October 1st, National Day. It was when all major tourist attractions were packed to the point of making one question life itself.

Especially in Beijing City.

Fortunately, Cheng Suo had made arrangements throughout the journey. Once their plane landed, a car took them directly to the entrance of Cheng Ming Ze’s school.

By then, Cheng Ming Ze was already waiting at the entrance.

“Ming Ze!” Li Si Tong called out excitedly.

Cheng Ming Ze immediately ran over happily.

He first looked at Cheng Suo and Li Si Tong, smiling as he greeted them, “Dad, Mom.”

“Yes,” Li Si Tong responded, her eyes narrowing into slits with happiness.

His gaze then turned to the girl who looked even more beautiful than she had a month ago. He reached out and ruffled her hair.

“Jiao Jiao.”

Xue Jiao revealed a faint smile. “Brother.”

The Cheng Ming Ze before her had also changed. After entering university, his demeanor was different compared to before.

He still had a clean and refreshing appearance, but his entire aura was different.

To his original gentle and refined manner, he had added a touch of cultured elegance. His smile was more frequent, carrying the undisguised vitality of youth.

“Are you hungry?” Cheng Ming Ze ruffled her hair again.

Xue Jiao shook her head, throwing off his hand.

“I’m fine.”

“Come on, let’s go get something to eat first.” Cheng Ming Ze pointed in a direction.

Cheng Suo didn’t move, instead asking, “Aren’t you going to invite your roommates?”

“Not for lunch. We’ll call them in the evening,” Cheng Ming Ze shook his head, replying only this much.

Cheng Suo didn’t say anything more.

With the rare occasion of the family gathering in another city, all four of them seemed quite excited.

“This is a famous restaurant near our school, featuring Beijing specialties,” Cheng Ming Ze explained.

Understanding his family well, he had already arranged lunch.

There are significant differences between southerners and northerners. Northern cuisine is known for noodle dishes, while southerners prefer sweet foods.

Combined with climate and other disparities between the two regions, the meal was decent but not as enjoyable as anticipated.

“Will we have to eat like this after moving to Beijing?” Li Si Tong frowned slightly.

“Haha, we’ll cook at home. You can make whatever you like,” Cheng Suo laughed.

Li Si Tong sighed, “It’s also very dry here. I don’t find it as comfortable as our hometown.”

“Then should we not move?”

“Absolutely not!” Li Si Tong disagreed immediately.

“Look at you—you’re the one who wanted to move, and you’re also the one saying you don’t like it,” Cheng Suo said helplessly, spreading his hands.

“That’s not acceptable. Ming Ze and Jiao Jiao are both in Beijing now, what would two old folks like us be doing staying back in the city?”

Cheng Ming Ze started laughing. “When I first moved here, it did take some getting used to, but after a while, it’s fine. The north isn’t as hot as the south and isn’t as humid, though the smog can be a bit serious.”

Hearing Cheng Ming Ze’s explanation, Li Si Tong immediately said anxiously, “It’s okay, Ming Ze. Mom’s just complaining a bit. Once we get used to it, it’ll be fine. I’m not saying I don’t want to move.”

Cheng Ming Ze smiled slightly and didn’t explain further.

Although he now called Li Si Tong “Mom,” the atmosphere between a stepson and stepmother was still far from that of a biological mother and son.

She seemed very sensitive, and he couldn’t be too casual.

After the meal, Cheng Ming Ze took the three of them on a tour of the school.

“Being National Day, there are fewer people on campus than usual. Over there is where we have our classes, and that’s—”

Cheng Ming Ze gave introductions all along the way, and the three listened intently.

This was one of the best universities in the country, with a hundred years of history, accommodating numerous outstanding students and producing batch after batch of talented individuals.

Xue Jiao looked at this century-old prestigious school, her heart full of aspiration.

Suddenly, a hand landed on her head and ruffled it vigorously. “I wish you could take the college entrance exam soon.”

Xue Jiao shook her head firmly. “No way, no way. I’m not ready yet.”

If she were to take it now, she wouldn’t achieve the score she wanted.

Cheng Ming Ze didn’t say anything more, and the three continued to explore every corner of the school.

