Chapter 21 Chapter 1

The military training for the first year of high school lasted for half a month. As soon as Qiao Zhenting finished his training, he hurried to find Qiao Bailu and asked for pocket money: "My classmates said that we are finally done with the military training and we want to go out and play. I can't be without a penny, right?"

"Where are we going to play?" Qiao Bailu frowned and asked, "If you want to go sing or something, you better get off work as soon as possible. You are not allowed to go!"

"No, isn't the school closed now? Even if I want to go, I can't. We still have to check the dormitories at night. We discussed going to the water park." In a small county town, there are only a limited number of places to go, and the water park is one of them.

"When are we going? How are we going? How many people are going with us? Are they all boys or girls?" Qiao Bailu asked a series of questions, and Qiao Zhenting was speechless: "Sister, I'm not a child anymore. I won't get into trouble. I promise. Isn't tomorrow Sunday? Let's go early in the morning and play for a whole day. The people going with us are all boys, about ten of them, most of them are from the same dormitory as us."

"Okay, go ahead." Qiao Bailu thought about it and realized that there was really no need to watch too closely, so she took out a hundred yuan note and handed it over: "Tell me when you come back. We won't go home this week, but next week. If you dare not listen, I'll beat you to death when you get home!"

Qiao Zhenting nodded hurriedly, took the money and ran away laughing. Qiao Bailu was about to turn around and go back to the classroom when she saw the class monitor coming over: "Qiao Bailu, there's a letter for you!"

Qiao Bailu hurried over and found that it was indeed a reply from the publishing house. This time the reply was a little slow. Qiao Bailu pinched the inside and found it was not thick, so it should not be a rejection. She returned to the classroom and opened it. After reading it, her eyes widened immediately.

It wasn't that she had a poor receptive capacity, but that the height of the leap was too high. The first two books had sold for a maximum of 10,000 yuan, and they had been bought out for several years. This time, not only was there no mention of a buyout, but the royalties were also far beyond her expectations - it was 15 yuan per thousand words, and the first print run was 5,000 copies.

Even in ten years, fifteen dollars per thousand words will be considered a very good market. And ten dollars now can be equivalent to thirty dollars ten years later.

Qiao Bailu calculated her word count, which was nearly one million. If the book sold well in the future, the price could be negotiated.

Qiao Bailu didn't need to think too much about this condition. All she had in mind was two words - agree, agree, agree. You must agree!

By the way, if 15 is 1,000 words, how much can one million words get? After calculating for a while, Qiao Bailu finally calmed down. She couldn't get too excited. If she got excited, her head would be a mess. She couldn't even solve such a simple arithmetic problem!

The contract came with the letter, and all the signatures had been signed. Qiao Bailu patted her face and finally calmed down. She read it carefully and made sure there were no unfavorable conditions before signing her name.

I sorted out the remaining manuscripts, went to the canteen to buy a large envelope, and mailed the manuscripts and the contract together. The next step was to wait. But when I returned to the classroom and opened the book, I couldn't concentrate. I was too excited and the words on the book seemed to be spinning.

After staying for a while, he simply closed the book and went to the next classroom. Xie Jiayuan was doing the test paper seriously, so Qiao Bailu didn't bother him and turned to find Wang Lin. Wang Lin was concentrating on reading a magazine. When Qiao Bailu took the book away, she came to her senses and asked, "Why are you here?"

"Can't I come over? I miss you, okay?" Qiao Bailu said with a smile. Seeing that there was no one next to Wang Lin, she sat down and pinched Wang Lin's round cheeks: "Today is Saturday, tomorrow is Sunday, shall I treat you to a big meal?"

"Tell me, what good thing happened to you? Did you pick up a gold ingot?" Wang Lin also smiled and stretched out his hand to pinch it back: "Or is it that the novel you mentioned last time is going to be published?"

"You guessed it right!" Qiao Bailu nodded with a smile, and Wang Lin was also surprised: "That's great, it would be a waste if you don't eat it. Hey, is it just the two of us, or am I just here by chance? Are you mainly here to find Xie Jiayuan?"

"No, you are my best friend, so I have to invite you." Qiao Bailu said with a smile, and Wang Lin suddenly realized: "He is not your best friend, but your...boyfriend!"

"Nonsense, I'll tickle you to death!" Qiao Bailu's face flushed slightly, and she stretched out her hand to tickle Wang Lin. The two of them were making a mess. Xie Jiayuan in front was doing the test paper seriously and didn't notice it at all. But another girl next to them frowned and looked at them, very dissatisfied. But today was Saturday and there was no evening self-study. Everyone studied in the classroom on their own initiative, and it didn't matter if they didn't study, so she glared at them for a long time, but didn't say anything in the end, just snorted.

Qiao Bailu felt a little embarrassed, so she reached out and pulled Wang Lin up: "Come on, let's talk outside."

Wang Lin nodded, closed the book, and followed Qiao Bailu out. When they were outside the classroom, she said unhappily, "That's Zhang Qiqi I told you about last time. I tell you, you better be careful and keep an eye on Xie Jiayuan. That Zhang Qiqi is shameless and always pesters Xie Jiayuan. I think she is interested in Xie Jiayuan, but you didn't see it. When you came to find Xie Jiayuan, she threw books and smashed the table. It was so ugly."

"Ah, she likes Xie Jiayuan?" Qiao Bailu's eyes widened, and Wang Lin wrinkled his nose: "Didn't I tell you before?"

"You just said that Zhang Qiqi likes to ask Xie Jiayuan questions, asking for advice on study." Qiao Bailu reached out and touched her nose. Xie Jiayuan is a good student, the first in the grade, so it is normal for someone to ask for advice on study, right? Especially this Zhang Qiqi, who is quite famous and ranked in the top 50 in the grade. Such a good student should love to study, right?

Then isn't it normal for her to ask the top student in the grade? After all, apart from Xie Jiayuan, there are few students in Class 3 who are worse than Zhang Qiqi herself. She can't ask questions to someone who is not as good as herself, right?

