TSIBAMS Chapter 93
by VolareCompared to the boring and unbearable days of the past two years, when he felt restless and had nothing to do, life now is like an arrow flying through time.
His ranking in the midterm exam has quietly risen to second in the grade. For Qi Guang, this period of improvement, although slow, has been hard-won with each climb. It is said that the first place has been consistently first since the first year of high school, seemingly glued to the position. No one can move him. The others in the top ten have been constantly moving up and down, but no one has ever broken into the first spot.
Qi Guang knows this top student. He was a classmate from Class 18 before. He is a dull boy who doesn’t like to talk and never goes out for sports with other boys. He wears thick black-framed glasses all the time, as thick as beer bottle bottoms, and his eyes behind the glasses look somewhat wooden. He’s said to be a study machine, and his family can’t even get him to go out and play no matter how much they try.
If academic achievers are divided into those with natural talent and those who are hardworking, this academic achiever probably belongs to the latter category.
And the biggest enemy of this type of academic achiever is undoubtedly the hardworking talented player.
Qi Guang looked at the calendar. There were still two months until the final exams.
No big deal.
Ye Xing wasn’t slacking off either. His stacks of drawing paper kept getting higher. It wouldn’t be long before they could be used as a dining table.
He was operating like a speed-sketching printer every day, basically abandoning copying. He was either doing life drawing or creating his own pieces based on textual descriptions given by the teachers. His progress was naturally rapid. In Teacher Xia’s words, any one of his drawings could be used as a template for publication.
As for sketching, he was still lacking a little bit, even though he was already better than most people in the studio. But he didn’t know if it was because Teacher Xia had higher standards for him than others or if she felt he had even more potential, but in short, it wasn’t particularly surprising.
But what was reassuring was that there was no need to worry about the art college entrance exam.
It’s just that he was still a bit away from being first in the province.
And this college entrance exam was not like the national college entrance exam. There weren’t so many mock exams, and no one knew where they stood among all the candidates.
So, this first place in the province didn’t have a definite range of people.
As the saying goes, “A newborn calf is not afraid of tigers.”
No big deal.
On the night before the exam, the art studio closed its doors early. Teacher Xia and a few teaching assistants sent them back to the dorm to rest one by one, then went from room to room to chat and calm their nerves.
Ye Xing wasn’t nervous at all. He just wanted to finish the exam quickly, go back to Qi Guang’s house, hug his boyfriend, and have a good sleep, and then… live the days of being forced by Teacher Qi to recite.
The blissful torture!
It’s better to eat something light the day before the exam. After much deliberation, Ye Xing ordered two large portions of clear broth wontons.
At least they were all meat.
Just as he successfully paid, Qi Guang called. He pressed the answer button almost reflexively. “Hello.”
Qi Guang’s somewhat surprised voice came from the other end of the phone, “Oh, you answered so quickly? I told you not to miss me too much…”
“You called at just the right moment. Anyone who didn’t know better would think that my online banking is linked to your card,” Ye Xing chuckled.
“Eating takeout again?” Qi Guang asked, “I thought you guys were going out for a feast since you’re about to be liberated?”
“Forget it. I’m going to save my stomach to weigh myself when I get back to your house and see how many pounds I’ve lost. I can’t break the effort at the last moment!” Ye Xing said.
“Okay, I’ll make you something delicious when you get back!”
“Okay!”
“Boyfriend, good luck tomorrow. Don’t be nervous.” Qi Guang’s voice was accompanied by the sound of wind, making his encouragement sound like it had an echo.
Ye Xing also opened the window to let in some air. “You’re underestimating me. We’ve done these mock exams countless times at the studio. I’m not nervous, I’m practically throwing up.”
“As long as you’re okay,” Qi Guang chuckled. “Send me your train number when you get back, and I’ll pick you up.”
He would see him tomorrow?
He would see him tomorrow!
It wasn’t so tangible before, but after Qi Guang said that, Ye Xing suddenly realized that the concept of time seemed to have faded during the months they’ve been separated. So now that they were about to meet, he suddenly felt a jolt in his heart, with a feeling like a real-life meet-up after an online relationship.
He was impatient.
