The only person in the class who dared to go up and strike up a conversation with her was Gu Zhiyuan.
With a grandfather who was a commander and parents who held respectable jobs, Gu Zhiyuan was both handsome and academically gifted. Wherever he went, he was well liked.
Growing up in such an environment had naturally fostered a sense of superiority in Gu Zhiyuan.
Yet whenever he faced Linlin, that superiority vanished. Sometimes, he even felt defeated.
From elementary school through high school, Linlin had always ranked first in the entire grade. Gu Zhiyuan could only settle for second place. No matter how hard he tried, he seemed unable to catch up with Linlin.
He competed with her in secret while being irresistibly drawn to her at the same time.
Gu Zhiyuan walked over to Linlin’s desk and stared at the problem she was working on for a while before asking softly, “Linlin, are these the practice problems your second uncle sent you from the capital again?”
Linlin looked up and glanced around.
The college entrance exam was fast approaching, and everyone was burying their heads in their studies. No one was paying attention to them.
She raised her eyes to Gu Zhiyuan. “These problems won’t appear on the college entrance exam, and they’re very difficult.”
The girl’s clear, limpid eyes were utterly free of any other emotion, but Gu Zhiyuan’s heart still clenched, bringing back that suffocating feeling.
Gu Zhiyuan had always had the inexplicable impression that Linlin looked down on him—or perhaps even disliked him.
He could keenly sense that Linlin treated him differently from her other classmates.
At one point, Gu Zhiyuan had even secretly taken pride in that.
Being treated differently—what a wonderful privilege, even if the difference was negative.
But every time he interacted with her and felt her quiet distance and rejection, he was overcome by an indescribable sense of suffocation.
Just like a moment ago: before he had even managed to say anything, Linlin had already cut off the conversation.
“Is there anything else?”
Linlin’s manner could even be described as polite.
When Gu Zhiyuan said nothing, she handed him the workbook. “You can copy the problems down and return it to me afterward.”
What a friendly classmate. What a considerate suggestion.
Yet Gu Zhiyuan could hear the girl’s real meaning clearly:
Get lost. Stop bothering me!
If Linlin could hear his thoughts, she would surely have agreed.
She truly disliked Gu Zhiyuan.
Ever since the summer vacation when she had returned from Zhouxin County, she had developed an instinctive and intense aversion to the girl she had met back then—as well as to the Gu Zhiyuan that girl had mentioned.
“Don’t steal Gu Zhiyuan from me,” the girl had said.
A long time had passed since then, but Linlin still remembered those words.
Don’t steal Gu Zhiyuan?
Linlin didn’t understand. Why would she want to steal Gu Zhiyuan?
Was she supposed to steal his position as The Perpetual Runner-Up?
Even though she didn’t understand what the girl had meant, Linlin simply disliked Gu Zhiyuan. It was as if drawing close to him would somehow bring her misfortune.
She pushed the workbook a little farther toward him and looked at Gu Zhiyuan in confusion.
“Thank you.” Gu Zhiyuan clenched his fists, took the workbook, and turned back to his seat.
After sitting down, he opened the workbook. His eyes fell on the densely packed solution steps, but he couldn’t take in a single word.
He raised his head slightly and looked forward.
Linlin had already taken out another book. Only her profile was visible, while the ponytail tied at the back of her head swayed gently, unconsciously tugging at the heartstrings of everyone nearby.
Naturally, the other students in the class had noticed what happened.
But most of them were taking secret pleasure in it.
They were happy to see Gu Zhiyuan suffer a setback at Linlin’s hands. Deep down, they even felt a faint, hidden satisfaction.
Who didn’t like that girl?
The bright moon hung high in the sky; it was never meant to belong to just one person.
They all harbored a few dark thoughts. Even if they themselves could never be worthy of her, they still didn’t want to see anyone else win the girl’s favor.
When Gu Zhiyuan returned home, his parents had also put aside part of their work to stay home and keep him company as much as possible, since the college entrance exam was near.
Gu Zhuo worked at the county committee, while Xia Yan worked at the hospital. Both of them were extremely busy.
They had both come from military families, and much of their approach to raising children was modeled after the previous generation.
They were strict, though somewhat more open-minded than their elders.
At present, the college entrance exam was the only important matter in the household. Naturally, Gu Zhuo brought up his son’s choice of university during dinner.
Xia Yan, who had been listening from the side, suddenly asked, “What about Linlin from your class? Where does she want to go?”
Gu Zhuo paused. “Who’s Linlin?”
Xia Yan smiled. “She’s Captain Su and Doctor Lin’s daughter. She’s been classmates with our Zhiyuan all this time.”
Gu Zhuo and Su Lang were not part of the same chain of command. He might not know who Captain Su was, but the moment Xia Yan mentioned Doctor Lin, he immediately knew who she meant.
He glanced at the unusually quiet Gu Zhiyuan. “How are this Linlin’s grades?”
At the mention of that, Xia Yan’s face lit up. “You have no idea how outstanding that girl is. She ranks first in the entire grade every semester. Her older brother was an excellent student too. I hear he’s studying at a military academy in the capital now. I really don’t know how her family raised her.”
Xia Yan also worked at the military district hospital, though she was in the obstetrics and gynecology department and did not interact with Lin Zhilan very often.
When Linlin was little, she often went to the hospital to do her homework, and Xia Yan would occasionally run into her.
She genuinely envied Lin Zhilan. Linlin was intelligent, well behaved, and as beautiful as a flower. She had more good qualities than anyone could count. Anyone lucky enough to have a daughter like that would cherish her like a treasure.
Gu Zhiyuan lowered his eyes. “The teacher said she wants to apply to Capital Aviation University.”
“That’s a wonderful school,” Xia Yan praised. Then she asked her son, “What about you?”
Gu Zhiyuan was silent for a moment. “I haven’t decided yet.”
Gu Zhuo frowned, but Xia Yan hurriedly said, “It’s fine if you haven’t decided. You still have time to think about it.”
Their son was about to take the college entrance exam. This was no time to affect his mood.
Gu Zhuo swallowed the words that had been about to leave his mouth.
Gu Zhiyuan put down his chopsticks. “I’m full. I’m going back to my room to study.”
Xia Yan pursed her lips and pointed toward his bedroom. “He’s upset again.”
“What does he have to be upset about?” Gu Zhuo asked, puzzled.
Xia Yan curled her lip. “Our son has a high opinion of himself, but he can never beat Linlin in the exams. His classmates all call him The Perpetual Runner-Up. You simply can’t mention Linlin in front of him. I shouldn’t have brought her up today.”
Gu Zhuo frowned, feeling that his son was being rather narrow-minded.
Leaning against the door, Gu Zhiyuan heard what his mother said.
He didn’t hate Linlin. Of course he didn’t.
He only hated the way Linlin rejected him, as though he carried some kind of contagious disease.
But he couldn’t figure out why.
Linlin, for her part, hadn’t given Gu Zhiyuan’s behavior a second thought. The score required for admission to the school she wanted was extremely high, and the girl was under tremendous pressure. She simply had no time to dwell on such pointless matters.
After the mock exams, the unified examination in July soon arrived.
It was held over three days: July 7, 8, and 9.
Lin Zhilan and Su Lang both took leave from work specifically to accompany her during the exams.
Su Li’s summer vacation had not begun yet. He said he wanted to take leave to accompany his older sister during her exams as well, but Lin Zhilan put a stop to that.
