SFTD -Chapter 244 The College Entrance Examination

The next day, Zhou Hai began his month-long leave.

After all, the little loli was about to take the college entrance exam, so Zhou Hai shifted his focus entirely to helping her study and temporarily moved into the Lu household to freeload meals and lodging.

Several people who had all lost Xixi gathered together, and somehow the pain seemed a little lighter. There was no chaos, no fierce arguments—everyone simply accepted things quietly and calmly.

As for Zhou Hai’s endless dream, it still returned from time to time. Ever since that day, he had begun to long for the feeling of falling asleep, because only in sleep would Lu Xi come to see him. Sleeping pills, however, were useless. Only when he naturally drifted to sleep could he wait for Lu Xi’s arrival.

At first, Mother Lu felt somewhat resistant to Zhou Hai staying there. Seeing him only reminded her of her daughter.

But Zhou Hai did not give up. He had promised Xixi that he would take good care of them, and he intended to keep that promise.

One noon, while Father Lu had gone to the Experimental High School to discuss matters related to the college entrance exam, Zhou Hai took over both his and Auntie Liu’s duties and entered the kitchen.

Hearing the rhythmic chopping sounds from the kitchen, followed by the aroma after the wok was heated, Mother Lu could no longer remain calm. Encouraged by the little loli, the two of them leaned against the kitchen doorway to investigate.

“You sure Zhou Hai can cook?”

The little loli nodded vigorously and shot Mother Lu a meaningful look.

“Relax. I’ve eaten Zhouzhou’s cooking before. It’s not as good as Uncle Lu’s, but some of his vegetable dishes are really delicious. Besides, with those knife skills of his—you know what I mean!”

Only then did Mother Lu nod. She knew exactly how picky the little loli was about food. Earning praise from her was no easy feat.

“Alright then. Since your Uncle Lu isn’t home today, we’ll give it a try. If it doesn’t work out, Auntie Liu can take over. At least we won’t starve.”

Standing on tiptoe, the little loli patted Mother Lu’s back.

“Don’t worry. Trust me. Zhouzhou will definitely feed us well.”

Before long, the fragrance drifting from the kitchen became even richer. The two women kept sniffing through the crack in the door. Even Pork Knuckle the dog came trotting over, whining nonstop at the kitchen entrance. The little loli quickly picked him up.

“If you want food, you’d better suck up to Zhouzhou. Otherwise, judging from your usual behavior…”

She chuckled.

“…it’ll be a bit difficult.”

Whether Pork Knuckle truly understood her words or suddenly became aware of his past behavior, his ears instantly drooped, and his glossy black eyes filled with watery light.

Mother Lu’s heart softened at the sight. She rubbed Pork Knuckle’s head.

“Don’t worry. Zhou Hai will definitely feed you. But you really should behave better.”

Tilting his head, Pork Knuckle looked at the two of them, then rested his little head against the little loli’s shoulder without making another sound.

At that moment, the kitchen door opened. Zhou Hai walked out carrying two plates of food. Seeing the two standing at the door, he paused slightly before glancing at the little loli.

“Put Pork Knuckle down and wash your hands. Time to eat.”

The little loli knew Zhou Hai would never say polite formalities, so she quickly dragged Mother Lu toward the dining room.

“I’m starving! Just smelling it already makes it seem delicious. Mother Lu, my stomach’s growling. Let’s sit down!”

Mother Lu naturally understood that the little loli was helping Zhou Hai save face. Though she herself could not cook, her taste was extremely picky. Looking at the dishes that were beautifully presented, she followed the little loli into the dining room.

Auntie Liu helped Zhou Hai arrange all the dishes on the table. Looking at the lavish spread, Mother Lu felt genuinely happy. She hurriedly stopped everyone from touching the food, pulled out her phone, and carefully photographed every dish.

Once she finished, the little loli looked at her resentfully.

“Can we eat now?”

“Zhou Hai, sit down too. You’ve worked hard. Let’s begin.”

At her command, the little loli immediately reached for the stuffed lotus root. Zhouzhou had made this dish during New Year’s, and she had never gotten enough of it. The flavor had been absolutely amazing.

She stuffed a piece into her mouth, only to get burned and start blowing frantically.

“Huff, huff… so good!”

Zhou Hai sat down but did not immediately eat. Instead, he served Mother Lu a little of every dish.

