After the weekend, back at school, Lu Yun was summoned by the principal again for “a chat” about his disappearance on Friday while supposed to be writing his reflection. Later, it came out that he had been acting bravely, and his facial injuries hadn’t fully healed. With Shan Jiqiu’s testimony, the evidence was solid. No school leader could doubt the word of a good student.
Within days, parents began filing complaints directly to the education bureau, accusing Yan Xu of colluding with outsiders to bully classmates.
No. 7 High School was a key city school. No matter how wealthy Yan Xu’s family was, it made no difference. In the end, he was expelled.
What truly delivered the fatal blow was an anonymous video, clearly recording the entire process of him bullying classmates.
Years later, when Yan Xu recalled that incident, he was still baffled. How had the encrypted video stored on his own computer ended up on the principal’s desk?
Shan Jiqiu watched Lu Yun delete the video from his computer and couldn’t help but laugh. Who would have thought that a model “three-good student” could also be a computer whiz?
Her eyes swept over the crowded bookshelf beside him—rolled-up blueprints, stacks of certificates and awards—and finally landed on a row of professional programming and engineering books.
This “whiz” had already learned to code at the age of ten.
September slipped away in the blink of an eye. The monthly exam arrived with the cooling weather, while golden osmanthus bloomed across campus, filling the air with fragrance. The autumn wind carried the scent through classroom windows, refreshing students bent over their papers or lost in thought.
The first exam room happened to be Shan Jiqiu’s class. As the perennial No. 1 on the seating chart, she always occupied the first desk in the first row. Behind her sat the perennial No. 2. At that moment, he had already “accidentally” kicked her chair five times, until she hiccupped.
The broadcast rang out: “This exam is over. Candidates, stop writing…”
As the invigilator collected papers, the quiet classroom erupted. Physics and chemistry formulas flew everywhere, voices buzzing with answer-checking.
Still hiccupping, Shan Jiqiu turned to the culprit. “Could you… hic… control your legs during exams?”
Lu Yun zipped his pencil case, feigning innocence. “Why?”
Shan Jiqiu, hiccupping and annoyed: “Where did you get this habit of kicking my chair every exam?”
Lu Yun stretched his legs without guilt. “Too long. You’ll have to forgive me.”
Shan Jiqiu laughed in exasperation, words squeezed through her teeth: “You’re really not humble… hic.”
Lu Yun chuckled. “Hiccupping, huh?”
Shan Jiqiu: “Blind or deaf? Can’t you see or hear? Thanks to you kicking my chair.”
Lu Yun tilted his chin. “Holding your breath cures it.”
Skeptical, Shan Jiqiu pressed her lips together and held her breath until her face flushed red, then exhaled in a rush. “Hic…”
Lu Yun snorted. “You have to feel like you’re about to die from not breathing. Try again.”
Shan Jiqiu frowned at him, but tried anyway—taking a deep breath and holding it.
Just as she was about to give up, Lu Yun moved fast—one hand pressing the back of her head, the other covering her mouth and nose. “Hold it.”
Shan Jiqiu felt like she was being “murdered” in front of everyone.
She tried to signal for help, but the class was too absorbed in checking answers to notice.
“Mmm…” She slapped at Lu Yun’s arm, eyes wide like copper bells.
Finally, he let go. Shan Jiqiu gasped for air, truly experiencing what it meant to “find life at the edge of death.” After a few seconds, she looked up at him, waiting for the next hiccup. None came. She broke into a delighted smile. “Looks like it really stopped.”
Lu Yun’s hand was still on the back of her head, his body blocked by the desk, but his face was close. Their eyes met—and suddenly, she remembered that night when the distance between them had been even closer. He released her and cleared his throat quietly. “Told you it works.”
Shan Jiqiu didn’t notice his unease, only replied righteously: “That’s still because you kicked me.”
“Hey, Shan Jiqiu, Lu Yun—what did you pick for the last multiple-choice question?”
