Cheng Shuo was quite dissatisfied with the shameless Lin Zhihua, but since Xue Jiao was happy, he didn’t say anything.
He just tried his best to ignore that shameless man.
Xue Jiao looked at everything before her with tears in her eyes, deeply moved.
When she first arrived in this world, she had actually been quite unhappy. But because she had the chance to relive the college entrance exams and make up for the regrets of her past life, she accepted it gladly.
Later, facing the troubles left behind by Gu Xue Jiao, dealing with Li Sitong who had slapped her twice, and adjusting to her unfamiliar stepfather Cheng Shuo and the original male lead Cheng Mingze—
Xue Jiao’s heart had been in turmoil.
But in just two years, the harmony within the family had made Xue Jiao so happy that she had come to this world and met these people before her.
Xue Jiao stepped forward and hugged each of them in turn.
"Thank you," she said, her voice still choked with emotion.
Cheng Mingze smiled and lightly tapped her reddened nose.
"Getting emotional over a birthday? You’re still such a little girl."
"I am not!" Xue Jiao pouted.
Her gaze fell on Lin Zhihua, who was watching her with a smile, and she stepped forward again.
He opened his arms.
Xue Jiao approached and hugged him gently.
"Thank you too, really."
It was as if fate was compensating her—everything she had lacked or missed in her past life was now being given to her all at once.
Of course, life still had its share of disappointments, but no one could have a perfect life. No one.
Our lives go on, and we must try to let go of the people and things that have wronged us or caused us pain. A little more forgiveness means a little less suffering.
What we dislike, we avoid. What we can’t avoid, we face with an open heart.
Then, while we’re still young, we must be brave, spread the wings we’ve grown, and soar.
Xue Jiao was grateful to her family and Lin Zhihua for giving her these wings. She would take advantage of her youth, her prime, and fly with both pairs of wings.
After her eighteenth birthday, Xue Jiao seemed a little different from before.
It was hard to pinpoint exactly how, but she was undeniably changed.
"You—" Xu Jing opened her mouth but stopped after a single word.
"Yes, Senior Sister? Is something the matter?" Xue Jiao picked up her book. She had only come back to Room 35 to grab something and was about to head to Room 37.
"Are you staying over there from now on?" Xu Jing finally asked.
Xue Jiao shook her head. "Just for this project. I might not be able to help with the next one."
Xu Jing nodded and said nothing more.
"Then I’ll head over now." Xue Jiao gave a quick farewell and hurried off.
Xu Jing stared blankly at the empty Room 35.
She had thought Xue Jiao would end up like her—she had even worried that Xue Jiao was Professor Tan’s replacement for her, since she was already a senior.
Who would have guessed that Xue Jiao would barely spend any time in the office and, like Zheng Jiakun, take root in the graduate students’ office instead?
Xu Jing sighed. People really were different. She lowered her head and began reading again.
After leaving Room 35, Xue Jiao walked straight into Room 37, where the usual lively atmosphere greeted her.
"Junior Sister, come here quick! Help me calculate this part!"
"Coming!" Xue Jiao hurried over with her book.
Just as she sat down, Zheng Jiakun looked up at her.
Xue Jiao blinked. "Senior Brother, what’s wrong?"
"You seem to be in a good mood," Zheng Jiakun observed.
"Huh?"Senior Brother Lao Bai suddenly interjected, "I also think our junior sister seems different after taking two days off."
Xue Jiao scratched her head sheepishly and smiled. "Oh, really?"
Senior Sister Niu leaned over, wrapping an arm around Xue Jiao's neck. "Junior sister has been smiling more. Did something good happen during your break? Did you fall in love?"
"Absolutely not allowed!" Senior Brother Lao Bai suddenly shouted loudly.
Immediately, everyone turned to look at him.
Senior Brother Lao Bai explained, "Our office finally has one flower to attract resources and helpers. How can she be taken so soon? Junior sister, you're still young—don't be impulsive."
Xue Jiao laughed. "Nothing like that, Senior Brother Lao Bai. Don't talk nonsense."
"That's good. Our office is counting on you as the only flower to hold up appearances." Senior Brother Lao Bai patted his chest in relief.
"What about me?" Senior Sister Niu asked darkly.
