Every time something interesting happened, Little Sprout couldn't help but share it with Ziye, but alas, Ziye wouldn't listen, completely buried in her books. It was like playing music to a stone, utterly frustrating, and the most frustrating part was that Ziye didn't even acknowledge its frustration.

Bored out of its mind, it rolled from Ziye's head to her back, and then back to her head again, deciding to compile a set of exam materials for her, listing all the knowledge points she needed to study. All she would have to do was use its materials to read and do practice problems. That way, she would have time to play with it!

However, its clever plan had clearly misfired.

While Ziye certainly found preparing for the exam easier with its materials, she spent that newfound free time eating with Xingrui instead of playing with it.

If Chun Niu was the best helper online, Xingrui was definitely the best real-life study buddy.

Both of them were assigned twelve required texts, seven of which were the same. When they were together, they could discuss the practice questions they had and their thoughts on the books. Any confusing points, once discussed, yielded knowledge much faster and deeper than agonizing over them alone.

Time flew by, full and productive. Ziye received her admission ticket on November 19th; the exams were scheduled for the 21st and 22nd, with the testing site at Chira Station ④.

Ziye was staying on Chira Station ③. She checked the route; there was an interstellar bus that could execute a jump drive, taking only 15 minutes.

She didn't know where Xingrui was testing. It would be better if they could go together. Ziye thought, and then initiated a hyper-call to Xingrui. Surprisingly, Xingrui, who usually picked up hyper-calls instantly, didn't answer for a long time. Perhaps he was momentarily indisposed? Ziye cut the connection, navigated to the forum, and found Xingbao offline.

She thought for a moment, then called again.

Still no answer.

After half an hour, Ziye called again, still no response.

It was evening now, and the lights of the station had come on, twinkling like scattered stars in the deep expanse of space. Ziye looked at the closed door next door, feeling a distinct unease. After hesitating, she ran downstairs and knocked on Xingrui's door.

No response again.

Where was he?

How strange.

Could his testing site be far, and he had already set off?

But that was no reason not to tell her.

Although they were testing for different universities and different majors, they had already forged a **bond; Xingrui had no reason to disappear without a word. Moreover, they had just eaten dinner together the day before!

Ziye stood puzzlingly at the door for a while. Just as she was about to turn back, the door suddenly opened, revealing Xingrui’s slender-legged robot. “Respected guest, my master is unwell today. I apologize for the long wait.”

Ziye craned her neck to look in. She saw Xingrui wrapped in a blanket, sitting on the sofa. He nodded at the robot and went inside. Up close, his face was unnaturally flushed, and he had dark circles around his eyes. His hair was a mess, lacking any of his usual vibrancy.

How could he be like this so close to the exam? Ziye worried, “What’s wrong with you?”

Xingrui’s eyes were bloodshot, filled with nothing but red streaks and teary grievances. “I pulled several all-nighters studying, thinking I could just power through until the exam was over, but I started running a fever yesterday, and today I’m like this.”

The very thing you fear most before an exam arrives—terrible, yet tragically fitting luck.

When people are exhausted, their immune systems weaken, making them susceptible to viral invasion. Ziye had reminded him a few days ago to rest well before the exam, but he hadn't listened. Now that this had happened, the only thing to do was treat it quickly. She asked, “Did you take medicine?”

Xingrui puffed his cheeks and nodded.

“That’s good,” Ziye comforted. “Then get a good sleep and replenish your energy.”

Xingrui covered his face in misery, at a loss. “I can’t sleep; I feel suffocated, and I’m dreaming that I’m failing the test.”

Ziye had never comforted anyone and didn't know what to say. She sat down. “What are you worried about? You’re brilliant in every subject. I should be the one worrying. Go get some sleep now; you’ll feel better tomorrow.”

Xingrui turned his head to glance at her and suddenly asked, “Ziye, aren’t you worried about failing?”

Ziye shrugged. “Do my best and leave the rest to fate.”

Xingrui envied her. “You’re so calm.”

Ziye sighed wistfully. “It doesn’t matter if I’m calm or not. Reality is what it is.”

Xingrui fell silent for a moment, then said heavily, “I’m so afraid all my effort will be for nothing.”

Ziye frowned and shot him a look. She really wanted to slap him—what was the point of worrying so much about something that hadn’t even happened! Overthinking only affected one's state.

Unfortunately, she couldn't say that directly; his fragile spirit would surely lead him to tears. She rubbed her forehead, musing gloomily, why did she seem more like the 'man' when she was around him?

Helplessly, she changed the subject. “Don't think so much; things will get better. By the way, where is your testing site?”

