As a senior in high school, Song Yi's winter vacation was naturally short. After returning, it wasn't long before the new semester began.
This time, after discussing with her father, Song Yi applied to stay in the dormitory.
Song Yi chose a two-bedroom apartment, but when she moved in the night before the semester started, seeing her roommate, she was lost in thought.
"Surprise!" Murong Huan shouted, pulling out a bouquet of roses from behind and dramatically handing it to Song Yi: "Welcome, my roommate!"
Song Yi took the roses with a mix of helplessness and amusement, asking, "Why are you also staying in the dorm?"
"I just want to be with you all the time," Murong Huan muttered in reply.
Song Yi stared at her, waving the flowers in her hand, and said, "Confession is lenient, resistance is strict."
"I want you to continue tutoring me," Murong Huan pursed her lips and said, "My dad said that if I don't get into one of the top five prestigious universities in the capital, it's a disgrace to the family, and he'll send me abroad to study."
With Murong Huan's current grades, getting into a regular first-tier university should be doable, but her goal is still a bit out of reach.
Seeing Song Yi's hesitant expression, Murong Huan lowered her head, looking a bit sad, and said, "I don't want to be separated from my mom, so I have to stay. As long as I can get into one of the top five, any major will do. After returning from abroad, I've found many prestigious professors to tutor me, but I always feel lost when they teach, only you, Yi Yi..."
Murong Huan suddenly felt a bit embarrassed as she said this.
After all, this is the last semester of senior year, and studying is extremely important for Song Yi.
If Song Yi refuses her, she can understand.
"Okay," Song Yi smiled at her, "I'll do my best, but you also have to promise me to give it your all."
Murong Huan looked up at her with eyes full of joy, then hugged her tightly, shouting, "Ahhh! Yi Yi, I knew you were the best!"
Song Yi took out a piece of paper and started listing a plan for Murong Huan, saying, "First, let's rule out Imperial Capital University and A University, then let's look at the lowest admission scores of the remaining three last year."
"..."
"So from today on, after class at 6 PM, finish dinner and return to the dorm by 6:30, then give yourself half an hour to wash up, study until 11:30, then spend half an hour reviewing before going to bed. Classes start at 7:30 AM, so wake up at 6:30, review for half an hour, and then go to class."
"Also, I can't supervise you during the day in Class B, so until you can transfer to Class A, you and Shen Yujing should keep each other in check, right? Since you both have the same ranking, remember to apply to be classmates with the teacher."
Song Yi went on and on, then handed the specially arranged "Study Plan" to Murong Huan, saying, "Here, you can start following this strictly from today."
Murong Huan: "..."
Her hand holding the plan was trembling slightly.
The next day, the first day of the new semester, classes officially began.
Shen Yujing looked at Murong Huan beside him strangely, opened the mineral water in front of him, and asked, "Why are we classmates?"
Their Class B doesn't arrange seats by grades.
Murong Huan looked straight ahead at the podium, answering indifferently, "I applied to the teacher."
"Pfft——"
Hearing this, Shen Yujing almost choked to death on the water.
Murong Huan looked at him disdainfully, "What are you doing? Looking like you've seen a ghost?"
"Isn't it like seeing a ghost?" Shen Yujing wiped his chin with a paper, then looked at Murong Huan with a complex expression, asking, "Don't tell me you have any intentions towards me? That's not okay, although it's not illegal, it's against the natural order."
"Hmph." A single word fully expressed Murong Huan's current mood. She took out a book from the drawer and placed it on the table, saying, "If it weren't for Yi Yi asking us to supervise each other, do you think I'd want to sit with you?"
Shen Yujing was even more confused. Just as he was about to ask why, he felt his phone vibrate in the drawer. After opening it and seeing the WeChat message from Song Yi, he naturally understood the whole story.
So Shen Yujing smiled confidently, "Is this mutual supervision? This is clearly me leading you to study together. Don't worry, I will definitely surpass you in the next monthly exam."
"Daydreaming," Murong Huan said and then opened the exercise book in front of her, starting to write.
Shen Yujing also took out a new test paper from the drawer.
Both of them, having the same score in two exams, were determined to prove in the next exam that they were definitely not on the same level!
In Class A.
Song Yi and Jiang Yiheng were already fixed classmates, and this time, as the fourth-place student, Hang Feng sat behind them.
Someone poked Song Yi's shoulder with a pen, and she turned around to ask, "What's up?"
