Chapter 2

When Gu Xiaoqing went to pay the fees, it was already late; the third year of high school at No. 1 High School had already started for three days. Therefore, she did not have much time to adapt. In the afternoon, she quit her job, and in the evening, she organized the books she had used in her previous third year of high school. The next day, she shouldered her backpack and went to school. After being away from school for two months, she returned to being a student.

Gu Xiaoqing smiled and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Nowadays, universities are open to the public, and anyone can enter. Besides, I might not even be able to get in myself."

I see that you study very diligently. When you have time, we can communicate more.

As the start of the third year of high school approaches, Gu Xiaoqing plans to take the opportunity today to resign from her job and inquire about the costs of repeating a year at school. Over the years, she has saved some money from her New Year's gifts and pocket money, along with her salary from the past two months, totaling more than 4,000. She estimates that this should be sufficient.

In Gu Xiaoqing's family, basically all matters, big and small, are decided by her mother. Regarding her intention to repeat a year, she is unsure whether her mother has agreed or not, and she feels too embarrassed to ask. After all, her grades are truly dismal, and it is her own fault for not studying properly when she had the chance to do so.

On this day during physical education class, as they were teaching the vaulting horse course, it was the turn of Gu Xiaoqing and her group of girls to go to the storage room to fetch the mats. There were a total of three girls in Gu Xiaoqing's group; one was absent, and another was sitting beside the playground due to a stomach ache. Gu Xiaoqing glanced at the girl sitting on the playground and then walked towards the storage room.

Tang Guo took a sip of wine and said to Gu Xiaoqing: "I fired the boss today"

In this cohort of the third year of high school at Yizhong, there are 5 classes. Gu Xiaoqing has been assigned to Class 2, which has 5 transfer students. During the first monthly exam, the top two scores were both achieved by these transfer students. Gu Xiaoqing ranked last, while another student named Su Mu ranked first. No one found it unusual that Gu Xiaoqing came in last, but Su Mu's score surprised everyone.

She stood at the door, pondering who this young man was, rejecting others with such grandiloquence, as if speaking in officialese, indicating that he was a person of significance

Gu Xiaoqing was also taken aback for a moment, then replied hesitantly, "Ah! Yes."

Tang Guo pouted and said, "Let's look for another job after taking a look. I have an appointment today with a hotel for a position as a room service attendant, and I will go for the interview tomorrow. If that doesn't work out, I will just go help at my mother's shop."

The sports equipment warehouse of the school is located at the end of the corridor on the first floor of the teaching building. When Gu Xiaoqing arrived there, the door was closed but not locked, and it opened as soon as she pushed it.

Gu Xiaoqing leaned back against the chair with relief upon hearing that she had not suffered a loss. She had long known that Tang Guo would not last long in this job. As a high school graduate, Tang Guo could not even send a fax, yet she had applied for a secretarial position at a company. Although it was a very small company, there were still many university graduates competing for positions. The fact that someone with Tang Guo's educational background was favored by the boss must have its reasons. Now that she was no longer working there, Gu Xiaoqing felt at ease.

The light inside was somewhat dim, and a faint smell of dust wafted in the air. She waved her hand in front of her nose and was about to step inside when suddenly a clear male voice stopped her in her tracks: "Mo, we are still students, and this is a crucial time. Let's not get distracted, shall we? We have a long future ahead of us, and now is not the time to consider this matter..." "We have a long future ahead of us, and now is not the time to consider this matter..."

In the third year of high school at Yizhong, there are no other elective courses apart from two physical education classes each week. Even for these two physical education classes, attendance is often incomplete, as many students choose to stay in the classroom to catch up on assignments from various subjects that were not completed during class. Since this is the graduating class, teachers tend to turn a blind eye to this phenomenon and do not pay much attention to it

Gu Xiaoqing has basically never taken anything seriously. This time, when she picked up her books and studied earnestly, she discovered that the feeling of focusing on one thing is quite pleasant. She does not need to compare herself with others; she knows that she is making rapid progress. It is just that her starting point is too low, and it will take time to catch up with others. The improvement in her ranking is merely a matter of time.

After Gu Xiaoqing closed the door, she lifted her foot and walked upstairs. The building where they lived was once the family quarters of the C City Machine Tool Factory. This building has been around for many years, with the walls of the stairwell covered in small advertisements and large gray shoe prints. The lights in the stairwell are dim, with some floors having no light at all. Gu Xiaoqing's family lives on the second floor. After slowly walking to the top floor, she ascended another flight of stairs, pushed open the dilapidated iron door, stepped out, and stood on the rooftop terrace.

