We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

A few snowflakes drifted down in Pingyang at the end of the year, falling finely and in small pieces from the gray sky. They melted as soon as they touched the ground, leaving not even a thin layer of white residue. The students didn't even have time to be happy.

After one night, nothing was left, like a dream about snow...

Ring ring—

With the final English exam over, senior high school students are now on a two-week winter break.

"Shall we take the bus home together? My dad's coming to pick me up." Xie Shu walked over with her schoolbag on her back.

"..."

Has she stopped trying to hide Xie Shu's father from her now? Whenever Xie Zhiqiang drives to pick up Xie Shu, she always calls Li Mubai along, and then forcibly pulls his arm forward despite his reluctance.

But not today.

"You go back first, we still have a class meeting, and..."

"Then I'll wait for you," Xie Shu interrupted him.

"Uh... my family is picking me up today too." Li Mubai finished speaking.

"Oh, okay, I'll head back now." Xie Shu lowered his head, looking slightly disappointed.

"It's okay, winter break is only two weeks, we'll see each other again soon."

"Yes." Xie Shu nodded. "Were you in Pingyang before the Spring Festival?"

"Before the Spring Festival?" Li Mubai thought for a moment, then said uncertainly, "It should be."

"I'll come find you then. Bye, see you during the Spring Festival."

Before Li Mubai could react, she waved her hand, turned around, and left with her suitcase.

"Goodbye," he said to the air.

"Goodbye—" a voice came from behind.

He turned his head, and Chen Qiuhe was standing at the entrance of the stairwell on the other side, waving at him.

It was just a winter break, but it felt like a life-or-death separation.

"goodbye."

……

"Don't let your guard down for the next two weeks; this is your chance to get ahead! The daily assignments have been sent to the parents' group; please ask your parents for details."

He called those who were eager to go home back to the classroom just to say this? Li Mubai, carrying his schoolbag, was too lazy to even put it down.

Zhong Jianjun, standing on the podium, scanned the classroom:

"Did you all understand?"

"Understood--"

"Everyone else, dismissed! Lin Xinle and Li Mubai, come to the office."

He looked up and saw that Zhong Jianjun had already left the classroom with his hands behind his back.

Li Mubai stood up in confusion, and Lin Xinle followed him in a few steps.

Upon arriving at the office, Lin Xinle gently knocked on the door first.

"Come in."

Lin Xinle went inside, and Li Mubai followed behind her.

"Teacher, were you looking for us?"

"Okay." Zhong Jianjun looked up at her, then at Li Mubai behind her. "You wait outside for now."

"...Okay." Li Mubai left, closing the door behind him.

He stood by the corridor railing, watching the students walking out sparsely downstairs in small groups.

In winter, sunny days are rare; thick clouds hang heavy and gray on the horizon.

A few minutes later, the office door opened.

Lin Xinle came out, leaned close to him and whispered, "I'm done. The teacher wants you to go in."

"Um."

"I'm home now, have a happy winter break." She waved to him.

"hapiness."

Although he couldn't understand Lin Xinle, Li Mubai still responded calmly.

He pushed open the door and entered the Academic Affairs Office, where Zhong Jianjun was sitting upright in his office chair.

"Teacher Zhong." Li Mubai approached.

"Hmm." Zhong Jianjun nodded. "I called you here for nothing else, just to find out if you've chosen your target universities yet?"

"……not yet."

The office was silent for a few seconds before Li Mubai, who was hiding under the desk, moved his hand.

"Teacher Wu told me before that you planned to take the entrance exam for Peking University," Zhong Jianjun's hoarse voice rang out slowly.

An awkward atmosphere arose, making Li Mubai's scalp itch. He lowered his head and shut his mouth.

"If you still plan to get into Peking University, then you can't afford to relax!" Zhong Jianjun tapped his fingers on the table twice. "Your current score is still quite a distance from Peking University's cutoff, understand?"

Li Mubai nodded slowly.

"So your time is very precious, and you should make the most of every moment." Zhong Jianjun pushed a business card out of his drawer. "This is an intensive course specifically for students who want to get into Tsinghua or Peking University. If you're interested, you can check it out."

Li Mubai did not accept the business card immediately. He narrowed his eyes slightly and read the words on the business card: Tsinghua and Peking University Intensive Class, taught by renowned college entrance examination teacher Wen Xiuyu.

Selling? That was his first thought.

"It's free, a seven-day course," Zhong Jianjun added.

No charge? Li Mubai thought about it and accepted it, deciding later whether or not to go.

Zhong Jianjun kept a straight face throughout, and after a long while, he finally spoke again: "Li Mubai, you are my student, and you have studied hard, which is why I am giving you this opportunity."

As soon as he finished speaking, he reached into his pocket for cigarettes as usual, took one out and put it in his mouth, then suddenly stopped when he brought the lighter closer, and put the cigarette down two seconds later.

"I don't know why you chose Peking University. Is it because of your personal ideals, or because you want to be with Xie Shu, but..."

Li Mubai's heart tightened upon hearing this, and he subconsciously thought that Zhong Jianjun was going to criticize his relationship with Xie Shu again.

"Studying is your own business. The college entrance examination is the fairest opportunity to change a person's destiny. Don't give up your future because of a small conflict."

Zhong Jianjun's voice deepened.

"The same thing is ultimately different when you earn it yourself versus when someone gives it to you as a gift."

Li Mubai didn't speak. He stood in front of the desk, listening to the hoarse voice slowly finish speaking, and unconsciously nodded slightly.

No matter how strict or rigid Zhong Jianjun had been before, he took this advice to heart.

"Alright, go back and think about whether you want to go or not. If you do go, give me an answer in advance." Zhong Jianjun waved his hand.

"Thank you, Professor Chung."

Li Mubai turned and walked towards the office door. Just as he was about to leave, he heard Zhong Jianjun's voice again.

"Also, don't tell any other students about the intensive course, understand?"

"Understood..." Li Mubai's hand remained on the doorknob. "Teacher Zhong, may I tell Xie Shu?"

Zhong Jianjun was silent for a moment: "Sure, Xie Shu can tell me if he wants to go."

Li Mubai thanked them one last time, then opened the door to the Academic Affairs Office and walked out.

Zhong Jianjun was left alone in the academic affairs office again. A few seconds later, there was a click, and smoke filled the air...

The entire campus became unusually quiet. The first and second year students had already started their summer vacation, with only the third year students attending classes for two extra weeks. Now, most of the third-year students have left the school.

Li Mubai returned to his dormitory, dragged his suitcase, and walked alone toward the back gate of the school. Late winter was desolate, and everything seemed like a dead and silent world.

He walked to the back gate of the school, where Li's father had been waiting for a long time.

"Why are you out so late?" Mr. Li asked, frowning.

"My homeroom teacher called me to his office again."

"What do you want me to do?"

"We chatted about studying, and she even recommended a cram school to me." Li Mubai paused, "It's free."

"oh."

Mr. Li didn't say anything more, and the car slowly drove away from the school.

Li Mubai leaned back in his seat, looking out the window.

A few children were playing with firecrackers by the roadside. They lit one, threw it on the ground with a crisp pop, and then ran away laughing.

Chinese New Year is just a week away...