Choosing the Distant Horizon
The early summer breeze, carrying the fragrance of gardenias, quietly permeated the senior high school building. The numbers on the countdown clock relentlessly dwindled, and the air was thick with chalk dust, exam paper ink, and a sense of unease. This was the final sprint of their high school years; everyone's future hung on those upcoming exams.
In this otherwise tense atmosphere, Jiang Qi was an exception. His gold medal in the National Physics Competition had secured him a place at the prestigious University A's Physics Department, giving him one foot in the door of a dream school for many. He still came to school every day, but spent most of his time reading more advanced textbooks or organizing his black notebook, which Su An treasured dearly.
Su An's grades were consistently among the top in his humanities class, but he knew in his heart that the cutoff score for the Chinese Literature Department at A University, where Jiang Qi was about to attend, was still incredibly high. He could feel the intentional or unintentional glances from those around him, glances that seemed to say, "Look, that's Jiang Qi's... What if he doesn't get into A University?"
This invisible pressure clung to him like a spiderweb, becoming especially pronounced when he faced his workbook alone late at night. He didn't want to be anyone's appendage, and he certainly didn't want Jiang Qi to have any concerns because of him.
After evening self-study that day, only the two of them remained in the classroom. Su An frowned, looking at a math problem he had repeatedly gotten wrong, and irritably rubbed his hair.
Suddenly, a cup of warm milk was placed beside him. Jiang Qi had appeared beside him at some point and picked up his draft paper to look at it.
"The idea is correct, but the calculation is wrong here." Jiang Qi pointed her finger at a number, her voice calm.
Su An suddenly realized that the answer was indeed correct after the correction. He breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "Thank you."
Jiang Qi didn't return to her seat. Instead, she pulled up the chair next to her and sat down, looking at him calmly: "You haven't been calm these past few days."
Su An tightened her grip on the pen and lowered her eyelashes: "No."
"Because of University A?" Jiang Qi pointed it out directly.
Su An was silent for a moment, then finally nodded gently: "I don't want to... be too far away from you. But I know that with my current grades, applying to A University is very risky. It wouldn't be fair to either of us if I gave up a school that's more suitable for me just to be with you." He raised his head, his eyes filled with confusion but also determination, "Jiang Qi, I also have a path I want to take."
He voiced his deepest inner conflict. He feared separation, and even more so, he feared losing himself in the name of love.
Jiang Qi listened quietly, his face showing no displeasure, but rather a sense of relief. He stood up, took out a stack of printed documents from his bag, and spread them out in front of Su An.
That wasn't a set of exercises; it was a detailed introduction to several prestigious universities, their program rankings, geographical location analyses, and even pictures of the campus environment.
Su An was stunned.
“I’ve checked,” Jiang Qi’s voice was as steady as ever, yet it carried a reassuring strength. “B University’s Chinese Department has a profound history, a free academic atmosphere, and is consistently ranked in the top three. C University’s media studies program is cutting-edge, offers more practical opportunities, and the city environment is more suitable for your development.”
His finger traced across the map: "University B is here, and it's a 40-minute subway ride from University A," he paused, looking at Su An. "If we're both in this city, we can meet up on weekends."
He then pointed to another city: "C University is a bit far, but the high-speed rail is very convenient. We can travel together during the holidays."
He analyzed the possibilities step by step, like solving a physics problem, clearly presenting several future possibilities to Su An. There was no coercion, only complete respect and support.
“Su An,” Jiang Qi’s gaze was deep and focused, “you have always been part of my future plans. But the premise of this plan is that you are on the path that is most suitable for you and that allows you to shine. No matter where you choose, our relationship will not be as simple as just being ‘long-distance’.”
These words were like a gentle yet firm breeze, dispelling the gloom that had lingered in Su An's heart for days. It turned out that Jiang Qi had already considered so much for him, and in such a way, with complete respect for his independent personality.
His eyes welled up slightly, and he nodded vigorously: "I understand. I will think about it carefully."
Meanwhile, in a corner at the back of the classroom, another conversation about "the distance" was taking place.
Jiang Zhao's grades, maintained at a mid-range level in his class thanks to his hard work, were clear. He had set his sights on a good university in the city, D University, majoring in sports management or marketing, a perfect fit for his lively and outgoing personality. At that moment, he was lamenting to Lin Jun how difficult English reading was.
Lin Jun put down his TOEFL vocabulary book and reluctantly took his test paper: "The key words for this question are here..."
Jiang Zhao leaned closer, but his mind was clearly not on the question. He glanced at the brochure of a top-ranked foreign university next to Lin Jun and asked casually, "Brother Jun, have you... decided which one to go to?"
Lin Jun paused, hummed in response, but said nothing more.
Jiang Zhao scratched his head, unusually silent. He knew Lin Jun was outstanding, and he had long known he would go abroad. But now that the moment had come, an inexplicable emotion welled up inside him. He was reluctant to let him go. Not the kind of reluctance one feels when brothers part ways.
The bell rang, signaling the end of evening self-study. The four students packed their things and left the teaching building. The early summer night sky was sparsely dotted with stars.
Jiang Zhao hooked his arm around Lin Jun's neck and joked around as usual, but when they parted at the school gate, he suddenly stopped being so playful.
“Brother Jun,” Jiang Zhao’s voice sounded a little muffled in the night, “Well… once you’re out there, take good care of yourself.” He paused, as if he had made a great decision, and said quickly and clearly, “Don’t give up your future for any… person or thing. Otherwise… otherwise I’ll look down on you.”
After he finished speaking, he didn't dare to look at Lin Jun's expression. He let go of her hand and walked quickly towards his home, almost as if he were walking on the same foot as her. His back view showed a rare sense of haste and stiffness.
Lin Jun stood there, watching Jiang Zhao's retreating figure, which could almost be described as a "fleeing defeat," the evening breeze ruffling the stray hairs on his forehead. He remained motionless for a long time, his deep eyes churning with emotions, which finally culminated in an almost inaudible sigh and a faint, yet incredibly gentle, smile at the corner of his mouth.
That night, the question of the future and the distant horizon was placed before everyone. There was no standard answer, but they all began to learn, while considering each other, to more seriously think about their own independent life course.
Love is not a binding rope, but the wind that lifts us up to greater heights. They are learning to understand the true meaning of this statement.
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