Chapter 229 : Rise, Oh Salted Fish!
“The day after tomorrow is the college entrance exam. Tomorrow is a day off, so everyone should go home, rest well, and get ready for the exam. Just don’t get too relaxed—you should still review what you need to,” Ye Xuan said from the podium, her tone steady as she looked over her students.
“Remember not to get overly nervous during the exam. The college entrance exam isn’t as terrifying as you might think, but don’t underestimate it, either. We’ve gone over the key points repeatedly, so I won’t bore you with it again. Class dismissed.”
Unlike other teachers, she didn’t use any motivational speeches. She’d said all that needed to be said long ago. Those who’d taken it to heart would be fine, and for those who hadn’t, nothing she said now would change anything. Besides, her class’s morale was already quite high.
Since the school was designated as an exam venue, and students from other schools would be visiting the premises, they had been granted a rare day off tomorrow. Usually, they wouldn’t have received any time off before the exam.
“Finally, it’s almost over,” Ling Ning sighed, feeling both relief and excitement. She’d turned down so many jobs to focus on her studies, costing her a lot of pocket money. But with the exam nearly here, she was thrilled at the thought of the long vacation waiting on the other side—almost three whole months!
“Ling Ning, for some reason, I’m starting to feel nervous,” Xu Qing said, fidgeting as she thought about the upcoming exam. Her parents and teachers had constantly told her things like “it’s a major turning point in your life” or “the exam will shape your future,” so she felt a lot of pressure.
Ling Ning took Xu Qing’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Hey, if I’m not nervous, why are you? With your current grades, as long as you don’t make any major mistakes, you’ll get into a good school. Just keep a calm mind and focus forward. You’ve got this.”
Feeling the warmth of Ling Ning’s reassuring hand, Xu Qing relaxed, her anxieties fading. She smiled, holding onto Ling Ning’s hand a bit tighter. “Ling Ning, you’re always so reliable.”
Seeming to remember something, Ling Ning rummaged through her bag and pulled out a small salted fish keychain. “Here, take this as a lucky charm.”
“Really? Thank you!” Xu Qing beamed, looking at the charm in her hand. It was her first gift from Ling Ning, and she promised herself to treasure it.
Sitting behind them, Xia You noticed the keychain Ling Ning gave Xu Qing and felt a surge of jealousy. She reached into her bag and clenched her spring-loaded knife, which she kept for “self-defense” purposes. Sometimes, though, it came in handy for other reasons...
But just as Xia You was lost in dark thoughts, another salted fish keychain appeared in front of her.
Ling Ning smiled and said, “How could I forget my dear Xia You?”
“Th-thank you!” Xia You’s previously gloomy expression softened into one of pure joy. Ling Ning hadn’t forgotten her after all. Ling Ning was truly the best!
“Hey! Isn’t that the protagonist of Rise, Oh Salted Fish!? That’s a limited-edition keychain, isn’t it? I heard there were only a hundred made,” Li Qian said, looking at Xia You’s keychain with an envious gaze.
Rise, Oh Salted Fish! was a popular comedy anime featuring a fish character and its countless ridiculous attempts to “rise up.” None of its methods ever worked, which was part of its charm.
Seeing Li Qian’s longing look, Ling Ning casually took out two more salted fish keychains. She still had a few, since she’d gotten them as prizes when she bought things online. It only cost a small fee for a prize draw, and though the odds weren’t high, buying in bulk often yielded a handful of them.
Ling Ning didn’t need the keychains herself, and her daughter had only kept one, so she’d thrown the extras in her bag. Since she’d just remembered them now, she figured she might as well give them away.
“Really?!” Li Qian’s initially hopeful expression suddenly shifted to an air of false indifference. “Who wants some silly fish keychain, anyway?”
In truth, she desperately wanted one. But she couldn’t bear the embarrassment of admitting her liking for such a childish item.
“Oh, really?” Ling Ning smirked playfully. “If you don’t want it, I’ll just give it to someone else.”
“You—if you want to give it away, go ahead! Why should I care? I don’t need it,” Li Qian huffed, but her gaze remained fixed on the keychain.
“Alright, alright. Here, take it. And here’s one for your little sister too,” Ling Ning said, handing her two keychains.
“Well, if you insist, I’ll take it,” Li Qian replied, clutching the keychain like a treasure. After a moment, she realized she might’ve seemed a bit too eager and hastily stuffed the keychain into her pocket, trying to act like nothing had happened.
“So, Ling Ning, what are your plans for tomorrow? Are you going to relax or do some last-minute studying?” Xu Qing asked curiously.
“Tomorrow?” Ling Ning thought for a moment. “I think I’ll just relax. It’s been ages since I’ve had a good sleep-in, and I’ve already studied all I can. Anything I don’t know by now won’t stick in a day. So tomorrow, I’m just going to unwind. Maybe I’ll review a bit in the evening.”
“Oh~” x3
“If she’s going to relax, maybe we could all go visit Ling Ning’s place tomorrow,” the three girls thought to themselves in silent agreement.
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
Author’s Note:
Only managed to write about 2,000 words today. Suddenly feeling extra cute~