After watching Su Xiao get into a taxi, Zhou Nuan turned to head upstairs.
Suddenly, her stomach churned violently. She couldn’t hold it in and squatted by the roadside to vomit.
Dinner had been too spicy, and she had drunk too much ice-cold beer just now. With her already sensitive stomach, it was simply too much to handle.
(VIP reminder: For the smoothest reading experience, check out Taiwanese novels at 𝘵𝘸𝗸𝗮𝗻.𝗰𝗼𝗺.)
As she vomited, her mind replayed the events of the day. Physical discomfort mixed with emotional distress, and the young girl couldn’t help but sob quietly on the street.
Meanwhile, Shi Anlan, returning home from a dinner engagement and having just been dragged into drinking tea for a long time, lowered the car window at a red light for some fresh air.
His eyes unconsciously drifted outside.
Suddenly, the sight of a young girl crying by the roadside caught his attention.
Alone and upset late at night, even Shi Anlan, usually cold and indifferent, felt a twinge of sympathy.
Before he could fully process it, the girl staggered toward him.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he glanced at her face.
That glance froze him in place.
Could it really be Zhou Nuan, class teacher of Shixu Zhi?
What could have upset her so deeply that she was crying in the street?
Before he could investigate further, the car started moving again, leaving the girl behind.
Zhou Nuan walked a few steps before realizing she was heading the wrong way. She turned back toward her rented apartment.
Her head was dizzy, her stomach burning—she didn’t even bother to wash up and collapsed onto her bed.
In the middle of the night, a stomachache woke her. She struggled to get up, rummaged through the cabinet, found some stomach medicine, and took it with warm water, finally feeling a bit better.
She crawled back into bed, regretting her indulgence. If she had known she’d feel this terrible, she wouldn’t have let herself go. Never again.
Meanwhile, after washing up, Shi Anlan lay in his large bed, the image of the crying girl at the roadside flashing through his mind.
What could have happened to her?
He recalled snippets from the dinner conversation with Deputy S Chief Jiang Zhiming and Traffic Bureau Director Li Mingde.
Li Mingde: “Jiang S, if I remember correctly, your young master should be 26 this year? May I ask… does he have a girlfriend?”
Jiang Zhiming: “Director Li, what do you mean by asking that?”
Li Mingde: “Well, Jiang S, I know a very nice girl with excellent qualities. If your young master is still single, I thought I could do a good deed and help introduce them.”
Jiang Zhiming: “Ah… I’m not too sure. Usually, these matters are handled by his mother.”
Li Mingde: “I see. What a pity. This girl is really quite impressive.”
Jiang Zhiming: “I’ll check with his mother first and get back to you.”
Li Mingde: “Alright, Jiang S. I’ll await your news.”
At the time, Shi Anlan hadn’t paid much attention. He didn’t like meddling, and besides, it was someone else’s family matter.
It was only because he had once seen Jiang Hao pick up Zhou Nuan at the school gate and checked the license plate that he had kept a slight note of it.
He looked down on Li Mingde’s approach—introducing someone for personal gain, simply to gain influence with Jiang Zhiming.
Jiang Zhiming, a local, was one of the oldest deputy S chiefs in Jiangcheng, second only to Executive Deputy S Chief Liu Mingyuan. His wife was the chairman of a company, making him influential in the city.
However, he and Liu Mingyuan never got along. Years ago, they had fought viciously over the Executive Deputy S Chief position. Jiang Zhiming had tried everything but, due to Liu Mingyuan’s father’s connections, ultimately failed.
Since then, the two had a deep-seated grudge. Apart from formal greetings, they had no personal contact.
Before coming to Jiangcheng, Shi Anlan had thoroughly researched the city’s political landscape, including the relationship between Liu Mingyuan and Jiang Zhiming.
He was still unclear why Li Mingde favored Jiang Zhiming over Liu Mingyuan.
Hearing Jiang Zhiming’s words, Shi Anlan wondered: Did he not know about Jiang Hao and Zhou Nuan? Or did Jiang Hao deliberately keep it from them?
Recalling the girl crying by the roadside that night, a thought suddenly struck him—could it be that they had broken up?
The idea made him secretly pleased.
After all, such a wonderful girl, why settle for a man like Jiang Hao? If they had truly broken up, that was her luck.
For some reason, Shi Anlan didn’t sleep well that night. His mind replayed the scenes like a movie: Jiang Hao picking up Zhou Nuan in a flashy car, Zhou Nuan crying on the roadside, and… some indescribable moments.
The next morning, Zhou Nuan woke up with a headache.
Although she had only drunk half a keg of beer with Su Xiao, for someone who rarely drank, it was already excessive.
Rubbing her head, she struggled out of bed.
Who said “a drink cures a thousand worries”? Probably just a marketing lie by alcohol sellers.
Drinking might temporarily dull the pain, but after waking up, the misery remained—plus the hangover aftereffects.
Why bother? Totally unnecessary!
Zhou Nuan pulled a wry smile.
After breakfast, she took a shower, forced her thoughts under control, and sat at her desk to review for the graduate school exams.
Yesterday had been indulgent; today it was time to get back on track.
No matter what happened, nothing could stop her from pursuing graduate studies at Yun University.
Thinking this, she gave herself a cheering gesture.
The day passed quickly. Jiang Hao hadn’t called or messaged her at all, which surprisingly eased her mind.
Her previous worries had been unnecessary.
Monday.
In the afternoon, the school held a general staff meeting.
Besides normal teaching duties, Zhou Nuan received two extra tasks:
The solo dance was easy for her. She had loved dancing since childhood and trained for many years. Her biggest dream had once been to attend a prestigious dance academy. Unfortunately, after her father had to retire early due to a work injury and the family finances collapsed, she had to give it up.
Luckily, enrolling at Jianghan Provincial Normal University allowed her to pick up her passion again. Over the years, she had represented her school in many performances and competitions. The school knew of this talent when hiring her, hence the assignment.
What troubled Zhou Nuan was the home visit for Shixu Zhi’s child.
Whose home should she visit—Shi Anlan’s or Shi Yan’s?
Technically, it should be Shi Anlan’s, as he was the parent of Shixu Zhi. But his status made it complicated…
After thinking it over, Zhou Nuan decided to contact Shi Yan.