The class monitor saw this and rushed to call the teacher, but when the teacher arrived, it was of no use; no matter how much they shouted at Gu Xiaoqing, she would not let go. In the end, it took the teacher and several classmates working together to pull Gu Xiaoqing away. After being pulled away, she glared fiercely at the boy, whose face had already been slapped into a swollen mess, blood streaming from his nose, looking utterly pitiful. After that incident, although Gu Xiaoqing received a disciplinary action, no one dared to bully Tang Guo at school again. After being pulled away, she glared fiercely at the boy, whose face had already been slapped into a swollen mess, blood streaming from his nose, looking utterly pitiful. After that incident, although Gu Xiaoqing received a disciplinary action, no one dared to bully Tang Guo at school again.

When Gu Xiaoqing followed Su Mu inside, she saw Mo Yun, who was in the same group as her, holding several mats and preparing to go outside. Upon seeing them enter, she smiled at them and walked out with a natural expression.

Gu Xiaoqing listened and realized that someone was confessing their feelings here, and had been rejected. She quickly closed the door and stepped back, pausing at the entrance, contemplating going back in later

Su Mu is someone whom Gu Xiaoqing considers to be an anomaly among the students she has encountered. He is tall and slender, exuding a youthful freshness typical of a boy in his early adolescence. His facial features suggest that he will grow into an exceptionally handsome man. It is rare to see him in the oversized school uniform of the first high school; he dresses neatly every day, is amicable with everyone, and always wears a cheerful smile, devoid of any pretentiousness that boys his age often exhibit. Within just a couple of days, he has adapted seamlessly to this environment, earning the affection of both teachers and classmates. Gu Xiaoqing finds it somewhat puzzling that someone with his academic performance would choose to repeat a year.

That night, the two of them talked late into the evening. After Gu Xiaoqing returned home, her parents had already gone to bed. She took a shower herself and went straight to sleep as soon as she got to her room. The next day, she got up as usual to go to work

During breakfast, Gu Xiaoqing sat in her seat, bowing her head and drinking soy milk, while her mother sat opposite her, soaking youtiao in her father's bowl

That works as well, Gu Xiaoqing replied

"Go, I will help you carry it," Su Mu said, turning around and leading the way inside.

Gu Xiaoqing turned around and glanced at him, replying: "From No. 5 Middle School."

Father Gu gently patted Gu Xiaoqing's head and said, "Don't just stand there, eat quickly, or it will get cold soon"

Gu Xiaoqing sat up, furrowing her brows as she looked at her and asked, "Did you suffer any loss?"

Tang Guo knew that as long as Gu Xiaoqing was determined to retake her studies, she would definitely be able to get into university. She felt that Gu Xiaoqing possessed a certain drive; despite her usual indifference towards everything, once she became serious about something, her tenacity was something that no one could hold back.

After washing his face, Father Gu took out a package wrapped in newspaper from the room and placed it in front of Gu Xiaoqing, saying: "Young lady, if you want to go to school, we should properly enroll you in a good school. In the past two days, I have secured a spot for you to attend the first high school as a guest student. I have to drive today and don't have time, so you need to go and pay the fees yourself"

When Gu Xiaoqing went out, she glanced at the newspaper, which contained 5 bundles of neatly tied hundred-yuan bills, with each bundle amounting to 10,000. Gu Xiaoqing was unaware of her family's specific monthly income, but she knew that this 50,000 yuan was not something they could earn back in just a year or two.

Gu Xiaoqing lazily asked, "What happened?"

Gu Xiaoqing took the last sip of beer, holding the empty can in her hand, gently squeezing it. She slowly said to Tang Guo: "Guo Guo, I think I want to repeat a year."

Gu Xiaoqing has always been a solitary figure at the First High School. She is generally quiet and now dedicates herself entirely to her studies, sitting at her desk every day, only getting up to go to the restroom during breaks, rarely lifting her head, let alone actively engaging with others.

Just like when they were in middle school, because Tang Guo had been beautiful since childhood, the boys at that age did not know how to express their feelings for a girl properly; instead, they would chase after her all day long and bully her.

"No, after I finished dealing with him, I just ran away. I didn't even get my salary; this half month was all in vain." Tang Guo said, pouting as she leaned back against the chair, feeling quite dejected.

The students here usually have their own small groups, as the transfer students are all outsiders, and most of them do not perform well academically, having paid to come here. There is a subtle sense of disdain towards them, and if you do not take the initiative to engage, no one will bother to interact with you.

Gu Xiaoqing did not expect that her parents would not blame her even a single word. It is known that although they had never cared for her in the past, they had never indulged her either. Their attitude towards her had always been one of laissez-faire. She originally thought that this time they would certainly not care about her, but unexpectedly, they managed to secure her a spot at Yizhong, a prestigious school. It is known that Yizhong is the best high school in the city, with an admission rate of ninety-eight percent, meaning that as long as one does not come in last, the worst outcome would still be admission to a junior college. How much would it cost for her to attend this high school? It is known that Yizhong is the best high school in the city, with an admission rate of ninety-eight percent, meaning that as long as one does not come in last, the worst outcome would still be admission to a junior college. How much would it cost for her to attend this high school?