Senior Brother Lao Bai turned around and frowned. "You're still female?"
"Bai Zhenping!" Senior Sister Niu yelled, chasing after him to hit him.
"You can't catch me, can't catch me! Hahahaha!"
Zheng Jiakun shrugged helplessly, looking exasperated. "Let's get back to work."
"Okay." Xue Jiao agreed, opening her book to review first.
After that, until the start of the semester, Xue Jiao continued helping in the office. As Senior Brother Lao Bai put it:
"Who would bother calculating by hand when we have a human calculator?"
Xue Jiao was that calculator.
Two days before the official start of the semester, the project in Professor Tan's hands was finally completed.
Thus, Professor Tan told Xue Jiao to take two days off to prepare for the new semester.
August 15th—official registration day.
On this day, Tsinghua University was bustling with activity. The campus was crowded with people, mostly new students reporting in, along with many upperclassmen helping out.
Teachers, students, and parents came and went.
Purple Bamboo Dormitory Building, third floor, Room 31.
When Shu Lan stepped into Room 31, two roommates had already arrived. One was sitting below while her parent made the bed above.
The other had already finished making her bed and was sitting alone at the desk below.
The senior who had escorted Shu Lan helped her put down her belongings, then smiled and took her leave. Shu Lan thanked her repeatedly before seeing her out.
When she returned, the girl sitting alone below greeted her.
"Hello, roommate! I'm Mai Jiajia."
This girl looked adorable, wearing a baseball cap and overall shorts with a pen clipped to them. She held another pen and a black notebook in her hand.
Flustered, Shu Lan smiled. "Hello, I'm Shu Lan."
Nearby, the parent making the bed above straightened up. "Oh hello, classmate! This is my child below. She's a bit introverted—her name is Ding Qi. Please be patient with her."
"Hello, Auntie." Shu Lan greeted her, then turned to the quiet girl. "Hello."
"Hello." Ding Qi raised an eyebrow slightly.
Shu Lan was secretly surprised—this girl didn't seem introverted at all.
Mai Jiajia, sucking on a lollipop, grinned. "Our dorm is complete now."
Shu Lan paused, glancing at the still-empty opposite bed. How was it complete?
Ding Qi also looked surprised. "Isn't there still one more person who hasn't arrived?"
Mai Jiajia smacked her lollipop twice, her round face looking utterly adorable, her large eyes appearing completely innocent.
"It is complete. You don't know who our other roommate is yet, do you?""Who?" Shu Lan couldn't help but ask.
Ding Qi, who had been sitting, stood up and walked toward the empty bed. There was a name tag at the head of the bed.
After a moment, Ding Qi said with slight surprise, "Gu Xue Jiao."
Gu Xue Jiao.
Shu Lan was also taken aback. Even though she wasn't much for gossip, she knew that their math department had admitted this year's top scorer in the college entrance exams with 731 points.
"Oh my, Qiqi, you're roommates with Gu Xue Jiao! You should learn more from her," said the auntie from the upper bunk as she finished making the bed and climbed down.
Ding Qi rolled her eyes. "Mom, this is college, not high school. College isn't just about studying. What would I learn from her if she's just a bookworm?"
She paused and looked at Mai Jiajia. "Isn't she coming? Why did you say everyone was here then?"
Shu Lan also stopped what she was doing and turned to Mai Jiajia.
Mai Jiajia blinked, sucking on a lollipop as she spoke. "Because she's technically a commuter."
"You can commute?" Ding Qi and her mother exclaimed in unison.
Mai Jiajia grinned. "Normally, no. But exceptions are made for special cases. Her home is nearby, so she'll be living there every day. Apparently, she arranged it with the admissions office before registration."
You could do that?
"Then is this bed empty?" Ding Qi's mother asked, her mind racing.
Mai Jiajia smirked. "Nope. This is still her bed. The school assigned it to her so she has a place to stay when projects keep her on campus late."
Shu Lan clicked her tongue. "Such good treatment!"
"Of course. She's a prized recruit," Mai Jiajia said, continuing to suck on her lollipop. She sat on the desk, flipping open her notebook and scribbling something.
Ding Qi said sourly, "It's just because of her high score. What good is that in college? Bookworm."