"You are stupid!" Wang Lin was very disappointed: "She didn't even ask the teacher, but only pestered Xie Jiayuan. If she doesn't like Xie Jiayuan, what else can she do? Besides, who said that there is no one better than Zhang Qiqi in Class 3? She is only ranked fifth or sixth in the class. Besides Xie Jiayuan, there are still second, third and fourth students ahead of her."

"That's not something I can tell you..." Qiao Bailu hesitated, and Wang Lin patted her hard: "I'm your best friend, how can I lie to you about this? If you don't believe me, ask Yang Na and the others to see if what I said is right."

Although Qiao Bailu moved to a new dormitory, she still had a good relationship with Yang Na and the others. Qiao Bailu hesitated for a moment: "Okay, I'll ask Xie Jiayuan later."

"Don't do that. Xie Jiayuan is quite cold towards Zhang Qiqi now. Apart from discussing the questions, there is no other communication between them. It is obvious that he hasn't noticed anything wrong yet. If you go and tell him, it might remind Xie Jiayuan. Don't forget how you got together with Xie Jiayuan in the first place."

Wang Lin said hurriedly, and Qiao Bailu hesitated even more. There was no question of who was pursuing whom between her and Xie Jiayuan, because they were deskmates at the beginning, and later they were desks in front and behind each other. Whenever she had any questions, she would ask Xie Jiayuan for help.

Gradually, the class started to talk about the two of them getting together as a joke, and after a while, Xie Jiayuan acquiesced. Later, they said they would be together in college. But she had no idea whether Xie Jiayuan liked her or not. Even if he liked her, how much did he like her?

Is it because you were teased by your classmates that you gradually became ambiguous with each other, and you find it troublesome and don’t want to explain it, or do you really like her a little bit?

If Zhang Qiqi uses the same method as her, will Xie Jiayuan be tempted?

"Then what should I do?" Qiao Bailu asked Wang Lin in confusion. To be honest, even if she had been in love in her previous life, she didn't have much experience. Her first love was Xie Jiayuan, but she broke up with him because they were in different places. The next time she fell in love was with a college classmate, who pursued her, and she just enjoyed his attention. Then graduation meant breaking up, and they had no contact. Since then, she has been single, single until death.

What's more, Xie Jiayuan was different from other boys, so she wasn't sure what to do. It couldn't be like in the novels, where they either came over to be together every day, or bought him some small gifts, or knitted a scarf or something, right?

Neither she nor Xie Jiayuan are clingy people. Besides, they are divided into arts and science departments, so it is impossible for them to stick together every day. Can you buy gifts every day? Even if you have money, you can't be so willful. Let alone knitting scarves. Oh, by the way, maybe buy breakfast and send it to her every day?

Qiao Bailu rarely came up with a good idea, and hurriedly asked Wang Lin for advice. Wang Lin's cheeks twitched: "He's spoiled! As a boy, it's already unmanly for him not to prepare breakfast for you every day, and he also wants you to prepare breakfast for him every day!"

"Well, this matter is not gender-specific, right? Isn't it that whoever has more time can do it better?" Qiao Bailu said hurriedly, "Besides, I can't think of any other way. Do you have any other way? You can't just stand on the podium and shout that Xie Jiayuan's girlfriend is Qiao Bailu from the next class? Your head teacher will talk to you later."

"This method works for most people, but not for Zhang Qiqi. Zhang Qiqi didn't write a love letter or confess her feelings. She just asked questions." Wang Lin pouted: "This method is very clever. It's just a copy of yours. Come to think of it, I didn't expect you to be so smart back then."

Qiao Bailu rolled her eyes at her. In her previous life, she and Xie Jiayuan were in the same class and were closely watched. In addition, Zhang Qiqi was in another class, so she had never encountered such a thing. Now she was a little flustered. How should she deal with her love rival?

Chapter 22 Chapter 1

Although Wang Lin didn't even have a boyfriend, she gave Qiao Bailu a lot of ideas, but none of them were reliable. I don't know which novel she got them from. One moment she said to invite Zhang Qiqi out for a duel, and the next moment she said to have someone watch Xie Jiayuan and not give Zhang Qiqi any chance to contact him. Qiao Bailu rejected all of them.

By the way, after graduation, should I write a novel about house fighting? Who else but me can lead the trend?

Oh, no, I'm thinking about repelling my love rival now, don't go off topic. Blocking the barrage in her head, Qiao Bailu reached out and rubbed Wang Lin's face: "Forget it, don't give me any advice. I'll ask Xie Jiayuan directly about Zhang Qiqi's matter later. Although it may remind Xie Jiayuan, how should I put it? I think it's better for lovers to be honest. Otherwise, I'll be guessing here and making myself uneasy, and my academic performance will decline. It's not worth it."

No matter how many times she was reborn, Qiao Bailu always insisted on one thing - in love, no one should sacrifice their future for the other. For example, if one person was admitted to a good university, but gave up his own university to go to a second-rate school in order to follow another person, Qiao Bailu thought this behavior was stupid.

How can you be sure that you won't regret it? How can you guarantee that you won't feel resentful in the future? How can you think that giving up something like this can bring you a better life? How can you dare to think that such a sacrifice can bring more happiness to the other person?

Since you love each other, the two of you should get better and better. How does that saying go? A true friend can help you improve. Lovers are also a kind of friends.

"Forget it, you make your own decision. This is a matter between you two anyway, and I can't interfere." Wang Lin sighed helplessly, and then smiled slyly: "Hehe, you just said that it's between lovers. You finally admitted that you two are lovers?"

"Anyway, even if I don't admit it, you've already made up your mind. Why should I object?" Qiao Bailu shrugged indifferently. She knew everything she should know, and she didn't know what she shouldn't know. Wang Lin was her best friend, so why should she hide it?

"You're not honest with me!" Wang Lin snorted twice, leaned against the wall and sighed: "Bai Lu, I envy you so much. You study liberal arts, and you live so comfortably every day. I'm in science class every day, and I feel like a mouse that has fallen into a cat's nest. I'm extremely panic-stricken all day long, and I can't sleep at night. I'm terrified. When the teacher talks about exams, I want to crawl into the hole in the desk and never come out."

