Fill in the application form
Willow trees sway gently in the June breeze, their slender branches swaying like green ribbons. On campus, the pace of senior year classes intensifies, and a tense atmosphere quietly creeps in. In the classroom, the rustling of pages blends with the teacher's voice as students gather strength for the crucial moment ahead, sprinting hard on the racetrack of youth.
Song Yuhuan held a thick stack of papers, the edges slightly curled. The scent of wet ink mixed with chalk dust hung in the air. The murmurs in the back row suddenly stopped. Usually, the homeroom teacher would hold either lesson plans or homework books, but this pile of documents of unknown origin was like a silent pebble dropped into a calm lake.
From the podium, Song Yuhuan's cool voice echoed through the slightly heated classroom: "Students, the college entrance examination is approaching. This is a crucial moment in life, carrying with it years of hard work and dreams."
"In order to better understand everyone's ideal university and to provide more targeted guidance in the future, the school has asked everyone to fill out the application form today. Class representatives, please pass out the application forms." His eyes swept across the slightly nervous but expectant faces in the audience, with a hint of encouragement and expectation in his eyes.
At noon, the classroom was filled with lively discussions, with students expressing their opinions on their favorite universities. Gu Hanzhi, seated in her seat, appeared focused on her work, but her eyes pretended to glance casually at Shen Zhihe beside her. Shen Zhihe's bony hand held a pen, seemingly about to write down his first choice.
Gu Hanzhi struggled for a moment, but finally mustered up the courage to gently pat Shen Zhihe. With a hint of tentativeness and expectation in her tone, she asked, "Do you have a favorite university?"
Shen Zhihe paused, pondering for a moment. A longing glint flickered in his eyes as he slowly spoke, "I want to go to University A. University A is not only a century-old institution, but its teaching strength and academic heritage are no less impressive than those of other prestigious universities. Most importantly, I've heard the campus may be even more beautiful than I imagined. Studying and living in such an environment would be more enjoyable and would truly inspire my potential."
Gu Hanzhi listened attentively, a thoughtful look on her face. Then, with a smile on her face, she said, "University A is indeed a prestigious university with a great reputation. With your ability, it will be easy for you to get into University A!"
After he finished speaking, Gu Hanzhi no longer hesitated. She picked up the pen and solemnly filled in "University A" in the first choice column on the application form, as if this stroke of the pen had created some kind of invisible bond with Shen Zhihe.
The school bell rang out, resonant and clear as a silver bell, and the campus suddenly felt like a torrent of energy. Students streamed out of the teaching buildings in groups of two or three, their laughter echoing through the corridors. The setting sun filtered through the mottled leaves, casting patches of golden light and shadow, adding a touch of warmth to the lively scene.
Jiang Wanning skipped over to Gu Hanzhi's side, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and gossip. She affectionately took Gu Hanzhi's arm, leaning slightly, almost leaning her entire weight on him. Her tone was light and sly, "Hanzhi, did you succeed in holding hands with Chen?" She looked like a little fox sniffing out gossip.
Gu Hanzhi was originally walking quietly by herself, with her head lowered. Her long eyelashes cast a shadow under her eyes, and a suspicious blush quietly climbed up the tip of her ears, like an intoxicating sunset in the sky.
She didn't expect Jiang Wanning to ask this question so directly. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt inexplicably guilty. She lowered her voice unconsciously and stammered, "It's okay..." The vague answer made it seem like she was trying to cover up her mistake.
Jiang Wanning covered her mouth with her hands, feigning exaggerated shock, her body leaning back dramatically, as if taken aback by the answer. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and her voice rose several degrees, filled with uncontrollable excitement: "Oh, you two aren't going to... that, are you?"
Gu Hanzhi's face suddenly turned red, like a ripe apple. She waved her hands repeatedly, her voice hurried and flustered, "It's not what you imagine!" But her flushed cheeks and unnatural expression had already exposed her inner panic. To Jiang Wanning, this was undoubtedly a tacit confirmation that something unusual was going on between them.
She glanced at Gu Hanzhi, who was standing beside her with an indifferent expression, and deliberately prolonged her tone, her voice as clear as a silver bell: "It doesn't matter if you don't want to admit it. I have specially prepared a big gift for both of you." The ending tone trembled slightly, like the wind blowing through the branches of flowers in spring, with a seductive meaning.
Gu Hanzhi's dark eyes rippled as she heard this. She looked up at Jiang Wanning, her long eyelashes casting subtle shadows. She parted her thin lips, and a rare hint of curiosity lingered in her cold voice, "Tell me about it."
