Xue Jiao froze, staring blankly at Lin Zhihua as he approached.
After a moment, there was a sound behind her as Lin Zhihua opened the car door.
"Jiao Jiao, get in."
With that, he released her and took a step back.
"Oh, oh, okay." Xue Jiao stiffly climbed inside.
She had actually thought just now that—
Ahhhh, stop overthinking!
Xue Jiao took deep breaths, feeling her heart racing again. It took several inhales before she finally calmed down.
What she didn’t know was that the man outside the car was breathing even harder than she was.
Lin Zhihua struggled to steady his pounding heart—he had almost kissed her just now.
Xue Jiao hadn’t awakened to romance yet; her current nature was that of a turtle. If he overstepped, this turtle would immediately retreat into her shell and never peek out again.
Lin Zhihua forced himself to endure.
Just wait a little longer. Don’t rush.
The midday heat of September was already sweltering, and with his heart pounding wildly, Lin Zhihua’s back was drenched in sweat.
Patience was a difficult thing to maintain.
Once he got into the car, the blast of air conditioning cooled him down, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
"Let’s go. That black-bone chicken has been waiting long enough."
His voice sounded completely normal, and Xue Jiao relaxed, finally steadying herself.
She dismissed the strange fluttering in her chest, attributing it to being startled. Lin Zhihua was still just a mentor-like friend to her.
The car drove smoothly toward Wuliu Alley.
They arrived at the familiar house, the courtyard marked with the character "Noble." The two sat at a small table.
On the table were four dishes: a black-bone chicken stewed overnight, a steamed fish, a stir-fried seasonal vegetable, and a serving of roasted foie gras.
Though simple, under the chef’s hands, these dishes became extraordinary delicacies, truly one-of-a-kind.
Lin Zhihua first ladled her a bowl of soup and handed it to her.
"Here, replenish yourself. Those thirty days must have been exhausting."
Xue Jiao smiled and accepted it, nodding before shaking her head. "It was tiring, but now that it’s over, it doesn’t feel like much."
She took a sip of the soup and nearly melted in delight.
"This is so good!"
Lin Zhihua chuckled. "Well, it seems you really did suffer, considering you even like medicinal soup this much."
"Medicinal soup?" Xue Jiao blinked, looking down at her bowl. The broth had a faint yellow tint, floating with goji berries and other assorted ingredients.
Lin Zhihua added a piece of fish to her plate, smiling. "It’s brewed with several herbs, but it seems you enjoy it anyway."
"I really couldn’t tell!"
"I was afraid you wouldn’t like it. Then drink more." Lin Zhihua grinned.
He had stewed this himself last night. Though she never complained, he knew how grueling her military training had been.
While it strengthened the body, it also took a toll. The medicinal soup was formulated by an old Chinese physician—its taste was subtle, so she could drink as much as possible.
"I love it!" Xue Jiao blew on the soup and quickly finished it. Lin Zhihua then served her another bowl, setting it aside to cool.
She turned to the dishes—still as delicious as ever.
"Military training was tough, but it’s a rare experience. You’ll never have another like it," Lin Zhihua remarked while picking up food with his chopsticks.
Xue Jiao also reached out, serving him in return. "Don’t just feed me—you eat too."
By now, they were familiar enough that they no longer needed serving chopsticks between them.Lin Zhihua lowered his head to glance at the foie gras in his bowl, eating it slowly and savoring every bite.
"Indeed, sometimes it can be quite amusing. Let me tell you something funny. I have a roommate who's usually very quirky and capable at everything—quite the eccentric character. But during military training, every time we marched in step, she'd move her arms and legs on the same side. Our drill instructor was furious. Later, during breaks, the instructor walked alongside her to correct her. But as they marched together, the instructor ended up doing the same thing—marching with arms and legs on the same side! Hahaha!" Xue Jiao grinned, clearly delighted.
Lin Zhihua watched her laughter, unable to suppress the smile tugging at his lips, and soon joined in her mirth.
"And then what happened?"
"Then our instructor got laughed at by all of us. He stood there awkwardly for a long time, questioning his life choices. Luckily, Jiajia eventually got it right."
Lin Zhihua chuckled and picked up a piece of fish for her.
