[Gold Powder GL] True Elegance Comes with Knowledge - Chapter 35

That day, after school, Qingqiu went to Yan Hui’s house. As soon as she walked in, she saw a large gramophone sitting in the living room.

“Where did this come from?” She put down her bag and walked over to ask.

Yan Hui was sprawled lazily on the sofa, listening to music. At Qingqiu’s question, she replied lazily, “Found it in a second-hand shop.”

A phonograph like that certainly wasn’t cheap, but being second-hand must have made it a lot more affordable. Qingqiu didn’t press further. After taking another look, she turned and sat down next to Yan Hui.
“What made you want to buy this?”

“Hm.” Yan Hui turned her head, resting her cheek on one hand, and looked at her meaningfully. “Take a guess?”

“How am I supposed to guess what you’re thinking?” Qingqiu averted her gaze.

“Really? I thought I was easy to figure out.” Yan Hui sat up and leaned in closer, her voice low. “Stay the night, and I’ll tell you.”

“You’re so improper.” Qingqiu reached out and pushed her away. “We need to do homework.”

“Ugh.” Yan Hui sat up straight and sighed dramatically. “Some people—when you ignore them, they chase you around asking why you won’t be with them. But once you finally agree to be with them, they turn all serious and start talking about responsibilities instead of being close.”

“You have some nerve! How is this my fault?” Qingqiu frowned. “Even in a close relationship, there has to be boundaries. But you.”

At that, her cheeks flushed pink, and she bit her lip hard, choosing not to continue.

“My bad.” Yan Hui raised one hand in a mock pledge. “But you can’t let one bad experience make you paranoid forever, right?”

Qingqiu was, of course, referring to the last time they were nearly caught getting intimate by Mrs. Leng at her house.

Qingqiu had never been exactly enthusiastic about physical intimacy, but she wasn’t opposed either. Being at that age where love and curiosity bloom, having such a close partner naturally led to a desire to explore.

But after that near-miss, she’d grown wary. Even the smallest sound made her jumpy, and eventually, she pulled away from Yan Hui altogether, hoping no one would notice anything unusual.

Yan Hui respected her caution—but if being in a relationship made them more distant than before, sneaking around like spies, then what was the point?

So, she came up with a number of ideas to reignite Qingqiu’s interest.

The gramophone was just one of many props.

Qingqiu, of course, had her own reasoning. Their schedules were already packed; now with the added effort of dating and going on dates, time and energy were even more limited. So, her rejection wasn’t just about getting caught—only about 30% of it was. The other 70% was simply her trying to refocus their energy back on schoolwork.

They were graduating this year. Not only did they have to prepare for the school’s final exams, but also for the university entrance exams. There was no time to waste.

So, when Yan Hui made her little offer, Qingqiu thought about the upcoming exams and replied, “Let’s wait until after exams.”

“You said it!” Yan Hui immediately responded.

Qingqiu felt her tone carried a hint of danger, but after thinking about it, decided there was nothing wrong with what she said. “Yes, I said it.”

“Then let’s go—time to do our homework.” Yan Hui stood up right away, gently pushing her toward the study, not forgetting to turn off the gramophone as they passed.

From then on, neither of them brought up the topic again. They focused all their attention on studying.

The graduation exam wasn’t much of a concern for them—they just needed to study steadily. But the entrance exam for Peking University was another matter. Even after months of intense prep, they knew other candidates might have been preparing for even longer.

Yan Hui had privately considered that if things didn’t go well, she’d settle for getting into the university’s preparatory course.

Still, they remained tense, not daring to relax for a moment.

Fortunately, both of them had strong nerves. While the preparation period was filled with anxiety, by the time the exams came, they had calmed down, ready to perform with steady hands and clear minds. After all, there were always students who broke down in the exam hall, overwhelmed by the pressure.

Yan Hui even overheard someone saying that their mind had gone completely blank in front of the paper, unable to remember a single thing they wrote.

So, when she met Qingqiu after the exam, she didn’t ask how it went. Instead, she smiled and brought up their earlier agreement. “We said we’d go to my place after the exam. Time to make good on that, right?”
Qingqiu glanced at her.

Yan Hui thought she might back out. After all, they were both physically and mentally exhausted from the exam and could use a proper rest. But to her surprise, Qingqiu smiled and said cheerfully, “Sure!”

Her openness actually made Yan Hui feels a little uneasy.

It wasn’t until they got back to Yan Hui’s place—after Qingqiu gave money to Uncle Zhao, Aunt Zhao, and their daughter Xiaoping, telling them not to return before dark, leaving the house entirely to the two of them—that Yan Hui realized Qingqiu’s behavior wasn’t out of character after all.

It was just like how students throw textbooks and notes from the rooftop after the college entrance exam.

A moment of post-liberation indulgence.

Realizing this, Yan Hui couldn’t help but get excited herself.

How could she not be? This moment marked a complete break from everything that had come before. Cold Qingqiu had finally stepped into a new world—one she’d never return from.

And beyond all that, there was the real possibility they might get into Peking University.

Peking University!

And not just any Peking University—the Peking University of the 1920s, full of passion, brilliance, and revolutionary spirit.

Who hasn’t dreamed, as a child, of choosing between Tsinghua and Beida? Most people—including the original Jin Yan Hui—grew up and realized it was just a fantasy. Even though Yan Hui had always been a top student, consistently ranking among the best in her year, she had still missed out on those dream schools.

But now, she had another shot.

Of course, the results weren’t out yet, so she couldn’t say for sure—but that’s exactly why it was the perfect time to dream. Like buying a lottery ticket and imagining you’re a millionaire before the draw, or flipping through a card pack and dreaming of drawing that rare SSR before the last card is revealed.

When Qingqiu turned back, she found that Yan Hui had already locked the door.

The gramophone was still sitting in the living room. Aunt Zhao had placed a floral cloth over it. Yan Hui lifted the cloth, revealing the machine underneath. She took out a record and got ready to play it.

Qingqiu had never used one before. She leaned in to watch, shoulder to shoulder with her.

The needle dropped. Music poured out.

Yan Hui turned and extended a hand to Qingqiu, inviting her to dance.

Qingqiu smiled knowingly and placed her hand in hers.

They didn’t understand the lyrics, sung in some foreign tongue, but they danced anyway, holding each other close in the music’s embrace—celebrating a future within reach, and a love that would never fade.