"???"

"What's the meaning?"

"It means exactly what it says. Don't ask, I just don't know." Zhen Tian shrugged, looking helpless.

Everyone was a little confused. Zhen Tian grinned. Wasn't she confused too?

"Have you submitted your registration forms yet?"

“We’ve all gone.” Yang Tao gestured exaggeratedly: “You have no idea how many people signed up. No wonder it’s an arts university; it’s full of hidden talents.”

Ye Qingyan nodded, "I thought only the music performance department would sign up, but I didn't expect that design, sculpture, and clay sculpting majors would also sign up. Oh, right, I also saw your roommate. Jiang Wei."

“Yes, yes, she signed up too,” Yang Tao chimed in.

"Let them go. It's none of our business."

"You're not going to consider..." Ye Qingyan probed...

"I won't consider it." Zhen Tian glared at her: "You forgot about Zhizhi..."

Ye Qingyan recalled Ji Ge's cold gaze at the hospital, and shamefully fled.

Half a month had passed, and Ye Qingyan's preliminary rounds of the competition had ended. However, there was still no news from Ji Yuzhi.

Zhen Tian was getting anxious. She went to the studio every day, but no one had any ideas.

He even suddenly relented and told her on a certain day.

It's been a long time since anyone has been able to contact Ji Yuzhi.

This includes Zhao Zeyuan and Lao K, who were traveling with them.

"Still no news from the boss today," Wen Jiujiu said dejectedly when she saw her come to the studio.

She also had Zhao Zeyuan on her mind, but since he was a few years older than Zhen Tian, ​​she couldn't show that she was too anxious.

When Zhen Tian arrived, she already had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on. But she was still saddened when she heard the news.

"knew."

"Do you think the boss might have gotten into trouble and is being held in Shanghai?"

Some people, unaware that Zhen Tian had arrived, were whispering among themselves to those around them.

"What could the boss possibly have done wrong?"

"Think about it, anything can happen at those diplomatic meetings, right? What if the boss makes a mistake, or gets misunderstood and framed?"

"I have a bold idea."

"you say."

"Could our boss be some kind of spy, the kind who steals secrets or something? And got caught during the theft?"

"That's quite an imaginative idea."

"No, think about it, otherwise how could the eldest brother be so amazing at such a young age, proficient in everything from music and chess to calligraphy and painting? He's obviously received special training. And think about it, how could an ordinary person achieve such great things at the eldest brother's age?"

Wen Jiujiu, who was standing next to Zhen Tian, ​​was extremely embarrassed by their conversation and wished she could just punch them to wake them up.

She glanced at Zhen Tian with concern.

Contrary to expectations of anger or sadness, Zhen Tian was smiling happily.

"Ahem." Wen Jiujiu cleared her throat, gesturing to the two people.

"Hey, sister-in-law, you're here."

"We were just talking nonsense. Don't take it to heart, sister-in-law."

The two of them felt guilty, as if they had been caught talking behind each other's backs.

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Zhen Tian laughed so hard she bent over. "What you guys said is quite interesting. I feel like I could draw a comic book about it."

Seeing that she didn't care and was laughing heartily, the two of them felt relieved.

"We were just worried about our boss, nothing more."

"Don't worry. Zhizhi has definitely run into some trouble, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with him. We grew up together, I know him better than anyone." Zhen Tian smiled until tears streamed down her face: "But he is indeed very talented and can do everything, which is because he has received special training."

A group of people looked over because of Zhen Tian's words.

"It's because when I was little, I wanted to learn everything, but I didn't have the patience. Zhizhi just accompanied me to learn. Over time, I didn't learn anything, but he learned everything."

"Such a thing is true." Wen Jiujiu was shocked.

"Yes, Zhizhi has been smart since she was little. She's someone else's child."

Zhen Tian didn't care that everyone was looking at her with gossipy eyes.

So she clapped her hands and said, "It's noon, everyone take a break. You must all be exhausted from Zhizhi's absence. On behalf of Zhizhi, I'll treat you all to lunch. Raise your hand if you want anything."

"hot pot."

"Barbecued meat."

"seafood!"

Everyone was quite informal.

"Okay, then let's have the World Championship Buffet! Hot pot, barbecue, seafood, everything!"

"World Championships? 588 per person?" Wen Jiujiu tugged at Zhen Tian.

"It's alright, everyone's having fun, it's a rare treat to let loose." Zhen Tian said nonchalantly, "Everyone, head out on your own. We'll meet in the World Championships Hall. Let's pack up now, let's go!"

Wow.

"Woo-hoo".

"Long live the little sister-in-law!"

Everyone scattered and carpooled to the hotel.

"Let's go." Zhen Tian pulled Wen Jiujiu along, then looked at Feng Li and Zheng An behind her: "Our car is just right."

"Okay, I'm going to grab something. You guys go downstairs first."

Feng Li nodded, watching the figure disappear.

He stood there in silence for a while before slowly taking out his phone and making another call, but there was still no response from the other end.

The studio is in turmoil. It's time for you to come back.

However, your sister-in-law came today and helped calm everyone down.

She's doing very well now.

He has the demeanor of a leader, and Feng Li has watched Zhen Tian grow up. He feels both gratified and heartbroken.

If you were here, she wouldn't have to do all this.

After sending the last message, he put away his phone and followed.

We had a very enjoyable lunch, not only because of the high-quality ingredients, but also because Zhen Tian told us stories about her childhood with Ji Yuzhi.

"When I was a kid, there was a time when stealing vegetables was all the rage. I was obsessed with it. I would set an alarm every night to get up and harvest the vegetables, just in case they were stolen. I would even count the number. Sometimes when I was too sleepy, I would ask Zhizhi to watch over them for me."

"But you don't know, Zhizhi didn't get up to harvest the vegetables at all. It really makes me so angry."

"I was so angry that I didn't speak to him for several days. If he hadn't stayed up for several days to plant and harvest the vegetables that I hadn't been watching over, I definitely wouldn't have spoken to him."

Zhen Tian can readily recount short stories like these.

"And another thing, when we first met, he had a sour face and completely ignored me..."

After a midday break, everyone saw another side of Ji Yuzhi and gained a deeper understanding of him.

Zhen Tian said her mouth was dry and she hadn't eaten much.

After seeing everyone off, she was on her way back to school.

She slumped in the back seat of the taxi, her body exhausted but her anxiety far outweighing her physical exhaustion. She had never encountered anything like this before.

She was anxious and worried.

But she knew even more that the studio was Zhizhi's life's work, and she had to protect it for him while he was away.

It's so strange that I can't get in touch with them.

It was so bizarre that she couldn't help but think in the worst possible light.

"Only one..."

She softly murmured his name.

"Beep beep beep..."

"Hey, Dad. What made you think of calling me?"