Linlin realized what she had just said and bit her tongue in embarrassment, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
A faint smile crept into Yan Yuan’s voice. “What did you say? Say that again.”
Then, slowly and distinctly, he added, “Engineer Lin, so rigorous in everything—do you have any data to support that claim? Do you need a sample? I can be your sample.”
Linlin’s mind exploded with a buzz. Her face flushed hot, as though all the blood in her body had rushed straight to her head.
She hunched her shoulders, trying to avoid the warm breath brushing against her ear.
Suddenly, two strong hands settled at her waist, firmly clasping her slender figure. Linlin covered her face, hoping to calm the frantic flutter in her heart and the wild pounding of her pulse.
Yan Yuan watched her reaction closely. If he saw even the slightest trace of resistance on her face, he would let her go.
But there was none.
Linlin merely covered her face, while her body instinctively edged farther into his embrace.
Yan Yuan laughed and pulled her even more tightly against him.
The atmosphere was so sweetly intimate it felt as if pink bubbles were floating all around them. Linlin rather enjoyed being held by him. Her heart felt like she had eaten a lemon—tart and sweet at the same time, for no reason she could explain.
“Linlin!”
Just as Linlin was about to speak, she heard her brother calling for her from downstairs. She hurriedly pushed Yan Yuan away and reminded him, blushing, “Even though I hugged you, that doesn’t mean I’ve agreed to be with you.”
Yan Yuan smiled and nodded. “All right. Then I’ll keep pursuing you.”
Linlin shot him a shy glance, then hurried downstairs to find her brother.
At the end of the first semester of freshman year, before winter break, there was a full examination week. Every new student, without exception, had to take final exams.
Linlin attended the Capital Institute of Aeronautics, one of the country’s top engineering schools with a military-industrial focus, where exams were notoriously difficult.
“Advanced Mathematics” in particular was often used as the school’s first brutal test for students.
It was entirely normal for nearly half a class to fail, and even if a student fell short by just half a point, the professors would not make exceptions.
Those who failed had to take a make-up exam. If they failed that as well, they could be held back a year or even lose their chance of receiving a degree.
Under such demanding circumstances, Linlin scored an impressive 94 in Advanced Mathematics.
In addition to Advanced Mathematics, she scored around ninety in subjects such as College Physics, Engineering Drawing, Linear Algebra, and Theoretical Mechanics. Not a single grade was below eighty-five.
Anyone admitted to this university and this major had generally been among the very best students in their hometowns. Although everyone knew that Linlin had been the top scorer in her province, her classmates had not thought much of it. Their own college entrance exam rankings had also been among the best in their provinces, and they all had a certain pride.
It was not until the final exams, when half the class had failed while Linlin achieved such outstanding scores, that they truly began to take notice.
Thinking back, they had noticed Linlin in their everyday lives as well.
But most of their attention had stopped at her beautiful appearance. They had somehow overlooked the fact that every time they saw her, she seemed to be studying.
Her instructors even singled her out for praise in class and reminded her not to forget to apply for scholarships.
The young woman was so well-behaved. Despite being so pretty, and despite so many people pursuing her, she had never allowed herself to be distracted. She focused on her studies and earned such brilliant grades—what teacher wouldn’t like a student like that?
This time, Dong Xiaomin had also ranked first in the Physics Department.
One was in Aircraft Design, the other in Physics—both were flagship programs at the school.
For the first time that year, the top spots in both programs had been claimed by women. And when everyone looked into it, they discovered the two young women were good friends.
Once they compared notes, they found that apart from attending class, the two of them spent all their time studying in the library.
It was as though everyone had suddenly been awakened.
They had thought getting into university meant they could finally relax. But the truly outstanding students were still working hard. If they did not work harder themselves, they would only be left far behind.
As soon as Linlin’s grades came out, her classmates were instantly fired up.
Linlin did not care about any of that. She was going home!
She had begun packing as soon as exam week started.
The moment the grades were released, she boarded the train home with Jiang Chengzhou and Shen Man.
As for Yan Yuan, work kept him behind, and he would not be able to return for another two days.
Knowing that their beloved daughter and eldest nephew were coming home, Lin Zhilan and Su Lang had begun tidying up their rooms early.
Lin Zhilan also had a key to Yan Yuan’s home. But since no one had lived there for so long, the house had fallen into disrepair and the things inside were no longer usable.
So Lin Zhilan had prepared a guest room for Yan Yuan in her own home as well.
Su Li’s winter vacation had started even earlier than Linlin’s. He was so excited that he seemed almost drunk on it. Knowing they would still spend several days on the road did not stop him from running from home to the pier and back again every day.
On the day they were due to arrive, Su Li got up at dawn and knocked on Lin Zhilan and Su Lang’s door. “Get up! Brother and Sister will be here soon!”
Even in winter, dawn came earlier on the island than it did in the north.
Su Lang sat up and looked outside. It was still dark.
He was just about to get up and straighten out that brat when Lin Zhilan was awakened as well.
She yawned. “Forget it. I can’t sleep now anyway. Let’s get up.”
Su Lang gave a huff and went to open the door.
When Su Li saw that it was his father at the door, he turned around and ran.
“You little rascal!”
After a simple breakfast, they went to the pier.
The wind was strong at the pier. Su Li leaned over the railing, unable to stay still for even a moment.
Before long, Shen Canshan and Kong Baozhu arrived as well.
The moment Kong Baozhu came over, she slipped her arm through Lin Zhilan’s.
Perhaps because of her previous illness, she processed things a little more slowly than most people. But she had always been gentle by nature, and that unhurried slowness only made her seem softer and more tender.
The instant Kong Baozhu took her arm, Lin Zhilan thought of Little Sister Wang Rou.
Because of Li Jiang’s work transfer, Wang Rou and Aunt Hehua had also moved away from the island.
Wang Rou had nearly divorced Li Jiang over it. He had been so frightened that he repeatedly promised to bring her back to the island every few days before she finally let the matter go.
Wang Rou had not truly wanted a divorce. She simply did not want to be too far away from Sister Lin.
For a while after moving, Wang Rou was just like Linlin—she had to call home every few days, wanting to tell Lin Zhilan about everything.
It was not until Lin Zhilan encouraged her to get out more that things improved. Wang Rou found work illustrating and creating woodblock prints for a publishing house. At a magazine’s request, she also drew a comic book. Once she became busy, she felt much better.
Aunt Hehua was getting older, while Wang Rou still had not improved much when it came to housework.
That comic book had earned Wang Rou more than a thousand yuan, and she took Aunt Hehua to the cafeteria and out to restaurants every day.
Aunt Hehua worried about the money and the food ration coupons. After eating out for some time, she insisted on cooking at home.
Now that Wang Rou had money to spare, she simply hired a housekeeper for the family.
Fifteen yuan a month, only to prepare three meals a day and do basic cleaning.
Aunt Hehua had worked since childhood and had never, in all her life, considered hiring domestic help.
Wang Rou hired one without consulting her first, and Aunt Hehua was terrified, afraid they would bring trouble upon the family and be accused of adopting bourgeois habits.
