Chapter 28 Sister-in-law, I don't have a girlfriend.

Fang Han pushed open the door and walked in, carrying a food bag. He walked over and placed the bag in front of Gao Wen, smiling as he said, "I bought you some oden, it might give you some appetite." He then added, "It's all boiled, so it's also a low-fat meal."

The aroma made Gao Wen suddenly feel hungry. She noticed Fang Han was carrying a small bag and asked, "What's that?"

“Oh, this,” Fang Han opened the package, “I just saw some candied hawthorn skewers for sale downstairs, and I thought they were quite unique, so I bought a few.”

Gao Wen looked at the several strings of candied hawthorns in the exquisite box.

Plum tomatoes, strawberry roses, jackfruit yogurt, cherry tangerines...

She picked up one of the bunches of hawthorns, which had a cute Miffy rabbit on top. Another bunch of hawthorns had a banana in the middle, and the God of Wealth's emoji was carved on it, symbolizing joy and good fortune.

"You even have these?" Gao Wen looked closely at the skewers of candied hawthorns, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Where did you buy them? I didn't see them before."

"It seems to be a mobile stall; I just happened to run into it." Fang Han didn't mention that he went there specifically to buy it, but made up an excuse.

"I want to try it." Gao Wen couldn't bear to eat the Miffy rabbit or the "God of Wealth" tomato, so after much deliberation, she chose the plum tomato.

With one bite, the outer layer of sugar is crisp and the flesh bursts with juice, a sweet and sour taste. Her eyes narrowed, revealing a bright and radiant smile, like a child coaxed by candy.

Seeing her like this, Fang Han couldn't help but smile. He walked towards the counter and said, "I'll take the stress test first."

Before he left, he placed a bottle of warm milk on her table; it was the brand she always drank.

Gao Wen looked at the bottle of milk, a flicker in her eyes, an indescribable emotion quietly growing within her, but she didn't find it offensive.

She didn't eat too many candied hawthorns, but reached out and opened the oden.

Logically speaking, eating sweets should reduce one's appetite, but when she opened the box of Kantatsu, the aroma made her swallow hard.

It mainly contains her favorite vegetarian dishes, plus a small amount of glass noodles.

Fang Han knew her tastes so well!

Gao Wen was eating in small bites when Fang Han looked at the class schedule in the backstage and said softly, "You have a lot more classes lately than before."

"Hmm." Gao Wen ate some cabbage. "My private classes at the library are selling well, and more people are booking them."

Fang Han: "You need to get some rest; your health is important."

He noticed that her classes were almost completely booked these past few days, from morning till night.

"They might still be interested at first, but after a while, fewer people will come. I'm fine." Gao Wen finished speaking and smiled, holding up a string of candied hawthorns. "Senior, would you like to try some?"

"I'll eat after I'm done with my work." Fang Han knew she was strong-willed, so he didn't say anything to dissuade her.

Gao Wen nodded and continued enjoying her dinner.

Because she had eaten candied hawthorn, she originally only wanted to eat a few bites of oden, but as she ate, the soup was almost gone.

Gao Wen wasn't regretful. She even drank half a bottle of milk, chose her favorite Miffy and God of Wealth candied hawthorns, and took the remaining skewers to Fang Han's side, saying, "These are for you."

"Thank you." Fang Han looked at the computer screen, his fingers rapidly clicking on the keyboard.

Gao Wen smiled broadly and said in a gentle tone, "You're welcome."

She didn't disturb Fang Han, but silently walked to the window, looking at the colorful neon lights outside and the traffic coming and going, waiting quietly.

Gao Wen picked up the candied hawthorn and put a bite in her mouth.

The sweet and sour taste stimulated her taste buds, making her wrinkle her face, but the feeling became more and more real.

She is a person, a living, breathing person, even if this world is not real, she is a person of flesh and blood.

Gao Wen glanced back at Fang Han, who was busy working on the program.

She had to admit that Fang Han was a kind and warm person, and his arrival greatly relieved her anxiety.

After Gao Wen looked away, she silently sat cross-legged by the window and continued to eat her candied hawthorn in small bites.

A moment later, someone sat down next to her.

Fang Han held the candied hawthorn skewers she had just given him in the cardboard box. He was very tactful, keeping a proper distance between them.

"Is the test complete?" Gao Wen asked.

"We'll have to wait a while and check the stability under load," Fang Han replied. "It'll be ready soon."

