As soon as Ji Zhaoxi entered the school, she saw Chen Yiping and Li Jun.
Li Jun smiled and greeted her, "We were just talking about you. Did your sister drop you off?"
Ji Zhaoxi shook her head. "Brother Qin Du dropped me off."
A hint of surprise flashed across Li Jun's face. He glanced at the silent Chen Yiping and laughed awkwardly. "Are you two really that close now? I thought people were just talking nonsense."
Seeing that Ji Zhaoxi remained silent, he cleared his throat. "How is your preparation going?"
Ji Zhaoxi hesitated for a moment. "I've memorized everything I need to."
The three of them followed the crowd up the stairs. There were several unshaven, middle-aged men carrying exam supplies, and Ji Zhaoxi couldn't help but glance at them a few times.
As a result, she didn't pay attention to her footing and missed a step.
"Tsk."
Chen Yiping frowned and grabbed her arm. "Watch your step on the stairs."
Li Jun whispered, "Why are they taking the exam at such an old age?"
Following behind Ji Zhaoxi, Chen Yiping looked at the pattern on the scarf around her neck and said casually, "They came to take it because they want to."
Li Jun scratched his head. Even so, it still looked weird.
They were all basically kids, but those men looked old enough to be their fathers.
Qin Du stood at the gate for a while before taking the meat to the boiler room to cook. The old man there had cooked some rice himself, and Qin Du packed some into a tin lunchbox.
The old man watched Qin Du cook, smoking a cigarette with drooping eyelids. "Why aren't you taking the exam? You don't look that old."
"I don't want to."
The old man smiled. "You don't want to? You'll know how exhausting it is to be uneducated in the future."
"Is that girl your partner or your younger sister?"
"Sister."
He answered without a moment of hesitation.
The old man smiled again, accidentally choked on his smoke, and coughed incessantly. "You treat her like she's your most precious treasure, and you still call her a sister, young man."
Qin Du had finished cooking. He had prepared venison, pork, and some vegetables for Ji Zhaoxi. The meat was packed to the brim, barely fitting into the tin box.
He placed another box of meat on the old man's table.
Since he used the man's stove, he had to give something in return.
As Qin Du left with the tin box, the old man remarked leisurely from behind, "In the future, she'll be a college student, and you'll just be a hunter. Let's see if she'll still look up to you then."
If you don't seize the opportunity now, it'll be hard later.
Qin Du lowered his eyes and said nothing.
He didn't want to seize anything; he just wanted her to do what she liked, rather than being trapped in Xinniu Village.
When Qin Du arrived at the school, the exam had just ended. He stood waiting at the same spot as that morning, watching everyone who came out.
If it weren't for those accidents, perhaps he would be among them right now.
But there are no ifs in this world. Qin Du concealed the emotions in his eyes and took out a thermos from his bag.
Walking out with the crowd, Ji Zhaoxi immediately spotted that familiar, tall figure.
Li Jun saw him too, cursed under his breath, and awkwardly lowered his head.
Chen Yiping glanced at Qin Du without any expression.
Ji Zhaoxi jogged over to Qin Du, standing before him with restrained excitement, her eyes shining. "Brother Qin Du."
Qin Du handed the thermos to her, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes. "Are you tired?"
The two walked outwards together, maintaining a polite distance.
"Not tired at all. A lot of the questions were things you taught me before, and I managed to answer all of them!"
"That's good. Get some good rest later."
As their silhouettes grew further away, Li Jun's jaw dropped in shock. "They... are they... what is this?!"
Chen Yiping frowned. "Enough."
Li Jun glanced at the nearby patrol squad, cleared his throat, and stopped talking.
The closer they got to the warehouse, the fewer people there were on the road, leaving only a vast expanse of snow.
The distance between the two of them closed. Qin Du rubbed her hands to warm them up, frowning slightly. "Wear gloves this afternoon."
Ji Zhaoxi shook her head. "It's inconvenient to write while wearing gloves."
As soon as they entered the warehouse, the wind was instantly shut out. Ji Zhaoxi was already starving. Qin Du had somehow managed to find a small table specifically for her to eat on.
Eating the meat, Ji Zhaoxi looked around and couldn't help but laugh out loud. "It feels just like being at home."
Qin Du didn't know how to respond to her joking remarks, but he didn't want her to feel ignored, so he would always use other actions to cover it up.
Like handing her a cup of sugar water right now.
Ji Zhaoxi drank the sugar water and grabbed his clothes with her free hand. As if programmed, Qin Du skillfully sat down beside her, letting her lean on him.
Satisfied, Ji Zhaoxi started spouting nonsense. "Brother Qin Du, you're like my giant teddy bear. You do whatever I tell you to, right?"
Qin Du hummed in agreement good-naturedly, adjusting his posture so she could lean more comfortably.
During her afternoon nap, Ji Zhaoxi also fell asleep leaning against Qin Du. For the entire noon break, Qin Du didn't move an inch.
He deeply cherished these few days they spent together.
Because once her college entrance exams were over, he would have to go hunting to make money. Her tuition and living expenses would definitely cost a lot.
He didn't want her to worry about money.
At noon, Li Jun followed Chen Yiping to eat at the state-run restaurant.
As soon as he entered the state-run restaurant, Li Jun felt immensely honored.
This was a place that required national food coupons to enter; local food coupons wouldn't even cut it.
It was great hanging out with Chen Yiping. Who knew where Ji Zhaoxi and Qin Du were out suffering in the cold wind right now.
The afternoon exam was mathematics. After it was over, Ji Zhaoxi was incredibly happy, holding onto Qin Du and chattering non-stop.
After completing two exams, she felt as if she already had half a foot through the university gates.
That evening, Qin Du made shredded pork noodles for Ji Zhaoxi. She ate with great relish, even drinking all the soup.
Watching Ji Zhaoxi lower her head to drink the soup, Qin Du felt a pang of sorrow in his heart.
If he were more successful, he wouldn't have to let her stay in a place like this.
She should be staying in a state-run guesthouse right now, eating meals from a state-run restaurant...
Ji Zhaoxi was completely unaware of this; she was still immersed in the excitement of finishing her exams the next day.
"Thank you, Brother Qin Du. You are so good to me."
Qin Du forced a smile, but his heart clenched tighter and tighter.
He wasn't good at all. During her college entrance exams, he couldn't even provide her with a decent place to stay.
Before going to sleep, Ji Zhaoxi leaned against Qin Du, earnestly reviewing the textbook for tomorrow's exam. Qin Du lowered his head to read along with her. Their faces were pressed close together, and their hands were tightly clasped.
It was both a crossing of boundaries and an act of restraint.
The cold wind howled outside, but all they could hear was each other's breathing.
After the exams finished on the second day, they took the village vehicle back.
The village chief's wife cheerfully ushered the students who had taken the exam into the vehicle. Lin Yitang's family jeep had also been borrowed for the occasion.
Ji Zhuxin winked at Ji Zhaoxi and shoved the two of them into the very front vehicle.
