Chapter 15

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The significance of the college entrance exam in people’s hearts is self-evident.

It’s extremely important.

Lin Hao had been studying tirelessly for the past few months. Truly, he would wake up at around six in the morning and go to bed after 11 p.m. Previously, he thought of himself as an insomniac, often staying up until one or two in the morning with his phone before his rebirth, but now, he would fall asleep instantly upon lying down.

There was no other way. Studying, especially for subjects like the integrated humanities, cannot be crammed into a short period. It requires a lot of time. Since the art exams had already been completed, everyone was now in a mad dash to prepare for the final exams.

During this sprint, Lin Hao’s scores even improved, reaching 533 points in the third mock exam. That was an increase of over thirty points from the first mock exam. Compared to last year’s minimum score for admission to top universities, he had exceeded the mark by a good margin, which wasn’t bad at all. This score even put him in the middle range of his class.

But today, none of that really mattered.

After finishing the last class before the exams, the teacher gave a sentimental speech, and then they were given the afternoon off to rest—a day and a half before the actual college entrance exam. The classroom burst into cheers, but Lin Hao had a sense of youthful nostalgia.

He could clearly see that, even though the teacher had taught many classes before, there was still a sense of reluctance. Most of the students, apart from feeling nervous about the exams, were more relieved that they were finally about to move on and start their college lives.

For Lin Hao, however, the anticipation of parting was enough to make him feel sentimental.

“What are you thinking about?”

Zhang Yue turned around, noticing that Lin Hao hadn’t started packing up yet.

In senior year, it was common to have a huge stack of books on one’s desk, filling the desk itself and even underneath it. Many people had already packed up well in advance, but Lin Hao was still slowly packing up, his mind wandering.

“I was thinking about what Xiao Luobo said—that once you get to college, you’re free. But that’s thinking too much.”

…

“Hurry up, Haozi!”

Several boys were noisily gathered at the door, eager to get home, including Xiao Luobo, the person he had just mentioned.

“You guys can go ahead. The teacher still needs to talk to me,” Lin Hao replied unhurriedly. In high school, students who lived nearby would often walk home together. These boys often walked home with Lin Hao, and one even lived on the same street.

“Oh, you should’ve said so earlier! We’ll go first then!”

“Alright!”

The boys left, laughing and chatting. Lin Hao finished packing at his own pace and looked over to see Zhang Yue also daydreaming. “Let’s go, I’m done packing.”

“Oh, okay!” Zhang Yue replied quickly.

They walked out together, but it was an odd pairing. If it weren’t for the fact that Zhang Yue’s mother was the homeroom teacher and that Lin Hao was always so composed—thanks to being much older mentally—the class might have made a big deal out of it.

While some secretly thought they were a couple, the two actually had no romantic feelings for each other. It was strange; sometimes a girl could be beautiful and wonderful in every way, but you just wouldn’t feel anything for her.

Zhang Yue? Maybe there was a little something at first, but it faded over time.

If things had been different, the homeroom teacher probably wouldn’t have trusted Zhang Yue to help Lin Hao study or allowed them to have such relaxed conversations now.

…

“How are you feeling?” Zhang Yue’s mom, the homeroom teacher, asked.

Lin Hao was an only child, so the homeroom teacher gave him more attention and care.

“Not bad. You know me, I’m always the most laid-back in class,” Lin Hao replied with a smile.

“Hmm, your foundation is solid after all.”

The homeroom teacher felt a bit emotional. This kid was definitely serious and smart in his studies. If it weren’t for that accident, he would’ve been a strong candidate for Tsinghua or Peking University. She even believed that, given more time, he could still make it.

Lin Hao understood her unspoken regret, but he was already surprised at the progress he had made, so he added, “No, it’s really all thanks to Zhang Yue. She helped me organize a lot of notes and explained things to me. I’m very grateful to her.”

To put it in somewhat practical terms, it was rare that Zhang Yue would spend her time helping him rather than focusing on her own studies.

“Well, it’s still your own hard work.”

The homeroom teacher was happy but remained modest on her daughter’s behalf.

After giving him some words of encouragement, Lin Hao left. The next time they’d gather as a class would probably be for a meal after the exams. After that, it might be hard to gather everyone again, or even to see some people.

For example, Zhang Yue was likely to get into Tsinghua or Peking University, while he was heading to the Central Academy of Drama, making it harder to meet up like before.

…

During the break, Lin Hao didn’t do much else. He still looked at his books every day and kept his sleep schedule regular, without trying to cram in extra tasks.

He knew that at this point, the last two days wouldn’t make much difference.

So, he woke up around the same time every day, without setting strict goals for himself.

Now, he was living alone. Two months ago, Xu Wei had worried that his presence might disturb Lin Hao’s studies, so he had moved out.

Xu Wei, now somewhat successful, rarely returned, only occasionally dropping by.

Lin Hao didn’t mind. After all, Xu Wei, a rising figure in the music industry whom he’d met shortly after his rebirth, was now far removed from his everyday life.

Oh, and speaking of this, Lin Hao had thought he’d left the music scene behind, only to bump into Wang Fei on the eastern side of Gulou Street.

He had never planned it, but fate works in mysterious ways.

Lin Hao was thrilled at the time but maintained his composure, politely waiting for her to finish her meal before asking for an autograph. The diva was very approachable, even joking with him.

Lin Hao regretted not bringing his Polaroid or camera that day—he’d recently developed a new hobby of photographing and documenting the current state of Beijing.

But he soon got over it.

It was because he decided to go to that restaurant again on a whim during a rare lunch break—and met Wang Fei a second time! Although it’s true that there aren’t too many high-end restaurants around, it was quite a coincidence to meet her twice.

This time, he fulfilled his wish to take a photo together, even chatting for a little while. However, they didn’t meet again after that.

…

Happy days are always short-lived.

The college entrance exam quickly arrived.

In the exam hall, Lin Hao might have been the most relaxed person there. If he could solve a problem, he’d do it carefully. If he couldn’t, he’d try his best or even make educated guesses.

After each exam, some students discussed answers, some felt down, and some were elated. He, on the other hand, seemed to remain unchanged. This calmness continued until the exams were over. Even a top student like Zhang Yue couldn’t help but cheer with excitement.

There wasn’t the kind of enthusiasm that led to books being thrown into the air; instead, they gathered up the books, sold off old exam papers, and felt a bit of nostalgia in the process. That evening, Lin Hao hosted a celebration at a nice restaurant, surprising everyone.

They all knew he came from a wealthy family, but they hadn’t expected him to be *this* well-off.

Everyone was envious; having a family business meant he had money. Lin Hao just smiled, knowing that once wealth is generated not by wages but by wealth itself, it tends to grow steadily if one isn’t too greedy. And being from the future, even a bit of advance knowledge could lead to great success in the business world. With savings sitting in the bank losing value, he figured this vacation might be a good time to make some moves.

At the table, he even drank a little since he was officially an adult after his May birthday. Then he made sure everyone got a ride home, even if they were underage but had had a little to drink.

And just like that, his high school days came to a close.