(1)
June 8, 2010, Tuesday.
All high school students in Z Province ended their three-year high school lives the moment the final bell rang for the foreign language exam. For some, it wasn’t just the end of three years—it was the end of twelve years of hard work. Getting into university meant they could finally relax. Yes, even getting into university doesn’t mean it’s over, but there are few times in life as completely relaxing as the summer after the Gao Kao.
Xuxia sat blankly in her chair, staring at the clock on the blackboard for a long time. Her limbs felt numb, and she had no strength, like a boneless jellyfish sprawled lazily. It wasn’t until the proctor gently reminded her that she snapped out of her daze.
“Phew…” Xuxia shook her head lightly, her long hair sticking to her slightly sweaty cheeks. She gathered her stationery from the desk and shoved it all into her bag, which was placed by the lectern.
After Grain in Ear, the cicadas grew louder day by day, but it wasn’t yet midsummer, so the occasional chirping actually made the lush leaves seem greener, and the breeze brushing her face carried a fruity sweetness.
At the school gate, a crowd of parents and teachers had gathered. No matter how well they had performed, almost every student wore an expression of relief. And probably only today were parents exceptionally generous. Pineapples, watermelons, and cold rice cakes laid out at street stalls—if the students wanted them, the parents would buy them without hesitation.
…
Xuxia touched her bag, finally feeling like she had returned to reality.
…
Her feet stepped onto the hot asphalt road. The blazing sun above was as brilliant as blooming sunflowers. Xuxia looked once, then again, then couldn’t help looking a third time—until her eyes couldn’t stay open. She slowly closed them and raised the corners of her mouth.
“I’ve graduated.”
Xuxia’s high school had already held its graduation ceremony early, so no student needed to return to school except to pick up their file after the Gao Kao results came out. For now, she could go straight home—or anywhere she wanted.
—A little past five in the afternoon, the summer sun showed no sign of setting.
(2)
The time high school students finished the Gao Kao also coincided with Xiao Cheng No.2 Middle School’s junior year students being given a break. Until the Zhong Kao began, they would study at home and adjust their state of mind. So even though it was Wednesday, it felt as refreshing as Friday. Still, that refreshment came with the pressure of the upcoming Zhong Kao.
“Xiao Jing! Want some glutinous rice cake?”
“No, no, I won’t be able to eat dinner later.”
“Then how about ice cream?”
“You always have to eat something after school… Watch out you don’t get fat…”
Zhu Ying pouted, grabbed An Jing’s left wrist with its bracelet, and muttered, “Bracelet, bracelet, I wish all the fat on my body would go to Xiao Jing!”
“Hey, hey, hey!”
“Zhou Chao! Going for a ride today?” An Jing slapped her hand on his shoulder with a smack.
“What the hell’s wrong with you? Did you learn that from A Qiang? Hitting so hard—” Zhou Chao shot her a sidelong glare. “Aren’t you going back with Zhu Ying today?”
“I am, but I mean, take us both for a ride—”
“Haha—I’d like to, but I’ve got something today.”
“What is it?”
“My girlfriend.”
“Oh, made plans in advance? Speaking of which, hasn’t she been ignoring you lately?”
“Heh… says she’s been busy.”
“Today’s the day the Gao Kao ends, and she specially asked you to come over… uh…”
“I’m pretty sure I know what she wants to do.”
“What?”
“The Gao Kao’s over, she’s going to college. Since she doesn’t need me anymore, naturally she wants to break up.”
“If she’s breaking up, does she really need to see you in person?”
“Maybe she has some obsession about it. Or maybe she wants to do something else—” Zhou Chao shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll go meet her. If you two still want to go for a ride tonight, I’ll come pick you up.”
“No need, no need. If you’ve got things to do, go ahead. And don’t think so negatively…” An Jing gave him a hard push on the back. “What if she’s not trying to break up with you?”
“Then I’m not interested anymore. I’ve already gotten bored. Time to switch—who plays the same old shoe all day long?”
“Uh…” An Jing scratched her cheek awkwardly. “Anyway, if I want to go for a ride tomorrow, I’ll call you.”
“OK, we’ll talk tomorrow. Later, bro.”
“Bye!” An Jing waved vigorously, then turned to Zhu Ying. “Didn’t think it would come to this so soon…”
“Come to what?”
“The last break before the Zhong Kao.” An Jing naturally opened her mouth and caught the orange-flavored hard candy Zhu Ying tossed in, causing her right cheek to bulge slightly. “The closer the Zhong Kao gets, the faster time seems to fly…”
“That’s true. It really passes in the blink of an eye. You need to do your best.”