Finally, someone remembered the class’s top two students, and all eyes turned toward them.
“C,” Lu Yun and Shan Jiqiu answered in unison.
Like the official answer key itself, their reply brought groans from some and cheers from others. A chorus of joy and despair filled the room.
After finishing the English exam in the afternoon, tomorrow would mark the start of the National Day holiday.
Everyone moved the desks and chairs at the back of the classroom back to their original places, then returned to their seats.
Xu Zhi stood at the podium, explaining the holiday homework, reminders, and the arrangements for after the break.
“…That’s all for academics. Now let’s talk about other plans. Next month we’ll have the sports meet—your chance to show both brains and brawn. Use the National Day holiday to practice, figure out what you’re good at, and decide what event you want to sign up for. This might be your last high school sports meet. By senior year, you probably won’t have the chance to participate, so don’t leave yourself with regrets…”
“That’s basically it. Same reminder as always: stay safe during the holiday, and enjoy yourselves. Now, Lu Yun, Shan Jiqiu, Tan Junhao, Liu Peng, Zhang Xiao, Wang Bo, and Yang Mingfeng—you all come to my office afterward.”
In Xu Zhi’s office, the group stood in a line. The homeroom teacher from Class Four joked, “Teacher Xu, are you scolding them?”
Xu Zhi, busy at his desk, turned back with a smile: “No, just talking to them about competitions.”
“Alright, I’ll head off then. Happy holiday.”
“Happy holiday, Teacher Zou.”
After greeting his colleague, Xu Zhi looked at the students and got to the point: “Next month, the school will hold the first round of elimination matches. Survival of the fittest—that’s the rule. No matter how many awards you’ve won before, or how many competitions you’ve entered, now everyone starts fresh. I’m not worried about your experience, but during this long holiday, don’t just play—make sure you keep practicing problems.”
He paused, then continued: “Since you’ve chosen the path of math competitions, go all the way—show me you can reach the national team. I hope when opportunity comes, you’ll give it your all, so that when you look back, you won’t have any regrets…”
For reasons they couldn’t quite explain, hearing Teacher Xu’s words suddenly left them all a little misty-eyed.
They nodded in unison.
“Alright, you can go back now.”
“Happy holiday, Teacher Xu!”
“Happy holiday, Xiao Xu!”
“Want to stay at school instead?” Xu Zhi laughed.
“Goodbye, Teacher Xu.” They waved.
“….”
Watching the group of students leave one after another, Xu Zhi couldn’t help but smile. Sixteen, seventeen years old—youth both beautiful and uncertain. At such an age, weren’t they just like he once was? Full of vigor, full of possibility.
On the morning of October 1st, Shan Jiqiu was woken early by Shen Suyue to watch the flag-raising ceremony. She sat on the sofa, watching the national flag rise slowly on TV, then glanced at Lu Yun and her grandmother. Their eyes followed the flag all the way to the top.
Lu Yun’s father had been a firefighter, killed in the line of duty when Lu Yun was eight. Perhaps that was why he liked to watch the flag-raising ceremony every National Day and New Year’s Day. His father’s blood ran in his veins, and his father’s faith was his faith too. She had once asked Lu Yun if he would apply to a military academy, wear the uniform for life, and serve the country. But he had shaken his head. “There are many ways to serve the country. Soldiers protect us—why can’t we protect them?”
At the time, Shan Jiqiu hadn’t really understood what he meant. It wasn’t until years later, when they met again, that she realized what he had been doing back then—and finally understood. Even at such a young age, he had already set his goals and ideals firmly in place.
…
Holidays always pass quickly. Before they could savor it, the last day had already arrived.
The night before, Yu Kexia called Shan Jiqiu. She insisted that since tomorrow was the final day, they had to seize the tail end of the holiday and celebrate properly.