Gao Wen understood. She held up the remaining half of the candied hawthorn skewer, smiled at Fang Han, and said, "Thank you."

Fang Han: "Just a few strings of candied hawthorns."

“Hmm… this seems to be the second time I’ve eaten candied hawthorns,” Gao Wen said, lost in thought. “The first time was when I was in first grade. My dad secretly bought them for me. Later, our family had a big argument about it, and I never ate them again after that. I’ve forgotten what they tasted like.”

She was strictly disciplined from a young age. Eating sweets would make her fat, cause cavities, make her less attractive, prevent her from marrying a rich man, and make her "sell" at a good price. Her investments would also fail and result in losses.

The first person to buy her candied hawthorns was Gao's father, and the second was Fang Han.

It would be a lie to say she wasn't moved. Gao Wen began to realize that she also needed emotions and wasn't an emotionally cold person. She didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

Upon hearing this, Fang Han felt a pang of sadness and didn't know what to say to comfort her.

Seeing his complicated expression, Gao Wen asked casually, "Do you think I'm pathetic?"

Fang Han shook his head: "Every family has a different way of educating their children."

“You’re different.” Every time Gao Wen saw Fang Han’s composure and easygoing nature, she felt ashamed of herself. Compared to him, she seemed so materialistic and vain.

They were like two different kinds of people who should never have crossed paths.

Sometimes, Gao Wen even felt that Fang Han might also have his own "storyline," forced to be tied to her.

“I grew up with my grandparents and maternal grandparents, so of course it’s different from yours,” Fang Han said with a smile. “After all, there’s a generation gap between us.”

Gao Wen was slightly surprised when she heard this.

She always thought that Fang Han grew up in a loving environment with his parents.

“This is actually not good. Since junior high school, every few years I have experienced a farewell,” Fang Han said, his eyes dimming as if he had touched on a topic he was reluctant to talk about.

Gao Wen felt a little regretful; why did she bring up this topic?

Fang Han is an orphan, right? It seems his family situation is even worse than she imagined.

My parents are gone, so I was raised by my grandparents, and then they passed away one after another.

She had overheard Fang Han on the phone talking about going back to rent a place, and she thought it was just because his family was poor, but she didn't expect it to be more complicated than she imagined.

That's so pitiful, even more pitiful than her.

"They must be so proud of how well they've taken care of you," Gao Wen said, finishing the last bite of her candied hawthorn. She then changed the subject, saying, "You've exceeded your calorie limit today, but it's okay, eat more sweets! You should finish these too, don't waste them!"

"good."

......

Out of pity for Fang Han, Gao Wen talked more on the way back. She tried to avoid mentioning her family background and even had to admit that it was the right thing to not bring it up before.

The night is quiet, a gentle breeze is blowing, and after a busy day, it's the perfect time to take a leisurely stroll home under the warm glow of the lights.

Unfortunately, the weather turned against them; a light drizzle began to fall halfway through their journey.

Fang Han's first reaction was to find a place to shelter from the rain, so that she wouldn't get wet, as it's easy to catch a cold this time of year.

“I have an umbrella, I have an umbrella.” Gao Wen said, opening her backpack and taking out her parasol.

She opened her umbrella and saw Fang Han standing in the rain: "Senior?"

The umbrella is a bit small, but the rain isn't heavy, so it's enough.

Fang Han stood still: "Let's go, the rain isn't heavy."

"It's raining!" Gao Wen took a few steps forward, hurriedly raised her umbrella, and shielded him from the rain.

Just then, the rain suddenly intensified, forcing Gao Wen to take a half-step forward. The two were now very close, and she frowned, looking left and right at the constantly dripping rain.

Fang Han looked at the person so close to him, his heart skipped a beat, and his ears turned a blush.

Fortunately, it was dark, and no one could see it.

*

Tuesday.

Gao Wen got up early in the morning, and after getting ready, she came out of her room.

Instead of yoga wear or casual clothes, she wore a light blue gradient dress with a simple white cardigan over it. The dress had a fitted waist and a gentle color scheme, making her look poised and elegant.

Gao Wen also wore light makeup, looking charming and innocent, making it hard to look away.

She's not having class today; school starts today, and she has to go back to see her thesis advisor, submit the paper version of her thesis proposal defense draft with her classmates, and have a meeting.

