It was a close call; luckily I acted quickly.

It was a close call; luckily I acted quickly.

The start of the new school year means the next school year will begin, and time suddenly feels rushed.

The laughter and chatter of recess are gone, and even the most boisterous students have become quiet. It's an atmosphere mixed with anxiety and worry, as everyone is afraid that their sunk costs will really sink.

Even Chen Mo said, "You have wasted a lot of time, given up your hobbies, given up the time to spend with your family and friends, given up sleep, health and freedom, and devoted your entire youth to the college entrance examination. I hope you can become the people at the very top of the pyramid."

Lin Shih-Jin was exhausted every day. The first round of review was coming to an end, and the number and difficulty of questions were doubling. But she dared not slack off in the slightest. So many people who were smarter than her were working hard, and she could only force herself to move forward.

During lunch break, Lin Shiren was working on a math test. She covered her mouth and yawned several times, her eyes glistening with a thin layer of tears.

Zhou Lin stared at her thin face for a while, then suddenly felt a pang of heartache. Without allowing any room for argument, he pressed her down onto a cushion: "Stop writing, go to sleep for a while."

Lin Shih-ren lingered on the cushion for a moment, then forced himself to look up and said listlessly, "If I don't write now, I'll have to stay up even later tonight."

Now, all she sees when she opens her eyes is exam papers. Even her dreams are about exams; she either can't find the exam hall or can't answer a single question on the exam paper.

The National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao) is indeed the number one source of terror in China.

Zhou Lin tucked her stray hairs behind her ear, patted her back, and said in a soft, coaxing voice, "You go to sleep first, I'll think of something."

He didn't say what the method was, but for some reason, Lin Shiren trusted him because Zhou Lin's presence itself provided a great sense of security.

"good."

Almost immediately, she fell into a deep sleep.

When Li Pengfei returned from the basketball court, the classroom was quiet. He and Song Ci had also joined the army of students studying like crazy, and they could only afford to play basketball for thirty minutes every day at noon.

The person in the seat in front of him was making marks, and he craned his neck to look over: "Hey, why did you cross out so many questions with a red pen?"

Zhou Lin didn't even look up: "There's no need to do these questions."

"Huh? We don't need to do these questions?"

After Zhou Lin finished scanning the last question, he finally had time to explain to him: "Lin Shiren has already mastered some question types, so there is no need to waste time repeatedly reviewing them. She can just do the new question types and the knowledge points that she has not mastered well."

Li Pengfei was caught off guard by this display of affection and suddenly felt envious. He put on a fawning smile and said, "Could you perhaps take some time out of your busy schedule to help me with the selection?"

Zhou Lin lifted his eyelids to look at him: "Alright, in order to test your level, I need to give you a few sets of test papers first."

"..."

Use magic to defeat magic.

He's ruthless.

Huaicheng has experienced a lot of snow this winter, not only a lot but also a particularly thick layer.

The snow in the school hadn't been cleared in time, and the road from the teaching building to the school gate was covered with a blanket of snow. Lin Shiren ran out, crunching through the snow, and fell right into his arms.

Zhou Lin swayed from the impact, but still firmly protected her waist: "Slow down."

The coldest days of winter are when the wind is fiercest. Half of her face was buried in her scarf, and the stray hairs outside the scarf were blown into a mess. The tip of her nose was a little red.

"I was afraid Sister Shi would get impatient waiting."

It was too cold, and the senior high school students finished their evening self-study late. Zhou Lin originally asked Zhou Heyu to send a driver to pick them up, but Tang Shi found out about this and volunteered to take on the task of picking up the three of them.

"She's waiting in the car, what's the rush?"

On a snowy night, his voice was clean and clear.

Lin Shiren put his hand in his pocket, it was warm, and the two held hands tightly in the small space where no one was watching, and walked together toward the school gate.

Zhou Lin occasionally takes work calls on the street. He and a few senior students from Q University whom he met through competitions have made a breakthrough in a semiconductor material. They tirelessly urge him to go to Q University to study preparatory courses as soon as possible. The top chip company is very interested in their research results and says that if he goes there, the project will definitely make great strides.

"My girlfriend is taking the college entrance exam this year, and I have to be with her." He refused directly.

"Hey bro, what's the point of you accompanying them during their college entrance exam? We're really worried here."

“No discussion before June 9th,” Zhou Lin said as he opened the car door for Lin Shiren. His shoulder suddenly felt lighter as Lin Shiren’s fingers briefly separated from his as she pulled his backpack down. This action briefly drew Zhou Lin’s attention back to her. He then grasped her hand back into his and continued into the microphone, “It concerns my girlfriend’s future, so there’s no room for discussion. However, if the project needs me, she can message me anytime; I’m fine with working all night.”

Tang Shi turned the steering wheel, started the car, and drove off. The person on the other end of the phone was still arguing something. Zhou Lin said a few more words and then hung up the phone.

Song Ci, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at him in the rearview mirror and asked with a smile, "Are they urging you to go to Q University again?"

"Um."

