an elder, so I still have to give her some advice.
"Tell me, when did you and Naoki start having an affair?" Luo Yayi said. "Didn't you say before that there was no possibility between you and him, and that you would never confess to him?"
Xiang Di still wanted to keep it a secret from her aunt, but her aunt ruthlessly exposed her: "Don't pretend. There are so many girls in your class, why did he only send you flowers, and even asked his dad to bring them to you? That means he has already introduced you to his dad."
Xiang Di bit her lip, her large almond-shaped eyes brimming with undisguised excitement: "Really?"
“It’s fake,” Luo Yayi said. “So hurry up and tell the truth, or I’ll tell your parents and brother and see if they approve of you dating in high school.”
Xiang Di quickly said no, and stammered out the truth to her aunt.
"You mean he confessed to you first?" Luo Yayi raised an eyebrow incredulously. "But didn't Naoki-kun not even know you were his classmate before?"
“…Yes.” Xiang Di said, staring at the bouquet in her hand, “That’s why I also feel it’s so unreal.”
She had no idea when he fell in love with her, nor did she know why he liked her.
"So he knows that you've actually had a crush on him for three years?" Luo Yayi asked.
Xiang Di shook his head.
"Why not tell him? You've already made your crush real anyway."
Xiang Di fiddled with the flower petals and said softly, "I'm afraid if I tell him... I'll feel inferior to him from now on."
In truth, I longed to tell him, to share all the joys and sorrows of the past three years, to tell him how much effort I had put in to get closer to him.
She had finally won his favor, and she didn't want to reveal her feelings so soon.
"And I still don't know why he likes me..." A hint of insecurity flashed in Xiang Di's eyes. "I'm afraid that he likes me as much as I like him."
Luo Yayi nodded: "I understand, so you're not planning to tell him?"
"Hmm..." Xiang Di hesitated, "Let's talk about it when things are more stable later."
"What do you mean by 'stable'? After you get married?"
Xiang Di pouted: "That's too far away, I'm only eighteen."
"There are people who get married in college, it's not uncommon." Luo Yayi said nonchalantly. "By the way, how far have things progressed between you and Naoki-kun? Let me remind you, no matter how hot-blooded you are, everything should wait until after the college entrance exam. Nothing is more important than your future. If you dare to delay the college entrance exam, not only your parents, but I will also deal with you."
"No, no," Xiang Di quickly defended Bai Jiangxin. "He also considered this point, so we've already agreed to officially get together after the college entrance exam."
"That's alright... Naoki-kun is quite rational." Luo Yayi nodded. "It's not easy for a boy this age to be able to resist. When I was in school, many boys were like they were driven by lust. Those with girlfriends would drag their girlfriends into the woods every day. Our dean of students couldn't catch them all."
Xiang Di nudged her lips: "Bai Jiangxin is not that kind of person."
Today in the teaching building, they kissed for so long that she felt itchy all over and wished he would deepen the kiss, but he didn't go any further. After the kiss, he simply hugged her.
She was dressed so beautifully today, which was unusual for her. Actually, even if he had just touched her a little, it wouldn't have mattered...
Her legs, hidden beneath her skirt, tightened slightly in embarrassment as she sighed silently to Di. Between the two of them, he was clearly the more restrained and composed one, while she was the carnivore with a head full of lewd thoughts.
Hearing that the two children agreed to wait until after the college entrance examination to officially start dating, Luo Yayi had nothing to worry about in this regard.
"Then let's wait until after the college entrance exam." Luo Yayi said with a smile, "Di Bao'er, I don't think you need to underestimate yourself. Naoki is very outstanding, but you are also very good. Look at you, you are cute, have a good personality, and good grades. Getting into a top university is no problem at all. When you two took a photo together this afternoon, I heard many people in your class say that you two are a good match."
Xiang Di's eyes lit up: "Really? Who said we were a good match?"
"Your classmates say that your Naoki-kun is like a different person. He used to rarely talk to girls, but today he's actually willing to take photos with them. Does Naoki-kun rarely talk to girls at school?"
Xiang Di nodded: "Right, anyway, I heard Qianqian say before that he basically doesn't interact with the girls in our class."
They had been classmates for a year, and their first conversation was when she struck up a conversation at the small supermarket.
"Then you have even less to worry about. Naoki-kun is really special to you. And how do you know you like him more? Some people fall in love late, but that doesn't stop them from loving deeply."
Luo Yayi suddenly laughed, seemingly lost in thought: "And I think if Naoki-kun finds out that you've had a crush on him for three years, he'll be ecstatic. He might even be so excited that he'll eat you up on the spot, haha."
Xiang Di's cheeks flushed, and she said awkwardly, "...Is it really that exaggerated? It's not like he hasn't had other people secretly admiring him before."
