Urgent need for assistance
After the yacht trip, everything returned to the busy routine. The brief relaxation felt like a dream during a lunch break, sometimes unsure if it was real.
After the experimental crystal sand was produced within a month, the project was quickly put into testing. Ji Huisheng, who was supposed to be the mentor, was supposed to lead the project. However, on the day of departure, Ji Huisheng suddenly could not be present and called Yu Zou to ask for help. Ji Huisheng was very anxious on the phone and hung up without even explaining the reason.
In the climate garden, the project team members had already checked the equipment and were eagerly waiting for the experiment to begin. Upon seeing Yu Zou arrive, they became even more excited and asked when the experiment would start.
The project testing process was simple: it involved changing the color and shape of crystal sand according to a pre-set program. The key was manually recording the state of the crystal sand, including color uniformity, shape completion, and rejection rate. Finally, the experimental results were analyzed using specific environmental parameters to determine future improvement directions.
After giving a few brief instructions, Yu Zou instructed Fang Bu to direct the transport workers to unload the boxes. The stacked cardboard boxes resembled Tetris blocks, gradually growing taller than a person. Seeing that things were proceeding smoothly, Yu Zou walked to a corner, faced the wall, and took out his phone to message Ji Huisheng: Teacher, what happened? Are you alright?
I waited two minutes, exactly on the hour, but the message was still unread and unanswered.
Yu Zou sighed, his worries growing. He turned around and was startled to see Du Pianjian standing silently behind him.
Du Pianjian was wearing a slightly see-through thin shirt today, with a light blue short-sleeved shirt underneath, the color subtly showing through. She greeted him with a smile: "Why are you sighing? Did I scare you?"
Yu Zou waved his phone: "I was too focused on my phone and didn't hear you. What are you doing here?"
“Am I in the way? Fang Bu is my student. He said there was an experiment in the garden today, and I was curious, so I came to take a look.”
No. Chi Hengxun didn't come with you?
Why do you always ask me about Chi Hengxun every time you see me? Do you like him?
"So jealous!" Yu Zou was taken aback and quickly denied it, "No, it's just..."
"So you think he won't let me out of his sight, is that right?" Du Pianjian's gaze slowly moved upward, her hair slightly pushed back to reveal obsidian-like eyes: "Where I want to go, and where I want to go, is none of anyone's business."
Yu Zou looked down and saw his eyes, then looked away for a moment, only to see his semi-transparent shirt. She had to look down again and then noticed the bandages wrapped around his arm.
Noticing Yu Zou's lingering gaze, Du Pianjian raised his arm and explained casually, "I had a fight with him."
"Oh..." Yu Zou silently shifted his gaze, looking straight ahead. No wonder they didn't come; they're probably on emergency duty.
The crystal sand was all removed and dumped on the site. Fang Bu stood on a high place and waved to Yu Zou, asking if the project could begin now that the crystal sand was all in place.
Yu Zou gave an agreement gesture, then confirmed the message again in the project group chat. After exiting, he checked Ji Huisheng's chat box, but it was still unread and unreplyed. The moment Yu Zou turned off his phone, the lights around the venue also went out. The crystal sand experiment was about to begin.
Du Pianjian took two steps back, put her hands behind her back and leaned against the wall, and suddenly said, "I will completely sever ties with him."
"What?" Yu Zou turned his head sharply, and the crystal sand lit up instantly, illuminating their faces. Ten seconds later, the shape and light changed.
Du Pianjian looked intently at the crystal sand experiment and repeated, "I will completely sever ties with Chi Hengxun."
"There's no need. You and he can definitely continue."
"I can't stand this kind of relationship myself. It's better for him and for me."
“I don’t understand,” Yu Zou replied. “A marriage contract is just a piece of paper, why are you two taking it so seriously?”
"Do you really think so?" Du Pianjian looked up at him, her brow furrowed slightly. "But for me, marriage means loyalty, and loyalty means not loving anyone other than your partner."