When they reached the bottom of a building, an elderly man came down.

Cheng Ming Ze’s eyes lit up. He reached out, grabbed Xue Jiao’s hand, and stepped forward quickly.

“Professor Tan!”

Xue Jiao was still surprised by Cheng Ming Ze suddenly taking her hand, her eyes widening instantly.

Professor Tan?

The professor who had been invited to the math competition?

Professor Tan was also startled for a moment before smiling. “Oh, it’s Cheng Ming Ze. Why are you wandering around here? Aren’t you supposed to be helping Old Tang with his project?”

Cheng Ming Ze smiled openly. “I took a day off because my family came to see me. This is my dad, my mom, and my sister, Gu Xue Jiao.”

Only then did Professor Tan shift his gaze to them, first nodding to Cheng Suo and Li Si Tong. “Hello.”

“Hello, hello,” Cheng Suo and Li Si Tong responded respectfully.

Professor Tan then moved his gaze to Xue Jiao and paused slightly.

After a moment, he showed a look of sudden realization. “It’s you, Gu Xue Jiao!”

“Professor Tan, hello,” Xue Jiao’s voice betrayed a slight excitement as she nervously rose on her toes.

Professor Tan still remembered Xue Jiao; this young woman had left a deep impression on him.

“You’re Cheng Ming Ze’s sister?”

Xue Jiao nodded quickly.

Professor Tan withdrew his surprised gaze and gave Cheng Suo and Li Si Tong a thumbs up. “Impressive! You two know how to raise children, having two such outstanding kids.”

Cheng Suo and Li Si Tong simultaneously displayed delighted expressions, but their words remained modest. “Not at all, it’s all their merit.”

Professor Tan smiled and shook his head, then looked back at Xue Jiao. “Student Gu Xue Jiao, you’re in your senior year now, right? How are your studies going?”

Xue Jiao scratched her head shyly. “They’re going well.”

“You must work hard,” Professor Tan encouraged her.

Xue Jiao gazed firmly at Professor Tan, nodding vigorously. “I will, I will.”

“Well, I won’t disturb you anymore. See you later.”

“Goodbye, Professor Tan.”

Xue Jiao gazed at his retreating figure, slightly lost in thought.

She wouldn’t forget what Professor Tan had said when he awarded her the prize:

I’ll be waiting for you at Tsinghua.

“Haha, my son and daughter are truly amazing—even the professor remembers you two!” Cheng Suo stepped forward and patted both their heads.

Xue Jiao smiled shyly. “Brother is amazing. He’s already working on projects with professors.”

Being able to work on projects as soon as he entered university, especially in the field of computing, showed how outstanding Cheng Ming Ze was.

She looked up at him, her eyes showing a hint of admiration.

Cheng Ming Ze couldn’t resist ruffling her hair again.

They spent the entire afternoon touring the school, then made reservations at a nearby restaurant, inviting Cheng Ming Ze’s roommates to dinner.

“There’s no need to go to such trouble,” Cheng Ming Ze said with a light smile, shaking his head.

Li Si Tong disagreed. “That won’t do. You’ve never boarded at school before. What if you don’t get along with your roommates?”

“I agree with that. During university, roommates are very important, and I’d like to meet them too,” Cheng Suo nodded.

Xue Jiao lowered her head to suppress a laugh. Cheng Suo and Li Si Tong were just worried that Cheng Ming Ze might be bullied, but he was the male protagonist—who could bully him?

Besides, she didn’t think someone with Cheng Ming Ze’s personality could be bullied.

Of course, she wouldn’t say this to Li Si Tong and Cheng Suo with their parental concerns.

The four of them didn’t wait long at the restaurant before the three roommates arrived.

“Hello, Uncle, Auntie, little sister!” A tall boy came in and greeted them loudly, clearly someone with an open personality. Of the other two, one appeared rather aloof, and the other wore black-framed glasses, looking quite shy.

“This is Jian Zi Nan, who has the bed next to mine. We’re in the same major,” Cheng Ming Ze first introduced the aloof roommate.

Then, pointing to the cheerful one, he said, “This is Zhan Yi Chen, also from the same major.”

