Su Yumian understood what she meant, smiled slightly, and didn’t argue further.

  Jiang Qiting: "I remember your undergrad was at B University, right? Which school are you applying to this time?"

  Su Yumian: "Still B University."

  "Academic master’s or professional master’s?"

  "Academic master’s."

  "Which major?"

  "Biology."

  Jiang Qiting raised an eyebrow—coincidentally, the same field she was applying for. "Do you have a preferred advisor?"

  Su Yumian didn’t hide it and nodded. "Yes. Professor Ouyang."

  "Who? Ouyang Wenqiu?"

  "Yeah."

  Jiang Qiting recalled seeing Su Yumian working part-time at Professor Ouyang’s house before, and her expression turned a bit strange. "You… don’t actually think that cleaning the professor’s house will make her agree to take you as her student, do you?"

  “…”

  Su Yumian: "…That was a misunderstanding."

  "Misunderstanding? Let me be honest with you—Professor Ouyang is a top schor in the field of biology and is famously strict. Plus, in recent years, she has taken in more PhD students but very few master’s students. The spots are extremely limited, so…"

  Jiang Qiting paused. "Becoming her student is really difficult. I’m also applying to be her graduate student this year. You might think I have a personal motive, but I sincerely advise you—while you still have time, consider choosing another advisor. There’s still some time before the results come out, and you can reach out to other professors."

  Jiang Qiting felt that she had said enough.

  "Thank you." Su Yumian nodded slightly. "I’ll get going now."

  With that, she turned and left.

  Jiang Qiting: "?" That’s it? Nothing else?

  —

  She caught the 5 PM subway. Warm air flowed from the vents, finally thawing her nearly frozen fingers.

  Her phone rang twice inside her bag. She took off her gloves and, seeing the number on the screen, smiled. Even her voice sounded lighter. "Hello, Professor."

  "How was it? How do you feel?" Professor Ouyang’s voice was as warm and optimistic as always, without a hint of pressure, as if she was just casually asking.

  "Mm… I answered everything I knew." She answered honestly.

  "Good. I’ve never been too worried about your exams." The professor chuckled. Back in university, Su Yumian had almost perfect scores in her major subjects and excelled in foundational sciences as well.

  "It’s freezing. Are you home yet? Don’t stay out in the cold."

  "I’m on the subway now. I heard your leg pain came back? I bought some medicine—I’ll bring it to you after the exams."

  Ouyang Wenqiu had injured her leg when she was younger. Every winter, especially on rainy days, the pain would get worse.

  Acupuncture had helped a bit in the past two years, but it seemed to be acting up again this year.

  "Alright, I’ll be home these days."

  Professor Ouyang gnced at the calendar. The day after tomorrow was Saturday—just in time to invite her over for a meal.

  Su Yumian looked up. Her stop was approaching. After hanging up, she wove through the rush-hour crowd and exited through the second exit. The moment she stepped out of the station, a gust of cold wind nearly knocked her off bance.

  Just then, a steady hand braced her from behind, and a dark silhouette enveloped her. She looked up and saw Shao Wenbai. Her lips curled in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

  "I was heading home to grab some documents. The roads are slippery, so I took the subway instead of driving." Shao Wenbai helped her steady herself.

  The two walked and chatted.

  "How was the exam?"

  Su Yumian: "It went pretty smoothly, I think."

  Shao Wenbai smiled faintly and didn’t say much more.

  Winter nights arrived early. It wasn’t even 7 PM, yet the streetlights along the roads had already lit up, adding a touch of warmth to the cold evening. Between the subway station and B University, there was a commercial street lined with various stalls selling all kinds of goods.

  While crossing a bridge, Su Yumian heard a vendor’s loud sales pitch from a distance. She blinked against the wind that stung her eyes and turned to Shao Wenbai. "Wait here for me for a sec."

  Shao Wenbai stood still. Two minutes ter, he saw her return, holding two steaming hot sweet potatoes.

  "For you."

  Breaking it open, steam rose into the air. She took a bite—the sweetness spread through her mouth, but it was so hot it nearly burned her teeth. She blew on it a few times, then took a cautious nibble. The moment she tasted the sweetness, a bright smile bloomed on her face.

  She turned to him. "Is yours sweet?"

  Shao Wenbai nodded. It was the sweetest thing he had ever eaten.

  Su Yumian looked a little proud. "See? I’ve got good luck. I always pick the sweetest ones."

  Seeing her smile, Shao Wenbai’s lips curled slightly, his eyes reflecting a hint of amusement. By the time they got home, it was already 7 PM. The moment they stepped inside, the warm air from the floor heating wrapped around them, chasing away the cold. Su Yumian pced her books and stationery in the study.

  On the desk, several books y scattered. She gathered them up and pced them back on the shelf, noticing that one of them was the German textbook Shao Wenbai had lent her st week.

  Holding the book, she knocked on the door next to hers.

  Shao Wenbai had a habit of showering as soon as he got home. His hair was still damp when he opened the door.

  "This is the German textbook you lent me st week. I forgot to return it."

  A faint minty scent lingered in the air, making Su Yumian inexplicably tense.

  Shao Wenbai took the book and noticed some sticky notes inside. He recognized her handwriting immediately. In the lower left corner, she had even doodled a chibi character with a headband, looking determined and full of energy.

  Seeing the amused expression on his face, Su Yumian suddenly realized she had left a bookmark inside. She hurriedly pulled it out. "Ahem, I was just doodling for fun."

  His smile deepened, but she quickly changed the topic. "By the way, do you have time soon? After the exam, I want to treat you to a meal to thank you for helping me out."

  The exams, and everything that had happened at the vil before—so much time had passed, yet she had never gotten the chance to properly thank him.

  Seeing her serious expression, Shao Wenbai didn’t refuse. Instead, he suggested, "How about at home? I prefer your cooking."

  Su Yumian chuckled. "Then tomorrow? After my afternoon exam, I’ll buy groceries first. You can come straight home from the b, and dinner will be ready."

  "Sounds good."

  The next day, the rain had stopped. After finishing her professional course exam, Su Yumian looked up to see faint sunlight peeking through the heavy clouds.

  She went to the supermarket to buy groceries before heading home.

  At 6 PM, there was a knock on the door.

  Shao Wenbai entered, changing into the pair of men’s slippers Su Yumian had prepared for him, and headed straight to the kitchen.

  Seeing this, she handed him a bunch of vegetables naturally. "Here, same as always—your job."

  Then she turned to the cutting board. Watching her, Shao Wenbai’s lips curved slightly.

  "Alright."

  He suddenly realized that while he had never experienced this kind of life before, it was… strangely enjoyable.