Chapter 19

The weather was beautiful that day. The wind at the end of April brushed against my face, warm and gentle.

He was about 173 centimeters tall, fair and thin.

Wearing a plaid shirt and casual pants, carrying a backpack, he stood under a big camphor tree waiting for me.

The protagonists in novels are always handsome men and beautiful women.

But in real life, there aren’t so many stunning guys and pretty girls.

Ordinary men and women can encounter love just the same.

I looked at his plaid shirt and laughed, “As expected, the standard look for a science and engineering guy.”

He seemed a bit nervous, scratching his head, “Does it look bad? I just bought this yesterday.”

“My hair’s freshly cut, too.”

“It looks good. All my clothes are old. If I’d known, I should’ve bought something new.”

He waved his hands quickly, his eyes bright, “No, no, you look great like this.”

The love journey of ordinary people is just ordinary.

No green-tea schemers or melodramatic catfights.

We ate together, climbed mountains, strolled along the streets, watched movies.

In mid-May, we went to see ‘So Young’ together.

When the movie ended, the theater was filled with the sound of crying.

Only I felt a bit lost and confused, “It’s hard for me to empathize. Maybe it’s because no one has ever loved me, and I’ve never loved anyone. My youth is a blank.”

Zhou Xiang turned to look at me, suddenly took my hand.

His voice was trembling, “Your youth isn’t over yet. Let me fill it.”

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

His palm was drenched in sweat.

I said yes.

When we left the cinema, he told me, “You have no idea how scared I was that you’d reject me.”

“You’re a doctoral student at Nan Zhong University, so much more accomplished than me. Why would you be afraid I’d reject you?”

“No, I think you’re even more outstanding. I was afraid you’d look down on me, afraid I wasn’t good enough for you.”

I almost cried then.

It turns out, no matter how ordinary you are, there’s always someone in this world who thinks you’re one of a kind.

Someone who feels they have to stand on tiptoe to reach you.

Zhou Xiang found me a full set of professional books and past exam papers from Nan Zhong University, as well as the books needed for the Graduate Entrance Exam.

As a student from a Second Tier University, if I wanted to apply to such a top-ranked school and major, I had to work extra hard.

Looking back now.

I really was young then, full of energy.

Even with such a busy schedule, I could still find time for love.

By the second semester of my junior year, time became even tighter.

I had to choose between work and preparing for the Graduate Entrance Exam.

The teahouse I worked at was actually part of a large Tea Factory.

And the company was about to expand into overseas markets.

Since I majored in English and knew about tea, it was a perfect fit.

The manager hoped I could join the team.

If I made a mark, I’d be credited as a pioneer.

But the Graduate Entrance Exam was looming, and I didn’t have much time left.

Zhou Xiang supported my decision to take the exam, “If you start working, you’ll never have such a big block of time and the right environment to prepare.”

“You’d also lose the advantage of being a fresh graduate.”

He held my hand among the wild chrysanthemums of early autumn, “Don’t worry about living expenses. I can transfer you fifteen hundred yuan every month.”

As he spoke, he took out his phone.

I refused, “I still have some savings for now. If it’s not enough, I’ll ask you then.”

Actually, part of my motivation for taking the Graduate Entrance Exam was because of him.

He was a doctoral student at a prestigious university, while I was just from a Second Tier University.

And his family was quite well-off.

Once, his mom gave him five thousand yuan for living expenses. I thought it was for a semester, but he said it was for a month.

I wanted to narrow the gap between us.

In the college entrance exam, everyone competes with intelligence and hard work.

But back then, the Graduate Entrance Exam wasn’t as fiercely competitive as it is now.

Intelligence was secondary; effort, persistence, and resisting temptation were more important.

When my parents learned I wanted to take the Graduate Entrance Exam, they were strongly opposed.

“Three more years of study? Your father and I are getting old.”

“You’ve never been that smart. If you quit your job to take the exam, you won’t earn any money, and if you fail, you’ll end up with nothing.”

“If you go to graduate school, what about your sister’s tuition and living expenses?”

…

But I was no longer that seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl who had to rely on their approval.

My sister spoke up too, saying she could take out a loan for her tuition.

My parents had no choice but to give in.

During the year I prepared for the Graduate Entrance Exam, I cut off almost all social contact except for Zhou Xiang and my sister.

Thinking that maybe the three of us could study at the same university someday filled me with motivation.

I was like a sponge, desperately soaking up knowledge.

Waiting for the day I could stand on the scales of fate.

That day finally came.

That winter was especially cold. When I got up in the morning, the ground was frozen.

But on the two days of the Graduate Entrance Exam, the sun came out for once, warming everyone.

I did well in the first three exams.

Zhou Xiang waited for me outside the exam hall, and we were about to go eat together.

Just then, my phone rang. It was my mom.

I hesitated for a few seconds, then answered. On the other end, her voice was panicked and frantic:

“Your dad was drinking at someone else’s house. On his way home, he fell and hit his head. There’s blood everywhere, Xiaxia, what should I do, what should I do…”