Xingrui replied, “On this station. Just a few minutes by maglev car.”

Ziye breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good; you have plenty of time to rest.”

Xingrui nodded.

Seeing how unwell he was, Ziye said, “I’m heading to Station ④ tomorrow. You rest well, and good luck with the exam.”

The exam started at nine in the morning, with entry half an hour prior.

She planned to leave at eight and take the interstellar bus; it was only fifteen minutes away. But she worried about any potential delays on the way. Since staying anywhere was the same, she figured it was better to stay right next to the test center.

Little Sprout finally got a chance to go out and play, rolling excitedly on her head the entire way. The one small entity and the one young girl, their four eyes wide, stared out the gas-pane window. The bus’s jump speed was incredibly fast; countless stars of all sizes flashed past them.

The view of space was vast and mysterious. As they watched, their sense of direction faded. The beautiful, singular scenery offered a peculiar comfort to the nerves; only one color stretched out, monotonous yet magnificent.

Little Sprout sent an excited thought wave into her mind: “Ziye, once you get into university, we can just cruise around in space, right?”

Ziye was also full of anticipation for her future life. “Sure! After getting into university, we can explore nearby. When we have the strength, we’ll build a cruiser, and we can travel everywhere.”

Little Sprout drooped in disappointment. “That’s still a long time away.”

Ziye pinched its cheek and sighed, “Can’t be helped. Mechs can’t travel long distances. If we run out of energy in space, not even a deity can save us.”

Little Sprout immediately fell silent. Its body flattened, and it obediently curled up on her lap, so dejected its eyes were narrowed to slits.

Arriving at Station ④, Ziye disembarked and walked around the testing venue, checking the grounds. She settled into a nearby residential area and rented a maglev car for a drive.

Ziye was clear about her own level; she was on the tipping point—a little luck and she’d pass, a little bad luck and she’d fail. But unlike Xingrui, she wasn't in a panic; she simply reviewed all the knowledge in her mind as a final preparation.

However, Little Sprout clearly couldn't guess her method of review. During the drive, it lazily hung on her shoulder, reading the materials aloud from beginning to end.

Ziye reached out, caught it, squeezed it in her arms, and gazed at the distant space. This solitary drive gave her a sense of melancholy, like being on a long voyage, but she felt no sadness because she knew this was her life.

She had only one thing to do now: take the exam!

Ziye maintained an excellent mentality and took the exam with steady composure. After the first three subjects, she felt good about herself. At noon on the second day of testing, while eating in the test center cafeteria, Xingrui suddenly messaged her, his voice mournful and tearful. “Ziye, I bombed the morning test.”

Ziye’s heart lurched; she sensed trouble. But she dared not ask him what he bombed, afraid that talking about it would only make him sadder and more flustered. The worst thing before an exam was a chaotic mind; a chaotic mind ruined everything.

Xingrui was a very emotional person. Although he seemed quite cheerful in person, Xingbao on the forum appeared very fragile. She knew that his cheerfulness was a facade, and the person on the forum was his true character.

People were often like this: they could fully express themselves online, but in reality, they had to wear a disguise due to various external pressures.

Xingrui’s heart couldn't handle the blow.

She had witnessed many things in the test center these two days. Some people arrived early for the first day’s exam but didn't show up for the second; others who were accidentally late on the first day were waiting outside the testing center early the next day.

She didn't know their mindsets, only that the closer it got to the end, the less one should give up. If you gave up on yourself, who else would have faith in you?

Therefore, to Xingrui’s tearful complaint, Ziye calmly advised, “There’s one subject this afternoon. Regardless of your current state, you must eat. There are only three hours left until the next exam. Take a short nap to clear your head. Worry about everything else after you finish testing!”

Xingrui was silent for a moment. “But I feel terrible.”

Ziye couldn't hold back and shouted, “Even if you feel terrible now, you must finish the exam first! Until the exam is over, any emotion is fake!”

The cafeteria was crowded, and many people turned to look. Ziye sighed silently, then looked back at the hyper-call screen; Xingrui had already cut the connection without her noticing.

Ziye sighed again. After a half-hour nap, Little Sprout poked her awake, and she rushed back to the testing center.

There were twenty people in one classroom. In the afternoon, the boy sitting in the front row hadn’t shown up either. Ziye shook her head, unsure what to say.

In recent years, examination conditions had become more relaxed. Regardless of which school one attended for intermediate academy studies, or if one was self-taught without attending school, or whatever one's age—people from any Star Sector could register for the annual Unified University Entrance Exam. Consequently, if they failed to pass once, they weren't overly anxious; they could always try again next year.

However, Ziye still looked down on such people!