Someone like Bai Jiangxin would be destined to be secretly admired no matter which school he was in; it wouldn't be surprising if anyone had a crush on him.
"Being secretly loved by someone you don't like is a completely different feeling from being secretly loved by someone you like. If it were me, I would be overjoyed if I found out that the person I like actually had a crush on me for a long time."
Luo Yayi tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at her: "If you don't believe me, tell him that you've liked him for a long time, and that you even got into the top class for him. See if he's happy then."
Xiang Di was somewhat persuaded by her aunt.
If he found out, would he really... eat her?
A strange thought started popping into his head again, and he slapped his cheek hard.
Abstain from pornography! Abstain from pornography!
Luo Yayi was startled: "If you don't want to talk, then don't. Why are you slapping yourself?"
"no……"
Unable to explain, Xiang Di showed her aunt the edited photo on her phone, trying to change the subject: "Does this selfie look good? Can I send it to Bai Jiangxin?"
Luo Yayi glanced at it and nodded: "It looks good."
"But I feel like my face looks so chubby," Xiang Di said. "Let's Photoshop it again."
As a result, by the time Luo Yayi dropped her off at home, the editing wasn't finished yet. The car was already parked, and Xiang Di was still choosing filters.
She was reminded not to look at her phone on the way home and to edit it slowly when they got home. Luo Yayi couldn't help but shake her head, feeling that it was probably unlikely that Naoki would ever see this selfie in his lifetime.
Back in the car, Luo Yayi took out her phone and sent a message to the father of Naoki-kun, whom she had recently added on social media. She told him that she had already asked around and that the two boys were very sensible and wouldn't do anything reckless before the college entrance exam, so he could rest assured.
A few minutes later, the other party replied briefly: 【Thank you.】
After staring at the man's profile picture for a long time, Luo Yayi couldn't help but sigh.
Why does this man have to be Naoki's father, and her niece's future father-in-law?
It seems that I'm destined to become in-laws with him.
-
After a brief conversation with Ms. Luo, Bai Guang put away his phone and looked at his son beside him.
The son was looking down at his phone. In the dimly lit carriage, the faint light from the phone illuminated his profile and the faint smile on his lips.
Bai Guang didn't like to smile, and his son took after him; he didn't smile much either. Suddenly, he became curious about what his son was looking at and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Bai Jiangxin glanced at his father and said, "These photos were taken at school this afternoon."
"Was this taken with your classmates?"
"Hmm." Bai Jiangxin handed the phone to his father. "Would you like to take a look?"
Bai Guang was somewhat surprised by his initiative to share. He paused for a moment, then took the phone.
I swiped through a few pictures, then accidentally exited and found myself in a whole page of my personal photo album.
Each of these collected photos has a heart icon in the lower left corner, indicating that Bai Jiangxin genuinely liked the photos before adding them to his collection.
Most of the photos were of that girl. Bai Guang glanced at the top two, the background of which was one of his Rolls-Royces with a red interior. As for the two young people in the photos…
"..."
Somewhat shocked, Bai Guang quickly withdrew and casually returned the phone to his son.
In the following days, Bai Guang was like an old father who had accidentally discovered his child's secret. He sighed at how fast time had passed and how his child had already reached the age where he could take affectionate photos with girls.
On the one hand, it's unbelievable that the person smiling so affectionately at the girl in the photo is really his son, who inherited his cold-faced genes.
Bai Guang suddenly sighed.
Bai Jiangxin heard his father sigh and asked, "What's wrong?"
"…No."
Just as he said no, Bai Guang spoke again: "You and that girl..."
A cell phone rang abruptly in the carriage. Bai Jiangxin reminded him, "It's your call."
Bai Guang took out his phone from his inner pocket. It was an unfamiliar call from an overseas number. Businessmen often receive calls from all over the world, so Bai Guang didn't think much of it and answered it directly.
Bai Jiangxin noticed that his father's face quickly darkened.
How did you know my private number?
Bai Guang glanced at his son, then lowered his voice and said to the person on the phone, "I can't talk to you right now... Am I not qualified?" He scoffed, "Then are you qualified?"
"Let me tell you, even if you have something really important to say, wait until after your exams next month."
After hanging up the phone, Bai Jiangxin asked, "Who called?"
Bai Guang: "Partner".
Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder. Bai Guang was startled and heard his son say, "Let me talk to her."
Bai Guang looked surprised. Bai Jiangxin said, "I know it was her who called."
Not knowing how his son had figured it out, Bai Guang had no choice but to hand the phone to his son.
The call was quickly connected, and a woman's voice came from the other end: "Bai Guang, Xin'er's life is not up to you to decide."
Bai Jiangxin said calmly, "It's not up to you to decide."
