Chapter 82 He will definitely regret it after all this back and forth.

Can we not fight back?

Of course you can!

But can you really say that out loud?

Of course not!

“Brother Zihang is still the best.” Zhang Xiaohu didn’t hear his mother’s reply. He felt wronged because he hadn’t run to the next room.

“Your brother Zihang is naturally different,” said the plump woman. “Not everyone can be that good.”

"Why can't we?" Zhang Xiaohu said.

"No means no," the plump woman said. "All sorts of people, I'll just give you some beeswax to rub on it. Next time, be careful, go further away."

The plump woman didn't want to bring her child to the new neighbor's house right after they arrived; people would gossip. It would make her seem like she was bullying the new neighbor. Looking at the injury on her son's head, the plump woman felt a pang of heartache.

At this moment, Fatty felt a pang of sadness. It was as if she had returned to the beginning, when she was not strong enough, and being from the countryside, she couldn't say much when she was wronged. After Song Fenglan came, Fatty had more contact with Song Fenglan, and she spoke more often.

“Mom, your eyes are red,” Zhang Xiaohu said.

"I got some sand in my eye," said the plump woman. "It's nothing."

The fat woman was thinking of Song Fenglan. If Song Fenglan were still here, there would be no new neighbors. Qin Zihang was very well-behaved and sensible, and he even knew to feed Zhang Xiaohu and Zhang Wen. The fat woman thought that her family wasn't after those things; the important thing was that Zhang Xiaohu studied with Qin Zihang, and their grades were much better.

The neighbor's kids are noticeably more mischievous now, and it's unrealistic for Fatty to expect them to study together anymore.

After her surgery, Gao Xiuxiu spent a long time recuperating, and even now, she's still recovering, hoping to live as long as possible. Between her two daughters, who are close in age, Gao Xiuxiu still feels more affection for her elder daughter than her younger one. If her younger daughter...

If that's the case, she won't have to suffer.

"Why is it so dirty again?" Gao Xiuxiu had a headache whenever she saw her youngest daughter. Her youngest daughter was too unclean. Her eldest daughter was much better.

Even now, Li Hui is still unemployed. She hasn't thought about looking for work; she just thinks about how her husband works at the grain bureau, and their life is quite comfortable. Li Hui likes to go out dancing and doesn't like staying at home all the time, nor does she want to help the Guo family.

"My brother's business is doing well," Guo Peng said during the meal. "Go and help him out when you have time."

“I don’t have that much time to help them. I’m not capable of doing those things, as you know,” Li Hui said. “They don’t want me to help them either.”

"you……"

“I was standing there, and they all thought I was in their way, that I couldn’t do anything right,” Li Hui said. “I went over to help, and I didn’t even take money from them, and they still acted like this. What’s the point of me going over there? It’s just like offering my kindness to someone who doesn’t reciprocate. What’s the point?”

Guo Peng frowned. After his younger brother arrived, he noticed that his brother's family had a better relationship with Fan Yani and her husband. Guo's mother was still staying with Fan Yani instead of the house Guo Yani and her husband rented. Fan Yani reasoned that since Guo Yan was renting, while her house wasn't, it would be more convenient for Guo's mother to stay at her place, and renting one less room would save some money.

Fan Yani isn't the Guo family's biological daughter, yet she still cares so much for them. Conversely, Guo Peng is Guo's mother's biological son, but he can't help his family, which makes him unhappy.

An older brother is not as good as a brother who raises his younger sister.

Guo's mother didn't speak ill of Guo Peng. It didn't matter that Guo Peng and his wife weren't willing to help much; they could just let their younger son and his wife put in more effort. After all, Guo Peng and Guo Yan were married, and many things were different now than before they were married.

"Why were you coming home so late the other day?" Li Hui looked at Guo Peng and noticed a long hair on his collar. She immediately reached out and picked up the hair. "Whose hair is this?"

"Isn't it your hair?" Guo Peng asked.

"You just came back from outside, how could it be my hair?" Li Hui said. "You went out with some hair on it this morning, couldn't you have taken it with you? Tell me, whose hair is this?"

"I don't know," Guo Peng said. "It might be from the wind blowing the clothes."

