Chapter 245: It’s Over

There were no excessive words, only silent companionship and support.

Su Yuqing closed her eyes, savoring the tranquility as her heart filled with a sense of security and warmth.

This was the truest everyday expression of what Auntie Chen Xi had called "the love that already exists."

Chen Mo wasn’t focused on Su Yuqing alone.

He was like a stabilizing pillar, not only maintaining his own peak condition but also effortlessly helping Zhou Hao shore up his weaknesses, pointing out key breakthroughs to Zhao Yuanyuan, and cheering on the anxious Huang Mao and Lin Yu’an.

Watching him so composed as he helped others, Su Yuqing’s heart swelled with a mixture of love and admiration.

She was more certain than ever that the man she had chosen was worth fighting with all her might to stand beside.

During the final class meeting, their homeroom teacher, He Xiaoyun, spoke in a slightly hoarse voice. She looked down at the students who were about to spread their wings and fly, her gaze softening with a hint of imperceptible fondness and hope when it swept past Chen Mo and Su Yuqing. "Children, by making it here today, you are all heroes in your own right. In these last few days, take care of your health and keep your minds steady. Remember, the college entrance exam is an important station in life, but it’s not the final stop. No matter the outcome, the road ahead of you is still long. There is more beautiful scenery waiting for you to discover."

Her words were incredibly reassuring, almost like a hint about the future. Su Yuqing and Chen Mo shared a knowing smile.

「In the blink of an eye, it was the night before the college entrance exam.」

The city’s hustle and bustle seemed to have been muted for the momentous occasion.

Su Yuqing and Chen Mo didn’t engage in any more high-intensity studying, instead just quietly flipping through their error logs and review outlines.

Chen Xi and Li Fengzhi made a special trip over. Together, they cooked a light and delicious meal of the couple’s favorite dishes, creating a relaxed and warm atmosphere while carefully avoiding any mention of the exam.

After dinner, the two of them stood side by side on the rooftop.

The early summer evening breeze, fragrant with flowers, rustled the tips of their hair.

The residential complex below was unusually quiet, with only a few scattered lights twinkling.

"Nervous?" Chen Mo asked softly, turning his head to look at her gentle silhouette, traced by the moonlight.

Su Yuqing shook her head, then nodded, answering honestly, "A little. But it’s not fear, it’s..."

Su Yuqing couldn’t quite describe the feeling. ’It’s the excitement and gravity of waiting for a new Chapter to begin.’

She turned to look at Chen Mo, the starlight reflected in her eyes.

’It’s like... like waiting for a very important moment to arrive.’

Chen Mo’s heart stirred. He reached out, gently took her hand, and intertwined their fingers.

The warmth where their palms met transmitted a wordless strength and a silent promise.

"No matter the outcome, I’ll be here." His voice was low and steady, exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

Though the words were simple, they felt like a sudden confession, making Su Yuqing’s heart tremble as a wave of sweetness and reassurance washed over her.

The moment the bell rang on their final day of classes, the monumental event that had been weighing on everyone’s minds—the college entrance exam—was almost here.

Everyone had been giving it their all for the past few days.

Today, they were finally free!

Books, test papers, and exercise booklets were tossed into the air like snowflakes by the excited students. The white pages fluttered down, a blizzard that marked the end of their youthful war.

The school let the seniors have this final day to let it all out, to vent their emotions with wild shouts.

In no time, the ground below the academic building was piled high with all sorts of test papers and textbooks.

Just collecting it all to sell for scrap would fetch a pretty penny.

Chen Mo and Su Yuqing gleefully joined in, showering all their papers out the classroom window.

With it, they cast off all the pressure that had built up over the past days.

The Chen Mo of the past had never joined this celebration. This time, he finally experienced the joy and excitement of tossing all that heavy pressure out the window.

That night, Chen Mo and Su Yuqing didn’t interact much. Afraid of unsettling their minds, they both washed up early and went to bed.

The next few days of the exam passed in a blur of RUSTLING pens on paper, the turning of pages, and the occasional drone of cicadas from outside the window.

The atmosphere in the examination hall was somber, the air thick with tension.

Su Yuqing put pen to paper, her mind completely focused.

The types of questions she had practiced over and over, the key points Chen Mo had stressed, the common mistakes she had noted—they all surfaced clearly in her mind.

When she encountered a difficult question, she would take a deep breath, recall the steady look in Chen Mo’s eyes as he solved problems, and feel a strange sense of calm that helped her find the right path.

She no longer fretted over whether her score could catch up to Chen Mo’s, focusing instead on pouring every ounce of effort onto the page.

This was the exam she was taking for herself, and for their future together.

Chen Mo’s performance was as steady as ever.

He answered the questions at an incredible speed, his thoughts perfectly clear. It was as if he wasn’t taking a life-changing exam, but simply completing a practice test he already knew by heart.

In the moments between questions, his gaze would drift unconsciously in the direction of Su Yuqing’s exam hall. Imagining her diligently writing away, the corners of his mouth would lift into a slight smile.

Time flew. The final bell for the last exam rang out—a sound as beautiful as heavenly music, a spell that broke every shackle.

"The exam has concluded. Please put down your pens."

As the students filed out of the examination hall, sighs and shouts of relief rang out one after another.

"AHHHH—!!!"

"WE’RE FREE—!!!"

"It’s over! It’s finally over!"

Three years of repressed pressure, especially the tension of the last few months that had been wound as tight as a bowstring, was finally, wildly released in this single moment.

Chen Mo and Su Yuqing moved with the crowd out of the examination hall.

The sunlight was a little blinding. A complex atmosphere of freedom and farewell hung in the air among the students.

The wave of noise was almost enough to knock a person over. The air was thick with the smell of sweat, ink, and a kind of manic excitement.

Many of their classmates’ faces were alight with the pure ecstasy of survival and boundless hope for the future.

The two of them didn’t shout and scream like the others. They simply looked at each other, smiled, and let out a long, deep breath.

Chen Mo and Su Yuqing walked side by side, their faces relaxed, the weight finally lifted from their shoulders.

"How do you feel?" Chen Mo asked, turning his head toward her, his voice as gentle as always.

"Okay. I did my best." Su Yuqing took a deep breath, reveling in the exhilarating feeling of survival. She turned to Chen Mo, her eyes shining brightly. "It’s over."

"Yeah, it’s over." Chen Mo looked back at her, a smile blooming in the depths of his eyes.

A surging crowd surrounded them, many people excitedly discussing their vacation plans or how to fill out their university applications.

The clamor surrounded them, yet it seemed to form a pocket of silence just for the two of them.

They didn’t need to vent with loud shouts like everyone else. They just walked quietly side by side, enjoying the peacefulness that comes from crossing a major milestone together.

The two shared a faint smile. It held the tacit understanding of comrades who had fought side by side, but more than that, it held a mutual, unspoken anticipation—the college entrance exam was over, which meant their own "important moment" was drawing near.