When Zhou Cheng later told Xia Xiaolan about the incident, she too was speechless.

“Third Brother is single for a reason, let’s not meddle.”

“Admiration” had multiple meanings here.

It included respect, worship, fondness, and other emotions.

Bai Zhenzhu was simply Pan Bohua’s fangirl.

She was the type of fangirl who could have developed into a girlfriend, but how did Pan Third Brother handle it? He established her as an opposite-sex brother!

Only Pan Third Brother could pull off such a move.

It was surprising at first, but thinking carefully, wasn’t this just Pan Bohua’s style? His straightforward nature, focused solely on his path, made any action unsurprising. Perhaps she and Zhou Cheng were overthinking it, making something simple and complicated.

“From Third Brother’s expression, he wasn’t joking. Until Jiang Yan resolves her personal relationship issues, Third Brother’s promise remains valid.”

At the mention of Jiang Yan, Zhou Cheng wisely kept quiet.

Smart men must have survival instincts, so Zhou Cheng changed the subject:

“Darling, you’re about to have exams, will you return home after them?”

Time flew by so quickly!

Pan Bohua had recovered and left the hospital, returning to his unit in uniform, and Zhou Cheng naturally returned to duty as well.

December arrived in a flash, and during this time, no one had troubled Xia Xiaolan further. She had expected Mrs. Wilson to cause problems, but the woman remained quiet as a mouse, seemingly forgetting her previous threats.

This was certainly for the best. Xia Xiaolan focused on her studies in the final month, hoping to conclude her year as an exchange student perfectly with these last exams.

“I’ll need a couple of days after the exams to wrap things up here in America.”

During her year in America, she made new friends and formed new connections.

But her roots were in China – her career, family, and lover were all there. No matter how pleasant campus life at Cornell was, it was just a temporary harbor for recharging and rest.

She couldn’t stay in her comfort zone forever.

Stay still too long and her bones would rust – it was time to return home!

“I’ll come pick you up when you return,” Zhou Cheng promised.

Xia Xiaolan painfully declined: “I know you don’t have much leave left this year. Save what little remains for Spring Festival – you need to visit your parents. When I return, I’ll have more time off, so I can visit you at the base!”

It wasn’t just couples who missed each other.

The Zhou family also missed Zhou Cheng.

Zhou’s elderly parents grew a year older with each passing year. Though they seemed healthy now, their remaining years were counting down, and they naturally wanted to see Zhou Cheng!

Zhou Cheng appreciated Xia Xiaolan’s understanding.

Others often thought Xia Xiaolan was too dominant, would overshadow Zhou Cheng, and wouldn’t submit to authority.

But why would Zhou Cheng need to control his wife?

A wife wasn’t a soldier under his command who needed to follow orders – she needed to be cherished. His wife was more considerate than those demanding women, so he should cherish and accommodate her even more… Anyone who questioned their relationship dynamic was just being nosy!

Xia Xiaolan was in excellent condition as she completed her final exams.

Her friends also performed well, but after the last exam, no one was particularly happy.

The reason was obvious – Xia Xiaolan was returning to China.

Her year as an exchange student at Cornell was ending!

Farewells always bring sadness.

“Summer, can’t you stay?”

Time had passed swiftly, and unknowingly, Daisy had undergone a complete transformation.

Healthy diet, adjusted lifestyle, changed mindset – Daisy was no longer the slightly chubby girl with an acne-covered face.

Now her skin was smooth, with faint acne marks not affecting her overall confidence, and her figure had become more slender and proportionate. While not exactly a beauty – using “beauty” to describe Cornell students would seem superficial – she was a confident, cheerful female student!

Richard and Lyle had undergone similar changes.

Richard’s red hair was no longer messy.

Lyle had stopped letting his weight increase unchecked.

“Self-discipline” was a good habit. Once you understood self-discipline and knew the direction of your efforts, everything changed for the better.

The Loser Trio?

No, that title no longer existed.

If you had to give Daisy’s group a nickname now, “The Comeback Trio” would be more fitting.

The three had shown mediocre performance in their first year and a half of school but spent a year transforming into their current selves. They proved through actions that even without the best aptitude, one could still change through effort… All three knew deeply that such change was thanks to Xia Xiaolan.

It wasn’t that Xia Xiaolan had worked hard for them – she had influenced them in every aspect!

None wanted Xia Xiaolan to leave, and they hadn’t given up their final efforts to persuade her to stay.

“Summer, if you’re willing to stay at Cornell, the school would agree. You could change from an exchange student to a full-time student… God, just thinking about you returning to China makes me feel terrible!”

“Can you bear to leave us? To leave Professor McCarthy and Cornell?”

Xia Xiaolan couldn’t bear it.

Her nose stung, but she forced a smile:

“Don’t be silly. You know I’m someone who plans things out, and the one-year exchange was my plan. Although I’m returning to China, it doesn’t mean I can never come to America again, right? Technology advances so quickly – transportation and communication will become even more convenient. My friends, we won’t lose touch!”

True friendship is like pure water.

Distance isn’t an obstacle to maintaining friendship.

Like-minded friends always have common topics. If a friendship fails, there’s only one reason – people take different paths and make choices that others cannot accept!

McCarthy watched from afar.

This Chinese student had refused his invitation, determined to leave Cornell and return to China.

McCarthy had sworn to ignore this foolish, short-sighted student, but now that Xia Xiaolan was leaving, he couldn’t help but approach.

Daisy and the others were saying they wanted to throw a farewell party for Xia Xiaolan.

McCarthy happened to hear this and stopped. Perhaps he should attend this party?

…

Many people came to the party.

Friends Xia Xiaolan had made at Cornell were there. Even Daniel was slightly tipsy when he invited Xia Xiaolan to dance:

“I’ve never successfully asked you out, Summer. Please don’t let me become Cornell’s laughingstock!”

So this dance was necessary.

Daniel was a gentleman, and Xia Xiaolan acknowledged his gentlemanly nature.

He had tried to ask her out, and though unsuccessful, he hadn’t turned bitter or resentful. Instead, he often joked about it himself. No wonder such a faultless Daniel had become a popular figure at Cornell and the object of many girls’ dating desires.

“Let’s dance. This dance is a must, and I’m happy to be your partner.”

Daniel smiled, “Yes, if not a date, at least I have this dance of friendship!”

What started as a student party saw Professor McCarthy appear at the door with a stern face.