“Please try them and tell me if there’s anything you don’t like about the flavors, so I can adjust the menu next time.”

Mother Lu nodded slightly and picked up a crystal shrimp ball. The outside was crispy, while the inside remained tender and springy. There were no fancy sauces, only the subtle spicy fragrance of white pepper.

Her eyes curved with a smile.

“This shrimp ball is delicious. I’ve only had something like this in restaurants before.”

Smiling faintly, Zhou Hai used two spoons to separate the fish meat from the bones. He dipped the fish into the broth before placing portions onto each of their plates.

“Until Luo Luo finishes her college entrance exam, I’ll carefully prepare all her meals. I can’t help much with studying, but cooking I can do.”

Mother Lu’s eyes brightened further.

“That’s wonderful. Luo Luo’s Chinese still has room for improvement. We’ve been intensively reviewing ancient poetry and classical texts. Her comprehension and analytical skills are excellent—I’m only worried about obscure classical passages appearing on the exam, so we’re focusing heavily on those. As for the other subjects, honestly, high school coursework is far too easy for her. If her Chinese score reaches 130, then basically every university will be hers to choose from.”

Mother Lu’s words left Zhou Hai momentarily stunned.

In that case, there truly was nothing to worry about.

As for where she would apply, that depended entirely on her own wishes.

Noticing some empty space on Mother Lu’s plate, Zhou Hai quickly placed several slices of crystal pork hock onto it.

“Where does Luo Luo want to apply?”

Luo Luo glanced at Zhou Hai and answered without hesitation: “Southeast University.”

This time, both Zhou Hai and Mother Lu were shocked. They spoke in unison:

“Southeast University?”

“Even though Southeast University is a prestigious 211 university, with your grades, Tsinghua or Peking University would be easy for you!”

Luo Luo shook her head firmly.

“No. I don’t want to leave Southeast City. I don’t want to leave you all. Besides, I really love Southeast University. It’s the university Xixi attended. I want to stay there.”

Her words caused everyone at the table to freeze.

Tears shimmered in Mother Lu’s eyes as she smiled at the little loli and tightly held her hand. What could be more touching than such thoughtfulness? All words felt pale and inadequate in comparison.

Zhou Hai also stared at the little loli.

“Don’t let emotions affect your education. We all love Xixi, and we understand how you feel. But only by achieving outstanding results can you truly honor the effort Xixi spent teaching you, right?”

The little loli shook her head resolutely.

“I’ve already decided.”

At five o’clock in the afternoon on June 8th, the little loli emerged from the examination hall.

Teacher Sun shoved Zhou Hai and Mother Lu aside and rushed forward immediately.

The little loli had been the first to come out. The English exam had been far too easy for her.

Taking the test paper from Teacher Sun’s hands, she merely glanced over it before smiling faintly.

“If there aren’t deductions for handwriting or formatting, there shouldn’t be any problem.”

Teacher Sun excitedly lifted the little loli into the air. The teachers from other schools nearby all stared at them in astonishment and crowded closer to ask questions.

“What do you mean, ‘no problem’?”

Teacher Sun turned around and waved them away impatiently.

“Go, go, go! Wait for your own students. Our Zhou Luoluo means full marks, understand?”

These teachers were all longtime rivals. Every senior year, meeting each other felt like a battlefield. But hearing “full marks” still stunned them. One male teacher sneered disdainfully.

“Oh, please.

“How many students have you ever seen get full marks on the English college entrance exam?

“Tell her to keep dreaming.”

Teacher Sun paid no attention to them. Pulling Zhou Luoluo along with Zhou Hai and the others, she moved aside.

“Now that the estimated total score is out, 720 to 725 shouldn’t be a problem. Have you decided where to apply yet?”

Zhou Hai looked at the little loli and Mother Lu.

“Southeast University.”

Teacher Sun froze in shock. Her eyes instantly widened with fury as she stared at Zhou Hai like he was an idiot. She grabbed his collar.

“Are you stupid? Repeat what you just said!”

The little loli patted Teacher Sun’s arm.

“Don’t get worked up. This was my decision. My score’s high enough already—you’ve got your bragging rights.”

Teacher Sun’s expression completely stiffened as she watched the three of them walk away calmly.

She could not say a single word to persuade them to stay.

She understood perfectly well why the little loli had made this decision.

But… was it really worth it?