The woman suddenly fell silent.
They hadn't been in contact for over a decade, and neither mother nor son would have recognized the other's voice if they didn't know who was on the other end of the phone.
"Xin'er?" Jiang Ruya said softly, "Your voice has changed. It's completely different from when you were little. Your mother didn't even notice."
Bai Jiangxin completely ignored his mother's pleasantries and asked directly, "What do you want?"
“I know you’re about to take the college entrance exam. Mom wants to ask you if you have any plans to study abroad?” Jiang Ruya added, “I can arrange for you to get into one of the top universities in the United States.”
Bai Jiangxin: "No."
Jiang Ruya went on to list many benefits, but Bai Jiangxin remained indifferent.
If you really wanted to take him abroad to live with you, why didn't you take him with you when you divorced?
If years had passed and her maternal love had finally arrived late, she could have planned his studies abroad years earlier, just like Zhou Linxiao's parents, instead of suddenly appearing in front of him with only half a month left before the college entrance examination and saying she wanted to take him abroad.
In Bai Jiangxin's view, the appearance of the mother at this juncture was too strange.
His mother had her own life goals back then, and she gave him up for her own sake. Bai Jiangxin doesn't hate her, but he will never have any hope for maternal love again.
He dislikes arguing, complaining, and hatred. He won't even glance at someone who no longer inspires his expectations.
Jiang Ruya had been talking for a long time, but her emotions became agitated due to his indifference.
"Xin'er, do you still want to choose your father?" Jiang Ruya couldn't help but ask. "Think about it, if your father had shown you enough care all these years, wouldn't he have noticed that you are different from other children?"
Bai Jiangxin's expression hardened: "What?"
Jiang Ruya's voice softened again: "Your dad doesn't know, but your mom knows that you are different from other children. You are born different, so you hate physical contact with people. You never share a set of tableware with anyone. While other children are playing outside with their playmates, you prefer to stay at home quietly playing the piano and don't go anywhere."
Everyone else thinks you're naturally quiet, but only your mother understands your struggles. You actually really want to make friends, right?
“Your father told me very confidently before that you wouldn’t go abroad because you have your grandparents and friends in China. I’m happy for you that you have friends in China.” Jiang Ruya paused, then suddenly asked him, “But do your friends know about your situation? If they do, can they accept it?”
The car had already arrived at his apartment building, but Bai Jiangxin didn't get out. The veins on the back of his hand, which was gripping his phone, were bulging. After a long silence, he asked coldly, "What exactly do you want?"
Jiang Ruya asked gently, "It's not about what I want, Xin'er, don't you want to be a normal person again?"
-
Bai Guang had no idea what his son and Jiang Ruya had talked about.
But he could tell that the phone call had ruined his son's mood, to the point that the relaxed expression on his son's face vanished after receiving Jiang Ruya's call.
After his son returned the phone to him and went upstairs alone, Bai Guang called Jiang Ruya back, but she didn't answer.
After closing the door, Bai Jiangxin irritably ripped off his tie, took off his suit jacket, and threw it onto the sofa.
He sat on the sofa for a long time, rubbing his forehead. His phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and saw it was another group chat message.
A group of people were chatting enthusiastically about the coming-of-age ceremony this afternoon, sending all sorts of photos and emojis in the group chat.
Suddenly someone sent him a private message.
The name is still the same, but the profile picture has been changed to the sunflower he gave me.
Xiang Di: [The sunflowers are so pretty!]
Then a photo was sent over, a selfie of her holding a sunflower.
Bai Jiangxin raised an eyebrow. He recognized her, but something felt different.
In short, she is not as pretty as the naked eye can see.
But he still saved the photo to his album and added it to his favorites.
Bai Jiangxin: [It's good.]
Xiang Di: [You mean sunflowers?]
Bai Jiangxin knew what she wanted to hear, and he replied, "What else?"
Xiang Di sent a meme that said, "We're really not on the same page."
Bai Jiangxin was suddenly amused by the meme. He chuckled softly, tilted his head back, and leaned back on the sofa. His tense mood eased slightly because of the meme.
Xiang Di then asked him, "Why did you give me sunflowers?"
Bai Jiangxin: [Like you.]
Xiang Di: [Is it because I share the same last name as it?]
Bai Jiangxin smiled again.
Bai Jiangxin: [No, it's just that I think it looks a lot like you.]
While picking out bouquets at the flower shop, I immediately spotted a bunch of blooming sunflowers.
I was initially drawn to its bright yellow color; it was so vibrant and unforgettable.
Later, it was packaged into bouquets, and against the backdrop of white lisianthus, it appeared even brighter. It grows towards the sun, so it is as bright as the sunshine, and seeing it makes you feel good.
