Chapter Seven: Excellence Is a Habit (Part One)

When the sky reveals a faint red thread, people know the morning glow has arrived. They often describe hard work with the saying, "up earlier than the rooster, to bed later than the dog," but some surpass even that—namely, the seniors preparing for university entrance exams. They rise before the first crow of the rooster to begin their morning study, and at night, they burn the midnight oil, poring over their books. This is perhaps the most arduous period of their school days. Yet, despite their exhaustion, they choose to persist, for everyone knows that if they endure, the world will open before them like the vast sea for fish to leap in and the high sky for birds to soar. After all, the greatest turning point in one’s life lies in the college entrance examination.

Before the sun has opened its dazzling eyes, the academic building of Innovation High School already echoes with the sound of students reading aloud. Though the official time for morning study has not yet arrived, many students are up early, believing that every extra minute spent with their books might earn them one more mark on the exam.

Wang Yuqing was among the first to arrive in the classroom, followed by Tan Linlin, who trailed behind, bleary-eyed, a piece of bread in one hand, soymilk in the other, and a steamed bun in her mouth. Mumbling as she ate, she grumbled to Wang Yuqing, “Yuqing, what time is it? You dragged me here so early! I’ve never woken up at this hour before—bad sleep will ruin a girl’s looks.”

Wang Yuqing smiled gently at her friend. “Linlin, I overheard our teacher say there’s a mock exam coming soon. Your grades are average right now—if you don’t put in a little more effort, be careful not to fall behind.” With that, Wang Yuqing took her seat, opened her Chinese textbook, and began to read.

Tan Linlin took a fierce bite of her bread, cursing the mock exam under her breath. She tossed her breakfast aside and sat down to study as well.

Meanwhile, in the boys’ dormitory on the third floor, inside room 302, Lin Xudong reached out from beneath his covers to switch on his desk lamp. He checked his watch: ten past four. The dormitory lights wouldn’t come on until five. He threw off his blanket and dressed quietly, careful not to disturb the other sleeping boys.

Two minutes later, fully dressed and shoes on, he stood and tapped the metal frame of the upper bunk—Xiao Lin’s bed. This was their arrangement: every time Lin Xudong got up, he would wake Xiao Lin in this way.

Xiao Lin opened his sleepy eyes and stretched, hearing Lin Xudong say, “Time to get up.”

He mumbled a response and began to dress. Once they were both ready, the two of them took their wash basins, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and face wash out to the corridor to freshen up.

Each floor had two large washrooms for the students. Soon enough, they were done and returned to their dorm to put away their things. Lin Xudong picked up his textbook, but Xiao Lin brought nothing. Together, they left the room. Yuan Weiye was still murmuring in his sleep—what he was saying, only the gods would know.

On the track outside, the sky was still black as ink and not even the roosters had begun to crow, but there were already scattered shadows moving about. Lin Xudong found a spot to squat and recite his lessons—not by reading, for it was too dark to see, but from memory. He believed that reciting texts in an open space was most effective. Xiao Lin, meanwhile, took off his coat, leaving only his sweater, tossed the coat beside Lin Xudong, and began to run laps around the track.

Morning runs were a daily ritual for Xiao Lin. Only while running could he forget certain things, let go of painful memories. Last night, he had thought of Ma Yunrou, the girl who haunted his dreams, whose image he could never erase, no matter how deeply she had hurt him.

Ma Yunrou was a goddess in her own right—her beauty was of a different kind from Wang Yuqing’s. Wang Yuqing’s was a beauty of grace and intellect, pure and fresh as a lotus blossom. Ma Yunrou, on the other hand, was like a peony: noble, sacred, and untouchable. She was clever, too; she knew how to present herself, how to read others, how to live. In junior high, Ma Yunrou and Xiao Lin had dated and shared a mutual affection. Xiao Lin had loved her deeply, but for certain reasons, she eventually left. To Xiao Lin, she was his first love, and no first love is ever truly forgotten.

The reveille sounded through the campus, shattering the morning calm and the students’ dreams. The dormitory lights flickered on, water splashed in the washrooms, and the students’ busy day began.

More and more people appeared on the track—students and teachers alike. By now, Xiao Lin had run countless laps. Sweating, he returned to Lin Xudong, grabbed his coat, and shrugged it on. “Come on, Doctor—enough reciting. It’s time for class.”

Lin Xudong closed his book and nodded, and together they walked toward the academic building.

By the time they reached their classroom, more than a dozen students were already there, reading. Lin Xudong immediately spotted Tan Linlin, who was engrossed in her book. He circled her desk, as if discovering a new continent. “Well, this is a first! The sun must be rising in the west—who would have thought you’d be among the first to class?”

“Hmph! I hereby declare that from now on, I’m going to study hard and strive to the top. When the mock exam comes, I’ll be a star student!” Tan Linlin wrinkled her cute nose and punched the air with a tiny fist.

Noticing the sweat on Xiao Lin’s forehead and his coat hanging open, Wang Yuqing stood up and handed him a pack of tissues from her desk. “Here, wipe your sweat. It’s cold in winter—put your coat on properly after exercise or you’ll catch a chill.”

Xiao Lin looked at the pink tissue packet and then at Wang Yuqing’s earnest, caring face, slightly startled. “No, thank you,” he replied politely, not taking the tissues, and returned to his seat.

He was not naturally cold; he had simply closed off his heart. Though he was not open to others’ concern, he still maintained the manners instilled in him since childhood.

Wang Yuqing said nothing more, simply sat back down and continued reading.

“Xiao Lin, you used to be the first one in your class every morning. I remember the motto on your desk: ‘Excellence is a habit.’ My plan now is to follow all your good study habits, to remind you of who you were at Donghai Middle School,” Wang Yuqing thought to herself.