Restarting your life starts with filling out your college application.

Wang Xiujuan, being a woman, was more perceptive. She quickly nudged her husband and whispered, "What's the rush! Ask him first!"

She gently pushed Zhao Guoqiang out of the room, went into her daughter's room, quietly closed the door, sat on the edge of the bed, looked at her daughter's red eyes and tear-streaked face, tenderly took a tissue, and softened her voice:

"Sisi, be good, don't cry. Tell Mommy what happened."

Perhaps it was her mother's gentle tone that had an effect, as Zhao Sisi's crying gradually subsided. She sobbed and recounted, in fits and starts, how Chen Zhiyuan had been cold to her these past few days, how he had ignored her at the entrance of the residential area today, and how he had responded so coldly when she called him.

After listening, Wang Xiujuan understood about 70-80% of what was going on.

She sighed softly, patted her daughter's back, and tentatively asked, "Sisi, tell Mom the truth... do you... like Xiaoyuan?"

"Waaah... I... I don't know..." Zhao Sisi was taken aback by the question, and then tears welled up again. But this time, her sobs seemed to contain a hint of confusion and emotions that she herself did not fully understand.

Looking at her daughter's appearance, Wang Xiujuan understood what was going on.

She sighed softly again, shook her head, and her tone became even gentler: "Sisi, when you were in high school, I was worried that it would affect your studies, so I didn't approve of you dating too early."

But now that you've both graduated high school and will soon be university students, if... if you really like Xiaoyuan, Mom won't object to you two dating.

She paused, then continued, "Xiao Yuan is a child we've watched grow up. He's a good person, good-looking, and intelligent. If you like him, sometimes... you can take the initiative a little."

"Take the initiative?" Zhao Sisi looked up with teary eyes, her voice tinged with grievance, "Mom, I'm a girl! Why should I take the initiative! He was the one who ignored me first..."

"Okay, okay, I won't take the initiative, I won't take the initiative."

Wang Xiujuan quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, let me find a chance to talk to your Aunt Zhang Hui first."

Don't worry, your Aunt Zhang Hui has always liked you. With the help of both sides of the family, you and Xiao Yuan will definitely get together...

After Wang Xiujuan patiently comforted and persuaded her, Zhao Sisi's crying finally subsided.

She lay on her back in her small bed, her eyes still a little red and swollen, staring blankly at the star stickers on the ceiling.

The question in my mind became clearer and clearer: Have I... really fallen for Chen Zhiyuan?

Involuntarily, the image of Chen Zhiyuan's clean-cut, handsome, and sunny appearance after getting a new haircut a few days ago came to mind.

As she thought about it, a tiny curve unconsciously appeared at the corner of her mouth, and she silently snorted to herself: Fine... as long as you're willing to apologize to me, I'll... reluctantly forgive you.

On Chen Zhiyuan's side.

He genuinely didn't take Zhao Sisi's tears to heart.

For him, that was a thing of the past that needed to be completely severed, a time when they should never cross paths again.

This morning, he didn't go anywhere. He just sat at his desk, focused and wrote two or three thousand words in one go.

He was increasingly satisfied with his increasingly beautiful penmanship.

After checking the draft I had just finished, I found that the content was basically consistent with the original text in my memory. Although it was not 100% identical word for word, the essence, style, and even those key sentences were reproduced very well, with a consistency of at least 90%.

He put down his slightly sore fountain pen, tidied up the scattered manuscript papers, and neatly stacked them to one side.

I'm planning to go to the living room and call Jin Liang, asking him to go to the internet cafe to play a few games and relax.

I had just sat down on the old sofa in the living room, and before I even touched the phone, my mother, Zhang Hui, returned from grocery shopping.

Chen Zhiyuan casually asked, "Mom, you've been out grocery shopping for quite a while today, almost two hours, haven't you?"

Normally, grocery shopping wouldn't take this long. The market is nearby, and with the time spent going back and forth and selecting the produce, an hour is more than enough.

But today was different—Zhang Hui ran into her old neighbor and friend Wang Xiujuan at the vegetable market.

The two had an excellent relationship; they were colleagues and friends for many years, and neighbors who had lived together for over a decade.

Upon meeting, they naturally exchanged warm greetings and chatted for a long time. Somehow, the conversation turned to the children.

Wang Xiujuan first praised Chen Zhiyuan from head to toe, saying that he was sensible, handsome, and good at studying, before casually mentioning:

"What has Zhiyuan been busy with lately? It seems like I haven't seen him for several days. Why don't you invite him over to play sometime? Sisi has been talking about him several times these past few days."

She was clever; she didn't mention the subtle tension between the two young people for the time being, but simply extended an invitation and "casually" mentioned that her daughter had mentioned Chen Zhiyuan.

Zhang Hui didn't think much of it at the time. She was overjoyed to hear others praising her son and readily agreed.

"Okay, then I'll go back and talk to Zhiyuan. They've both graduated from high school, so they should see each other more often."

She added enthusiastically, "Xiujuan, you should also tell Sisi to come to our house to play when she has time. Zhiyuan has been staying at home most of the time these days, I don't know what he's been up to."

"Okay, okay," Wang Xiujuan quickly agreed with a smile, looking very happy.

It was because she met Wang Xiujuan and chatted for quite a while that Zhang Hui returned late.

She put the shopping basket in the kitchen, washed her hands, went to the living room, and, remembering the conversation she had just had, casually asked her son:

"Xiao Yuan, what's going on between you and Si Si lately? I haven't seen you go to play with her."

She knew that her son used to spend almost every day with Zhao Sisi, going to and from school together.

But things have been a bit strange these past few days. My son has been staying at home all day writing and drawing, and hasn't mentioned going to see Zhao Sisi.

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhiyuan smiled somewhat helplessly.

He didn't want to say anything more about his relationship with Zhao Sisi for the time being, but simply stood up and said, "Mom, I'm going out for a bit."

Zhang Hui wanted to ask a few more questions, especially to find out if the two children had any conflicts, but Chen Zhiyuan didn't give her a chance to continue. He had already changed his shoes, opened the door, and left.

Watching her son's hurried departure, Zhang Hui shook her head with a smile, muttering to herself, "That child, in such a rush, where is he going..."

She is an open-minded mother, especially since her son has finished his college entrance exams and is about to become an adult, so she will not interfere too much.

She sensed that her son didn't seem to want to mention Zhao Sisi, guessing that it was probably just a minor disagreement between the young people.

Since her son was unwilling to talk about it, she decided not to ask and let him be.

He has to walk his own path and make his own decisions.

.......

Just a heads-up: There are referral bonuses! You can get Qidian coins for voting in a referral contest. Quantities are limited, first come, first served!