On the day before Wu Yuewei's university entrance examinations had begun, Xu Tingsheng had given her a call. The two of them had not been in contact since then. Xu Tingsheng thought that he would think of a way to contact her again after the results had been released. It could also be that Wu Yuewei might end up calling him instead.
In the end, even before the university entrance examination results were released, even before a call from Wu Yuewei had come in, Xu Tingsheng first received a call from Libei Senior High's Vice-Principal Lou.
"Xu Tingsheng, come back to Libei. The people of Libei need you," Vice-Principal Lou told him.
Xu Tingsheng's head spun a little at the grandiose statement of 'The people of Libei need you'. Could it be that everyone knew he was 'Superman'?…"Uncle Lou, what is it? You're scaring me, you know," Xu Tingsheng ventured cautiously.
Vice-Principal Lou replied, "You talk first. When you were in our school, did you pick up a junior called Wu Yuewei?"
"I…"
Xu Tingsheng thought, "As a lofty Principal, you can't speak like this! What 'pick up a junior'?"
"First in Jiannan City, second in Jianhai Province. Get it? We got wind of the news from the Provincial Examination Institute just a few hours ago. Wu Yuewei, first in Sciences for Jiannan City and second in Jianhai Province," Vice-Principal Lou roared into the phone, the sound of his hand slamming onto the table resounding non-stop from the background.
Vice-Principal Lou was extremely excited. Xu Tingsheng was given a fright as well. He could still accept first in Sciences for Jiannan City. After all, Wu Yuewei's proficiency was laid out there for all to see. This second in the entire Jianhai Province…had indisputably exploded her results of her previous life till not even its dregs remained.
Of course, this wasn't actually important. Apart from Xu Tingsheng, there was no one else who knew this. Even Xu Tingsheng himself could only venture a vague guess. After all, he had not heard such shocking news in his previous life. Wu Yuewei had gone only to Jianhai University.
The problem now was that this had completely exploded the history of Libei County's university entrance examination results till not even its dregs remained.
With Jianhai Province's overall standard, it was at the forefront of the entire country in terms of education and economics. However, Libei was the least developed county in the least developed Jiannan City of Jianhai Province, being at the very bottom be it in terms of education or economics.
It had already been more than ten years since Libei last produced a Qingbei student. Moreover, Wu Yuewei was even second in the entire Jianhai Province this time.
"This…is a good thing. The school's too worked up? Libei's too worked up? …It's all blown up? That's also not something I can do anything about, Uncle Lou," Xu Tingsheng cheerfully joked.
"Stop that cheekiness! Hurry up and scram back for me," Xu Tingsheng calling Vice-Principal Lou Uncle Lou, it could be seen that the two of them were very close as Vice-Principal Lou naturally had no reservations in directly scolding him over the phone, "If you don't scram back within two days, I'll blow up your family's supermarket."
"No, Uncle Lou. You've at least got to tell me what's up first, right?" Xu Tingsheng ventured cautiously.
"Fine, I'll tell you. It's like this. Just earlier, Wu Yuewei's form teacher came crying over looking for us principals. Can you guess why?" Vice-Principal Lou said in ill humour, "When she called Wu Yuewei to tell her about her results a bit earlier, also casually congratulating her on going to Qingbei…second in the entire province going to Qingbei, this isn't unreasonable, right? Right?"
"
Right" Xu Tingsheng said.
"Right your arse. Do you know what Wu Yuewei said in the end? She said that she's still considering. She might not go to Qingbei for sure. Then, her form teacher got panicked and called all around trying to find out why. Finally, Wu Yuewei's tablemate told her that she might be thinking of going to Yanzhou University to look for you."
"No, I can't talk about it any longer. Xu Tingsheng, you scourge! This is first in Jiannan City, second in the entire province, Libei's sole Qingbei in thirteen years! She wants to go to your godforsaken Yanzhou University to look for you accursed creature. Sigh, I can't live anymore. I'm going to blow up your family's supermarket! I'm going to blow you up!"
