Liu Chen was currently in the living room, watching "Super Girl" and replying to QQ messages on her iPhone 3. Touching the small touchscreen, Liu Chen felt a pang of nostalgia for the larger screens of later phones.
"It's only because my hands are slender, otherwise wouldn't it be easy to mis-tap?"
Liu Chen grumbled, and then looked at the group chat.
'Sister Chen is awesome!'
'Sister Chen, your top score is amazing!'
'Sister Chen, you're too much, more than ten points ahead of the second place? I can feel their despair.'
'What major is Sister Chen studying? Civil Engineering? Computer Science?'
'Finance is good too, right? I heard it pays a lot?'
'Finance isn't good, is it? Didn't they say there were layoffs last year because of the financial crisis?'
Seeing the lively discussion in the class group chat, Liu Chen quietly posted a message.
Liu Chen: 'Food Science and Engineering.'
'???'
'Sister Chen is indeed Sister Chen, even her major choice is so different!'
'Although I haven't heard of it, Sister Chen must have her reasons for choosing it!'
'Same here!'
'Same here!'
Seeing her classmates, who didn't quite understand the department but blindly trusted her, Liu Chen couldn't help but smile.
Liu Chen: 'I want to pursue a career in food research and development, and perhaps return to work in the food industry in the future.'
After replying to everyone's questions about her major, Liu Chen switched out of the group chat and found that Qiao Yang had sent her a private message.
Although he had confessed to her unsuccessfully before, Liu Chen still had a good impression of him. He was a sunny, outgoing guy. If it weren't for her older inner age, she might have actually been tempted.
Clicking on the chat window, Liu Chen looked at the message and frowned slightly.
Qiao Yang: Liu Chen, with your score, this food major is too much of a waste. The majors with the best development prospects now are computer science and civil engineering. I suggest you be more realistic in your major choice.
Unlike me, I had to sign a contract, so I can only study Chemical Engineering and Industrial Biotechnology. After graduation, I must work at a designated unit for more than 5 years. And because of my major, I might never earn as much in a year as in the finance industry.
Think about it again.
Seeing these words, Liu Chen recalled the sunny boy who used to squeeze in time to play basketball after class, and felt a sense of wistfulness.
He had only been at Tsinghua University for more than half a year longer than her, but his mindset had already become very utilitarian.
She typed a string of words on the input method, but finally deleted them all. Because she understood that the reason she could pursue her so-called dreams and preferences now was due to a solid material foundation.
Finally, she only replied to Qiao Yang with one sentence:
"Studying food science has always been my dream, and now I am realizing my dream."
Qiao Yang didn't reply again. Liu Chen didn't try to explain further. She clearly understood what she wanted, so nothing around her could stop her, let alone a slightly familiar classmate?
Qiao Yang, far away in Beijing, stared at the message on his phone, frozen in his chair.
What was his dream?
He didn't seem to have ever had a dream. He had just studied hard according to his parents' expectations, gotten into a prestigious university. Now, he had entered the prestigious university his parents expected, but found that he couldn't achieve the high salary that came with it.
Did he hate the Chemical Engineering and Industrial Biotechnology major arranged by the Seed Program? No, based on what he had encountered so far, he liked the major very much.
Except for the fact that the salary of his major was not as high as those popular departments, he was satisfied with everything else. So, why was he unhappy?
Qiao Yang thought for a long time, until his roommate called him for dinner, and he realized that it was already dark outside the window.
Looking at his roommate, Qiao Yang couldn't help but ask:
"Zhang Liang, what do you think of our major's employment prospects?"
"Pretty good? If you graduate from our major, you have a job. You don't have to worry about applying, and it's highly likely to be a 'iron rice bowl' that can last a lifetime."
"So, do you envy them in the finance department?"
"Envy is envy, but I don't think I'm suited for finance. I still like stable work like this. And secretly, I think our work contributes more to society than finance."
"What's up? Are you feeling lost seeing the graduation income of the seniors in the finance department?"
Qiao Yang fell silent, thinking of the sentence Liu Chen had sent him on QQ just now.
Suddenly, Qiao Yang felt the expectation weighing on his shoulders being shattered by a hammer.
"I did before, but now, it seems gone."
As Qiao Yang said this, a sunny smile, like the one he had during breaks in high school playing basketball, reappeared on his face.
...
Liu Chen didn't know that her single sentence had helped the confused Qiao Yang regain his high school cheerfulness.
She was currently looking at a text message she had just received. She was to gather at the third floor of C City Television Station at 1 PM on the 28th for unified makeup, and then participate in the recording in Studio No. 2.
Next were some questions that would be asked during the interview. Liu Chen read them carefully, confirmed there were no traps, and then replied:
"Okay."
In fact, there was a reason for the lively chat in the class group of Senior High Class 6 tonight, because tomorrow was the 28th, and college entrance examination results could be checked by phone or by logging into the S Province Admissions Examination Information Network.