Ye Xing was so excited that he couldn’t even speak properly for a moment. “Okay, Brother Qi, wait for me!”
After hanging up, Ye Xing immediately dragged out his suitcase from under the bed and started packing.
He calculated the time. If he finished the exam at the test center tomorrow afternoon and then took the train back to the dorm to pack, he probably wouldn’t be able to go home that day. But if he packed his luggage in advance and brought it directly to the chartered bus of the studio tomorrow, he could head straight to the train station after the exam…
Then he should be able to arrive before twelve o’clock.
The more Ye Xing thought about it, the more excited he became, even surpassing the excitement of the exam the next day.
But there was nothing to be excited about regarding the exam.
With a heart that was about to have a real-life meet-up after an online relationship, he didn’t sleep soundly all night. In his dreams, he was on trains and buses, as if there was no end in sight.
The train sometimes flew into the sky and sometimes went into the sea.
When he finally switched to the bus, two people next to him started fighting over seats, and one of them even called the police, claiming that they were beaten, acting so aggrieved. Finally, the bus stopped on the side of the road as the police requested, and because the door wouldn’t open, the entire bus was delayed.
When the alarm clock rang, Ye Xing was still full of anger.
Shameless bastard! You deserve to be beaten!
He scowled as he brushed his teeth and kicked Li Ke’s bed until he successfully woke him up and transferred his anger, then Ye Xing felt slightly better.
The excitement that had lasted all night finally subsided, and he was calm until he reached the exam room.
Although he had done these mock exams at the studio no less than eight hundred times, this time was still a little different because he didn’t have a single acquaintance in the exam room he was assigned to.
Sitting next to him was a young girl who looked quite nervous. It wasn’t until halfway through the sketching exam that he accidentally glanced at the girl’s work and realized why she was so nervous. She probably hadn’t practiced the facial muscle structure much. She didn’t even try to draw the model on the stage, completely improvising.
He glanced at other people’s work and realized that their average level didn’t even reach the worst person in his studio…
Teacher Xia was amazing!
He finished the sketching with ease.
He completed the color painting in one go in the afternoon.
After finishing all three exams in a smooth manner, he was the first to pack his tools and leave the classroom. He picked up his luggage at the security room and hailed a taxi directly to the train station.
As soon as he got in the car, he received a call from Teacher Xia. They talked for a while, saying things that didn’t quite match up. Finally, after she knew that everything went smoothly, she hung up the phone in satisfaction.
Then it was Li Ke again, “Where are you?”
Ye Xing was so shocked by his voice that he moved his phone away from his ear. “I’m in a taxi. Didn’t I say that I would leave immediately after the exam?”
Even with the phone held away, he could still clearly hear the scolding, “I knew you packed your luggage yesterday and were going to leave today, but I didn’t expect you to leave without even saying goodbye. Look how anxious you are!”
Ye Xing took a breath. “I’m sorry, Chen Town is waiting for you!”
“I’ll go back to school and report. I’ll come find you during New Year’s Day!” Li Ke said.
He didn’t sound like he was joking.
“Oh,” Ye Xing asked a little smugly, “I just said it casually, and you’re really going to find me?”
“You really think I’m going to find you?”
Li Ke emphasized the word “you,” clearly indicating that the person he was going to find had nothing to do with that “you.”
Ye Xing smiled knowingly. “How’s it going with Bai Shu?”
“It could be said that there is no progress at all.” Speaking of this, Li Ke suddenly became dejected. “He seems very busy every day. When I chat with him, he only replies politely, never initiating a conversation.”
Polite and distant, firm but not pushing things too far, that was indeed Bai Shu’s style.
Ye Xing sighed. “It’s not that I’m speaking harshly, it’s just that it’s obvious he…”
It’s obvious he only sees you as a friend!
Li Ke didn’t let him finish, supplementing as if to console himself, “It’s okay, let’s take it slowly. The main thing is that we’re not in the same place, so I can’t get into his life. I’ll go to your place for a few more days during New Year’s.”
Ye Xing couldn’t bear to continue to strike him, so he went along with his words, “That’s not easy. You’ve learned to play the long game. It seems that Comrade Li Ke has turned over a new leaf.”