"If you change classes now..." After hesitating for a moment, Qiao Bailu said, "It should be in time to make up for the lessons later, right?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure my parents will never agree." Wang Lin smiled helplessly, and Qiao Bailu patted her shoulder with some sympathy: "In fact, the liberal arts class is not easy either. You see I'm quite comfortable, that's because I met a good thing today, so I gave myself a half-day off. In fact, I have to get up at 5:30 every morning, go to the classroom to recite at 6 o'clock, go back to the dormitory at 10 o'clock in the evening, and continue to recite until 11:30. Not to mention the class, if you don't listen, you will fall behind. Things like politics are not just about memorizing, but also about integrating them. Sometimes, for one test point, you have to connect the whole book together, which is also very difficult."

"Everyone has their own difficulties." Finally, Qiao Bailu concluded: "If you can't transfer to another class, you have to correct your attitude towards learning. It's because you think those things are scary that you don't want to learn. Suffering is like a spring. When you are strong, it is weak, and when you are weak, it is strong. You have to be more confident. Look at your weight, can't you hold down a spring?"

Wang Lin screamed, "How dare you say I'm fat? Look at my invincible scratching claws!"

Qiao Bailu laughed loudly, dodging as she continued, "You're not fat, you're just a little round. Wasn't fat considered beautiful in the Tang Dynasty? With your figure, you would definitely be a beauty in the Tang Dynasty! Come on, beauty, smile for me!"

Wang Lin became more and more annoyed: "You are getting more and more excited the more you talk. I will punish you today!"

"If you don't make me laugh, then I can laugh for you." Qiao Bailu said with a laugh. This joke from later generations was very funny when she thought about it now. Several people passing by couldn't help but burst out laughing when they heard it.

Qiao Bailu ran out while shouting to Wang Lin: "Hey, you're so fat, don't eat at night, just lose weight and save some money for me. Can we just drink porridge?"

"No! If I can't make you poor today, I won't be named Wang!" Wang Lin pinched her waist and shouted, chasing Qiao Bailu, scratching and hitting her, and the two of them got into a mess. When Xie Jiayuan came out of the classroom, the first thing he saw was Qiao Bailu, who was smiling with a rosy face, red lips and white teeth, and looked really good. Speaking of which, Qiao's father looked pretty average, so why are Qiao Bailu and Qiao Zhenting, brother and sister, so good-looking?

"Hey, Xie Jiayuan, have you finished the test paper?" Qiao Bailu looked up and saw Xie Jiayuan, and hurried over to ask. Xie Jiayuan nodded and raised his hand to pinch the leaves off Qiao Bailu's head: "Have you finished your homework today?"

"I finished it a long time ago. I even did an extra set of papers today. It's time to eat. I'll treat you. Do you want to go?" Qiao Bailu looked up at Xie Jiayuan with a smile: "Let's go? Wang Lin will go too. Let's call my brother. We've been in school for a week. It's time to go out and make up for it."

Xie Jiayuan thought about it and nodded: "Okay, I'll go back to the dormitory to change clothes and call your brother. You and Wang Lin will wait for me here?"

Qiao Bailu nodded immediately: "Okay, hurry up."

Xie Jiayuan responded and turned to walk towards the dormitory. Qiao Bailu watched him walk away with a smile, and was about to turn around and talk to Wang Lin when she saw Zhang Qiqi coming out of the classroom. When she saw her, she snorted disdainfully and walked away with her chin raised.

Qiao Bailu touched her nose. Well, she also felt that something was wrong. If she said that Zhang Qiqi's attitude was not against her, she would be blind. But she and she were not in the same class. Why? The only connection was Xie Jiayuan.

Hey, what should I do if my boyfriend has too many romantic partners? It doesn't seem right. Xie Jiayuan is handsome, good at studying, and although his family background is not particularly good, he is well-off. From the first year of high school to now, plus myself, there are only two romantic partners. Isn't it too little?

When you read novels, don’t the campus handsome boys have many secret admirers?

"What are you so proud of? You're so ugly!" Wang Lin scolded. Actually, Zhang Qiqi was pretty good-looking. After scolding, Wang Lin turned around and pinched Qiao Bailu: "Hurry up and try to get the first place in the grade. Then you and Xie Jiayuan will be a perfect match!"

Qiao Bailu slapped Wang Lin's hand away and pinched her ear: "It's a good idea, but do you think that you can get the first place in the grade just by taking the exam?"

"Didn't you say you were going to follow Xie Jiayuan's pace? You don't even have the confidence to get the first place in the grade, so how can you say that you can definitely get into the same university as Xie Jiayuan?" Wang Lin pouted: "Besides, if you don't work hard, it won't work. Didn't you say it before? Difficulties are like springs!"

“Okay, then I’ll try.” Qiao Bailu was silent for a while, then she clenched her fist and slammed it on her palm: “You’re right, if you don’t try, you’ll never succeed! Okay, then starting tonight, after we come back from dinner, I’ll study hard in the classroom and wait for the final exam. I must get first place. If I can’t…”

While Qiao Bailu was thinking, Wang Lin answered for her: "If you don't get first place in the exam, you will have to eat fat for a month! Gain ten pounds!"

There are policies and countermeasures. Although the school is completely closed, it cannot stop the enthusiasm of students to buy food outside. The food in the cafeteria is really too bad. As soon as school is over, everyone will try every possible way to buy food outside. As long as you are willing to spend money, there is a lot of fat meat.

"Okay!" Qiao Bailu gritted her teeth. She had experienced the pain of losing weight before, so she naturally understood what would happen if she gained ten pounds. However, for Xie Jiayuan, no, for her own future, she had to fight! If you don't try, you will never be able to do it.

When Xie Jiayuan brought Qiao Zhenting over, he saw Qiao Bailu with a serious face, and couldn't help but raised his eyebrows: "What's wrong?"

