Jiang Yihuai wasn’t one to back down—he raised his fist and swung back at Shao Wenbai.

  "Hit me? Who the hell do you think you are?" He cursed while fighting back. "You have no right to interfere here—"

  Shao Wenbai intercepted his punch. Compared to Jiang Yihuai’s rage, he seemed much calmer, more rational—at least if you ignored the icy coldness in his eyes.

  "And what about you? Who are you? A clingy ex who refuses to let go, or just a common criminal?"

  Every word from Shao Wenbai cut like a knife, stabbing straight into Jiang Yihuai’s sore spots.

  "You bastard—!" Jiang Yihuai gritted his teeth and tried to yank his fist free. But Shao Wenbai held his grip firmly.

  "Enough!"

  By now, Su Yumian had regained her composure. She stood up from the couch, trembling fingers clutching the jacket Shao Wenbai had given her. She didn’t spare Jiang Yihuai a single gnce.

  Facing Shao Wenbai, she lowered her head. "Professor Shao, I’m sorry you had to witness such a mess."

  Shao Wenbai frowned. "Do you need to call the police?"

  Su Yumian was silent for a moment. "...Forget it. Let’s go."

  "Alright."

  Shao Wenbai respected her decision. He had no interest in meddling in other people’s retionship drama.

  "These are my books. I... don’t have the strength to carry them right now. Could you help me?"

  Shao Wenbai bent down, effortlessly lifting the sack of books with one hand. Then he supported Su Yumian as they left. Jiang Yihuai stood frozen in pce, watching them go. Frustrated, he kicked over a decorative potted pnt beside him.

  In the car, Su Yumian watched the vil fade into the distance in the rearview mirror. Six years—not too long, not too short.

  When she first moved in, she had been full of expectations. Decorating the vil together, designing the garden together...

  She never imagined that leaving would look like this.

  In the end, that vil had nothing to do with her anymore. And the person inside—he no longer had anything to do with her either.

  Su Yumian rolled down the window, letting the wind whip her long hair into a mess. She slumped against the seat, exhausted, and quietly closed her eyes.

  Shao Wenbai remained silent as well. Occasionally, he gnced at her through the rearview mirror. Noticing she had fallen asleep, he pulled over near B University and simply gazed out the window.

  Su Yumian didn’t sleep soundly, but she was too tired. Even closing her eyes for a while was better than nothing. Feeling the quiet patience in his silence, she slowly opened her eyes, looking at him with a complicated expression.

  "Earlier... thank you. You helped me again."

  Shao Wenbai replied, "It was nothing."

  Su Yumian smiled faintly. She wasn’t just thanking him for that. This time, and the st—no matter what state she was in, he never pried into her private matters. He let her keep her dignity.

  Just then—

  Grumble—

  A quiet sound broke the silence.

  Su Yumian’s ears instantly turned red as she pressed a hand to her stomach.

  She hadn’t eaten all day. Her emotions had been too intense for her to notice before, but now that things had settled, the hunger hit her all at once. Even though she tried to hide it, Shao Wenbai noticed right away.

  "You probably haven’t eaten at B University’s cafeteria in a long time. Want to go back for a taste?"

  Su Yumian blinked.

  Fifteen minutes ter, they were walking toward B University’s cafeteria.

  B University was a prestigious century-old institution, and both the library and cafeteria had a distinct, recognizable style. Especially the cafeteria.

  Back when she was a student, there were already three buildings, covering a variety of regional cuisines from all over China. In recent years, with the influx of exchange students, they had even introduced international dishes—it was a true melting pot of fvors.

  Su Yumian had always loved the Chinese food section on the second floor. The woman serving the food was a round-faced auntie with a warm smile. Every time she saw Su Yumian, she would grumble at her for not eating enough—then scoop an extra generous portion of meat onto her pte.

  Even from a distance, she spotted that familiar serving window.

  It was still the same as before.

  Three years after graduating, she wasn’t sure if the auntie would still remember her.

  Lining up, she approached the counter.

  The auntie was busy scooping food, not saying a word. But when the spoon nded on her pte, Su Yumian could feel the familiar weight.

  She smiled. "Thank you, Auntie."

  Shao Wenbai swiped his card, and the two of them found a pce to sit.

  "It’s been so long, but the food still tastes the same."

  Even after three years, the chef’s skills hadn’t deteriorated—in fact, they seemed to have improved.

  Su Yumian reminisced. "Back in university, I often got so caught up in the b that I forgot to eat lunch. By the time I got here, it’d be nearly 1:30, and most of the food would be gone. But that auntie always saved me a chicken leg."

  Shao Wenbai had been standing right behind her in line. He remembered how the auntie’s initial impatience had immediately turned into a warm smile when she saw Su Yumian.

  As she picked at her rice, Su Yumian suddenly felt like talking.

  "My roommates and I didn’t really get along. Besides Weiwei and Professor Ouyang, that cafeteria auntie was probably the kindest person to me back then."

  She looked at Shao Wenbai and smiled softly.

  "And now, there’s one more person."

  Shao Wenbai’s hand paused.

  Su Yumian continued, "School is nice. It’s quiet, simple. You can focus on doing what you love. Maybe deciding to go back for my graduate studies was the best choice I ever made."

  After eating, neither of them rushed to leave. Instead, they wandered aimlessly around campus.

  Following a stone path, passing under a grapevine trellis, a gentle breeze swept past them. In the distance, the surface of the ke shimmered under the sunlight.

  Su Yumian only realized where they had ended up when she saw the rippling waters of Weiming Lake—B University’s most beautiful spot.

  The lotus flowers were out of season, but the round green leaves still floated on the water, adding a quiet elegance to the scene. Feeling a little tired, she found a stone seat and sat down. Shao Wenbai silently followed, taking a seat beside her.

  "The breeze here feels so nice."

  She leaned back on her hands, watching the lotus leaves drift zily on the water, her heart gradually settling.

  Shao Wenbai said, "B University has been advocating for environmental protection in recent years, and they’ve done a good job. That’s why the ke is so clean now. It’s a nice pce to sit and rex."

  Su Yumian was quiet for a moment before finally speaking. "About earlier..."

  "He’s your ex-boyfriend, right?" Shao Wenbai asked.

  She turned to look at him.

  The man adjusted his gsses but didn’t avoid her gaze. "Sorry. Before I entered the study, I overheard part of your conversation."

  Su Yumian’s lips curled slightly. "Yeah. We just broke up. It was messy—sorry you had to see that."

  A hint of understanding flickered in Shao Wenbai’s eyes. Six years… that number lingered in his mind, bringing up some suspicions. But he wasn’t one to pry into others’ personal affairs. He only now realized that the man he had seen before, He Songcheng, was not her boyfriend.

  As the sun set, they didn’t linger much longer and eventually drove back.

  At her doorstep, Shao Wenbai helped her carry the books inside. Before leaving, he handed her a small tube of ointment.

  "I picked this up on the way. Apply it—it’ll heal faster."

  Su Yumian froze for a second, realizing he must have bought it while she was asleep.

  She took it, lips pressed together before she murmured, "Thank you."