Zhao Yanyan on the other end of the phone was stunned for a while before asking in a flurry of questions:

“Brother Gu, have you gone mad from being in the countryside for so long? Which educated youth doesn’t long to return to the city? Do you know how many people are desperately trying to squeeze into the quota for returning to the city? Do you know how many people have come to my parents’ door begging these days? Do you know how difficult it was for me to get you a spot in the first batch of people to return to the city?”

Gu Zhiyun replied coldly, "I have already thanked you for your kindness. You don't need to go to such lengths to think of me in the future, because your actions are for your own purposes. What you want is not what I want."

These words made Zhao Yanyan feel very guilty.

Indeed, she cried and begged her father to include Gu Zhiyun in the first batch of people to return to the city, hoping to get closer to him. She thought that if she spent more time with him, he would eventually notice her good qualities and completely forget about that country girl!

"Brother Gu, you need to think this through! If you miss this chance to return to the city, you'll have to wait a very, very long time!"

"How long I wait is none of your business. Please don't worry about my affairs anymore. It's not good for either your parents or my parents."

Gu Zhiyun hung up the phone after saying that.

He turned to Old Wang and said, "Uncle Wang, if this Zhao Yanyan calls me again, just say I'm not here."

Old Wang glanced at Shen Jingyan, whose hand was still firmly held by Gu Zhiyun, and nodded knowingly.

Zhao Yanyan hadn't even exchanged a few words with Gu Zhiyun when the call ended. Furious, she smashed the phone receiver on the ground and burst into tears, covering her face.

Seeing her daughter heartbroken and in tears, Zhu Xiaoli felt as if her heart had been ripped out. She immediately put down what she was doing, ran over, hugged Zhao Yanyan, stroked her shoulders, and asked softly:

"What's wrong, Yan Yan? Are you having a bad chat?"

Zhao Yanyan, like a three-year-old child, snuggled into Zhu Xiaoli's arms, tears streaming down her face.

"Mom, Brother Gu is completely bewitched by that vixen from the countryside. I helped him so much, and he didn't even say thank you! Waaah... What is it about me that I don't have compared to that country bumpkin?"

While wiping away Zhao Yanyan's tears, Zhu Xiaoli gently comforted her:

"She's just as good, just as good! My daughter is the most beautiful, gentlest, and most sensible girl in the world. Gu Zhiyun is blind!"

Zhao Guangsheng, who was listening nearby, was annoyed. He slammed his hand on the table and coldly rebuked:

"You too! So stubborn! Besides being handsome and good at studying, what else does Gu Zhiyun have that's worth your liking? With his awful temper, always giving everyone the cold shoulder, I wouldn't even look at him!"

"I like him because he's handsome and smart! You're not allowed to say anything about him!"

Zhao Yanyan cried coquettishly, "So what if I'm stubborn? I don't want anyone but him!"

"And you, the child is crying like this, can't you say something nice?"

Zhu Xiaoli scolded, "Our Yan Yan has always had high standards since she was little, but she has her eye on Gu Zhiyun. As her mother, I'm determined to make sure my daughter marries Gu Zhiyun! I don't believe that with our family's good conditions, Mr. and Mrs. Gu would disagree. Gu Zhiyun should come to our house to be grateful and kowtow in thanks if he can marry Yan Yan!"

Zhao Guangsheng had no choice but to sigh and say, "Alright! I'll talk to Old Gu tomorrow and ask him to persuade Gu Zhiyun!"

Zhao Yanyan slowly stopped sobbing after hearing this.

On one side, Gu Zhiyun led Shen Jingyan out of the gatehouse.

His hands were large, warm, and powerful; Shen Jingyan was already used to this sense of security.

"Brother Yun, are you really sure about this?"

Shen Jingyan was well aware that she was a major reason why Gu Zhiyun was unwilling to return to the city early.

She felt gratified, but also somewhat guilty. She knew she held a firm place in Gu Zhiyun's heart, but she didn't want her rural background to hold him back.

Gu Zhiyun seemed to see through Shen Jingyan's thoughts, patted her head, and smiled:

“What would I look like if I went back now? I wouldn’t have a job, I wouldn’t have any status, and people would secretly gossip that I only got back through connections. I’m a stubborn person, I have to rely on my own abilities to do everything, and I despise asking for favors or using back channels.”

His words helped to ease many of Shen Jingyan's knots in her heart.

Perhaps, even without her involvement, Gu Zhiyun would still find it shameful to return to the city in this way.

"If you're on the list for the second or third batch of people returning to the city, won't you go back either?" Shen Jingyan asked somewhat selfishly.

Gu Zhiyun looked at Shen Jingyan with a firm gaze: "I won't go back until I get my university acceptance letter!"

Shen Jingyan couldn't help but fall for his deep and captivating eyes.

"Yes, let's both get into university and move to the city together! Don't even think about leaving me behind and going back to the city alone!"

The little girl was always sensible and rarely said such willful things, but to Gu Zhiyun, such willfulness was a rare kind of cuteness.

Gu Zhiyun gripped Shen Jingyan's hand even tighter: "You'd better stick to me like a leech, stick to me for the rest of your life!"

The two walked hand in hand toward the dormitory. Halfway there, they saw Yang Zinuo sitting on a tree stump, holding a geography book and flipping through it absentmindedly.

The afterglow of dusk stretched his tall and sturdy figure long. Yang Zinuo, who was usually a good eater and sleeper and carefree, looked somewhat lonely.

Gu Zhiyun walked up and patted him on the shoulder: "Old Yang, what are you daydreaming about?"

Yang Zinuo closed the book, frowning in annoyance.

"My parents received the notification and called me overjoyed to ask when I was coming back."

Gu Zhiyun teased, "Then why don't you hurry up and pack your things?"

Yang Zinuo angrily shoved him: "If we go back to the city, where will we find a teacher as good as Professor Xu? We've already graduated from high school, we can't just shamelessly go back to school and audit classes, can we?"

"So you're not planning to go back either?" Shen Jingyan asked.

“Going back now means nothing!” Yang Zinuo muttered. “It’ll be a glorious return home once I get into university!”

Shen Jingyan thought to herself, no wonder Gu Zhiyun and Yang Zinuo, who have completely different personalities, could become best friends. Their values ​​are just too compatible.

"Then stay here and focus on your studies," Gu Zhiyun said.

Yang Zinuo sighed, "I want to stay, but I just don't know how to tell my parents! I haven't been back for three years, and I didn't even go to my two older sisters' weddings..."

As he spoke, the tall young man, who was over 1.8 meters tall, suddenly had tears in his eyes.

This is indeed a dilemma.

Gu Zhiyun couldn't think of anything to comfort him.

With a smile, Shen Jingyan said, "I'd like to make dumplings tonight. Would you like cabbage or radish filling?"

As soon as food was mentioned, Yang Zinuo's attention was immediately drawn: "Radish filling is delicious!"

[Author's Note]: Jingya: I can heal everything with delicious food~