"I just swore that I must get first place in the grade in the final exam, otherwise I will have to gain ten pounds in a month. For the sake of my figure, I have to fight for it from today on." Qiao Bailu said briefly, and nodded to Wang Lin and Xie Jiayuan: "You are all witnesses. If I don't pass the exam, supervise me to eat fat."

Xie Jiayuan raised the corner of his mouth and smiled: "Okay, I'll remember it."

Qiao Zhenting was a little chattering: "Sister, are you crazy? Ten kilograms, do you know how much ten kilograms of fat is?"

"Shut up! If you keep talking, you'll eat the fat meat. It'll be hard for me as a sister. As a brother, shouldn't you protect me?" Qiao Bailu glared at him. Qiao Zhenting stretched out his hand and pulled on his mouth: "I won't say anything. I'll be a witness. If you don't get the first place in the grade, I'll supervise you to eat the fat meat."

After eating outside the school, Wang Lin left first. It was getting late and she had to go home quickly. Qiao Zhenting left next. He was in a hurry to go back to the dormitory to play poker with his roommates. Qiao Bailu and Xie Jiayuan were left. Qiao Bailu was about to follow Xie Jiayuan back to the classroom, but suddenly remembered Zhang Qiqi's matter and quickly grabbed her: "Wait, I have something to ask you."

Xie Jiayuan looked down at the hand holding his wrist, then pinched the claw in his palm: "What's the matter?"

"It's Zhang Qiqi from your class. Does she like you?" After hesitating for a while, Qiao Bailu asked directly. Xie Jiayuan shook his head: "I don't know, but if you don't like her, I will pay more attention to it in the future."

After a pause, he added: "Don't worry, my promise is only to you. As long as you are still here, I will never give it to a second person."

Chapter 23 Chapter 1

Until she returned to the dormitory, Qiao Bailu was a little confused - what Xie Jiayuan said before, was it a promise? That top student who had never said a word of love made a promise to her?

Ouch, Qiao Bailu stretched out her hand to cover her face, her face was too hot! What was her reaction after Xie Jiayuan said that just now? Wasn't it too rude at that time? Wasn't it inappropriate to respond? Wasn't it embarrassing? Oh my God, how did she get back to the dormitory just now?

"Qiao Bailu!" Just as she was looking stupidly, she heard someone calling out. When she looked up, she saw Cheng Zhenzhen standing at the door: "Why are you being stupid? I've been calling you for a long time!"

"Ah, I was thinking about something and didn't hear you. Why are you here?" Qiao Bailu got up quickly, and Cheng Zhenzhen came in with a smile: "I'm the only one left in our dormitory. I thought you might be the only one in your dormitory. I was worried that you would be scared, so I came to accompany you."

"Okay, I understand. Then we'll sleep in the same bed tonight. Have you washed up?" Qiao Bailu nodded helplessly and got up to make the bed: "Why didn't you go home? Didn't everyone in your dormitory leave?"

"I don't want to go back." Cheng Zhenzhen said with a smile, and then climbed onto the bed: "I've already washed, you haven't washed yet? Then you wash first, and I'll warm the bed for you."

Qiao Bailu nodded, went to get some water, and brought a thermos to soak her feet. Cheng Zhenzhen was quick. As soon as she sat down on the bed, Cheng Zhenzhen had already gotten into bed and reached out to poke her waist from behind: "Have you not visited Xie Jiayuan for a long time?"

"No, I went today. By the way, I went to your class this afternoon. Why weren't you in the classroom? Did you go out to play?" Qiao Bailu asked with her head tilted, and patted her finger down: "Don't poke it, it's itchy."

"I was washing clothes in the dormitory this afternoon." Cheng Zhenzhen pulled the quilt to her chin and blinked at Qiao Bailu: "But I haven't seen you go to see Xie Jiayuan for a while, and I thought you didn't have any contact with Xie Jiayuan anymore."

"How is that possible? Don't you always say that Xie Jiayuan is my boyfriend?" Qiao Bailu couldn't help laughing, and she had some guesses in her heart that Cheng Zhenzhen was probably here to tell her the news today. But of course, the biggest reason was that she was afraid to be alone. This girl has always been timid. When she lived in a dormitory before, she didn't dare to go to the toilet by herself in the middle of the night. Every time she had to wake someone up to accompany her. Qiao Bailu was also lucky enough to be called twice, but it wasn't a big deal, because she had to get up once in the middle of the night anyway.

"I was just joking before, I didn't expect you to take it seriously. What did you mean just now? Did you admit it?" Cheng Zhenzhen asked, pulling her hair. Qiao Bailu had to turn around: "Yes, yes, I admit it. Let go quickly, I'm done, go and pour the water."

Cheng Zhenzhen let go, and waited for Qiao Bailu to come back, turn off the lights and go to bed, before she whispered again: "Since Xie Jiayuan is your boyfriend, you have to keep an eye on him in the future. Xie Jiayuan is good at studying and looks good, but he is very popular. Many girls in our class like to ask Xie Jiayuan questions."

"Will Xie Jiayuan tell others about it?" Qiao Bailu asked with a smile. Cheng Zhenzhen thought about it carefully for a while: "It's not much. He always says that the teacher has talked about this and that you should go back and look carefully at the formula in the textbook in section x and x, and that's it?"

"Then should we explain the problem to Zhang Qiqi?" Qiao Bailu asked again. Instantly, she felt Cheng Zhenzhen's eyes widen beside her: "You know it?"

"I just found out this afternoon. I went to find Xie Jiayuan and she glared at me." Qiao Bailu said. Cheng Zhenzhen didn't say anything. After a while, she said, "I was sitting behind Xie Jiayuan. Sometimes I could hear him talking, and sometimes Xie Jiayuan would say he didn't know either. It seemed like he was no different from others."