Finally, he reached out to pull over the smaller guy with glasses, smiling, “This is the little guy opposite me, Guan Li Han. He’s not even an adult yet!”

Zhan Yi Chen laughed along, while Guan Li Han scratched his head embarrassedly, looking like he wanted to find a wall to crawl into.

“Ming Ze, I thought you were amazing enough, but it turns out you’re the one dragging down your family’s looks!” Zhan Yi Chen laughed heartily, his face full of teasing.

Cheng Ming Ze was quite handsome, but Zhan Yi Chen’s words were teasing, making Cheng Suo, Li Si Tong, and Cheng Ming Ze all laugh.

“Appearance isn’t the point,” the aloof Jian Zi Nan suddenly spoke.

Zhan Yi Chen paused for a moment, then laughed again. “Ming Ze’s family is very capable. His parents are impressive, and his sister even won first prize in the national math competition at the beginning of the year—and she’s only in her senior year! She might become our junior schoolmate in the future, haha. Little sister, work hard! Come to our school, and then Ming Ze can take you to do projects with Professor Tang!”

“She doesn’t necessarily have to study computer science,” Jian Zi Nan frowned. “It depends on her interests.”

“Come on, Jiao Jiao has her mind. Let’s not worry about her. She likes mathematics,” Cheng Ming Ze said, pouring water for them.

“Wow!” Zhan Yi Chen’s eyes widened. “Little sister is amazing, actually liking mathematics. I have a teacher in the mathematics department who I’m quite familiar with. When the time comes, even if little sister is in the math department, she’ll have someone looking after her. Studies still need a teacher’s guidance to achieve something, just like your brother. Come on, little sister, let’s add each other as friends.”

His eyes blinked, and he was quite handsome, with a sunny smile and eyes fixed directly on Xue Jiao’s face.

Xue Jiao frowned slightly.

She was used to Lin Zhi Hua’s outstanding face, and even Yi Tian Yu of the same sunny type looked better than the boy in front of her.

“My phone is out of battery, and besides, being in senior year, I don’t usually use my phone,” Xue Jiao said softly.

Zhan Yi Chen didn’t say anything more, withdrawing his gaze and continuing to smile. “Your family is amazing.”

Xue Jiao frowned slightly. She didn’t know why, but she didn’t like the boy in front of her.

Even though he was sunny and handsome, even though he was constantly livening up the atmosphere, she just didn’t like him much.

“His mom and I don’t have much ability; we can only rely on Ming Ze’s efforts. Haha, come on, young students, eat up! Ming Ze hasn’t boarded before, so please be accommodating. Let me toast you all,” Cheng Suo raised his glass.

“Uncle, don’t say that. Our dormitory relationships are very good,” Zhan Yi Chen also raised his glass, then responded with a smile.

The two clinked glasses.

“Haha, that’s good, then I can rest easy,” Cheng Suo’s eyes crinkled into a smile.

“I’ll be accompanying my parents to the hotel tonight and staying outside,” Cheng Ming Ze said to Zhan Yi Chen and the others while eating.

Jian Zi Nan spoke up. “Mm.”

“Wow, Ming Ze, you’re so fortunate. Why not take a few more days off? It’s rare for your uncle and auntie to visit,” Zhan Yi Chen blinked.

Cheng Ming Ze put a piece of fish on Xue Jiao’s plate and calmly said, “It’s not convenient. Professor Tang needs people there.”

“That’s not a problem! I heard that during projects, new students aren’t of much use. Professor Tang wouldn’t refuse your leave. If it’s an issue, I can go in your place,” Zhan Yi Chen patted his chest.

Cheng Ming Ze didn’t respond immediately. He first took a sip of tea before saying, “Professor Tang has assigned me some challenging tasks. I’ve already completed most of it, and others can’t take over.”

Zhan Yi Chen’s smile froze.

“Haha, student Zhan, don’t worry about my son. He’s tough; a bit of hardship is nothing. Just seeing him is enough for us this time. Come on, let’s have a drink,” Cheng Suo stood up to pour wine for Zhan Yi Chen.

“Haha, thank you, Uncle,” Zhan Yi Chen forced a smile.

