Chapter 74

Chapter 74 As the second half of the semester approached, the pressure of transitioning to the final year of high school became palpable for everyone in the class. The increased pace of learning tasks, the pile of unfinished and even unattended test papers on the desk, and the shortened holiday breaks... Time seemed to be whipped forward, slipping away the tighter it was held. Amid the sudden surge of pressure, everyone in the suffocating, high-stress atmosphere of relentless studying seemed to be somewhat melancholic. However, Xi Ning and Kong Nianxi, seemed to be entirely unaffected and instead provided each other with even more motivation - despite the heavy daily study workload, a lingering and passionate kiss before bed after late-night self-study was enough to dispel all weariness. As the weather turned warmer, it was once again the season of increasingly scorching days. "Can I still change my decision now? Maybe it's not a big deal if I don't go..." Absentmindedly folding a T-shirt while packing in her room, Kong Nianxi leaned against Xi Ning's waist, resting her head on her back in a languid manner. "You should also bring a thicker jacket, just in case it rains," Xi Ning picked a jacket from the closet and placed it into the suitcase, then paused and turned to ask, "Why do you suddenly say that?" Kong Nianxi, with a look of frustration, counted on her fingers to show her, "It's because once I go, we won't be able to see each other for one, two... several months." Xi Ning's heart warmed, and she lowered her head to smooth the furrow between Nianxi's brows with her fingertips, softly saying, "But this is a necessary part of preparing for the art exam, and time will pass quickly. Endure it, and it will soon be over." Nianxi still wasn't happy and eagerly said, "How about I stay at the local art studio? It's not necessary to go to City B." Xi Ning raised an eyebrow and looked at her, "But didn't Senior Sister say? Y Art Academy has an extremely low acceptance rate every year, going to City B is the safest option." "But..." "Don't you want to go to university in City B with me?" Xi Ning cupped her face tenderly. "...” It was unclear when Xi Ning had become so adept at using this kind of move, but Kong Nianxi, who was usually outspoken, had no defense against it. She wanted to say something, but when she met Xi Ning's eyes, her resolve softened completely. Seizing the last long holiday before the final year of high school, they had traveled to City B, and also visited the university during winter break. This was Xi Ning's suggestion. Xi Ning had long had a dream university in her heart, so as soon as they arrived in City B, their destination was clear. On the bus, Kong Nianxi opened the map on her phone and saw the names of the universities around them, names that would make countless students jealous. She was slightly distracted. Previously, she had thought that going to university would be just like high school, just a routine part of life. As long as her grades were okay, she could attend a decent university and find a normal job after leaving her mother. But now, as she leaned her head against Xi Ning's shoulder and looked out the window, she was inexplicably stirred, suddenly feeling a surge of determination, like a seed sprouting and growing towards the sky. In her eyes, a spark flickered. This feeling was somewhat unfamiliar, but she clearly understood the source of her catalyzed emotion - it was brought about by Xi Ning. This excitement prompted her to search on Baidu, but after searching around, she couldn't find any schools nearby that interested her. She pursed her lips and scrolled through the screen, ultimately entering "Y Art Academy" into the map's search bar. Though the two schools were not close, they were in the same city, and it was convenient to take a bus there. So, the nationally renowned art academy became their next destination. "Did you forget what you said to me before?" Remembering their trip during winter break, Xi Ning couldn't help but remind Kong Nianxi. Perhaps she had forgotten, but Xi Ning remembered it clearly. Kong Nianxi had stood at the entrance to the art academy, her eyes shining brightly, her hand on her hip and her chin raised confidently as she pointed inside, saying, "This is it." Kong Nianxi hugged Xi Ning and swayed for a while, then said, "Then you have to video call me every day from now on." "Any time is fine." "I also want you to send me a fresh selfie every day!" "Sure." "I also want..." "All right." Kong Nianxi lightly "hmphed" and fiercely kissed her on the lips. -- Following the end of the final exams in the second half of her senior year, Kong Nianxi immediately left. She spent an extremely short summer break, and Xi Ning quickly returned to school, beginning her busy life as a senior. At dinner time, Tu Xiaoyuan still had a pile of homework to complete, so Xi Ning didn't go to the cafeteria and instead joined her and a few other girls to eat bread in the classroom. Tu Xiaoyuan, still reeling from the maze of problems, absent-mindedly nibbled on her bread, sighing while looking out the back window at the lively high school students in the opposite building's corridor, "Ah, this time last year, I was just as lively as them. How did I suddenly become a senior? I don't want to take the college entrance exam, or graduate yet." Song Wei patted her shoulder and said earnestly, "You can still be as lively as them." Tu Xiaoyuan wrinkled her nose, ran her hand through her hair carelessly, and disregarded her messy hair, "I'm being tormented by those bunches of test papers. How can I be lively? Also, Tian Jiabao murmurs about the college entrance exams every day, as if it's a curse, I feel like I'm getting hypertension just from listening." "Stop! Those two words trigger a stress response in