Chapter 103
T HAT EVENING, Jiang Cheng continued his habit of “meditation,” mentally combing through everything he had reviewed and memorized recently for the subjects being tested the next day.
He didn’t touch the books, notes, or other study materials on his desk again, and instead focused only on what was already in his mind.
Gu Fei didn’t join the meditation session this time. He had nothing to “meditate” on. He’d done surprisingly okay on today’s exams—these would probably be his best grades in his three years of high school—and now he just had to keep this good feeling going.
After shutting the bedroom door, he went into the living room and called Wang Xu for an update on Yi Jing.
According to Wang Xu, she’d been carted off to the hospital before she could finish her math exam. When she woke up, she cried her eyes out and refused to stay in the hospital for a second longer—she wanted to go home and review for the exams the next day.
“She still has a high fever,” Wang Xu said. “I feel like her emotional state is a mess right now. If she goes to the exams like this tomorrow…who knows how she’s going to do?”
“You’re at her place right now?” Gu Fei asked.
“You think I could’ve come up with an excuse to be in her home at a time like this? Lao-Xu and Lao-Lu went up there just now,” Wang Xu sighed. “I’ve been standing outside this whole time.”
“You should go home,” said Gu Fei. “Or are you going to follow her lead and bomb your own exams tomorrow?”
“It makes no difference whether I bomb it or not; I’m just going through the motions. You know that. It’s just…” Wang Xu paused. “I wanted to tell you something, Da-Fei. If Yi Jing bombs her exams and wants to redo them next year, I’ll do it with her.”
Wang Xu spoke with firm determination. It was nothing like the way he usually spoke when he boasted and ran his mouth. Instead, he sounded solemn and ceremonial. Gu Fei had the feeling that he was serious this time.
Oh, the power of young love.
After ending the call, Gu Fei lit a cigarette and held it between his lips. Standing at the window, he looked out at the streets. They were more serene than usual.
Compared to Yi Jing, Jiang Cheng was in a much more stable state of mind.
It was an aspect of his character that Gu Fei had always wholeheartedly admired.
The stubborn self-confidence Jiang Cheng exuded was not baseless.
Even if he wasn’t your typical overachiever, he had the means to achieve his goals.
If it wasn’t for Jiang Cheng, Gu Fei figured he’d be simply going through the motions for the university entrance exams, just as Wang Xu planned to. He didn’t know what the point was in him taking these exams. What difference was it to him whether he got a high or low score?
But after keeping Jiang Cheng company through this entire journey, despite constantly coming up with new ways to give Jiang Cheng peace of mind while he studied, he found it was Jiang Cheng who had given him even more.
Perhaps Jiang Cheng hadn’t been through as much as he had. Perhaps those rifts and trenches hadn’t been in his way for quite as long, but Jiang Cheng’s self-assuredness in facing any setback head-on was something Gu Fei had never possessed.
The more he saw this side of Jiang Cheng, the more despondent Gu Fei felt.
He’d stayed at the bottom of the river for far too long, swaying aimlessly along with the current of sand and silt around him. The more he wanted to get closer to Jiang Cheng, the more clearly he could see the differences between them.
It was his first time taking a test with such earnestness, and his first time genuinely searching his memories for answers before putting pencil to paper.
But after that…what else could he do? He found himself suddenly at a loss.
***
Jiang Cheng went to sleep very early that night. He was already showered and in bed before ten o’clock, having finished combing through the contents of his mind. “Why don’t you sing me a lullaby, boyfriend?”
“…I’ve never even sung one for Er-Miao.” Gu Fei sat down on the edge of the bed, considered for a moment, then started in a low voice, “ Good little bunny, open the door… ” 2
With his eyes closed, Jiang Cheng started laughing. But before Gu Fei could even get through the song once, he was already asleep.
Gu Fei didn’t feel sleepy. He picked up one of Jiang Cheng’s notebooks, flipped it open, and started to read through it slowly as he leaned against the headboard.
He was pretty impressed with himself—as he looked over the notes, he realized he’d retained quite a few things, and for the stuff he didn’t remember, he at least had a vague impression.
He couldn’t tell if this knowledge had been subtly shoved into his head by Jiang Cheng, or if he had forced himself to swallow it.
