Shen Zhifei has already sprinted forward at top speed, but what about him?
He needs to work harder.
The day before Lunar New Year's Eve, Song Lang received a package containing a complete set of the latest edition of the "Five-Year College Entrance Examination, Three-Year Simulation" textbook.
It was the New Year's gift that Shen Zhifei had mentioned to him on New Year's Eve last year.
I thought it was a joke, but he actually sent it.
"Hold--"
Song Lang laughed and scolded as he carried the thick stack of books back, flipping through them one by one, but found no notes or letters hidden inside.
On the contrary, two names were neatly written on the title page of each book.
Song Lang, Shen Zhifei.
"Damn it, couldn't you have written a few more words?"
Song Lang stared at the vigorous and powerful handwriting for a long time, until his eyes ached, before he lowered his head and took a deep breath of the ink scent that was no longer there.
I miss him so much.
The longing he had suppressed for so long now swelled up and filled his chest, making his heart feel like it was about to explode.
He tilted his head back before the tears fell, not wanting to tarnish Shen Zhifei's name.
He began to regret saying "cut ties cleanly" and refusing the new phone.
That way, he could secretly video chat with Shen Zhifei. Even if he couldn't see him, just hearing his voice would be enough.
Song Lang felt inexplicably irritable, wondering how long this ascetic lifestyle would last.
Why is it so difficult for him and Shen Zhifei to fall in love?
He opened the drawer, and there was the fountain pen that Shen Zhifei had given him, which he had never dared to use.
Song Lang took it out and examined it closely under the desk lamp for a long time. Then he removed the cap and tried to write a few words, only to find that the ink was already gone.
He sighed, and as he was about to put the pen cap back, a thin corner of paper peeked out.
Song Lang took it out; the edges of the paper were curled up terribly, and there were even some minor tears. It was clear that it had been hidden inside the pen cap for a long time.
He softened the pressure on his hands.
He slowly opened it, and the handwriting was just as smooth and flowing as the one he had just read, but the strokes conveyed the tenderness of bygone days.
I'll be waiting for you in the future.
—Written by Shen Zhifei on New Year's Eve, 2019
Chapter 60
The time was last year's Lunar New Year's Eve.
At that time, their affair had not yet been exposed, and they were still secretly in love.
Song Lang had no idea what Shen Zhifei was feeling when she wrote those words on that night when fireworks were in full bloom.
Perhaps it was more of anxieties, after all, he was impulsive and cowardly at that time, and had no long-term plans for the future, which is why Shen Zhifei kept telling him, "Don't give up on me" and "Don't forget me."
Understanding Shen Zhifei's state of mind, Song Lang looked at it for a long time before carefully sealing it back into the pen cap and putting it back in the drawer along with the starry night.
He had to run to Shen Zhifei as fast as he could. After being separated for so long, that brat was probably hiding under the covers every day, crying and calling out "brother" softly.
We need to make him cry less often; those beautiful, captivating eyes are better suited to a smile.
In the first monthly exam after the New Year, Song Lang broke into the top 40 in his class for the first time. Although he was still a long way from Shen Zhifei, he had made rapid progress compared to before.
When Shen Lingyu heard the result, Shen Zhifei was also beside her. He paused slightly while packing his luggage, but then resumed his normal routine.
After hanging up the phone, Shen Lingyu sighed softly. She should have been happy about her eldest son's rapid academic progress, but now she only felt heartbroken.
She held Shen Zhifei's hand and said, "Rest for a while. Do you really have to leave so early? It's only the New Year. You can rest at home more during this time."
"It's already arranged. I want to go there to learn from their experience as soon as possible so I can start sooner."
Shen Zhifei smiled. After signing the admission agreement, he actively contacted his seniors. He had a very clear plan for his future path.
"Then I'll take you to school. I won't feel at ease until I've made sure you're settled in," Shen Lingyu relented.
"Okay, thank you, Mom." Shen Zhifei took out a stack of notebooks from his desk drawer and handed them to Shen Lingyu. "These are the key points for each subject that I've compiled. Give them to him when you go to see him; they might be helpful."
Shen Lingyu casually flipped through those notebooks. Each page was meticulously marked with easily mistaken and easily confused knowledge points in various colored pens. Her nose tingled as she read it. "...Okay."
However, by the time Song Lang received these notes, it was already July, during summer vacation.
He had just finished sweating it out on the basketball court in his neighborhood and was planning to go home, take a shower, and continue doing his test papers when he felt something strange behind him. His instincts preceded his consciousness, and he ducked to avoid a punch from someone coming at him. As he twisted his body to kick, he saw a familiar, wicked face.
"Oh my, Brother Song, you're too fierce! Don't kick me, don't kick me!" Song Xianji took three steps back and raised his hands in surrender.
Song Lang steadied himself and exclaimed in surprise, "It's you? Why are you here?"
Song Xianji chuckled and said in a flippant tone, "I'm here to give you a wedding invitation. I'm going to be inseparable from Feifei, so I'm treating you, my older brother, to drinks."
Song Lang's lips twitched, and he cracked his knuckles: "I'll give you one more chance."