Chapter 54 Good Luck with the Unified Examination

Chapter 54: Good Luck on the Unified Exam

After night study, Lu Guifan returned home.

Common sense told him he should take off the sweater he was wearing, but for some reason, he acted as if it didn’t matter, keeping it on while reading academic journals in his room, searching online for information about the provincial unified examination for art students, and figuring out how to help Jiang Ruotang score higher in the written exams.

Before he knew it, it was already past ten at night.

Lu Guifan rubbed his eyes and glanced at his phone, wondering if Jiang Ruotang had sent him any messages.

But then he thought, Jiang Ruotang was probably still on his way home from the studio, hadn’t even done his homework—why would he send a message?

Just then, his mother knocked on the door and came in. “Guifan, your father got his salary and bonus… it’s more than double what he earned at the rubber factory. And this is after deducting social insurance and housing provident fund…”

“That’s great. It means Mr. Zheng is a good employer,” Lu Guifan replied with a faint smile.

“Your father said this job was introduced by Ruotang, so… we should buy him something as thanks. The weather’s getting colder, winter’s coming—how about buying him a hat? A scarf? Or gloves? I know the boy’s well-off and might think our gifts are too simple…”

Lu Guifan interrupted, “He wouldn’t. Ruotang treasures gifts from friends and family. Even if you gave him a single button, he’d keep it carefully.”

His mother smiled and nodded, then glanced at the sweater Lu Guifan was wearing. “This… is it new?”

Lu Guifan hurried to explain, “No, Ruotang traded with me. He wasn’t wearing a coat earlier and was sneezing from the cold, so I gave him mine. Then he worried I’d get cold and gave me this sweater.”

His mother looked confused but asked, “Should I wash it before returning it to him?”

“Ah? No need. I’m not sure what material it is—if it gets ruined in the wash, that’d be a waste. And with the cold weather, it might not dry in time. What if he needs it tomorrow?”

“Fair point.” Lu’s mother left several envelopes and exited.

Lu Guifan opened the envelopes—inside was a thousand yuan. For his family’s budget, this was a significant amount, which showed how much his parents valued Jiang Ruotang.

Right, this sweater probably wasn’t cheap either. His shoulders were broader than Jiang Ruotang’s—what if he stretched it out and made it less warm?

Lu Guifan quickly took off the sweater, folded it carefully, and placed it by the bed. After searching for a while, he found a clean paper bag—the same one Jiang Ruotang had used to deliver the new Xiaolan smartphone*.

Thinking of the smartphone, Lu Guifan lowered his eyes and smiled. He wondered if that little profit-seeker had earned a lot lately, grinning into his pillow in delight.

The next morning, Lu Guifan carried the paper bag to his seat.

Jiang Ruotang all but dove into the bag. When he pulled out the neatly folded sweater, he looked slightly disappointed. “Monitor… you didn’t wash this, did you?”

If it was washed, it’d lose your scent!

“No… If you mind, I can take it back—”

Before he could finish, Jiang Ruotang shucked off his uniform blazer, swiftly wriggled into the sweater, and looked up. “I’d only mind if you washed it.”

“Huh?” Lu Guifan blinked in confusion.

“It’d mean you’re keeping me at arm’s length,” Jiang Ruotang replied.

Lu Guifan was amused but schooled his expression as he turned to collect homework.

By the third class before lunch, Jiang Ruotang was about to order takeout as usual when he received a message from Lu Guifan: [Skip the takeout. I’ll take you out for lunch.]

Jiang Ruotang cocked his head. Why would Lu Guifan suddenly treat him? Unless…

[Shifu, do you think this tudi is too foolish and want to kick me out after one meal?]

Lu Guifan read the message, huffed as he pushed up his glasses before replying with one hand: [My father got his salary and bonus. He asked me to thank you.]

Jiang Ruotang was tickled pink.

Wait—did he invite Zhao Zhangfeng too? That guy was a master at killing the vibe.

Jiang Ruotang glanced back at Zhao Zhangfeng, who was deep in some mobile game with Jian Sha and Cai Ji. He didn’t seem to have received an invitation.

Perfect. Let that oversized third wheel stay glowing in the classroom by himself!

The message from Lu Guifan distracted Jiang Ruotang during the fourth class. When he turned to look at Lu Guifan, the other boy’s expression was calm, his eyes silently saying, “Pay attention.”

Jiang Ruotang quickly refocused, barely keeping up with the physics teacher’s lesson on “action-reaction and flotation.”

After class, the two walked out of school together. Lu Guifan led the way and asked, “Pick a place you like. Let me try what you enjoy.”

By saying this, Lu Guifan wanted to ensure Jiang Ruotang didn’t choose something cheap just to save him money.

Little did he know, Jiang Ruotang was just happy to have a meal alone with him. Even if they were gnawing on bricks by the roadside, he’d find it delicious.

