Chapter 7: Sudden and Violent Advance
After leaving the study room, Lu Yan went to a small restaurant outside the school and casually ate something. When he returned home, it was already 9:30 in the evening. As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Xia Qiu sitting on the sofa, with the TV not turned on, looking like she had a lot on her mind.
"Mom, I'm back." Lu Yan said while changing his slippers.
"Yan Yan, come here and Mom wants to talk to you about something."
Lu Yan changed his shoes and walked over to sit down beside Xia Qiu.
"Mom, go ahead and say it."
"Summer is approaching, and you're about to graduate. Mom wants to discuss work with you. She has connections through acquaintances, if you're willing, she can help you get into Western State TV or the Western State Daily. Mom has been in this industry for decades and has some connections, you studied journalism, entering a media profession is also suitable." Xia Qiu used to be the leading female anchor of Wuzhou City TV Station, now that she's older, she's retired behind the scenes and serves as the deputy director of Wuzhou City TV Station.
"Mom, I've thought it through, I'm going to take the civil service exam in Xizhou Province." Lu Yan said calmly.
"Are you going to take the civil service exam? Which unit do you plan to apply for?" Lu Yan's answer was a bit unexpected for Xia Qiu. When Lu Xiao Dong was around, every step of Lu Yan's growth and development didn't require his mother to worry, Lu Xiao Dong naturally arranged everything and chose the path that would be most helpful to Lu Yan's development within their capabilities. Now that Lu Xiao Dong had gotten into trouble, Xia Qiu naturally took on the responsibility of paving the way for her son's future. She thought about it all day and finally decided to let Lu Yan work in the media industry, but unexpectedly, Lu Yan was more determined than she was and had already made his own decision.
"Western Province Youth League Provincial Committee." Lu Yan enunciated each word heavily, "I looked at the job posting for this year's Western Province civil service examination, and the Western Province Youth League Provincial Committee is also recruiting."
When she heard her son say his own choice, Xia Qiu's heart suddenly tightened. From her understanding of Lu Yan, she felt that he was being sarcastic with Zhang Hongguang.
"Wherever I fall, I will get up from there. Zhang Hongguang said that I couldn't enter the Provincial Youth League Committee, but I just want to prove it to him. Without his help, I can still rely on my own abilities to enter the Provincial Youth League Committee." Lu Yan's tone revealed determination.
Lu Yan's words made Xia Qiu even more convinced that Lu Yan was just trying to provoke Zhang Guang, and she quickly advised her son: "Yan Yan, don't be impulsive, taking the civil service exam is not a simple matter. The current job market is so bad, many people are flocking to take the exam. If you don't pass this time, after graduation, you'll miss the best opportunity to find a job. And now our family situation is like this."
Xia Qiu didn't say anything more, but Lu Yan had already understood Xia Qiu's meaning. Xia Qiu thought that he was being foolish to take the provincial committee exam just to spite Zhang Hongguang. After Lu Xiaodong got into trouble, their original friends all kept a distance from Xia Qiu and his mother. It wasn't easy for Xia Qiu to find someone to help him get into TV or newspaper work. If he chose to take the civil service exam and didn't pass, it wouldn't be so simple to find a job through connections.
Lu Yan himself understood that taking the official path had always been his dream. He didn't have the same "noble" sentiments as others, who claimed to be motivated by a desire to serve the people, only to squander the people's hard-earned wealth. Since he was old enough to remember, his father Lu Xiaodong had been his idol, and he had always wanted to follow in his footsteps and become an official just like him.
"Mom, trust me, I'm not being impulsive," Lu Yan said slowly. "Taking the civil service exam is a decision I made after careful consideration. I think taking the official path is the most suitable choice for me."
Looking at her son's resolute appearance, Xia Qiu didn't know what to say anymore. Lu Xiao Dong and Xia Qiu had always adhered to open education in terms of educating their children, and Xia Qiu had always been very respectful of Lu Yan's own decisions. Now that her son was grown up and had his own thoughts, Xia Qiu as a mother couldn't interfere too much. Xia Qiu thought that if only Lu Xiao Dong were here, she wouldn't be so troubled, and their son could also smoothly enter the Provincial Party Committee.
"Yan Yan, you've made up your mind, so be brave and go for it. If there's anything difficult, tell Mom. I'm a bit tired, I'll go take a nap first." Xia Qiu said as she got up and headed towards the bedroom, thinking of Lu Xiao Dong, her eyes couldn't help but get a little moist. She didn't want her son to see her sad expression, so she quickly chose to retreat.
Nothing happened that night. At 6:00 the next morning, Lu Yan had already gotten up. He was still thinking about going to reserve a seat as he had promised Lin Xiaoqun yesterday, so he hastily ate some breakfast and rode his bike to school.
The road conditions were good in the morning, and when Lu Yan arrived at school, the library had not yet opened, but a long queue had already formed at the entrance. Seeing this situation, Lu Yan felt anxious in his heart, fearing that if he went in late, he would not be able to occupy a seat. Without paying attention to following the order or whether anyone recognized him, he hugged his school bag and squeezed forward. Lu Yan was tall and sturdy, and soon he squeezed into the position near the door, which also naturally brought about a burst of scolding sounds.
Seven o'clock was the opening time of the library. The moment the door opened, Lu Yan felt a strong force pushing him forward from behind, and he couldn't help but be swept into the entrance by the crowd. Looking at the shadows rushing past beside him, Lu Yan quickly identified the direction of yesterday's study room and followed everyone in a rush.
One minute later, Lu Yan was already sitting in the study room, panting heavily. His backpack was placed on the desk beside him. When Lu Yan came in, there were not many people in the study room yet, so he occupied two seats by the window, which also happened to be next to the aisle, making it very convenient for entering and exiting.
In just a short while, all the seats in this self-study room were already occupied. There were still students coming over to ask if there was anyone next to the students who had reserved seats, and some would occasionally come over to ask if there was anyone on Lu Yan's side. But at that time, he didn't even have the energy to care about these classmates, and just casually replied that someone was there. He was facing away from the aisle, taking out a tissue to carefully wipe down the seat next to him.
"Excuse me, is anyone sitting inside?" The speaker was a girl with an extremely pleasant voice, but to Lu Yan's ears, it sounded a bit awkward. Others would look at him occupying two seats and ask if they were taken, but this girl was different - she clearly saw him wiping down the seat inside, yet still asked if there was anyone sitting inside.
"There is someone." Lu Yan's tone was slightly stiff.
"Can I sit down then?" the girl continued to ask. This sentence suddenly made Lu Yanlei stunned, obviously telling someone that there was someone, but still asking if she could sit down, Lu Yan suspected whether this girl was a brainless person or not.
Lu Yan felt he had nothing more to say and was about to ask if the girl couldn't understand human language. As soon as he turned around, he saw a delicate and beautiful face smiling at him, and the words that were on his lips were hastily swallowed back. His blood rushed from his heart to his forehead, and his face flushed with heat.
