After appearing on a popular variety show, Lin Mo returned to school for classes.
Everyone was thrilled to see her.
During morning reading session,
the chubby Zhang Shuo couldn't resist turning around with a grin, "Miss Lin, I want to hear some gossip!"
They said the entertainment industry was full of juicy stories.
Lin Mo pondered seriously before replying, "Gossip refers to the fundamental concepts in the 'Book of Changes,' composed of yang and yin lines. Every three lines form a hexagram, totaling eight combinations: Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui."
Zhang Shuo: "..."
Shen Ji'an glared at him, "Go memorize your vocabulary!"
Now that Zhang Shuo had grown familiar with Shen Ji'an, he wasn't as intimidated.
Still grinning, he was about to say something else
when he caught sight of a face peering through the window.
Instantly, his smile vanished as he whipped around with his textbook, chanting, "abandon, abandon!"
The homeroom teacher had only come to check if Lin Mo had returned to school. Seeing her there, he left reassured.
During the second-period break,
the homeroom teacher called Lin Mo into the office.
Inside, she found Director Wang from the academic affairs office and a middle-aged woman with short hair who looked familiar.
The woman extended her hand, "Hello, Lin Mo. I'm Director Huang from Qinghua University's admissions office. We've met before—do you remember me?"
Lin Mo quickly recalled.
Before her 2014 college entrance exam results were even released, she had received calls from several top universities.
Director Huang had personally camped outside her home with her team,
promising full tuition waivers and scholarships if she chose Qinghua.
But soon, Peking University's recruiters caught wind and rushed over.
The two rival admissions teams pulled out all the stops.
Peking U: "We'll cover tuition, give scholarships, and throw in a seven-day Hainan vacation for your whole family!"
Qinghua: "We'll give you a two-week nationwide tour!"
Peking U's team grabbed Lin Mo's arm, "Make it a month—we'll leave right now!"
Director Huang countered, "Wait! Qinghua will assign handsome upperclassmen as tour guides!"
Peking U: "..."
Lin Mo: "..."
In the end, Lin Mo chose Qinghua but skipped the trip for personal reasons.
Now, eleven years later, seeing Director Huang again filled Lin Mo with warmth. "Hello, Director Huang."
Director Huang had learned about Lin Mo's return online.
The sudden tragedy that befell the brilliant young girl had devastated her back then.
Now, seeing Lin Mo alive, feeling the warmth of her hand, Director Huang's eyes grew moist.
This girl had spent eleven years in a vegetative state, yet upon waking, she returned to high school to retake the college entrance exam—what incredible resilience!
And she was still topping her class with scores over 700—what a genius!
She'd never misjudged Lin Mo's potential.
After consulting Qinghua's president, she'd rushed to the school.
Rumor had it Peking U was already making moves too.
"Lin Mo, I'm here to formally offer you admission to Qinghua again—no need to retake the exam."
The gaokao was merely a filter for talent.
When talent was undeniable, testing became redundant.
Lin Mo's peach-blossom eyes sparkled. "Really? That's wonderful!"
All she wanted was to return to Qinghua—the method didn't matter.
Director Huang nodded. "Absolutely. You have two options: Since we're only two months into the semester, you could start immediately in any major. I'm confident you'd catch up."
"Alternatively, you could wait until next year's gaokao before enrolling. Either way, we just need you to report to Qinghua."
Lin Mo smiled, her eyes curving. "May I have some time to consider?"
Director Huang: "Of course. Here's my number—contact me once you've decided."
After exchanging contacts, Lin Mo stepped out of the office.
Director Wang sipped his tea. "Director Huang, did you know Lin Mo was once my wife's student? And Xie Guanyan was my protégé too."
Director Huang: "..."
Director Wang took another sip. "Who'd have thought those two rivals would end up together!"
Director Huang chuckled. "I recruited Xie Guanyan to Qinghua too. Peking U fought hard for him, but when I mentioned Lin Mo was at Qinghua, he agreed instantly. I always suspected he'd liked her for years."
"Really?"
Two voices echoed simultaneously.
Director Wang turned to see Lin Mo standing at the door, having returned unnoticed.
Caught gossiping, Director Huang flushed. "Y-yes."
Lin Mo blinked, addressing her homeroom teacher. "Sir, I came back to say I'm skipping the rest of today's classes."
She'd forgotten to mention it earlier.
The teacher beamed. "Of course, go enjoy yourself!"
In his books, this counted as his student getting early admission to Qinghua!
As Lin Mo walked out again, sunlight bathed her in warmth—yet couldn't penetrate the chill in her heart.
Her phone buzzed.
It was a reply from Dr. You:
[Glad to hear it. When I didn't get your morning message, I figured you were fine. Took some meds and slept till now.]
Lin Mo lowered her gaze, her slender fingers typing:
[Dr. You, have you ever been in love?]
Dr. You: [I've divorced eight times.]
Lin Mo: [...An eight-divorce dynasty.]
Dr. You: [Why ask? Did something happen last night? Come see me—we need to talk!]
Lin Mo didn't know how to explain what she'd discovered.
Nor how to describe walking into that hidden room that morning.
Its walls were plastered with photos of her—all taken secretly.
There were discarded test papers, old stuffed toys, hair clips, even strands of her hair...
She'd never seen this room before. Was it always there, or had Xie Guanyan created it?
But the contents were unmistakably his doing—not her parents'.
Most disturbingly, she'd found a computer inside.
Its screen displayed live footage of her bedroom.
While last night's events hadn't frightened her, this surveillance feed truly unsettled her.
Had Xie Guanyan watched her reading erotic novels under the covers, legs clenched in embarrassment?
Aaaaah! The humiliation!
Now it made sense—how he always coincidentally made breakfast just as she woke up.
From that hidden room, he could monitor her movements and time his appearances perfectly.
Suddenly, Gu Jingchuan's warning resurfaced: "Xie Guanyan's a creep."
He wasn't wrong.
The photos proved he'd been secretly photographing her since transferring to her high school sophomore year.
The early shots were poorly lit and unflattering.
But over time, they became breathtaking—masterfully composed, glowing with artistry.
One captured her feeding stray cats in the school's backwoods, every strand of her hair radiant.
Another showed her on a beach, gazing at fireworks, her eyes holding entire galaxies.
That was the night she'd accepted Gu Jingchuan's confession.
Xie Guanyan had been watching—and photographing—even then.
Lin Mo realized she might be twisted too.
At a time like this, she was still critiquing photo quality.
Truly, a Chinese woman's obsession with aesthetics knew no bounds!
One thing was certain now:
Someone had indeed been stalking—and protecting—her all along.
It was those two men in black who seemed to have noticed she might have discovered something, so they hadn’t shown up lately.
The first time she met Xie Guanyan after crossing over, that guy still pretended not to remember her.
What a pretentious jerk!