Jiang Ruotang eventually chose his go-to lunch place. He ordered unagi don, while Lu Guifan, after scanning the menu, went for katsu don.

They sat at a small table and ate slowly.

It was the noon crowd, and the restaurant grew increasingly crowded. Jiang Ruotang looked across at Lu Guifan—his eyes lowered, long lashes nearly grazing his glasses.

Lu Guifan was a quiet eater.

Without Zhao Zhangfeng and the others as the “hype crew,” Jiang Ruotang drew a blank on small talk.

But being together didn’t require constant chatter. Quietly watching Lu Guifan eat was enjoyable too.

Lu Guifan looked up and asked, puzzled, “Is the unagi don that good? You’re smiling like you’ve already been admitted to the Central Academy of Fine Arts.”

Jiang Ruotang hesitated before breaking into a grin and nodding. “Yeah, the unagi don is really good.”

Because he was too busy feasting his eyes.

He picked up a small piece of eel and placed it on Lu Guifan’s rice.

The eel had a rich texture, coated in a thick, glazed sauce. Lu Guifan picked it up and took a bite—the buttery-soft, melt-in-the-mouth sensation paired surprisingly well with the sweet glaze.

It really was delicious.

Lu Guifan reciprocated by giving Jiang Ruotang a piece of spare rib.

Not far from them, two girls from School 14 were excitedly discussing yesterday’s incident where fans had gathered at Beicheng Guangyao’s gates to catch a glimpse of Bai Yingchuan.

“I’m so jealous! That Beicheng Guangyao coat is just too handsome!”

“It’s not the coat—it’s Bai Yingchuan! You can’t just grab any guy and expect him to pull off that look!”

“True, you need height, long legs, broad shoulders—he’s basically a human mannequin!”

“People online are already sending Bai Yingchuan scripts! Imagine—in the freezing winter, he opens his coat, wraps the female lead inside, and holds her tight…”

Jiang Ruotang lowered his head, almost doing a spit-take.

Lu Guifan looked at him, confused. “What’s wrong?” *Xiaolan is a fictional brand.

Jiang Ruotang leaned closer and whispered, "That scene they described is totally impossible."

"What scenario?"

Classic Lu Guifan—completely tuned out from everything around him, focused solely on his meal.

"It's about Bai Yingchuan opening his coat to hug the female lead! Unless she's a kid, that coat wouldn't even button up." Jiang Ruotang said seriously.

He thought Lu Guifan wouldn’t be interested in the topic, but surprisingly, Lu Guifan gave it serious thought.

"Zhao Zhangfeng’s frame might actually work."

Jiang Ruotang thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Then her head would probably stick out!"

Lu Guifan lowered his head, as if visualizing Jiang Ruotang’s words, then chuckled softly and pushed up his glasses with a knuckle.

The girls nearby finally noticed them.

"Wow, we’ve been talking for so long, and we had Beicheng Guangyao students right next to us this whole time..."

"Does Beicheng Guangyao pick students based on entrance exam scores or just looks?"

"Look closely, the one with black-framed glasses is seriously handsome—his side profile alone could wreck people."

They deliberately kept their voices low, but Jiang Ruotang’s sharp hearing caught every word.

He smiled to himself. At least they were complimenting them—and more importantly, the other girl had recognized Lu Guifan’s deadly side profile. Good taste.

After finishing their meal, Lu Guifan stood up, his tall frame and scholarly air immediately drawing their gazes.

Jiang Ruotang followed behind him as they headed toward the door, passing the girls’ table.

Sure enough, they tilted their heads up, eyes trailing after Lu Guifan.

Even Jiang Ruotang had to admit—no matter how many times he’d seen Lu Guifan walk away, his back was always so straight, his legs went on forever.

Jiang Ruotang shot the girls a mischievous grin, then suddenly pressed close to Lu Guifan from behind.

Lu Guifan leaned forward slightly as Jiang Ruotang gave him a quick hug from behind, followed by a teasing, "Ha! Told you I couldn't wrap around you."

His heart felt like it had suddenly soared into the sky—then plummeted just as quickly when Jiang Ruotang pulled away.

Lu Guifan froze for a second before realizing Jiang Ruotang was testing their earlier "coat hug" discussion. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or facepalm.

The girls also paused, then played along with the joke.

"You've got it backwards, right?"

"Maybe if your friend hugged you!"

Jiang Ruotang grinned. "He’s way too serious—never plays along."

True to form, Lu Guifan reached over, placed a hand on Jiang Ruotang’s head, and silently herded him away.

The girls exchanged amused smiles. Boys their age goofed around like this constantly—their antics knew no bounds.

"But... did that guy with glasses just blush?"

"Really? That’s adorable!"

