A war without gunpowder had raged for countless years. Today was the final battle—and a new beginning.

Su Yu gazed out the car window. The once-spacious road was packed solid, a sea of people and vehicles. He remembered his old nervousness. This "war's" outcome wasn't just about his future—it was about whether he could… get closer to that girl.

Now, Su Yu felt only a faint trace of parting sorrow in his heart.

"Hey, nail the exam, got it? If you bomb it… don't come find me. I don't wanna see you cry like a baby."

He Muqing nudged his shoulder. Her delicate, willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed, stern yet endearing. Su Yu almost smiled. "And if I ace it? What then?"

"Passing is the bare minimum! I came to see you off—what more do you want?" He Muqing shot him a glare, but her voice softened. She bit her crimson lip lightly. "Ace it first, then come make your demands. Hear me?"

"Alright, alright. I'm off. Get back to class."

Su Yu nodded with a smile and turned to Uncle He and Aunt He up front—the whole family had come. "Thank you, Uncle, Aunt. I'll head in now."

"Do your best, Su Yu. Don't mind your dad. Doesn't even show up for his son's exam? I'll give him a piece of my mind later," Uncle He added, worried Su Yu might be upset.

"It's fine. I'm calmer without him," Su Yu replied. His father's presence changed nothing.

"I'm heading in. No need to pick me up later—I'll make my own way back."

He closed the door and melted into the stream of examinees.

…

On the clean clock face, hands crept forward. Time slipped quietly by. Anxiety seeped from every line of black ink on white paper.

Pen in hand, Su Yu recognized every question. Hazy memories sharpened—he knew nearly all the answers. But he deliberately missed a few. All he wanted was a decent score. Just enough for Qingchuan University.

He'd thought he'd hesitate. But the moment he lifted the pen, resolve hardened. He pushed aside every stray thought. Only the exam remained.

This life had given him so much he never had before. A second chance meant moments with Xia Qian'ge he once only dreamed of.

He'd loved her—but never truly known her. Every sweet memory from this life reignited hope.

Maybe he could soften her obsession. He'd changed He Muqing's future—why not his and Xia Qian'ge's? Yet fear lingered. Not just of that gleaming silver knife returning to her hand.

What he'd fled was the bloody truth: he'd driven her to madness. He, too, held a knife—just as she'd whispered while straddling him, claiming his body: *You killed Xia Qian'ge with your own hands.*

Xia Qian'ge was dead. By Su Yu's hand.

So he ran. To Qingchuan. Putting endless distance between them. Time and space would dull the edges. It had to end.

Bell rang. Papers collected.

…

The two-day exam blurred past. Bag in hand, Su Yu stepped out of the hall and exhaled deeply—as if a weight had lifted. Hesitation was over. The result was set. No use dwelling.

"How'd it go?"

A pat on the back. Su Yu turned. Chen Kai stood there, fresh from the exam hall too. They'd agreed to meet outside.

"Not like it was Jiangnan University's exam. Could I even mess this up?"

"I mean… could your score get you into Jiangnan?"

"Not enough. Won't make it," Su Yu shook his head, cutting the topic short.

"Good. Puts that dream to rest." Chen Kai slung an arm around him with a grin. "Once you're at Qingchuan, spot a girl you like? Tell me first. I'll scout for you."

"What about you? No crush all through high school? Saving it for college?"

"Me? Heh… actually…" Chen Kai's playful smirk faded. He met Su Yu's eyes, uncharacteristically serious. "Come on. You always say I never treat you. Let's drink. I'll talk over beers."

…

Maybe post-exam called for wild freedom. But Su Yu never expected to be dragged straight to drinks after setting down his pen.

Dusk settled. Street stalls lit up along the snack alley. They found a neighborhood eatery—faded plastic chairs lined the narrow path. Sparks crackled from the charcoal grill. Ashen smoke curled upward. The burly, shirtless owner fanned the haze while sizzling skewers dripped oil, tempting every passerby.

"Drink! Down in one!"

Chen Kai tossed Su Yu a beer, then gulped his own first.

Icy liquid slid down his throat. A flush bloomed on his cheeks. Just students. First-time drinkers. A messy end loomed.

Su Yu sipped sparingly. His past-life tolerance meant nothing in this untrained body. If both passed out, they'd never get home. Still, he didn't stop Chen Kai. He watched the street: tangled wires hung overhead, casting dappled shadows under faint moonlight; a vintage bicycle rolled by, bell jingling softly.

Truth was—he, too, craved release. A reason to drink until oblivion.

"I didn't want to say this earlier… worried it'd mess with your chase of Xia Qian'ge," Chen Kai murmured, breath warm with alcohol. "But… I liked someone too. Decided to let go." He exhaled shakily. "Now that you're out of the picture… Mo Yufei. Your deskmate. I've liked her awhile."

"Huh. Mo Yufei."

Su Yu smiled faintly. In his past life, he never knew. Chen Kai married young—a work colleague. Su Yu attended the wedding. They stood radiant on stage, seemingly in love… or so it seemed.

"Then chase her! She's at a local uni—same as yours, right?"

"I confessed. She said no."

Chen Kai's face flushed. A self-deprecating laugh. "Said she hadn't thought about it… then I saw her getting close to a guy from next class."

"…"

"Did you ask what they were? Mo Yufei doesn't seem like that. Don't miss out."

In Su Yu's memory, she was quiet, sincere, pretty—not a wallflower.

"Didn't ask. Didn't wanna look foolish."

Su Yu watched Chen Kai's eyes brighten, then dim. He said nothing. Opened another bottle. Clinked it gently against Chen Kai's.

Moths swarmed the dim yellow streetlamp. Sparse light fell on them. Empty bottles littered the ground beside scattered vomit.

Su Yu helped Chen Kai up. They walked away. Shadows stretched long behind them. Maybe… it was time to say goodbye.