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Could it be that Iâm anemic?
Purple Summers steadied herself on the staircase and slowly descended.
During breakfast, she still felt awful, her head was heavy and hazy, and her appetite was poor. Purple hesitated, should she take a day off?
Upon reflection, there were only a few days left in the semester, so she decided to go anywayâ¦
The driver took Purple to school, and she managed to catch a short nap in the car. By the time she got out, the discomfort had dissipated.
â¦Maybe it was just anemia.
She didnât take it to heart and continued her normal routine of going to school and studying hard for her exams.
However, that anemia-like sensation of haziness persisted on and off, and her body seemed to weaken. Purple attributed these changes to her recent intensive studying.
She adjusted her schedule, going to bed earlier in the evening, but to little avail.
A few days later, it was time for the final exams.
And after the exams, summer vacation would begin.
For other students, summer meant relaxation, but Purple couldnât afford to slack off. It had been a struggle just to get through the finals, and now she had to prepare fully for the judicial examination in October.
Considering that once school started in September, there would be many school activities and even heavier coursework, the two-month summer break was crucial for Purple.
With a pass rate of less than 2%, the difficulty of the National Judicial Examination was evident. Even though she had passed it once before, she had no assurance of succeeding a second time.
The subjects of the examination included the constitution, Civil Law, Criminal Law, and elective subjects like Administrative Law, Commercial Law, as well as evaluating the candidatesâ ethics, specialized knowledge and its application, and their ability to express themselves, among other things.
Most candidates would prepare for at least a year, but Purple only had a few short months.
This made her feel the pressure.
She wanted to give her full energy to studying, but her body seemed unable to keep up. Strangely enough, her condition would improve as soon as she left home.
Purple decided to study in the school library instead.
She would leave home before eight in the morning and return at nine in the evening; after coming home, she would wash up, rest, and go to bed at exactly ten oâclock.
Sometimes Atra Blanc would make some nutritious soup to boost her energy and bring it to her room, only to find her daughter already overcome with fatigue and asleep.
Atra Blanc was both distressed and worried, afraid that Purple would collapse from all the studying, but she also knew that no candidate found the time before an exam easy.
One day, the thing she feared most happened.
After breakfast, Purple, as usual, put on her bag and stepped out of the house. The moment she crossed the threshold, her body lurched forward, and she fainted on the ground.
When she came to again, she was already in the hospital.
Atra Blanc looked at her with tear-rimmed eyes and said with agony, âPurple, that judicial examination can wait until next year. Donât exhaust yourself like this, Iâm afraid you canât take itâ¦â
Purple sat up, holding her head, full of suspicion.
In the library, many students were pushing themselves harder than her, and some didnât rest until one oâclock in the morning. Why hadnât they fainted?
âMom, what did the doctor say?â Purple asked.
Atra Blanc shook her head: âThey couldnât find a reason; they said itâs possible you were too tired⦠You can rest at home or choose to stay in the hospital for observation for a couple of days.â
ââ¦Too tired?â Purple said incredulously. She was at an age brimming with energy; she wasnât a decrepit old lady. How could reading a few books make her faint?
Moreover, she was fine in the library. It was only at home that she felt uncomfortable.
The very thought of going home to rest made Purple furrow her brow unconsciously.
She didnât want to go back; the dizziness and discomfort would start all over again.
âPurple, letâs stay in the hospital for observation, okay?â Atra Blanc suggested. âWe can also do some more thorough checks.â
Atra Blancâs words were exactly what Purple wanted to hear.
âYeah, okay,â she nodded. She could study and review at the hospital without falling behind.
Just then, the door to the ward opened, and Alexander Summers walked in.
Purpleâs gaze drifted down to the bag of fruit in Alexanderâs hand.
Dragon fruit againâ¦
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