"So at times like this, you can't keep agonizing over the answers or keep going back to change them in the exam room," Jiang Cheng sat down in the last row, "Who knows if it's really you who got it wrong or remembered it wrong. Maybe someone else remembered it wrong and you psyched yourself out."

"Mm, Brother Cheng is right," Gu Fei nodded.  

"If you keep agonizing over it like this before the scores come out, you won't even be able to enjoy yourself," Jiang Cheng said softly, "I personally feel great, so I'm going to have fun first before worrying about anything else."

"Yeah, Brother Cheng is right," Gu Fei continued nodding.

"Looking to get beat?" Jiang Cheng looked at him.

"If Brother Cheng wants to beat me then go ahead, Brother Cheng is right, Brother Cheng is god," Gu Fei looked at him and smiled.

"You're asking for it," Jiang Cheng laughed.

Gu Fei looked a bit tired. Although he hadn't put much effort into studying this past half year either, all his energy had gone into helping him study. Now that the tension was finally released, his exhaustion showed through.

Jiang Cheng squeezed over and held his hand between their legs.  

Gu Fei's hand was warm. After just a short while in the air-conditioned car, his palm was sweating.

Returning to school, returning to the classroom, there was a feeling of familiarity mixed with some estrangement after being away for a few days. Everyone felt a little emotional.

The classroom was lively, with everyone talking. Sitting at his spot, Jiang Cheng looked around at these classmates he had spent over a year with, realizing there were still quite a few whose names he didn't even remember.

He had never paid attention to them before. Seeing all these faces appear before him today, there were too many for him to take in all at once.

Yi Jing wasn't there. He heard her parents had picked her up to take home after the English exam. He didn't know what her situation was. Jiang Cheng turned to look over at Wang Xu.

Wang Xu was also chatting with people, but was clearly somewhat distracted and not in high spirits.

When someone brought up Yi Jing, the previously lively atmosphere instantly cooled. At times like these, everyone's emotions were sensitive. Even a tiny fluctuation would be amplified, not to mention the prestigious class monitor. Several girls immediately burst into tears at their desks.

Jiang Cheng had no expression. Leaning against his chair, he didn't know what he was feeling and couldn't parse it out. He just kept clutching Gu Fei's hand under the desk.

After all this time, this was the first time he had sat here without reading, doing problems, or taking notes, just sitting quietly.

Old Xu came into the classroom and said something that Jiang Cheng didn't catch. He only heard that there would be a farewell dinner tomorrow night, and hoped everyone would attend this final class activity of their high school career.

"Ah, we're breaking up, huh," someone said.

Jiang Cheng's hand trembled slightly. Those two words made his heart suddenly tighten.

That's right, it was over.

His high school years were over just like that. He didn't even get to savor them properly before they were gone, already becoming just memories.

And this last year was even starting to blur already.

Gu Fei seemed to sense it and gave his hand a light squeeze. Jiang Cheng turned to look at him. Gu Fei smiled at him, "It's really great."

"Hm?" Jiang Cheng looked at him blankly.

"That I got to meet you in high school," Gu Fei said.

Jiang Cheng snapped back and smiled, "Yeah, lucky I met you."

Old Xu handed out a guidebook to each person, probably containing info on universities and majors and such. Jiang Cheng casually flipped through it before closing it again.

Looking at all these densely packed words now made him dizzy. He didn't want to look at it any further, couldn't take any more in. But it didn't matter, he had just those few target schools in mind all along, he could make a final decision when the time came.

"Let's go," Gu Fei said, "head back."

"Mm," Jiang Cheng stood up. As they left the classroom, he heard some people discussing visiting Yi Jing and nudged Gu Fei, "Should we go see Yi Jing too?"

"I can go alone," Gu Fei said. "You...don't go for now, wait a while."

"Oh," Jiang Cheng responded.  

"First go back, wash up and tidy up. I'm taking you out for a nice dinner tonight," Gu Fei said. "You're free now, eat whatever you want, as much as you want. Diarrhea, getting sick, none of that matters anymore."

