At noon, Zhou Nuan received a call from her boyfriend, Jiang Hao.
“Warm, I’m sorry. I promised to take you out for dinner and a movie yesterday, but my department had an emergency and I had to work overtime. You’re not mad at me, are you?” Jiang Hao’s voice was full of apology.
“No, how could I be?” Zhou Nuan walked out of the office to a quiet spot, speaking softly. “What kind of person do you think I am?”
After all, everyone has to work overtime sometimes. Besides, the national graduate exam was only three months away. She wanted to use this time to review her materials properly.
“I knew it—my Warm is always considerate and understanding,” Jiang Hao began his usual sweet talk.
“You’re so annoying!” Zhou Nuan scolded lightly, a blush creeping up her cheeks.
“Are you free tonight? Let’s go watch a movie,” Jiang Hao asked, unable to resist the urge upon hearing her playful voice.
“Alright,” Zhou Nuan agreed. Even though she wanted to continue studying, it had been more than a week since she last saw Jiang Hao, and she felt a flutter in her heart.
“Then it’s settled! I’ll pick you up after work. Muah!” Jiang Hao pretended to blow her a kiss over the phone, making Zhou Nuan’s face heat up even more.
At 5:30 p.m., Zhou Nuan grabbed her bag and escorted the students under her care out of the school gate.
“Warm, over here!” In the distance, a flashy red sports car was parked. Jiang Hao, dressed in a white sporty casual outfit, leaned against the door, waving at her.
“Wait a moment,” Zhou Nuan replied.
She waited until all her students had safely crossed the street or been picked up by their parents before approaching Jiang Hao’s car.
Unbeknownst to her, Shi Anlan saw the entire scene clearly from a nearby, low-profile Audi.
After last Saturday’s interaction with his son, he realized he spent far too little time with him. His son wasn’t close to him. That’s why today he had turned down all engagements and come early to pick up the little guy.
Of course, he didn’t get out of the car—Shi Yan went to fetch Shi Xuzhi.
So Zhou Nuan had no idea that a pair of dark, piercing eyes had recorded her every move from a distance.
Although it was early September, Jiangcheng was still scorching hot. Zhou Nuan wore a white, fitted, knee-length dress, revealing a bit of fair arm and calf, with trendy canvas shoes on her feet. Her long hair was casually braided into two plaits over her chest, giving her a playful, cute look. Her smile curved her eyes, and two subtle dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth.
“Even prettier than her photos!” was Shi Anlan’s immediate impression upon seeing Zhou Nuan in person.
Yet when she bent to get into that flashy red sports car, his brows furrowed slightly.
He hadn’t expected such a pure and cute girl to prefer a flashy guy like that.
“Warm, where do you want to eat?” Jiang Hao asked inside the car, steering with his left hand while holding Zhou Nuan’s soft, delicate hand with his right.
“Anywhere is fine,” Zhou Nuan said, indifferent to the food.
“There’s a new restaurant in the north of the city, nice ambiance. Want to go there?” Jiang Hao asked.
“North is too far—rush hour traffic,” Zhou Nuan instinctively declined. She still wanted to finish her studying soon.
“Alright, we’ll find something nearby. We can go to that northern restaurant this weekend,” Jiang Hao turned the car around.
They arrived at a well-reviewed local restaurant near the school. It specialized in homestyle dishes.
They ordered two signature dishes and a small side dish—enough.
Jiang Hao wanted to order a soup, but Zhou Nuan vetoed it.
“Too much, we can’t finish it,” she said.
“Don’t be stingy,” Jiang Hao replied, unconcerned. Among all the girlfriends he’d had, only Zhou Nuan was this straightforward.
Jiang Hao’s father was Jiangcheng’s deputy secretary, and his mother ran a large company in the city. With wealth and influence at home, Jiang Hao himself, though a modest bureaucrat, was considered a highly sought-after catch for unmarried women in Jiangcheng due to his family background and good looks.
“After dinner, shall we go watch the movie?” Jiang Hao asked during a lull while waiting for the food.
“Watch a movie?” Zhou Nuan hesitated.
“A blockbuster just came out, and the reviews are good,” Jiang Hao said, swiping through his phone.
“But I want to study. You know, the graduate exam is just over three months away,” Zhou Nuan replied firmly, resisting temptation.
“Warm, I’m here. You don’t have to push yourself so hard,” Jiang Hao said tenderly, gazing at her.
“This has nothing to do with you. It’s been my obsession and dream all along,” Zhou Nuan replied softly, averting his burning gaze.
As the top student of her final year in junior high, Zhou Nuan’s ideal university was not only the dance academy she longed to attend but also Yunnan University in the provincial capital.
Unfortunately, due to her family’s situation, she had to follow her parents’ wishes and attend Jianghan Normal University—a five-year combined high school and undergraduate program, free of tuition and fees, with guaranteed job placement upon graduation.
For her father, who could no longer work due to a workplace injury, and her caring mother, this was an irresistible opportunity.
No matter how much Zhou Nuan resisted, she ultimately ended up at Jianghan Normal University.
Still, she never gave up on her dream of attending Yunnan University. If she couldn’t get in as an undergrad, she would pursue it as a graduate student.
By now, she had saved some money herself, no longer dependent on her parents—free from their control.
With nearly a year until graduate school began, Zhou Nuan had a plan: save more, rely on the stipend, and make it through graduation.
Thinking this, her heart swelled with excitement.
“Why study so much as a girl? When young, find a good husband and marry—that’s the way,” Jiang Hao advised.
“No, you don’t understand,” Zhou Nuan shook her head.
Although she loved Jiang Hao, she had never relied on him.
Besides, despite nearly a year of dating and Jiang Hao’s sweet words, he had never introduced her to his family.
Zhou Nuan guessed it wasn’t that he didn’t want to—but that he couldn’t.
With her background, Jiang Hao’s parents surely would never approve of them being together.
Her guess wasn’t unfounded.
At this moment, someone nearby happened to see them and secretly recorded a video, which they sent to Jiang Hao’s mother—Li Huanying.