Hang Feng took out two bottles of strawberry milk from the drawer and pushed them towards Song Yi.
Song Yi naturally understood and picked up one of the bottles, but Hang Feng said, "And that one."
She was stunned for a moment, and seeing Hang Feng glance at Jiang Yiheng, she immediately understood his intention.
Song Yi picked up the other bottle of strawberry milk and handed it to Jiang Yiheng, saying, "Here, Hang Feng gave it to you."
Jiang Yiheng took the strawberry milk, a bit surprised, and looked at Hang Feng.
Hang Feng lowered his eyes to avoid their gaze and said, "There's a geometry problem on page 17 of the math homework for the winter vacation, the second question, I got different answers when I calculated it twice."
At this, Song Yi also said, "I remember that question too, it was indeed quite tricky."
Jiang Yiheng said, "That question is out of the syllabus. How about this, let's have lunch together at noon, and I'll explain it to you two."
"Okay," Hang Feng nodded in agreement, then opened the book in front of him.
Jiang Yiheng also turned around and continued writing his test paper.
Seeing the two of them get back to studying, Song Yi took out some of her stash of small breads from her drawer and gave them to the two, then continued reading.
At this moment, at Saint Yu Boys' High School.
The group photo of Xu Che and the people from Saint Slee had spread widely at Saint Yu, and since almost everyone at Saint Yu knew that Xu Che and Shen Yujing didn't get along, this incident had also sparked some discussion in the school.
Some thought that Xu Che was afraid of Shen Yujing and was willing to make peace, which was a disgrace to Saint Yu, but most people only talked behind his back, not daring to confront Xu Che directly, except for——
Jiang Qi.
In the equipment room.
Jiang Qi looked at Xu Che with a cold smile, "Had a lot of fun playing with those guys from Saint Slee? What exactly is your relationship with them?"
Xu Che sat on a chair by the window, gently rubbing his temples, the slight frown indicating his current mood.
After hesitating for a while, he softly answered, "Friends."
"Hmph!" Jiang Qi seemed to be angered by this answer. He looked at Xu Che and said, "Before I left, we were each other's only friends. Especially that Shen Yujing, you've always hated him the most, haven't you? Xu Che, I think you've gone crazy."
Xu Che looked up at Jiang Qi, his eyes indifferent, as if he couldn't be bothered to argue.
He said, "Jiang Qi, do you want to be my friend, or my only friend?"
Jiang Qi was stunned.
Xu Che continued, "Friendship isn't about demanding or expecting the other person to do something, it's about exchanging sincerity with sincerity."
"I used to think we were friends, but later I realized that the kind of relationship that makes people comfortable shouldn't be like ours. Even though Shen Yujing and I have fought countless times since we were kids, I know he would never use any underhanded tricks on me behind my back."
Jiang Qi's voice also turned cold, asking, "What do you mean?"
"Didn't you start spreading our group photo on the forum of Saint Yu Academy?" Xu Che looked at him, his eyes not angry but more like he couldn't be bothered to argue, then casually unwrapped a lollipop and bit it into pieces.
The sweetness of the candy spread, from the taste buds to the rest of the mouth.
He said, "If you want to establish your authority at school, or if you want to take them to fight, it's all up to you. I won't compete with you over anything. I need to go study."
His life wouldn't stagnate at this boys' school, and the outcomes of all things might not be sealed in this winter.
Xu Che was a rational person, so he was also sufficiently sober.
In a time with nothing, there was no need to fight for some things to the point of bloodshed.
If you want something, if you desire something, then work harder to grow.
Become the best option, be the person who deserves her the most, and then return the power of choice back to her hands.
*
Dinner time.
Shen Yujing took out a notebook from his pocket and read aloud with great pride, "Report! Today, Murong Huan took out her phone in the classroom eleven times. I caught her daydreaming five times, secretly applying lipstick twice, and most importantly, she only scored 71 on the class exercise, while I scored 82!"
Murong Huan sneered and opened her own notebook, "Today, Shen Yujing took out his phone fifteen times, turned around to talk to classmates five times, was pointed out by the teacher once. He played with a Rubik's Cube twice, ate something secretly once, and threw a rubber at a classmate once."
Song Yi: "……"
What is this all about! Who wants to hear this stuff! Isn't this observation a bit too detailed, huh!