"Feng?" Li Hui didn't believe it. "Don't lie to me. Are you seeing other women outside, trying to have a child with your blood?"

"No." Guo Peng hadn't expected Li Hui to think that way. "Haven't we already adopted someone..."

“Adoption is adoption, but she’s my niece from my maternal family. She’s not related to you by blood. Who knows if you’ll have other ideas?” Li Hui said.

"If you can't have children, you can't have children. I didn't say that..."

“Men all like to say one thing to your face and another thing in private,” Li Hui said. “You better not let me find out you’re with other women.”

"..." Guo Peng felt powerless; he had no desire to be with another woman. Guo Peng simply wanted Li Hui to treat the Guo family better; after all, Li Hui was the eldest sister-in-law, and he didn't want things to escalate too much.

“Guo Peng, don’t think that just because you’ve been demobilized and are no longer in the army, you can do whatever you want,” Li Hui said. “If you go looking for other women, I’ll go to the broadcasting station and let everyone know that you’re seeing other women outside. Let’s see how ashamed you are.”

"I didn't!" Guo Peng was afraid of Li Huizhen's actions. If he really had another woman, it would be one thing, but he didn't, and Li Huizhen still said that.

“You say you don’t,” Li Hui said. She felt that Guo Peng was acting a bit strange, and she had to keep an eye on him. “It would be best if you really didn’t.”

"No," Guo Peng said.

Li Hui has no biological children; she adopted her niece from her maternal family. However, she is unwilling to take care of her niece, leaving Guo's mother to care for the child. Li Hui only cares about her own comfortable life. When she notices hair on Guo Peng's body, she starts staring at him more closely.

The plump woman didn't have a phone at home, so she couldn't talk much about her new neighbors when she went out to make calls, afraid that others would overhear and say she had a problem with them. She was calling Song Fenglan, thinking of her.

"The new neighbors have moved in," said the plump woman. "Some of their things are still useful."

"Let them do as they please," Song Fenglan said. If others want to change their furniture, then let them change it.

Song Fenglan had no objection; that was no longer her home.

“I came to the capital and was allocated an apartment,” Song Fenglan said. “Zihang will be attending classes at the school near my workplace.”

"That's great." The plump woman opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know what to say.

"How are you doing?" Song Fenglan asked.

"Thank goodness, it's still..."

"Mom!" Zhang Xiaohu shouted, "Are you on the phone with Aunt Fenglan? I need to talk to my little brother Zihang!"

Zhang Xiaohu had just seen his mother come out, so he quietly followed her and saw her making a phone call. Zhang Xiaohu wanted to talk to Qin Zihang; he missed him.

Zhang Xiaohu's voice was so loud that Song Fenglan could hear it.

Although the voice coming through the phone was somewhat distorted, Song Fenglan still knew it was Zhang Xiaohu speaking.

“Let them talk,” Song Fenglan said, handing the phone to Qin Zihang, who was doing his homework. “Xiaohu wants to talk to you.”

"Brother Little Tiger?" Qin Zihang asked in surprise.

“Yes, it’s your Little Tiger brother.” Song Fenglan nodded.

"Brother Xiaohu." Qin Zihang held up the phone receiver.

“Brother Zihang.” Zhang Xiaohu took a deep breath. “Brother Zihang, I got beaten up. The kid next door beat me up.”

Zhang Xiaohu is a child himself, yet he calls others children.

"Fight back!" Qin Zihang said firmly. "It's not appropriate for adults to interfere when kids fight. If you don't fight back, you'll be at a disadvantage. Listen to me, fight back."

Song Fenglan rubbed her temples after hearing Qin Zihang's words. That was Zhang Xiaohu's business with other people; couldn't Qin Zihang just say less?

Song Fenglan did indeed teach her children to fight back, but after hearing her son say this to Zhang Xiaohu, she worried that Zhang Xiaohu would be negatively influenced. Many children end up playing together after a few fights; Qin Zihang was in the capital, and Zhang Xiaohu was in the southern part of the city, neither of them knew the other's specifics.

“Are you afraid your mom will hit you? If your mom really hits you, then she's not a good mom. Your mom is just pretending to hit you a couple of times because she wants what's best for you,” Qin Zihang said. “Don’t be afraid, don’t back down, just go for it. We’re not just trying to save face, we have to take responsibility for ourselves.”

