Chapter 62 Postgraduate Entrance Examination

Chapter 62 Postgraduate Entrance Examination

As autumn deepened, Lin Mianmian had already been living in the library for three whole months.

The sycamore leaves outside the window were dyed in varying shades of golden brown by the autumn wind, and they fell softly onto the windowsill, but she had no time to notice.

The postgraduate entrance exam English test paper spread out in front of me was covered with dense writing, and the red date and goji berry water in the thermos next to me had long since gone cold.

She placed her phone on silent on the corner of the table, the screen flashing on and off. It was a reminder of key points from a fellow graduate school applicant. She glanced at it quickly and then buried herself back into her thick textbook.

Senior year felt like it was on fast forward. A countdown sign for the postgraduate entrance exam hung at the library entrance, the numbers decreasing day by day, making it hard to breathe.

Lin Mianmian felt that this kind of life was very fulfilling. Every day she went between three places: the library, the canteen, and the dormitory. Even in her dreams, she was filled with knowledge points from her major courses.

Only occasionally, when the night is deep and quiet, and I am tossing and turning in bed, will Xie Lin's face and that bright, sunny morning flash through my mind.

He held her in his arms, his voice filled with excitement as he said, "Our lives are slowly getting better."

It feels like something has stung my chest, a fine, persistent pain.

She hadn't seen Xie Lin in a long time.

Since that day at the hospital, they were like two lines that suddenly diverged, never to intersect again.

She went to the hospital to inquire several times, but was stopped at the door by Xie's father's bodyguards. Later, Liang Cheng secretly sent her a message.

It is said that Xie Lin was taken back to the Xie family, but his right leg did not recover well and he suffered some aftereffects.

Later, Liang Cheng's number could no longer be reached.

Lin Mianmian tightened her grip on the pen, her eyes slightly burning.

She sniffed and forced herself to refocus her attention on the book.

My grandmother's health has improved a lot since she was discharged from the hospital. I send her messages every day, reminding her to eat on time and not to stay up too late.

She couldn't let her grandmother down, nor could she waste the time she had spent working so hard.

Lin Mianmian only snapped out of her daze when the library's closing bell rang.

It was completely dark outside the window, and a few raindrops were falling in the dim yellow light of the streetlights.

She hurriedly packed her things, slung her heavy schoolbag over her shoulder, and headed outside.

As soon as she stepped out of the library, a black umbrella was held over her head.

Lin Mianmian was taken aback for a moment, then turned around and saw Zhou Zhou, a boy in her class. He smiled gently and said, "It's raining, let me take you back to your dorm."

She quickly waved her hand, "No need, no need, I brought an umbrella." As she spoke, she took out a folding umbrella from the side of her backpack, and when she opened it, the ribs made a slight sound.

Zhou Zhou didn't insist, but just smiled and said, "Then be careful on your way, and good luck with your postgraduate entrance exam."

"Thank you, you too."

Lin Mianmian held up her umbrella and slowly walked into the rain.

Unbeknownst to her, across the street not far away, a black sedan was parked in the shadows, its window half-rolled down, and the man in the back seat was staring intently at her back.

Only after her figure disappeared around the corner of the dormitory building did he slowly turn his gaze away.

The man held a cigarette between his fingers; it was mostly burned, and the ash fell onto his expensive trousers, but he was completely unaware.

The driver cautiously began, "Mr. Xie, the rain is getting heavier. Shall we go back?"

Xie Lin hummed in response, his voice low and hoarse, tinged with weariness. He stubbed out his cigarette and rubbed his throbbing temples.

After being brought back to the Xie family from the hospital that day, the old man personally took charge and forced Xie's father to relinquish power, handing over the core business of the Xie family to him.

Xie Lin threw himself into his work with almost his life on the line, sleeping only three or four hours a day, and the office lights often stayed on until the early hours of the morning.

He swiftly purged the corrupt elements within the company and aggressively expanded into overseas markets, revitalizing much of the Xie family's struggling businesses.