"Well, I believe in Xie Jiayuan." Qiao Bailu smiled and stretched out her hand to pinch Cheng Zhenzhen's palm: "Don't worry, if Xie Jiayuan is so easily chased away by Zhang Qiqi, then there is no point for me to keep him. We are still young, and the most important thing is not to fall in love. If we can gain a relationship at the same time, it is naturally great, but if we can't have both, then studying is the most important thing. I know the priorities."

After a pause, she continued, "I'm young and have the capital. If I get into a good university in the future, am I still afraid of not having a man?"

Cheng Zhenzhen burst out laughing: "It's good that you think so, but I think you should be more serious. Love is not a joke. You can't just give up on it. You should go find Xie Jiayuan and declare your sovereignty. It's not that difficult."

"Hey, you don't know. I just swore that I would get first place in the grade in the next final exam. Otherwise, I would eat fatty meat for a month and gain ten pounds. So I'm afraid I don't have much time in the future. Even if I go to find Xie Jiayuan, I won't have time to talk about love. I need to study and study again."

Qiao Bailu felt a little melancholy, as she was the top student in the grade.

"What was your ranking in the last exam?" Cheng Zhenzhen exclaimed, and asked excitedly, "How much difference?"

"I took the final exam with you guys last time. I haven't taken the exam since I entered the liberal arts class." Qiao Bailu curled her lips and pinched her fingers: "I am confident, but confidence is not necessarily linked to strength. If I can't achieve it, I will be arrogant. For the sake of those ten kilograms, I have to study hard starting tomorrow."

"Then do your best. I believe in you~" Cheng Zhenzhen said with a smile and yawned, "It's getting late. Let's go to bed and get up early tomorrow morning. Go and memorize your lessons and try to get first place in the grade."

Qiao Bailu nodded silently, closed her eyes and went to sleep.

A person should be trustworthy, and this goal is also very beneficial to her, so when she opened her eyes the next day, Qiao Bailu forced herself into a high-pressure study state. She recited while walking, read while eating, and even mumbled a few formulas when going to the toilet. She got up early and came back late, and she was almost crazy.

She seldom went home on Saturdays and Sundays, and even if she did, she would only stay for one day and then rush back to continue studying. However, she did not ignore Xie Jiayuan, and whenever she had free time, she would take her books and go to Xie Jiayuan to study together.

Even if two people sit together without saying a word, they will not feel bored.

In a blink of an eye, the final exam is here. Qiao Bailu is very nervous, and Wang Lin makes a bet with a smile: "You have to be more careful, check carefully when answering the questions, and try to get first place, otherwise, you will lose ten kilograms of weight~"

Xie Jiayuan reached out and rubbed her hair: "Relax, don't be nervous, it doesn't matter if you really don't get first place, I will help you share some of the weight then."

Qiao Bailu was touched: “Really?”

"Well, but I have a physique that can't gain weight." Xie Jiayuan said lightly. Qiao Bailu felt a knife in her heart and fell to the ground. Why do all the men she has deep feelings for have a physique that can't gain weight? From her father to her brother, now there is Xie Jiayuan!

From now on, how can she have the face to gain weight in front of Xie Jiayuan?

Wang Lin laughed at the side and patted her shoulder: "Okay, it's time to go into the examination room soon, take care, I'll leave first."

As he said that, he shook his pencil case, waved his hand, and went directly to the examination room. Qiao Bailu took a deep breath, smiled and waved to Xie Jiayuan: "Then I will go too, you should go quickly too, and have dinner together after the exam."

The final exam is a large-scale event, and all grades in the second year of high school take it together. Before that, the first year of high school has finished its exams and has already had its vacation. They will also have their winter vacation after finishing their second year of high school exams. As for the third year of high school, they will probably have to wait until the end of the year.

Xie Jiayuan nodded and watched Qiao Bailu enter the examination room, then he carried his pencil case to his own examination room.

She was indeed very nervous at the beginning, but when she sat in the examination room, Qiao Bailu was suddenly not nervous anymore. She had to take the exam anyway, and no matter whether she had reviewed well or not, the teacher would not let her go out to read books, and there was no point in being nervous.

After the test, she didn't compare answers with others. She just flipped through the book to get a clear idea. In the next few exams, Qiao Bailu was calm. She wrote down what she knew and tried to think about what she didn't know. Fortunately, she had worked hard some time ago, and she still remembered 99% of the knowledge points.

As usual, the head teacher asked a few students to correct the test papers. Qiao Bailu really wanted to know her name on the list this time, so she stayed after the test. There were three liberal arts classes in the school, and they took turns correcting the papers. The class 2 corrected the class 8, the class 8 corrected the class 14, and the class 14 corrected the class 2.

After all the changes are made and the total score is calculated, they are then entered into the computer for sorting.

Qiao Bailu stared at the computer page nervously, but the head teacher was leisurely: "Bailu, what place can you get in the exam this time? Are you sure?"

Before Qiao Bailu could say anything, she saw the page with the rankings already arranged. The first one was clearly marked with the name Qiao Bailu. The head teacher was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, turned around and patted Qiao Bailu on the shoulder: "Good job! Bailu really did a good job, and you got a good ranking in this exam!"

Qiao Bailu also smiled, feeling relieved. This time she didn't have to gain ten pounds, which was really a cause for celebration. To sum up, this shows that learning is not that difficult. As long as you are willing to work hard and make efforts, no matter how much you put in, you will always get the corresponding rewards.

Even if you get first place, you can't be proud, because you worked hard this time, and others will work hard next time, so you need to work harder. It's not that easy to keep the first place crown... Just as I was thinking about it, I heard the head teacher continue to say: "Okay, it's all done, Bailu, you should go back quickly, go home early, remember to read, don't relax too much, and try to get first place in the next exam."

Qiao Bailu nodded with a smile, said goodbye to the teacher politely, and left the office and quickly went to Class 3. Xie Jiayuan did not participate in the marking, but stayed in the classroom waiting for him. Wang Lin also came this afternoon just to witness this moment with her own eyes.