Gao Wen didn't go back alone; she went with Fang Han.

In the car, Gao Wen looked at Fang Han sitting next to her and said, "People are different. We're both going back to school, but I just want to graduate smoothly. I'll probably get a good scolding from my advisor later. As for you, wouldn't you say you're being carried back in a sedan chair?"

"It's not that exaggerated." Fang Han was amused by her. "I was responsible for the core algorithm of the project that the teacher led before. Now that there are problems, I have the responsibility and obligation to help to solve them."

"Anyway, it's better than me." Gao Wen said, drinking unsweetened black sesame soy milk.

I woke up late today and haven't had breakfast yet. When I went downstairs, Fang Han bought two cups of soy milk, one for each of us.

"Have some bread?" Fang Han opened the bag and held out the bread to her.

Gao Wen didn't eat; she continued to look down at the paper documents in her hand, occasionally reciting them aloud to reinforce her understanding.

In her previous life, her thesis defense went very poorly. She had no interest in writing her thesis and was preoccupied with "arguing" with Lin Heng. Because of the thesis issues, she was severely scolded by her supervisor, made a lot of foolish mistakes, and almost failed to graduate.

Even though she didn't particularly like the major, Gao Wen had worked hard to learn it over the years and had a good GPA. This shouldn't be her fate.

Fang Han noticed Gao Wen's nervousness. He glanced at the documents in her hand and took the opportunity to ask a few questions.

She immediately took over, and then directly handed him the materials in her hand: "You ask, I answer, otherwise I'm afraid that if the tutor suddenly asks me a question, I won't be able to answer it."

After Gao Wen finished speaking, she emphasized, "I heard that our mentor is very strict, so I'm a little nervous."

Fang Han took the materials and flipped through them a few times. He had read quite a few of her papers and materials, and some of them he had even helped her find.

The two chatted back and forth, their conversation a bit awkward and hesitant. Fang Han wasn't in this field, so he naturally didn't know as much as Gao Wen. Occasionally, she had to explain things to him carefully and provide detailed answers.

Those beautiful, dark, clear eyes darted around, deep in thought, radiating a seriousness that brought a smile to Fang Han's lips.

He avoided eye contact with her, pretending to look at the documents.

Gao Wen had been observing Fang Han's expression, afraid that she might have done something wrong. Seeing him laughing frequently, she hesitated slightly before asking, "What are you laughing at? Did I say something wrong?"

Fang Han shook his head, his smile remaining unchanged.

"You're definitely laughing at me." Gao Wen snatched the documents away, looked down at them silently, and said with a hint of indignation, "Top students always have a natural disdain for underachievers, it's so annoying!"

Fang Han quickly denied it, "I didn't."

Gao Wen lifted the documents up, pressed them against Fang Han's shoulder, and pushed him back: "You've lost the right to ask me questions. Even a mediocre student has his own dignity."

"I--"

"Don't try to justify yourself."

"....."

The car stopped just then, and Fang Han was met with Gao Wen's cold and indifferent back view.

He chuckled helplessly, got out of the car, took out his phone, typed and deleted a text message repeatedly, pondered it for a long time, and finally sent it: "You're very well prepared. Don't be nervous, everything will go smoothly. I'll contact you again when I'm done."

Fang Han actually wanted to tell her that they would go back together later, but then he thought that she might have to meet up with her classmates and might not be able to go with him.

He sighed, called his advisor, and quickly walked to the other end.

Before Gao Wen even reached the classroom, her heart was pounding; she was indeed very uneasy.

The supervisor remained the same, still Professor Zhao Danqin, whose demands were as strict as ever. Several people were scolded into becoming cowards. Gao Wen sat upright, not daring to even glance at her phone.

When it was Gao Wen's turn, her supervisor, Zhao Danqin, rubbed her temples, her head aching: "You guys are going to give me a heart attack sooner or later. Do you think the thesis proposal defense isn't a defense? Are you just cobbling together something at the last minute to get by? You completely ignored my suggestions for revisions!"

As she spoke, she flipped through the documents Gao Wen handed her, and casually asked a few questions with a straight face.

Gao Wen answered fluently.

Zhao Danqin's complexion improved considerably, and she looked up at Gao Wen several times.

After leaving the classroom, Gao Wen felt reborn and took several deep breaths as she walked out the door.

The dormitory group chat was buzzing with messages. Gao Wen found a bench in a small grove of trees, sat down, and looked down at the messages.

