Before heading north, Jiang Wanqing specifically contacted the village commune, hoping they could keep an eye on Jiang Jianwei and his wife to prevent them from doing anything reckless.
To her surprise, she learned that they were often not in the village and did not cause trouble, so she was temporarily relieved and went to work on preparations for the start of the school year.
Cheng Ran's transfer order had just been issued, and he still needed to complete the handover of his work. Therefore, Jiang Wanqing went to Huada University to report first, and he would go to Beijing after he finished his work.
Beijing Railway Station
Molly waited at the exit for a long time. When she saw Jiang Wanqing come out with her luggage, she immediately ran over to greet her.
"I'm here!"
She waved excitedly. She had returned to Beijing a week ago. Returning to her parents' side as soon as possible had always been her wish. Now, upon seeing them again, her complexion was visibly rosy and she was in a good mood.
"Was the wait long?" Jiang Wanqing asked apologetically. "The train was delayed."
"I didn't have to wait long, don't worry. I slept soundly at home and overslept. I was worried you'd have to wait too long, but now it's just right."
Molly smiled happily, showing no sign of impatience, so Jiang Wanqing took the opportunity to back down.
"That's good."
"You'll be reporting for duty tomorrow, so stay at my place tonight. My mom has already made up your bed."
"It's too much trouble for you, Auntie. I'd rather stay at the guesthouse..."
"Why are you staying in a guesthouse! Don't you even consider me a friend anymore?" Molly stomped her foot, feigning anger, and pouted.
Before coming to Beijing, Cheng Ran said he would contact his parents to help her arrange accommodation, but she refused. She didn't want to cause any more trouble before the report. Although staying in a guesthouse cost money, it was less troublesome.
Now that Molly said that… she hesitated for a moment.
"What's wrong? We haven't seen each other for so many days. Don't you want to talk to me more before school starts?"
Molly, when she started to act coquettishly, was so happy to be in the same school as Jiang Wanqing that she couldn't wait to stick together. That's why she invited her friend to stay at her house out of goodwill.
"It's really inconvenient today. Look at all the things I brought, it would be too much trouble to take them to your house. I booked a guesthouse near the school, I can just take them to register tomorrow. I'm sure I'll have the chance to visit your house after I enroll."
She also had her own considerations. Having traveled a long way, she was definitely focused on important matters. It wouldn't be right to just show up without bringing any gifts and freeload off them. Even between good friends, it's important to maintain proper boundaries.
Seeing that her attitude was firm and indeed reasonable, Molly did not insist. She simply helped her deliver the things to the guesthouse and chatted with her for a while.
"Let me tell you, after we get back to the capital, I..."
Inside the room, Molly was chatting away with Jiang Wanqing, holding her hand, when a familiar voice came from outside the door. The two looked at each other, walked to the door, turned on the door light, and looked outside.
A woman stood diagonally opposite the door, wearing genuine leather high heels, a floral dress, and carrying a small bag, giving instructions to the person inside.
"Once you're here, you'd better behave yourself. I only have one request: don't cause me any trouble..."
That voice… Jiang Wanqing frowned, and was about to pull Molly in when the other person suddenly called out.
"Isn't that Guo Xueyun!"
The noise startled the person across the hall, and strangely enough, the door across the hall slammed shut the moment Molly spoke.
Guo Xueyun turned her head nervously, her face showing some panic and unease.
After recognizing who it was, she instinctively opened the door behind her to make sure it was closed before calmly walking towards Jiang Wanqing and the others.
He gave her a disdainful look up and down, then snorted coldly, "I heard that Professor Xue broke school rules for you. You're quite capable, aren't you?"
These words were directed at Jiang Wanqing, and all her emotions were directed at her. Without Cheng Ran around, Guo Xueyun wouldn't even bother to pretend anymore.
It was as if he was trying to cover something up, and his eagerness to provoke Jiang Wanqing seemed to be a way of diverting her attention.
"Hmph, Cheng Ran wasn't there to accompany you on such an important occasion as registering for university. It seems his interest in you was just a passing fancy. Once the initial enthusiasm fades, you're nothing! You don't even have a place to stay, and you're living miserably in this guesthouse. It's ridiculous!"
She raised her head haughtily, crossed her arms, and looked down on people with a disdainful air.
However, the scene she imagined—where Jiang Wanqing would slam the door and lock her out—did not happen.
On the contrary, Jiang Wanqing even made way for her to enter.
"Why don't you come in and sit down, Professor Guo? Look at all these people coming and going, including many students from Huada University. If they see you berating others like a shrew, it might not be good."
People need to save face, just as trees need to protect their bark. Guo Xueyun is no exception. She maintains a perfect image in public, but is selfish in private and absolutely does not want to expose her true self.
As expected, after Jiang Wanqing finished speaking, she looked around and left angrily before anyone recognized her.
"There's plenty of time in the future. You'd better not run into me at Huada University again!"
As soon as she left, Molly spat at her retreating figure.
"Who is this person? Is she out of her mind? She's just looking for trouble! Let's go inside! It's an eyesore to even look at her!"
Molly's indignant emotions were stirred up, and Jiang Wanqing patted her back reassuringly, while glancing at the door across the street.
She hadn't seen clearly who Guo Xueyun was talking to, but she had a vague, bad feeling about it...
"When you go back later, ask the staff for me who lives across the hall."
Jiang Wanqing poured water for Molly and casually mentioned something.
She took the water, looked up in confusion and surprise, and stood there stunned for several seconds.
Why...why?
"Better safe than sorry. It's best to ask, but it's okay if you don't."
Her thoughts drifted away. Her experiences in two lifetimes had made her cautious in everything she did. If it were someone she had no connection with, that would be fine, but she was afraid that the conspiracy theory might come true.
"Okay, I'll ask around for you later."
But when they parted, the door across the street was open and someone was cleaning. Jiang Wanqing saw Molly out and glanced at her a few more times as she passed by.
"Comrade, where are the people here?" Molly asked in a Beijing accent.
Hearing the familiar accent, the cleaning lady looked up.
"They checked out at the last minute and didn't even want their deposit back. Isn't that strange?"
"You checked out?" Jiang Wanqing asked in surprise.
"Yeah, he seems to be a student who's going to report to UW tomorrow. He's pretty, but as for the rest... well, never mind, it's hard to say."
Realizing she had talked too much, the older woman quickly stopped, waved her hand, and continued working.
"Then should I still ask?" Molly asked Jiang Wanqing.
"No need. Since it's Huada University, we might have a chance to meet in the future..."
Jiang Wanqing looked thoughtful. She couldn't find any other reason besides that the person didn't want them to discover their identity. Maybe they even knew them. But who was this person?
“Okay, but like you said, better safe than sorry. When you sleep at night, block the door with a cabinet and lock it twice. Don’t be careless,” Molly advised.
"Yeah, I'll just move the bed to the door and block it up, that way not even a mosquito can get in."
"Pfft... Hahaha... Then I can leave with peace of mind."
Jiang Wanqing's joke made the two of them burst into laughter simultaneously, and they waved to each other.
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