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Lu BaoBao spewed out a string of questions in rapid succession, her voice growing louder and more animated with each one. She stared greedily at Jiang Se’s face; her wide-eyed look of eager anticipation was a perfect impersonation of a puppy begging for a treat.

Unfortunately for Lu BaoBao, Jiang Se was unmoved by her appearance. She had walked all the way to the classroom from the station, making no other stops along the way. Because of time constraints, she did not have time to buy dinner. So, right now, Jiang Se was feeling a little lightheaded because of her hunger, and Lu BaoBao’s shaking was not helping.  

Jiang Se frankly answered, “No,” and then asked, “You’re not finished yet?” glancing down at Lu BaoBao’s table.

“I did. I mean, I already did everything Teacher Lin told me to do, but she’s still—” Lu BaoBao complained bitterly as she angrily flung her pen down on her desk. “She said I just wrote without thinking and that I didn’t do it correctly!”

It irked Lu BaoBao that she had to stay behind and finish her assignment, but there was nothing she could do about it. She accepted her fate and laboriously rewrote every mistake she made in the mock test as the teacher had instructed, spending a half-hour doing so. Then she repeatedly transcribed each one multiple times. 

However, because the work was too monotonous, her thoughts kept wandering, and she could not focus the whole time. Even worse, she received yet another verbal reprimand when she finally turned in her work. The teacher had quizzed her, and she failed to answer each one. She could not recall any of what she had just written.

Naturally, Teacher Lin was very upset, so after scolding her thoroughly, she was told to redo everything. When she could recite them off-by-heart, she was then allowed to leave.

The punishment is so unfair. She didn’t even give me a warning. I wish I could have gone with you,” Lu BaoBao added, her tone still aggrieved when she asked, “Anyway, what did you find out?”

“I didn’t see anyone famous, if that’s what you’re asking. I walked all over the campus and went to all the departments. It’s really not that easy to meet a celebrity.”

To be completely honest, Jiang Se was genuinely stunned by Lu BaoBao’s thoughtlessness. There was not much time left, and this girl was still bent on chasing stars. She briefly debated telling Lu BaoBao about the screen test on June 12, but ultimately decided against it. She did not want to further divide her already scattered attention.

It would not be too late to tell her after the exams were over, and she could arrange for them to go there together.

Jiang Se said a few more words of encouragement, then began taking out her books to review. The school was the only place she could freely read and look through her notes. Back at the Du house, she was not allowed to turn her lights on, and it would be even more impossible to expect them to consent to her use of the living room.

“Oh, hey!” Lu BaoBao tried to get Jiang Se’s attention. She wanted to talk more; she had so many questions. But judging from Jiang Se’s focused look, it would be impossible to get a word in, especially when she began memorizing the book by rote. Lu BaoBao unhappily sighed, and resigned herself to talk with other people.

__________

 It was the morning of June 10, and the college exams had just concluded. All the test papers had been handed in, and the invigilator was saying goodbye to the examinees. Still, many of them remained seated and refused to leave the classroom—the daunting experience had sapped them of their energies.

Jiang Se, on the other hand, was well-prepared and had completed the majority of her studying a few days prior to the exams. She was reasonably sure her answers were correct and only felt relaxed now that it was over. She was tidying up her table, putting her things neatly inside her bag, when someone jabbed her on the back with a pen.

She turned back to look and met eye to eye with a blushing male student, chewing on his lower lip and looking like he was thinking about what to say when he stammered, “H-hello, classmate. Do you remember the answer to problem 5 on questionnaire 3?”

After the exams, there would often be students who would wait around to discuss and compare their answers with each other. Most of the time, they just needed assurance, while a few wanted an estimate of their total possible score. This male student was one, as was the boy seated next to him. They were both leaning forward and were looking expectantly at Jiang Se. 

Jiang Se swept her glance quickly over the two and said bluntly, “I don’t remember.” She then checked her desk, put on her bag, and left the classroom. Behind her, the boy blushed even harder as he watched her walk away. He still wanted to talk but could not muster the courage to run after her.

__________

Jiang Se walked into the Du family room and saw Zhou Hui wiping down the dinner table in the kitchen. She looked up when she heard footsteps and frowned at Jiang Se. There was no mention of the exams or how she was feeling; instead, Zhou Hui placed her hands on her hips and asked something else, “When do you get your diploma?”

Jiang Se simply looked back at her and then went to retrieve a cup of water. Water in hand, she parked herself near the kitchen entryway and slowly took a sip as she waited for Zhou Hui to speak. 

Unperturbed by the silence, Zhou Hui continued, “Once you get your diploma, finding a proper job will be much easier. Your Uncle Du told me that their factory is currently looking for a sales agent. Interested applicants only need a high school diploma and nothing else. I think this is a good opportunity for you, and… ”

Jiang Se stopped drinking when she realized what Zhou Hui was saying and abruptly raised her hand, interrupting Zhou Hui’s monologue. She placed the cup on the table and spoke to Zhou Hui in a soft tone, “I’m sorry for interrupting you, but I already mentioned last time that I don’t have any plans to forgo college. I also don’t want to work at the factory.”

Zhou Hui immediately looked sullen and there was a look of disapproval and annoyance in her eyes when she said, “Your grades have never been good enough and it’s just a waste of time to continue. Besides your—”

“This time,” Jiang Se interjected, as gently as she could, “I’m confident I did well in the exam. And like I said, I’ll pay for my college tuition fee. I already planned on looking for work this summer, and I’ll save up enough for any school fees as well as any living expenses. Don’t worry, I won’t need you or Uncle Du to pay for anything at all.”

Zhou Hui shook her head and muttered incoherently under her breath; it was clear to see that she did not believe a word of what Jiang Se just said. Zhou Hui felt frustrated and helpless, but she knew by the way her daughter was acting that Jiang Se was not going to listen to reason.

