Chapter 17: Youth Never Says Goodbye
“Is it really necessary?”
Seeing her husband’s lack of concern, Lin Wanxiu grew a little agitated.
“Of course it is! What if the boy is a bad influence and leads our daughter astray?”
“Our daughter is so innocent. If she gets deceived, you, as her father, won’t even have a place to cry.”
Su Xuecheng considered this and agreed.
“Alright. Leave this matter to me.”
“I’ll find out the truth.”
Yet Lin Wanxiu remained uneasy.
“Tomorrow, I’ll take a leave from work. For the next few days, I’ll personally escort and pick up our daughter from school until the college entrance exams are over.”
Su Xuecheng originally thought his wife was overreacting, but after some thought, he nodded.
“Do as you wish.”
“Don’t forget to find out who that boy is.”
“Got it. Now hurry up and sleep.”
In the next room,
Su Ruochu lay on the bed, with Chen Fan’s neatly folded school uniform resting beside her pillow.
She reached out and gently touched it, wearing a somewhat helpless expression.
“In the end, I still agreed to him.”
But soon, a slight smile curled at the corners of her mouth.
“Su Ruochu, keep it up!”
“Trust your own judgment—everything is the best arrangement!”
……
Early the next morning,
Chen Fan walked into the classroom and immediately saw Su Ruochu seated at her desk.
They exchanged glances.
Su Ruochu blushed slightly, shyly looking away.
As Chen Fan sat down, Su Ruochu handed him a bag containing the uniform jacket.
Chen Fan, in turn, passed her an umbrella.
This time, Su Ruochu met his gaze without evasion.
They smiled at each other.
Everything was understood without a word.
……
Though the website had just launched and there were countless tasks to attend to,
Chen Fan no longer had the energy to supervise it closely.
The college entrance exams were truly approaching.
Perhaps because Su Ruochu had agreed to be his girlfriend,
Chen Fan remained in an excited state all day.
His memory seemed divinely enhanced; he even recalled several difficult exam questions.
Even during lunch at a small restaurant off campus, Guo Shuai noticed the change in Chen Fan’s mood.
“Something’s off, very off…”
While walking back after the meal, Guo Shuai muttered, fixating on Chen Fan.
“You’re mumbling to yourself.”
Guo Shuai suddenly grabbed Chen Fan’s arm. “Tell me the truth—are you hiding something from me?”
Chen Fan’s expression shifted in surprise.
“You already know?”
“Know what?”
Guo Shuai looked perplexed.
What should I know?
Chen Fan replied lightly, “I’ve been secretly observing who’s got diarrhea lately.”
——
“Didn’t you say you’d have to drink three jins of broth then?”
“You’re right; it’s actually quite hard to find someone with diarrhea at this time.”
“Damn!”
Guo Shuai flipped him the middle finger.
Then he suddenly realized.
“You… you caught up with Su Ruochu?”
“She agreed to be your girlfriend?”
Chen Fan smiled mysteriously.
“Guess!”
“Damn it!”
Guo Shuai lost his temper.
“You’re really not loyal.”
Chen Fan teased with a smile, “The exams are almost here. When are you going to confess?”
At the mention, Guo Shuai grew nervous.
He glanced secretly at Su Ruochu and Li Na chatting ahead.
“What do you think the chance is if I confess to Li Na?”
Chen Fan frowned, thinking seriously.
“Fifty-fifty. From what I’ve observed, Li Na doesn’t dislike you.”
Guo Shuai took a deep breath.
“So, what about confessing after school tomorrow?”
Chen Fan was stunned.
“Tomorrow? The exam is the day after tomorrow, and you want to confess tomorrow?”
Guo Shuai looked serious.
“I want to leave a memory of high school life.”
Chen Fan was about to advise against impulsiveness.
But then he recalled how he had confessed to Su Ruochu recklessly himself.
What right did he have to lecture others?
“Alright. I fully support you.”
Guo Shuai clenched his fist.
“Don’t worry, I’ll bring you good news.”
……
On the 7th, the last day before the exam,
The students in the class had mostly lost focus on studying.
Teachers took turns entering the classroom to chat briefly and finally wished everyone success and a bright future on their exams.
The atmosphere grew somewhat somber, and some girls with low emotional thresholds quietly wiped away tears.
Having experienced the exams twice in a past life, Chen Fan was immune to all this.
Now, he only looked forward to the exams being over.
Then he could go to Yunhai with Ruochu and attend the same university.
He glanced at Su Ruochu.
Her eyes were red-rimmed, clearly affected by the teachers’ words.
Sensing something, she turned to look at Chen Fan.
Chen Fan smiled warmly, gazing at her.
Su Ruochu no longer avoided his eyes but softly hummed.
“What are you looking at?”
“Looking at how beautiful my wife is.”
“You…”
Su Ruochu suddenly grew nervous, glancing around furtively.
Then she gave Chen Fan a sharp glare.
“Wife, which university are you planning to apply to?”
Su Ruochu hesitated, her expression startled.
She seemed afraid her answer might place too much pressure on Chen Fan.
“I… I haven’t decided yet.”
Chen Fan smiled.
“It’s alright. No matter which university you choose, I’ll enroll there with you.”
During the last class in the morning, the homeroom teacher Wang Qiming entered the classroom,
Holding a file folder containing everyone’s admission tickets.
The college entrance exam they had spoken of countless times had finally arrived.
“Students, come up one by one when I call your name to collect your admission ticket.”
“Li Chengli, Exam Site: No. 6 Classroom, No. 3.”
“Yao Qiang, Seventh Middle School, No. 2 Classroom, No. 14.”
With each number called, a student stood and went up to receive their ticket.
“Su Ruochu, No. 1 Middle School, No. 3 Classroom, No. 12.”
“Good luck!”
Chen Fan made a victory gesture toward Su Ruochu with a smile.
After all the students’ names were called, it was finally Chen Fan’s turn.
“Chen Fan, No. 1 Middle School, No. 13 Classroom, No. 21.”
After Chen Fan collected his admission ticket and returned to his seat, Su Ruochu quietly said,
“You’re in the same exam room as Huang Hu.”
Chen Fan was surprised.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Chen Fan hadn’t paid attention to that detail.
Nor did he recall whether he had shared an exam room with Huang Hu in his previous life.
He glanced toward Huang Hu’s seat and saw him looking over.
They exchanged a glance, then each calmly looked away.
Su Ruochu whispered, “He’s No. 4. You two are quite far apart.”
Chen Fan smiled.
“Distance doesn’t matter; anyway, you can’t cheat during the exam.”
After distributing the last admission ticket, the homeroom teacher lightly tapped the desk with the blackboard eraser.
“Quiet down.”
“Students, this is your final class and the last class of your high school life.”
“Tomorrow, you will enter the exam hall and face one of the most important battles of your life…”
As the teacher spoke, many students’ eyes reddened.
“We have no classes in the afternoon. You can pack your books and take them home at noon.”
“Those who live far away can move their belongings to the dormitory first.”
“Also, in the afternoon, everyone should visit the exam venue to confirm your exam room and seat. Don’t get lost tomorrow.”
“Before you leave tomorrow, be sure to check that you have all the necessary items...”
“Don’t forget your admission ticket...”
The teacher continued rambling on various reminders.
But most students were no longer focused.
They whispered softly, chatting about who shared their exam room.
Chen Fan quietly watched the scene.
His gaze lingered nostalgically on the classroom and these classmates.
He knew that perhaps no one felt it now,
But years from now, decades even,
When they entered society and started working,
They would realize that those three years of high school were the most cherished times of their lives.