Bai Jiangxin opened his favorite photo album again. There was a picture of Xiang Di looking down at the sunflowers on the playground that afternoon. In that instant, his hand reacted faster than his brain, and he took a picture.
Bai Jiangxin suddenly asked her: "Do you like sunflowers?"
Xiang Di replied without hesitation: 【I love it!】
Normally, a man with a sense of romance would reply with "Then I'll send you a bouquet of sunflowers every day from now on" to express his love for her, but Bai Jiangxin did not.
He looked at the person in the photo and replied, "I love it too."
If she is a sunflower that grows towards the sun, then he is the shadow that grows towards her.
Xiang Di said he would tell him something important after the college entrance examination. He couldn't think of what it was for the time being. He only knew that he didn't want to lose his sunflower.
-
After the coming-of-age ceremony, the final three mock exams will follow.
There was no more time for review, and June arrived as scheduled.
This year, students who didn't go to the battlefield enjoyed a long holiday before the college entrance examination, while those who did go to the battlefield faced their final battle.
As the final bell rang for the end of their high school years, Chen Jinghua gave his classmates one last talk about the important points for the college entrance examination. No matter what, mindset is the most important thing. Stay calm and don't worry about the scores. As long as you can finish all the exams and walk out of the exam room smoothly, you've won this battle.
All the teachers were also giving the last lectures to all the students on exam techniques such as "If you don't know how to do a question, give up on it immediately. Don't waste time on a question. Remember the multiple-choice question techniques I taught you. If you really don't know how to do it, just guess. You still have a one in four chance of getting the points."
Xiang Di's exam venue was not at her own school, but at another middle school. On the day of the exam, her parents and brother took her to the exam location.
Despite their busy work schedules, Xiang Rongqiang and his wife took leave from work to accompany their daughter during the college entrance examination. Fortunately, their supervisor was also a parent who had experienced the exam, and not only readily approved their leave but also asked them to convey his best wishes.
The journey to the exam venue went very smoothly. Every stranger wished Xiang Di good luck. When she arrived at the exam venue, her parents and brother took turns reminding her of the important points. Xiang Sheng, in particular, patted her on the shoulder and said, "Your brother has been through this before. Trust me. Don't think of it as the college entrance exam. Just treat it as a regular small test."
Xiang Di nodded vigorously, checked her admission ticket and ID card one last time, and glanced at her phone. Everyone in the class group chat was copying and pasting "Good luck on the college entrance exam."
Xiang Di turned off her phone, handed it to her mother, and walked into the examination room with her hands held high and her chest out, under the expectant gazes of her family.
A standard, calm female announcer's voice echoed over the school's public address system: "Welcome to all candidates participating in the National College Entrance Examination... We wish you all the best in your exams."
As the exam bell rang, more than ten million students across the country rushed to this final battle of their youth, embarking on a brand new chapter in their lives.
...
After finishing the last biology exam, Xiang Di watched as the proctor collected her exam paper, following the announcement over the loudspeaker.
Only after leaving the examination room did she finally let out a deep breath.
The exam is over.
The exams are really over.
To be honest, she didn't even know how she finished the exam.
All she knew was that the accumulation and learning she had made over the past three years of high school had come to a complete end today.
She walked out of the examination hall with a mix of relief and anxiety. Her parents and brother were waiting for her outside. After picking her up, they tacitly refrained from asking her how the exam went.
After getting into the car, Xiang Sheng returned the phone to her.
"Congratulations, you're out of the ban! From today onwards, you can play on your phone to your heart's content."
Xiang Di quickly turned on her phone, and a flood of messages rushed in, especially from the class group chat. Before Xiang Di could finish reading them, a phone call came in.
It was Ye Minjia calling: "Is Bai Jiangxin with you?"
“No,” Xiang Di said. “We’re not taking the exam at the same school.”
“I know, we go to the same school. We agreed to meet at the gate after the exam, but I waited for a long time and didn’t see him. His phone was also off. I wonder if he went to find you directly.”
Xiang Di denied it: "No, I'm with my parents."
“That’s strange…” Ye Minjia muttered.
Xiang Di was wondering if he might have gone to the restroom when Ye Minjia suddenly said, "Hey, hey, he messaged me saying he went home first."
Xiang Di: "Then you should go home and rest too, class monitor. We'll make another appointment tonight."
"Wait, I'm typing to him."
After waiting for about ten seconds, Ye Minjia said, "Damn it, he stood me up again! The college entrance exam is over and he still stood me up!"
Before Xiang Di could understand, Ye Minjia said, "Where are you? I'm coming to find you. Come with me to his house, and we'll go straight there."
Xiang Di blushed.
Going to Bai Jiangxin's house? He just finished the college entrance exam? Isn't that a bit too hasty?
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