When Shi Anlan returned home, Shi Yan, hearing the movement, came out to greet him.
“Anlan, did you go see Teacher Zhou off?” she asked.
She had just come out of Xu Zhi’s room. Seeing the living room empty and noticing the heavy rain outside, she guessed he might have gone to escort Zhou Nuan.
“Mm,” Shi Anlan replied calmly.
Indeed, in this heavy rain, taking a taxi would have soaked someone completely.
Shi Yan nodded knowingly, then remembered something and added, “Actually, you could have asked me to go with you.”
She meant that, as such a high-ranking leader, there was no need to personally escort a young woman.
“No matter. She’s Xu Zhi’s class teacher; escorting her isn’t a problem,” Shi Anlan said slowly.
Shi Yan pondered and didn’t say anything further.
Indeed, the person had been personally selected by him. Escorting her a short distance was no big deal.
Thinking about his visit to Jiangcheng this time, Shi Yan felt reassured. Her cousin had changed quite a bit and was taking Xu Zhi’s matters seriously.
Though Xu Zhi had been raised by her, she wasn’t his parent; ultimately, children needed their parents’ care.
Shi Yan thought of her own son, who had just started high school this year—a critical time requiring close supervision.
She planned to help Shi Anlan for another two years, and once her son entered his final year, she would return to supervise him personally.
Her husband was busy with work, so she couldn’t manage everything alone; the final year of high school was crucial.
Thinking of this, she added, “Anlan, I really hope you can find a new mother for Xu Zhi soon, so I can rest easy and focus on Chenguang.”
Chenguang was Shi Yan’s son.
Although she usually addressed Shi Anlan formally as “sir” in public, she sometimes used his first name in private.
Shi Anlan didn’t respond.
Shi Yan had said similar things before, and he never paid much attention.
After all, feelings couldn’t be forced; it depended on fate.
It wasn’t just Shi Yan. As his official rank grew and he aged, his parents also became anxious. Even his grandfather in the capital often hinted subtly.
But after his first failed engagement, they felt guilty and didn’t push him. They only said that whoever he chose, regardless of family background, would be acceptable—as long as Xu Zhi liked her.
Shi Anlan had no objections to the last point. If Xu Zhi didn’t like her, he wouldn’t consider it either.
His mind wandered back to the young woman’s lightly made-up face earlier today.
Clearly, Xu Zhi liked her. Did that mean he could try as well?
He calmly replied to Shi Yan, “Mm, I understand. I’ll consider it.”
Shi Yan’s eyes widened in surprise.
She had thought it was just casual musing, but he had actually taken it to heart.
Good! Really good!
It seemed coming to Jiangcheng had been the right choice.
On Wednesday night, Zhou Nuan was reviewing materials for her postgraduate exams when her phone rang.
Glancing at the screen, she saw it was Jiang Hao calling.
She didn’t intend to answer, but the phone kept ringing. Each time it automatically hung up, it rang again.
She even heard the WeChat notification sound—surely it was from him as well.
After a moment of hesitation, she pressed to answer.
What must come, will come. Hiding won’t help.
She had thought Jiang Hao wouldn’t contact her again, yet only a few days had passed, and here he was.
“Nuan Nuan, why haven’t you answered my calls? And why haven’t you contacted me these past few days?” Jiang Hao’s aggrieved voice came through.
Since discovering all his cards had been frozen by Li Huanying, he had struggled for days, finally unable to resist and called Zhou Nuan.
Zhou Nuan paused. From his words, it seemed he didn’t know Li Huanying had sought her out.
“Jiang Hao, didn’t your mother tell you?” she asked coldly.
“My mother? What did she say?” Jiang Hao was confused.
“Your mother,” Zhou Nuan hesitated, “came to see me last weekend.”
“What?” Jiang Hao suddenly raised his voice.
Not only had Li Huanying frozen his cards, she had also gone to see Zhou Nuan?
This mother of his, determined to break them up, really would do anything!
“Jiang Hao, listen. Last Saturday, she came to me, asking me to break up with you. I thought it over and realized she was right. Our conditions are too different; I can’t match you or support you in any way. Let’s break up.
You can find someone more suitable, someone whose family matches yours. That way, your parents will be happy, and it will help your career too.”
“But Nuan Nuan, I don’t want to break up with you!” Jiang Hao protested.
He had finally convinced himself to sacrifice comfort for love, only to be hit back by her words.
“Jiang Hao, don’t be naive. We… can’t fight against the odds,” Zhou Nuan sighed.
Jiang Hao was their only son. They would never allow him to marry an ordinary girl like her.
Even now, just facing Li Huanying, Zhou Nuan already felt helpless, clinging only to the last shred of dignity.
If Jiang Zhiming, his father, were to intervene, she would have no standing in Jiangcheng at all.
After all, Jiang Zhiming controlled the local education sector.
Though she didn’t plan to stay long, she wanted no complications before her postgraduate exams.
“Nuan Nuan, didn’t you promise me a month? We’ve only just started, why end it now?” Jiang Hao complained.
“I gave you a month to persuade your parents. But now your mother has already come to see me. Is there any need to struggle further?” Zhou Nuan said, feeling like a scholar facing a soldier—words were useless.
“Nuan Nuan…” Jiang Hao felt guilty and speechless.
“Jiang Hao, I’ll say it once more. We’re breaking up. Please don’t come looking for me again.
Also, your mother left her number with me. If you come again, she’ll know.
For the sake of the good times we had, let’s not make things ugly.
I hope you can find a better girl, one worthy of you. Goodbye!”
Without waiting for his response, Zhou Nuan ended the call.
Since the outcome was already fixed, there was no reason to linger—cutting ties cleanly was the wisest choice.
She exhaled deeply.
The new semester hadn’t even reached a month, yet so much had happened. She felt completely drained, both physically and mentally.