"You have to promise that it won't affect Professor Luan's normal work. If you want him to leave work on time, you can negotiate some conditions, such as when to have dinner. Professor Luan is not an unreasonable person, and he won't refuse reasonable requests."
"You must control your tone and make everything negotiable. If Professor Luan doesn't agree, you can't force him."
"You could try lowering your expectations. For example, if Professor Luan doesn't want you to stay at the university, you could discuss whether you can visit him every other day. If one day isn't enough, try two days, and if two days aren't enough, try three days. I personally think that separating for a couple of days might help your relationship."
"If you're not satisfied, it's best not to lose your temper, but you can act a little disappointed and show some weakness so that Professor Luan can comfort you."
The three of them surrounded Qi Yan, who was holding his phone and preparing to make a call, and gave him a thorough lecture.
Qi Changzhou clicked his tongue: "Why don't you put it on speakerphone?"
“…No, brother.” Qi Yan squeezed out from the gap: “I’ll talk nicely and won’t lose my temper.”
Qi Yan left the office, checked the time (it should be lunchtime), took a deep breath, pressed the video call button, and then waited anxiously in front of the screen.
The three people inside stared at the scene from a distance through the glass door.
"Do you think he can do it?" Qi Changzhou asked doubtfully.
"You're asking me about your brother?"
"He's your brother too, you know him better than I do."
Shan Song sneered: "If I had taught him step by step as you said, all that would have been missing was writing a speech for him."
"..."
"Hey, are you talking?" Tong Zhao interrupted the two.
Qi Yan endured the ordeal for a long time, so long that he thought the call would automatically disconnect when Luan Yining's familiar figure suddenly appeared on the screen.
The phone appears to be propped up somewhere, and judging from the background, it seems to still be in a laboratory.
"Why haven't you eaten yet? Didn't I have someone bring you some?" Qi Yan asked habitually.
"I'm busy." Luan Yining was a little far from the phone camera, so her voice was somewhat muffled.
Qi Yan frowned, about to say something, but looking at the pinch marks on his palm, he silently told himself: Calm down, calm down.
"I have something I want to tell you."
"Um."
"Didn't you say yesterday that you wanted to stay at school? I've thought about it carefully, and if you want to stay, then go ahead."
After a moment of silence, Luan Yining walked to the screen, looked down at Qi Yan, and remained expressionless.
Qi Yan felt uncomfortable being stared at, and tried to change the subject by looking away, but then he saw his older brother holding up a tablet with two big, bold characters on it: Honesty!
Next to it are: "Control" and "Communication".
"..."
Qi Yan looked at the screen again and tentatively asked, "Wife? Did you hear that?"
Luan Yining's voice was calm: "I understand. Is there anything else?"
Too cold. Qi Yan's lips curled down slightly. Thinking of Shan Song and Tong Zhao's conversation just now, he explained very awkwardly, "I said that yesterday because I didn't want to be separated from you. I promise you, can you let me live with you...?"
Luan Yining frowned almost imperceptibly, and was about to speak when Qi Yan immediately said, "I promise it won't affect your work, as long as you have dinner with me on time and rest on time at night."
Luan Yining scrutinized Qi Yan for a few seconds: "You... can live in the dormitory?"
"Why can't I live here? I lived in the dormitory for four years back then..."
Qi Yan stopped talking, afraid of stirring up unpleasant memories for Luan Yining. He didn't know what Luan Yining's feelings for him were now, whether she liked him anymore, or whether she regretted her decision back then.
Qi Yan paused for a moment and then said, "I'll be coming to help out at the Shan family's place soon, since Y University is nearby."
Luan Yining, seemingly lost in thought, replied, "Okay," just as Qi Yan was about to try and negotiate.
Qi Yan seemed taken aback by his quick agreement, staring blankly at the person in the lab coat opposite him.