Chapter 24 Chapter 1

High schools actually value grades very much, at least, in the eyes of serious students, grades are very important. Xie Jiayuan is a top student, Zhang Qiqi is also a top student, and now, Qiao Bailu has also won first place. Qiao Bailu felt that, oh, the title of first in grade is really useful, at least, Zhang Qiqi's sneer every time she saw her disappeared, and her chin would not be raised so high.

According to reliable intelligence, Zhang Qiqi has finally kept her distance from Xie Jiayuan.

Just for this, Qiao Bailu had to maintain her title of No. 1 in her grade. So, she studied even harder. Since the implementation of the full lockdown, Qiao Bailu rarely left the school. She spent the whole day in the cafeteria, dormitory, and classroom, so she naturally didn't know what was happening outside.

The romance novel she wrote before was called Twin Flowers. It was about two twin sisters whose father died in a car accident before they were born and their mother had a difficult labor. So, one was taken back to her grandmother's house in the countryside to be raised, and the other was taken away by her grandmother in the city.

The two sisters look the same, but they grew up in completely different environments. When they grow up, they have different personalities. However, by chance, they go to the same city and later fall in love with the same man.

If this kind of subject matter were to be released in later times, no one would watch it, it would be too melodramatic. But now, it feels like it came out of nowhere.

When Qiao Bailu locked herself up to study seriously, more than half a year after she signed the contract, when she almost forgot about it, this book suddenly became popular.

Not only outside, but even in school, people were reading it. It wasn't until Wang Lin asked with a wink that Qiao Bailu knew about it. She immediately shook her head decisively: "It's definitely not the one I wrote. I'm not that famous."

Although she did not hide the fact that she was writing novels from her good friend, she did not reveal a single word about what she was writing or what her pen name was. She was still a student and lived in the school. If there was anything wrong, almost everyone in the school would know about it. She did not want to be discussed behind her back.

Wang Lin was a little confused: "Really?"

"Of course it's true. If I really wrote it, I would have immediately gone to the principal to apply for extra points in the college entrance examination." Qiao Bailu nodded vigorously, as sincere as she could be: "Besides, don't you think this novel is sticky? I can't write something like this."

Although Wang Lin still had some doubts, she was not so sure. After all, Qiao Bailu was a careless person. How could she write such a delicate novel? If she really wrote it, wouldn't she be so proud?

"Well, even if it's not written by you, when are you going to write a famous book like this?" Wang Lin reluctantly let go of the matter and turned around to ask, "I've been waiting for your masterpiece."

"Don't worry. In a few days, the second year of high school will be over, and in another year, it will be the college entrance examination. When the college entrance examination is over, I will definitely write a romance novel. Just wait patiently. When it is published in the future, I will definitely give you ten or eight copies."

Qiao Bailu immediately patted her chest and agreed, then raised her eyebrows and said, "You should study hard too, and stop thinking about reading novels. You're almost in your third year of high school. Don't you really plan to get into a good university? Don't you want to be with me in the future?"

As he spoke, he made a complaining face. Wang Lin immediately vomited: "Stop talking like that. If your Xie Jiayuan heard it, he might punish me behind my back. Please forgive me."

Qiao Bailu raised her eyebrows: "I'm serious, you're already in your third year of high school, and you still don't have a plan?"

Wang Lin moved his mouth and sighed: "I am now desperate..."

"This is not like the Wang Lin I know. The Wang Lin I know is enthusiastic, cheerful, energetic, and loves life. How can she easily say the word despair? Besides, you haven't even tried it, so how do you know you can't do it?"

Qiao Bailu spoke earnestly, but Wang Lin waved her hand: "Don't say anymore, I know all this, there will be no results if you don't work hard, there will be no future if you can't get into a good university, and if you don't work hard when you are young, you will regret it when you are old. My ears are almost callused. I understand all these truths, but I can't control myself. I feel dizzy when I read, and I want to sleep when I do papers. Sometimes I feel that life is too difficult..."

Qiao Bailu hit her hard: "Say it again?"

Wang Lin quickly smiled and said, "No, I don't have that idea. Don't worry, I'm afraid of pain, I won't do anything stupid, don't worry. Besides, there are so many delicious foods, so many fun things, and so many good novels in this world, how can I bear to throw these things away? I'm just saying, you really don't have to worry."

"It's good that you know." Qiao Bailu rolled her eyes at her unhappily: "Okay, I won't ask you to go to the same school as me. Let me put it this way. With your personality, it's not bad to be a teacher. There are winter and summer vacations, so why don't you apply to a normal university?"

"First-tier or second-tier?" Wang Lin hesitated for a moment, and was somewhat tempted. Qiao Bailu said with a smile, "Both. It depends on your grades. But even if it's a second-tier university, you have to study hard. Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing if you can't even get into a second-tier university."

"Then I'll try." Wang Lin pursed her lips and finally nodded. With a goal in mind, her previous laziness disappeared. She chatted with Qiao Bailu for a few more words and then hurried back to the classroom.

Qiao Bailu also turned back. As soon as she entered the classroom, the monitor shook the envelope in her hand: "I went to the office just now and found your letter. I brought it here."

Since entering the second year of high school, letters and other things have to go to the office first. Generally speaking, teachers will not open them, but there are exceptions. If the teacher finds that the source of the letter is not right, he will open it.

Don't talk about human rights and privacy. If you call the parents, they will nod and agree. High school students at this time are not as difficult to manage as they are in later generations.

Qiao Bailu took it and saw that the envelope was still sealed, so she knew that the teacher hadn't read it. The envelope looked familiar, and after opening it, she suddenly remembered that the publishing house seemed to have used such envelopes before, like kraft paper, very high-end.

After reading it, Qiao Bailu couldn't help laughing. It was indeed about reprinting. Moreover, this publishing house was really kind. Before Qiao Bailu could bring it up, they said they wanted to increase the royalties. Compared with the last time, it was increased by 15%, which was still quite impressive.

To be honest, Qiao Bailu still feels a little bit unreal. She has never seen such a kind publisher. Other publishers would try to lower the price, but they showed a sincere attitude from the beginning. Qiao Bailu even thinks that she can choose this publisher in the future. After all, they are all romance novels. No matter what the subject matter is, isn't it about a man and a woman falling in love?

