The Days Before the College Entrance Examination

Qin Guan led a busy life.

Every day before dawn, he would go out and ran several laps around the small park in his neighborhood. If there was anything that Qin Guan was unsatisfied with, it was his weak physique.

He was too thin. Any man who did not have body hair had to at least have some muscles.

Only by exercising more could he get more toned and have a healthy physique. Just because he was sloppy, it did not mean that he could not be physically strong.

Qin Guan’s classmates found that he had changed. He was no longer as aloof and unapproachable as he used to be.

After each class, he would ask other straight-A students for help with his homework, not ashamed at all to learn from his inferiors. He had gotten bold, generous and unconstrained, and he was no longer punctilious. Everyone thought that under his arrogance Qin Guan had a kind heart that enjoyed life to the full.

Without realizing it, Qin Guan began getting increasingly popular among his classmates. Boys who had never associated with him before became best friends with him one after the other, more and more girls got closer to him, and of course, he kept getting an increasing number of contemptuous looks from Cong Nianwei. But why did he feel so happy?

More than three months flew by in this manner.

The exam period came. Through multiple inquiries and investigations, Qin Guan had discovered that Cong Nianwei had given up on the college recommendation of the school and would take the College Entrance Examination, aiming for Tsinghua University in the capital.

He gritted his teeth. With his current progress, he was much better than he used to be in his past life, but he was still a long way from getting admitted into Tsinghua University. If he wanted to keep Cong Nianwei away from other boys, then he would have to take measures. If he could not go to the same university, he had to at least go to the same city!

Since he had always wanted to study finance, Qin Guan aimed for the Capital University of Finance and Economics. It was in the same city, so he would not feel far away from her.

On July 7, 8, and 9, Qin Guan took his exam admission ticket, a 2B pencil and a pencil case filled with pens, and headed bravely to the examination room that would determine his future.

The first exam was Chinese. His focused learning over the past few months had played a decisive role. He found that 98% of the multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions were on things that he had learned. He had no difficulty answering them.

His textbook knowledge was imprinted on his mind. He could remember it all clearly. It was not difficult for him at all. The reading part was quite easy as he answered the questions with standard practice. The writing part was even easier, because that’s when Qin Guan played his trump card— he cheated through his memory.

More than ten years had passed. Qin Guan had long forgotten the questions on the examination papers, but he could still remember the topic of the writing part. Qin Guan turned his examination paper to the last page and read the topic:

Tenacity: A Quality to Pursue

Overcoming Vulnerability (Alternative Topic)

Qin Guan was ecstatic. He had guessed right. The Chinese writing topic of the College Entrance Examination had not changed. He felt reassured. He had answered all the questions on the Chinese examination paper, and there was still more than 30 minutes left.

Qin Guan checked his paper carefully, and when there was still fifteen minutes to go before the end of the examination, he submitted his paper and walked out of the examination room.

The Chinese exam was a really good start to Qin Guan’s College Entrance Examination, which meant that he would now be more confident when taking the rest of the subjects.

Math, Physics, Chemistry, none of them could stop Qin Guan. When he had written the last word on the English writing exam, his hand, which was still holding his pen, trembled slightly. It was over. He had finished this battle that could determine his future, and he was both happy and excited!

The scorching heat of July could not diminish Qin Guan’s happiness. “I did really well. Do you know that, Cong Nianwei? I like you so much. I want to see you again!”

Qin Guan submitted his examination paper, ran out of the campus and spotted the girl with the big eyes who was leaving through the school gate. Qin Guan waved wildly at her and shouted, “Cong Nianwei, what are your plans for this summer?”

As soon as Cong Nianwei walked out of the examination room, she saw a tall thin boy with white skin standing on the other side of the road. He was waving at her under the scorching sun.

The sunshine shone down on the boy’s face making his sweat glisten. He was grinning rather unattractively, showing his white teeth, but Cong Nianwei felt that nothing in the whole wide world could hold a candle to him.

Qin Guan was surrounded by boys who were making fun of him, but the girls across the road looked really jealous. In that moment, Qin Guan felt time stand still and all sound disappear. All he saw was Cong Nianwei slowly walking towards him.

She crossed the road and went up to Qin Guan. Looking at his mouth, she said, “I will go back to my grandma’s this summer. But next year, I’ll be waiting to see you and give you an answer.”

Qin Guan felt his heart beat fast, as if a flower were growing in it, bright and beautiful. For some reason, he was moved. “Okay,” he answered slowly, “This time next year, no matter where you are, I will come find you.”

Qin Guan said goodbye to her and went back home in a daze. Watching their absent-minded son, his parents assumed that he had not done very well in his College Entrance Examination. They were too afraid to ask him about it though, in case he became even more upset.

Instead, they decided to comfort him in a more subdued and mild manner. Qin Guan did not explain anything to them. He had already forgotten about the College Entrance Examination and had begun to fantasize about his future. In his heart, he had a dream.

He would need to take good care of himself to get the girl of his dreams, and then convince her to marry him. They would have a few kids together, and keep them close. He would live a happy life with them and earn a lot of money.