“I fought back,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “If there’s a next time, I’ll fight back again.”

"Yes, that's right, fight back." Qin Zihang said, "Brother Xiaohu, you have to protect yourself while I'm not around."

“I protected myself, Zihang, and you did too,” Zhang Xiaohu said. “Did anyone hit you?”

"No, I'm fine," Qin Zihang said. "Many people want to be my friend, but I haven't played with any of them. My older brother and sister are very nice to me; they give me good food and let me play with their toys."

Qin Zihang has friends to hang out with, and he lives a comfortable life. Even without Zhang Xiaohu, there are other people who want to be friends with Qin Zihang.

"Don't forget me." Zhang Xiaohu was afraid that Qin Zihang would forget him, so he still hoped that Qin Zihang would remember him. "I did my summer homework well, and school is about to start..."

"Yes, I'm going to the new school." Qin Zihang nodded. "My mom said the students at that school are all very talented, so I can't be too bad."

"You can definitely do it," Zhang Xiaohu said.

"Alright, alright, is it free to make a phone call?" Fatty urged Zhang Xiaohu.

"Brother Zihang, I'm hanging up now. Remember not to forget me. Goodbye, brother Zihang, goodbye," Zhang Xiaohu said.

"Goodbye, Brother Little Tiger," Qin Zihang said.

Qin Zihang heard the dial tone coming from the phone receiver and sighed.

"Mom, I wish Brother Xiaohu lived next door to us," Qin Zihang said. "Dad can come back, so why can't Brother Xiaohu's dad come over?"

“Your brother Xiaohu’s father isn’t from the capital,” Song Fenglan said. “Not everyone can work in the capital.”

Qin Yizhou and Zhang Chenghai were never in the same position; each had their own path to follow.

“We can’t just have them come whenever you want,” Song Fenglan said. “Distance makes the heart grow fonder, and that’s not bad either. When you meet Xiaohu again, you can write to him and send him things.”

"Is it okay?" Qin Zihang looked up at his mother.

“Of course.” Song Fenglan nodded.

Zhang Xiaohu walked back with his wife, who looked at the smile on her youngest son's face and asked, "Are you happy now?"

"If I hadn't secretly followed you, I wouldn't have known you called Zihang's mother," Zhang Xiaohu said. "Mom, can't you take me with you?"

"I just want to say a few words," said the plump woman.

Before making the call, Fatty Sister had so much to say. After the call, she didn't have as much to say.

The words were on the tip of her tongue, but the plump woman didn't know what to say. Her family had taken far too much advantage of Song Fenglan's family. The new neighbors were just like ordinary neighbors; Song Fenglan's family was a special case. The plump woman wanted to talk to Song Fenglan more, but since they were on the phone outside, others could hear them, and she couldn't say anything more.

"Let me say a few words too." Zhang Xiaohu jogged a few steps and then stopped. This was the happiest day he had had in days. "My little brother Zihang won't forget me."

"That's good," said the plump woman. "And don't forget your little brother Zihang."

"No, I can't forget, I can't forget," Zhang Xiaohu repeated. "My little brother Zihang is very good, very good."

Zhang Xiaohu desperately wanted Qin Zihang to stay, but unfortunately, he couldn't.

At the end of August, Cao Fang and Song Erge held their wedding banquet. Cao's relatives were arranged to stay at a hotel, not all at Song Erge's house. Song Erge thought that since they were staying at the hotel, the staff would clean the rooms, and it wouldn't matter if they stayed a little longer; they could enjoy sightseeing in the capital. They were already there, so it wouldn't be right not to have some fun.

Brother Song also arranged guides for them, allowing them to explore the capital, and took care of their food and lodging. Unless they wanted to buy something themselves, they didn't need to spend any extra money.

At the wedding banquet, the Song family didn't arrange seating. Except for one table reserved for prominent and influential people, the other tables were open to all. The Song family offered Cao Fang's parents the seats of honor, but Cao Fang's parents said they would be fine sitting with their relatives.

Cao Fang's parents knew those people were influential figures, and they themselves weren't that powerful. Even if they sat down, they wouldn't stand a chance.

