The sun was high in the sky by the time Xu Jie and Tang Rui finally emerged from her bedroom. Their bodies ached with a pleasant tiredness, and though the world outside buzzed with everyday noise, they remained wrapped in a peaceful stillness. Every look between them was heavy with memory, every brush of fingers tinged with quiet affection.
But the calm didn't last long.
Their phones had barely stopped vibrating. Messages flooded in—from friends, classmates, school groups—all echoing the same anxious question: "Did you get in?"
Xu Jie sat at the kitchen counter, one arm draped loosely around Tang Rui's shoulders as she nervously refreshed the results page on her laptop. They had already opened their own results that morning in private, but now the full list was being published. Tang Rui hesitated, then clicked the link.
Their names were there.
Xu Jie – Central Capital University – Department of Game Development and Engineering.Tang Rui – Central Capital University – Department of Computer Science and Visual Design.
Side by side.
"Look," she whispered, pointing at the screen with wide eyes. "We're there. Both of us. Together."
Xu Jie leaned in, a slow smile spreading across his face. "I told you," he murmured. "We're unstoppable."
She turned and hugged him tightly, her heart thudding against his. All the late nights, the whispered words of encouragement, the promises made in hallways and under starlit skies—they had all led here.
He kissed her hair gently, letting the weight of it all settle in.
This wasn't just a victory. It was a beginning.
Later that day, Xu Jie stood in front of a house bathed in warm afternoon sunlight. A modest luxury home tucked into a quiet, tree-lined street—the one he had bought with the money from his game, every square meter paid for in silence, sweat, and solitary coding sessions.
Today, he wasn't arriving alone.
His mother stepped out of the taxi with a small suitcase in hand, her expression a mix of awe and disbelief.
"This is… ours?" she asked, voice trembling.
Xu Jie nodded and took the bag from her. "It's home now."
Tears welled in her eyes. For years, she had carried them both on her back, working extra shifts, giving up little joys so he could chase big dreams. Now, he had given her something she never dared to hope for: a future shaped by comfort and dignity.
Inside, she walked from room to room in silent wonder, pausing at the balcony where golden light spilled across the tiled floor.
Xu Jie followed her quietly. "You don't have to work anymore, Mom. I mean it."
She turned to him, her fingers brushing his cheek like he was still her little boy. "You've grown into someone I can be proud of."
Meanwhile, across the city, Tang Rui's mother stood in the hallway of their apartment, arms crossed, eyes narrowing at the sight of her daughter entering with a dreamy expression and a boy trailing behind her.
She had known something was different. A mother always knows.
But she hadn't expected this.
Xu Jie bowed politely. "Hello, Auntie. I'm Xu Jie."
Tang Rui's mother blinked. The name clicked—top scorer, scholarship student, the developer behind that hit mobile game… and the boy who'd spent more time with her daughter than any teacher or classmate.
Still, maternal instincts rose like a tide. Her daughter was young, her future still fragile.
Tang Rui took her mother's hand. "Mom, I wanted you to meet him properly. Xu Jie and I… we're together. And we both got into Central Capital University."
That gave her mother pause.
She glanced between them, noting how Tang Rui stood beside him—not behind, not hesitant. There was confidence in her eyes. Not just in him, but in herself.
"I know it's sudden," Tang Rui continued. "But I love him. And I wanted you to know."
The room fell into a long silence.
Then her mother sighed and sat down at the edge of the couch. "Tell me about him," she said softly. "I want to understand."
And for the first time in her life, Tang Rui saw her mother make an effort not just to protect—but to support.
They talked for nearly an hour. About his background, his game, how he'd bought his mother a house. About how he had studied with Tang Rui, cared for her, encouraged her.
Her mother nodded slowly. "He's not what I expected. But he's good to you."
Tang Rui smiled. "He's more than that. He believes in me."
That evening, Xu Jie helped her mother carry groceries from the corner store. They talked about small things—vegetables, cooking, whether he could handle spicy food. When they returned, she looked at him differently. Not as a stranger, but someone who might just belong.
But the real challenge came a day later.
Tang Rui's father returned from a trip to the province, expecting the usual calm of home.
Instead, he found his daughter chatting on the balcony with a boy whose face he didn't recognize. A boy in casual clothes, leaning against the railing like he owned the place.
He pulled his wife aside. "Who is that? And why is he here?"
Tang Rui's mother hesitated. "That's Xu Jie. Rui's… boyfriend. They both got into Central Capital University."
He frowned deeply. "That kid? Isn't he the one whose mother worked in the same factory I used to oversee?"
"She's retired now," his wife replied. "Xu Jie bought her a house. With his own money."
"From what? Selling lottery tickets?"
"No," she said firmly. "He developed a game. One that earned real revenue. He's gifted, and he's taking care of his family."
Her husband didn't respond immediately. His eyes went back to the boy on the balcony, watching how Tang Rui smiled at him, how Xu Jie listened closely, laughed gently, stood with quiet confidence.
Still, his old biases stirred. Years in business had taught him caution. A poor boy rising fast… how long would it last? What if he was using his daughter as a stepping stone?
"I'll have a talk with him," he said coldly.
That evening, the tension in the apartment shifted.
Xu Jie could feel it before a word was spoken—Tang Rui's father watching him with wary eyes, measuring, doubting. He stood tall, ready to answer, but also ready to be judged.
Tang Rui reached for his hand under the table.
Her father's words didn't come right away. But the unspoken weight in the room said it all.
And so, the next test had begun.