The winter day was gloomy and biting, the sky heavy with thick, low, turbid clouds.
As Lin Jiang stepped out the door and looked up at the sky, she suddenly felt that time was a distant thing and her dreams were out of reach. For now, she had to set certain matters aside to conquer a different mountain and sea.
Before school let out on Friday, she went to greet her homeroom teacher and collect her leave-of-absence certificate. After offering a few words of encouragement, the teacher sent her to the English teacher’s office to say goodbye.
The English teacher didn't forget to remind her about her studies; even if she was pursuing the arts, she needed to find time to review her academic subjects. Before Lin Jiang left, the teacher unexpectedly gave her a thick notebook, explaining it was a set of notes compiled by a top student from a previous class that she had specifically requested for Lin Jiang.
Lin Jiang was moved to tears. She promised repeatedly that she would treasure the notes and absolutely would not let her academic grades slip.
That evening after school, a few close classmates arranged to go to a KTV to see Lin Jiang off.
Shen Yan generously covered the drinks for everyone. They had even prepared a surprise gift for Lin Jiang—a video montage of photos they had scavenged from various places, including candid shots, group photos, and a few rare selfies.
Deeply touched, Lin Jiang sang several songs in a row and drank a bit more than usual.
In the private room, everyone kept singing, moving from "Fairy Tale" to "Tomorrow Will Be Better." When Li Kai reached the line, *"The spring breeze knows nothing of romance, yet it stirs the heart of a youth,"* Lin Jiang and He Lai held hands and headed out to the restroom.
The corridors of this KTV were winding, and it took the two of them a while to find the bathroom. When they came out, He Lai asked Lin Jiang while washing her hands, "Your 'biological' brother from different parents really splurged today, huh?"
Lin Jiang smiled. "Isn't his birthday coming up soon? I'll give him a big gift then."
"Can you give me a hint?" He Lai was drying her hands, her voice muffled by the noise of the hand dryer.
Lin Jiang’s eyes twinkled as she led the way out of the restroom. "Not telling."
He Lai followed her out. "So mysterious. Don't tell me you're going to give *yourself* to him as the gift."
Seeing He Lai’s mischievous grin, Lin Jiang played along. "Oh? You guessed right."
Knowing she was joking, He Lai continued the banter with a giggle. "Oh my, then what about Cheng Minghao?"
Lin Jiang laughed too. "I’m a bad girl; I’ll take them both."
He Lai made a face of mock disgust. "Eww, you bad girl. You’ve been hiding your true colors, haven't you?"
Lin Jiang chuckled, mimicking a line from a movie. "Psh, men... aren't they all just like that?"
The two teased each other like a pair of cross-talk performers, one playing the lead and the other the foil. However, their jokes were so cliché that by the time they reached the room, they had started accusing each other of being boring.
In the corridor near the restroom, someone patted Jiang Weifeng on the shoulder and asked, "What are you looking at? Do you know those two?"
Jiang Weifeng’s eyes were incredibly dark, but his voice was very soft. "It's nothing."
Just as the girls had stepped out of the restroom, he had happened to reach the corner. Hidden by a large potted plant, he had unintentionally overheard their entire conversation.
He let out a cold sneer in his heart. After returning to the room, Cheng Yunchuan happened to be singing "Maiden’s Prayer." It filled him with a sudden wave of annoyance, and he grabbed his jacket and left.
Cheng Yunchuan had learned that song specifically for Jiang Weifeng. She had only sung a few lines when she saw him leave; her heart constricted, her timing faltered, and the melody fell out of tune.
Back in their own room, Lin Jiang walked in to find everyone joking around, trying to get Li Kai and Li Na to sing a duet.
Li Kai and Li Na had entered their bickering mode, shouting at each other through their microphones.
Lin Jiang covered her ears, frowning, just as someone pushed the door open. "Whoa, are you guys committing a murder? Why so loud?"
He Lai laughed. "No murder, just someone 'showing off their love.'"
