At this moment, the sunlight grew soft, spilling over Guan Yao as if imparting strength to her.
She straightened her back and walked into the exam hall with resolute steps. The moment she stepped inside, she took a deep breath, adjusted her mindset, and prepared to face the examination that would determine her future.
...
The moment Guan Yao straightened her back and stepped into the college entrance examination hall, the morning sunlight filtered through the windows and washed over her, carrying a hint of warmth and hope.
The trees outside the examination hall were lush, their branches and leaves swaying gently in the breeze as if cheering on every candidate.
The classroom was so quiet that the rustle of pen nibs skimming across test papers could be heard, occasionally accompanied by the soft turning of pages.
Sunlight filtered through the mottled leaves, casting patches of light and shadow onto the desks that slowly shifted as time passed.
The first subject was Chinese. Guan Yao quickly scanned the test paper, and it was identical to the one she had looked up online in her past life!
"I must seize this. There is no second chance."
She silently cheered herself on in her heart. Her pen nib glided briskly across the paper, her answers flowing as smoothly as drifting clouds and flowing water.
The birds outside the window sang merrily in the branches, seeming to cheer for her smooth progress.
When she encountered reading comprehension questions that required careful thought, she remained unhurried, recalling the answers she had memorized in advance.
She encouraged herself as she thought, her inner determination making her even more focused.
When writing the composition, those long-accumulated eloquent words and fine sentences acted like well-trained soldiers, obeying her command and arranging themselves in orderly fashion on the grid paper. A rigorously structured and brilliantly written composition was soon completed.
When the bell rang, Guan Yao put down her pen with confidence. As she walked out of the exam hall, the sunlight was even more brilliant, casting its intense rays unreservedly down to illuminate the ground brightly. In the flower beds on campus, colorful blossoms vied for beauty and exuded bursts of fragrance, as if the entire world were celebrating the smooth conclusion of her exam.
"The first battle is won, and I must keep it up!" Guan Yao secretly set a goal for herself in her heart.
For the upcoming math exam, Guan Yao remembered the problems she had asked Teacher Li about last night, and she felt a sense of certainty in her heart.
Seeing similar problem types appear on the test paper, the corners of her mouth curved up slightly.
Following the problem-solving methods taught by Teacher Li, she worked through the answers step by step.
The exam hall was very quiet, with only the occasional sound of cicadas drifting in from outside the window.
When she encountered difficult problems, her heart rate suddenly accelerated, and her palms grew slightly damp. "Don't panic, I can definitely solve this."
She took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, carefully recalled various problem-solving approaches, and scribbled away on her scratch paper.
The sunlight outside the window grew increasingly intense, causing tiny beads of sweat to form on her forehead, but she was completely oblivious, pouring her entire being into solving the problems.
When the end-of-exam bell rang, she checked her answers with satisfaction and calmly handed in her test paper.
Walking out of the exam hall, she heard surrounding classmates discussing the questions; some were sighing despondently while others were beaming with excitement. She simply walked quietly along. The lush campus trees cast large patches of shadow, shielding her from some of the summer heat. Her heart was filled with affirmation of her own performance. "As long as I maintain this state, the remaining exams will be no problem."
In the subsequent comprehensive arts and English exams, Guan Yao maintained her good form.
In the comprehensive arts exam, the knowledge points she had memorized in her past life surfaced clearly in her mind. Combining them with the given materials, she answered every question with clear logic.
The classroom fan turned lazily, emitting a faint hum that intertwined with the scratching sounds of the candidates' writing.
During the English exam, she listened extra carefully during the listening section, not missing a single word.
In the reading comprehension and writing sections, she relied on her solid English foundation to deliver an outstanding performance.
At this moment, the angle of the sunlight shining through the window gradually shifted from intense to soft, casting a golden glow over the entire exam hall.
"Keep going, it's almost over, hold on!" she constantly encouraged herself in her heart, her hand never stopping for a moment.
The two days of exams thus concluded smoothly. As Guan Yao walked out of the exam hall, she felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders.
The sky was as blue as a gemstone, with pristine white clouds floating like fine fabric within it. A gentle breeze brushed against her cheeks, bringing a touch of coolness, and the wind seemed mingled with the scent of green grass from the distant playground.
Her gaze was filled with confidence and joy. "It's finally over! This time, I will definitely succeed! I will surely get into my ideal university and rewrite my own life."
This time, she left no regrets behind; she believed her hard work would surely yield a satisfying result.
Immediately after the college entrance examination ended, Guan Yao went to the police station to supplement her statement.
When she came out, the sunlight was just right, casting a warm glow over her body, yet a single matter weighed on her mind: she still owed Teacher Li four hundred yuan.
Guan Yao arrived at the bus stop, boarded the bus, and chose a window seat.
The bus lumbered along, the scenery outside the window constantly receding. As she watched the familiar yet unfamiliar shops along the street, her thoughts drifted far away.
"I mustn't forget this time. Although Teacher Li is a bit slick, he really knows his stuff when it comes to math and was a huge help to me."
"I'm certain not a single point will be dropped on those major math problems."
She muttered to herself inwardly. Soon, Guan Yao arrived at the Education Building where Teacher Li's office was located.
She navigated the familiar route to Teacher Li's office, knocked on the door, and upon hearing a voice from inside say "Come in," she pushed the door open and entered.
Teacher Li looked just the same as ever, lazily half-leaning against his chair.
Seeing Guan Yao enter, a smile immediately bloomed on his face. "Guan Yao, why are you here?"
Guan Yao smiled rather sheepishly, took the four hundred yuan out of her bag, handed it to Teacher Li, and said:
"Teacher Li, I've kept forgetting to return the money I borrowed from you earlier. I'm really sorry."
Teacher Li smiled as he took the money, his eyes narrowing into slits. "Oh my, I almost forgot all about it. You're quite thoughtful, child."
After chatting briefly with Teacher Li, Guan Yao took her leave.
This time she kept her guard up. She watched as Teacher Li put the money into his drawer, then walked swiftly out of the Education Building and reached out to touch her wallet.
The tactile sensation was wrong; it didn't feel as flat and empty as an empty wallet.
Puzzled, she took out her wallet and opened it, only to find that the four hundred yuan was still inside!
Guan Yao froze.
However, it was already dark; she should head home first and figure it out later.
After walking for a while, Guan Yao felt as though a gaze was persistently fixed on her back.
Without making a fuss, she quickened her pace, catching a glimpse out of the corner of her eye of a sneaky figure trailing behind her.
Guan Yao's heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition welled up in her mind.
Feigning casualness, she glanced back over her shoulder, only to discover that it was actually He Junkang's father!
With a vicious look in his eyes, he was staring at her with ill intent.