Outside the restaurant, Jiang Ruotang instinctively headed toward school, only to realize after a few steps that Lu Guifan hadn’t followed. He turned back to find him standing in front of a small shop.

"Huh? Need to buy something?" Jiang Ruotang asked.

"Let’s take a look," Lu Guifan said.

"Sure."

Jiang Ruotang followed, puzzled. If Lu Guifan wanted to browse, shouldn’t it be a bookstore or something?

This shop sold clothes and accessories.

Lu Guifan rarely visited such places. Inside, he realized most items were for girls—beanies, hairpins, gloves—that kind of stuff.

The price tags were also way below what Jiang Ruotang usually wore.

He probably wouldn't find what he wanted near school, and with the unified exams approaching, Jiang Ruotang likely wouldn’t have time to visit places like Golden Mall.

Lu Guifan considered just saving the money and taking Jiang Ruotang on a proper shopping trip after the exams.

Then Jiang Ruotang’s voice rang out: "Lu Guifan, try these on!"

"Hm?"

Lu Guifan turned to see Jiang Ruotang holding a pair of simple black gloves.

He didn’t usually wear gloves—when it was cold, he’d just shove his hands in his pockets. But since Jiang Ruotang asked, he obliged.

Taking the gloves, he slid them on, finding them slightly tight. He wiggled his fingers, then looked up to see Jiang Ruotang watching intently.

"What?"

"Could you... call me 'little master' again?"

Lu Guifan frowned. He didn’t get Jiang Ruotang and Jian Sha’s inside jokes, but it was just a phrase—no big deal.

"Little master."

He said it in his usual deadpan tone.

Jiang Ruotang nodded. "Okay, if you don’t like the gloves, you can take them off."

Lu Guifan: "..."

Silently, he pinched the middle finger of the glove and pulled it off. As his long fingers gradually slipped free, the glove went limp. Jiang Ruotang felt his face heat up, and he turned away, pretending to look at other items.

"You like these?" Lu Guifan asked.

Jiang Ruotang found himself facing a display of bedazzled hair clips and quickly changed the subject. "I was just imagining what they’d look like on Sister Sha."

Unexpectedly, Lu Guifan played along: "Sister Sha would come at you with an eighteen-meter (fifty-foot) broadsword."

Jiang Ruotang cracked up.

"Let’s go. Time for afternoon break."

Jiang Ruotang walked out of the shop, Lu Guifan trailing behind him.

Jiang Ruotang thought wistfully. If only those gloves hadn't been slightly too small for Lu Guifan, he would've really wanted to buy them for him.

"Good luck on the Art Unified Exam..." Lu Guifan said softly.

Jiang Ruotang paused, then nudged him playfully with his elbow. "How about giving me your ID photo? I’ll keep it close to me."

"Hmm? To scare away ghosts?" Sometimes, Lu Guifan truly couldn’t fathom what went on in Jiang Ruotang’s mind.

"Hey, you’re the Academic God who wins every competition! Keeping your photo with me is to borrow some of your good luck charm!"

"Then you should wear self-portraits of Van Gogh, Vermeer, and Picasso."

"Van Gogh... isn’t exactly auspicious, is he?" Jiang Ruotang covered his ears briefly. "Vermeer never got the girl either... Picasso’s style is too far from mine, and he was quite the playboy..."

Lu Guifan was amused by how seriously Jiang Ruotang was picking apart each artist.

"You’ve got this."

"Haha, you’re not the examiner. The unified examination is kinda random. Even candidates with solid fundamentals and excellent mock exam results still bomb sometimes."

"You won’t."

"You’re that confident in me?"

"Because even someone like me, who knows nothing about art, thinks your paintings are great. We’re all human—my taste can’t be that far off from the examiners’."

Jiang Ruotang actually felt better by Lu Guifan’s words.

By late November, the Art Unified Examination was approaching, consisting of three subjects: sketch, color, and speed sketch.

Among these, sketch and speed sketch were Jiang Ruotang’s strengths, and his color work was also outstanding. According to Mu Xianqing’s evaluation, Jiang Ruotang’s colors "spoke."

Based on Teacher Liang’s assessment at the studio, as long as Jiang Ruotang performed normally, his professional scores wouldn’t be bad. But the whole family was on edge.

Zhao Yunshu even had a custom qipao (traditional Chinese dress) made, saying that when Jiang Ruotang walked out of the examination hall and saw her in it, it would symbolize a triumphant start.

Zhao Zhangfeng genuinely felt that Jiang Ruotang had stolen their mother’s affection, and jealousy was making him green with envy.

"Mom, I also have the provincial finals for my competition in early December. Shouldn’t you wear a qipao to cheer me on too?"

"Then I’d better wear something looser. If I move wrong in a qipao and it splits open, that wouldn’t do!"

