"This bulldog is calmer than the husky. This husky is squirming, and it's a lot more difficult to bathe," Mu Ziyu said. He tried to help, but he found it difficult to control the husky's efforts to escape the bathroom.
Shuishui applied the dog shampoo on the dogs' coats. "It's very playful, but it's also very gentle. It simply hates taking a bath. It may also be afraid of hurting us. It will listen after you scold it for a few times."
Ziyu looked at Shuishui. "Was France fun?" Ziyu felt like nothing had changed in Shuishui.
Shuishui didn't send Ziyu any photos, but Qian Anzhi did. He sent Ziyu many of photos of him and Shuishui walking together.
It was cold in the capital, and Ziyu noticed that Shuishui was wearing a thin layer of clothes. She really didn't know how to take care of herself.
"Why didn't you wear warm clothes? You only have a coat on."
His heart ached as he looked at Shuishui. "Although this winter is not as cold as the previous ones, you can't wear so little. Go and wear a thicker coat," he said.
Shuishui looked at the clothes she was wearing. "I think it's all right. I have a warm coat, a woolen sweater, and a thin down coat," she answered.
She didn't think that she was wearing too little. Besides, she didn't feel cold, so she didn't plan to wear too many layers.
"Don't worry, I'll definitely put on a thicker coat when I feel cold." She rinsed the bubbles off the dogs' bodies and wrapped them in bath towels. "Can you please blow-dry them?" she asked Ziyu.
Because it was winter, she would definitely be cold if she went out wet.
Although the heater was turned on, the cold weather could be felt throughout the house.
It was quite a troublesome chore, but since Shuishui had agreed to buy the dogs, she was also responsible for taking care of them. She couldn't just ignore them. Also, she had gotten very fond of them and found them very adorable.
After spending more than an hour cleaning them up, she put down the two pets and let them move around the house freely. Qian Anzhi was also prepared to take them out for a walk. "I'm leaving. I'll be back later," he said.
Qian Shuishui waved her hand. "Go. Be careful. Remember to hold on to their leash so they don't run off. Be careful not to hurt others."
"I know. I'm leaving," he said as he grabbed the leash and brought the dogs with him.
Mu Ziyu put his arm around Shuishui's shoulder. "Rest for a while. I'll make a cup of tea."
"I'll do it. How could I let you do it?" Shuishui did not feel tired. She walked towards the kitchen while Mu Ziyu followed her.
Shuishui carried out her tea set. Mu Ziyu followed her and said, "The fragrance of flower tea."
"Why are you so poetic all of a sudden?" Shuishui asked.
"Because I haven't seen you for several days. I miss everything about you." He lowered his head and placed his chin on Shuishui's head.
Shuishui moved a few times and said, "Ziyu, take a look at my present first."
She took out a bag and said, "Look inside. There's something inside for Uncle and Auntie. This is for Zilin, and this is for you."
"Perfume?" Mu Ziyu picked it up and sniffed it. "Sea salt?"
"Yeah, I don't know why, but I think the smell suits you. I don't know if you will like it or not." She sprayed the perfume, and the fragrance filled the air. She looked at Mu Ziyu's expression and saw that the fragrance seemed to please him.
"Of course I like it. You gave it to me, so I'll use it every day." He planted a kiss on Shuishui's forehead. "I'm very happy."
Meanwhile, he opened a lunchbox and said, "Eat something to go with the tea. You should be hungry." Qian Anzhi had already eaten one of the boxes that he brought. They were all snacks. There were pan-fried pork buns and mandarin duck buns.
Shuishui felt very happy. "You really know what I like to eat."
"Of course. This is what a boyfriend should be doing. He should always try to make his girlfriend happy. He should also take care of her appetite." He rubbed Qian Shuishui's forehead. He thought about how the second semester was fast approaching. He knew that Shuishui would get busier. Zilin already had to start attending tutorial classes. He was free only once a week.
Shuishui blinked. "What are you thinking about?"
"I'm thinking about the fact that you will be busier in the near future. Maybe we will only have a few hours every week to see each other." Ziyu was very confident in Shuishui. Although Shuishui had not really assured him of their future together, he realized that she was really different from the rest. She had always been very vague and had never expressed her feelings out loud.
The winter vacation had just begun. For Shuishui, it was just the beginning of so many things she had planned to do.