He turned and stared at Jiang Cheng, who had buried half his face into the pillow. What an adorable boyfriend…
After staring for a while, he reached out, picked up a tuft of hair on Jiang Cheng’s forehead, and rubbed it between his fingers.
Before he could rub it again, Jiang Cheng retaliated with a reflexive slap, his brow furrowed.
Half of the slap made contact with Gu Fei’s hand, while the other half landed on Jiang Cheng’s own cheek.
He grumbled to himself, rolled over, and continued sleeping.
Gu Fei smiled. What a badass boyfriend. So badass he spares no one, not even himself.
Jiang Cheng didn’t actually end up sleeping that soundly; he tossed and turned for the whole night. Fortunately, Gu Fei was used to restless sleep, so it didn’t make much of a difference.
He was, however, astounded to find Jiang Cheng looking full of energy in the morning.
“Just one last battle today and we’ll be free.” In the taxi, Jiang Cheng picked out two ginseng tabs and handed one to Gu Fei. “This American ginseng from Li Qian isn’t half bad. It’s pretty effective at waking you up.”
“Mm.” Gu Fei nodded.
“Remember to fill up all the spaces for the big questions on the comprehensive exam. Even if you only remember one sentence, try to expand and drag a few more lines out of it.” Jiang Cheng looked at him.
“Got it? You have nice handwriting. The more you write, the better impression the teachers will have, and they may just give you an extra point or two if they’re feeling generous. Even half a point counts.”
“All right.” Gu Fei chuckled. “How do you still have the energy to worry about me?”
“I have no energy to spare for anyone else,” Jiang Cheng said. “But for you, I have an abundance of it.”
***
Inside the exam hall, Gu Fei sat down in his designated seat. This was the last day.
His academic career, something he had never burdened with much hope, was at a pivotal point.
Gu Fei had never expected to have so many feelings about this particular event.
The papers, now handed out, were spread in front of him, and he picked up his pencil and put it to the page. Every stroke and every line was filled with memories of Jiang Cheng. Everything he associated with these questions had to do with Jiang Cheng.
Whenever something looked familiar, he would first recall the way Jiang Cheng looked when he was memorizing these segments.
He might not remember the details of certain questions word for word, but he could remember very clearly a time—or every time—he’d quizzed Jiang Cheng on them.
It was fascinating, really, to think that despite his complete lack of interest, he’d managed to remember so much in this way—whether vaguely or otherwise.
As per Jiang Cheng’s instructions, he filled in as much as he could for the Comprehensive Exam that morning. He even added more words when he went back to check it over.
The English exam in the afternoon wasn’t so easy to maneuver, especially the essay question. However, he still tried his best to construct the sentences at an elementary school level, piecing together a complete essay from one short sentence after another.
When the last bell of the exams rang, Gu Fei let out an abrupt breath of relief. His heart felt suddenly emptied out, and in that instant, his mind was empty too.
Over at last. Wonder how the boyfriend is doing on his end.
As the horde of students squeezed out of the door together, sounds of discussion filled the air. Some students began to compare and check their answers, reacting with glee when they got the right answer and distress when they got it wrong. Then, someone started crying.
The sound of crying was incredibly infectious. It carried feelings of excitement, refusal to accept one’s fate, disappointment, and an inexplicable sense of disorientation.
***
Jiang Cheng’s emotions weren’t nearly so complicated. He only felt light, as if he had springs under his feet and balloons tied to his body; he wanted to bounce with every step.
He had done pretty well. According to Jiang Cheng’s own astute judgment of himself, this was at least the second best, if not the best, he had ever performed on all the tests since the first practice exam.
He didn’t dwell too much on the specific score, nor did he plan to.
He wasn’t planning on checking his answers, either.
He had given his all in this fight. He had finished, and that was that.
All he had left to do now was wait for the result.
Before it arrived, he wouldn’t spare it a single unnecessary thought.
The only thing he wanted to do now was to hurry up and find Gu Fei in the crowd.
Gu Fei always waited for him under the third tree along the road to the main gate.
He didn’t know how Gu Fei managed to get there before him every time, but this time was no different.
Jiang Cheng swept his eyes ahead and spotted Gu Fei standing beneath the tree, scanning the crowd as it flowed toward him.
Unlike the previous times, Gu Fei wasn’t leaning against the tree today, but standing as straight as a stick.