I signed the contract happily and waited for Saturday to come. It was another sum of money. After the college entrance examination, I would buy a computer first!

I happily calculated the amount in my personal wallet and prepared a shopping list in my mind. I pressed the corners of my mouth with my fingers to suppress the smile. Don't worry, don't rush. Wait another year and I can do whatever I want.

These things were like small waves, which rose up and were suppressed soon after. Qiao Bailu's whole mind was focused on the college entrance examination a year later. The days passed one by one, and every year was almost exactly the same.

I get up at 5am, go to the classroom at 5:30am, and recite books for two hours: English, Chinese, politics, history, geography, random matching, one hour for each course. I go to eat at 7:30am, and go to the classroom at 8am.

After lunch at 12:30 noon, I went to Class 3 to find Xie Jiayuan, did math problems for an hour and a half, and then went back to the classroom to take a nap for half an hour.

After school and lunch at six in the afternoon, I would go for a half-hour walk on the playground with Xie Jiayuan. Sometimes we would talk about interesting things, and sometimes we would ask each other a few questions in English and Chinese. Now, almost the whole grade knows about their affairs.

The classmates at most made a few jokes, but the teachers, probably because they saw that their grades not only did not decline, but also maintained a good level, did not ask any questions. Of course, this kind of behavior is not worth encouraging, so they cannot be role models.

However, when we catch a typical case of premature love, we will still pull them both out for a walk.

In the blink of an eye, it was the third year of high school, and all their holidays were compressed. In the first year of high school, there were two days of vacation per week. In the second year of high school, there were only two days every two weeks. In the third year of high school, there was only one day every two weeks.

Moreover, the winter vacation only lasted one week, while the summer vacation was longer, seven days. The management was also stricter, and the classes in the morning and afternoon ended half an hour later than those in the first and second grades. In the words of the teacher, this was to save time in queuing, and after half an hour, only the third graders were left to buy food.

Many students joked that the senior year was like being in prison. Especially in the second half of the year, the students began to polarize. Some wanted to live in the classroom and study until midnight every night. Some did not even come to class, and their papers were always clean.

Qiao Bailu belongs to the former. The more critical the moment, the more she dare not relax. After three years of hard work, success or failure depends on the remaining few months. She will never allow herself to make any mistakes.

Of course, she will not neglect her body, and even spend half an hour in the morning to run. Only with a healthy body can we prevent various physical accidents. Of course, you can also recite while running.

Chapter 25 Chapter 1

Before going to bed at night, Qiao Bailu checked her pencil case again - sharpened pencils, long erasers, two gel pens, two refills. She tried them all and could write smoothly. Although she didn't need the compass for the time being, she still put it in just in case. She put her ID card in front, and she would go to the teacher to get the admission certificate tomorrow. She also adjusted the time on her watch.

The lights were turned off on time. Qiao Bailu took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and emptied her mind. She didn't think about anything, let alone memorize the lessons. The dormitory was also very quiet. No one said anything. Everyone was silent.

At six o'clock, the alarm clock rang. All the alarm clocks in the dormitory were set to the same time, and the sound was deafening. Qiao Bailu was not a deep sleeper to begin with, and she woke up instantly. She sat up abruptly, turned off the alarm clock, and got dressed to get up.

Those who got up woke up those who didn't. The water for washing faces was fetched last night, fearing that there would be too many people today and they would have to queue up. After washing, they went to the cafeteria to eat together. Today was the first day of the college entrance examination. The first and second graders had already had their holidays, and only the third graders were left in the whole school.

There are only two examination centers in their county, and some of them were assigned to No. 2 Middle School. Qiao Bailu was lucky enough to stay in No. 1 Middle School. She had visited the classroom yesterday and could go there directly later. The canteen provided free meals these days, and they were all carefully prepared nutritious meals with a combination of meat and vegetables.

As soon as Qiao Bailu entered the cafeteria, she saw several head teachers standing together. Their head teacher was among them, and waved at them: "Come here, I'll send you the transfer certificates now. Pack them up and don't lose them. Don't eat too much later, but don't be hungry either. If you eat too much, it will delay going to the toilet. If you don't eat enough, you will easily feel anxious. Just drink a few sips of soup, don't drink too much. Have you prepared everything?"

Qiao Bailu nodded quickly: "Teacher, don't worry, I'm ready. After the exam, do you still need to hand in the admission ticket?"

"No need to hand it in, just keep it." The head teacher shook his head and said, "But you have to take it with you. There is no backup of this thing. If you lose it, you can't take the college entrance examination. Be careful and don't leave it lying around. Just keep it with you, okay?"

Everyone responded in unison, and the head teacher nodded: "You have to hand in your papers after the exam this afternoon. When you come out of the exam room this afternoon, remember to gather here. You can't eat outside these two days. It's better to be safe than sorry. The food in the cafeteria is not particularly delicious, but it has improved in the past two days. You just have to make do with it. You've been eating it for two or three years, and at least you won't get diarrhea. The water bottles you bring into the exam room must be placed on the ground, remember? If you soak the papers, it will be a waste of time. The worst thing is that there will be no remedial papers by then. This is not our normal exam."

In fact, the head teacher had already explained these things many times the day before yesterday. Those who value the college entrance examination naturally remember them very clearly. Even those who do not value the college entrance examination can also repeat the key points.

The head teacher gave a few more instructions, and seeing that it was getting late, it was already seven o'clock, so he let them go to eat. If someone else came in, the head teacher had to repeat what he had said before. Only when everyone hurried to find the examination room could the head teacher sit in the cafeteria for a while.

After the test paper was handed out, Qiao Bailu first glanced through it roughly to get a clear idea of what was going on before she started to answer the questions. After she finished all the questions, she wrote down the answers to the ones she didn't know, checked them twice, and made sure there were no problems before she took out her eraser.