“Ah, I envy you. For you, summer vacation has already started, right?”
“Actually, I might be more nervous than you. Worried you might mess up, and there’s nothing I can do except silently pray during your exam—”
“Hey, hey, don’t exaggerate…” An Jing curled her lips helplessly. “I’ve never messed up a big exam.”
“But the Zhong Kao is the first time, isn’t it?”
“Geez… have a little faith in me!”
“Hmm—looks like you really are confident. And you’re thinking that too~”
“Using mind reading is too sneaky!”
“Ehehe~ I’m thirsty. Let’s go buy a drink!”
“No way, no way. I’ll just let you die of thirst!”
“Wow, so cruel, Xiao Jing~ Then I guess I’ll have to quench my thirst with your saliva~”
“Eww!?”
(3)
The place where Zhou Chao and Xuxia met was nothing special. No scenic views, no particular meaning. If anything, it was just close to Xuxia’s exam venue. It was a desolate street, with a few piles of sand on the sidewalk, as if someone was about to renovate. But those piles had actually been there for over three years, untouched, now dirty and caked together, looking more like uncollected trash than building materials. Only one small grocery store on the whole street was open; all other shops had their rolling doors shut. Dust had settled on a few beautiful signboards, meaning the last time they opened was long ago.
The roar of a motorcycle broke the street’s silence. A girl with a blunt cut and long black straight hair, like a Japanese doll, sat on a flower bed with cracked tiles. She turned her head slightly and looked at the red rural motorcycle—and the boy who got off it.
“Zhou Chao…” She slowly stood up and waved her hand weakly, looking exhausted.
Zhou Chao narrowed his eyes, not hiding the cold sneer on his face. He didn’t act warm and gentle like he used to. Now he looked like a block of ice that wouldn’t melt even in summer. Though three years younger than Xuxia, he was already much taller. With his hands in his pockets, he strode over at a leisurely pace, wearing an indifferent smile.
“What do you want?”
Xuxia looked up, blinked in confusion, and stared at Zhou Chao, who was many times colder than usual. She instinctively lowered her voice. “Just… just finished the exam…”
“Congratulations on finishing the Gao Kao. You’ll be choosing your university soon. We probably won’t see each other again after this. Let’s break up now.”
“Huh!?”
“Is there any point in pretending at this stage?” Zhou Chao sneered. “You’re even more hypocritical than I thought. Did you really think I didn’t know what kind of person you are?”
“Chao Chao, what are you talking about…”
“Come on, don’t tell me you still need to keep up the act? Ha, you were just planning to dump me before my Zhong Kao, watch me mess up, then have to repeat a year or go to a Zhi Gao or Ji Xiao, right?”
“How could you think that?”
“I know all about you. In high school, you dated four or five boyfriends. Every single one of their grades plummeted after you broke up with them. I don’t know what sick pleasure you get from it, but sorry, I’m not going to be affected by you. To me, you’re just a toy. And now—I’m bored.”
Xuxia stared wide-eyed in disbelief at Zhou Chao, as if seeing him for the first time.
“I have to admit, your acting is really good. You always manage to play the victim, but in reality, you’re the one controlling everything. Too bad for you—I may be younger, but I’ve got way more experience in this area.” Zhou Chao smirked. “The script didn’t go the way you wrote it? Feeling bad? Well, since you were going to break up with me anyway, it doesn’t matter.”
“You… you… how can you think that way!?”
“What way? From the very beginning, you were lying to me. Saying cheesy things, swearing you’d love only me—how ridiculous. The truth is, you just needed an outlet for your final days of high school. Anyone else would’ve been used and tossed away like a tool.”
“I never lied to you…” Xuxia slowly shook her head and instinctively stepped back half a step.
“Really? You lied and said you got early admission, but you actually had to take the Gao Kao too. Hah, if you’d lie about that, there’s no way any other word you said was true. But it’s fine. After all, everything I said from the start was also a lie. No big deal—we both got what we wanted.”
“I… I just didn’t want you to worry about me…”
“Hahaha—” Zhou Chao threw his head back and laughed. He pulled a stack of A4 paper covered in printed text from his pocket. “Actually, I’ve been in touch with your ex-boyfriends. They told me about you on QQ. Every time you broke up, you blamed them, but it was all your doing. Every single one of them hates you—a sly and treacherous bitch. What? Now that I’ve seen through your act, can’t take it? Hah… you deserve this.”
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