"Is there anything else?" Luan Yining asked.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but his tone seemed to have softened a bit. Qi Yan said absentmindedly, "That's all."
"Okay, I'll hang up then."
"...Wait!" Qi Yan suddenly realized, "You should eat. I'll have someone bring you some more."
"Need not."
"How can you not eat?!" Qi Yan exclaimed anxiously, then quickly changed his mind: "No, I mean, your stomach will hurt if you don't eat."
"I'll eat at the cafeteria."
"Do you like the food in the cafeteria?"
"I'm not that precious."
Qi Yan wanted to say something more, but Luan Yining's gaze forced him to swallow his words.
Having finally softened his attitude a bit, Qi Yan decided to stop while he was ahead and said, "Then you'll have to take a picture of us eating later."
Luan Yining hung up the video call.
Qi Yan held his phone for a while. There were twenty-five sentences, no arguments, and it didn't seem too difficult.
Back in the office, the three men looked at each other intently: "How did it go?"
Qi Yan nodded, a smile finally appearing on his face for the first time in days: "I agree."
Qi Changzhou excitedly high-fived Shan Song and Tong Zhao, then looked at Shan Song provocatively: What are you looking at? If you don't cooperate, what's wrong with me high-fiving my sister-in-law? Don't be so possessive!
Shan Song rolled his eyes at him, pulled his wife over, and said to Qi Yan, "You've gained some experience this time, but we can't teach you step by step every time, so you have to take the initiative to observe and learn the right way to get along."
Qi Changzhou: "Yes, change all your previous ineffective communication."
Qi Yan readily agreed this time.
"This is only the first step. We still need to find out the real reason why Professor Luan wants a divorce as soon as possible and solve the problem at its root," Tong Zhao reminded him gently.
Qi Yan was silent for a moment: "What I mentioned earlier about that variety show—"
"Stop." Qi Changzhou stretched out a hand to stop him: "Forget about divorce variety shows, it's bad luck. Your brother Song and I are planning to buy that popular 'couple partnership plan' and put you all on it. Go back and discuss it with Professor Luan."
Qi Yan nodded. Having had a successful experience once, this stubborn mule became much easier to communicate with.
Qi Changzhou was satisfied: "Alright, let's get to work."
"Brother," Qi Yan suddenly spoke again.
Qi Changzhou looked over in confusion.
Qi Yan asked, "Do you think Teacher Luan still likes me?"
Qi Changzhou was speechless. "You said you'd pick this person? Why don't you ask either of them? What kind of relationship experience does your brother have?"
He quickly called for help from the two people behind him.
Dan Song looked at Qi Yan's confused gaze and said, "Are we sure what we're saying is correct? Feelings are something you have to feel for yourself."
Tong Zhao quietly explained her point of view: "Liking someone is something that can't be hidden. It's an emotion that can overflow from your eyes even if you cover your mouth. In film and television performances, all kinds of emotions can be created out of thin air, but to completely hide the traces of what you already have is, at least I think, very difficult."
Shan Song continued, picking up where his wife left off: "You were blinded by a leaf before, thinking that Luan Yining didn't like you. After you learned the truth yesterday, did you recall any details you hadn't noticed or had noticed but then ignored over the past two years?"
Qi Yan paused for a moment, then nodded.
Tong Zhao encouraged him: "Then look for it again in your future interactions. It may not be as obvious as before, or it may have changed its form, but it is not necessarily completely gone."
"Even if you don't, would you just give up like that?" Shan Song knew Qi Yan's answer very well, and before he could speak, he continued, "Let's try another way."
Qi Changzhou felt like he was being taught a lesson, so he reminded him: "From now on, you need to respect your wife's opinions and stop playing those childish tricks. Relationships aren't consumables. Control your temper and cherish them. If you still manage to lose your wife with your two advisors, Song-ge and your sister-in-law, you might as well throw yourself out there too."
Qi Yan silently said "Oh".
The three of them looked at each other and smiled.
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