Everyone had reviewed the college entrance examination answers during this period after the exam. They all felt that their scores were probably even better than during the second mock exam, but they all tacitly agreed not to tell their parents.
Instead, they waited, waiting for the arrival of the early morning of the 28th.
Compared to the caution of the students in Senior High Class 6, Liu Chen's old classmates from Twelve High School were living for today, seizing the rewards before the college entrance examination results came out. New mobile phones, new computers, new Nike sneakers.
And they also went on group trips during this time, with tons of updates in their QQ albums.
As a result, among them, Hu Qian, who hadn't updated her QQ album, and hadn't even harvested her QQ farm, seemed somewhat out of place.
But no one actively asked about it on QQ. However, someone who had Liu Chen's QQ number sent it to Liu Chen when the post "The Most Beautiful Top Student Becomes the Science Top Scorer" came out, and also congratulated her, and... apologized.
"Liu Chen, I'm very sorry. After you transferred schools, it took me a year to realize that I treated you poorly before. We all listened to Hu Qian's words. I'm sorry, and I wish you better classmates at Tsinghua."
When Liu Chen saw this message, she didn't reply. She didn't want to say she forgave them, because in her previous life, she had indeed put in a lot of effort to overcome, and even after rebirth, she had only just emerged from the shadow of being bullied by her classmates.
It could even be said that it was the company of these lovely classmates from Senior High Class 6, and the companionship of Mi Zhuzhu, Ren Mo, and Lai Jielun, that helped her emerge.
It made her understand that often, it's not that you are not good enough, but that the environment you are in is too bad. As long as you work hard and go to a better environment, become a stronger self, you will find.
You are great, and you don't need to compromise for others. What you need to do is persevere, persevere in your efforts, and escape this not-so-good environment.
It took Liu Chen more than ten years to understand this.
The closer it got to midnight, the faster the chat in the Senior High Class 6 group refreshed. By the end, Liu Chen felt like she hadn't finished reading a single sentence before the messages below pushed it up, making it impossible to see.
"Ding ding ding."
The doorbell rang, and Mi Zhuzhu's voice came from outside the door:
"Chenchen! It's me!"
"Hey, Mi Zhuzhu, you just say it's me, how will others know it's you?"
Liu Chen complained about Mi Zhuzhu while opening the door.
Mi Zhuzhu pushed open the security door, directly took out her slippers from the shoe cabinet, and then shuffled to the sofa, curling up her legs in shorts.
Lai Jielun, who followed behind, naturally picked up the slippers Mi Zhuzhu had discarded and neatly placed them under the sofa where Mi Zhuzhu was sitting. Then, he handed her the largest cushion, so she could hug it while playing on her phone.
Ren Mo, walking last, closed the door and then took the watermelon to the kitchen.
"Sister Chen, where's our kitchen knife? Oh! I found it!"
Liu Chen stood at the door. Fine, these guys were more familiar with her house than their own. She was too lazy to host them.
She walked to the single-seater sofa and sat down, taking the sliced watermelon from Ren Mo and taking a bite. Mmm, so sweet!
"Why are you three here? Afraid of getting beaten after the college entrance examination results come out?"
While eating, Liu Chen asked without looking up.
"Heh heh, my dad won't beat me. Besides, I feel like my college entrance examination score this time is especially good! But I'll just tell you guys, I'm afraid if I tell my dad, he'll throw a celebration banquet before the results are out."
Liu Chen nodded in agreement. Given Zhuzhu's dad's personality, let alone a celebration banquet, the entire Phoenix City residential area would probably be plastered with red banners.
And countless banners...
Celebrating Mi Gong's daughter Mi Zhuzhu scoring a high score of 6xx in the college entrance examination!
Thinking of the scene, Liu Chen couldn't help but get goosebumps. Too embarrassing!
Liu Chen looked up at the two who were diligently eating watermelon.
"What about you two?"
Lai Jielun ate more carefully and didn't get much on himself. Hearing Liu Chen ask, he looked up and replied:
"I was at home. When my dad saw me, he was reminded that I wanted to study acting, and he got annoyed."
Ren Mo chuckled:
"I was at home, and my mom always looked like she wanted to ask but didn't dare to ask, which gave me a headache, so I came over!"
"Alright, since you're here, help me choose an outfit for the interview at the TV station tomorrow."
The three followed Liu Chen into the room and looked at the full wardrobe, exclaiming:
"Chenchen, the school only lets us wear uniforms normally, what a waste of so many beautiful clothes for you!"
Hearing this, Liu Chen blinked. In fact, most of these clothes were drawn from the system, and there were many more expensive ones that she didn't dare to put out, for fear that Chen Long would recognize them one day and she wouldn't be able to explain where the money for the clothes came from.
However, once she went to Beijing, the furniture, appliances, clothes, cosmetics, and decorations stored in the system could all be taken out and used with peace of mind!