me, don't let me hear it!" "Ah, but for a top student, they should be looking forward to an early liberation from the college entrance exams, right?" "Especially a... a top student in love?" "..." Xi Ning completely didn't notice that the classmates were already focused on her as she was busy messaging Kong Nianxi. During this period, they didn't disturb each other and strictly followed Xi Ning's study schedule, only contacting each other during breaks. According to their routine, it was now time to exchange selfies. Xi Ning skillfully opened the front camera, took a picture, and sent it over, only to notice the strange glances around her when she looked up. She paused for a moment and asked softly, "What's wrong?" "Cough cough." Tu Xiaoyuan said, "We're discussing the college entrance exams." "Yeah, yeah, Xi Ning, do you really want to take the college entrance exam soon?" someone asked. "I've thought about it." "I knew it, top students are fearless. Passing the college entrance exam sooner means being liberated earlier." Xi Ning thought for a moment and said seriously, "I just want to have a better start." After speaking, everyone stared at her blankly, and Song Wei blinked a couple of times, with an indescribable tone, "That's right, a better start with who?" Although Xi Ning was usually low-key, it was precisely because of her low-key nature, and her intimacy with Kong Nianxi, who was always attention-grabbing and outspoken, coupled with their constant public displays of affection, it inevitably attracted some attention. However, such intimacy among girls was common, so most people were simply surprised by their sudden "friendship". Only their closest friends and those who frequently interacted with them knew that their relationship was "not just a normal close friendship", including Song Wei, who lived in the same dorm, and some who liked to joke about their CP. Gradually becoming aware of the "peculiar" atmosphere around her, Xi Ning cleared her throat and said, "I'm done eating, so I'll head back first." After packing up the bread bag and milk carton on the table, she nodded and left. But the topic about her on the table continued. "Sigh, can a top student manage their time so well even while in a relationship?" "Otherwise, how can they be called a top student? Nianxi's grades even improved by dozens of points after getting into a relationship." "So, I can't become a top student because I haven't been in a relationship." "Forget it, don't get things twisted." "But speaking of which, Ning's really cold and serious. How did Nianxi...erm, how did they become such good friends?" "I actually asked Nianxi whether she found Ning's personality boring. She told me—" "What did she say?" "She said that she initially thought so, but practice proved that Xi Ning is only passionate towards people she likes." "..." After a brief silence, everyone immediately dispersed. "I'm out of here." "I'm already full." "Why did I even listen to this?" "Clearly, you were the one who wanted to know." "..." Nianxi will be away for several months at a time, temporarily returning a few times during that period, only to leave again. With each in different cities, preoccupied with test papers and painting, they relied on video calls to alleviate their exhaustion. Xi Ning bought a small calendar and placed it on her desk. Each day, she tore off a page, and as it became thinner, her heart grew happier because when it was all gone, she would be able to see Kong Nianxi again. But when the day finally arrived, she was unexpectedly nervous, as it was also the day of Kong Nianxi's school exam. "Are you requesting leave?" In the office, Tian Jiabao, holding a thermos, looked at Xi Ning with surprise. It was the first time he had ever seen her request leave, and it was getting closer to the college entrance exam, a crucial period for studying. "Is there an urgent matter?" He couldn't help but ask, after all, Xi Ning was a good student, and if she needed to take a leave, it must be for a very important reason. Tian Jiabao asked this while already starting to write up a leave notice for her. "I..." Xi Ning hesitated, finding it difficult to speak. She couldn't lie, and especially not in front of a teacher. However, she also found it hard to explain that she was requesting leave to accompany Kong Nianxi to take her exam in City B. Seeing Xi Ning blush and hesitate to speak, Tian Jiabao didn't press further and handed her the leave notice. After all, with Xi Ning's grades, he wasn't too worried even if she took a day or even a week off, and he had no reason to doubt her reason for taking leave. "If it's urgent, you should go quickly. Is one day enough?" Tian Jiabao smiled kindly. "Um, it's enough. Thank you, Teacher Tian," Xi Ning thanked him and took the leave notice. As soon as she left the school, she hurried to the airport and arrived in City B before dark. At first, Kong Nianxi opposed Xi Ning's decision to take leave, as it would both disrupt her studying and be troublesome. But deep down, she was eager to see Xi Ning earlier and eventually couldn't hold back, so she reluctantly agreed after Xi Ning had already bought the plane ticket without consulting her. When she went to the airport to pick Xi Ning up, she was actually very happy inside, but as soon as she saw Xi Ning, she was pulled back by her. "You have an exam tomorrow, so rest early tonight." So that night, they returned to their hotel room early and did nothing but sleep. By ten o'clock, Xi Ning didn't even speak to her. However, the next morning, Kong Nianxi woke up refreshed, while Xi Ning looked tired and even had dark circles under her eyes - she had been so nervous that she couldn't sleep the night before. Xi Ning had never been nervous for any of her own exams, but now she was losing sleep due to Kong Nianxi's exam nerves.