In fact, it's more comfortable to sit with relatives.

Seeing that Cao Fang's parents were determined, the Song family didn't stop them. Cao Fang's relatives didn't think there was anything wrong with it; after all, the Song family was so wealthy, and their guests must be very important. The Cao family's relatives felt that it was already quite an achievement that they could come to the capital, especially considering how much money the Song family had spent.

Brother Song also prepared some gifts for Cao's relatives, as these people might not come to the capital in the future. By doing these things well, Brother Song hoped they wouldn't speak ill of Cao Fang when they returned home.

Cao's relatives watched Song Erge walk while they were still talking.

"This counts as a limp, but it's not very obvious."

"Such a family, such a wonderful family, so many people would love to marry into it."

"Let's see who still laughs at Cao Fang. Can their son-in-law really be that strong?"

...

The Cao family relatives were all very pleased with Brother Song. They were happy to have benefited from such a wealthy man. Brother Song refused the red envelopes offered by the Cao family and instead gave them separate red envelopes. The Cao family relatives had come all this way; this was a show of respect to the Song family.

Cao Fang's parents were overjoyed; their son-in-law was so good at saving face.

While Cao Fang was on leave after her wedding, other people took her place as bodyguards for Song Fenglan. Cao Fang could spend time with Song Fenglan's second brother or take her family for a stroll.

When the Cao family left the capital, they repeatedly told Cao Fang to live a good life with Brother Song and not to be capricious. Cao Fang naturally agreed to everything; she was long past the age of being capricious.

That day, Song Fenglan took Qin Zihang to register at school. While at school, she ran into a colleague from the research institute. Upon seeing Qin Zihang, the colleague asked, "Engineer Song, is this your son? Your son looks very smart."

None of those people spoke ill of Qin Zihang; they were all kind to him. Some of their children were about the same age as Qin Zihang, or even the same age, and those colleagues told their children to learn from him and that they could play together.

Song Fenglan naturally agreed. When Qin Zihang saw this, he straightened his back. His mother was really amazing.

On his first day of school, Qin Zihang went to the room assigned to him by Song Fenglan's workplace for lunch and rest. Song Fenglan was worried that Qin Zihang would not be used to it, so she went to check on him.

"Mom, they all like to be my friends," Qin Zihang said with a smile. "Some of them I've met before."

Previously, Song Fenglan had brought Qin Zihang to the workplace, but Qin Zihang stayed at the workplace's childcare center. Qin Zihang knows the children of some of the colleagues in the institute, and he still plays with them.

Qin Zihang wasn't ostracized, so he didn't feel that life was hard. Children are naturally curious and like all sorts of new and interesting things. Also, with other people around, they didn't think about the past.

"That's good," Song Fenglan said. "If you have any problems, just tell your parents."

"No problem, everything is fine now," Qin Zihang said. "It's just... Brother Xiaohu isn't here with me."

“Your older brother Xiaohu has started school too, and he has to study hard too.” Song Fenglan patted her son’s head. “You can study here.”

"Yes, I'll try my best." Qin Zihang nodded.

In Nancheng, Tang Lu has been training at the base for several years and is now capable of piloting fighter jets. Tang Lu is about to graduate, and she doesn't plan to return to the capital but will continue to stay in Nancheng. When the school assigns jobs, it also favors Tang Lu staying in Nancheng.

Tang Lu decided to stay in Nancheng, and she called her family to tell them.

"She didn't come back?" Mr. Tang was not happy. He had originally thought that his daughter had become a pilot and that her return to the capital would bring him honor.

“I didn’t go back,” Tang Lu said. “I’m just an ordinary pilot, not very capable. Very ordinary, very ordinary. Even if I went back, I wouldn’t be able to suddenly become a great person and help my family.”

Tang Lu understood what her father was thinking; he was simply wondering if she could bring any benefits to the family. Tang Lu didn't necessarily want to help her family in any way. She became a pilot not for her family, but for herself. She wanted to develop her own career and didn't want to be tied down by the Tang family.

"Your cousin is back," said Mr. Tang.

