Wang Qiqi was now completely relieved. "Ah, ah, ah, just thinking that in about ten days I can finally be far, far away from that scum makes me so happy."

"Right. Hey, should we go to the capital city during the summer vacation? We can finalize the house then." Juliana had already cleared it with her family; once she started university domestically, she would gradually take over some responsibilities, making staying in a dormitory a bit inappropriate.

"I wonder if we'll get in. Let's wait until the acceptance letters arrive," Shi Man said, quite worried about listing C University. Who knew if she could actually get into C University? C University’s admission scores were notoriously high.

"How will you know if you don't try? Keep pushing, our goal is to reunite at C University." After boosting morale, Wang Qiqi urged, "Books, review your lessons."

Since Wang Qiqi had motivated them to apply to C University, Shi Man and Juliana had been gripped by anxiety and apprehension, even dreaming of failing the entrance exams. But listening to Qiqi’s analysis, and after their parents made inquiries, they learned that because C University’s cutoff score in their region had been exceptionally high the previous year, many students didn't get into good schools. Consequently, fewer people were applying to C University this year. Otherwise, Shi Man and Juliana wouldn't have had the courage to aim for C University. They knew that choosing other schools might ease the pressure, but without pressure, there was no drive.

"Go for it."

Wang Qiqi and her friends had completely established their own distinct study schedules. Every day upon returning home, Juliana would habitually take a short nap—about thirty to forty minutes—then wake up to eat before continuing to memorize liberal arts materials. Around 11 PM, she would switch to math problems until 1 AM, then sleep until 5 AM to wake up and drill English vocabulary or review some political content.

Shi Man would study until 11 PM and then go to sleep, rising at 4 AM to review history and geography.

Wang Qiqi would study until midnight, then do half an hour of yoga, sleeping until 5:30 AM. After waking, she would prepare breakfast, engage in twenty minutes of morning exercise, and rotate between reciting history, geography, and English.

During this period, they took two more mock exams. Although their scores hadn't improved dramatically—feeling somewhat stagnant—their homeroom teacher commented that Wang Qiqi and the others performed well, characterized by their consistency. Of course, further improvement would be beneficial.

After three mock exams, some students were happy, some were dejected, but more students showed a fighting spirit in their eyes. While the reactions of the first two groups were normal, Wang Qiqi felt such fluctuating moods were detrimental. After all, this wasn't the actual college entrance exam (Gaokao); there was no need to be ecstatic or despondent right now. Such an emotional state would heavily influence their mindset during the real test.

The homeroom teacher looked at the assembled students. "Starting tomorrow, you'll have three days of focused review lessons. As for the admission tickets, please arrive at the examination hall thirty minutes early. I will wait for all of you at the school gate."

The students understood the significance of those three days spent at home. "Teacher, if we encounter questions we can't solve, may we return to school to ask the teachers?"

The homeroom teacher nodded. "Of course. During these days, every teacher will be at school. You can come to the school or call if you have questions."

Hearing that the teachers would be waiting for them at school, some students immediately asked, "Teacher, may we stay at school to review?"

"Yes, if we stay at school, we can ask the teachers anytime."

The teacher was not surprised by the suggestion. "If you are willing to come, I won't object. However, in principle, I still recommend you stay home to study." Home was ultimately better than school, and staying at school would waste considerable travel time.

"I’ll come to school to study."

"Me too."

Suddenly, many students agreed to stay on campus for their final review. Seeing so many opt to stay, Shi Man asked Wang Qiqi if she planned to remain at school as well.

"I think I’ll stay home and properly relax," Wang Qiqi thought, considering the lack of air conditioning at school and the inevitable noise in the classroom. "We've already asked everything we needed to ask. What we need now is a quiet environment."

Shi Man realized that too; it seemed she understood most of what she didn't know. It was a matter of knowing what you knew and what you didn't—something these three days couldn't fix anyway. "Okay, we'll study at home." At home, there was air conditioning, the option of desserts, and most importantly, they could lie down on the sofa to rest when tired of sitting.

Juliana had initially leaned toward staying at school to study, but since Qiqi and the others were staying home, she certainly wouldn't stay behind alone.