Shu Lan gave her a surprised look, thinking this roommate might not be very friendly.
Mai Jiajia stopped eating her candy, hopped down, and closed her notebook.
"First, don't be bitter. We were all top students in high school—who hasn't enjoyed special treatment before? She earned it with her own ability. No need to be jealous."
Ding Qi's face flushed red. Just as she was about to retort, Mai Jiajia continued.
"Second, have you even checked the school website? The math department's latest project completion report—Professor Tan's most recent project—lists Gu Xue Jiao as one of the contributors."
Shu Lan and Ding Qi froze.
Mai Jiajia grinned, her dimples showing. "So, while we were enjoying our carefree vacation, our roommate Gu Xue Jiao was already working on a project with a professor—and playing a significant role in it. Still think she's just a bookworm?"
Ding Qi's mother also clicked her tongue. "That impressive?"
She turned to Ding Qi. "Qiqi, now that school's started, you should try to work on projects with professors too."
"Hold on," Mai Jiajia interjected bluntly. "Auntie, unless you're exceptionally talented, undergrads don't get to work on major projects like that. At most, you might do some odd jobs—no name on the paper. Of course, you could always apply to do your own project."
"Then how did she—"
"Which is why Gu Xue Jiao isn't just a bookworm. She's probably exceptionally talented in some way," Mai Jiajia said with a smile.
Mai Jiajia's bluntness left no room for face-saving. Ding Qi fell silent, her expression sour.
Shu Lan, however, asked curiously, "Does that mean we won't get to see her?""Not exactly. Military training starts the day after tomorrow, so we'll definitely see her then. If she doesn't attend the training, we'll only see her at the opening ceremony—she's this year's freshman representative." Mai Jiajia closed her notebook and tucked it away.
"How do you know so much?" Shu Lan asked, and Ding Qi also turned to look.
Mai Jiajia patted the notebook in her pocket. "I guess it's just my talent—being good at gathering information. I found all this out over the past couple of days."
"You're amazing," Shu Lan said enviously. That was a real skill.
Mai Jiajia seemed to be in a good mood today. She walked over to Shu Lan and leaned against the bed. "Go ahead and unpack. I'll tell you more about what I found out today."
"Okay." Shu Lan smiled and continued unpacking while listening.
"Honestly, there are so many impressive people at our school. Let's start with the seniors—last year's freshmen. There were six who stood out. One formed a team and started a company within six months of entering school, and it's actually doing quite well. Another was already working on projects before even enrolling. Now, as a sophomore, he's practically on par with the graduate students—a computer science major, insanely talented. Rumor has it two professors almost fought over him."
"That's incredible!" Shu Lan exclaimed.
"Yeah, seriously impressive." Mai Jiajia's eyes sparkled with gossip. "He became the campus heartthrob as soon as he arrived—Cheng Mingze. Our math department also has a star—Zheng Jiakun, a sophomore."
After finishing her talk about the sophomores, Mai Jiajia popped the lollipop out of her mouth and tossed the wrapper into the trash. "Our year has quite a few standouts too, though they haven't made as big a splash yet. Gu Xue Jiao is one, and Chu Sheng from the physics department is another—he's already working on projects with professors. There are three more who are pretty well-known, but I haven't dug up the details yet."
Shu Lan sighed in admiration. "You're really amazing, finding out so much so quickly."
Ding Qi interjected, "What's the point of knowing all this?"
"No point." Mai Jiajia stuffed her hands in her pockets and swaggered out. "Just a hobby."
Ding Qi: "..."
Shu Lan: "..."
Shu Lan had assumed she wouldn’t see Gu Xue Jiao until military training, but the next day at noon, when she returned to the dorm, she noticed a girl making her bed on the opposite bunk.
Shu Lan froze.
Was that Gu Xue Jiao?
The girl heard the noise and turned around.
Shu Lan struggled to describe her face—beautiful, stunning. That was the only thought in her mind.
But soon, she realized—she had seen her before.
"Hello, I'm Gu Xue Jiao," Xue Jiao said with a smile to the girl staring dumbfounded at her.
The girl across from her blinked, then hurriedly replied, "Hi, hi! I'm Shu Lan."