“It’s her business to go back,” Tang Lu said. “Their family has been exonerated, so my cousin won’t have to suffer anymore if she goes back. Now is the perfect time for her to go back.”

"..." What Tang's father was thinking was that both Qin Yizhou and his wife had been transferred back to the capital, and that the two of them had become very capable.

“I’m not my cousin. I’m still a student at school,” Tang Lu said. “My cousin has been working at a research institute for a long time, and her husband is a regimental commander. I can’t compare to them. I can’t compare to them.”

Tang Lu was practically saying: Give up, don't compare me to them.

“The capital has many talented people, geniuses with exceptional abilities,” Tang Lu said. “If I go back, I’ll just blend into the crowd, with nothing outstanding to show for it. In the end, I’ll only get worse and worse off.”

"Alright, alright, you're in the south of the city," said Mr. Tang. "Why don't you go find your own mother? She..."

"It's no use." Tang Lu was speechless. Didn't her father know how her biological mother treated them?

“That’s your biological mother,” Mr. Tang said.

“When you abandoned her, when our Tang family and the Song family separated, Mom couldn’t possibly be as open and honest with us as before,” Tang Lu said. “We should have some self-awareness and stop always expecting Mom to help us. What right do we have to ask Mom for help? It’s better for me to stay in Nancheng and make a living on my own. I’ll always find a way to do well.”

Tang Lu didn't want to soar to great heights overnight, but she lacked the ability. Sometimes Tang Lu wondered if...

The Tang family's genes are too bad; they're not as good as the Song family.

At the start of the new semester, Capital University of Aeronautics and Astronautics assigned Song Fenglan two graduate students. One of them knew that Song Fenglan hadn't graduated from university yet, so he refused to follow her. He said that since his original advisor didn't want to mentor him, he should have the right to choose, instead of being forced to study under someone who hadn't graduated. Besides, he had already graduated from university and was going to pursue graduate studies.

The graduate student had never met Song Fenglan before; he had only inquired about her from others and was unwilling to talk to her.

"Dean, I can't go with her. If I go with her, my life will be ruined."

"I graduated from university with a master's degree, and what about her? She's just a little older than me, so how can she teach me?"

"I demand a different advisor; I refuse to stay with her!"

...

The dean specifically chose this student because his academic performance was quite good, and he wanted this person to study hard under Song Fenglan. He never expected this person to be like this.

“She is Song Xingyun’s niece,” the dean said.

"I don't care whose niece she is, it doesn't matter," the student said indignantly. "I don't want to be her student. I got into graduate school through my own hard work, you can't treat me like this. She got in through connections, you..."

"Enough!" The dean's face turned cold. He didn't want to say much about Song Fenglan's matter, thinking that these two students would naturally find out after following Song Fenglan. He didn't expect that someone would be unwilling. "Since you are unwilling, then forget it."

The other student did not go to the dean's office, nor did he express his unwillingness.

To prevent a recurrence of this problem, the dean did not assign any other students to follow Song Fenglan, but instead assigned one student for now. Further arrangements will be made next year.

"Whichever mentor you want to work with, go and discuss it with them. As long as they're willing, there's no problem," the dean waved his hand.

The graduate student felt that the dean had agreed because he was in the wrong, so he went to another graduate student and said, "If you don't want to follow this professor who hasn't even graduated yet, hurry up and go find the dean."

“I’m willing to go with her,” Ding Wenbo said. He had indeed inquired about Song Fenglan, whose most well-known title was that she was Song Xingyun’s niece.

Ding Wenbo knew Song Xingyun; he was a very capable scientist. Song Fenglan previously worked at the Nancheng Aircraft Research Institute, but had now been transferred to a research institute in the capital. People were speculating that the Song family had used their connections to get Song Fenglan back to the capital's institute.

Regardless of what others thought, Ding Wenbo believed that Song Fenglan must be capable; otherwise, how could she possibly have a foothold in the capital city, where powerful figures were everywhere? Others couldn't support Song Fenglan forever; ultimately, she would have to rely on her own abilities to establish herself.

"You..." Duan Yue looked at Ding Wenbo in disbelief. "She is Song Xingyun's niece, that's true. People forget you when you're gone. She can still use her uncle's connections, but can you? We also need our mentor's connections to learn from us."