This made Jiang Huaiyuan and Jiang Ruotang crack up.

In Class 1, Senior Three, aside from Jiang Ruotang, there was another art student named Geng Yu. But in terms of skill, he was not even close to Jiang Ruotang. His family had only pushed him into art because they knew he’d never make it on the academic track.

Geng Yu wasn’t serious about painting. His parents had even offered triple the fee to get him into Teacher Liang’s studio, but Teacher Liang had politely declined. Rumor had it they’d hired some hotshot private tutor at great expense, but since Geng Yu had no passion for art, there was no improvement.

A few days before the unified examination, Geng Yu suddenly sat in front of Jiang Ruotang and banged on his desk.

"Jiang Ruotang, the unified examination is coming up. Are you ready?"

"Huh? Ready for what?" Jiang Ruotang was baffled by Geng Yu’s strange expression.

Geng Yu smirked. "Stop pretending. Your dad must’ve pulled some strings for you, right? Your skill level is only a tiny bit better than mine."

"What?" Jiang Ruotang stared at Geng Yu, tempted to ask what on earth gave him the confidence to think he was only slightly worse.

Lin Lu, sitting nearby, leaned in, intrigued. "Geng Yu, you can pull strings for the art unified examination?"

Geng Yu snorted arrogantly. "If you have the right connections, anything’s possible."

Jiang Ruotang just shook his head. "I’ve never heard of that. Geng Yu, you’d better be careful. There are a lot of scammers out there. Don’t panic and fall for tricks—if your exam results get invalidated, it’ll be a huge mess."

Geng Yu huffed. "You’re the one panicking. Stop acting all high and mighty."

With that, Geng Yu walked off.

Lin Lu turned to him. "Ruo Tang, I know you’ll kill it. You’ve always worked hard at the studio. Even without any ‘strings,’ you’ll definitely get great results!"

Jiang Ruotang smiled. At least Lin Lu hadn’t said something like, "I’m sure your dad’s connections will sort it out," or he might’ve exploded on the spot.

Jian Sha chimed in, "I don’t know about other things, but Ruo Tang’s sketches—whether it’s brushwork or shading—are top-notch."

Jiang Ruotang nodded, pleased. "Sister Sha, you’ve got good taste."

Bai Yingchuan leaned forward past Lin Lu. "Wishing you smooth sailing in the unified examination."

Jiang Ruotang nodded slightly. "Thank you."

Bai Yingchuan’s lips curved. Ever since he’d helped Jiang Ruotang by bringing the principal to intervene, Jiang Ruotang had warmed up to him.

Jian Sha asked, "When’s your exam? We can come cheer you on."

"November 30th. But this isn’t a track meet—no matter how loud you cheer, it won’t magically boost my score from 200 to 270."

That made Jian Sha laugh.

Lin Lu grinned. "We’ll be waiting for your good news. If you really score 270, you’ll have to buy us dinner."

"If I hit 270, forget just a meal—I’ll take you all for an all-night karaoke session!" Jiang Ruotang declared.

"All-night karaoke?" Bai Yingchuan rested his chin in his hand, his every expression drawing the class’s attention. "What songs are you good at?"

Truthfully, Jiang Ruotang’s best songs were the ones Bai Yingchuan had released—many of them golden hits from films and TV dramas.

But those songs didn’t exist in this world yet, and Jiang Ruotang had no interest in singing them again.

"‘Love Fight Will Win’—I could sing it so well it’d make you cry."

Bai Yingchuan laughed at Jiang Ruotang’s confident declaration, his eyes crinkling slightly.

It was the first time Lin Lu had seen Bai Yingchuan laugh like this, and his unease kept growing. He’d put in so much effort to get close to Bai Yingchuan, yet Jiang Ruotang only had to act indifferent to constantly draw his attention.

Coincidentally, Lin Chengdong had been getting closer to the Geng family lately to get information on the Chengjiang Economic New Zone, which meant Lin Lu and Geng Yu had also grown more familiar.

After night study ended, Lin Lu invited Geng Yu out for barbecue.

After buttering Geng Yu up until he was full of himself, Lin Lu steered the conversation back to the unified examination.

"Ruo Tang told me there’s no way to pull strings for higher scores in the unified examination. But your dad found connections for you—are you sure it’s reliable?"

Geng Yu smirked. "Jiang Ruotang is just full of it! We all know his real level. Last year, he painted so many portraits of Bai Yingchuan, and his skill was nothing special. Without connections, scoring 220 would be really hard for him!"

Lin Lu chuckled. "So, if he wanted a high score, what should he do? I’m so curious—tell me!"

Geng Yu leaned in and said in a hushed tone, "Actually, there are two ways. The first is swapping my exam paper with someone else’s who’s more skilled. But that’s too risky—we wouldn’t go that far."