"Jiang Wanqing, don't be stubborn and ask for trouble. I don't want to push you to the brink. To be frank, we have no other grudges. If you know what's good for you, I'm still willing to help you. Women hold up half the sky these days, and I don't want to persecute my fellow women."
Her words were more eloquent than her actions; it seemed that Guo Xueyun had even moved herself to tears with her self-praise, while Jiang Wanqing merely watched coldly.
Tell me, how do you want to help me?
Seeing that there was room for discussion, Guo Xueyun softened her tone slightly and intended to reason with her and appeal to her emotions.
"Since you don't have an acceptance letter from the University of Washington right now, I know the principal of a vocational college who can send you there to study teacher training. You can go back and become a teacher, doing what you used to do."
It sounds reasonable, but exchanging a vocational college degree for Huada University is something only someone like Guo Xueyun could come up with. Jiang Wanqing couldn't help but sneer.
She forced herself to continue, "That school is in a border town, but it's still a vocational college, which is better than you having to come back for another year."
"Are you doing this for my own good, or do you simply want me to stay away from Cheng Ran? Let me guess, do you also want me to break up with Cheng Ran on my own initiative? If I don't comply, are you going to use threats and inducements next?"
Jiang Wanqing smiled faintly, and even when she looked up at Guo Xueyun, her aura was not weak at all; on the contrary, she seemed to be able to deflect a thousand pounds with a single ounce of force.
"You...you don't even think about it. Why didn't Cheng Ran accompany you to register when you got into Huazhong University? The Cheng family didn't even offer any thanks, they didn't even prepare a room for you, their daughter-in-law. Isn't their attitude obvious? A person should know their own limitations, don't push me!"
Guo Xueyun gritted her teeth; all her composure and patience were like an egg hitting a rock in front of Jiang Wanqing.
"You're the one who shouldn't be pushing me!"
With a slam of her hand on the table, Guo Xueyun was startled, and Jiang Wanqing, her smile fading, approached.
"It's my ability to get into Huada University. The fact that you can't win Cheng Ran's favor is because you lack charm. You're connecting two completely unrelated things and persecuting her. How dare someone like you say that women hold up half the sky? It's an insult to that saying! You clearly have a respectable background and can do more for yourself and society with your own abilities, but you're tied to trivial matters like love and romance. Professor Guo, do you know why you can't catch the eye of other professors?"
Jiang Wanqing's voice was gentle yet powerful. Guo Xueyun swallowed hard, backed away repeatedly, unable to utter a single word in rebuttal. Her face turned bright red, and she stammered.
Just then, the door was pushed open, and a teacher walked in, looking at the bewildered Guo Xueyun and the calm and composed Jiang Wanqing.
"Uh... Teacher Guo, a student is looking for you."
"Okay, I'm coming right now."
Guo Xueyun smoothed her skirt, then walked out, giving Jiang Wanqing a deep look before she left.
The office was filled with foul air, and Jiang Wanqing didn't want to stay any longer, so she quickly went out. As soon as she stepped out of the building, she saw Molly asking questions of her classmates on the roadside.
"Have you seen a girl who is this tall...and very pretty?"
Molly gestured and described the scene, but the students all shook their heads.
She continued walking forward dejectedly, when she suddenly bumped into someone and clutched her forehead.
"Why aren't you watching where you're going...?"
She was initially angry, but when she looked up and saw Jiang Wanqing, her anger turned to surprise and delight. She immediately hugged her and jumped up.
"Wanqing, you're here! I've been looking for you for so long. I was so afraid something had happened to you. I was so scared."
"Calm down. This is Huada University, the Beijing area. Who can harm me?"
When I first met Molly, she was a cold and aloof woman. But the longer I knew her, the more she seemed like a younger sister who depended on her older sister. She was cute, but sometimes she could be quite a headache.
"That's what they say, but I checked your college's registration form, and you weren't registered there."
"It's a long story, let's go get something to eat first."
It was now noon, and Jiang Wanqing, carrying her luggage, was also hungry.
"Great! I passed by the cafeteria on my way here, and the food smelled amazing. I have meal tickets, come on, I'll treat you."
Molly warmly took Jiang Wanqing's hand and walked back.
The school cafeteria is located near the dormitory building, overlooking the lake and offering scenic views. You can smell the aroma of food even before you go inside, and the students coming and going create a lively atmosphere.
Of all things under the sun, food is the most important. Jiang Wanqing wasn't worried about the admission notice. After all, if Professor Xue was her only option, then her second life would truly be a return to the past.
Molly and I got two meals, and then we found a place to sit down.
"Wanqing, do you want to talk to the admissions office about your acceptance letter? Since you've been admitted, the school must have a record of it."
"It's alright, let the bullets fly for a while..."
"ah?"
"Don't ask anymore, eat, eat more."
Jiang Wanqing transferred the meat from her bowl to Molly's bowl.
"You eat too." The two exchanged dishes.
The cafeteria was noisy, but their corner seat offered a rare moment of peace. Jiang Wanqing went to get a bowl of soup, and just as she stood up, she saw a familiar figure not far away...
"The soup bucket is over there, I'll go help you..."
Molly thought she couldn't find it. She had just gotten up when her eyes followed the direction Jiang Wanqing was looking. She was so surprised that she almost dropped the bowl in her hand.
"Isn't that... Yuan Zhong?"
She dared not blink, afraid that she was seeing something wrong and might think she was seeing a ghost.
"Let's go take a look."
Jiang Wanqing's expression was solemn. She couldn't be sure if it was Yuan Zhong. After all, how could someone in prison appear at Huada University? But that face really did look like Yuan Zhong's!
"I'll go too."
The two walked over together, their shadows cast on the dining table. The man stopped eating, looked up, and a flicker of panic flashed in his eyes before he forced himself to calm down.
"Hey, what can I do for you, students?" He asked with a friendly smile.
"Yuan Zhong?" Molly called out tentatively.
He frowned in confusion, didn't respond, looked around, and then pretended to be clueless, pointing to himself.
"Are you calling me? Have you mistaken me for someone else? My name is Chen Zhong, not Yuan Zhong. He is your friend?"
"Your name is Chen Zhong?"
Jiang Wanqing could hardly believe his answer. Apart from the different surname and the fact that the person in front of her had a buzz cut, they were practically indistinguishable.
"Yes, I'm a new student who's here to register today. Here, this is my admission notice."
As he spoke, Chen Zhong took the notification letter out of his cloth bag and opened it to show them.
The two men took it with some skepticism, but were shocked to find that it was exactly as he had described.
Molly opened her mouth, as if she wanted to ask something, but Jiang Wanqing pulled her back and nodded apologetically to Chen Zhong.
"Sorry, we've mistaken you for someone else."
"People can look alike. It's rare to meet someone who looks similar in the vast sea of people. It's fate. It's an honor for me to look like your friend."
"Sorry to bother you, please take your time eating."
Jiang Wanqing smirked and pulled Molly back to sit down.
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