"Fuck," Jiang Cheng started laughing, "I had a lot of stuff I wanted to eat recently, but now that you say that, I suddenly can't think of anything."

"No rush. Let's go to the downtown plaza, so many places to eat there. We can just wander around, go in anywhere that looks good," Gu Fei smiled. "I'm going all out today too, I'm sick of my own cooking."

"Should bring Er Miao too," Jiang Cheng said. "She hasn't had a nice meal out in a long time either."

"Next time with her. Just us two today," Gu Fei snapped his fingers. "No light bulbs, she's not just a light bulb, she's like a floodlight."

"Alright," Jiang Cheng laughed and nodded as he walked. Suddenly he turned and glared at Gu Fei, "Gu Fei!"

"Hm?" Gu Fei quickly responded, looking at him, "What's up?"

"When we get back..." Jiang Cheng started but got embarrassed mid-sentence, "Um...you know..."

"We'll do it first before going out, right?" Gu Fei asked.

"Fuck," Jiang Cheng looked at him, "How can you say it so smoothly, you're shameless!"

"Wasn't it you who was yelling in public about doing nothing but me all summer?" Gu Fei glared back. "Now you wanna act all innocent? You're the shameless one."

"No, I really am embarrassed now," Jiang Cheng laughed. "We haven't fucked in a long time, and suddenly thinking about it, I just feel a little...embarrassed."

"You better not say 'thank you, don't mention it' later," Gu Fei said.  

"Oh," Jiang Cheng nodded, holding back laughter.

This was the first time Jiang Cheng felt light and cheerful walking back from school in a long time. There were no knowledge points, no formulas, no historical dates, no geography or terrain, no vocabulary or grammar in his head...only Gu Fei.

Neck, shoulders, collarbones, abs, thighs, calves, ass!

Hahahahaha!

Going upstairs, he couldn't resist giving Gu Fei's butt a pinch.

"Right here," Gu Fei looked back at him, pointing at the window in the stairwell, "I'll toss you out and won't even need both hands, believe me?"

"I believe," Jiang Cheng hopped past him giggling, giving his waist another squeeze along the way, "But you can't bear to, heh heh."

"Psycho," Gu Fei muttered under his breath, following him upstairs.

The moment they got in the door, Jiang Cheng turned, flung his clothes off in one smooth motion, pounced on Gu Fei kissing him all over, then pushed him onto the sofa, hands going under his shirt groping and grabbing.

"Oh," Gu Fei kissed him back, laughing, "The remote is jabbing my back, wait..."

Jiang Cheng ignored him, burying his face in the crook of his neck for a good while.

When Gu Fei grabbed the remote and tossed it onto the coffee table, putting his arms around him tightly, Jiang Cheng suddenly pushed up off the sofa frowning at Gu Fei.

"What's wrong?" Gu Fei nudged his chin.

"Why are you so hot?" Jiang Cheng felt him, burning hot.

"Excited," Gu Fei thrust his hips, "I get all hot when I'm excited."

"Bullshit," Jiang Cheng frowned, not knowing why Gu Fei suddenly had a fever. He was anxious and distressed, "Did you catch a chill? Or..."

He took Gu Fei's temperature several more times, all over 38°C.

"I'm fine," Gu Fei sat up and stroked his face, "Really, I don't feel anything."

"Cut the crap!" Jiang Cheng glared at him. Gu Fei's hand was scalding. Now he could clearly feel something was off. "I knew you haven't been very excited since finishing the exam! You weren't feeling well already but didn't tell me, right!"

"Oh..." Gu Fei just sighed with a smile.

"Hospital," Jiang Cheng grabbed his hand and tugged, "Hurry."

"I'll be fine after some rest, really," Gu Fei didn't move, finally saying softly, "I don't have the energy right now, don't want to move."

Jiang Cheng just felt a pang of heartache, so much it made his chest ache.

Maybe because he had just been through the intense experience of the gaokao, even as a top student his emotions were still unstable...

He threw his arms around Gu Fei, hugging him tightly. Feeling Gu Fei's burning hot body, his own hands shook.

He just felt heartache trembling through him.

The tears came uncontrollably.