Shadows in the Distance

The air outside the exam center buzzed with nervous energy as students milled about during the brief break between tests. The sprawling courtyard, usually a place of calm, was now filled with clusters of students discussing their performances, their anxious chatter hanging in the air. Some were furiously flipping through notes, while others were desperately recounting the exam questions, comparing answers with friends in a frantic attempt to soothe their nerves.

Feng Ruoxi, however, was not among them. She stood quietly under the shade of a tall tree at the edge of the courtyard, her sharp eyes scanning the scene without much interest. Her cold, detached demeanor kept most people at bay, and she preferred it that way. She had no desire to engage in the post-exam gossip or to discuss answers that were already behind her. For Ruoxi, the first exam was finished, and there was no point in dwelling on it.