“If you’re only thinking about your mentor’s connections, be careful not to fall into a trap,” Ding Wenbo said.

“You’ve fallen into the ditch,” Duan Yue said. “You’re afraid of offending the Song family, aren’t you? Don’t be afraid. They won’t produce another Song Xingyun in the future, so they’ll be useless sooner or later.”

"..." Ding Wenbo was too lazy to argue with Duan Yue about these things. "We're not mentors anymore."

If you share the same mentor, then you're considered to be from the same school. But if you don't share the same mentor or school, the relationship is quite different.

“Yes, we are not the same mentor. I have already spoken to the dean. If you want to change mentors, you can go to the dean now. It’s not too late,” Duan Yue said.

Song Fenglan had assumed she would have two graduate students, as the school had informed her beforehand. She hadn't expected someone to decline her assignment. Fine, she thought; one less person to supervise would make things easier for her.

Ding Wenbo didn't change his advisor, but he was still summoned by the dean. The dean, upon learning that Ding Wenbo had no intention of changing advisors, gave him some instructions.

“Do more for your mentor,” the dean said. “She is an outstanding person. The Capital Institute specifically applied to transfer her here as soon as possible. It’s not just the institutes in the capital that are keeping an eye on her; institutes in other places are also watching her.”

Everyone who knew about Song Fenglan's abilities wanted her to work at their research institute.

The dean couldn't say too much; if he did, Ding Wenbo might not understand, and might even think the dean was bragging. What the dean wanted was someone willing to settle down and learn from Song Fenglan, someone who absolutely wouldn't cause trouble.

“Okay,” Ding Wenbo said.

"Sign this." The dean took out a confidential document.

Ding Wenbo hadn't expected to have to sign a confidentiality document, but he didn't hesitate and signed his name directly.

The dean personally led Ding Wenbo to the research institute and to Song Fenglan's office.

Song Fenglan's office was quite large, and the research institute had also assigned her an assistant. She was in charge of a major project. Song Fenglan was in a meeting, and her assistant asked the dean and Ding Wenbo to sit down first.

"Engineer Song won't be back anytime soon; you might have to wait." The assistant checked the time. "He has an urgent meeting to attend to."

The assistant explained that it was originally a pre-arranged time, but Song Fenglan had something come up and couldn't make it. It wasn't that Song Fenglan was intentionally trying to intimidate the director and Ding Wenbo; it was simply that Song Fenglan hadn't been at the Capital Research Institute for long, and many departments needed her advice. She had been very busy lately, resolving issues for the institute.

"It's alright, let's sit and wait," the dean said.

The dean himself is an expert in the field, and he specifically came with Ding Wenbo so that Ding Wenbo could better follow Song Fenglan. This was also a way of giving Song Fenglan face.

They waited for over an hour, during which other people called or came in person, all looking for Song Fenglan. Since Song Fenglan wasn't there, they could only wait.

When Song Fenglan returned to her office, she saw the dean and Ding Wenbo. Her voice was a little hoarse, so she took a sip of water first.

Ding Wenbo saw Song Fenglan and also noticed the person following behind her carrying documents. He had initially thought that it was quite remarkable for Song Fenglan to have only one assistant in her office, but he hadn't expected her to have others with her.

The office assistant mainly helps Song Fenglan organize things and replenishes any missing items. The other assistants also accompany Song Fenglan on research trips and meetings, and have a lot of work to do.

"He is Ding Wenbo, the student I'm going to pass on to you." The dean shook hands with Song Fenglan.

“Okay, then he’ll come with me.” Song Fenglan nodded.

“Just assign him whatever you need to do,” the dean said.

“Yes, that’s right, teacher,” Ding Wenbo quickly replied. “We can start now.”

“Okay, we’ll do it tomorrow,” Song Fenglan said. “Get the access passes, and then you can stay with me. As for your research paper, you can talk about it if you have a clear direction. When doing research, you should do what you like.”

"Alright, he's in your care now. I won't bother you any longer, I'll head back first," the dean said. "Thank you for your trouble."

"It's nothing," Song Fenglan said.

After the dean left, Song Fenglan asked her assistant to take Ding Wenbo to complete the relevant procedures.