"What about you? How did you do in military training?"
Xue Jiao raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of playful pride in her expression. "Of course, I was the best—I was the squad leader."
Lin Zhihua gave her a thumbs-up. "Alright, alright, Jiao Jiao is amazing."
Xue Jiao suddenly felt a little embarrassed and quickly picked some food for Lin Zhihua. "You should eat too, hurry up."
Lin Zhihua shook his head with a smile, his eyes filled with affection.
"Jiao Jiao, tomorrow is the opening ceremony. Do you have any plans after that?"
Xue Jiao paused, chopsticks still in hand, then looked up at Lin Zhihua.
"Attend classes, all of them. After class, I'll go to Teacher Tan's place, and then try to squeeze out some extra time..."
"Hmm?" Lin Zhihua was curious.
Xue Jiao gave a faint smile. "To try proving Fermat's Last Theorem."
Lin Zhihua was slightly surprised. "You're really going to try?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Xue Jiao raised an eyebrow. "Teacher Tan probably didn’t take my words seriously back then and never asked me about it. But since I said it, I should at least try. Whether I succeed or not, I can’t take back what I said."
Though her tone sounded regretful, her eyes were firm with determination.
Lin Zhihua smiled softly. "Good, you can do it."
The girl he loved was like this—always seeming to have wings, eager to soar.
She always remembered her words and stood by her decisions.
"And it’s definitely going to be busy from now on," Lin Zhihua remarked.
Between attending classes, possibly assisting with projects, and squeezing in time to study Fermat's Last Theorem...
Xue Jiao shrugged. "Busy is fine. Time is something you always have to make the most of."
Lin Zhihua smiled. "Then let’s come here for dinner every Friday. You need the nourishment—wouldn’t want you burning through all your brain cells."
"Isn’t that too much?"
Lin Zhihua smirked. "I’m coming here every Friday anyway, and there’s always too much food. You’d just be tagging along for a free meal. Even if you don’t come, I’ll still be here eating."
Xue Jiao immediately grinned, playing along. "How could you finish all this alone? Let me help—I can eat a lot!"
"Then finish this bowl of soup first." Lin Zhihua tapped the bowl beside her.
"Oh, right, okay!"
As for the opening ceremony the next day, where Xue Jiao would speak as the freshman representative, she didn’t feel particularly nervous.
Back at No. 7 High School, she had given speeches as a representative before.
Speaking in front of a crowd had made her nervous at first—her heart would race uncontrollably the moment she stepped on stage.But experience is truly a valuable thing. After that year of solving problems under everyone's gaze, any so-called stage fright had completely disappeared.
Even now at Tsinghua, facing an audience of talented young people gathered from all corners of the country, there was nothing to fear.
Stage fright was simply fear—but what was there to be afraid of?
The people sitting below were no different from her. Since the university had chosen her to speak, it meant she was qualified to do so. There was nothing to fear.
In fact, many situations in life were like this. No matter the occasion, stage fright was just fear.
But what exactly was there to fear? Would the audience kill her? Curse her? Or would her life be ruined if she didn’t speak well?
None of that was true.
So, there was nothing to fear.
Xue Jiao stood on the stage, spoke with calm confidence, and then stepped down amidst enthusiastic applause—her task was complete.
As for their class, they had now officially entered university life.
Unlike Xue Jiao’s low profile when she first arrived, her reputation as the freshman representative had reached its peak. Some even called her the most outstanding student of their year.
But as the semester began, Xue Jiao seemed to vanish.
Unless it was during class, she was nowhere to be seen.
Tsinghua University was brimming with talent. Many elites began to emerge, one impressive rumor after another. Most students turned their focus inward, improving their own abilities and immersing themselves in the fiercely competitive academic environment.
"Jiao Jiao, what have you been up to lately?" Shu Lan asked curiously.
Xue Jiao had seemed extremely busy recently. After class, she spent most of her time on campus. She barely went to Professor Tan’s project anymore, instead carrying notebooks and books, engrossed in reading, occasionally scribbling calculations.
She even stayed in the dorm at noon, skipping her usual nap to keep reading.
Xue Jiao flipped two more pages before looking up blankly. "Were you talking to me?"
Shu Lan: "..."