Cheng Suo patted him. “You’re quite impressive, indeed worthy of being a northerner. Your alcohol tolerance is much better than ours.”

“It’s alright, it’s alright.”

Throughout the meal, Cheng Suo and Zhan Yi Chen competed with alcohol, being quite friendly, almost to the point of ignoring Cheng Ming Ze.

But when leaving, Cheng Suo said:

“Student Jian, you’re a Southerner too. When you go home for the New Year, remember to come and visit Ming Ze at our home.”

Jian Zi Nan was still a man of few words. “Okay.”

Zhan Yi Chen was already drunk. His alcohol tolerance was indeed good, but he was no match for the battle-hardened Cheng Suo.

Cheng Ming Ze returned to the hotel with Xue Jiao and the others. She went to her room to do homework, while Cheng Suo and Cheng Ming Ze talked for a long time in their room.

Xue Jiao didn’t know what they discussed.

Early the next morning, when Xue Jiao got up, Cheng Ming Ze was already up too.

“You’re up so early?” Xue Jiao was slightly surprised.

“Yes, I need to go back to school to work on the project. Yesterday set me back a bit, so I need to make up for it today,” Cheng Ming Ze put on his shoes and went to the bathroom to wash his hands.

When he came out again, he ruffled Xue Jiao’s hair.

“Study hard, make use of every moment, whether it’s mathematics or other subjects. All other subjects will be useful in your future.”

“Mm.”

Cheng Ming Ze bent down, his face close to hers as they looked at each other. “Jiao Jiao, keep going.”

Seeing his serious expression, Xue Jiao showed a faint smile. “Okay.”

Cheng Ming Ze truly was a good brother.

Gu Xue Jiao’s biggest mistake was probably falling in love with someone she shouldn’t have. If she had treated him as a brother like Xue Jiao did, perhaps she would have had a different life.

“I’m leaving,” Cheng Ming Ze said as he walked towards the door.

“Brother, wait,” Xue Jiao grabbed him.

“Mm?”

Xue Jiao ran back to her room, brought out a bread roll, and looked at Cheng Ming Ze earnestly. “I know you don’t have time to go downstairs for breakfast. Take this and eat it on the way. You can’t go hungry.”

Cheng Ming Ze was first stunned, then smiled.

He reached out and ruffled the young girl’s head, saying affectionately, “I got it.”

With that, Cheng Ming Ze unwrapped the bread and walked out.

At 8:30, Xue Jiao finished a set of Chinese exam papers, and Cheng Suo and Li Si Tong finally crawled out of bed.

Perhaps vacation makes people lazy. They were quite tired too; whatever time the high school senior Xue Jiao got up, they got up.

So that Xue Jiao could have breakfast, Li Si Tong and the auntie had to wake up even earlier than her.

“Jiao Jiao, you’re getting up so early even during the holiday?” Li Si Tong asked while yawning.

“Yes,” Xue Jiao put down her pen and nodded.

“Your dad and I are going to climb the Great Wall today, so we probably won’t be back for lunch. After we eat, we’ll drop you off at the library. The hotel isn’t very suitable for studying,” Li Si Tong instructed.

“Okay.”

At this point, Cheng Suo was also ready. “Jiao Jiao, have you eaten?”

“Yes, I went downstairs to eat when I woke up,” Xue Jiao turned and smiled.

“Alright, wait for us a bit.”

After saying this, Cheng Suo and Li Si Tong went downstairs to eat.

Xue Jiao had completed half of a math test paper when Cheng Suo and the others returned. They first dropped Xue Jiao at the nearest library before heading to the Great Wall together.

The two were dressed in matching sportswear and sneakers, walking away hand in hand, happy and content.

Almost as soon as Cheng Suo and Li Si Tong left, Xue Jiao took out her phone. Before she could send a message, her phone vibrated.

Lin Zhi Hua: Look up.

Xue Jiao was startled and instinctively raised her head.

At the last table in front, sat a man in casual clothes.

His bangs fell down to his eyebrows, and his face was extremely handsome.

Xue Jiao was stunned. He had already stood up and was walking over.