While Ding Wenbo was going through the formalities with his assistant, someone saw Ding Wenbo and asked him a question.

“He is Engineer Song’s graduate student,” the assistant said.

"How enviable!" someone remarked.

"..." Ding Wenbo could tell that those people were genuinely envious, not just pretending.

When Ding Wenbo was in the office, he saw that Song Fenglan treated the dean with neither servility nor arrogance, and the dean respected Song Fenglan greatly. If Song Fenglan were just someone who relied on family connections, how could the dean possibly respect her so much?

After processing the entry and exit permits, the assistant explained some things to Ding Wenbo, such as Song Fenglan's general daily routine.

“Engineer Song is very busy,” the assistant said. “You’ll have to keep up as much as possible while you learn from her, because she might not have time to explain things to you in detail. But you can learn a lot by working with Engineer Song.”

"Yes." Ding Wenbo nodded.

Around 8 PM, Song Fenglan returned home. Qin Zihang and Qin Yizhou had already returned home. In her room, Song Fenglan thought about the two graduate students.

“Although the school didn’t say much, I think I know that the student probably doesn’t want to be my student,” Song Fenglan said. “That’s true. People know my uncle Song Xingyun, but they don’t know me, Song Fenglan. They all want to be under a good mentor, so why would they want to be the student of someone who hasn’t even received their university degree yet?”

"Don't be upset," Qin Yizhou said. "It's his loss that he's no longer your student."

“I’m not upset, I just think it’s normal,” Song Fenglan said. “I’m not some hot commodity, why would I expect others to follow my example?”

"It's good that you're thinking positively." Qin Yizhou was afraid that Song Fenglan would get stuck on something.

In recent years, Song Fenglan's life has been relatively smooth sailing, without many difficulties.

"The dean brought the student to me today, probably because he was afraid I would have a problem with him," Song Fenglan said. "I have no problem. This student is willing to learn from me, so I will naturally teach him. It's just that I'm usually very busy and may not have much time to teach him."

“He can learn a lot,” Qin Yizhou said.

“You’re not him, you know that?” Song Fenglan raised an eyebrow.

"Is there any need to say more? Those people all want you to teach students, which means you have the ability," Qin Yizhou said. "If you didn't have the ability, why would they do this?"

“I believe in my abilities,” Song Fenglan chuckled. “Don’t try to praise me in different ways. I just thought of this one thing and wanted to tell you. It’s not a secret, and I can talk about it.”

Song Fenglan couldn't tell Qin Yizhou the confidential matters, so she only talked about these trivial things.

"How's your work going?" Song Fenglan asked.

"Smoothly, very smoothly," Qin Yizhou said. "Everything is fine."

Qin Yizhou's superiors knew about Song Fenglan's situation and had considered her needs in some arrangements. While others might have to work night shifts, Qin Yizhou didn't; his night shifts meant returning home, and his priority was protecting Song Fenglan.

"Being with you makes me feel like a kept man," Qin Yizhou joked.

"Where can I find it?" Song Fenglan asked. "Don't you like this kind of life?"

"No." Qin Yizhou shook his head. "I've worked hard for many years and completed many missions. I'm still doing missions now, but of course, I have to take better care of my family."

Qin Yizhou wasn't thinking about getting promoted or reaching a high position; a high position was unlikely, so he was content with a similar job.

“If you have time, ask Zihang about his life at school,” Song Fenglan said.

"Didn't you ask? Or were you afraid he wouldn't tell you?" Qin Yizhou asked.

“He will talk,” Song Fenglan said. “It’s just that he’s grown up now. He’s a boy, and I’m afraid I don’t know him well enough.”

It is undeniable that fathers have a significant impact on a boy's life.

Song Fenglan didn't intend to keep an eye on Qin Zihang every day, nor did she have the time. She and her husband divided the tasks; as the child grew up, he would have his own secrets, and boys might be more willing to tell their fathers things they were too embarrassed to tell their mothers.

"Don't worry, Zihang says his mom is amazing and wonderful every day." Qin Yizhou hugged Song Fenglan. "I don't hold such an amazing position in his heart."

"Try your best," Song Fenglan said.