Hearing Vice-Principal Lou say this, Xu Tingsheng suddenly remembered the day of his graduation when Wu Yuewei had asked for his graduation yearbook and written within it:
"It will still be a year this time. I will still be asking again-Senior Xu Tingsheng, do you still remember me?"
More than a year having passed, Xu Tingsheng had already more or less forgotten about it. Even if he remembered it, he still wouldn't think that there would actually be someone who would treat their own future as lightly as this. Really giving up on Qingbei, an object of countless people's desires, just because of a single sentence…to study at Yanzhou University instead?
Xu Tingsheng had not applied for Jianhai University or any other famous universities aside from Qingbei University back then, having chosen Yanzhou University instead. This was because Xiang Ning was really too important to him, and also because he had the confidence that with the advantage of rebirth, the difference in university standards already didn't matter so much to him. It was in consideration of all this that he had finally still decided to go to Yanzhou University.
However, it wasn't the same for Wu Yuewei! She couldn't have so deep feelings that warranted such a sacrifice?! This intelligent little girl was actually so silly? So mullish?
This was how it looked to Xu Tingsheng. However, it wasn't actually like this for Wu Yuewei. This girl had even remembered those short interactions between them in his previous life, having remembered it even till the day of her wedding. What about this lifetime then?
The two had interacted much more in this lifetime than they had in the previous. Also, from Wu Yuewei's perspective, there were too many reasons for her to believe that Xu Tingsheng cared about her. From him dashing towards Bao Ming's gang for her, to taking on the punishment for the sake of her reputation, to being concerned for her during the SARS period, rushing towards that suspected SARS patient for her without fear of death…
Also, those fourteen days and night in the quarantine ward, that simple love established upon a single telephone line-all these memories had left a sweet impression within Wu Yuewei's mind.
Thus, the two saw those past interactions completely differently. Xu Tingsheng had felt guilty and concerned, wanting to make up for what he owed her, while Wu Yuewei had perhaps felt and experienced the most blissful love of one's youthful times.
Thus, she might truly make that decision.
"One word-are you coming back or not? Otherwise, I'll get the chemistry teachers to help make some explosives right now!" Vice-Principal Lou exclaimed.
Libei Senior High had been yearning for a Qingbei for more than ten years. Just last year, in order to get Xu Tingsheng to risk gunning for Qingbei in filling up his aspiration form, the few higher-ups of the school had all shamelessly rushed straight to the Xu Family to join in a meal, making use of the chance to get themselves drunk to request despite the awkwardness for him to try for Qingbei.
In the end, Xu Tingsheng had missed Qingbei by two marks and gone to Yanzhou University. All of them were still feeling guilty and regretful regarding this even now.
What about this time? This time was different. It was already a given that Wu Yuewei would be able to get into Qingbei for sure…would it end up failing again? All the fragile little souls of Libei Senior High's higher-ups were almost unable to stand it no longer.
"I'll come back. I have two exams tomorrow, I don't think I'll be in time. I'll be back latest the day after tomorrow," Xu Tingsheng wanted to return to Libei not actually because of Vice-Principal Lou, but because he couldn't let Wu Yuewei make such a silly decision, accrue a great debt that he couldn't afford to owe at all…that represented that girl's very fate, future.
"Fine. Call me as soon as you reach the station then. I'll go pick you up," Vice-Principal Lou said before hanging up.
Xu Tingsheng hurriedly called for a meeting of Hucheng's personnel and arranged the matters of the next few days, also applying for two days of leave from the university as he prepared to return to Libei.
The next day, as Xu Tingsheng was packing his luggage after having finished sitting for his examinations, he received a call from Wu Yuewei.
Wu Yuewei told him her results over the phone. Xu Tingsheng could tell that she was very happy, because he had once said: Get a first in Jiannan City first. I'm waiting for your good news, waiting to be proud of you.
"Now, are you proud of me?"
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