Chapter 48
The winter snow melted, and the spring chill lingered. The final semester of senior year began in an almost tragic atmosphere. The numbers on the countdown clock dwindled relentlessly, like the Sword of Damocles hanging over everyone's heads. The air in the classroom seemed to freeze, leaving only the turning of test papers, the scratching of pens on paper, and the occasional suppressed sighs of anxiety.
At the "100-Day Countdown Rally," the deafening vows couldn't conceal the weariness and confusion in their eyes. The future was like a thick fog, and the college entrance examination, which was just around the corner, was the only clearly visible exit, but it could also be a single-plank bridge leading to an unknown abyss.
Xu Nianlei felt like a rubber band stretched to its limit, ready to snap at any moment. The relentless bombardment from various subjects, the snowflakes of mock exams, the teachers' constant emphasis on "one point can eliminate a thousand people," and Wang Xiuqin's concern, though no longer hysterical, but even more pervasive—"Eat more, don't overwork yourself," "How did this mock exam go?" "I heard that the major at XX University is very good..."—all of these felt like invisible boulders, pressing down on her spine layer by layer.
She began to suffer from insomnia. Even when she lay down, exhausted, her mind couldn't stop racing, with formulas, words, and classical Chinese passages spinning like a revolving lantern. Her appetite also became very poor, and her already thin body became even thinner, her face always pale and bloodless.
The contents of that blue notebook gradually changed.
"I got three of the multiple-choice questions wrong in the combined science section, which I shouldn't have gotten wrong. There wasn't enough time."
"I couldn't solve the last math problem again, even though I had practiced similar ones."
"Mom made soup, but I can't drink it; I feel like throwing up."
"I can't sleep, it's 3 a.m.
Anxiety and self-doubt, like vines, crept up on her. She was afraid of failure, afraid of disappointing her mother, and even more afraid... of letting down the person who had always silently protected her. She always felt that if she didn't do well on the exam, it would be as if all her efforts and struggles, along with the hard work he had poured into her, were a joke.
Lu Baiyan took in her entire condition. He saw her furrowed brows when she pretended to doze off at her desk during breaks, saw her staring blankly at her lunchbox at lunchtime, and saw the increasingly dark circles under her eyes. He knew that this was the inevitable altitude sickness and mental fluctuations that would occur during the final sprint, but it made him particularly worried when it happened to Xu Nianlei.
He could no longer simply offer academic assistance as before. What she needed was emotional support and stress relief.
It was a Saturday afternoon, a rare half-day off. Instead of taking a nap or doing practice problems like his classmates, Lu Baiyan went to Xu Nianlei's apartment building. He had sent her a text message beforehand from an anonymous number, containing only two simple words: "Come downstairs."
When Xu Nianlei saw the text message, her heart skipped a beat. She hesitated for a moment, told Wang Xiuqin that she was going to the bookstore to buy some materials, and then hurried downstairs.
When she saw Lu Baiyan standing under the sycamore tree, his figure elegant and refined, she felt a little uneasy. The spring chill was still in the air, and he was only wearing a thin sweater, which made his tall and imposing figure appear even more striking.
"Come with me somewhere." He didn't explain, and turned to leave.
Xu Nianlei followed silently behind him. The two walked one after the other through the familiar streets, heading towards the edge of the county town. There was a small park there, rarely visited because of its outdated facilities.
The park was indeed very quiet, with only a few elderly people sunbathing. The bare branches were beginning to sprout tender green buds, and the grass was starting to turn green again, revealing a hint of life.
Lu Baiyan led her to an artificial lake in the center of the park. The lake was not large and the water was murky, but it shimmered with tiny sparkles in the afternoon sun.
He sat down on a bench by the lake and gestured for her to sit down as well.
Xu Nianlei hesitated before sitting down, keeping a distance of one person between them. A spring breeze rippled across the lake, carrying the scent of damp earth.
Lu Baiyan didn't look at her; his gaze was fixed on the lake. He spoke calmly, not as if offering comfort, but more as stating a fact:
"The college entrance examination is important, but it cannot determine a person's entire value."
Xu Nianlei was stunned; she hadn't expected him to say that.
“It’s normal to feel a lot of pressure and feel suffocated right now,” he continued, his tone still calm. “Many people have gone through this. Including me.”
He turned his head to look at her: "But you have to know that you've already left many people behind to get to where you are today. You've endured a lot that others can't even imagine. This resilience is more valuable than any exam score."
His words were like a gentle breeze, dispelling the dust of restlessness in her heart.
"As for the result," he paused, his gaze deep, "doing your best and having a clear conscience is enough. The road ahead is long, and the college entrance examination is just a stop, not the end."
He took a small, brown paper-wrapped object out of his pocket and handed it to her.
Xu Nianlei took it, opened it, and saw that it was a smooth, dark gray pebble with natural patterns, warm to the touch.
“When you’re under a lot of pressure, hold it,” Lu Baiyan said. “Or, like this.”
He picked up a small pebble from beside his feet, flicked his arm, and the pebble traced an arc before falling into the lake with a "plop," creating ripples.
"Imagine your worries and anxieties as this stone, and throw it away." He looked at the ripples on the lake gradually calming down, and said softly, "Then, keep moving forward."
Xu Nianlei looked at the smooth pebble in her hand, then at the calm lake surface. The turbulent waves surging in her heart seemed to slowly subside with the ripples.
She imitated him, forcefully throwing the pebble in her hand into the lake. "Splash," the sound was soft, but it seemed to release some heavy burdens weighing on her heart.
A breeze blew by, and the willow branches by the lake rustled softly.
The two sat quietly on the bench, neither speaking. Sunlight filtered through the sparse branches, casting dappled shadows on them.
At this moment, there were no exam papers, no rankings, no mother's expectations, and no uncertainty about the future. There was only the tranquil lake, the gentle spring breeze, and the silent boy beside her, who seemed to embrace all her anxieties.
Xu Nianlei felt her nerves, which had been tense for many days, finally relax for a moment. She secretly turned her head and looked at Lu Baiyan's gentle profile outlined by the sunlight. The barren land in her heart seemed to be infused with new life by the warm spring sun and his words.
Yes, it's just a stop, not the final destination.
On the way back, his steps seemed lighter. He stopped just before reaching the entrance of the residential complex.
“That stone,” he suddenly said, “I searched for a long time before finding the most suitable one.”
Xu Nianlei's heart skipped a beat, and she looked up at him.
He looked at her, his eyes filled with an emotion she had never seen before—a clear, solemn one.
“Xu Nianlei,” he called her by her full name, his voice deep and clear, “Hang in there. I’ll be waiting for you at university.”
After saying that, he turned around and left quickly without waiting for her reaction, his figure disappearing around the street corner.
Xu Nianlei stood there, the warm touch of the pebble still lingering in her hand, his last words echoing in her ears.
I'll be waiting for you at university.
This is not encouragement, nor is it consolation. It is a promise. A promise from Lu Baiyan, crystal clear.
A tremendous surge of emotion, a mixture of unbelievable elation and a heavy sense of responsibility, instantly overwhelmed her. Tears welled up unexpectedly, but this time, they were not tears of grievance and despair, but tears filled with strength and hope.
She looked in the direction he had disappeared, clenched her fists tightly, and her nails dug deep into her palms.
Lu Baiyan, I will definitely go. No matter what scenery lies beyond that platform, I will definitely go to where you are.
The spring chill still lingered, but within her heart, a blazing flame had ignited, powerful enough to dispel all the cold. In this final sprint, she would no longer be alone.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
