Regardless of whether civilization will be destroyed in a few thousand years, life must go on.
Days went by as usual, and I continued reading my books day after day.
When Ruan Chen returned home, Fu Jianzhi was not there, but she didn't have to wait long before the electronic door lock sounded an authentication confirmation.
Fu Jianzhi carried a pizza box, several bottles of drinks, barbecue, and a seafood fried noodles.
"I'm going to buy food." He waved the food in his hand calmly, then got up and put the drink in the refrigerator.
Seeing his actions, Ruan Chen stopped him, "Hey, leave a bottle at room temperature outside."
Fu Jianzhi glanced at the carbonated drinks in his hand, paused for a moment, and put them all into the refrigerator. "I'll order you a separate drink for takeout."
The two remained silent during their meal, each looking at their own phones without disturbing each other. In front of Ruan Chen was a steaming bowl of sweet fermented rice with rose petals.
After dinner, Ruan Chen sat on the carpet that Fu Jianzhi had washed and dried, leaning against the sofa and playing games.
Amidst the slightly noisy background music of the game, she suddenly spoke up, "Jianzhi, what do you think about me going to study at the First Affiliated Hospital?"
Fu Jianzhi was hunched over, frantically working on his exam papers, when he heard Ruan Chen's words. Suddenly, his pen tip drew a long line on the exam paper, and his body stiffened.
Ruan Chen had spent a long time mentally preparing herself before saying those words. Her mind wasn't on the game at all; she just wanted to add some background noise to the conversation to avoid making it too awkward.
Although Ruan Chen usually appears cold and aloof, and the environment in which she grew up can only be described as a complete mess, what's amazing is that she is a person with a strong sense of morality—at least most of the time.
Perhaps it's because they've seen too much filth.
Therefore, breaking a promise is unlikely to be a thing in Ruan Chen's dictionary.
"Didn't we agree on Beijing University of Technology?"
"Nan Jing, the director of the First Academy's research institute, thinks highly of me. And to put it bluntly, Nan Jing has a lot of resources at his disposal, so I'm thinking..."
Ruan Chen couldn't continue speaking.
The reason she suddenly changed her mind and chose the First Affiliated Hospital was simple—in Ruan Chen's fragmented memories in the tragic world, Ruan Chen saw many fragments about Beijing University of Technology.
Ruan Chen hated, or rather, secretly feared, the kind of life Ruan Chen in the tragic world had, so she wanted to avoid any choice that might be the same as another timeline.
Fu Jianzhi didn't speak, but his silence spoke volumes.
"Forget it, I must have been out of my mind." Ruan Chen completely dismissed this inexplicable thought and focused intently on playing the game.
If Fu Jianzhi had the ability to predict the future, he would definitely hate his present self six months from now for having half-forced Ruan Chen to come to Beijing University of Technology.
Unfortunately, even with the Ark's computing power, it couldn't see the causal consequences of an unintentional decision.
A week after the art exhibition controversy, Feng Shuang returned to school.
This was truly unexpected for Ruan Chen. She thought Feng Shuang's parents would make her transfer schools, just like they had said at the exhibition hall that day.
But on a slightly scorching afternoon, Feng Shuang quietly carried her schoolbag into the classroom, sat down, and began to study.
Ruan Chen's phone immediately received a message from Feng Yuankai: "Come over."
Ruan Chen got up and left the classroom. Feng Shuang, who had been keeping her head down, suddenly raised her head and stared intently at Ruan Chen's back with a venomous look in her eyes.
Those around her noticed her unusual behavior and asked, "Feng Shuang, what's wrong? Is your absence due to taking leave related to Ruan Chen? Honestly, you should probably stop fighting with her. Old He and your grandfather both dote on her like crazy."
"Exactly, it's so much easier to compete with her. You can just slack off and let her carry you. Even though there are group rankings, you'd still be third in your group even if you slack off. Besides, even if she's only doing this because of your grandfather, she can't completely ignore you, right?"
Amidst the cacophony of voices around her, Feng Shuang forced out a single word: "Get lost."
Silence fell over the surrounding area.
As soon as Ruan Chen entered the office, she immediately noticed that Feng Yuankai's condition was very strange; he looked as if he had aged ten years.
Although Feng Yuankai is over sixty, he pays attention to fitness and maintenance, has a good attitude, and often plays and laughs with the students during breaks, so he doesn't look old at all; his hair is still almost entirely black.
But after only a week, his hair had turned completely white, his skin had become much looser, his eye bags were more noticeable, and his eyes were full of fatigue.
"The school is under lockdown, what happened?" Ruan Chen held her breath and dared not joke around anymore, asking in a low voice.
She had some doubts. She had already explained the five million to Feng Shuang's parents; it was just to scare Feng Shuang, and they didn't really intend to take it.
It can't be because of this, can it?
"Her father... Feng Shuang's father, his condition deteriorated rapidly, and he passed away three days ago."
Ruan Chen's eyes widened in surprise, and then a feeling of sympathy welled up in her heart for the old man in front of her.
Losing a son in old age must be a huge blow to him.
“That day at the exhibition hall, I saw a medical record in the aunt’s bag, but I didn’t know what was going on. Later, I heard from the aunt that the uncle’s illness required a lot of money, but… why so quickly?”
Feng Yuankai said wearily, "Nobody could have imagined that he was fine discussing treatment plans with the doctor the day before, but he was in critical condition that very night. The hospital said the probability was very small, one in 100,000. If you run into someone like that, you can only say you're unlucky."
Ruan Chen was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Please accept my condolences."
Feng Yuankai continued, "I called you here today for two things. First, this matter has nothing to do with you. Xiao Shuang's mother specifically asked me to tell you that she is very grateful to you and knows that you have good intentions. It's just that they are unlucky. Please don't take responsibility for this."
"The second thing I need to ask of you is... I only have one son, and Xiao Shuang is also an only daughter. I know that she will hold a grudge against you because of her personality. I beg you, please don't hold it against her."
These words truly made Ruan Chen feel apprehensive.
She was, after all, just Feng Yuankai's student. Feng Yuankai had countless students and was revered by thousands; how could she possibly deserve his request?
As for why Feng Shuang hates her, when Ruan Chen saw Feng Shuang's reflection in the glass as she left the classroom and saw her eyes clearly, Feng Shuang understood.
But now that she knows the whole story, it's much more serious than she imagined.
"Don't worry."
She didn't say much.
From this perspective, Feng Shuang is Feng Yuankai's only direct bloodline. What else can she say?
Back in the classroom, Ruan Chen sat down in her seat, and Feng Shuang immediately walked up to her.
Yu Xiaoya finally managed to find time to go to school amidst her busy work schedule. She had already heard about the feud between Feng Shuang and Ruan Chen, and now that she saw Feng Shuang coming over, she immediately stood up, wanting to strike first.
Ruan Chen gently squeezed her hand, signaling her to calm down.
"Ruan Chen, I've figured it out. Everything that happened before was my fault. I want to sincerely apologize to you now and officially participate in the pre-match preparations."
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