Chapter 125: Beginnings and Endings

On the eve of the college entrance examination, all television channels were reporting on the event. The entirety of China felt as though it were facing a formidable enemy. Reporters questioned whether the transportation departments were fully prepared and captured scenes of the examination halls, which loomed like abysses. They interviewed students, their parents, and teachers of the graduating classes.

Before dawn, high school seniors were already hard at work. The vast school grounds were filled with ambitious young people. This was a common sight in every school across China, as countless students and parents pinned their hopes on education, seeking to change their lives. All this effort was directed toward the ultimate hurdle: the entrance exam, which functioned like a massive gate. By passing it, some would step into a new life and enter university.

Life is a series of doors opening one after another, each representing a new world. In China’s past, the imperial examination system was a narrow gate. Those who excelled in their studies could become officials, gain prestige, and attain wealth. In contemporary China, changing one’s destiny through education remains the only viable choice for most children.

At 7:00 AM, the entrance to the Fudan University High School Affiliated School began to bustle. Traffic police, public security officers, traffic coordinators, urban management officers, and community security patrollers worked in tense, orderly fashion to maintain order around the examination site. Many parents and teachers arrived one after another to escort candidates to the gate to wait for the doors to open.

Long before the exam, parents had meticulously planned their children's diets for these few days. That morning, they embarked on the journey to send their children to the test. To them, this was not just their child's exam; it was a test of their own lives. A single examination moved the heartbeat of an entire nation.

Seat assignments were arranged by candidate number. If a student's own school was an examination site, they were generally assigned to a classroom there. Cheng Xiaoyu’s seat was in a classroom on the first floor of his school, shared with two or three classmates he did not know well.

When the bell for the exam rang, the teachers began to unseal the tightly wrapped and adhesive-sealed test papers. Once the papers were distributed, nothing remained in the quiet morning sunlight but the sound of rustling paper. Cheng Xiaoyu picked up his 2B pencil and began his journey through the college entrance exam.

After collecting the first session’s Chinese literature papers, the proctor addressed the students: "In the exam that has just passed, some of you may feel excited, while others may feel lost. But students, I hope you realize that this is merely a regular day in the long journey of life. The result of this exam does not define your excellence, nor does it determine your future. I hope you can set aside your burdens, maintain a relaxed state of mind, and do your best in the afternoon session."

Cheng Xiaoyu felt a sense of melancholy. Perhaps years later, what one would miss most was simply the lingering scent of youth during this slightly sultry summer.

Today was the first day of the exam. After bidding farewell to the cool, rainy weather, Shanghai welcomed a sweltering 32-degree heat, which added no small amount of trouble for both the parents waiting outside and the candidates themselves.

Cheng Xiaoyu walked out of the classroom, leaving the Chinese exam behind him. The classrooms where Wang Ou, Xia Shamo, and Chen Haoran were testing were not close to his. As soon as Cheng Xiaoyu stepped out of the school gate, he saw Aunt Zhou standing under the shade of a tree with an umbrella, waving at him.

Before he could even reach her, Aunt Zhou, wearing sunglasses, hurried over and handed him a tissue. The weather was hot, and Cheng Xiaoyu was prone to sweating; his face was already flushed from the scorching sun. As he took the tissue, he heard her ask nervously, "Xiaoyu, how did it go? Was it difficult?"

Cheng Xiaoyu was moved by how seriously Aunt Zhou took his exam. He had told her that morning that he didn't need anyone to accompany him, yet she had come anyway. Perhaps she wouldn't have come for Su Yuxi, but she was certain to come for him.

Zhou Peipei had seen the gradual changes in Cheng Xiaoyu over these days, which brought her great comfort. She felt that she had played a part in it, and the maternal warmth she couldn't fully express toward Su Yuxi was now being directed toward Cheng Xiaoyu, making her grow increasingly doting.

Chinese was one of Cheng Xiaoyu’s strengths. Furthermore, having already passed the arts entrance exam, his requirements for these scores were low, so he had no mental burden. He had answered the questions with ease and felt quite good about his performance, so he replied, "It was alright!"

Zhou Peipei pulled Cheng Xiaoyu under the shade of her umbrella and walked toward their Maybach. Because of the exam, she had not allowed him to drive. Upon getting into the car, Cheng Xiaoyu was surprised to find Su Yuxi inside. Zhou Peipei had brought her along to cheer him on.

Cheng Xiaoyu greeted Su Yuxi with a smile. He was a bit surprised; Su Yuxi generally wouldn't be willing to do such meaningless things. She responded with a faint smile. From the initial expressionless mask to her current smile, Cheng Xiaoyu felt as though he had lived through a century. He often pondered where his desire for Su Yuxi's approval stemmed from. This vague, indescribable emotion clearly originated from the inner world of his former shut-in self. As a child, he had practiced piano diligently to win his mother’s approval. After she passed away, he had abandoned the piano without hesitation. Later, his father appeared, but he felt only rage toward him. Thus, the only place he could anchor his emotions was this cold, distant sister, the only person he knew to be related to him by blood.

For the shut-in Cheng Xiaoyu, coldness was not particularly frightening. His mother had been more neurotic; when things were good, she would hold him in the palm of her hand, but when things were bad, she would beat him until he was covered in bruises—mostly when he failed to play the piano well. Cheng Xiaoyu knew his feelings for Su Yuxi were complex, but they were not baseless.

Once in the car, Aunt Zhou asked what the essay topic was. Every year in China, the essay topic was a discussion of current trends. Well-written essays were published in newspapers and online, then compiled into books for national sale. The attention a good essay drew was second only to that of the top-scoring candidate. In this reality, the system was fairer, using a unified national paper without regional divisions. Thus, the title of "top candidate" was truly earned, a case of becoming famous overnight throughout the land.

Cheng Xiaoyu smiled at the thought of his essay. He had been willful once again; although he hadn't written a poem, he had written something that would likely leave the graders dumbfounded. He didn't reveal the content, only telling Aunt Zhou, "The topic was about school or teachers."

In fact, the prompt was: "Everything that has passed will become a cherished memory! Do you miss your student days? Do you miss your alma mater? Do you miss your teachers? Using school, teachers, or yourself as the subject, choose your own angle and format, excluding poetry, to complete an essay."

Seeing that the topic was quite standard, Zhou Peipei didn't ask further. The prompts from the previous two years had been rather bizarre, leading to widespread controversy and discussion. This year, the topic had returned to normal, making it easier for students to showcase their writing.

Zhou Peipei and Su Yuxi had lunch with Cheng Xiaoyu and then sent him to a hotel room near the school to rest. During this time, rooms were exorbitantly expensive. The four-star room Zhou Peipei had booked for him had already been marked up to three or four thousand yuan, yet demand still outstripped supply.

This was a day of madness, and the whole of China was enveloped in it.