"Huh?" Qianqian froze, feeling like this person might be joking, "Can it really work?"

"Just kidding, it's not that congested," Jiang Nian said, "I'll ask our teacher later."

"He's been through several senior years and is very familiar with the non-congested routes around the branch campus."

Qianqian felt relieved upon hearing this.

"Leave it to you then."

"Alright."

Driving Old Jiang's broken car, after taking the two girls back, Jiang Nian simply lay down for an hour before getting up.

Buzz!!

Old Liu replied too, "Take Metallurgical Avenue and loop around from the south of the city, usually no traffic."

"If it's congested, call me—I'll have a friend pick you up."

Jiang Nian: "(Thumbs up) Okay."

No wonder he's the Southern Tiger, plenty of connections.

Around five in the afternoon, Zhao Yiqiu sent him a message. To be exact, it was several meal emoji.

Eager, enthusiasm evident.

Jiang Nian: "OK, I'll be there soon."

He informed his family, rushed downstairs with the keys, thinking the short holiday was almost over.

On the other side.

Xu Shuang was reading a book against the sunset, a glass of cold tea placed on the table, wind flipping a page in the book. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Only then did she regain her senses and straighten her waist.

"Here yet?"

The teacup rippled, expanding outwards circle by circle.

"Ten minutes." Zhao Yiqiu leaned against the window, tossing a few coins back and forth in his hand, "Should be there already."

"Forget it, I'll go down and check now."

"Alright."

After Zhao Yiqiu left, Xu Shuang sat at the table, resting her hands on it, and gazed blankly at the twilight outside the window.

An indescribable emotion lingered in her heart all along.

The sky darkened.

Jiang Nian and Zhao Yiqiu walked in laughing and chatting, appeared relaxed, then went upstairs to meet Xu Shuang.

As usual, dinner was for three, Zhao Yiqiu ate fast. Finished early, he patted his full belly and said.

"I'm going for a walk."

Xu Shuang nodded, gently said.

"Go ahead."

Jiang Nian had eaten enough too but seeing Xu Shuang might have something to say, didn't directly mention leaving.

"Is there a place to walk around below?"

"There's an orchard and vegetable field. Qiuqiu likes to walk around with hands behind when she's full," Xu Shuang said.

"Uh..."

Jiang Nian already visualized it, Daoist stretching a slightly bulging belly, circling like an old farmer.

"Well, it's indeed something she would do."

Silence again fell at the dinner table. Not because he had nothing to say, but waiting for the other to speak first.

Maybe something's up?

He mulled over for a bit, then immediately dismissed it—almost the college entrance exams, what could it be?

Besides, it wasn't up to him to worry.

Suddenly, Xu Shuang spoke.

"After the exams, if the score exceeds seven hundred, which school do you plan.....to apply to?"

"It's hard to say such things," Jiang Nian hesitated, "Bad luck to jinx before the exams."

Xu Shuang: ".... "

"I didn't think it through, then rephrased—between Qingbei, which university do you lean towards?"

Jiang Nian opened his mouth, feeling awkward all over. Do all top students talk like this? Who dares speak so confidently?

"Um....this, I don't have any opinions."

"What about you?"

"I also..." Xu Shuang hesitated, "I also don't have any opinions for now, let's talk after the exams."

Hearing that, Jiang Nian nodded.

"Me too."

"However, I feel....." she said, "Although they're similar, if one is abroad."

"What?" Jiang Nian asked.

"Nothing, I mean." Xu Shuang looked up, "Having familiar faces around makes it nice for mutual support."

....

At night, Jiang Nian left the farm.

What came was a stuffy feeling, Zhen Nan's summer nights were just like this, June already getting really hot.

Between waiting for traffic lights on the road, he glanced at the class group.

He scrolled, those fatties hadn't spoken for two days, wondered if they had died suddenly in a cyber cafe?

Scrolling up, saw it.

At two a.m. and four a.m., Li Hua and Ma Guojun posted twice in the group, once with a screenshot.

The other was Ma Guojun @ Li Hua.

"Come to the top lane."

These two are nocturnal, probably going again tonight, truly gone mad.

Dong Que posted travel pictures, snapping all sorts of food.

"This ice cream flavor is quite special."

"Really?"

Below fixed few people praising, both guys and girls, nearing graduation, personalities are quite polarized.

Either extremely kind or extremely evil.

For instance, Sun Zhicheng posted.

"IQ tax."

Dong Que immediately dissatisfied, retorted, "What do you know, that's the essence of travel."

Sun Zhicheng: "Isn't that a song?"

Dong Que: ".... "

This person's already given up, or rather broken down. A feeling of utter dejection, letting loose totally.

Tao Ran: "[Picture] This looks pretty nice."

[Administrator Qing retracted one member's message, member Tao Ran muted for an hour.]

Lin Dong: "What did you post?"

Liu Yang: "Crocodile mom, unbearable."

Yang Qiming: "I just saw it, too bizarre. Could you post something erotic, less of this."

Zeng You: "Heh heh, I'll post some erotic stuff for you."

[Qing muted member Zeng You for an hour.]

Qing: ".... "

Qing: "Don't post nonsensical stuff in the group."

Red light ended.

Jiang Nian chuckled, tossed the phone aside. Drove all the way home, still the study trio upon going upstairs.

Washing up, crossing the door, practicing questions.

Qianqian was speechless, glanced at him, initially wanting to snatch his test papers, but too lazy to move.

"Forget it, I'll give you a break."

The next day.

Flash to noon, past twelve o'clock. People gradually entered the class but no one's copying homework.

Because, no checks anymore.

Zeng You entered the classroom, plopped his phone on the table.

"Ah, really not used to it. Previously the class rep always asked for this and that, now nobody's urging."