Ding Qi rolled her eyes. "Gu Xue Jiao, what have you been doing lately? Some people are saying Teacher Tan kicked you out of his office."
"Huh?" Xue Jiao blinked in confusion.
Ding Qi continued, "Being part of Teacher Tan’s project team and contributing to his research is extremely important for your future resume. I refuse to believe he kicked you out—you should’ve clung to that opportunity even if you had to beg!"
Her tone was sour and unpleasant, but her words were actually well-intentioned.
Xue Jiao knew her temperament and just scratched her head. "I asked for some time off. I don’t have to go every day."
Mai Jiajia also looked up and suddenly said, "Gao Yuan from our department joined Professor Liu’s project. A few days ago, he supposedly helped the team solve a major problem. Professor Liu praised him endlessly, keeps him close, and even declared him the most talented freshman in our math department."
Ding Qi glared. "That short guy? The most talented? It hasn’t even been a month since school started—what makes him so special?"
"Qiqi!" Shu Lan frowned slightly. "Don’t make comments about his height!"
Ding Qi pouted and fell silent, lowering her head to continue her homework.
Even those with difficult personalities at Tsinghua took their studies seriously—none slacked off when it came to academics.
Mai Jiajia flipped through her black notebook and said, "Jiao Jiao, I can’t shake the feeling you’re brewing something big."
Xue Jiao, already absorbed in her book again, looked up blankly. "What?"
Mai Jiajia: "..."
"Never mind. Keep reading. Let’s go eat outside the east gate tonight, okay?"
"Sure." Xue Jiao nodded.This was previously arranged—they were going to have dinner outside the east gate in the evening, and it wasn’t far, so it wouldn’t take long.
So, she lowered her head and continued reading.
Mai Jiajia and Shu Lan exchanged glances. Mai Jiajia sighed helplessly, "She’s not even reading textbooks, just random math books. How can she be so engrossed?"
Shu Lan shook her head and smiled.
That evening, the four of them went to a Chinese restaurant outside the east gate for dinner. Shu Lan handed the menu to Xue Jiao.
"Quick, take a look at what you want to order."
"I’ll just have two bowls of water and some greens," Ding Qi waved her hand dismissively.
Xue Jiao was surprised. "So little?"
Ding Qi sighed, a hint of envy in her voice. "I don’t have the kind of metabolism that stays thin no matter what I eat. I need to lose weight—I don’t even eat dinner at home."
Xue Jiao: "..."
She checked off a fish dish and passed the menu to Shu Lan and Mai Jiajia. "You two pick the rest."
After ordering three more dishes, they waited for the food to arrive.
Ding Qi looked at Xue Jiao enviously. "I really envy your figure. And you never even diet."
"I think Jiao Jiao’s legs are the best—long, straight, and fair," Shu Lan added.
Mai Jiajia shook her head, her high ponytail swaying. "What part of my goddess isn’t perfect?"
Xue Jiao sighed. "You guys are really..."
Mai Jiajia’s eyes suddenly lit up. "Do you know what people say about our dorm?"
"What?" The other three looked at her curiously.
Mai Jiajia held up her black notebook like a microphone. "Dorm 31—the one full of beauties."
"Pfft—" Xue Jiao couldn’t hold back a laugh.
Ding Qi grinned. "At least none of you are dragging me down."
"You’re the one dragging us down!"
"You—"
"Alright, stop arguing," Shu Lan said helplessly.
Mai Jiajia’s eyes sparkled mischievously as she suddenly asked, "So, who here has been in a relationship? Or is planning to be in one?"
Silence fell instantly.
Ding Qi muttered, "We were all too busy studying in high school. Who dared to date?"
Ignoring her, Mai Jiajia pushed the notebook toward Xue Jiao, her face full of gossipy excitement. "Our most beautiful campus belle, Gu Xue Jiao, have you ever been in a relationship?"
Xue Jiao shook her head helplessly.
Mai Jiajia wasn’t surprised. "With so many people liking you, is there anyone you like?"
As soon as Mai Jiajia asked, Lin Zhihua’s face inexplicably flashed through Xue Jiao’s mind. She quickly shook it away.
"No."
"Alright, the goddess remains aloof as ever."
