Chapter 78 – Bright Stars
Novel Title: 你的虎牙很适合咬我的腺体 (Your Fangs Are Perfect for Biting My Glands)
Author：麦香鸡呢 (McChicken)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 周舟 (Zhou Zhou -MC), 程澈 (Cheng Che -ML)
*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
֍֍֍
There were three days left until the college entrance examination. Even though Zhou Zhou was usually carefree, he couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. After all, he had never been carefree about the college entrance examination.
Zhou Moning sat on the sofa, working on his computer next to Jian Yan. He was watching Zhou Zhou standing by the French window, muttering words as he memorised vocabulary. Zhou Moning couldn’t tell if he was comforting him or scolding him when he said, “Why are you so nervous? Don’t be nervous. What’s there to be nervous about?”
With three ‘nervous’ being spoken in a single sentence, even though Zhou Zhou wasn’t nervous, he was made nervous by his alpha dad. He really didn’t know what else to say.
“Focus on your computer,” Jian Yan gently scolded Zhou Moning. He then turned to Zhou Zhou and said, “Zhou Zhou, take it easy. Just take your time memorising. Look at the scenery outside the window, calm down, and you’ll naturally memorise faster.”
Zhou Zhou smiled and nodded, continuing to look out the window while memorising vocabulary. Zhou Moning obediently looked at his computer while Jian Yan flipped through a book. The gentle light spread in the spacious living room, quiet and warm. Zhou Zhou memorised vocabulary with a smile on his face.
The night before the college entrance examination, Zhou Zhou was already in a state where he couldn’t concentrate on studying. It was not necessary to cram his brain with information at this point. He closed the book, stretched lazily, opened the door and glanced downstairs. He saw Zhou Moning, Jian Yan, and Zhou Qiao sitting in the living room watching TV. It seemed to be a non-action show as he didn’t hear any loud noises.
Zhou Zhou closed the door, picked up a glass of milk that Jian Yan had brought him earlier, and walked to the balcony. The evening breeze of summer was warm. Because it was a detached house and due to its location, he couldn’t see the magnificent lights of the city. He could only hear the vague sound of cars in the distance and it was not as clear as the chirping of insects in the bushes downstairs.
Zhou Zhou looked at his phone, scrolling through his friend circle. Besides some nervous thoughts before the exam and wishing for good luck on the college entrance exam, it seemed no different from the time before the exam was approaching. Zhou Zhou returned to the chat interface and chatted with Yu Yang for a few sentences.
Zhou Zhou: Are you nervous?
Yu Yang: I’m damn nervous. I’m experiencing chest tightness, shortness of breath… and my heart flutters.
Zhou Zhou: Hahahahahaha. Where’s your dear beauty?
Yu Yang: He said he won’t meet me for now to avoid affecting my exam mood. My parents are also here with me these days. It was so annoying. We were clearly living in the same city. But we’re usually too busy to see each other and now they come over to disturb our quality time together.
Zhou Zhou: I feel like my family is quite warm though.
Yu Yang: We high school seniors will only get treated better by our parents before the college entrance exam. They treat us like we’re precious animals. After the exam, we’re just useless young people. If we were under the same roof every day, we’d just be getting scolded by them.
Zhou Zhou: You’re so right. With my dad, I not only get scolded, but I also get beaten.
Yu Yang: …So, you and Cheng Che. Yu guys really never had any contact?
Zhou Zhou’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of this name. He replied; No, we haven’t.
Yu Yang: Ah, even though it’s not good to say these things to you before the college entrance exam. But I’m really nervous now. I really want to talk. It’s just that, that thing really wasn’t his fault. I know you understand and didn’t mean to blame him. But, you know, there’s no one who wouldn’t want encouragement from someone they like before the most important exam in their life. Even someone like Cheng Che, who’s almost guaranteed to be the top scorer… should be no exception.
Zhou Zhou: Okay, I understand.
He ended his chat with Yu Yang and looked at the name at the top of his chat list for a long time. He then finished the remaining milk in one gulp, placed the cup on the balcony railing, and opened Cheng Che’s chat box.
Zhou Zhou: Are you studying?
Just two seconds later, Cheng Che replied: No.
Cheng Che: I’m taking a break. I won’t study anymore to adjust my mindset.
Cheng Che spoke to him so seriously, which Zhou Zhou was not used to. Thinking that he hadn’t talked to Cheng Che for a long time, he realised that Cheng Che had also endured not talking to him for a long time. He looked at their chat history and felt a strange sense of unfamiliarity and distance. Zhou Zhou felt uncomfortable by this.
So Zhou Zhou made a call, really wanting to hear Cheng Che’s voice.
Cheng Che answered quickly, “Hello?”
Zhou Zhou admitted that when he heard this somewhat long-lost voice, he felt very bitter and sad. This was because they used to be able to hear each other’s voices every day.
“Hello.” Zhou Zhou took a deep breath. “I just wanted to tell you, good luck with the college entrance exam. Even though your grades are already very, very good.”
“I will,” Cheng Che paused. “You too. Remember what I taught you.”
“I remember everything,” Zhou Zhou said. “Chemistry, physics, essay structures… I remember them all.”
How could he not remember? Zhou Zhou remembered all the questions Cheng Che had taught him in the study room and at home, as well as the review materials Cheng Che had organised and sent to him after the incident.
“That’s good. As long as you remember.” Cheng Che fell silent again. Then, after a moment, he said, “Zhou Zhou, I miss you.”
Zhou Zhou’s hand, which was picking at his clothes, paused. His eyes immediately welled up with tears and his nose felt blocked.
He rubbed his eyes and looked up at the sky as he said, “The stars are so bright tonight.”
“Are they?” Cheng Che’s voice softened. “Let me see.”
Once he finished speaking, Zhou Zhou heard footsteps on the other end, followed by the sound of the balcony door being opened. Not long after, he heard Cheng Che say, “Yes, they’re very bright.”
“Yeah,” Zhou Zhou said, “The stars are very bright. Cheng Che, good luck with the college entrance exam.”
Cheng Che looked up at the night sky. In his eyes were the reflection of the stars and an indescribable sense of regret.
Yeah. Good luck with the college entrance exam.
***
During the college entrance exam, it rained for three days.
Zhou Zhou forgot how he got through it. He just felt like everything was tense and chaotic. It was difficult to describe them in detail. It was like he was slowly detaching himself from something, yet the pressure it brought did not diminish in the slightest, until he finished the last exam paper.
At the moment of walking out of the exam room, not only Zhou Zhou, but it seemed like all the examinees were somewhat dazed. Perhaps there will be various exams in everyone’s future. But there would never be another exam like this college entrance exam that they experienced at eighteen anymore, carrying years of hopes and anxieties, slowly freezing in time. When stepping out of the exam room, whether looking back or not, your youth bids you farewell. Your high school days, your sweat and efforts… They were all gathered at that moment.
There were countless thoughts and emotions in the heart, ultimately dissipating quietly. It was difficult to articulate.
It seemed like the most ordinary day. Yet it felt like a day that could never be replicated. It was the most unique day.
The bright lights in the classroom, the smell of ink on paper, the wooden desks and chairs, the chalk words on the blackboard, the rain outside the window, the chirping of insects in the damp grass.
They bid farewell to them all.
֍֍֍
*Translator’s Note: I didn’t really like being in school. But thinking about it now, there are some things that I miss during school years. Everything was so simple back then. What the hell happened after that? Growing up sucks. -K
Next update: 2024.03.10
֍֍֍
