Shen Beitang kept his head down on the road and didn't notice anyone in front of him, so he bumped straight into them.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

The person in front was too strong, and Shen Beitang was knocked back a few steps, clutching her aching forehead.

The person opposite her didn't speak, but just stood in front of her without moving.

"elder sister."

Then, with that sound, she was held firmly in a gentle yet strong embrace.

Unlike Gu Zhun's milky scent, this embrace felt like a sunflower bathed in sunshine.

"I thought you were locked up by Gu Zhun."

Shen Beitang looked at the wheat-colored skin and slightly curly hair opposite him and recognized the person as Su Yi'an.

"Su Yi'an, are you trying to strangle me?"

Shen Beitang crouched down, and just then, using a clever trick, slipped out from Su Yi'an's arms.

It feels like Su Yi'an has grown taller in just a few days. He's definitely still a younger brother in his growth spurt.

"If I don't come back, where can I go? Let's go, the professor is getting worried."

Shen Beitang walked forward, but her wrist was firmly grabbed.

"Sister, Gu Zhun... he kissed you?"

Su Yi'an looked up at her with a sorrowful gaze, like a puppy abandoned by its owner.

Upon hearing this, Shen Beitang instinctively covered her mouth. She had only kissed him once; how could he have known?

"No, I just ate too much chili."

He then pinched Su Yi'an's cheek and said, "What are you thinking about all day, you little brat?"

There happened to be a full-length mirror next to them, and Shen Beitang turned his head and stole a glance.

She is indeed more red than usual; you wouldn't notice it unless you look closely.

She took out a cushion foundation, looked in the mirror, and patted it on her lips a few times to cover up the natural redness.

"Sister, do you like Gu Zhun?"

Shen Beitang paused, her hand still applying lipstick, unsure how to respond.

Does she like Gu Zhun?

Logically speaking, she should like...

"I don't like it. We're not even ordinary friends."

"Really?"

Su Yi'an asked uncertainly, feeling very insecure.

With a "click," he put the lipstick away and nodded as if to confirm.

"Really, I don't like Gu Zhun at all."

"That's what makes me a good older sister."

Su Yi'an put her phone back in her pocket, took out a White Rabbit milk candy that Shen Beitang often ate, peeled off the coating, and placed it to Shen Beitang's lips.

As Shen Beitang smelled the familiar milky scent, she remembered that just a few minutes ago, her lips had also tasted the same.

As if possessed, he took the candy from Su Yi'an's hand and ate it.

"Alright, let's hurry and find Professor Li."

——

In Li Huai's office, there is a wall dedicated to displaying the graduation photos of each graduating class, all of whom are his most outstanding students.

The background of each photo is also different from that of Anhui University.

"Su Yi'an, tell me, where should we take photos after we graduate?"

"Wherever you say, sister, that's where it will be."

The senior students have already photographed almost all of Anhui University's famous landmarks.

The south gate, the north gate, even the cafeteria—they didn't miss a thing, and they even included the school emblem…

Shen Beitang's gaze was suddenly drawn to a photo with the school emblem in the background.

The background, lighting, and shooting technique are exactly the same as the one on Lin Xiaojun's desk.

Lin Xiaojun grabbed it too quickly, and she didn't have time to look at it.

In the photo, Li Huai stands in the middle, with boys and girls standing on either side in two groups.

The person on the far right, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and with an expression that looks down on everyone, is none other than Gu Zhun.

It seems that this person's personality remains the same regardless of age.

I really don't know what Li Huai likes about him?

The girl standing on the left, the one closest to Li Huai, had a sweet smile, but the one on the far side had her head down.

Her overly long bangs completely obscured her face, and she kept shrinking back, as if she didn't like taking pictures.

Despite the many coincidences, Shen Beitang was unable to find Lin Xiaoyun in the photos.

It seems they just happened to take their graduation photos in the same place.

Strangely enough, Gu Zhun was always Li Huai's prized student, even closer to him than his own son.

But why is Gu Zhun's graduation photo placed in the far corner?

The other graduation photos were carefully wiped clean every day, but that one was covered in dust.

"Sister, what are you looking at?"

Seeing that she had been staring at a photo for a long time, Su Yi'an also came over.

After seeing the person in the photo clearly, he frowned unhappily: "What's so good about Gu Zhun's shrewish face?"

She was about to be misunderstood as a woman who was infatuated with Shan Chengming and now infatuated with Gu Zhun.

Shen Beitang immediately explained, "I wasn't looking at him at all. I just saw a similar photo on a colleague's desk."

Su Yi'an breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the explanation.

"I knew my sister wouldn't like a man with such poor taste as Gu Zhun."

Where he couldn't see, Shen Beitang touched her hair guiltily as soon as she finished speaking.

...

"Are you interested in the photos on the wall?" Li Huai asked as he entered, carrying a stack of documents.

For some reason, Shen Beitang still cared a lot about Lin Xiaojun's photo.

"Professor Li, are all the people in the photo your students?"

Li Huai was also deeply moved when he saw the photo. He had dedicated his life to teaching and nurturing students, and every student was his most precious treasure.

"Yes, I remember every single student I've ever taught."

Shen Beitang pointed to the photo in front of the school badge and asked, "Professor, did you teach someone named Lin Xiaojun?"

Li Huai looked in the direction she was pointing, and his originally cheerful face changed color.

I wanted to touch it, but I stopped in mid-air.

"Sigh, that's all in the past. It's just that I don't recognize the name you mentioned at all."

Another student I taught with the surname Lin was named Lin Fan. That guy… well, never mind, let's not talk about him.”

Li Huai seemed to recall some unpleasant memory, his brows furrowing, but he quickly relaxed.

“You are all second-year graduate students. This research is related to your graduation certificates. Because our group is small, the school specially approved senior students to return to school to help.”

Li Huai sent the document to the two of them, asking them to first determine a preliminary research direction and develop a plan.

Before leaving, Li Huai smiled mysteriously and said, "The senior who came to help this time is a well-known big shot in the industry. You guys should be secretly happy."

Since graduation was a major concern, Shen Beitang took it very seriously, and Gu Zhun required that he could not spend more than three days a week at school.

"Sister, don't worry, I've dealt with this topic before."

Su Yi'an took out paper and pen and quickly highlighted the key points in the information.

Based on the content, Shen Beitang then compiled a complete thesis outline. It's never tiring for two smart people to work together.

She stretched and said, "At the current pace, we don't need any outside help at all. Just the two of us are enough."

"Really? I also think that the two of us are enough."

Su Yi'an rested his chin on his hand, looking at Shen Beitang in the sunlight. It was the most comfortable day he had had in so many days.