I bought a special extra-large eraser, which is off-white and is perfect for copying answers. This is used when estimating scores. The eraser is not big, so you have to write very small words. After writing, put it in the pencil case.

I didn't check answers with others at noon. I had lunch, put my pencil case under my pillow, and slept for half an hour. I got up and checked my pencil case again. If I had nothing to do, I would flip through my textbooks. Anyway, I never had too many.

In two consecutive days, she had accumulated four erasers. Qiao Bailu was very lucky that she had not encountered a classmate who gave her laxatives, nor a roommate who stole her admission ticket. She was grateful for this innocent era, and for not being polluted.

"Even if you are free in the future, go back and pack your things, move out of school tomorrow, and come back the day after tomorrow to estimate your scores. When you fill in your application form, make sure you remember the wrong time, okay?"

The head teacher said loudly, making sure everyone heard it, and then let them go. At this time, the college entrance examination still needs to estimate the scores before filling in the application form. Fortunately, she copied down all the answers, so there will be no big problems with the estimated scores.

Of course, compared with science, the estimated scores for liberal arts are still somewhat watered down. After all, science only requires one answer, while for liberal arts, even if the key points are close, the score is given at discretion, and at this time it depends on your ability to summarize.

Qiao Bailu went back to the dormitory and sorted out her things for a long time, then turned around and went out to find Xie Jiayuan. Xie Jiayuan looked fine, and it seemed that he had performed very well. When he walked out of the dormitory building, he smiled very gently: "Have you finished sorting your things?"

"Well, they are all books and other things. I will pack my bedding tomorrow. My dad will come to help me move things tomorrow. What about your things? How are you going to get them back?" Qiao Jianjun's construction team has been working very hard in the past two years. He has almost taken over all the business in the town. With the help of a villager who works in the Cultural Bureau, he has also developed in the county. Last month, he bought a new van, which is very convenient for transporting goods.

"I'll rent a car to transport it back." Xie Jiayuan said with a smile, and reached out to pinch Qiao Bailu's cheek. Qiao Bailu's eyes widened. In the past, even if they held hands, it was when there was no one around. The most outrageous thing Xie Jiayuan had ever done was to hug her.

How should I put it? This face-pinching action has happened before, but I can count the number on one hand. Moreover, it was done in private when no one was around. But now it happened in front of the dormitory building, with people coming and going, in public!

Before Qiao Bailu could say anything, she heard a whistle, followed by Li Jie's annoying voice: "Hey, we're finally graduated. Boss Xie can't hold back any longer and finally took action!"

Xie Jiayuan turned his head and glanced at Li Jie, who quickly scratched his mouth: "Well, I'll shut up, you guys continue."

He said something tactful, but with a smile on his face, he stood aside without moving a step, waiting to see what would happen. Xie Jiayuan glared at him unhappily: "Aren't you going to help Wang Fang pack her things? Those books are very heavy, and she plans to go home today."

Li Jie's face changed, he lowered his eyes and said nothing, and after a long while he sighed: "Forget it, I don't have your blessing, well, I have something else to do, I'll leave first, shall we go out to play tonight?"

Xie Jiayuan nodded: "Okay, let's discuss it when we get back."

After Li Jie left, Qiao Bailu asked with a puzzled look on her face: "Did he break up with Wang Fang?"

Unlike Xie Jiayuan and Qiao Bailu, Li Jie and Wang Fang were different. Li Jie wrote several love letters to win her over. They had a good relationship and were in the same class, but they had never been heard of quarreling.

Xie Jiayuan shook his head: "Not yet, but it will probably be soon."

"Ah?" Qiao Bailu was surprised. Xie Jiayuan reached out and rubbed her hair, pulling her forward. "Li Jie is a little smart. He studied hard for a few months before the exam. He should be able to get into a second-tier university. But Wang Fang is in a bit of a dilemma. I'm afraid the two of them won't be able to go to the same school."

As he spoke, Xie Jiayuan turned to look at Qiao Bailu with an inexplicable look in his eyes: "What do you think of your test paper?"

The college entrance examination is over. This question must be about the college entrance examination. Qiao Bailu nodded with a smile: "I feel good about myself. Even if I can't get into Q University, I can still choose other schools in B City."

So, you don't have to worry that we will break up just because we are not in the same school.

Xie Jiayuan breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile appeared on his face again: "I said before that I would give you an explanation after the college entrance examination. Now I can tell you."

The two of them just walked to the entrance of the playground. The college entrance examination was over, and everyone had either gone home or was packing up in the dormitory. There was no one on the playground, and it was very quiet. Being stared at by Xie Jiayuan with a focused look, Qiao Bailu felt a little uncomfortable. She pinched her clothes with one hand and asked nervously, "What do you want to tell me?"

"About the future, our future." Xie Jiayuan smiled, stretched out his hand and held her other hand in his palm, and said solemnly: "From now on, I will be your boyfriend, and you will be my girlfriend. We will get married in the future. I will give you a happy and worry-free future. Are you willing to start a family with me?"

Qiao Bailu felt like her heart was about to jump out of her mouth. This was the first time in two lifetimes that she had heard this young man confess his love. Suddenly, her nose felt a little sour and her eyes felt a little uncomfortable.

Xie Jiayuan wiped her tears in a panic: "What's wrong? Did you not do well in the college entrance examination? It doesn't matter. Even if you can't even get into a second-tier university, I won't despise you. At most, we can go to a junior college? There must be junior colleges in B City. I will check which school is better for you when I go back."

The boy looked very cute when he was nervous. Qiao Bailu couldn't help but burst out laughing. Xie Jiayuan was a little stunned: "Are you happy or sad?"

"I'm crying with joy!" Qiao Bailu rubbed her eyes and muttered in a low voice: "I waited for three years for your confession. Tell me, should I cry with joy?"

After a moment of silence, the young man raised his hand and hugged the girl into his arms, his face slightly red. "I'm sorry for making you wait for so long. From now on, I will never make you wait again. I will treat you well for the rest of my life and will never give you the chance to cry again."