“You’re already here?” Xue Jiao lowered her voice.

Lin Zhi Hua laughed lightly, also speaking in an extremely low voice. “Just arrived.”

After saying this, he sat down beside her.

“Aren’t you busy lately?” Can the big boss of Lin’s company be so free?

Lin Zhi Hua raised an eyebrow, looking at her with smile in his eyes, appearing even more like “a peach blossom in early spring, radiant and bright.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I’ve already been busy. Besides, I hired all those people precisely to free myself up.”

“Pfft!”

Xue Jiao couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head. “This is the first time I’ve met a big boss like you.”

Lin Zhi Hua had one hand propped on her chair and the other supporting his forehead.

“Benefactor, what kind of bosses have you seen before?”

“Very busy ones,” Xue Jiao blinked.

“Silly.” Lin Zhi Hua couldn’t resist ruffling her hair.

Xue Jiao awkwardly moved her head a bit, and after a moment:

“Oh, right, what’s your solution?” Her eyes widened.

Lin Zhi Hua lightly tapped his fingers on the table, leaned closer to her, and whispered, “Take out all your homework.”

His breath brushed against Xue Jiao’s earlobe, making her ear feel ticklish.

“Oh, oh, oh, okay.” She hurriedly took out her homework.

Lin Zhi Hua first picked up a completed set of math papers and carefully examined them. He wasn’t fast, then put them down and picked up the remaining five blank test papers.

Taking a pencil from the table with his right hand, he began marking as he looked through them.

For the multiple-choice questions, he marked the sixth question and the last question; for the fill-in-the-blank questions, he marked three; and for the essay questions, he only marked the last one.

Then he handed it to her, smiling, “Go ahead and do it.”

“Mm?” Xue Jiao froze, not understanding.

Lin Zhi Hua leaned close again, bending down to whisper in her ear, “Just do these few questions.”

His nostrils moved slightly, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily curved into a smile. “I’ll do the rest.”

“Ah?” Xue Jiao was dumbfounded.

“You’ll do it for me?”

Xue Jiao instinctively wanted to say this was unacceptable.

“Jiao Jiao, you’re a student who listens to teachers and is very obedient. Copying homework and doing it for others is something you consider very wrong, right?”

Xue Jiao nodded dumbly.

“But only the few questions I’ve marked on this paper have any novelty and are worth doing. With your ability, you don’t need to waste more time on questions that you’re 100% certain to get right.”

“But—”

“You want to say that doing more is always better, right?”

Xue Jiao suddenly glared at him. How could this person guess everything?

In front of him, she seemed to have no secrets at all.

“Pfft!” Lin Zhi Hua couldn’t help but laugh.

His face rarely broke into a big smile, and in an instant, all the sharpness and authority accumulated over years disappeared completely.

Some people are really smart and also break the rules with their looks.

“Alright, alright, more practice is for when you have extra time to become familiar with problems, but it doesn’t seem like you have extra time during this holiday with all these assignments,” Lin Zhi Hua said with laughter in his voice, though his words continued to refresh Xue Jiao’s understanding. “So, I personally think that after completing the necessary practice, you can use the time to rest and play.”

Xue Jiao: “…”

For a well-behaved student, this was still quite challenging.

“Trust me. If you don’t believe me, try another set. Don’t you think the questions I didn’t mark have no novelty and are all very simple?” Lin Zhi Hua smiled confidently, his eyebrows slightly raised.

Xue Jiao took the set of problems that Lin Zhi Hua had marked and began working on them.

Lin Zhi Hua first watched her solve the problems, a smile on his lips, unable to look away.

It wasn’t until she had finished the fill-in-the-blank questions that Lin Zhi Hua picked up the other papers and began marking them carefully.

Just as he finished marking, Xue Jiao handed him a math paper with completed multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions, but only the last essay question solved.

Lin Zhi Hua raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a knowing smile.

Xue Jiao awkwardly averted her gaze, then blinked her eyes and said:

“You said you’d do the rest.”

Her tone was fierce, yet it lacked confidence.

Lin Zhi Hua really couldn’t help it anymore and ruffled her hair again.