At this moment, Shen Yujing and Murong Huan both stared at her, their faces showing dissatisfaction, like a big dog and a small cat simultaneously seeking comfort and praise from their owner.
Song Yi didn't directly answer but asked, "So, what was the third period class in your B Class? How many points did the teacher cover?"
"Math|English!"
The two answered simultaneously but gave two different answers, then glared at each other and started arguing.
Song Yi took a deep breath, picked up an orange from the table, and threw one at each of their foreheads, smiling, "Your third period class was a self-study, because your Chinese teacher had a stomachache in the office."
Shen Yujing & Murong Huan: "……Oh"
Song Yi said helplessly, "I asked you two to supervise each other so that you could both improve, not so that you would be too distracted to listen to class, understand?"
The two nodded in unison.
Song Yi was satisfied with their reaction and then took out two printed materials from her backpack, handing them to each, saying, "This is some practice questions I, Hang Feng, and Jiang Yiheng compiled together. You two find time this week to finish them and come to me."
Shen Yujing: "……"
Murong Huan: "……"
The life of the second semester of senior year officially began. Except for a so-called "housewarming party" a week after Shen Yujing and Quan Le moved into the boys' dormitory, everyone else was busy studying and reading, and nothing particularly special happened.
Their senior year life seemed to truly become the same as that of ordinary students.
Soon, the oath-taking ceremony arrived, and all the third-year students sat in the auditorium, most of them yawning, with only the eighty-year-old principal passionately reading a speech on stage.
The seats of Class A and Class B were adjacent. Murong Huan's head rested on Song Yi's shoulder, weakly saying, "When will this end? Doing this kind of superficial stuff in senior year, is it interesting?"
Song Yi took out a vocabulary book from her pocket and handed it to Murong Huan, "Don't waste time, memorize twenty words before it ends."
Murong Huan: "……"
Sitting in the back row, Shen Yujing witnessed the interaction between Song Yi and Murong Huan and rolled his eyes.
He knew Song Yi was playing favorites, but luckily, he had a backup plan.
Thinking this, Shen Yujing took out a book titled "75 Must-Memorize Ancient Poems for High School Students" from his pocket.
Soon, the principal's speech ended, followed by several teachers and directors who also spoke a lot of nonsense. The final process was the speech by outstanding student representatives.
Naturally, Song Yi and Jiang Yiheng were the first to take the stage. The moment they stood on the platform, some students even started taking photos with their phones.
Immediately, a post began to circulate on the Saint Slee campus forum.
[Check out our grade top 1 and top 2! Handsome guy and beautiful girl! So pleasing to the eye, so pleasing to the eye]
1L: They look really good, especially our school uniform, it looks like an idol drama on them.
3L: +1 for the previous comment, I looked down at my own school uniform, this is the difference between a buyer's show and a seller's show.
7L: Sent it to my sister, she thought it was my new little idol.
11L: Our Jiang and Yi are way better than those recently debuted boy and girl groups.
15L: So good-looking, I suddenly feel a bit unworthy to be in the same school as them.
21L: Just being in the same school feels unworthy? I'm in the same class as them, I don't even dare to look at them, and then there's Hang Feng, why do some people get all the looks and talent, shedding tears of a loser.
…
Shen Yujing flipped through it casually and then put the phone away because Jiang Yiheng finished his speech, and now it was Song Yi's turn.
The girl stood on the stage, her expression a bit stiff, obviously not yet accustomed to speaking these too formal words in front of so many people.
But fortunately, Song Yi quickly found her rhythm, talking about her study methods and encouraging words, which were also some standard lines, but because her voice was gentle, it sounded very comfortable.
The old principal was also very satisfied with his two top students. After they finished speaking, he asked, "Which university and major do you want to apply for? Have you thought about it specifically?"
Jiang Yiheng answered, "A University's Medical Department."
This was A University's flagship major, and he had turned down the previous offer of a guaranteed admission after winning a mathematics competition.
It was Song Yi's turn. After thinking for a moment, she answered, "Imperial Capital University's Film and Theater Directing."
For Song Yi, this was what she wanted to do most at the moment, and it could also be considered a dream.
Since this world had become real for her, she also wanted to use the camera to record this world, to make the stories she filmed and told into another kind of reality in the movies.
Next, other outstanding student representatives took turns speaking.
In the audience, Shen Yujing was lost in thought. So, Song Yi wanted to go to Imperial Capital University.