Mai Jiajia then turned to Ding Qi but didn’t give her a chance to speak. "Miss Ding, with that fiery temper, you’ve definitely never dated. And with such high standards, I bet there’s no one you fancy yet."
"Mai Jiajia!"
"Lower your voice, my ears work just fine."
Ding Qi huffed angrily. "Then do you have someone you like?"
Mai Jiajia grinned. "Actually, yes."
"Who?" Even Xue Jiao was curious.
Mai Jiajia had a crush?
"A really interesting bookworm—Chu Sheng."
Xue Jiao: "..."
"Chu Sheng is a physics prodigy. What makes you think he’d like you?" Ding Qi scoffed.
Mai Jiajia blinked. "Does that matter?"
"You—"
Xue Jiao and Shu Lan laughed. Mai Jiajia then pointed her "microphone" at Shu Lan. "What about you, Shu Lan? Do you have a boyfriend or someone you like?"
They all expected her to shake her head, but instead, she nodded.
"You have someone you like?!" The three were stunned.
"I have a boyfriend," Shu Lan said softly."What?" Not only was Xue Jiao stunned, even Mai Jiajia and Ding Qi, who spent all day with her, were shocked.
This was truly unexpected.
"Really? What's the situation?"
Shu Lan lowered her head slightly, embarrassed. "He's from Beijing Institute of Technology. We were high school classmates, but we don't keep in touch much."
"Boyfriend and girlfriend but barely in contact?" Mai Jiajia frowned.
"His family doesn't approve." Shu Lan's voice carried a hint of melancholy. "His family background is too good. They don’t agree with us being together, so we pretended to break up and rarely contact each other."
"What’s his family’s situation?" Ding Qi frowned.
"They’re in business. Their company is called Shengshi Baikai."
"The Yu family?" Ding Qi’s frown deepened.
All three turned to look at Ding Qi. "You know them?"
Ding Qi nodded. "Their family is indeed quite influential, but their current status was entirely built by the Yu couple acting like sycophants. The Yu family has no shame. You’re dating someone from that family?"
Her expression was tight with clear disapproval.
"Yu Cheng isn’t like that, but his family..." Shu Lan trailed off, her face downcast.
Mai Jiajia turned to Ding Qi and pressed, "Do you know anything else about the Yu family?"
"Our family isn’t as prominent as theirs, so I don’t know much. I just overheard my dad and others talking about them once at dinner—the Yu family..." Ding Qi began recounting the rumors about the Yu family.
By the time she finished, Xue Jiao and the others were dumbfounded.
Mai Jiajia swallowed hard and summarized, "Truly, sycophants get everything in the end..."
Xue Jiao was genuinely shocked. There really were people who built their entire business on connections rather than real capability.
And the key was—they’d made it big.
Mind. Blown.
The three of them spent almost the entire meal gossiping.
As they left the restaurant, Ding Qi suddenly said, "Shu Lan, I don’t recommend you continue dating Yu Cheng. A family like the Yu’s would only push their son to marry up. You—"
Shu Lan lowered her head, dejected.
It was obvious to all of them how much she liked Yu Cheng.
Just then, a burst of laughter and chatter erupted nearby. They looked up.
They’d been so engrossed in gossip that they’d eaten late, and the sky had darkened. Still, the large group of men and women across the street stood out clearly.
Shu Lan froze mid-step.
The others were puzzled.
Shu Lan stared ahead and slowly murmured, "Yu Cheng."
No way.
The other three widened their eyes in shock.
"Which one? Which one?"
"The one in the black T-shirt."
They looked over. The guy was indeed the most striking in the crowd, but two girls stood beside him.
One stood aloofly to the side, while the other leaned close to Yu Cheng, laughing as she spoke.
"He’s good-looking, sure. But who are those two girls?" Ding Qi had barely finished asking when Xue Jiao’s phone rang.
"I’ll take this call." Xue Jiao smiled apologetically.
The others barely noticed as she stepped away to answer.
The restaurant entrance was noisy.
"Hello, Dad?"
After Xue Jiao left, Shu Lan continued explaining, "They’re all former classmates. They’re also at Beijing Institute of Technology. The one in the long dress is Lin Yinyin—she’s the one Yu Cheng’s parents want him to marry. But Lin Yinyin doesn’t have any special feelings for him either. For some reason, she really dislikes me and has always made things difficult for me. The other one is my good friend, Wen Fangfang."