Yu Zou reminded him, "But you know, you don't like me, and I don't like you either."
Du Pianjian looked away blankly: "That's what's unimportant. Marriage isn't maintained by 'you like me, I like you.' It's about responsibility, patience, and long-term companionship. As long as you don't treat each other too badly, you can make it work."
Yu Zou couldn't understand how Du Pianjian could do such a thing. Loving someone is a choice that one's heart cannot control, not something that can be hypnotized day after day. Suddenly, something intangible transformed into a tangible shackle, making his shoulders feel heavy and painful, and making him want to break free even more.
After a long silence, Yu Zou stared at the person opposite him: "I will definitely find a way before then. Mr. Du, I cannot question your views, but I am never coerced by anyone. I want every choice to be made by my own hands. Regardless of good or bad or profit, I just want to follow my own heart. When the choice of loving and being loved appears in your destiny, cherish it."
Yu Zou squatted down, opened the box at his feet, took out a box from it, handed it to Du Pianjian, and said, "So I sincerely wish you and Chi Hengxun all the best."
It was only the size of Yu Zou's palm, but Du Pianjian took it and barely managed to hold it.
The lights in the entire venue were turned back on, and the project team erupted in cheers—the experiment had been a success.
Yu Zou smiled at him: "You're really good at games. Zhao Junjie even praised you. I think we can be good friends. Excuse me."
After Yu Zou finished speaking, he turned around and walked into the crowd, clapped to congratulate the entire project team, said a few words, and the crowd cheered again, crowding around Yu Zou as he walked towards another venue.
Du Pianjian untied the ribbon, revealing a round crystal ball containing an ocean made of crystal sand, with a small white sailboat on top. The accompanying card read, "A gift to the project participants as a memento."
"Is this the kind of dialogue that can happen in this day and age? He's too 'traditional.' Is this even possible?" He Honghan rarely showed a doubtful expression. She pushed her office chair back to the glass shelf, unlocked it, and took out a thick book to read.
Yu Zou also leaned closer. The book was filled with densely packed technical terms that he couldn't understand at all, so his eyes darted back and forth between the book and the man. One minute was the limit of his patience with this unkempt friend: "What did you see?"
“If it’s true, congratulations on getting an ancient wife. If it’s false, congratulations even more on having a histrionic personality.” He Hong slammed the book shut, her gaze deep and firm. “Bring him here so I can take a look. I really have a feeling this time that I can get this rare disease case published in a top journal and then get promoted.”
Yu Zou leaned back, crossed his arms, and looked at him with a cold smile: "I should let you see how he kills people."
He Honghan held up her palm: "I politely decline."
"How could he not put up any resistance? I wanted to join forces with him, but now I'm fighting alone."
"Hey, people are very different. Even two people in the same situation can't fully understand each other, let alone you two who are worlds apart. Either he's been subjected to PUA for so long that he's lost the ability to fight back, like a flea in a glass of water, or he simply doesn't want to fight back. I just hate that I'm not an omega, otherwise I would have to be with you. I just can't stand this lousy class anymore!"
"Resign."
"But I need to eat! I... I actually need to eat!"
He Honghan was heartbroken for a while, but received no response from Yu Zou. Seeing that Yu Zou was deep in thought, she called him three times before he woke up: "What are you thinking about?"
“When I can’t see him, he is just like you described, but when I’m with him, he seems very normal.”
"Of course it's normal. You can still grow crops in soil where landmines are buried. This means you're outside his detonation range, which is good. But why?"
"Yes, why?"
Yu Zou was increasingly confused. If it was about money, Zhao Junxi was much richer than him; if it was about power, Chi Hengxun was far superior. So why were they targeting him?
The two looked at each other, concluding that they could only hope that the project would proceed quickly and smoothly.
Two beeping sounds came from his phone. Yu Zou took it out and saw that it was from Ji Huisheng.
The message was only four words long: "Thank you for your hard work."
At nine o'clock on Monday morning, Yu Zou's car arrived at Shoushu University on time.
