The period from the end of the college entrance exam to the release of the results was the most enjoyable time for Gu Zhijing.
After the exam, the family of three immediately went on a vacation to Northern Europe. Upon returning home, Gu Zhijing started gaming day and night.
Gu Junxing wanted to scold him several times, but Nian Suian stopped him. In her opinion, it was perfectly reasonable to relax after the grueling exam, and there was no need to bother him for the time being.
Although he felt indifferent during the exam, when it came time to check his results, Gu Zhijing actually felt a hint of nervousness.
583 points—not particularly outstanding, but definitely not bad either. While it couldn’t compare to his father’s achievements, it was enough to get him into a decent local university.
Gu Zhijing breathed a huge sigh of relief. As for which university to apply to, he had already made up his mind: the one closest to home, so he could even return for lunch between classes.
“Have you decided on a major?”
“Yes, I want to study computer science!” In his mind, a major that involved working with computers every day sounded fascinating. Who knows, maybe he could even develop his own games in the future.
Gu Junxing had no objections to his choice. Gu Zhijing was already an adult and could make his own decisions about such matters.
This year’s city’s top scorer was Hao Leyun. Throughout high school, she and Qi Anlu—now known as Zhou Anlu—had been neck and neck, taking turns to claim the top spot. This time, Hao Leyun edged out Zhou Anlu by two points, securing the title of city champion.
However, this time, no one blamed Zhou Anlu for not taking first place. His mother made him his favorite cake and dishes to celebrate.
They were celebrating his second-place finish.
Zhou Xinfang had opened a dessert shop near the school a year ago, and business was booming.
After the exam, Zhou Anlu spent a few days traveling with friends, but most of his time was spent helping his mother at the shop.
Word quickly spread among the students that the owner’s son at the cake shop across from No. 15 High School was a handsome guy. When they found out he was also the city’s second-place scorer, the shop became even more popular.
Chu Mingyan performed exceptionally well in the exam, increasing his chances of attending the same university as Xu Yuan. However, even by the end of high school, he hadn’t managed to have more than a few words with her.
During the last parent-teacher meeting before the exam, Chu Mingyan met Xu Yuan’s father. He had always thought Xu Yuan’s uncle was intimidating, but after meeting her father, he realized what true fear was.
When he greeted Xu Yuan, her father’s eyes felt like machine guns, riddling him with holes.
Qu Zizhou also did quite well in the exam. His father had initially wanted him to study abroad, thinking that if he couldn’t get into a top-tier school domestically, being an overseas graduate would be a good alternative.
However, Qu Zizhou refused, saying he didn’t want the family to be scattered across four continents and that he couldn’t bear to leave his mother.
This moved Jiang Yun deeply, and Qu Zizhou ended up attending a local university.
……
“I don’t want to live in the dorm!”
“No.”
Nian Suian held the cat, watching as father and son engaged in their 10,086th heated debate over whether Gu Zhijing should live on campus.
The 18-year-old Gu Zhijing was on the verge of stomping his feet and throwing a tantrum to avoid dorm life. Nian Suian once again realized how wise Gu Junxing’s decision to hand over the company to a professional manager had been.
“The school is so close, why do I have to live in the dorm?”
“Living on campus will help you bond with your classmates.”
“That’s just an excuse! You just want to kick me out of the house!”
“Living on campus doesn’t mean you can’t come home. You can come back whenever you don’t feel like staying there.”
In the end, Gu Zhijing reluctantly agreed, thinking he could use the dorm bed for afternoon naps and still come home at night.
What Gu Junxing didn’t mention was that students who didn’t apply for off-campus housing might not be allowed to go home at night.
None of his friends could understand why Gu Zhijing was so against dorm life.
Qu Zizhou’s family was the complete opposite. He was eager to live on campus, while Jiang Yun thought it was unnecessary since they lived so close.
“Living on campus is great. At home, I’m always being monitored, but at school, I can play games and eat junk food whenever I want.”
At that moment, Gu Zhijing felt like the whole world was against him!
