The weather had been getting colder lately, and the students at A University had started throwing together all sorts of mismatched outfits.
Holding her thermos, their advisor frowned at the thinly dressed Wen Shuning. “Shuning, you should put on another layer.”
Wen Shuning froze for a moment, then nodded shyly.
The advisor glanced at Ji Zhaoxi and Lu Huainan, who were bickering in low voices, and nodded in satisfaction. Fellow students should help each other out.
She cleared her throat and drawled, “I’m taking you all out to eat the day after tomorrow. Give you all a chance to improve your diets.”
Their senior was overjoyed. “Eat out?! Really, Professor?”
He was nearly sick of the cafeteria and the takeout places around campus.
Their advisor smiled and nodded. “We’ll go together that evening.”
Wen Shuning asked in confusion, “Professor, is there some kind of event?”
The smile on their advisor’s face deepened. “My eldest daughter is getting married. You all saw her the last time she came to visit me.”
The laboratory instantly erupted into a commotion. Everyone began offering their congratulations, and their advisor could barely keep them under control. She was grinning from ear to ear.
“All right, all right, stop shouting. Anyone who didn’t know better would think the university had been invaded by monkeys.”
“There’ll be plenty of food, so eat as much as you like, got it? And don’t bother preparing a cash gift.”
She knew they didn’t have much money, either.
As soon as their senior heard which hotel they were going to, he became so excited that he wanted to start packing immediately.
Wen Shuning looked at the page on his phone in confusion. “Is this hotel very expensive?”
Their senior nodded solemnly. “We’ll have to dress up nicely when we go.”
Wen Shuning hesitated, then nodded. Her junior had taken her there for a meal once and had said at the time that it wasn’t expensive.
Wen Shuning stared at the data and paused.
In that case, hadn’t she taken advantage of her junior quite a lot…?
Meanwhile, Ji Zhaoxi’s thoughts were no longer on the experiment at all.
“We won’t have to work on the experiment that day!”
They didn’t have to work on it now, either. She might as well take the opportunity to slack off for a while.
Seeing how happy she looked, Lu Huainan let out a muffled laugh.
Ji Zhaoxi heard him and glared at him. “What are you laughing at?”
Lu Huainan avoided her gaze, took the things from her hands, and coughed. “Nothing.”
“You’re not allowed to laugh anymore. I don’t like listening to it!”
“Okay…”
Although their advisor repeatedly stressed that they didn’t need to prepare a cash gift, everyone still pooled their money to put together a huge red envelope as a wedding present from their laboratory.
The bulk of it came from a certain wealthy livestreamer.
At last, the day arrived. Everyone set out early. The weather outside was even colder, and darkness fell faster than usual.
“Junior Sister, once we bring out this huge red envelope, we’ll definitely look impressive.” Their senior kept glancing at Ji Zhaoxi as though she were the God of Wealth.
The wind had blown Ji Zhaoxi’s face bright red. She said seriously, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of our reputation.”
Wen Shuning huddled inside her hat and said apologetically, “Junior Sister, I can transfer you some more money.”
“No!” Ji Zhaoxi refused at once.
Their senior grabbed Wen Shuning and gave her an exasperated look. “What we contributed is enough. Junior Sister is doing very well now. We can just help her out more in our daily lives. She’s such a huge streamer—why would she care about the little bit of money we have?”
Ji Zhaoxi lifted her chin a little higher as she listened to him.
Not long afterward, Lu Huainan drove over. The others went in their advisor’s car, while the four of them went together.
Once their senior got into the car, he felt even more comfortable. He had mooched off Junior Sister for the red envelope and was getting a free ride from Junior Brother. Life was wonderful.
“Junior Brother, drive slowly, please. I get carsick. Many thanks!”
Ji Zhaoxi couldn’t help laughing when she saw their senior already closing his eyes in the back seat.
Lu Huainan handed his thermos to Ji Zhaoxi and said quietly, “Have some first. It’ll warm your stomach.”
Ji Zhaoxi took a small sip.
Looking at her, Lu Huainan asked softly, “Is it too hot?”
Ji Zhaoxi shook her head and laughed. “It tastes just like what my mom makes.”
Lu Huainan relaxed and began driving toward the hotel.
Their senior stared suspiciously at the two people in front, then nudged Wen Shuning with his elbow.
Wen Shuning looked at him in confusion. Their senior rapidly typed something on his phone and showed it to her.
These two have something going on!
Wen Shuning glanced at the message, her eyes curving into a smile, but said nothing.
Outside the window, the sky had grown completely dark. Warm yellow lights swept across the car windows every few seconds, making the interior flicker between light and shadow.
Traffic was already beginning to clog up. Ji Zhaoxi rested her head against the window and watched the scenery outside.
“Are you cold?”
The voice broke the silence.
Ji Zhaoxi shook her head.
The words that had been about to leave their senior’s mouth immediately died in his throat. Actually, he felt a little hot himself.
But no one had asked him.
At last, they reached the hotel. The group obediently waited outside for their advisor, but the next second, someone pulled them inside.
“You must be Teacher Qin’s students, right? Come in, come in. She and the others won’t be here for a little while, so don’t wait outside. It’s so cold!”
Before long, the bride and groom came over with bright smiles. Some of the bride’s relatives followed and surrounded Ji Zhaoxi and the others.
“Oh, so these are the bride’s future mother-in-law’s students? They look so bright and studious. Welcome, welcome!”
“Oh, no, no, you shouldn’t give us a red envelope. Keep it for yourselves!”
“It’s all right, Senior Brothers and Sisters. My mom specifically said she wanted to bring you here to enjoy a good meal, so eat as much as you like. Don’t worry—the food is unlimited.”
Ji Zhaoxi was pulled this way and that, while the red envelope kept making its way around until it somehow ended up back in her hands. Their senior snatched it away and, with lightning speed, stuffed it directly into the bride’s hands.
“Senior Sister, this is a token of our best wishes from everyone in the lab. Please accept it!”
After a round of back-and-forth, the group was all exhausted and panting. Finally, the rest of their fellow students arrived. Their advisor took one look at the huge red envelope and started arguing over it all over again.
In the end, the four of them sat in their seats, wiping away their sweat.
In a corner, a child suddenly jumped to her feet.
“Oh my gosh! Isn’t that my favorite streamer?!”
The parent beside her hurriedly pulled her back into her seat. “What streamer? Sit down! You can jump around at home, but not here!”
The child was so excited she could barely contain herself. “I saw my favorite streamer!”
“Keep your voice down!”
The child’s eager gaze remained fixed on Ji Zhaoxi in the distance.
She was truly a fan chosen by fate—she had even managed to run into her favorite streamer here.
Her favorite streamer looked exactly the same in person!
Meanwhile, their senior was enthusiastically snapping pictures. Afterward, he went to take photos with the bride and groom as well. He was so outgoing that he seemed to know everyone.
Watching him take pictures, Lu Huainan hesitated before asking, “Would you like me to take a few for you, too?”
“No!”
Ji Zhaoxi politely declined.
The wedding ceremony continued. While listening to the bride and groom speak, their senior cried so hard that he was practically sobbing his heart out. One of their fellow students, wearing a bewildered expression, handed him a tissue.
He was far too sentimental.
All the guests below were dressed formally. Just before the bouquet toss, their advisor came over especially to speak to them.
“None of you have partners yet, do you? You should go try to catch the bouquet.” Their advisor smiled.
“You all look so lifeless every day. Try dating someone—it’ll put some energy back into you.”