Everyone laughed, and the newcomer joined in. "Why are there so many people showing off today?"
He Lai asked, "Who else?"
"I just ran into an acquaintance at the restroom. He said Cheng Yunchuan is serenading Jiang Weifeng in their room."
Li Na’s interest was piqued. "Huh? I thought Jiang Weifeng ignored Cheng Yunchuan?"
The person waved it off. "Cheng Yunchuan follows him around every day. It wouldn't be strange if feelings developed over time."
Li Na curled her lip and took a sip of Sprite. "Anyway, I’m Team Zhao Siyi. Cheng Yunchuan is just throwing herself at him at best."
The person thought for a moment and clicked their tongue. "True, Zhao Siyi is such a great beauty."
"Alright, alright, that’s enough. We’re here to see Lin Jiang off, why are we gossiping about other people?" He Lai quickly stood up and went to the song selection machine. "Come on, let's sing!"
At He Lai’s urging, everyone quickly moved on and went back to having fun.
Lin Jiang sat on the sofa clutching a can of beer, her heart in a mess, though she merely maintained a silent smile as she watched the others play.
Shen Yan snatched the beer from her hand. "You’re not allowed to drink this."
Lin Jiang looked at him sideways. "Oh, come on, I’m happy today."
Shen Yan’s eyes shone in the dim light of the room as he looked at her. "No. If you actually get drunk, I won't be able to face your parents."
Lin Jiang opened her mouth to argue, but seeing Shen Yan’s serious expression, she ultimately said nothing. She stood up and went to sing a duet with He Lai.
It was a very upbeat song, "Shiny Happiness" by the Flower Band. The lyrics were quite interesting: *"Laughing loudly just so I won't cry."* When Lin Jiang reached that line, she made a conscious effort to turn the corners of her mouth upward.
In her diary that night, Lin Jiang wrote many, many things.
She summarized the evening as being very joyful and touching, noting that she hadn't laughed so wantonly in a long time. But at the very end, she added a superfluous sentence that shattered the joy of the entry.
She wrote: *If there is a regret, it might be that I didn't get the chance to say goodbye to him.*
After writing that line, Lin Jiang turned off the light. When she climbed into bed, the smell of alcohol still churned in her stomach, but she didn't feel the slightest bit drunk.
It was pitch black outside the window. Once midnight passed, it would be another tomorrow.
The world is never short of tomorrows.
The torrent of time pushes people constantly forward.
No matter how many emotions one has, they seem trivial in the face of the "Gaokao."
Lin Jiang had no time to waste on her thoughts and soon threw herself into intensive training.
"Starry Lamp" was a large art exam preparatory institution. Many people came from different cities for this closed-off intensive training. Since classes began, Lin Jiang would arrive at school at 7:00 AM every morning only to find people already downstairs practicing their morning drills.
Once, because she wasn't prepared for a mock hosting session, she was kept late by Teacher Cheng for a lecture. When class finally ended after 10:00 PM, she passed the second-floor art studio to find it still brightly lit, while the dance students on the first floor were still stretching.
Lin Jiang hadn't chosen the residential training; she remained a day student. Her schedule was the same as everyone else's, but her timetable was unique. She had been taking one-on-two small classes. The girl she shared the class with was professionally excellent, and Teacher Cheng frequently compared the two of them. Because of this, Lin Jiang actually improved faster by having a benchmark.
Cheng Minghao was also taking classes here. Once, while Lin Jiang was waiting at the entrance for Xu Mingjuan to pick her up, Cheng Minghao happened to come down with his books. After chatting, they realized he had left school even earlier than she had.
Lin Jiang asked him, "The academic score requirements for the Directing and Editing major are quite high, aren't they?"
Cheng Minghao smiled. "They're okay. I'm not too worried about the academic subjects. It's just that I didn't realize I'd have to do a talent showcase; it's been a real headache."
Hearing this, Lin Jiang asked, "What do you usually score on your academic tests?"
Cheng Minghao replied casually, "Around 600 total."