"Lin?" Ding Qi paused.Mai Jiajia rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "This Lin Yinyin clearly isn't easy to get along with. Is that Wen Fangfang really your friend?"
At that moment, Yu Cheng from the group seemed to sense someone looking at him and turned his head.
After a brief pause, his eyes lit up, and he immediately dashed over.
"Shu Lan!"
Yu Cheng ran up and hugged Shu Lan tightly. "I've missed you so much! You barely respond to me and never come out when I invite you."
His commotion was too loud, and the rest of the group followed.
Eight people—men and women—slowly approached.
"Lanlan, I missed you so much!" Fangfang rushed over first, pushing Yu Cheng aside before tightly embracing Shu Lan.
Shu Lan smiled helplessly. "What's all this?"
"Lin Yinyin brought Yu Cheng and the others out to sing. I was worried, so I came to keep an eye on Yu Cheng for you," Fangfang whispered.
Mai Jiajia scoffed, drawing everyone's attention.
She twirled a pen in her hand and smirked. "So when your best friend's boyfriend gets invited out to sing, instead of calling your friend, you personally come to spy on him?"
Wen Fangfang froze, glaring at Mai Jiajia. "Lanlan, who are they?"
Shu Lan, still processing Mai Jiajia's words, explained, "These are my roommates, Mai Jiajia and Ding Qi."
Wen Fangfang forced a smile. "Hello, I'm Wen Fangfang, Shu Lan's best friend. Thank you for taking care of her."
Mai Jiajia and Ding Qi remained silent—Mai Jiajia with a mocking smile, Ding Qi frowning as if deep in thought.
At that moment, Lin Yinyin arrived, dressed in an elegant long gown.
The moment she saw Shu Lan, she frowned slightly and said displeasedly, "Shu Lan."
Shu Lan looked at her but didn't speak.
Lin Yinyin sneered deliberately. "Long time no see. I was just about to go sing with Yu Cheng. Want to join? My treat."
Shu Lan hesitated before replying softly, "No, thanks."
Her voice carried a hint of hoarseness and an indescribable sadness.
"Ah? Shu Lan, you're really not coming? Then—" Wen Fangfang gritted her teeth. "Then I'll go keep an eye on things for you!"
She lowered her voice, not wanting Lin Yinyin to hear.
"You all go ahead. I want to stay with Shu Lan for a while," Yu Cheng said with a smile, interlacing his fingers tightly with Shu Lan's.
Seeing Shu Lan clearly made him happy—his eyes never left her.
Lin Yinyin immediately grew displeased. Spoiled and used to getting her way, she hated being publicly contradicted, especially for Shu Lan's sake.
"Yu Cheng, you have to go! If you don’t, I’ll tell your dad you’re still tangled up with Shu Lan!"
"Yinyin!" Yu Cheng pleaded, his face full of distress.
Lin Yinyin lifted her chin, unwavering.
Wen Fangfang urged, "Yu Cheng, just go. If your dad finds out you and Lanlan are still together, he won’t let her off the hook. Endure it for now. Once you graduate and join the company, you won’t have to fear anything!"
Shu Lan's eyes reddened, overwhelmed with bitterness.
Lin Yinyin tilted her head up, savoring her victory.
She despised Shu Lan—someone prettier and more accomplished than her. She wouldn’t have gone this far to torment her otherwise.
This Shu Lan always acted so composed. Lin Yinyin had once thought she was a good person—until that incident.
Only then did she realize Shu Lan was nothing but a white lotus!
Seeing this white lotus upset made Lin Yinyin's mood instantly improve.
"Let's go, Yu Cheng."
Yu Cheng tightened his grip on Shu Lan's hand. After a moment, he opened his mouth, his face twisted in pain.
"Fine."At that moment, a voice sounded from behind.
"What's... going on with you all?" The voice was pleasant, soft and tinged with confusion.
It was Xue Jiao.
Several people turned to look. The girl's eyes were filled with bewilderment, clearly unaware of what had happened.
But when Lin Yinyin saw her face, her expression changed dramatically.
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