There were many universities in the capital, but the five major prestigious schools were in the same area, and the rest were a bit far from that area, all outside his consideration.
He wanted to be in the same school as her.
It was Friday, Shen Yujing's day to go home every week. Shen's Father also occasionally missed his son since he started boarding, so he specially rushed back to prepare a reunion dinner for the three of them.
While waiting for the dishes to be served at the dinner table, Shen Yujing was memorizing vocabulary with his head down, a scene that shocked Shen's Father and Shen's Mother into looking at each other in disbelief.
Shen's Father whispered, "What's going on? Has he finally gone crazy because of you?"
Shen's Mother glared at her husband, "Isn't it a good thing if our son wants to study hard? Even if he can't learn well, you can't dampen his enthusiasm like this."
"Other people's sons wanting to study hard is a good thing, but my son is different. If he wants to study hard, it's probably something big." Shen's Father summarized his current feelings with this sentence based on his understanding of Shen Yujing, then called out, "Shen Yujing."
No one responded.
"Shen Yujing?"
"Shen Yujing!"
Shen's Father directly took away the vocabulary book from Shen Yujing's hands, finally getting him to look up, blankly staring at his father, "What's wrong?"
"I thought you were possessed, although you weren't that smart to begin with, at least you still have this face that looks like mine." Shen's Father complained to his wife and then asked Shen Yujing, "What are you doing? Studying? What's with this possessed look."
Shen Yujing answered seriously, "I want to get into Imperial Capital University."
Shen's Father was stunned for a moment, then waved his hand, "Got it, I thought it was something big. I'll ask your Uncle Lu to contact them later, see how many buildings we need to donate to get you in."
Reflecting on the determination and joy in Song Yi's eyes as she spoke of her dreams on stage today, Shen Yujing suddenly felt that if he continued to be her university classmate in the same school through such underhanded means, it would be tainting her dreams.
So Shen Yujing said, "Dad, what I mean is that I want to get in on my own."
Shen's Mother interjected, "Let's continue discussing the donation of the building."
Shen Yujing: "..."
It wasn't that his parents didn't trust him; this statement sounded like a fairy tale even to him.
Given his grades, there was only one way to get into Imperial Capital University.
Shen Yujing looked up at his father, his eyes unusually serious: "Dad, I want to study performing arts and enter Imperial Capital University through the arts exam."
He had already looked into it; Imperial Capital University's performing arts department selects students based on a 50/50 split between academic and professional scores. As long as he gets a passing grade in the school exam, he has a great chance. Moreover, performing arts and film and theater directing both fall under the Film Academy.
This way, not only would he and Song Yi be in the same university, but they would also be in the same college.
Didn't Song Yi want to be a director? Then he would go and be her leading man—it's the perfect match!
And... there's a bit of embarrassment here. Shen Yujing had actually once harbored a real dream of becoming an actor when he was a child, but he had forgotten it due to his playful nature.
"Becoming a star, huh?" Shen's Father frowned, clearly considering the feasibility of this idea.
Seeing his father's hesitation, Shen Yujing quickly added, "Dad, I'm not acting on a whim. I really..."
"Alright," Shen's Father agreed directly, then added with some emotion, "In fact, I've always felt that my face was wasted not entering the entertainment industry. I never expected my son to fulfill this dream for me. Of course, I must support it."
Shen Yujing didn't expect to persuade his father so easily. He then looked at Shen's Mother, "Mom, what do you think?"
Shen's Mother was busy scheduling a time to visit Jerry with a friend. She never interfered with Shen Yujing's choices and simply said, "Sure, have the butler hire the best acting teacher for you."
Shen's Father added, "I won't pull any strings for your arts exam. If you can't even pass that, entering the entertainment industry would be a disgrace to me. But once you're in university, I can gift you a film company. Then you can choose whatever you want to act in or direct."
Shen's Mother finally looked up from her son's photo with a gorilla, saying, "That's a good idea. I like watching fantasy romance films. You should act in more of those, understand?"
"His face is so upright, he should be in war films, patriotic ones. Carrying guns and cannons through..."
Before Shen Yujing even started his arts exam, his parents were already arguing about what kind of films he should act in once he debuts, all the way to what color suit he should wear when he wins the Triple Crown award.
Shen Yujing nodded superficially perfunctorily, but in reality, he had already quietly slipped his earplugs out of his pocket, splitting them in half and inserting one into each ear.
It was great; the world was finally quiet.
