17

By the time I returned to school, everything had settled down.

I had replaced Qiu Ting and became the new top student.

Jiang Shuhua stopped me on the first day of school.

He hesitated for a long time before saying quietly, "I broke up with Qiu Ting."

I was impatient: "What do you want to say?"

He clenched his teeth and struggled to say, "I'm sorry... I wasn't good before.

"Ru Ru, do you think there's still a chance for us...?"

I was disgusted and didn't even let him finish before interrupting him: "Do you think you deserve me?"

I turned and walked away, leaving Jiang Shuhua standing there in a daze. I even saw him still standing there when I left the school gates.

...

Qiu Ting's motivation to study increased.

Now she is like I was before, working hard every day, studying while eating and sleeping.

But I have relaxed my mindset.

I think my health comes first, so after I attentively listen to lectures in class, I go back and only study until 11pm before going to bed immediately.

Ensuring enough sleep is the key to having a healthy body.

Qiu Ting is fixated on surpassing me, but I consistently suppress her, maybe she's been stuck in a dead end for too long, her brain no longer has the same spark as before.

Her gaze towards me becomes more and more twisted, I feel like I've become an obsession for her, maybe I even appear in her nightmares.

But it doesn't matter, in all exams, I am always firmly in first place.

She no longer has a chance to turn things around.

...

Time slowly passed, and just as I had gotten used to this kind of life, the college entrance exam arrived.

The same sweltering June heat as last year's final exams, the sky is a clear blue, high and far.

The whole campus is filled with hot winds and sharp cicada cries.

I don't know what fate it was, but I ended up in the same exam room as Qiu Ting again.

But this time I was in front, and she was behind.

I can feel the gaze burning a hole in my back, but I don't care, I only focus all my energy on the papers in front of me.

I have gotten used to exam days, but this time I actually feel a sense of long-absent nervousness.

Time passed minute by minute, and after five minutes, the bell rang.

The whole world fell into silence, with only the sound of scribbling pens.

The college entrance exam had begun.

Later, when I thought back on the college entrance exam, my memories seemed a bit blurry.

These three days felt both long like three years and fast like a moment.

When I put down my pen for the last subject, I just had an indescribable feeling.

The three years of high school, my youth, had finally come to a brilliant end.

However, I changed myself and reversed the trajectory of my life.

Now, I truly have the right to choose my own path in life.

...

After this exam, I finally let myself relax and play.

I didn't even try to estimate my scores, completely throwing my studies to the back of my mind.

For the past year and a half, I haven't had a single day of relaxation, my whole being has been in a tense state.

I don't have to study for a while now, and when I woke up in the morning at the beginning, I was actually stunned and felt a little empty.

However, I quickly adapted to this lifestyle.

I sleep until 11 in the morning and stay up late playing games at night.

This time, my parents didn't say anything to me, and I didn't feel guilty when I played, and I got on the game "King's Glory" for a whole summer vacation.

My mom bought me several thousand skin rewards and took me on a trip abroad.

I played like a mad dog that had been released from its leash, almost forgetting about the exam results.

When the results came out, I didn't even have time to check them myself.

My score was told to me by the class teacher.

He was so excited on the phone that he was practically screaming, "Qiao Ru, you got the top score in the province, 729 points!"

I was stunned, my mind froze for a moment.

The top score in the province ... 729 points.

At that moment, I didn't immediately feel happy, but instead thought, I still scored 10 points less than Yin Xiucheng.

What the hell is going on in this person's head?

Damn, is he an alien?

The homeroom teacher loudly pulled my wandering thoughts back.

"Qiao Ru, you have to choose your aspirations carefully. Wait until you get back to school, I'll give you some advice, okay?"

"Peking University and Tsinghua University will definitely call you. Hey, maybe Hong Kong University will call you too. What should we do? Should I go to Peking University or Tsinghua University..."

I smiled and whispered,

"Teacher, I want to go to Tsinghua University."