Yu Zou opened the car door with his coffee in hand. Today was a seminar to move on to the next stage of the project, and Ji Huisheng would definitely be attending. He would ask about it after the seminar.
But Yu Zou had only taken a few steps when a college student on a skateboard came straight at him, knocking him down and spilling scalding coffee all over him, causing Yu Zou to hiss in pain.
The college student immediately got up and apologized, trying to help him up: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to."
Yu Zou clutched his clothes to avoid touching his skin; thankfully, the weather was getting cooler, and he had put on an extra layer. After standing up, he felt a sharp pain in his right ankle, which he assumed was sprained.
The college student realized what was happening and felt even more guilty: "I'm so sorry, please leave your contact information, I'll compensate you."
Seeing his sincere attitude, Yu Zou waved his hand and said, "No need."
The college student looked hesitant, as if he wanted to say something more. Yu Zou had already pressed the call button and notified his secretary to turn back; he remembered there were spare clothes in the car.
After Yu Zou hung up the phone, the college student said, "Let me help you to the infirmary. It's right there, and it'll be cheaper if you use your student card."
Yu Zou thought it made sense; changing clothes in the car was quite inconvenient, so he agreed.
The doctor on duty at the school clinic was tall and thin, wearing a black turtleneck under his white coat. His indifferent face was expressionless. He quickly turned off his phone when he saw someone approaching. He listened to the college student's description without giving any answers, only nodding occasionally.
After listening, she led Yu Zou to the bedside room with curtains, carefully examined his ankle and burns, applied medicated wine to the wounds, and then went out with the college student to get a medical record. At this moment, the secretary arrived with a change of clothes, drew the curtains, handed him the clean clothes, and waited outside.
When the college student returned, the secretary had just pulled back the curtain, holding Yu Zou's dirty clothes in her arms. She nodded slightly to the college student and quickly walked away.
Yu Zou was adjusting his cuffs when the college student slowly approached him, handed him a cup of coffee, and said, "I'm sorry, here's your coffee."
"It's okay. You can drink it yourself."
"I feel bad about it. Here you go." The college student said somewhat hastily, handing the coffee to Yu Zou.
"Okay." Yu Zou took it and tried to walk, but his ankle immediately started to hurt.
"Where are you going? Let me help you."
"No."
"Can……"
"Classmate!" Yu Zou smiled, "I have urgent business and don't have time to waste. Don't worry about this little thing."
Having said all that, both of them understood. The secretary returned and handed Yu Zou the cane, and the two left the school clinic.
After taking two steps, Yu Zou seemed to sense something and suddenly looked back around. Before he could look up, Du Pianjian loosened his fingers, completely blocking the only gap in the blinds.
The doctor who had just treated Yu Zou's wound stood behind him and placed the diagnosis on the table: "Why didn't you go and say hello?" Mingming immediately asked if something was wrong when she saw someone come into the infirmary.
"Can medical students make independent diagnoses?" Du Pianjian asked casually.
"So I only prescribed the medicine. You still haven't answered me." Accustomed to such delayed answers, the doctor waited quietly. Outside the window, Yu Zou, having received nothing, slowly walked towards the car.
"There's no need."
The doctor knew he had more to say, so he remained motionless, waiting for him to continue.
Sure enough, Du Pianjian said in a small voice, almost to himself, "He is friendly to everyone."
"Hmm. And then."
"So it was just my imagination."
The doctor paused for a moment, then asked, "What about Chi Hengxun?"
“No documents were found there.” Du Pianjian watched as his secretary opened the car door for Yu Zou, and the car slowly drove away. He stated this as if it were a routine matter, “He’s useless now. Yu Zou can find the source of the compressed pheromones. We’ll use him from now on.”
"Is it necessary to have a marriage alliance? You can refuse."
“If you reject this one, there will be another.” Du Pianjian pulled open the blinds and slowly rested her head against the glass. “They won’t let me off the hook.”
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