He Songcheng truly lived up to being a student favored by the professor. Although his major wasn’t the same as Su Yumian’s, they still found common ground in their conversation.

  As their discussion deepened, Su Yumian felt genuinely happy.

  She was currently preparing for her graduate exams. While she had already grasped most of the content, she was still unfamiliar with the mainstream research directions in her field. Catching up required extensive reading and consistent effort—it wasn’t something that could be accomplished overnight.

  In this regard, He Songcheng, being a graduate student, naturally had an advantage over Su Yumian, who had been away from academia for several years.

  Behind them, Jiang Yihuai watched the two chatting happily as they entered the building apartment and clenched his fists.

  She had been so ruthless toward him, refusing to see him no matter how much he begged, yet she could smile so brightly at another man.

  At the apartment.

  Su Yumian had prepared a rge spread of dishes with a variety of fvors.

  He Songcheng had known she was good at cooking, but seeing such an extravagant meal still left him stunned.

  "All this food… Just for the two of us? Isn’t it too much?"

  Su Yumian smiled. "You’ve helped me so much. Of course, I had to make something special to show my gratitude."

  He Songcheng scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed. "Honestly, I didn’t help that much. Your study efficiency is much higher than I expected."

  While studying together, he had noticed her rapid progress—she was not only able to apply concepts flexibly but also had an incredible ability to absorb new information. Once something was expined, she rarely needed a second expnation.

  "Studying is just one part of it. What I appreciate most is your help in finding research papers for me. Thanks to you, I could access primary resources that were only avaible to B University students."

  He Songcheng was surprised. "So you were reading research papers on top of studying for your exams…"

  Suddenly, he understood why Professor Ouyang held her in such high regard.

  After finishing their meal, He Songcheng stayed for a while before noticing that it was already dark. He got up to leave. Su Yumian walked him downstairs, taking the trash out along the way.

  "The food was amazing, thank you."

  "You’re welcome."

  "Well…" He Songcheng scratched his head again. "I’ll head back to school now. See you at the library tomorrow?"

  "Sure."

  Just then, Shao Wenbai approached from the opposite direction. He had probably just returned from the b, as his expression still carried a trace of stern focus.

  "P-Professor Shao!" He Songcheng immediately straightened up. "Do you live in this building too?"

  Shao Wenbai gnced up and saw Su Yumian standing beside a young man in front of the entrance. His gaze nded on He Songcheng—he looked familiar. "From B University?"

  "Yes, Professor Shao. I’m from the School of Life Sciences. I took your Physics Fundamentals course before."

  "Hmm."

  Su Yumian intended to nod in greeting, but it seemed like Shao Wenbai didn’t even look at her. He Songcheng stepped aside to make way, and Shao Wenbai went upstairs without another word. Su Yumian shrugged.

  "I didn’t expect Professor Shao to live here too. What a coincidence!" He Songcheng looked excited. "I’ve taken his css before—he’s amazing! My roommate wanted to enroll this semester, but it filled up instantly. I heard that most of the students who got in were girls…"

  At the staircase nding, Shao Wenbai gnced back at the two figures standing below. That boy—if he remembered correctly—was named… He Songcheng?

  This was the first time he had seen someone else at Su Yumian’s pce. A boyfriend?

  Shao Wenbai withdrew his gaze and chuckled to himself. Why did it matter to him?

  After seeing He Songcheng off, Su Yumian took a detour down an alley to throw out the trash. Halfway there, a dark shadow suddenly lunged out and grabbed her wrist. Her scalp tingled with arm, and she instinctively prepared to struggle—until a familiar voice, dripping with sarcasm, cut through the darkness.

  "Wow, look at you, Su Yumian. One wild man after another. You’re really having fun, aren’t you?"

  The man’s tone suddenly turned sharp and cold. "Who was that guy just now? What were you doing upstairs with him?"

  Su Yumian’s smile vanished instantly. His grip on her wrist was painfully tight, and she tried to break free, but he only tightened his hold. The more she struggled, the harder he clenched.

  "Jiang Yihuai, let go!"

  "Answer me first!"

  Su Yumian frowned, enduring the pain. "What does it have to do with you?"

  "As your ex-boyfriend, isn’t it reasonable for me to care about your love life?"

  Su Yumian chuckled and looked him straight in the eye. "So you do remember that you’re my ex-boyfriend. Then tell me—why are you here?"

  Jiang Yihuai hesitated for a second. "...Can’t I just be passing by?"

  Before he could finish his sentence, an old man stomped angrily down the alley, muttering curses.

  "Who the hell parked their car at the entrance? Do they think having a fancy sports car gives them the right to block the way? No manners at all—how the hell am I supposed to get through?!"

  Jiang Yihuai: "…"

  Su Yumian gnced at the car causing the commotion—it was, unsurprisingly, Jiang Yihuai’s Porsche. She couldn’t be bothered to argue with him anymore. After tossing the trash away, she turned to leave.

  "Even if I have a new man—one, two, or even three or four—it has nothing to do with you. We’ve already broken up. You do know what ‘break up’ means, don’t you?"

  "My future has nothing to do with you, and I ask that you stay out of my present and future as well. We…" She paused. "Should just be strangers."

  "And one more thing—I don’t know how you found this pce, but don’t come here again. I don’t want your girlfriend to misunderstand."

  "You made a choice back then. You gave her a title. I hope you stick to it and stay loyal to her."

  Su Yumian had been hurt before. She had no intention of letting Shi Muxi go through the same pain. A young woman should be blooming and thriving, not being dragged down by heartbreak.

  Everyone made their own choices. Jiang Yihuai chose Shi Muxi. She chose to walk away. And they both had to live with the consequences.

  Jiang Yihuai stood frozen, unable to react for a long time. Su Yumian walked away without looking back. Jiang Yihuai watched her leave, for the first time feeling a deep sense of panic.

  It was as if something that had once belonged to him was slipping away—he wanted to hold on to it, but he realized he couldn’t. "…Are you serious, Su Yumian?"

  "Yes." She didn’t even turn around.

  "You said that before too…"

  They had fought before, but never had Jiang Yihuai felt this kind of fear. She had said "break up" so calmly—like she truly had no intention of ever coming back. Jiang Yihuai reached out, wanting to stop her, but no words came out.

  After all, he was the one who had initiated the breakup. He was the one who let go of her hand first…

  Su Yumian returned home and quietly sat on the sofa.

  Jiang Yihuai showing up didn’t surprise her.

  Compared to their st rushed breakup, this felt more like a real farewell.

  —

  After Su Yumian left, Jiang Yihuai stood downstairs for a long time, unmoving—until the furious old man threatened to call the police to have his car towed. Only then did he have no choice but to leave.

  "What?! That car was yours?! What the hell? I’ve been yelling for ages—are you deaf or something?!"

  Jiang Yihuai smmed his foot on the gas, speeding back to his vil in just twenty minutes.

  In the kitchen, the housekeeper, Wang Ma, was simmering soup when she heard a loud bang. At first, she thought something had fallen—until she saw Jiang Yihuai storming through the living room, his whole body radiating fury.

  She flinched.

  Why was he losing his mind again?