She replied to Fang Han's message first: 【I'm done. What about you?】

Immediately afterwards, she began to check the messages in the dormitory group chat.

Their dormitory is a four-person room, but only three people came back today: Gao Wen and her two roommates, Chen Yaxin and Zhang Lejia.

Gao Wen scrolled up the message list and found that their heated discussion wasn't about the thesis, but about a photo that Chen Yaxin had secretly taken.

Upon opening the photo, Gao Wen sat up straight and stared wide-eyed as she confirmed it again.

Chen Ya-hsin: [The person I photographed today, Zhang Lejia, do you remember who he is?]

Zhang Lejia: [Fang Han, didn't he graduate? Why is he back at school?]

Chen Yaxin: [I don't know, I guess something's up. I saw him standing with Professor Zhang, and I was so excited.]

Zhang Lejia: [Holy crap, he's on the confession wall! That was fast?]

......

Gao Wen had no idea that they knew Fang Han, but thinking about it, she mostly slept in the dormitory and had never discussed these topics with them.

Upon hearing that Fang Han had appeared on the confession wall, Gao Wen went to check it out.

A female student took a picture of Fang Han and is desperately asking which major he is and what his contact information is.

The comments below are even more lively:

[Is Senior Fang Han back?]

[Another one's fallen for him. Give up already; he's the man so many of your seniors couldn't have.]

[In previous years, there were so many, I'm used to it. They had all sorts of styles, but I've never heard of anyone winning over this senior.]

[This is really hard to criticize. Senior Fang Han is humble, polite, and has excellent character.]

[Confessing your feelings is fine, but don't try to kill yourself! Fang Han has graduated; no one can save you now.]

【Ha ha ha ha--】

......

Gao Wen was puzzled by the comments, so she followed the clues and found that something sensational had happened at her school during her freshman year.

A female classmate confessed her feelings to Fang Han but was rejected, and then attempted suicide? She even fell into the lake?

In the end, Fang Han rescued her and took her to the hospital.

He not only paid for her medical expenses, but it is said that this female classmate also failed a course because she skipped class. It was Fang Han who gave her a set of materials and helped her pass the make-up exam.

Just when everyone thought things were looking promising, Fang Han begged his mentor not to let him continue as a teaching assistant, as there were simply too many unmanageable issues to handle.

Professor Zhang and every graduating class lamented the incident, telling the female students to restrain themselves, as they had frightened the senior students; otherwise, he might have had another doctoral student. It was fortunate that Fang Han was of good character; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

The news spread quickly.

The female student later apologized, saying that she did like Fang Han. She initially thought he was good-looking and had a good temper, but now she admired his character even more. She admitted that she did have psychological problems, but due to her family's financial situation, she could not get treatment. Fang Han had helped her find a psychologist, and she was taking medication, so her condition had stabilized a lot. She expressed her deepest apologies for the harm she had caused Fang Han.

As Gao Wen reviewed the events of that year, she was surprised to learn that such a thing had happened.

Was Fang Han that famous back then? It seems she neglected many things during her university years.

Gao Wen opened her chat with Fang Han. He hadn't replied yet, and she was thinking about what to say when a voice came from not far away: "Fang Han, I'll have to trouble you to come back to school more often during this time."

"Of course, I can manage the time without causing any delays," Fang Han replied.

Hearing the sound, Gao Wen looked up.

Fang Han and Professor Zhang were walking side by side on the campus path, discussing project matters across the dense woods, unaware that Gao Wen was sitting on a stone table with her back to them.

In the middle of the conversation, Professor Zhang suddenly changed the subject: "By the way, do you have a girlfriend?"

Fang Han was slightly taken aback, then replied, "Not yet."

"How about I introduce you to someone?" Professor Zhang said with a smile. "She's your professor's wife's niece, and she studied the same major as you. She graduated with her bachelor's degree this year. She's pretty, speaks softly, is a local, and both her parents are university professors. She comes from a scholarly family."

Gao Wen was listening intently to the gossip.

It sounds like they're in good circumstances; they must also be an only child.

Fang Han is trying to climb the social ladder.

"Teacher, I just started working, I don't have that kind of mind," Fang Han said.

Professor Zhang: "Young people shouldn't always think about work. You're going to work for a lifetime, so take it slow. But you need to hurry up when it comes to dating. In a few years, you'll be thirty, which is not young anymore. You'll have plenty of time. If you don't hurry, you'll be forty in no time."