This time, the force was a bit stronger than before, messing up her hair a little.

What should he do? He really wanted to hold her close to his heart.

“Do the homework, do the homework,” Xue Jiao extended her hand, covering his ink-black eyes.

“Okay,” Lin Zhi Hua smiled, the corners of his mouth rising high.

Xue Jiao withdrew her hand, and Lin Zhi Hua picked up the pen.

“Wait, our handwriting—”

Lin Zhi Hua turned his head and lightly tapped her nose with the cap of his pen.

“Don’t worry about that. You can rest easy.”

She touched her nose, feeling a bit embarrassed.

After that, Xue Jiao began working on the marked questions, while Lin Zhi Hua wrote the unmarked ones. The table instantly filled with the sound of “swish, swish, swish” from the pens.

In another part of the city.

“Secretary Chen, where has the boss gone? Why is he taking two days off?” Tan Qi complained while processing documents.

What the boss could do in an hour took Chen Yan at least three hours, and him half a day.

“Personal matters,” Chen Yan’s voice remained cold as ice.

Tan Qi was surprised. “Is he dating and going on a date again?”

“Swoosh!” Chen Yan suddenly looked up at him.

That look was strange, as if saying:

You know too much.

Tan Qi: “…” I’m afraid of being silenced.

At 12:30, Lin Zhi Hua put down his pen.

“That’s enough. Let’s go eat.”

Xue Jiao rubbed her stiff neck, looked up, and was immediately stunned.

She grabbed all the test papers in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“You’ve finished all the ones I wrote? You’ve completed all the math homework?”

Lin Zhi Hua nodded.

Xue Jiao’s eyes grew even wider.

For one math test paper, she had only written a few complex problems, yet Lin Zhi Hua had used the same amount of time to complete all the rest!

Shocking!

“You, you—” Do you have the answers?

Then, seeing handwriting almost identical to her own, Xue Jiao’s voice grew hoarse.

“Are you some kind of immortal?”

“I’m a sea snail,” Lin Zhi Hua stood up, collecting his things while speaking softly.

Xue Jiao was momentarily so shocked that she didn’t know what to say.

After packing up, Lin Zhi Hua held their schoolbag in one hand and gripped her wrist with the other, leading the dazed Xue Jiao out of the library like a father leading his beloved daughter.

Walking on the bustling street, Xue Jiao swallowed and asked, “Lin Zhi Hua, what was your college entrance exam score?”

“686.”

“Hm?”

That can’t be right.

Lin Zhi Hua’s abilities far exceeded hers.

“I didn’t write the Chinese composition. The topic was too annoying,” Lin Zhi Hua added, continuing to walk forward.

Xue Jiao stood still, thinking about how many points the Chinese composition was worth.

Holy crap!

Holy crap!

The man ahead turned back, waving his hand.

“Jiao Jiao, hurry up.”

He stood there on the bustling street in casual clothes, his straight long legs and stunningly handsome face particularly eye-catching.

But his eyes were only on the still somewhat dazed girl, a smile on his lips.

It was as if, in his world, there was only that girl in his eyes.

“Coming, coming!” Xue Jiao caught up.

Then she continued to question:

“Lin Zhi Hua, where did you go to school?”

“Are you super serious?”

“Is your IQ around 200?”

“Why didn’t you write the composition?”

“You—”

Lin Zhi Hua drove her to the library and Wu Liu Lane.

That beautiful elder sister had already prepared the meal. Seeing them enter, she immediately called out:

“Xiao Yu, serve the dishes!”

“Yes!” A female voice responded, and soon, several people each carried a dish over.

Xue Jiao and Lin Zhi Hua sat facing each other.

“You ordered in advance?”

“Yes, to avoid waiting,” Lin Zhi Hua explained while ladling soup for her.

“Thank you,” Xue Jiao accepted it, then asked, “Why are there no people here today?”

“They don’t operate at noon,” Lin Zhi Hua picked a piece of fish and placed it in her other bowl.

Xue Jiao quickly finished her soup and commented, “Actually, your cooking is almost as good as this place.”

Lin Zhi Hua looked at her with amusement. “Don’t flatter me. I still need to learn more. I aim to be as good as this place by next year.”

