Xia Xiaolan had principles when offering encouragement.

First, she wanted to motivate Jiang Yan to focus on treatment, checking on her occasionally so she wouldn’t feel completely abandoned.

Then, she would praise Jiang Yan’s character, acknowledging her moral principles. There was no benefit in pushing such a principled woman toward darkness and unscrupulous methods!

Active treatment and maintaining a positive outlook – as Xia Xiaolan said, she wasn’t afraid of competition from Zhou Cheng.

Love without genuine feelings wouldn’t last, and true love couldn’t be broken!

When saying goodbye to Jiang Yan at the door, Jiang Yan called out:

“Xia Xiaolan, thanks!”

Xia Xiaolan waved it off, “Don’t thank me. In the future, just communicate normally when needed!”

After Xia Xiaolan left, the Black female nurse came in, noticed the fresh flowers on the table, and smiled showing her white teeth: “Your friend cares about you. I saw her talking with Dr. Belman for a long time!”

Jiang Yan stared at the flowers absent-mindedly, then shook her head after a while:

“She’s not my friend… we’re love rivals.”

The Black nurse wasn’t surprised, having seen all sorts of relationships in the hospital. She moved her plump body: “Oh, well, that’s quite a nice love rival you have!”

Yes, she was quite nice.

No wonder Zhou Cheng liked her.

Jiang Yan closed her eyes, her mind in turmoil.

…

Visiting Jiang Yan was both convenient and intentional. After confirming Jiang Yan was recovering well, Xia Xiaolan had no reason to stay – was she supposed to wait for Jiang Yan to offer her hospital food?

After resting for a day in New York and taking Liu Fen and Grandmother Yu sightseeing, they returned to Ithaca.

Professor Wen and his wife invited Liu Fen and Grandmother Yu to stay at their home. Considering Min Xiaoju was also with them, Xia Xiaolan thought it would be too crowded at the Wens’, so she booked a hotel in Ithaca town.

Liu Fen was incredibly grateful to Professor Wen and his wife. Just seeing how Wen Manni had helped during their San Francisco trip showed how well the Wen family took care of Xia Xiaolan.

Visiting the Wen house, seeing the appliances and furniture on both floors – this was middle-class standard in America, a level that even wealthy people and leading officials in China might not achieve. What was there for Xiaolan to complain about in such living conditions?

Safe, comfortable, and with people who cared – seeing Xiaolan living at the Wens’ with her own eyes, Liu Fen finally felt less worried about her daughter’s life in America.

The items they brought from China had traveled from China to New York, then to San Francisco, and finally to Ithaca. Besides duplicating Xia Xiaolan’s original belongings, Liu Fen had brought pure cashmere blankets and silk shawls as gifts for Professor Wen and his wife. These were export-quality items in China, and she thought Chinese Americans like the Wens would appreciate them.

Wen Manni and Klaus had already received their gifts earlier.

Hu Ying particularly liked the silk shawl:

“You’ve raised Xiaolan so well. Getting an A+ from Professor McCarthy right after arriving at Cornell – that’s incredible!”

Liu Fen felt embarrassed.

She didn’t know why Xiaolan excelled in her studies, as she lacked education herself and had never helped with homework.

Even though Liu Fen was studying now, it was only fashion-related subjects and management. She knew nothing about architecture.

Hearing that Professor McCarthy was particularly strict, yet Xiaolan got an A+, Liu Fen was very happy.

“It’s all thanks to your care. I don’t know how to thank you and Professor Wen. I didn’t raise this child – she’s always met excellent teachers who taught her well!”

First were Teacher Wang and Principal Sun from Anqing County No. 1 School, then the teachers at Huaqing University.

Then she met Mao Kangshan.

Now there was Professor Wen, Cornell’s Professor McCarthy, and other professors… Liu Fen was grateful to them all. Without these teachers’ dedicated instruction, how could Xiaolan have achieved what she has today?

Hu Ying made an approving sound, “Good teachers help, but it also depends on how the individual learns. Just wait and see – this daughter of yours will bring you many honors in the future.”

No parent doesn’t hope for their child to excel.

Even in America, where parents respect their children’s career choices more, how could street drug dealers compare with dignified professions like doctors and lawyers?

Whatever career one chooses, strive to be among the best in that field. Hu Ying felt Xia Xiaolan had that potential. If she stayed on this path without going astray, she would be among the top architects in the future!

Professor Wen called Xia Xiaolan over:

“Good timing that you’re back. The Wilson Hotel is starting its new Washington project. Since your team won the C·W Architectural Design Competition, Wilson Hotel has invited you to participate in the design. They contacted Cornell and even called our home.”

Whoever won the championship would get to participate in designing Wilson Hotel’s new Washington location.

Xia Xiaolan didn’t know what this participation meant. Such projects usually involved bidding from major architectural firms, with different firms submitting different designs for Wilson Hotel to choose from… how could Cornell undergraduates participate?

A thought flashed through Xia Xiaolan’s mind, “Could it be an internship at the firm? Participating in the new hotel design during the internship!”

Mr. Holmes from P&W’s invitation!

Or perhaps Foster + Partners from Britain?

After all, both firms had sent judges for the C·W Architectural Design Competition. If they both wanted to win the Wilson Hotel Washington project, their active support of the C·W competition made sense.

Xia Xiaolan had a headache – being assigned to either Foster or P&W would be awkward. She had rejected both Mr. Dick from Foster and Mr. Holmes from P&W – well, wasn’t this truly a case of “look up and see how heaven spares no one”?

Professor Wen shattered her hopes:

“From what I know now, that’s exactly the case. Wilson Hotel supports it, and the School of Architecture agrees. You know the summer semester is short – the school will adjust your schedules. The top three teams from the C·W competition can all intern at firms.”

Getting to intern at a major firm before junior year – what an incredible opportunity!

Professor Wen thought this arrangement was flawless. Xia Xiaolan rubbed her chin, “They can’t put all three top teams in one firm, right? Will we be split up? Do we follow their arrangements, or can we choose which firm to go to?”

Professor Wen laughed at her question:

“You want to choose? Tell me, which firm would you like to go to?”

“Well, Foster and P&W aren’t suitable – I’ve rejected both of them before, it would be too awkward. I don’t know which other firms are bidding, so it’s hard to choose…”

Do you want to go to either Foster or P&W?

Professor Wen felt a bit frustrated, then realized – as Mao Kangshan’s student, he would be the most concerned:

“You’d better ask your teacher’s opinion, and of course coordinate with the school. Also, talk to Professor McCarthy – see if he can help arrange for you to go to a firm you prefer!”