The homeroom teacher took a final tally: out of fifty students in the class, only five chose to study at home; the rest preferred to remain on campus for their final preparation.

"School is dismissed. Whether you stay at school or at home to study, I hope you stick to your own pace. In the end, I wish you all excellent results." The teacher surveyed the students. Although he had taught for many years and supervised numerous graduating classes, seeing his students face the Gaokao always left him with mixed feelings. Yet, when his students achieved success in good universities and found stable careers, returning with gifts to thank him—that was the moment of true accomplishment, the happiest moment for any teacher. Now, he was about to send off another cohort, making it hard for him not to feel emotional.

"We will! We will get great results!" Everyone shouted enthusiastically.

Watching the excited crowd, Wang Qiqi suddenly had a thought: perhaps for many students present, these final three days represented the very last stretch of darkness, with the Gaokao being the darkness before the dawn. But in eight or ten years, looking back on them sitting together in this classroom, the gaps would be apparent: those with better abilities or powerful family connections would invariably fare better than those with ordinary backgrounds or average skills. At this moment, however, the students were only dreaming of the beautiful college life ahead, completely oblivious to the job market difficulties awaiting them four years after graduation, far more challenging than what their older peers faced.

Wang Qiqi packed all the books from her desk into the bag she brought. This desk, which had accompanied her for nearly two years, would only see her again when she came to collect her graduation certificate.

After pausing for a moment, she picked up her already packed schoolbag. "Let's go."

Shi Man and the others had finished packing and were waiting for her. "I didn't expect you to feel sentimental. How about we come back to school tomorrow to study?"

Wang Qiqi let out a long sigh. "No, it’s not the desk I’m missing, just reflecting. Perhaps right now we are only focused on achieving high scores, but university life will be different."

Shi Man hadn't thought that far ahead. Her mind was on: "Thinking that in university I can sleep until dawn, and getting sixty points on exams is cause for celebration—that thought alone makes me happy." She wouldn't have to stay up late every night or drag herself out of bed so early; she felt like she had been working as a field hand before the Liberation.

Wang Qiqi mused that if one treated university like kindergarten, it would indeed be easy. But there was a major problem: what happens after graduation? Could she really rely only on the rent collected from the houses left by her parents to live? True, if she dabbled in stocks while collecting rent, her life would certainly be comfortable, but was that the life she truly desired? "I want to seriously study a foreign language other than English in university and improve my professional knowledge. Finding a job will be easier then."

Shi Man was surprised that Wang Qiqi, before even entering university, already had a preliminary plan for her studies. "Qiqi, you aren't planning to treat university like high school, are you?"

Wang Qiqi smiled. "Can't I? High school was tough. If we relax as soon as we enter university, what's the point of attending?"

Wang Qiqi paused. "The hardship of high school was to get into a good university, but that isn't the end; it's a new starting point. We study in high school to pass exams for a good university, then attend a good university to study a better major, so we can find a better job later. So, don't you think university is a new starting point for us?"

Shi Man and Juliana were struck silent. Indeed, thinking about it Wang Qiqi’s way, university wouldn't be easy either. "Actually, my dad told me that university is just for getting a diploma; the most important thing is experience. He only had a junior high education, yet he managed to build such a large enterprise." Although Juliana sometimes felt her father’s formal education level was low, his understanding of social dynamics and handling of company affairs was something she couldn't catch up on just by attending university or studying abroad. Perhaps this was what her father meant: even if she studied for another ten years, she wouldn't match his worldly wisdom.

Shi Man wasn't very excited about university life either. On the day of filling out her choices, her parents discussed her future career with her. According to them, she was supposed to return and enter government service, as many relatives already worked in state institutions. Promotion might be difficult, but Shi Man felt her university years were merely about securing a diploma for a decent job; attending a prestigious university would just add more face for her family. However, now Shi Man felt that if she could diligently study her professional knowledge over the next four years, perhaps she wouldn't have to follow the path her parents arranged. She could forge a future of her own. "Thank you, Qiqi. You’ve helped me find my goal."

Although Wang Qiqi didn't fully grasp why Shi Man was thanking her so profusely, she certainly accepted the gratitude offered. (To be continued)