When people in the industry mention Xie Lin, they no longer think of him as the spoiled brat who used to race cars and go to bars with Liang Cheng, but as the ruthless and decisive CEO Xie.

Only Liang Cheng would occasionally visit him. Looking at his increasingly gaunt face, he couldn't help but sigh, "Linzi, what are you trying to achieve by torturing yourself like this?"

Xie Lin merely glanced at him indifferently and continued to bury himself in the documents: "I don't want anything in return."

Liang Cheng looked to his right, where there used to be an employment contract, but now it had been replaced by a thick stack of company reports.

He opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed his words.

He knew that no one could get past the hurdle in Xie Lin's heart.

Xie Lin's right leg recovered fairly well thanks to timely treatment, though it still aches slightly on rainy days.

He never complained, but whenever he felt pain, he would subconsciously touch his pocket, where he used to keep the pain relief patches Lin Mianmian had given him, which had a faint minty scent.

He often comes to the school.

Sometimes I would watch her buried in her books downstairs in the library, and I could watch for an entire afternoon.

Sometimes I would see her chatting and laughing with her classmates as she got her food in the cafeteria, her eyes crinkling with joy, just like I remembered her.

Sometimes it was downstairs in the dormitory building, watching her wave goodbye to the boy who brought her back, and then turn around and go upstairs.

He dared not approach her, nor even let her know he was there.

Mr. Xie was right; he was not good enough for her in his current state.

His leg suffered from aftereffects, and he would limp after walking for a long time.

His world is filled with the deceit and treachery of the business world; he is no longer the Xie Lin who could cook scrambled eggs with tomatoes for her.

He could only watch from afar, watching her work hard for the postgraduate entrance exam and seeing her getting better and better. He felt both gratified and bittersweet.

The car slowly drove away from the school, and the rain outside the window grew thicker and thicker.

Xie Lin leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and Lin Mianmian's face appeared in his mind.

She held an umbrella and walked in the rain, her back slender yet upright, like a sapling growing against the wind and rain.

His phone vibrated; it was a message from his assistant reminding him of an important international meeting at 9 a.m. the next day.

Xie Lin opened his eyes, the gentleness in them fading, leaving only a cold sharpness.

He replied with a "okay" and then tossed his phone aside.

The car drove into the brightly lit city center, where the Xie Family Group's building stood tall in the night.

The completely transparent glass curtain wall reflects the dazzling neon lights, like a cold fortress.

Xie Lin looked at the night view outside the window, a self-deprecating smile curling at the corner of his lips.

He possessed the wealth and power he had always dreamed of.

But he felt that a large part of his heart was empty.

That void can only be filled by Lin Mianmian.

But he never dared to approach her again.

The next morning, Lin Mianmian arrived at the library early.

As soon as she sat down, she noticed a glass of warm milk and a beautifully packaged sandwich on the corner of the table.

There was a note next to it, with the handwriting flowing and elegant, yet carrying a familiar gentleness: "It's tough preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam, remember to eat breakfast."

Lin Mianmian's heart skipped a beat.

She looked up and around. The library was bustling with people, but she couldn't find that familiar figure.

She picked up the milk, and its warmth traveled through the paper cup to her palm, warming her all the way to her heart.

Unbeknownst to her, Xie Lin was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in the office building opposite the library.

Watching her pick up the milk and take a sip, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, but her eyes were filled with a loneliness that no one knew.

The assistant knocked and entered, respectfully reminding, "Mr. Xie, the meeting is about to begin."

Xie Lin withdrew his gaze and turned to walk towards the conference room.

His footsteps landed, steady and firm.

However, that silhouette carried a lingering sense of loneliness.

He knew that the distance between him and Lin Mianmian was more than just a street.

There was also his unspoken inferiority complex and that time that could never be returned to.

Lin Mianmian held the note in her hand, looking at the sunlight outside the window, and a strange sense of anticipation suddenly arose in her heart.

She always felt that their story was not over yet.