During those final few days, the teachers across every subject unanimously decided to lighten the workload, encouraging the students to sleep early and wake early to maintain a good mental state. At the same time, the exam venue assignments were released.
"Quick, look! Am I in the same venue as you guys?!" Xia Shan clutched his admission ticket and rushed over to the group, buzzing with excitement.
"Hey, Tang-ge and I are together!" Jiang Wei compared his ticket with Tang Zihe’s and instantly felt a weight lift off his chest.
"It doesn't really matter if we're in the same venue or not. Even if we are, there's a good chance we won't even see each other." Ding Banfan didn't have much of an obsession with the matter, but Tang Wanbai, standing beside him, let out a little squeal of delight because she had been assigned to the same place as him.
"My situation is different from yours. I have to hitch a ride with your Tang-ge to get to the venue," Jiang Wei put on a mock-pitiful expression. "Thank goodness we're together, otherwise I’d have to trek there on foot..."
"I'm sorry, there's a sour stench of romance in the air that I simply cannot tolerate. I'm leaving." Yang Xiangtong finished comparing her ticket with everyone else's and, finding no matches, beat a hasty retreat.
Xia Shan felt a sudden urge to plaster his admission ticket right onto the faces of the couple behind him.
"By the way, since you've already been recommended for admission, why are you even taking the exam?" Jiang Wei asked, twirling a pen.
"I'm here to gauge the difficulty of this year's papers before deciding which school to attend," Tang Zihe replied nonchalantly, throwing a provocative glance at the other. "Lest a certain someone performs poorly and gets a low score—I wouldn't want to end up in a long-distance relationship."
"Bullshit. I won't say I'll be the top scorer, but I'll definitely be in the top ten," Jiang Wei rolled his eyes. "Is there any school I can't get into?"
"Yes, yes. My boyfriend is the most amazing." Tang Zihe reached out and ruffled Jiang Wei's hair.
Jiang Wei: "..."
*Question: How do I teach my boyfriend to speak like a normal person? Waiting online, quite urgent.*
Ms. Tang treated the Gaokao with the utmost gravity. She went as far as taking a week off work, handing over all company matters to her secretary so she could stay home and research what dishes to cook for the boys.
As a result, on the night before the Gaokao began, Jiang Wei stepped onto the scale with trepidation, only to find he had gained two pounds.
He promptly dashed into Tang Zihe’s room to "wail" in protest, vowing that he would resume exercising the moment the exams were over to bring back his vanished eight-pack abs.
In the end, he was pushed out of the room by Tang Zihe and tucked firmly into his blankets with a warning to get some proper rest before he finally quieted down.
And just like that, the Gaokao arrived.
Compared to the two students about to enter the exam hall, Ms. Tang and Mr. Tang were clearly much more nervous.
"Quickly, check again if you have everything. Don't forget a single thing. Once you're in the hall, don't be nervous, and don't be careless when reading the questions..."
"Mom, I think you're the one who's nervous right now." Tang Zihe patted Ms. Tang’s shoulder. He and Jiang Wei had heard these words countless times since they woke up that morning. He finally couldn't help but interrupt. "Don't you know what your two sons are capable of? Don't worry, it'll be fine."
"Yes, believe in your own strength. You'll definitely achieve great results," Mr. Tang added. "Go on, do your best."
"Mm."
Because their specific exam rooms were different, Jiang Wei and Tang Zihe parted ways at the staircase.
"Good luck on the exam." Tang Zihe squeezed Jiang Wei’s slightly sweaty hand.
"You too. Don't get too cocky and end up with a lower score than me." Jiang Wei held Tang Zihe’s hand for a brief two seconds before they separated at the landing, heading toward opposite ends of the corridor.
Facing an exam as significant as the Gaokao, even Tang Zihe—who frequently turned in his papers early during mock exams—didn't harbor any thoughts of being overconfident the moment he stepped into the silent hall.
Although he still finished the paper ahead of time, he checked it over and over with extreme caution. It was only when he truly couldn't find a single flaw that he finally set down his pen.
On the final day, Tang Zihe declined Ms. Tang and Mr. Tang’s offer to pick them up after the very last subject.
"Jiang Wei and I haven't explored this area yet. I'll walk around with him afterward, so there's no need to trouble you both," Tang Zihe said.
Since the exams had proceeded without a single hitch over the past few days, Ms. Tang’s heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled. She agreed to the suggestion.
Jiang Wei sat nearby, pretending to look at the scenery outside the window, but the corners of his mouth curled up into a faint smile.
In truth, these few days of the Gaokao had been some of the happiest days of his life.
In his past imaginings, when this day came, other children would have parents who braved the wind and rain to see them off without a word of complaint—parents who would stand under the scorching sun outside the gates, refusing to even open an umbrella for fear of missing their child’s searching gaze.
But he had never expected to have that for himself.
Though he had always comforted himself and acted as if he didn't care, whenever he thought about it, he couldn't help but purse his lips, a trace of loneliness leaking through.
Yet when the reality arrived, Ms. Tang and Mr. Tang had fulfilled every fantasy he had ever had about this moment.
He was truly moved, and truly grateful that he had met this family—and that he had such a nearly perfect boyfriend.
After the first two days of testing, Tang Zihe already had an estimated score in mind. When the final subject came and he finished early once again, he checked it twice. Then, contrary to his usual behavior during the previous days, he decisively chose to turn in his paper early.
Tang Zihe walked out of the exam hall carrying his transparent stationery bag. Calculating the time, he walked all the way to the spot closest to the main gates and stopped.
Even though Jiang Wei had never said it, Tang Zihe could guess a few things from observing his unusually obedient behavior toward Ms. Tang and Mr. Tang lately.
So, he stood there simply because he wanted Jiang Wei to understand, the moment he stepped out of the building and looked toward the gates, that he too was a "kid" who had someone waiting for him, someone looking forward to his return.
And he was the most special one of all.
He had a boyfriend willing to stand outside for over ten minutes in the final moments, just to give him a hug the second he emerged from the crowd.
That was way cooler than anyone else.
As Jiang Wei threw himself into Tang Zihe’s arms with a face full of surprise, he couldn't help but think—*this is enough.*
If it weren't for the groups of reporters holding cameras not far away, he would have wanted to give his boyfriend a kiss right then and there.
The kind with tongue.
Unfortunately, a certain boyfriend seemed a bit lacking in romantic sentiment.
"How did you do?"
"How can you ask that the second I'm out?" Jiang Wei couldn't help but laugh. "Have you been brainwashed by Mom?"
"Alright," Tang Zihe shrugged. "Your turn to ask me?"
The two of them worked to avoid the headache-inducing cameras, walking hand-in-hand into the bustling crowd.
Jiang Wei really couldn't think of a good question in that moment, so he could only throw the question back with mock frustration. "Fine, how did *you* do?"
Two seconds later, amidst his boyfriend’s silent teasing, he took it back. "Forget it... asking you that is just too stupid."
"Stop laughing... you're so annoying..."
The summer sunlight filtered through the gaps in the dense foliage, dapping their bodies. The soft ticking of their watches was scattered by the gentle breeze, and even the early chirping of the cicadas carried a sense of peaceful, enduring beauty.
In the future, whether it be a single day from dawn to dusk or the turning of the four seasons, they would continue to walk forward like this, hand-in-hand.
Just like today.
***
