It was already evening when we arrived at the Electric Power Guesthouse in the provincial capital. I have been in Lingnan for more than 20 days and have been busy all the time. My only impression of this place is that there are many fruits and it is not cold at all.

Zhou Jiao, who is afraid of the cold, now only wears an extra sweater. When it is late at night in a remote power station, she even adds a cotton jacket because she will sweat if she walks too much.

She hadn't even started yet. If she was sent back like this, Zhou Jiao would vomit blood. After getting off the car, as expected, she saw Yi Jiefang going to make a phone call. She was really angry and anxious.

"Don't waste your money. My dad has probably heard the news by now. He'll definitely call me in the next couple of days. Put your luggage down first. Everyone's waiting."

Yi Jiefang decided not to listen to her and wait until he was done with his work.

A group of people had just entered the lobby, and before a few "sick classmates" stranded in the guesthouse could get close, the aunt at the front desk came forward with a bunch of keys. Her eyes found Zhou Jiao and lit up.

"That person, yes, I'm talking about you. Hurry up and take back all your letters and notes. There's also a call from your family asking you to contact them as soon as possible."

Zhou Jiao was pointed at by her and was so embarrassed that she wished there was a crack in the ground for her to crawl into.

Yi Jiefang jokingly said, "It's famous."

"Don't forget you too!"

"I'm your brother!"

"So what?" Zhou Jiao smiled and without saying anything more, she stuffed a stack of letters and Cheng Ruzhu's message into her bag.

After returning to her room, she took a quick look at the letters—most of them were from Zhang Guoqing and his son. It was really hard for them—using letters like diaries based on dates.

She opened five more messages from Cheng Ruzhu, mostly asking when she would be back. The last message, a few days later, revealed that her aunt had left a message before her departure, explaining that she had left something for her at the front desk of the Commercial Bureau Guesthouse and asked her to pick it up after seeing the message.

Zhou Jiao hid the letter calmly, and while packing her clothes, she was thinking about how to take the opportunity to do some personal business while picking up the package.

First, I have to organize the notes I've taken during this period and hand them over to the professor. When he's in a good mood, I can apply to stay at Cheng Ruzhu's place for one night. Is that possible?

The aftermath of this early morning accident would likely cause the other party to contact Cheng Ruzhu. So where would he find her? The plane would have already landed in Beijing!

Xie Fang looked at Zhou Jiao who was about to go wash up, "You two have a really good relationship with Dayi."

"That guy is kind-hearted and always says he's my older brother. I think he's more like my younger brother. He gets along better with my son at home."

"I'll go with you."

"Okay, hurry up too."

Xie Fang followed her out, "How about we go out tomorrow?"

"I still have to sort out the information from this period." Zhou Jiao smiled and shook her head.

"Oh, if you need anything, let me know."

"Thank you."

"Why are you so polite? Jiaojiao, everything about you is good, except for this one thing: you're too polite."

Zhou Jiao smiled.

"Winter break will be coming soon when I get back. This semester has flown by so fast."

Zhou Jiao nodded.

"What do you usually do at home? I just sleep all the time. It's so boring. How about I come and play with you? Will it be inconvenient?"

Zhou Jiao glanced at the other person and said, "Maybe he will go back to his hometown."

"Then you must have some free time, right?" Xie Fang turned around and called Qiao Na to hurry up, "Xiao Na, how about we go visit Jiao Jiao during the winter break?"

Qiao Na glanced at Zhou Jiao, who was walking ahead. "I still have to go to my brother's house, and I have to help my mom during the New Year holidays. If I run out to play, I'll definitely get scolded. Anyway, school will start in a few days, and I'll see her again then. Why rush?"

Dong Xiujuan, who always plays the shadow beside her, said: "Jiaojiao is different from us."

As for what she meant by "different," one could only guess that it depended on the individual. However, after hearing her comment, Xie Fang finally calmed down and changed the subject.

Zhou Jiao had heard enough of the drama at a distance of less than a hundred meters. From a distance, she pretended she couldn't hear it. Xie Fang's aggressiveness had left her feeling unhappy.