Gu Xiaoqing took the cup, opened it, and took a sip. She stretched her legs, leaned her body against the back of the chair, and looked up at the night sky. Tang Guo leaned over and rested against her. The weather had become a bit cooler in the evening, and a gentle breeze blew, causing some of Tang Guo's hair to drift onto her face

In fact, if it were another girl in this situation, she would invite her close classmates to go together. However, Gu Xiaoqing is not the type to actively seek help. She thought that since the larger mats had already been brought by her male classmates, she could simply make a few more trips for the smaller mats.

Tang Guo sat up from Gu Xiaoqing. Excitedly, she said: "Old Wang Ba wanted to take advantage of me today! I hit his bald head with the heel of my shoe. The heel broke, and I spent 40 yuan on that pair of shoes, what a waste"

Gu Xiaoqing walked over and sat down beside Tang Guo, who reached behind her and handed her a can of beer

Gu Xiaoqing looked at her father in surprise, then turned her head to look at her mother. Her mother remained expressionless, not even glancing at her, pushing the bowl towards her father while lowering her head to drink her own soybean milk

Gu Xiaoqing picked up the cushion and deliberately covered her face, replying, "Ah, sure." After saying that, she hurriedly left without waiting for Su Mu's response

Gu Xiaoqing was waiting there when the door opened from the inside. She thought it would be a woman who came out, but to her surprise, it was Su Mu.

In the living room, her mother was leaning on her father's shoulder watching television. When Gu Xiaoqing opened the front door, she called out to their backs, "I will be out for a moment!" As she closed the door, her father's voice came through the crack, "Come back early"

Once, in Tang Guo's class, a mischievous boy pulled apart her braid, and in the process, he accidentally brought out a sanitary napkin from her desk. As a result, a group of children began to throw Tang Guo's sanitary napkin around the classroom, causing her to cry in distress. At that time, Gu Xiao Qing was not in the same class as Tang Guo, but she happened to witness this scene while going to the restroom. She saw Tang Guo standing there with her hair disheveled, crying, and immediately felt anxious. She rushed over and punched the boy who had grabbed the sanitary napkin, causing his nose to bleed with just one hit. A few other children nearby wanted to help, but Gu Xiao Qing ignored them and continued to focus on hitting that one child. As a result, the other children were frightened by her aggressive behavior and stood by, not daring to intervene.

Gu Xiaoqing could not think of what the first and last place could possibly have in common for communication, and she felt ill-equipped to deal with someone like Su Mu. The two were fundamentally different; one was smooth and worldly, while the other was silent and dull. Gu Xiaoqing believed that Su Mu would definitely become a significant figure in the future, as this type of person knows what they want and understands how to obtain it.

After Gu Xiaoqing entered, she casually found a few clean cushions, stacked them together, and prepared to carry them outside. However, she heard Su Mu behind her asking, "Gu Xiaoqing, which high school did you attend before?"

Tang Guo lay on her lap and chuckled foolishly for a moment, without saying a word

After paying at the first high school, Gu Xiaoqing let out a long sigh. She turned back to look at the school gate, thinking: "This is where I will begin my journey!"

Su Mu saw her momentarily stunned, but she quickly smiled and said: "Gu Xiaoqing, are you here to get the cushion?"

After reading the text message, Gu Xiaoqing turned over, stood up from the bed, stuffed her phone into her pants pocket, opened the bedroom door, and went to the entrance to change her shoes

Gu Xiaoqing is not particularly anxious about being last in her exam this time. Last year, during her senior year, she hardly attended classes seriously, which essentially means she did not learn much. Moreover, her previous foundation is not comparable to that of the students here, and the gap is quite significant.

After taking a sip of wine, Gu Xiaoqing asked Tang Guo: "So what do you plan to do in the future?"

Tang Guo stared at her with wide eyes for a while, then rested his head on Gu Xiaoqing's lap and said: "It's quite good, Xiaoqing, you go ahead. In this lifetime, I am not cut out for studying, and I have no hope of entering the university gates. When you get into university in the future, I can also go in and see what university is like."

After Gu Xiaoqing went up to the rooftop, she indeed saw Guoguo sitting on the old long bench in the middle of the rooftop. Guoguo's full name is Tang Guo, and she can be said to be Gu Xiaoqing's only friend from childhood to adulthood. Tang Guo and Gu Xiaoqing's father were both workers at a machine tool factory, and their families have been neighbors since they were little. Gu Xiaoqing's family lives on the second floor, while Tang Guo's family lives on the fourth floor. The two are of the same age and have attended kindergarten, elementary school, and even high school together. Gu Xiaoqing has never been talkative since kindergarten, and over the years, she has only formed a close bond with Tang Guo.