“Shut up if you can’t speak nicely!” Li Ke retorted without showing any appreciation. “You’ve known me for so long. Have you seen me with anyone?”
“No, they were all relationships without commitment. The ones you bring out are never the same,” Ye Xing said leisurely, adding two more words, “That’s all.”
After confirming the arrival time with Qi Guang, Ye Xing closed his eyes to rest. He didn’t expect that he would fall asleep completely as soon as he closed his eyes.
He was too tired!
Fortunately, everything was calm. The train didn’t go into the clouds or the sea. It ran steadily on the tracks.
Then, when he transferred to the bus, he didn’t encounter anyone fighting for seats. Next to him was an aunt who was holding a small child who couldn’t even speak yet. Fortunately, the child was quiet and didn’t cry or fuss along the way. He was even amused by a few faces Ye Xing made.
The child giggled for a long time, confusing the adults.
When the bus stopped at the town station, it was already quite late, but that didn’t prevent Ye Xing from maintaining a relaxed and happy mood throughout the day. He helped the aunt who was holding the child carry her luggage to the exit, said goodbye to the non-speaking child, and then slowly looked around the hall.
It was called a station hall, but it was just a few rows of dilapidated chairs with a sparse number of people. None of them looked like Qi Guang.
After looking around several times and confirming that Qi Guang wasn’t at the station, he took out his phone and looked at it.
Damn it, the guy wasn’t there, and there wasn’t even a call or text!
He tapped the screen a few times and made a call.
Still, no one answered!
Just as he was about to lose his patience, Qi Guang’s panting voice came from the other end of the phone. “You’ve arrived?”
The background noise was a bit chaotic, but it wasn’t the kind of chaos that came from the music and laughter of 1984. In short, it didn’t sound pleasant. He could even hear a lot of people cursing and swearing.
Something was wrong.
The little temper that Ye Xing had managed to build up disappeared in an instant. He asked worriedly, “What are you doing? Why is it so noisy over there?”
“Fighting!” Qi Guang said.
Ye Xing almost dropped the phone.
His hand controlled the volume but couldn’t control the tone. He almost yelled, “I’ll say it one more time! What are you doing?”
Qi Guang picked up a broom that someone had left on the ground and threw it at the backs of seven young men who were running away in a panic. The one who was hit fell and lagged behind the main group, but he quickly got up and caught up.
Qi Guang had no intention of chasing them. He tilted his head and clamped the phone between his shoulder and ear, then crossed his hands and dusted himself off. “It’s over. Now, I’ll go pick you up.”
The person on the other end of the phone was still hopping mad. Qi Guang hadn’t even had a chance to listen seriously to Ye Xing’s scolding when Xu Ge’s voice sounded behind him.
“Qi Guang, you stay and watch the shop. I’ll take Bai Shu to the hospital.”
It was an urgent and non-negotiable tone that Xu Ge, who was usually unmotivated, hadn’t used in a long time. Hearing this, Qi Guang almost thought that Bai Shu had collapsed.
Fortunately, when he turned around, he saw that both living beings were standing perfectly upright.
“Bai Shu is hurt?” Qi Guang walked over.
His arm was injured, probably scratched by a broken beer bottle. The length of the cut was about an inch, and because blood was still oozing out, he couldn’t tell how deep the wound was.
“It’s okay, there’s no need to be so troublesome.” Bai Shu’s face was a little flushed, whether from fear or nervousness, he didn’t know. As he spoke, he walked towards the entrance of 1984. “I’ll go find some gauze…”
Xu Ge grabbed him, and without explanation, pushed him into the car. “Find what! What will you do if you get an infection with your delicate skin?”
Then the car started and quickly disappeared down the street.
At that speed, it was like they had put a siren on the car to dominate the streets.
Qi Guang wasn’t worried about Bai Shu’s injury. He was used to seeing this kind of injury and would usually bandage and stop the bleeding himself. More than that, he was more concerned about the surveillance camera at the entrance of 1984. He didn’t know which god he had offended, but it had been beaten down and looked weak.
It couldn’t be repaired, he had to replace it.