"I can't surpass you." Qin Yizhou placed a kiss on Song Fenglan's forehead.

During Song Fenglan's stay in the capital, Jiang Yufei didn't approach her. Jiang Yufei had originally wanted to apologize to Song Fenglan; she had planned to check on her when Song Fenglan had spent the New Year in the capital, but Song Fenglan had already left.

Jiang Yufei hadn't originally intended to apologize. Perhaps seeing her first love become someone she didn't recognize made her think it was a good thing she hadn't married him. Also, Jiang Yufei wanted to mend her relationship with Song Fenglan. The Song family doted on Song Fenglan, and the Song family was now thriving. Jiang Yufei thought that if she didn't apologize now, it would be too late.

In the future, who will remember Jiang Yufei? She'll just be Jiang Yu...

Fei didn't find a good opportunity. When Song Erge got married, Jiang Yufei couldn't apologize, so as not to make Song Fenglan think that she deliberately said it during Song Erge's wedding banquet, making people feel that she was forcing others to forgive her.

Jiang Yufei rarely saw Song Fenglan. She had come over before, but Song Fenglan wasn't home, so she couldn't apologize to her.

Jiang Yufei is still looking for an opportunity.

Seeing her tossing and turning, unable to sleep properly, Jiang Yufei's husband couldn't help but ask, "Can't you sleep? What are you thinking about?"

"I miss Song Fenglan," Jiang Yufei said.

"Her?" Jiang Yufei's husband, Lu Ping, knew about Song Fenglan. It was because Song Fenglan lived in the Jiang family home that Jiang Yufei broke up with her first love.

“Yes,” Jiang Yufei said, “I was just thinking that if I apologized to her, those things would be over. But…”

"If you want to apologize, then go apologize," Lu Ping said.

“That’s what I thought too, but she’s often not home, so I haven’t run into her,” Jiang Yufei said. “When I went there around 7 p.m., she wasn’t home. I couldn’t very well talk to her husband about those things; it’s impossible.”

"Let's see when she gets a holiday, and then we'll go over there," Lu Ping said.

“I’m a little scared too,” Jiang Yufei said. “I was thinking if I could have my mom come with me. If my mom is there, Song Fenglan will at least see her, so she won’t refuse to see me.”

"..." Lu Ping's lips twitched slightly. What was he supposed to say? "That's your own mother, look at her."

"Okay," Jiang Yufei said. "I'll talk to my mom about it tomorrow."

On the first day of his new day, Ding Wenbo began learning from Song Fenglan. He noticed that she was incredibly busy, always having endless tasks and dealing with all sorts of problems. There were issues from other departments, and issues from her own—a mountain of things to do. Before Ding Wenbo had even started learning anything from Song Fenglan, he was already overwhelmed with work.

“Go to the lab and work with them.” Song Fenglan suddenly thought of Ding Wenbo, who was standing next to her. She couldn’t let Ding Wenbo follow her around all the time; she had to let him do the experiments. “If you have any problems, come to me. If you can solve them yourself, it’s best to do it yourself.”

“Okay.” Ding Wenbo couldn’t possibly say no.

Song Fenglan arranged Ding Wenbo's whereabouts and then went on to do her work.

When Ding Wenbo arrived at the laboratory, he did experiments and learned alongside the other people.

"You're really lucky to have become Song's graduate student. With this status, you'll be highly sought after in the future," someone next to me remarked. "If I could, I'd also like to be Song's graduate student. But being in Song's group right now is also a kind of luck."

"It's very fortunate." Seeing the respect these people showed to Song Fenglan, Ding Wenbo understood why the dean had asked him to learn from her. Ding Wenbo had a premonition that Duan Yue would regret it later. In terms of connections, Song Fenglan's connections were second to none, and the people at the research institute had no need to play along with her.

Jiang Yufei was on her way to find Aunt Yu when she ran into Tian Keshu. The two acted like enemies. Tian Keshu believed that Jiang Yufei was largely to blame for her divorce from Brother Qin, and that if Jiang Yufei hadn't said those things at the police station, things wouldn't have escalated like this.

"Jiang Yufei!" Tian Keshu gritted her teeth. "Song Fenglan is back. Did you go to see her? How dare you go to see her?"