Chapter 7

On February 16, 1997, the third round of the Beijing Film Academy's arts examination concluded. Wang Qian, accompanied by his childhood sweetheart Li Lingxiang, said a tearful farewell at the train station and boarded the train to return home.

"Brother Nian, good luck! Work hard to get into the Beijing Film Academy!"

"Okay!"

"Even if you don't get into the Beijing Film Academy, you must apply to a school in BJ!"

"Got it!"

"Even if you fail the college entrance exam, Brother Nian, you must come to BJ—draw comics with Xiaoxiang!"

"..."

Finally, Wang Qian boarded the train, gazing out the window at the passing scenery, and silently vowed—goodbye, BJ! I'll be back in a few months!

The results of the Beijing Film Academy's professional exams would not be available until at least March. Most candidates, like Wang Qian, returned home immediately after the third round of the exam.

This was because the professional exam scores were only part of the admission criteria. The other part was the college entrance exam scores.

Many candidates who scored well on the professional exams failed the college entrance exam, resulting in a double loss in both the arts and academic exams.

Wang Qian knew that many students in the acting program were already well-known actors before they applied, and they might have excellent professional exam scores but poor academic scores.

However, most candidates applying to the literature program were current high school seniors, many of whom had good academic scores. Some could even get into a first-tier university based on their college entrance exam scores alone. The less fortunate ones could still get into a third-tier university.

Therefore, Wang Qian reminded himself that he must continue to work hard and fully prepare for the college entrance exam to have a better chance of standing out among the fifty candidates who passed the third round of the literature program.

...

Back in TJ, Wang Qian found his home in this timeline based on his memory. When he saw his parents, his eyes welled up with tears!

They looked so similar!

Almost identical to his parents in 2014.

However, the difference was that his parents in this timeline had different names and backgrounds. In the original timeline, Wang Qian was from Jianghuai, and his family had been from the north of the river for generations.

In this timeline, his parents were from TJ, and their names were slightly different. They had moved from Jianghuai to TJ and settled there, still retaining a bit of the Jianghuai accent.

But this familiar feeling made Wang Qian feel warm and safe.

Wang Qian's family supported his application to the Beijing Film Academy, but they saw it as a shortcut to getting into a first-tier university. Based on his original academic performance, it was incredibly difficult for him to get into a first-tier university.

However, taking the arts exam at the Beijing Film Academy before the college entrance exam did not require much cost.

If he failed the arts exam, it would be like spending money on a trip to BJ to gain some experience.

"Study hard. If you don't get into the Beijing Film Academy, it's no big deal. You can fill in any undergraduate or vocational school," his mother said reasonably. "If you don't get into college, it's fine too. You can help with the family business!"

"Business?" Wang Qian was surprised. "What kind of business?"

In his memory, his parents in this timeline were laid-off workers. How did they suddenly become businessmen?

"Did you forget? Your father has been preparing to open a small supermarket. The 'Little Prince Supermarket' being renovated outside the neighborhood is ours," his mother said.

Wang Qian recalled seeing a small supermarket under renovation outside the neighborhood, with an area of about 50 square meters.

Whether the small supermarket had a future was hard to predict, as business could be profitable or loss-making. However, Wang Qian knew that in the next decade or so, real estate prices in most cities across the country would only rise.

Thinking about this, Wang Qian decided that once the family business made some money, he would definitely persuade his parents to buy the shop.

Other money-making projects were risky, but the appreciation of urban shops was almost risk-free, with an annual asset appreciation of over 20%.

...

The second semester of senior high school began, and there were only a few months left until the college entrance exam. Back at the ordinary high school, Wang Qian put in a lot of effort and his ranking soared in several mock exams.

In June, the scorching sun blazed. The school announced the grade rankings for this exam, and Wang Qian was at the top!

Then, Wang Qian unexpectedly met Xu Shanshan, the girl who had long dominated the top spot in the grade! Originally, the teachers predicted that no student in the school could challenge her first place.

However, this time, her first place was taken by Wang Qian!

"Are you Wang Qian from Class 2?" Xu Shanshan looked as if she had lost her virginity, filled with deep resentment!

"Huh?" Wang Qian was puzzled. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"I'm Xu Shanshan, the second-place student in this mock exam," Xu Shanshan said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, it's you!" Wang Qian found it a bit amusing that she was so upset over a mock exam ranking.

"Taking my first place, are you feeling smug?" Xu Shanshan's expression was a mix of anger and a hint of shyness.

"..." Wang Qian was speechless, not knowing how to respond. What did it mean to "take" the first place? If he had misheard, it sounded like she was accusing him of taking her "first time." That would be a serious accusation.

"Wang Qian, I'm applying to Peking University. Do you dare to bet and take the exam with me to Peking University?" Xu Shanshan suddenly blushed and asked in a hurried tone.

Based on Xu Shanshan's scores, getting into Peking University should not be difficult. Wang Qian's performance in this mock exam was even better, and if he performed normally in the college entrance exam, he should be able to get into Peking University too!

Wang Qian firmly refused: "Sorry, I'm not interested in Peking University!"

"Coward! Why don't you dare to apply to Peking University?!" Xu Shanshan felt both ashamed and angry. She had never known how to express her strange feelings to a boy, and this was the first time she had invited a boy to compete with her to get into the best university in the country, only to be rejected!

"Do you know what a dream is?" Wang Qian asked, finding it amusing.

"Dream? Isn't Peking University the best dream?!" Xu Shanshan said firmly.

"No, that's not a dream. Getting into a university, finding a stable job, and becoming a cog in society is living for others. The meaning of a dream is living for yourself, living differently from others. It's not about following others' paths but creating your own. It's not about learning but creating!" Wang Qian said firmly. "My dream is to create works that people will remember for decades or even centuries. Even as time passes, they will always be remembered by some. That's the meaning of life. Do you understand? So, I won't apply to Peking University, but to the Beijing Film Academy!"

After hearing Wang Qian's answer...

Xu Shanshan's face showed disappointment, and she muttered, "You'll regret it! Getting into Peking University or Tsinghua University is the right path. The future of the Film Academy can never compare to Peking University or Tsinghua University!"

As they parted ways, Wang Qian did not see that the top student, Xu Shanshan, was shedding tears. He had no idea that his bold declaration had left an indelible mark in her heart.

...

PS: When I logged into the author's backend, I was surprised to see that the number of favorites had reached 232. It seemed like there were only about 60 yesterday. After returning to Qidian, I saw a significant increase in just a few hours. Then I saw a comment in the book review section, and I realized that Wang Zijun had quietly promoted my chapter. I felt a bit warm inside and am deeply grateful to Wang Zijun for the timely promotion. [bookid=2952386, bookname=《Dreamy Fragrant River》]

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