“I have nothing to say to someone who doesn’t appreciate family love.”
“Why are you attacking me personally?”
“Hmph!”
……
In September, Gu Zhijing began his college life.
Even though the school was nearby, Nian Suian and Gu Junxing decided to accompany him to campus.
Nian Suian felt that perhaps it was her age or just how adorable Gu Zhijing was, but lately, she had been overwhelmed with maternal affection.
Before the semester started, Nian Suian prepared everything Gu Zhijing might need for dorm life.
When she was in college, no one had taken care of these things for her. It wasn’t until she actually lived in a dorm that she realized how many essentials were missing. Too embarrassed to borrow from her roommates, she had shed many tears in her bed during the first few weeks.
This time, she even thought of things like hooks and bought plenty of them.
Of course, Nian Suian didn’t let Gu Junxing off the hook either. She dragged him to the mall on weekends and made him help pick out items online.
After two months of this, when it was finally time for Gu Zhijing to leave for school, Gu Junxing found himself feeling a little reluctant to let him go.
They had packed so many things that Gu Zhijing was shocked when he saw them.
“Why so much stuff? I’ll be coming back home.” The way they were sending him off, it almost felt like they were giving him away.
“You’ll need all of it. Even if you only stay occasionally, it’s better to have everything ready. You don’t want to keep borrowing from others.”
Nian Suian’s words reassured Gu Zhijing, but they also filled him with gratitude and a sense of longing.
Before they even left, Gu Zhijing hugged Nian Suian tightly. “Thank you, Mom.”
“Alright, alright, let’s go. The earlier we get there, the fewer people there’ll be.”
Since they lived close by, they decided to go to the dorm first to unpack and then handle the enrollment procedures.
Fortunately, on the first day of school, cars were allowed near the dormitory building, or else they would have struggled with all the luggage.
Gu Zhijing’s dorm was on the fifth floor of an eight-story building with an elevator.
When the three of them arrived, no one else was there yet. Gu Zhijing chose the bed by the window on the left side.
After setting down the bags, Nian Suian started giving orders. “You two, one of you go fetch water, the other get ready to dust.” As for herself, she would supervise.
Gu Zhijing knew better than to let his dad do the work, so he quickly grabbed a basin and ran off to get water. When he returned, he started wiping everything down with a cloth.
Having never done this kind of work before, he found it oddly refreshing.
Just as Gu Zhijing was in the middle of cleaning, another person arrived at the dorm.
“Hi, I’m He Chuyang. I’m from the local area.”
Like Gu Zhijing, he planned to keep a bed in the dorm but wasn’t sure if he’d stay often, so he only brought one suitcase.
“Hi, I’m Gu Zhijing. I’m also local. These are my parents.”
He Chuyang looked at Gu Junxing and Nian Suian, suppressing his awkwardness as he greeted them with “Uncle” and “Auntie.”
Gu Junxing, having had children early, looked younger compared to the parents of Gu Zhijing’s peers, and Nian Suian even more so.
“Your family looks really young.”
Gu Zhijing grinned, spinning a tall tale on the spot. “That’s because we’re from a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. We have a secret formula for preserving youth.”
He Chuyang immediately believed him, looking at Gu Zhijing with newfound respect.
“If you’re local, why did you bring so much stuff?”
This question hit right at the heart of Gu Zhijing, the proud son. “My mom prepared it all. She said it’s better to be prepared, even if I only stay occasionally.”
“Your mom is amazing!”
“Of course she is!”
Since they hadn’t completed the enrollment procedures yet, Nian Suian only helped Gu Zhijing make his bed, leaving the rest for him to organize later.
After finishing the paperwork, Nian Suian and Gu Junxing had to leave. Gu Zhijing would stay on campus, as military training started the next day.
Gu Zhijing held back his emotions as he walked them out. After they left, he rubbed his eyes, trying to hold back tears.
On the way home, Nian Suian couldn’t help but say, “I think commuting from home would have been nice too.”
This time, Gu Junxing didn’t argue against the idea of letting Gu Zhijing commute.