Seeing this, Jiang Wanning's almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents, and she suddenly quickened her pace, taking a few steps forward. With her back to Gu Hanzhi, she glanced back and winked slyly, her hair swirling in the wind, covering half of her flushed cheeks. "Hmph, I won't tell you!" She playfully stuck out her tongue, her crisp laughter echoing through the courtyard, startling birds perched on the branches and sending them fluttering off into the darkening sky.
Gu Hanzhi hurried to catch up with Jiang Wanning, who was humming a little tune in front of her. The breeze lifted a few strands of her hair. She raised her hand to tuck the loose strands behind her ear and said anxiously, "By the way, have you filled out your first choice? The teacher said before school that it should be submitted by tomorrow afternoon!"
Jiang Wanning turned abruptly upon hearing this, her ponytail swirling playfully in the air. Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled, her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. She reached out and took Gu Hanzhi's arm: "Me!"
She deliberately drawled out her words, twirling lightly on her toes, her light blue school uniform billowing. "Although I'm not very good at academics, I recently secretly signed up for an arts exam!"
At this point, she leaned close to Gu Hanzhi's ear and lowered her voice, "I'm planning on applying to that super famous art school in City A. I heard the dance department there not only has top-notch faculty, but even the rehearsal rooms have panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows!" Suddenly, she straightened up, her hands resting on her cheeks with a nympho-like smile. "Most importantly, the seniors are all tall and handsome. Last time I saw the video of their school anniversary performance, my heart was about to explode!"
She shook her phone proudly, and a saved dance video was on the screen. "For this exam, I practiced in the dance studio every day after school until dark." Suddenly, she grabbed Gu Hanzhi's wrist, her eyes full of anticipation. "After the college entrance examination, you must accompany me to a professional dance studio to practice! I also want to choreograph a duet, just the two of us!" As she spoke, she began to demonstrate the movements. The setting sun stretched the shadows of the two girls very long, interweaving into the shape of youth on the ground.
"Wouldn't Aunt Jiang be furious if she knew you wanted to secretly apply for the art exam?" She stared at Jiang Wanning's lively appearance with a half-smile.
Jiang Wanning then said nonchalantly, "My mom said that as long as I can get into a top university, she doesn't care about anything else." Her voice was filled with some barely perceptible joy. She recalled that when her mother said this, she was bending down to trim the green ivy on the balcony. The scissors "clicked" and cut off the dead branches. The debris fell on the tiles, like a fine golden rain.
Gu Hanzhi raised her eyebrows and looked at Jiang Wanning: "Aunt Jiang is really casual." There was a hint of envy in her tone. She turned her head to look at the gradually darkening sky outside the window. The lights of the teaching building in the distance lit up in dots, like a galaxy fallen to the earth.
Jiang Wanning suddenly said, "What about you? Have you decided which university to apply to?" Her eyes were sparkling, reflecting the last rays of sunlight in the twilight.
Gu Hanzhi was silent for a moment and said, "I'm going to University A." Her voice was soft, but with unquestionable determination, "The score line of University A may be a bottleneck for me. I want to challenge it." The wind outside the window suddenly became stronger, lifting her drooping hair and drawing messy arcs in the air.
Jiang Wanning's eyes and eyebrows were all smiles. She suddenly turned sideways, her hair brushing against the burning tip of the other person's ear. "I think it's not you who wants to study at A University, but Shen Zhihe who wants to go to A University?"
Those words were like a stone dropped into a deep pool, startling Gu Hanzhi so much that the textbook in her hands clattered to the ground. As she bent down to pick it up, her dangling hair obscured her flushed cheeks. Her voice drifted muffled from beneath her tresses: "No... How could he possibly want to go to a prestigious school like University A..." Her voice trembled faintly, like a dandelion scattered by the wind.
Jiang Wanning's fingertips accidentally brushed against the cool back of Gu Hanzhi's hand. She deliberately drew out her words, "I think that's definitely the case—" She suddenly quickened her pace, walked forward, turned around, and walked backward, allowing Gu Hanzhi's gaze, which had nowhere to hide, to meet her smiling eyes. "Otherwise..." She reached out and pointed at Gu Hanzhi's flushed cheeks, the setting sun stretching their shadows far longer. "Someone's cheeks would be red enough to drip blood."
She knew the tips of her ears must be as red as ripe strawberries, with a subtle blush spreading down the back of her neck. Jiang Wanning's triumphant laughter drifted past her ears on the wind, while the faint sounds of a piano from a distant classroom transformed the girl's thoughts into a uniquely sweet and sour melody of summer.
The notes of summer are all revealed on that application form. Hidden within the ink are the fiery chirping of cicadas, the gentle evening breeze, and the youth's most sincere longing for distant lands. Those filled spaces are lines of poetry written by youth. Perhaps future winds and rain will blur the words, but the melody pulsating now will forever be the most moving movement in memory.
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