Chapter 3: Chen Lu, Could You Please Give Me the Key?

Qian Hong nodded in agreement upon hearing this. “That’s true. With your grades, if you study well, you can definitely get into a university.”

“As for me, I’m destined to be inseparable from the junior college,” Xu Ming replied, his tone tinged with self-mockery.

Entering the final year of high school, many were determined to study hard under various influences. He himself had once passionately declared, “Give me one year, and I’ll create a miracle in the college entrance exam.” But sadly, after only a few days of effort, he would relapse into daydreaming in class and a lethargic state during the day.

He was forced to make peace with himself.

Thus, he understood Xu Ming’s mindset very well. After a moment of silence, he suddenly thought of something and picked up the conversation again.

“I thought you and Zhang Yingxin were already together. Didn’t expect you’re still stuck in the same place. I think it’s good you’ve completely severed ties. Dating isn’t as fun as going to the internet café to play World of Warcraft.”

Xu Ming didn’t try to persuade Qian Hong upon hearing his calm acceptance of junior college; after all, studying was something one had to do on their own. But the last sentence nearly made him laugh.

Who could have guessed that his usually taciturn best friend, who rarely spoke to girls and claimed to go to the internet café weekly just to play games, was actually engaged in an online romance? Xu Ming himself had only learned this after the college entrance exam in a previous life.

“You’re right, dating is boring,” Xu Ming nodded, deliberately agreeing.

Soon after, the two finished their meal, washed their dishes at the water tap, used the restroom, and then returned directly to the classroom.

That night, there were three self-study sessions.

During this time, the homeroom teacher glanced in through the window only a few times, and since no teacher came to take over the class, the class monitor, Li Wenhui, sat at the front managing discipline.

This arrangement suited Xu Ming perfectly, allowing him to immerse himself fully in his own study rhythm.

He swapped his math textbook for the second volume of the first year’s curriculum.

As the minutes passed, his grasp of mathematical concepts steadily improved.

[After diligent study, your [Mathematics] skill has increased, gaining 3 experience points.]

[After…]

Soon it was 9:50 p.m., and the ordinary class’s evening study session ended.

“I’m heading back to the dorm first,” Qian Hong said, glancing at Xu Ming who was still studying, then packed up and left.

Before long, only a dozen or so students remained in the classroom.

Because the key classes on the west side and the repeating classes in another building ended their sessions twenty minutes later, some high-achieving students in the ordinary class also followed that schedule.

With little time left, Xu Ming made sure to use it fully.

The clock on the wall ticked steadily. As students gradually left, Xu Ming gathered his belongings and approached the middle seat in the front row, beside a girl with a simple ponytail.

Normally, just calling by name was enough.

But perhaps due to a different mood, when the words came out, they sounded unusually polite.

“Chen Lu, could you lend me the class key?”

“I’m pretty sure I’ll come early tomorrow.”

His tone was firm and his expression serious.

Apart from the copy in the homeroom teacher’s desk drawer, the only other class key was with her. To avoid being locked out when arriving early for morning self-study, it would be much more convenient to have the key in advance.

Chen Lu had spent the entire evening study session focused on solving problems.

Suddenly being called by name in the nearly empty classroom startled her.

“Huh?”

Her shoulders jolted as she looked up, a hint of suspicion flickering across her brow when she saw it was Xu Ming.

Though they hadn’t spoken much, she knew him well enough to recognize that while he rarely arrived late for early study sessions, he usually just barely made it on time.

If she actually gave out the class key, there would probably be a crowd lingering outside the hallway early tomorrow.

She was clear on this but felt awkward refusing, her words stumbling out.

“The key… um…”

Xu Ming studied Chen Lu carefully. In terms of looks, she was even more beautiful than Zhang Yingxin, with her high ponytail accentuating her youthful charm.

But her gentle personality meant she rarely interacted with classmates, so he didn’t know her well.

He did remember that she had been admitted to Yanjing University, breaking the ordinary class’s college entrance exam score record.

With grades like hers, she could have transferred to a key class, but supposedly she stayed in Science Class Three because she was related to the homeroom teacher. Unfortunately, in his past life, when he entered graduate school, she had already graduated, so they never overlapped at university.

Thinking quickly, seeing she still hadn’t given a clear answer, he prompted, “Is it not with you?”

“It’s with Yang Huijuan. She took it along with the dormitory key,” Chen Lu’s eyes brightened as she responded quickly, though her left hand secretly slipped back into her desk drawer, making her answer seem less confident.

“Alright then,” Xu Ming didn’t press further and started to leave.

Just as he reached the podium, Chen Lu called after him, “Wait, by the time you come in early tomorrow, the classroom door will definitely be open.”

He turned his head for a glance, sensing her expression now carried a trace more of apology compared to before.

His gaze lingered for a few seconds before he softly replied,

“Okay.”

Back at the boys’ dormitory building, Xu Ming carefully walked along the corridor, avoiding puddles on the floor.

Pushing open the dorm room door, the familiar arrangement came into view.

Seven double-deck iron beds were crammed inside like a large communal dormitory. The narrowest aisle was less than fifty centimeters wide. Even though it was still somewhat cold, the window had to remain open. Otherwise, the air would become unbearable.

Qian Hong was already tucked under his blanket, fiddling with the MP3 player he’d brought to school. Against the wall lay a copy of “Yi Lin” magazine.

Hearing the door open, he looked up and greeted Xu Ming.

“Just got back?”

Li Wenhui, the class monitor, chatted with a boy from the opposite bed near the dorm entrance.

“That math test this afternoon wasn’t hard. The teacher had covered many of the question types before. I wish the college entrance exam papers were that easy.”

“Well, I didn’t do well. I only managed to solve half the last big question.”

Xu Ming nodded at Qian Hong but ignored the idle chatter. He went straight to his bed, changed into slippers, and carried a basin to wash up.

By 10:20 p.m., lights out in the dormitory, he lay down to sleep.

...

The next morning.

He was the first to open his eyes, then smoothly sat up, free from any difficulty waking up.

It seemed his body had established a brand-new internal clock.

“Is this what discipline feels like?”

Silently marveling, he quickly dressed and quietly slipped out without disturbing his still-sleeping roommates.

Upon reaching the dormitory building’s entrance, he glanced at the clock on the wall—it was exactly 5:00 a.m., thirty minutes earlier than his usual high school wake-up time.

To finish reviewing all subjects quickly and improve his performance, sacrificing some sleep was necessary.

After all, there were only a hundred days left until the college entrance exam.