Chapter Seventeen: Immortal Bridge Farewell

“Dear students, in this recent second mock exam in Rong City, our school has achieved remarkable results. Chen Fengyun ranked ninety-second in Rong City, which is the best record ever attained in the history of Rong City No. 5 High School. He is the pride of our school, and this achievement is not only the result of all the teachers’ concerted efforts but, even more, the fruit of Chen Fengyun’s diligence. All students should learn from Chen Fengyun and strive to bring further honor to our school.”

February 12, 2019, which was also the seventeenth day of the first month in the lunar calendar, saw all the students of Rong City No. 5 High School gathering on the sports field after the third period in the morning for the awards ceremony of the second mock exam for the senior year students.

Ordinarily, such exams would not be celebrated with much fanfare. However, this time, the occasion demanded recognition, for Chen Fengyun had achieved the highest score ever recorded in the school’s history, ranking ninety-second among all liberal arts students in the city.

As a result, from the principal down to every teacher, excitement and delight filled the air. For years, the so-called second-tier high schools—numbers two, five, six, and eight—had always been overshadowed by the prestigious Four-Seven-Nine, rarely managing to send a student into the top hundred in the city during the college entrance exams.

In this context, Chen Fengyun’s sudden leap into the top hundred brought immense honor to No. 5 High, and the school seized the opportunity to hold him up as an example, hoping to inspire others to make a final effort. If the students could make further progress in the ultimate exam, it would be even more ideal.

Though Chen Fengyun found all this rather exasperating, he was nonetheless called onto the stage to accept his award and give a speech. If it had been the old Chen Fengyun, he might have been modest and said a few humble words, but he was different now.

“To be honest, I made a few mistakes in this exam. If not for those, I could have done even better. Please rest assured, Principal, teachers, and leaders: in the next mock exam and in the college entrance exam, I guarantee I’ll do even better. My aim is to break into the top fifty in the third mock, and the top ten in the final exam.”

With that, he didn’t wait for the principal to respond but simply waved to the cheering crowd and stepped down. The principal, upon hearing his declaration, instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

He had no idea Chen Fengyun would be so bold. That statement would soon reach the ears of the teachers and directors at Four-Seven-Nine. If Chen Fengyun failed to reach the top fifty or top ten, wouldn’t they be the laughingstock of the city?

But the words had been spoken and the student had already left the stage. The principal had no choice but to force a smile and try to recover, saying, “Haha, Chen Fengyun is quite humorous, giving himself an even higher goal. Such ambition is good, of course. But let’s be realistic—just maintaining this current performance in the next exam and the college entrance exam would be more than enough.”

After that, although more people began to regard him as an academic star, Chen Fengyun didn’t pay it much mind. His daily life continued as before, and on weekends he still went treasure hunting at the Wukuaishi secondhand market.

That particular weekend, something else happened. His parents invited some guests for dinner—none other than Uncle Zhang’s family, whom they’d dined with previously, including their daughter Zhang Qingyan, who was in her senior year at No. 7 High.

In the second mock exam, Zhang Qingyan had performed well, ranking one hundred and eighth in the city’s liberal arts division, but Chen Fengyun had surpassed her. So, at dinner, his parents’ faces were aglow with pride, while Uncle Zhang and his wife looked a bit uncomfortable.

“Just you wait. The third mock is at the beginning of April. I’ll definitely beat you next time,” Zhang Qingyan declared fiercely, pulling Chen Fengyun aside at the door and glaring at him.

“A real man doesn’t argue with a woman. I’m not interested in competing with you. But I do want to say, you won’t catch up—my goal for the next mock is to be in the top fifty,” Chen Fengyun replied with a teasing smile.

In fact, Chen Fengyun and Zhang Qingyan had grown up together. Their parents had been colleagues, but when they were in fifth grade, work had separated the families. Still, the adults remained close—even though one family now lived in JJ District and the other in Tianfu District, they would occasionally get together for a meal or a chat. As the two children grew older, however, they spoke less and less, hardly ever playing together anymore.

“Fine. If I don’t beat you in the next exam, I’ll have my parents treat your family to dinner,” Zhang Qingyan huffed, tossing out the words before turning to leave.

“Son, what were you and Qingyan whispering about?” his mother asked with a mysterious air on the way home, as if she had uncovered some secret.

“Mom, don’t overthink it. There’s nothing between me and Zhang Qingyan,” Chen Fengyun replied warily, immediately sensing a hidden meaning in his mother’s smile.

“I think Qingyan is a nice girl. Didn’t you two used to play together all the time when you were little? Why don’t you talk much now?” his father chimed in, cheerful as ever.

“You’re not trying to pair me up with Zhang Qingyan, are you? Don’t even think about it. We’re nothing alike,” Chen Fengyun hurried to quash their ideas, sensing danger.

“You brat, mind your words! Qingyan’s a girl—don’t say things like ‘nothing alike,’ that sounds awful. Our families have always been close, but whether the two of you want anything more is up to you. We won’t interfere, so as not to ruin the friendship. And if you don’t, that’s fine. My son is so outstanding—there’s no need to worry about finding a girlfriend in the future,” his mother scolded, then spoke more earnestly. On the whole, she was open-minded, not forcing the issue. It was clear the adults had some hopes, but it was up to the two youngsters.

“Mom, Dad, I have just a few months until the college entrance exam. Is this really the time for this conversation? Aren’t you afraid I’ll get distracted and embarrass you by failing the exam?” Chen Fengyun quickly changed the subject.

“All right, all right, we won’t mention it. The entrance exam is the most important thing now. Son, with your mock exam grades, do you think you can get into a university in the capital?” his mother asked.

“My goal is Peking University—but I mean the real Peking University, not just any university in Beijing. Don’t worry,” Chen Fengyun replied with a wave of his hand.

After the second mock exam, there was only one day off each weekend, so Chen Fengyun had much less time for his treasure hunts. Though he still carved out time at noon each day, after several weeks he had searched the entire Wukuaishi market and found nothing more with any special energy.

“Starting next week, I’ll have to try somewhere new. I’ve heard the antique market at Songxianqiao is very lively—time to hunt for treasure there,” he decided after finishing his search at Wukuaishi.

March arrived, and the academic pressure remained as intense as ever. With the hundred-day countdown to the college entrance exam underway, the whole senior year was on edge; many students refused to take breaks, even between classes.

Chen Fengyun, however, didn’t change his routine. He still left the classroom every period to stretch his legs, confident in his ability and disciplined in his studies. With each weekly test, he showed progress, consistently holding the top spot in his grade, and the gap between him and the runner-up only grew wider.