Restarting your life starts with filling out your college application.

Chapter 2 My Deskmate, Long Time No See!

Chen Zhiyuan clearly felt that his state of mind was indeed different.

Even when he saw Zhao Sisi, who was eighteen years old and in the prime of her youth, his heart remained as calm as a deep pool, without a single ripple.

He rode his bicycle briskly out of the residential area, completely forgetting the brief incident that had just occurred.

A morning breeze blew in his face, carrying the unique heat of summer and the scent of grass and trees. He pedaled his bike slowly and deliberately, pondering the matter of filling out college applications.

If history hadn't followed the same trajectory, his college entrance exam score would have been 538—just one point higher than this year's cutoff score for top-tier universities.

A mere one point almost sealed his fate, denying him any chance of getting into a prestigious university.

But since God has given them a second chance, if they still can't get into a better university, wouldn't that be a waste of their chance to be reborn and a disgrace to the reborn?

Suddenly, a crucial memory fragment popped into my mind—that's it!

In 1999, a major upset occurred in the college entrance examination in Jiangnan Province: Jiangnan University, one of the top universities in the country, failed to fill its quota in the province that year.

Jiangnan University has a long history and profound cultural heritage, enjoys an outstanding reputation nationwide, ranks among the top five in the country, and its admission scores have remained high over the years.

Especially in the mid-to-late 1990s, the scores rose year after year, and last year the minimum admission score reached an astonishing 620 points.

It should be noted that in the same year, the admission scores for Tsinghua University and Beijing University in Jiangnan Province were only slightly over 630 points. Jiangnan University's admission threshold was almost on par with them, which naturally scared away a large number of eager candidates.

The rules for filling out college application forms in 1999 were: first estimate your score, then fill out your application.

Candidates do not know their exact score when filling out the form and can only estimate it by comparing it with the standard answers.

The estimation of scores is highly variable; some people can estimate accurately, while others may be off by tens of points.

In this "semi-blind" application situation, many people, seeing the previously unattainable admission scores of Jiangnan University, became hesitant and, for the sake of stability, switched to applying to other key universities with relatively lower admission scores.

Recalling this crucial "historical information," Chen Zhiyuan's mind suddenly brightened, as if he had glimpsed a ray of light in the fog.

He unconsciously pushed off with even more force, almost standing up to push off with all his might.

The summer breeze brushed past my ears, and the ordinary fragrance of grass, trees and flowers along the roadside smelled especially fresh and pleasant at this moment.

What should have been a 20-minute drive took him just over 15 minutes. After locking his slightly worn bicycle, he headed towards his senior year classroom based on his memory.

"Chen Zhiyuan!"

I had only taken a few steps when a familiar, surprised voice came from behind me. I turned around and saw a chubby little boy running towards me with a big smile on his round face.

This is his classmate and good friend, Jin Liang.

Even though in the original timeline, the two went their separate ways after graduating from university, they always kept in touch, and their friendship never faded.

Chen Zhiyuan's most destitute period was when his business failed and he was burdened with debt.

Jin Liang once unhesitatingly took out his savings of 100,000 yuan, which he had saved for many years and was prepared for the down payment of a house for his marriage, to help him through the difficulties.

"Jin Liang!" Chen Zhiyuan felt a warmth in his heart and familiarly put his arm around the other's shoulder. "So, have you decided which school to apply to?"

Jin Liang scratched his head, a hint of uncertainty in his smile: "I really wanted to apply to Jiangnan University of Finance and Economics, but I was afraid my score wouldn't be high enough... I'll wait and see how it goes after I estimate my score."

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhiyuan's memory flashed back: In his previous life, Jin Liang had applied to Jiangnan University of Finance and Economics, but unfortunately his score was slightly below the required level, so he ended up going to a vocational college.

The two chatted and laughed as they walked side by side toward the classroom.

The classroom was already bustling with noise.

The immense pressure of the college entrance examination was suddenly relieved, and the teenagers completely relaxed. The air was filled with a light, noisy, and even slightly ecstatic atmosphere.

Some students gathered together, laughing and talking loudly; others chased and played around. The desks were filled with restless youthful energy.

Chen Zhiyuan couldn't actually remember his exact seat, but he remembered who his deskmate was. His gaze swept quickly across the room and soon settled on the quiet figure by the window.

"Good morning, He Fei." He walked to his seat and greeted her naturally.

The girl at the same table trembled slightly upon hearing the sound, clearly embarrassed. She hurriedly lowered her head, and a few strands of dry, yellow bangs slipped down, almost covering her eyes.

She replied in a voice barely audible, "Good morning... good morning, Chen Zhiyuan."

Chen Zhiyuan's gaze lingered on her for a moment, then he smiled brightly, a wave of nostalgia washing over him: It's been so long, my deskmate.

In his original life, he lost contact with He Fei after graduating from high school.

We met again at our high school reunion, twenty years later.

At that time, He Fei was radiant, confident, and poised, exuding the charm of a mature woman in her speech and manner. Her appearance was also stunning, making her completely different from the quiet and indifferent girl in front of me.

At this moment, he couldn't help but take a closer look at the girl in front of him: she was somewhat thin, with a thin frame that suggested malnutrition; her hair lacked luster and was simply tied back; her clothes were faded and outdated.

Especially the thick bangs that almost cover half of her face, like a layer of camouflage, completely conceal any potential radiance.

I heard that He Fei's family was in dire straits. Her father had passed away early, and her mother was raising her and her sister on a meager income from a street stall. It seems the rumors are true.

However, this seemingly unremarkable girl consistently ranks among the top three in her grade. If memory serves, she will be the top student in the entire school this year, with a dazzling score of 641.

He Fei lowered her head even further, a faint blush creeping up her ears. She felt uneasy: Why was he staring at her like that...? Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the pen in her hand.

Only when she felt that gaze move away did she secretly breathe a sigh of relief, and her tense shoulders and back relaxed slightly.

Soon, the homeroom teacher walked into the classroom with a stack of materials, and the noise gradually subsided.

He succinctly emphasized the importance and precautions for estimating scores, and then distributed printed copies of "Standard Answers and Scoring Standards for the College Entrance Examination" to everyone.

It was a booklet of about thirty pages, with the official answers to the test questions for each subject, detailed steps for calculation problems, and the distribution of marks all clearly listed.

As soon as the booklet was handed over, a tense silence instantly fell over the classroom.

Everyone's smiles vanished, their expressions turned serious as they opened the answer keys, picked up their pens, and began to recall, compare, and score each question one by one, carefully adding up their total scores.

The scratching sound of the pen nib across the paper, along with the occasional soft sigh or muttering, became the main theme at this moment.

Time passed by, and about half an hour later, the silence was broken by the gradually rising volume of sound.

Some people were kicking themselves, crying out, "How could I have chosen C! It was clearly B!" Others were overjoyed, whispering with delight, "I actually guessed right!"

He Fei focused intently on checking the answers, her delicate eyebrows sometimes furrowing and sometimes relaxing.

She glanced at Chen Zhiyuan sitting next to her out of the corner of her eye and saw that he seemed to be doing nothing, neither answering the questions nor calculating his score. Finally, she couldn't help but turn her head and whisper a reminder: "Chen Zhiyuan, aren't you going to estimate your score? This... is really important."

Chen Zhiyuan turned to look at her, smiled, and thought to himself: This girl has a pretty good heart, he reminded himself.

He didn't say that aloud, but replied casually, "I have a rough idea. I did so-so this time, probably around 530 points, not more than 540."