Admittedly, after her second marriage, her entire life centered around her new family, especially the two younger kids. And as the years passed, it was inevitable that her relationship with her older daughter would deteriorate; after all, she had a limited amount of energy, and she could not devote all of her time to Jiang Se—there was a house to run.

Zhou Hui also realized that when she looked at her daughter, she could not find anything to say other than the issue about her working. 

At night, she relayed everything Jiang Se told her to Du ChangQun, including the issue of her tuition fee. Du ChangQun only sneered in return: “I don’t care anymore. If she thinks she can earn enough money to continue ‘studying,’ then she’s free to do so. She better not expect a single cent from me.”

Du ChangQun did not lower his voice, and his biting words could be heard clearly through the floor. Jiang Se’s tiny room was directly below the couple’s bedroom, and she easily heard every biting word of rebuke.

“Ungrateful brat! Wasted all of the time and effort I spent to get her this job, and she doesn’t even know how to show her appreciation. She just graduated high school and thinks she’s a big deal, huh?  Fine, then, her food, her daily expenses, and even the utilities will be charged accordingly. Let’s see how long her arrogance can last!”   

His tirade continued for a while longer until Jiang Se overheard Zhou Hui softly agreeing with everything Du ChangQun said. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell her properly tomorrow.”

 It was a while before the husband and wife finished conversing and went to sleep, and Jiang Se could finally breathe easily.

She was genuinely relieved that Du ChangQun would not make her drop out of school. Her biggest worry had been that it would become a big issue and she would have to take drastic measures. Thankfully, the worst Du ChangQun could have done was to simply express his disapproval of her.

After getting that out of the way, Jiang Se could now devote her attention to her job search. She was not looking to earn a lot—just enough to get by. Her best bet was the screen test for ‘Fantasy to Reality’ that that girl mentioned in two days.

The following day, Jiang Se went to Lu BaoBao’s home. It was still quite early when she knocked on the door, but she could already hear Lu BaoBao’s mother admonishing her inside the house. 

Jiang Se waited patiently outside, and about a minute passed before Lu BaoBao finally opened the door. She was dressed in a pink nightgown, and her hair was slightly disheveled—likely from having just woken up—but what stood out the most was the glum expression on her face. “I’m so dead,” she sniffled, then waved dejectedly in greeting.

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and there were no signs of her typically cheerful self. “My dad told me if I didn’t get a passing grade in this exam, I would have to repeat the whole grade all over again. The whole grade!”

Lu BaoBao sniffed again, took a quick, timid glance behind her, and said quietly, “Yesterday, after the exam, I compared my answers with a classmate, and, well… I got most of my answers wrong!” Frankly, it came as no surprise that this was the result today. Lu BaoBao had barely opened her books to study in the days leading up to the exams; instead, she had spent the majority of her time looking for all kinds of celebrity gossip.

Jiang Se was about to respond when Lu BaoBao’s mother’s voice resounded through the foyer, asking, “Who’s at the door?”

Lu BaoBao quickly turned her body sideways and responded in a dull voice, “No one. Just my classmate!” after which she turned around and told Jiang Se: “My parents won’t allow me to go out with you anymore. They still haven’t forgiven me for lying to them last time, and they know we went to Shen Farms together.”

In her parents’ eyes, Jiang Se was a bad influence on their daughter, and they were not at all pleased to learn that Lu BaoBao was spending time with her. Their disapproval of Jiang Se was so obvious that they would not even invite her inside the home.

“Wait. Why are you here, by the way?” Lu BaoBao questioned, confused. She could not recall if they had made arrangements to go out.

“I just wanted to tell you something. Last time I went to the Imperial Academy of Film and Television, I met a student there and she told me about a screen test for the movie ‘Fantasy to Reality.’”

Hearing this unexpected piece of information, Lu BaoBao’s eyes widened, seemingly coming to life. She ducked her head and leaned in closer, speaking to Jiang Se in a low voice, “Really?”

Jiang Se nodded. “The audition is supposed to be tomorrow. It’s on the 13th floor of the Yi Jing Building somewhere in the inner ring1.”

“What? Oh no! Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” Lu BaoBao whined. “I can’t go tomorrow! My dad has been supervising me extra closely recently, and I have to review all the mock questionnaires in my room. He’s so cruel! If I get any answer wrong, I have to rewrite them several times! Just like Teacher Lin’s punishment.”

The irate Lu BaoBao continued her tirade, “I can’t even take one step out the door. Now that you showed up, my dad will be even stricter and will monitor everything I do. Why couldn’t you have told me before today?” she wailed with frustration.

“If you had, maybe I could have thought of a way to go, but now…” Lu BaoBao harped.

Hearing this, Jiang Se frowned almost imperceptibly and bluntly told her, “How could I? It was days before the exams, and I didn’t want to distract you. If I had told you, you would have spent all your time obsessing over it. Anyway, now that you know the address, if you have time to go, then go. If not, then just forget about it.”

“What do you mean, forget about it? I can’t forget about it,” Lu BaoBao grumbled discontentedly.

Lu BaoBao’s dad’s voice suddenly rumbled through the house, “Lu BaoBao!”

“Your father’s calling you. Go on back inside. I’ll see you another day. I’m going to head home first.”

Footnotes

While the setting of the story is not completely based on present China, it is loosely based on it, and Beijing, China’s capital, is bordered by three concentric circles, or rings, from the center of the city out. The first ring consists of the walls of the Forbidden City, and the subsequent rings loop around the heart of the city. As with most cities, the closer a location is to the heart (the central area), the more expensive and exclusive the place is (see https://davidgallan.medium.com/the-three-rings-of-beijing-33ffe1571f23).