Shuishui wanted to make good use of the winter vacation. During the second semester, their school implemented remedial classes and ensured that students would attend them. Their school was not considered a key school, but it had good learning strategies. All the teachers hoped that everyone could actively participate in the remedial classes. It was announced that the school will be conducting a regular exam to check if the students continued to study during the winter break. It was some sort of review exam, which aimed to gauge the students' learning progress.
Shuishui felt that it didn't matter because the exam questions were all about the same topic.
He Xiaoying pulled Shuishui along and said, "Shuishui, Newton's law is . . ."
He Xiaoying quickly asked more questions. She was eager to improve her grades. She had also attended tutorial classes for mathematics during the winter break.
Shuishui carefully explained what she knew to He Xiaoying. "Actually, those laws define all scientific principles. There will be quite a lot of multiple choice questions, so it shouldn't be too difficult."
"Shuishui, I heard that the teacher is going to make a chart using our current grades and our grades last semester to analyze our progress. If we had regressed too much, our teachers might think of another way to bring those grades back up." He Xiaoying had heard the news from the others.
He Xiaoying felt lucky that she had a straight-A student by her side. She could ask her all the questions she could think of, and that could bring her grades up.
Shuishui was cold and indifferent. "It's useless to cram before an exam. It's better to just do your best. Just focus on what you are good at. Focus on what will make your answers better and more accurate. Study on the important points. You don't have to worry too much. Relax because there are many people are like you. Many people become anxious during the winter break, especially when they're anticipating an exam."
"Shuishui, you have good grades, so it's natural for you to not worry about the exam. I really envy you, but you're right. There's no point in cramming." She wanted to ask for help from Shuishui, but she realized that she had to help herself. She had to focus on important points and make sure that she would be able to block out negative feelings during the exam.
Shuishui took out her water-based pen. "It's time to prepare for the exam."
They entered the exam hall. Shuishui was still as relaxed as before. Shuishui had glanced at the ranking board before she got to the hall. Her grades have been consistent, and she planned to maintain her standing. At the classroom, He Xiaoying came up to her again. "My ranking dropped a little. It's not too far though. I think it's still okay. Shuishui, have you made up for your lessons?"
"No." Shuishui was stunned.
"So you go home and study by yourself every day?" He Xiaoying had seen Qian Shuishui reading books, but they were extra-curricular books, not school textbooks. She felt that some people were just too lucky to be able to quickly understand things in a short amount of time.
Shuishui did not directly answer her question. "It's time to have lunch. Let's go," she said.
Time was passing by very slowly. Shuishui did not tell anyone that she was preparing to take the college entrance exam that year. Teacher Hu had arranged it since she had already taken the academic standard test and had submitted her report card. If she could pass the exam in one go, it would also save her time.
Although Teacher Hu mainly wanted her to take the exam just to experience it, she wanted to give it her all and hoped to pass the exam.
She studied every day and reviewed using different materials. Her teachers noticed that she was working extra hard, and they wondered why. She was already the top-ranking student, but she was still studying intensively. They compared her to the the other average students, who never studied even when they received low grades. They felt that Shuishui really was something else.
Shuishui's behavior inspired and motivated some of her classmates. They saw that she was very persistent. She basically studied every day.
The day of the college entrance exam was fast approaching. It was to be held in a different school. The first and second year students were on holiday since their classrooms were also used as exam venues.
Coincidentally, Shuishui was arranged to take the exam at Mu Zilin's school.
The night before the exam, she looked at her phone and wondered whether she should tell Mu Zilin. She opted not to tell him because she knew that if she did, he would share the news to his brother and parents as well.
Teacher Hu didn't accompany Shuishui because he was already quite old and weak. However, he asked his assistant to accompany Shuishui to the exam vanue. He made sure that someone would be there to offer support in his absence.
The National College Entrance Exam was held simultaneously. Qian Shuishui walked into the exam room with her admission card, identity card, two water-based pens, a pencil, and an eraser. After a full body check, she sat in her seat.
She waited quietly. She relieved herself of any pressure. She was quite confident, although she was a bit worried about the Chinese composition.
The proctor walked up to the podium to make a few announcements. "Today is the college entrance exam. I believe that everyone is nervous, but this is also something that you must experience. I must emphasize the following points. During the exam, you are not allowed to look at the people seated on your left and right sides. Plagiarism and cheating are very grave offenses. If you are caught cheating, you will have to bear legal consequences. Do not stain your record because of a momentary thought. The security cameras are all working, and they will record your every move. Do not even think about doing something foolish." When he finished speaking, he took out a few unopened test papers.