Lin Jiang nearly choked. "Your grades were that good? Are you in the Liberal Arts or Science track?"
Seeing the look of admiration in Lin Jiang’s eyes, Cheng Minghao immediately started to show off. "I'm in Liberal Arts. My grades are just passable, really. Besides, who knows how things will be after we get back from the art exams."
Liberal Arts! 600 points! An art student!
Lin Jiang’s eyes widened. After this encounter, she felt she needed to work even harder.
Time flew by. Not long after December began, it was time for the Provincial Unified Examination for art students. Teacher Cheng repeatedly warned them not to have any nervous habits during the exam and to maintain a "sense of audience" when facing the camera, rather than sounding like they were just reciting a book.
Lin Jiang was well-prepared. Although she was a bit nervous that day, she completed the exam smoothly.
On December 31st, the results came out. She scored 314 points, ranking 67th in the entire province. Her hard work had paid off.
That evening, Lin Jiang’s family followed their annual tradition of having New Year's Eve dinner at their own restaurant.
Every New Year's Eve, the restaurant was packed. Xu Mingjuan was busy for quite a while before she finally joined them in the private room.
To celebrate Lin Jiang’s good results, Xu Mingjuan specifically opened a bottle of red wine. Lin Jiang gasped when she saw the price, exclaiming, "Mom, you're a real tycoon."
Lin Wei, however, was enjoying the drink. "Last time I was at the restaurant, I took a walk around the back and set my sights on this bottle. I wanted to use it as a gift to land a big contract, but your mother just wouldn't agree."
Lin Jiang swirled her wine glass with mock sophistication. "Drinking this wine, I suddenly feel like I don't need to strive anymore. I can just live off my parents."
Xu Mingjuan glared at her. "Even food can't shut your mouth."
Lin Jiang stuck out her tongue and slipped away to the restroom before Mrs. Xu could start a lecture.
She had only walked a few steps out the door when a woman at a nearby table suddenly waved at her and called out softly, "Lin Jiang."
As soon as the words were spoken, the two men sitting across from her turned their heads. Lin Jiang’s footsteps faltered as she met a pair of eyes head-on.
His eyes lit up for a moment, then quickly darkened. He stared at her expressionlessly. The shift was so fast that Lin Jiang couldn't tell if she had imagined it.
She walked forward slowly, composed herself, and smiled. "Hello, Teacher Zheng."
"What a coincidence, you're here too," Zheng Ping smiled. "Come, sit and chat for a bit."
After the greeting, Zheng Ping invited her to sit. Lin Jiang looked at the people dining elegantly around them and felt that standing would indeed be awkward, so she sat down next to Zheng Ping.
Zheng Ping smiled and introduced her to the man opposite. "Jiang He, this is the Lin Jiang I mentioned to you before, Weifeng’s classmate."
Jiang He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and smiled at Lin Jiang. "I’ve heard Zheng Ping mention you before. Are you here for New Year's Eve dinner too?"
Lin Jiang sat stiffly but smiled graciously. "Hello, Uncle Jiang. Actually, this restaurant is owned by my mother, so our family came here to eat today."
Zheng Ping was surprised. "Oh, is that so? I was just saying how good the food is here."
Lin Jiang smiled. "I'm glad you like it, Teacher Zheng."
As they were talking, Jiang He nudged Jiang Weifeng with his elbow. "What's wrong with you, brat? Say hello to your classmate."
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 星星点灯 | Starry Lamp | The name of the art training institution. |
| 艺考 | Art Exam | Short for the specialized entrance exams for arts majors in China. |
| 省统考 | Provincial Unified Examination | A standardized test for art students at the provincial level. |
| 对象感 | Sense of Audience | A professional term in broadcasting/hosting referring to the ability to speak as if addressing a specific person. |
| 编导 | Directing and Editing | A major in the Chinese art exam system (Radio and Television Directing). |
| 跨年饭 | New Year's Eve Dinner | A celebratory meal held on December 31st. |
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