"Shu Lan." Xue Jiao repeated the name and smiled softly.
The way she smiled left Shu Lan stunned again, gazing at her in awe.
Xue Jiao lowered her head and continued unpacking.
After a moment, Shu Lan suddenly said, "We’ve actually met before."
Xue Jiao paused, then looked up, puzzled. "Huh?"
Shu Lan chuckled and shook her head. "Last year, early in the year—on the Great Wall."
Last year?
Xue Jiao thought back. Early last year, she had been in Beijing for a competition, and the teacher from No. 7 High School had taken them to visit the Great Wall. And then...
Then they had run into a really unpleasant girl.
Well, now she remembered.
That day, she had only recalled the annoying girl, not the onlooker—Shu Lan.
"Oh, what a coincidence."
Shu Lan smiled shyly. "I thought so too."Xue Jiao spread out her quilt and then asked, "By the way, what about that girl?"
She didn’t know the girl’s name.
Shu Lan knew she was referring to Lin Yinyin. Back then, they had eaten together, and Lin Yinyin and the others had insisted on waiting to see the man who was dining with Xue Jiao.
In the end, Lin Yinyin had been so frightened that she fled in a panic, refusing to say anything.
"She’s at Beijing Institute of Technology," Shu Lan said with a smile.
Xue Jiao also smiled. "That’s good. At least I don’t have to be her classmate."
Just then, another girl returned—adorable in appearance, her lively eyes darting around.
The girl paused in surprise at the doorway before rushing forward.
"Ah! The genius is here! I’m Mai Jiajia! I really like you!" Jiajia dashed over, excitedly clinging to the bed frame.
Xue Jiao was stunned for a long moment before awkwardly scratching her head. "Uh… hello, I’m Gu Xue Jiao."
"Jiao Jiao! You can call me Jiajia! I think we’re a good match—our names even sound similar!" Mai Jiajia blinked rapidly.
Xue Jiao glanced at Shu Lan in confusion before turning back to Jiajia, slightly embarrassed.
"Uh… okay."
"Let me help you unpack!" Jiajia offered eagerly.
"I’ve already finished," Xue Jiao said, shaking her head as she climbed down from the bed.
This was her first time living in a dormitory in this lifetime, and it felt surprisingly nice.
Both Shu Lan and Mai Jiajia gave her a very good impression.
"Then let’s go eat together!" Jiajia blinked.
"Sure," Xue Jiao agreed.
She hadn’t actually planned to come today. She had intended to review her mathematical models again, but Cheng Shuo had insisted that since it was the start of the semester, she should visit the school, meet her roommates, and make some friends.
University shouldn’t be like high school, where she barely had any friends.
So Xue Jiao had come.
And… it felt good.
Shu Lan and Mai Jiajia walked on either side of Xue Jiao, with Jiajia clinging tightly to her arm. As the three of them stepped out, they ran into another girl entering the common room.
The girl froze at the sight of them, and the two groups faced each other in the living area.
"Ding Qi—also our roommate," Mai Jiajia explained to Xue Jiao.
Xue Jiao nodded and smiled. "Hello, Ding Qi. I’m Gu Xue Jiao."
Ding Qi stiffened slightly. She hadn’t expected Gu Xue Jiao to be so beautiful.
"Hello, I’m Ding Qi," she forced a smile.
"We’re going to eat. Want to join us, Qiqi?" Shu Lan asked.
"Sure," Ding Qi agreed.
Her personality was admittedly a bit odd, but she wasn’t truly a bad person. She didn’t want to be isolated from her roommates either.
So when Shu Lan extended the invitation, she accepted.
The four roommates went out to eat together.
Xue Jiao’s impression of her three roommates was quite positive. Mai Jiajia, though a bit hyper, had a great personality—lively and adorable. She was also a "know-it-all," seemingly aware of everything.
Shu Lan was gentle and easy to get along with.
As for Ding Qi, though she was a bit spoiled and prone to sarcastic remarks, she hadn’t done anything actually harmful. After her experience with Gu Shiyun, Xue Jiao felt that anyone who didn’t cause trouble was already decent enough.
The first major hurdle of university was the thirty-day military training, which counted toward academic credits. Even if someone took leave, they’d still owe the credits and have to make it up the following year with the new batch of students.
