After the exam results were released, both of them performed well. Yan Xiyue even broke into the top ten in the province, while Xing Yuan was just outside the top hundred.
After the results were out, the two discussed and finally decided to apply to Qingquan University.
Qingquan University was considered one of the top universities in this world, but it wasn't very close to Licheng.
Moyu had performed well, but she chose a university in a border region, a place she had always wanted to go.
She had grown up there as a child, but later her parents took her away. Now, she wanted to reunite with her relatives according to her own wishes. Her parents had her brother to take care of them, but her grandmother only had her.
Moreover, she loved the feeling of freedom and unrestraint on the grasslands.
Xing Yuan ultimately decided to major in finance. She didn't have any particular passion, so there was nothing wrong with repaying her parents in this way.
Yan Xiyue chose a major related to historical research. She had always been curious whether the things mentioned in books were real, and how humans discovered them.
Yan's father and mother were also very open-minded. After the college entrance examination, they relaxed their restrictions on her, stating that she was now an adult and qualified to make rational choices. They actively refuted relatives and friends who objected to her chosen major.
Yan's mother gently hugged her daughter and said, "Child, you've grown up. The rest of the journey is yours to walk. We are old, and our greatest support for you is to stand silently behind you, so that no gossip can bring you down."
Yan Xiyue wiped away tears, determined not to disappoint her supportive parents. Besides, doing what you love always brings motivation, no matter when.
After filling out her college applications, Xing Yuan left a message for Yan Xiyue and went to another city to participate in a racing competition.
Knowing they would see each other again, she didn't want to say goodbye in person. Although parting through a screen would also be sad, it at least wouldn't give the illusion of a life-and-death separation.
After the competition, Xing Yuan officially signed a five-year contract with the CX professional racing team. This was a goal Xing Yuan had set for herself. Since she was going to do it, she would do her best. This was her former pride.
More importantly, this was a task she was supposed to complete! Xing Yuan had a premonition that once she accomplished this, and resolved this obsession, they would truly become one person.
However, she joined not only as a member of the racing team but also as an investor. She borrowed a sum of money from her parents, using it as startup capital, and this racing team was her first investment project.
She hadn't studied business, but she had a sharp mind. And even if she didn't want to admit it, her parents in this world had a strong business acumen and standing. Because of them, no matter what field of business she pursued in the future, she would have considerable connections.
If she still couldn't succeed after all this, she might as well find a pillar to smash her head against.
Although she had talent, and her physical and mental condition far surpassed ordinary people, racing also had its rules. Furthermore, in certain races, she needed teammates who could cooperate with her.
So, she trained at the CX base for a period of time. Her daily routine consisted of long phone calls with Yan Xiyue, and she only returned to Licheng on the eve of the application deadline.
The night Xing Yuan returned to Licheng, she waited for Yan Xiyue downstairs her house. In the dark night, Yan Xiyue ran down and precisely hugged her, her eyes brimming with smiles.
"You're back," she said, with a hint of attachment she hadn't noticed herself.
"Mhm," Xing Yuan replied softly, pulling Yan Xiyue to a corner where people in the apartments above couldn't see, and gently kissed her against the wall.
Unlike the first time, this kiss was gentle and restrained, with a lingering tenderness. As their breaths mingled, Yan Xiyue's eyes sparkled with a smile, and then she suddenly took the initiative, switching positions with Xing Yuan.
Xing Yuan didn't resist, merely supporting her steadily with her arms, letting her take control.
Yan Xiyue smiled, tiptoed to kiss her, but due to her height disadvantage, she had to break away just to catch her breath.
"What, just one kiss?" Xing Yuan chuckled, seemingly with a hint of provocation.
Yan Xiyue, unconvinced, puffed out her cheeks and extended her hand. "Then, hug me! If you hug me, I can kiss you."
Her cooing tone successfully touched Xing Yuan's heart. Her throat moved, and the next second she lowered her head and kissed her.
"I told you to hug me," Yan Xiyue complained, burying her face in Xing Yuan's chest during a pause for breath.
"Too slow," Xing Yuan said in a husky voice.
"Okay!" Yan Xiyue pouted but didn't show any signs of rejection.
After a period of affectionate banter, the two reluctantly said goodbye. After all, their kind of relationship was unlikely to be accepted by their parents anytime soon, so they had no intention of revealing it yet.
They needed to give them some warning first, and then when their parents were urging them to get married, they would casually bring the other person home. Although there were still some risks, it was the most stable approach they could think of.
Xing Yuan was actually quite dissatisfied. She couldn't understand why they still had to date secretly after graduation. However, after Yan Xiyue coaxed her into promising a public relationship at university, she compromised.
Old generation people! They were all similar, liking to overthink things when they had nothing else to do. Besides, their situation was not common in the country, so it was normal for them to need time to fully accept it.
"Good girl, can I pick you up tomorrow?" Xing Yuan coaxed.
Yan Xiyue's eyes glazed over, and she was about to agree when she suddenly remembered something and sternly refused.
"No, my parents are going to see me off tomorrow. We'll meet at the high-speed train station. We bought tickets together anyway, and our seats are next to each other."
"What are you afraid of? We're going to the same university, so it's normal for us to go together. They won't think too much of it." Xing Yuan's eyes turned resentful. Was she not presentable enough?
"It's not that I'm afraid! They know I'm going to the same university as you, and I'm going with you this time. It's just that this is my first time traveling so far, and they're worried. They want to see me enter the station before they leave." Yan Xiyue soothed the agitated golden retriever.
She really had a tendency to explode at the slightest disagreement!
"Alright! Then I'll go into the station and wait for you. Remember to be early! Honestly, we haven't even parted yet, and I'm already missing you."
Successfully soothed, the golden retriever became clingy, and her eyes began to turn dangerous. Yan Xiyue keenly sensed the change in the atmosphere and quietly retreated.
"Okay, okay, I get it. It's so late, they'll start worrying if I don't go back soon. Remember to send me a message when you get home." Yan Xiyue ran towards home without waiting for Xing Yuan's reply.
Seeing Xing Yuan's expression, Yan Xiyue knew that if she didn't leave soon, she'd be devoured. Yan Xiyue wasn't stupid.