“Why next year?” Xue Jiao was puzzled.

“Because,” Lin Zhi Hua smiled mysteriously, “Because next year my cat will arrive.”

“Huh? Don’t you already have a cat?”

“Yes, I have a cat, but it hasn’t come to my home yet.”

“Oh, oh, oh, okay.” Xue Jiao nodded, pretending to understand.

In reality, she had no idea why Lin Zhi Hua’s cat would only come home next year.

Unable to figure it out, Xue Jiao picked up her chopsticks again and offered Lin Zhi Hua some food.

“Here, here, you eat too, you eat too.”

Lin Zhi Hua smiled as he took the food and ate it, then the corner of his mouth twitched.

“Okay, tell me why you’re being so nice.”

“Well, I have a question I’d like to ask you,” Xue Jiao scratched her head awkwardly.

Lin Zhi Hua gave her more food. “Eat while you talk.”

“Oh, oh, oh, okay.”

She ate a couple of bites before saying, “I’m a bit confused. Yesterday, my brother and I had dinner with his roommates.”

Xue Jiao recounted everything that had happened the day before, then said, “I felt like the atmosphere in my brother’s dormitory was a bit strange, and my dad was acting a bit strange too.”

Her brows furrowed, looking completely puzzled.

“Silly girl.” Lin Zhi Hua laughed, picked up a piece of fish, checked it for bones, and only then placed it in Xue Jiao’s bowl.

“Mm?”

“Your dad was investigating your brother’s dormitory situation, and your brother demonstrated the specific circumstances, making it clear he wouldn’t be bullied.”

“Ah?” Xue Jiao was dumbfounded.

How had she not seen all these issues?

“Your brother started working on a project with a professor as soon as he entered school. As a freshman, he can’t leave the project, not even during National Day. This indicates that he must continue with the project and can’t leave.”

Lin Zhi Hua continued explaining, “For a freshman who just finished a month of military training and immediately started working on a project, not daring to leave even during National Day, the situation is clearly complicated.”

“Ah?” Xue Jiao half understood.

Lin Zhi Hua continued to serve her food, then said, “Eat your meal. Eat while I talk, or I won’t continue.”

“Yes, yes, yes, please continue.” Xue Jiao immediately started eating, still questioning.

Lin Zhi Hua smiled and shook his head, continuing, “Your dad decided to come over—playing was one aspect, but the other was to see what the situation was. Then during last night’s dinner, all the problems emerged, and your brother also indicated he could handle them.”

“Ah, why didn’t I notice?” Xue Jiao was dumbfounded.

Lin Zhi Hua pointed at her bowl, and she quickly ate obediently, her eyes still eagerly looking at him.

“Your brother’s dormitory is still friendly. Jian Zi Nan has a good relationship with him, Guan Li Han is on the sidelines, but your brother has a good impression of him. Zhan Yi Chen represents a microcosm of the problem your brother faces. He’s jealous of Cheng Ming Ze and is skilled at trying to topple him to take his place, coming on strong.”

“But these are students at one of the country’s best universities. How could they—”

Why would students who worked hard to get into such a prestigious university, with so many opportunities and abilities to achieve other accomplishments, be fixated on Cheng Ming Ze?

“Why not?” Lin Zhi Hua raised an eyebrow. “There are indeed many hardworking students, but there’s also a small portion with high IQs who are combative and want to take the most efficient and convenient path by walking on roads paved by others. Isn’t that convenient and effective?”

He smiled at the corners of his mouth. “This is a simple principle. It’s like in business—if you can effortlessly pick someone else’s fruit, why work hard climbing other trees that might not bear fruit?”

“How is that possible?” Xue Jiao was dumbfounded.

“Jin Yong once said that wherever there are people, there are grudges; where there are grudges, there is a jianghu; people are the jianghu.”

Xue Jiao still found it unbelievable.

“All the world’s hustle and bustle is for profit,” Lin Zhi Hua continued selecting food for Xue Jiao.

“So what happened? How did you see all this?” Xue Jiao still didn’t understand.

She had experienced that dinner firsthand, yet had failed to notice anything unusual.