He then asked two students to check if the test paper was unopened. After checking, the students signed their names.
It was announced that the test papers may now be distributed, and the proctor handed out the papers to the test takers.
In the examination room, the sound of the papers scraping and rustling could be heard.
Shuishui was not pressured with the science test, especially since she had been studying the test questions for almost a semester. She was able to review the questions at a faster pace. She soon finished the test, and she spent the remaining time reviewing her answers. She didn't plan to hand in her paper ahead of time, so she quietly checked her answer to every question. She was determined to do her best.
The proctor walked around to check on the test takers. No one dared to make any small movements.
The two-day exam was very smooth for Shuishui. She was also very confident. For the Chinese composition test, she wrote a narrative. She used very basic words in her essay, and she felt that she had done her best.
After the college entrance exam, she returned to school attend her classes. When the results came out, she could decide whether to go or stay.
It all depended on how Shuishui fared during the exam. Not many people knew about it.
In a few days, the results were out. She didn't know how and where she could check if she passed. She asked Teacher Hu to help her in viewing the results.
Teacher Hu looked at the time. He felt very nervous.
He stayed at home that day. His eldest son wanted to take him out, but he refused.
Teacher Hu walked around with his walking stick. 'Why is time passing by so slowly?' he thought.
Ding dong.
Teacher Hu went to open the door and saw his eldest son, who brought his family with him. "Why are you all here?" he asked casually.
Hu Wei was carrying bags of supplements. "Dad, we are here to see you. Today, your granddaughter, Xiao Jie, will receive news of her results. She wanted to come and share them with you."
Teacher Hu was actually not very close to this granddaughter of his because she was the child of his son's wife from her first marriage. He was very dissatisfied with his daughter-in-law. He was frustrated that his son married someone who was already with child. After so many years, she had not given birth to another child. This made him dislike her even more, especially when he found out that his daughter-in-law has been discouraging his son to stay away from him.
He was old, and he had already thought things through. He wanted his other child to inherit the family business. The Hu family's business was huge, and he didn't want to entrust it to his eldest son. Basically, he did not want to help his eldest son. Besides, it was already too late for him to learn the tools of the trade. After all, when his eldest son chose to marry someone who was previously married, he had basically given up everything that he could have inherited from his father.
Teacher Hu looked at his daughter-in-law. She seemed to have aged a lot in just a few years. Although he had helped his eldest son, they were still having a hard time. He heard that it was because his daughter-in-law was very capricious and wanted to live extravagantly. Teacher Hu had already given up on helping them. They could do whatever they wanted to do. Besides, they were already adults. "Put those things aside. Take a seat first," he said to them.
"Dad, I came here to tell you some good news," his son said. He thought that his father's attitude towards his wife would change once he found out.
"Go ahead." Teacher Hu sat down. He was not looking forward to the news.
Hu Wei pulled his wife towards Teacher Hu. "Dad, Qingqing is pregnant. We went for a check-up. It's a son."
"Hmm." Teacher Hu was calm, so it was hard to interpret his emotions.
"Dad, Qingqing is already old. The baby she's carrying is my oldest son. Qingqing knows that her pregnancy will be risky, but she is doing what she can to keep the baby healthy." Hu Wei saw that his father was not smiling, and he became even more nervous. He used to have a good relationship with his father, but they grew distant when he insisted on marrying this wife. However, he never regretted it because he loved her.
Teacher Hu looked at Qingqing. "Then you take good care of yourself and give birth to the child."
Xiao Jie stood by the side awkwardly. She had been ignored by her grandfather from the day they first met. She knew that she and her grandfather were not related by blood. She found comfort in the fact that her stepfather was very good to her and accepted her. Why couldn't her grandfather accept her?
Finally, she thought of what her mother had said to her that morning. Her mother told her that she should build a good relationship with her grandfather. In the end, she was still his granddaughter. She mustered up her courage and said, "Grandfather, the results are out today. Grandfather, can you recommend a few schools for me?"
Teacher Hu stood up. Aided by his walking stick, he walked away. His attitude was slightly cold. "You should ask your mother. After all, I don't understand your situation, so I can't give you random recommendations."
It was only twelve o'clock. He unskillfully turned on his laptop. It was time to check if Shuishui had passed.