The five of them hadn’t met since the break began, and Lu Yun and Shan Jiqiu had been buried in practice problems. So when invited, they agreed immediately.
When asked what they’d do, the artsy streak of the liberal arts class struck: “Let’s search for autumn’s footprints.”
Shan Jiqiu scoffed. “Just say picnic. Why so pretentious?”
Yu Kexia: “That’s why you science students have no sense of romance.”
Everyone knew it was a picnic. What they didn’t know was that Yu Kexia had kept the destination secret—it was Puqing Mountain, sixty or seventy kilometers from Li City.
Picnic turned into mountain climbing?
At the foot of the mountain, the group looked up at the lush peaks, then all turned to Yu Kexia. She grinned. “We’re all athletes for the sports meet. Climb a mountain, train your lungs, so you don’t collapse on the track.”
Shan Jiqiu clapped. “Sounds reasonable. But I only signed up for long jump—doesn’t take much lung power.”
Lu Yun: “I’m just here to participate.”
Zhou An: “I’m only doing high jump.”
Tan Junhao: “The sports meet is still far off. I don’t plan to sign up.”
Yu Kexia kept brainwashing them: “Anyway, this might be our last sports meet, so we should cherish it. Besides, one must have sportsmanship—respect sports, respect opponents, respect…”
“Alright, enough. Let’s go.” Lu Yun couldn’t take it anymore, cut her off, accepted reality, and strode toward the ticket booth. “Buy tickets.”
Even though it was the last day of the holiday, the tourist spot was crowded. They queued for over half an hour.
Luckily, five high schoolers had strong bodies—climbing the mountain wasn’t tiring. Breathing the fresh mountain air, like a natural oxygen bar, really was a different kind of celebration.
Yu Kexia led the way, acting like a tour guide: “I heard there are monkeys here. Keep your food tight or they’ll snatch it.”
Near the summit, they had to cross a glass walkway. Shan Jiqiu, Lu Yun, and Tan Junhao zipped across without fear of the cliffs below.
When they reached the other side, they saw Zhou An still frozen at the start—and burst out laughing. They had completely forgotten Zhou An’s fear of heights.
On the glass walkway, people trembled, crawled, screamed—it was comical.
A little kid ran back and forth fearlessly, saying to a man nearly kissing the glass: “Uncle, you’re so timid!”
The man, half laughing, half crying, pointed at the child: “Don’t talk to me, don’t run around me. And I’m only twenty—don’t call me uncle!”
Zhou An still couldn’t take a step. Yu Kexia waved to the three watching: “Come on, someone help!”
Tan Junhao, laughing behind his hand, walked over. “I’ll do it, I’ll do it.”
Seeing it might take a while, Shan Jiqiu turned to take photos. When monkeys came to snatch food from tourists, she pulled out bread from her bag. Unexpectedly, one monkey snatched her phone.
“Hey, my phone!” She thought, *Why am I always getting my phone stolen?!*
Lu Yun came over, took the bread from her hand, and gave her a look. “Clumsy hands? Can’t even hold a phone.” Then he coaxed the monkey: “Good little monkey, this you can eat. That thing you can’t.”
The monkey hesitated, tested, then finally reached for the bread.
Lu Yun seized the chance, snatched the phone back, feeling triumphant—like he’d defeated the Monkey King. “Got it!”
But Shan Jiqiu didn’t respond.
Lu Yun turned. She was facing away, staring intently at something. He tilted his head—and saw what she was watching.
Two monkeys are kissing.
Shan Jiqiu had never seen such a scene with her own eyes. She truly hadn’t thought much of it—purely curiosity from a biologist’s perspective, finding it interesting. She completely forgot that Lu Yun was still busy outsmarting the monkey that had stolen her phone. She watched so intently that she didn’t notice a head slowly leaning closer to her shoulder, joining her in the “observation.”
Until—his lazy, amused voice suddenly brushed her ear, warm breath tickling like feathers“So… learning from experience here?”