Even someone as tough as Xue Jiao found it utterly exhausting.Every night when Uncle Xing picked her up and brought her home, Xue Jiao would collapse from exhaustion, barely able to move.
Her nightly chats with Lin Zhihua also began to pause. He understood her situation and would simply send her a "goodnight" message each evening before stopping further communication.
From August 18th to September 18th, the military training lasted a full thirty-one days before finally ending.
"We're really unlucky. Out of thirty-one days of training, it only rained once. Who could be more unfortunate than us?" Mai Jiajia slumped on the table.
Xue Jiao wiped her sweat as well—they had just finished their final performance.
"Regardless, it's finally over."
Ding Qi collapsed onto her bed. "I'm dead, so dead. I'm not moving anymore. I'm sleeping all afternoon."
Xue Jiao opened the wardrobe and took out the clothes she had brought that morning. "I'm going to change first, then head back."
Mai Jiajia sat up. "You're leaving already?"
Xue Jiao nodded with a smile. "Going back to rest and prepare for tomorrow's opening ceremony."
"Oh, right. You have to give a speech as the freshman representative. See you tomorrow, then."
"See you tomorrow."
Xue Jiao smiled, changed her clothes, and left the dormitory with her backpack.
She checked the time and quickened her steps anxiously.
Actually, she had made plans with Lin Zhihua for lunch—he said it was to celebrate her "liberation," and they were going to eat at Wuliu Alley.
Xue Jiao's heart skipped a beat at the thought.
After thirty exhausting days, she really deserved a treat.
And Wuliu Alley, no less!
Just imagining the flavors made her walk even faster.
As soon as Xue Jiao stepped out of the school gate, someone called her softly from nearby.
"Jiao Jiao."
Her eyes lit up, and she hurried toward Lin Zhihua. "Have you been waiting long? It's almost one o'clock already."
"I haven't waited long, but the black-bone chicken stewing has been waiting quite a while," Lin Zhihua said with a smile.
"Pfft—" Xue Jiao couldn't help but laugh. "Then let's not keep it waiting any longer. Let's go quickly."
Lin Zhihua's lips curved slightly. Thirty days without seeing her—he had missed her terribly. Right now, he really wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her tight.
His gaze was too intense and focused. Xue Jiao touched her face. "Is there something on my face?"
Lin Zhihua averted his eyes and said calmly, "You got tanner."
"Ahhh!" Xue Jiao gasped—no girl liked hearing she'd gained weight or gotten darker.
"Just kidding." Lin Zhihua walked ahead quickly.
Xue Jiao froze for a moment before chasing after him. "You're so mean!"
Laughing and teasing each other, they reached where Lin Zhihua had parked. Xue Jiao pouted. "I really did get tanner, though."
"No, you didn't. Really. I was just teasing you earlier."
Xue Jiao looked unconvinced.
"You're still as fair as ever. Come on, get in the car—the chicken is getting impatient." Lin Zhihua chuckled helplessly, his eyes full of affection, his smile unwavering.
For the past thirty days, he hadn't known how he'd endured such a numb existence. But the moment he saw her, all that remained was happiness.
"Fine." Xue Jiao relented and was about to get in the car.
Just then, a speeding car came barreling down the road straight toward them.
"Watch out!" Lin Zhihua's pupils contracted as he swiftly pulled her into his arms and stepped back.
The car wasn't targeting them—it barely brushed past before speeding away in a panic.
Lin Zhihua narrowed his eyes, memorizing the license plate carefully.
Meanwhile, Xue Jiao was stunned. Lin Zhihua had moved too fast and held her too tightly.
Her forehead pressed against his chest, and she was enveloped by his scent.For a brief moment, Xue Jiao felt her heart skip a beat, instinctively looking up at Lin Zhihua.
But soon, that feeling vanished as quickly as it came.
The simple act of embracing also stunned Lin Zhihua. His hand still rested on her waist, sensing an unfamiliar warmth.
He lowered his head, meeting her dazed eyes.
The position was strange, undeniably intimate.
Lin Zhihua looked at her raised face, the distance between them reduced to the bare minimum.
His gaze grew hazy as he lowered his head.
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