Fang Han: "......"

How come he's forty already?

Gao Wen wanted to laugh when she heard this.

It seems that the excuses elders use to urge their children to get married are all pretty much the same.

Professor Zhang continued, "Your wife showed your photo to that young girl, and she really likes you. I also have her photo here. Would you like to take a look? You young people could go out for a meal or go shopping together."

After Professor Zhang finished speaking, he took out his phone to send photos to Fang Han.

"Teacher, please don't. I don't want to be in a relationship right now. Don't hold her back." Fang Han's expression was visibly flustered, and he even took two steps forward. "I have something to do, teacher. I'll go now. Call me if you need anything."

“You kid, it’s all about making friends. Young people should make more friends!” Professor Zhang said, raising his voice.

Fang Han refused again.

Gao Wen felt sorry for Fang Han.

He is a local, and both his parents are university professors; he comes from a scholarly family.

Perhaps, you can avoid struggling for ten or twenty years.

Not long after Fang Han parted ways with Professor Zhang, he replied to Gao Wen's message: [Sorry, I didn't see it just now. I'm done with my work now. Are you still at school?]

Gao Wen: [Yes, I'm at the fifth canteen.]

Fang Han: [Do you want to eat at school? Or go back?]

Gao Wen remembered that he had just been photographed at school today, and she didn't want to be on the confession wall with him. However, Gao Wen had finally managed to go back to school and missed the food near the school, so she arranged to meet him at a place a little further away in the back alley.

There are quite a few nice and clean little restaurants over there.

Gao Wen arrived at the restaurant first, and Fang Han arrived a little later.

He had just sat down when he noticed Gao Wen looking at him with a strange smile.

"What's wrong?" Fang Han was a beat slower to react. Seeing that she was in a good mood and no longer had the anxiety she had in the morning, it must be that her thesis was progressing smoothly.

Gao Wen didn't hide anything: "I just overheard your conversation with Professor Zhang."

Fang Han picked up the bowl and chopsticks: "I don't see you, where are you?"

“Don’t worry about where I am, he wants to introduce you to someone,” Gao Wen said with a smile.

Fang Han looked flustered and was about to explain.

"Why don't you agree? It's such a good opportunity, there's nothing wrong with going to meet them. If it doesn't work out, you can just be friends," Gao Wen sincerely suggested.

According to her logic, how can you know what will happen next if you haven't even met the person?

She even believes that quantitative change leads to qualitative change, and only by meeting enough people can one know what they truly want.

Gao Wen is a realist. If she hadn't already given up on the idea of ​​marriage, she would have met different people whenever she had the chance, seeking out the most suitable ones, the ones she felt most comfortable with, and the ones who would make her life better.

Moreover, the other party is a local girl with good qualities, and she likes Fang Han.

He's educated, capable, and good-looking—he has everything a good husband should have. Why make things difficult for yourself? Selfishness doesn't necessarily mean unhappiness.

Fang Han's emotions gradually returned to normal, and he replied in a calm and serious tone, "I plan to go to my senior's company and start a business with him. I'll be very busy these next few years, so I don't have the time or inclination for that."

Gao Wen understood: "Compared to work, these things are indeed not important. I was being superficial. Just focus on your work! Keep it up!"

Love is not as important as career!

That applies to her too!

*

Gao Wen truly believed Fang Han's words.

After all, her career is really important to her.

She studied so hard and worked so hard to come to the capital, wanting to settle down here. Fang Han must have had it even harder than her.

It's actually a good thing that he doesn't want to be in a relationship.

It's better for both of them.

However, Gao Wen firmly believed that Fang Han had no romantic feelings. At this moment, he was looking anxiously at Zhang Ni not far away and tried his best to suppress his excitement, emphasizing: "Sister-in-law, I don't have a girlfriend."

“Didn’t you say you were keeping a mistress? Your senior brother said so.” Zhang Ni scrutinized him.

"I didn't," Fang Han said firmly.

"Really not?"

"No," Fang Han replied without hesitation.

“I believe you now. I'll show you a picture of our yoga instructor, Wenwen. I've been wanting to introduce her to you for a long time.” Zhang Ni walked over with a smile, emphasizing, “I'm only willing because you're a good person. I don't think anyone else is good enough for you!”