After arriving at school, Xia Sanghuan was still brooding over what had happened this morning.
Why did her second brother have that kind of expression?
As she was thinking, she walked on the way to the research lab.
"Sanghuan."
Just then, a male voice came from behind.
The moment she heard this voice, her body instantly froze.
But she couldn't run away, after all, she was in the wrong for "lying".
"Good morning, senior."
She turned around and forced a smile at him.
Different from his usual warm and gentle look, Jiang Zimo was somewhat indescribably cold at this moment.
He walked forward slowly and stopped in front of her.
"What on earth is your relationship with Brother Chuanjin?"
He asked point - blank.
His voice was still as calm as usual, but his tone was full of barely concealed eagerness.
"Does it matter to you?"
Xia Sanghuan originally felt a bit guilty towards him, but his attitude annoyed her.
"Who are you to me?"
She added, mercilessly.
Jiang Zimo's hands clenched into fists and then loosened.
He said in a low voice.
"Why do you have to like Brother Chuanjin? Why not like someone else?"
If you like him, don't I have no chance at all?
"I don't like him."
The girl bit her lower lip and flat - out denied it.
She knew that there would be no future between her and Leng Chuanjin, so she simply didn't want to admit it.
Although she was lying with her mouth, her eyes couldn't lie.
He looked into her eyes and couldn't say a word.
"If there's nothing else, I'll leave first."
To avoid further trouble, the girl took advantage of his silence and turned away.
"But he will get married sooner or later."
Jiang Zimo suddenly said.
"He will marry a woman who is most beneficial to his family for the sake of the family."
These two sentences stabbed into her heart like knives.
She gritted her teeth and didn't look back, quickening her pace.
How could he talk so harshly?
Was it because she had rejected him?
After she returned to the research lab, looking at the bottles and jars all over the workbench, she decided not to think about those things for the time being.
The most important thing now was to treat Jing Zhan.
She had been a bit listless before, but after seeing Jing Zhan gradually getting better, she regained the confidence to continue her research.
Time passed like this. Soon it was the end of the semester.
It was also the day when she had to submit her thesis.
During this period, she and Professor He had carefully scrutinized and revised the content of the thesis, doing their best. Whether it could be published in the magazine "Science and Technology" in the end would depend on fate.
...
"Have you made up your mind?"
"Yes."
This time, Xie Qiaoyang didn't put on his usual smiling - tiger look. Instead, he had a very serious face.
"Then we're allies now."
Shen Siyuan smiled.
"Let's toast to our long - term cooperation from now on."
She raised the wine glass in her hand.
Xie Qiaoyang also raised his glass and clinked it with hers.
"So what's your plan?"
"Tell me about it."
Since they were now "birds of a feather", he simply stopped with the formalities and got straight to the point.
"I definitely can't come up with a plan in a short time."
The smiling woman opposite put down her glass.
"But what I can reveal now is that the Black Bone Spiritual Treasure is in the Fernos Academy."
"How do you know that?"
Xie Qiaoyang frowned.
He was able to get this information thanks to Wei Linjun's thorough investigation inside Fernos. But where did Shen Siyuan get this information?
Of course, Leng Chuanjin told me.
Shen Siyuan thought to herself. But on the surface, she maintained a mysterious look.
"Of course I have my own methods."
"However, if we want the Black Bone Spiritual Treasure, we must go after Xia Sanghuan."
"I know this better than you."
Xie Qiaoyang replied impatiently.
He and Leng Qiuhua together couldn't deal with that little girl. Moreover, after this incident, Leng Chuanjin and the Fu family would only protect her more tightly.
"Or do you think you can succeed?"
"Of course not."
"But before the other side notices, we can just..."
She made a throat - slitting gesture at him.
"Wouldn't that work?"
"In this way, we can eliminate this big threat and get what we want."
Xie Qiaoyang's eyes darkened.
...
"Is this the thesis you've prepared?"
Li Ran took the folder that Xia Sanghuan handed over.
"Yes."
He flipped through it casually and then put it aside.
"Send me the electronic version to my email."
"I'll help you submit it together."
Then, he gave her a personal information form and asked her to fill in the necessary parts.
After everything was arranged, she bowed to him and then left the office.
On the way back to the research lab, she ran into the senior under Wei Linjun.
Remembering their bet, she thought he would come over to mock her as usual. But for some reason today, he seemed a bit flustered, only burying his head and walking forward, not even giving Xia Sanghuan a look.
She frowned in confusion and remembered the conversation she had heard between Wei Linjun and his student in the corridor before.
Could that student be the senior?
What did their conversation really mean?
As she was thinking, she walked back to the research lab.
"Have you submitted your thesis?"
Professor He straightened up from the workbench when he saw her come back and asked.
"Yeah."
She nodded and then asked.
"Professor, do you know Wei Linjun?"
"What's up?"
Noticing her serious expression, Professor He couldn't help but stop what he was doing.
"It's okay. I'm just asking casually."
"If it's inconvenient for you to talk about it, I'll..."
"Mr. Wei wasn't originally a professor at our school."
He put the tools back in place, wiped his hands, and then turned around and said.
"He transferred from another university three years ago."
Three years ago?
She frowned.
Jing Zhan seemed to have contracted the Tree Man Syndrome three years ago.
"Is it a coincidence?"
She murmured to herself in a low voice.
Not noticing what she was saying, Professor He continued.
"He's really capable and has a profound knowledge base.
"Originally, the professors inside Fernos were all a bit arrogant and didn't think much of this newly - transferred professor.
"But after several academic seminars, he rose to one of the top positions in the School of Medicine.
He was recalling the situation at that time as he spoke.
"However..." he changed the subject, "there were a lot of rumors at that time."
"People said that Wei Linjun actually transferred here through connections."
"Why would they say that? Is there any basis?"
The girl was a bit surprised.
"No basis."
He shook his head.
"At least I haven't found any basis. Maybe it was just out of jealousy."