Zhou Lin glanced down and saw Lin Shiren's hesitant expression. He smiled and pinched her cheek, asking, "What kind of expression is that?"

The boy's fingertips were warm, burning my eyes with tears. At that moment, I suddenly realized that the gears of fate turn silently, sending a few to the peak and many more to the ordinary.

Zhou Lin was the most dazzling one, and she shouldn't be the cage that trapped him.

Lin Shiren couldn't hide his thoughts, his eyes dimming: "Have I held you back?"

Zhou Lin suddenly stared intently at her and said in a serious tone, "Lin Shiren, did I sell you out and then help me count the money?"

The carriage was dimly lit, with streaks of light from the streetlights gliding across it, casting his face in the interplay of light and shadow.

Lin Shiren didn't understand and blinked: "What?"

Zhou Lin grabbed her hand, pressed it against his face, and stared intently into her eyes: "There are some things I'll only say once. I'm staying by your side for a reason—to deprive you of the possibility of liking someone else. Although it takes some time and effort, I've gained the best girlfriend in the entire universe. No matter how you look at it, I'm the one who benefits..."

He was always like that, talking tough but actually doing more than anyone else. Lin Shiren understood why those senior students from Q University followed his lead.

Her chest heaved slightly; she was a little moved, and a little on the verge of tears.

Tang Shi, who had been listening from the driver's seat, suddenly interjected, "That's right. Renren is beautiful, incredibly smart, and has a great personality. A girl like you will definitely have no shortage of suitors in college. If Zhou Lin hadn't made a reservation in advance, you wouldn't have even given him a second glance..."

In a single sentence, Zhou Lin's numerous highly valuable competition gold medals and leading projects in the semiconductor industry were completely negated.

The person involved even nodded confidently: "Thank goodness I acted quickly."

In the past, hearing such praise would have made Lin Shiren feel unworthy, but at this moment, she didn't want to rush into self-denial. According to the law of attraction, she must be a very good person to attract such a good man.

Lin Shiren sniffed and said very seriously, "No, you're so good-looking, I'll definitely look at you."

Zhou Lin was amused by her and squeezed her hand: "I never thought that in the end, I would still have to rely on my looks to make a living."

After the topic ended, Lin Shiren didn't speak again. She looked out the window quietly, and her eyes slowly welled up with tears.

*

The final exam is scheduled for the end of January. This exam is not only about assessing the results of the entire previous semester, but also a city-wide standardized test to evaluate students' performance.

Despite the importance of the exam, Xu Yiqiao insisted on taking three days off.

When Lin Shiren went to Chen Mo's office, he happened to hear him throwing a tantrum inside. His pained tone sounded like he was lecturing a rebellious daughter: "Xu Yiqiao, you're a student. Can't you recognize your place?"

"Can't you distinguish between what's important and what's not? Don't your parents understand either? You have a lifetime to make movies, why do you have to do it now? Are you doing justice to all the hard work you've put in over the years?"

He would slam his hand on the table with every sentence he spoke, and the sound made Lin Shiren's hand hurt even when he was outside.

The harsh criticism lasted for about ten minutes. Xu Yiqiao came out from inside, and the two looked at each other unexpectedly before looking away.

Looking at her retreating figure, Lin Shiren sensed a hint of determination in her expression; it seemed she was determined to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.

I knocked and went in. The office was filled with smoke and the lights were glaring.

The smoke from Chen Mo's mouth hadn't even dissipated yet. He stubbed out his cigarette hard in the ashtray and forced a smile at her anxious face: "Sit down."

Lin Shiren didn't know why Chen Mo was looking for her, and after hearing him lose his temper so badly, she felt very restrained. Although her throat was a little itchy, she tried her best to control herself and not cough.

Chen Mo closed the door with his foot and sat back down in his chair. His expression had returned to normal. He cleared his throat and said, "Next month is the 100-day countdown rally. The school leaders asked our class to send a student representative to speak on stage. I thought about it and felt that you were the most suitable candidate."

? ? ?

oO!

This news was like a nuclear bomb exploding in Lin Shiren's mind. She was so shocked that she couldn't react for a moment, her eyes wide as she pointed at herself: "Me?"

Chen Moxuan opened his thermos, took a sip of water, and looked at her: "Yes, I submitted your list to the school leaders, and they all approved it."

Lin Shih-ren blinked her eyelashes briefly, still not understanding: "But in previous years, wasn't the top student in the grade always chosen as the student representative?"

Chen Mo smiled and said, "In previous years, we did choose the top student in the grade, but this year we discussed whether the top student in the grade can really represent all the candidates. You have risen step by step from the regular class to the honors class, and you have shown strong empathy in the Yu Xuehui incident. Only in this way can you truly inspire others..."

A tonic!

Making her give a speech in front of a large audience? She'd be better off dead.

She actually really wanted to carry explosives and blow up the school, Lin Shiren thought to himself, frantically trying to interrupt her.

Chen Mo's eyes were filled with satisfaction, completely ignoring her pale face, and he sealed the deal with a single sentence.

"Use the holidays to prepare your speech carefully."

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Author's Note: I updated early today! Praise me!