Because she was worried that Luo Qianqian would be retaliated against by that scumbag Han Yayu, Qin Nuan had also been staying at the Luo family’s house these past few days, in the room next to Luo Qianqian’s.
Normally, she kept Luo Qianqian company by doing practice problems and reading books together; their days were relatively relaxed. When there was nothing else to do, she even painted two pictures and wrote a few songs.
Suddenly, June arrived, and Luo Qianqian needed to go back early to prepare. Qin Nuan, not feeling reassured, followed along. And so, with Hu Si carrying a suitcase full of equipment, the two girls embarked on their journey away from the Capital City.
On the airplane, Luo Qianqian wasn’t the least bit nervous; instead, there was a sense of relief, "What do you think, which school should I go to?"
"The way you talk, it’s as if you can choose any school you like. Even if you get accepted, you won’t go. Just attend our school; I can even share my notes with you," Qin Nuan said while drinking juice and looking at the blue sky outside the plane window. "What if the plane crashes right now, who would be the last person you think of?"
Luo Qianqian looked out at the blue sky and white clouds, shrugging, "The unattainable ones, like someone I haven’t seen in nearly a year." Luo Qianqian sighed; she had exams coming up, yet her brother still hadn’t come back.
"I think the last person I would think of would be the person I love the most," Qin Nuan said, pulling the corners of her mouth in a longing manner, then added, "It’s just a pity that I don’t have someone to love."
"You don’t love me anymore." Luo Qianqian huffed, laughing, then said, "After we get off the plane, I’ll give you an address. You can go and have fun there; they have clay modeling and stuff."
"Am I a child? I’m here because I worry about you, to take care of you. Who wants to play? Just join me for a seafood feast after your exams," Qin Nuan giggled.
Luo Qianqian understood and nodded.
Being away from family during exams, with friends still resting from school, what could she say? She had to accept her lot in life. What songs did she write when she had nothing else to do? No, more like what money did she make that caused trouble and led to her kidnapping? If she hadn’t been kidnapped in the first place, she wouldn’t have met Luo Xiying, wouldn’t have found the Luo family, and what would the Han family have to do with her?
It was all her own doing. Every decision influenced the future path, and Luo Qianqian understood this very deeply.
"Chicken rice or beef rice, which one do you want?" Seeing Luo Qianqian zoning out, Qin Nuan nudged her and asked softly.
"Chicken is quite tasty, but I’ll have beef," Luo Qianqian said.
Qin Nuan rolled her eyes, knowing full well Luo Qianqian was lost in thought. So, she said to the flight attendant, "Two beef, please. Thank you."
After having lunch, it wasn’t long before they reached their destination. Luo Qianqian took a deep breath as soon as she got off the plane.
"You don’t have to be so dramatic even if the air of the Capital City is a bit worse," Qin Nuan rolled her eyes and also took a deep breath, her face showing pleasure.
Luo Qianqian calmly walked ahead, "What do you know, this is the air of a coastal city, so blue..."
"If the air is blue, then it must be toxic, and not just toxic but highly toxic. Haven’t you read the encyclopedia? Blue jellyfish and octopuses in the sea are highly poisonous and very frightening," Qin Nuan shrank her neck and spoke seriously.
Luo Qianqian ignored Qin Nuan’s teasing remarks, "You don’t understand, this is the scent of my homeland, the air here carries the scent of my mother." Luo Qianqian grinned, "And the scent of my friends, too."
"... How strong is that scent that it can travel so far?" Qin Nuan teased her, knowing that bypassing one’s home without stopping is difficult, but agreeing with her now would only make the girl feel worse.
Hu Si, holding her phone, sighed after looking at a message and replying with a few words, "Are we going to the same place as last time, or somewhere near your examination venue?"
"Close to the exam venue so I can sleep in longer," Qin Nuan said directly, "And we need to get to bed early tonight."
Luo Qianqian nodded. Hu Si immediately booked the rooms, and then turned to the two, "Are you getting your admission tickets first or shall I take your luggage? Will you be staying together or separately?"
Luo Qianqian and Qin Nuan said at the same time.
Luo Qianqian blinked, "I need to keep something with me when I sleep at night, it’s inconvenient for you, let’s sleep together after I get better."
Qin Nuan nodded and agreed, "Arrange adjacent rooms for us." After saying this, she took out her ID card, and Luo Qianqian also handed over hers. They entrusted Hu Si with all the luggage except for the backpack with the amulet, like the small suitcase with a change of clothes and the big suitcase with local specialties that Qin Nuan planned to bring.
Hu Si nodded and asked, "Do you have money on you?"
Qin Nuan took out her wallet, looked inside, and nodded.
Then Hu Si left with a pile of luggage in a taxi, and the unreliable part was he didn’t tell the two which hotel he was going to.
Just as Luo Qianqian was about to make a phone call, she received a text message with the hotel’s name and address.
When the two arrived at the school, the seniors had already gone on vacation, and it was just after the nap time—junior and sophomore classes had already started.
Luo Qianqian explained her identity and called the director before they were allowed to enter the school.
She stuck out her tongue, "I didn’t expect it to be so strict."
Qin Nuan rolled her eyes, "You don’t look like a high school student at all. I, on the other hand, look much more like one."
Both of them looked at the rows of classrooms with longing eyes, Qin Nuan with nostalgia, Luo Qianqian with regret; she still hadn’t been able to attend classes properly.
In the office, the host had a kindly face??? Why would a director in his thirties show such an expression???
"You’ve arrived, the college entrance exam is tomorrow, do your best. Here is your seat in the examination room." It was only after seeing the admission ticket that Luo Qianqian realized what was off. Just before, they had no idea where the examination room was, so how did Hu Si book a room directly? And, indeed, the hotel arranged by Hu Si was very close to hers; she let her thoughts wander for a moment.
They thanked him and left the office. Qin Nuan saw the confusion on Luo Qianqian’s face and said softly, "All these arrangements are available online, wouldn’t your teacher know about that?"
Luo Qianqian realized suddenly and looked toward the freshman classroom, stopping in her tracks, "I should be there, studying with my friends."
Qin Nuan rolled her eyes again, pointed to a spot in the corridor, "Stand there, hold up your admission ticket." After saying that, she took two photos with her phone and said, "After the exams, send these to your friends, saying something like ’Cheer up, your sister is leaving first’... You see, I took a clear picture of the classroom doorplate."
Luo Qianqian was speechless and then sighed as she left, "My high school life ended before it even began."
"Why don’t you go attend a class? I’m sure the teacher wouldn’t refuse."
"No, seeing them might make me so excited that I couldn’t answer the paper properly."
The exams were easy, and the two-day test went by in a flash. That evening, Luo Qianqian took Qin Nuan and Hu Si to the most highly-rated restaurant to eat seafood, only to see her phone screen light up, the number all too familiar, "Brother?"
"How did you do on the test?" It was indeed Luo Shufan. Luo Qianqian’s eyes crinkled into a smile. Qin Nuan couldn’t stand it and sneakily took a few photos and sent them to Luo Yanran. Within moments, she received Luo Yanran’s reply: Is she eating fish? Why does she look like a cat that stole a bite?