Such a person's level is still too low. If the other party were to approach her with a package of cakes and the excuse of visiting her son, she would still look at him with respect.

After washing up, Zhou Jiao did not participate in their conversation anymore. She had a late lunch and immersed herself in organizing her notes from the recent period. Halfway through her work, she was called away by Professor Wei.

When he returned to the room, Xie Fang was the only one left lying on the bed with her eyes closed resting.

Zhou Jiao glanced at the manuscripts and notes scattered on her bed. Sure enough, they had been moved. If she was right, even her luggage might have been moved.

You really don't know until you meet him. This person's character is really unmatched!

"Jiaojiao, you're back. Do you want to rest? I'll help you clean up."

Zhou Jiao shook her hand. "No, it will be done soon."

"What does the professor want to see you for? Why doesn't he let you have a good rest?"

Zhou Jiao was annoyed by these tentative words. She smiled silently, moved a small stool and continued to organize her notes. If they wanted to read them, they could read them. I would lend them to my classmates anyway.

"Jiaojiao, stop being busy, let's chat."

"It's okay, I can hear you."

Xie Fang was startled and asked with a look of grievance: "Do you hate me?"

"How could that be?" Zhou Jiao looked at her in surprise. "You're cheerful and enthusiastic. How could I dislike you?"

Seeing that her expression was not fake, Xie Fang smiled happily: "That's good, I like you very much, we must be good friends for life."

Zhou Jiao smiled at her and continued with her head down. What is a good friend?

Xie Fang didn't see Zhou Jiao's sarcastic smile as she lowered her head. She looked at her back and said, "That...that..."

Zhou Jiao said perfunctorily: "Which one?"

"What do you think of Yi Jiefang?"

Zhou Jiao understood. This was a move towards sharing private information with a close friend, but it depended on whether she accepted it or not. "Very good."

Xie Fang got off the bed, ran to her side, rubbed against her, and whispered: "Many female classmates in our school like him. You must not know that Qiao Na has a crush on him."

"oh."

"Why don't you find it strange? Maybe you already knew this? You're such a bad friend for not telling me."

Zhou Jiao was deeply troubled by someone's monologue. How could she not even realize she had a new best friend? She pointed at the manuscript paper held down by the other person.

"You know I never pay attention to these things." The implication is that I am not aware of it and have no interest in it.

Xie Fang looked at the door and asked in a low voice, "Do you think Xiaona would be rejected if she confessed her feelings to Dayi? It seems to me that Dayi doesn't have any feelings for her."

It's not just superficial, it's gossip. Zhou Jiao looked up and glanced at her, "School rules forbid students from dating. Besides, Dayi wouldn't choose a classmate as his lover."

"How could this happen? Don't classmates of five years understand each other better?"

Hearing this, Zhou Jiao observed her expression, then lowered her head thoughtfully as she continued to organize her notes: "He said that rabbits don't eat grass near their burrows. It's mainly because he hasn't met a girl who can make him fall in love."

"That's right, he's so good." Xie Fang grabbed a piece of paper and looked at it. "I wonder what his selection criteria are for a partner? If I were to use your standards, there's absolutely no hope for Qiao Na."

"What standards do I have as a married woman? Be careful with your words." Her voice was not loud, but it had a hint of majesty.

We were all adults, so who couldn't hear the hidden meaning behind her words? Could she possibly covet Dayi? She actually used Jonah as a shield. Such tactics were truly despicable!

Even if Qiao Na really likes Dayi, so what? She even involves herself in this.

"Hey, I'm just kidding, don't take it seriously."

Zhou Jiao nodded, silently picking up her pen and calculating on the paper. How could a sparrow possibly understand the ambitions of a swan? She should have a broader vision, not just associate with these people.

Seeing her lost in calculations, Xie Fang wanted to move closer, but was afraid of further offending her. Thinking there was still time to go, she bit her lip and lay back down on the bed.

Lost in thought, Xie didn't realize that even if she pulled out all the stops, in Zhou Jiao's eyes, she was nothing more than a clown. For someone like Zhou Jiao, once they knew your character and intentions, you were no more than a worthless chess piece. Even the slightest sign of trouble would instantly kill you!