Jiang Lin said, “It might be quite late in the evening.”

Fang Chengguang replied, “By ten o’clock? At the latest, it’ll be eleven or twelve. You don’t have classes tomorrow, so it’ll be just right to go home.”

The three young ones chimed in, “It’s settled then!”

If it weren’t for Grandma saying that children couldn’t attend the social event and that it would make Mom a laughingstock, the three would have gone along.

Seeing their persistence, Jiang Lin smiled, “Alright, if you’re not worried about the trouble, then neither should I.”

Of course, she wanted to go home; who would want to stay in the dormitory? But she was concerned about causing trouble for them.

She noticed that Fang Chengguang was very attentive to Dabao and Xiaobao.

It was odd to see such a young man treating the two little kids like his own brothers.

Since Fang Chengguang returned from special training, Dabao and Xiaobao, along with Wensheng, had been learning martial arts techniques from him, practicing on the playground morning and evening.

Jiang Lin had watched them; they were indeed quite childish.

Many people said Fang Chengguang had changed.

She didn’t know how he was before, but it seemed he was happier now.

The four of them often laughed like silly roe deer.

After breakfast, Fang Chengguang had originally planned to drive Jiang Lin to school but had to leave after being called away.

Jiang Lin bid farewell to her family and reminded Wensheng to help Grandpa and Grandma with the vegetable garden, which had just started planting and transplanting. They would need to stay busy.

Wensheng said with a smile, “Don’t worry, Mom. I sing opera to the little seedlings every day, and they grow particularly well. Soon, we’ll have sweet tomatoes for you to eat.”

Xiaobao added, “I’ll tell them stories too.”

Dabao said, “I’ll help catch the bugs!”

Yan Runzhi and Cheng Yunzhi laughed heartily.

Living there surrounded by young people, Yan Runzhi was increasingly flourishing and becoming more agile.

Cheng Yunzhi, who had been struggling with chronic illness last winter, had seen his health and spirits improve after being here.

Everyone had been worried about his health, but now, after spending time with a bunch of young people, he was feeling much better physically and mentally.

Wen Sheng, Da Bao, and Xiao Bao saw Jiang Lin off at the bus stop, then went to the elementary school.

After that, Wen Sheng went to the vegetable garden to help plant various vegetables.

The vegetable garden was very large, with space for growing all sorts of vegetables.

Thinking that it would turn into a lush and thriving garden, which his mother would love, Wen Sheng felt especially motivated.

He sang while planting, which drew the attention of curious onlookers who had nothing better to do.

People were particularly curious about Wen Sheng.

Some doubted his intelligence and, after testing, found that he was indeed a bit unconventional.

However, those who thought he was a fool would eventually be frustrated by him.

Those who treated him as a normal person found him to be gentle and polite, making him quite charming.

In the neighborhood, there was a group of mischievous kids, ranging from seven to twelve or thirteen years old.

They were either neglected at home or overly rebellious and were generally disliked by everyone.

Naturally, they would provoke Wen Sheng, hoping to make fun of him as a fool.

But Wen Sheng was not upset at all and would never hit anyone out of anger.

Since he lived with his mother now, his attitude was: even if surrounded by troublesome kids, as long as they didn’t bully his mother, it didn’t matter much.

His mother had said that mischievous kids acted out to get attention because they lacked abilities.

Whether a person is foolish or not is decided by themselves, not by others.

Some people might seem smart but do foolish things, while others may appear simple but are kind and honest, which isn’t foolish at all.

If Wen Sheng didn’t mind, those troublesome kids would likely lose interest.

However, a few persistent ones still tried to provoke him, hoping he would chase after them.

This angered Da Bao and Xiao Bao.

They were not afraid to fight kids under ten!

Taking advantage of a moment when one of the troublemakers was alone, the two brothers rushed over.

Da Bao tackled the troublemaker to the ground, pinning his shoulders, while Xiao Bao sat on his legs and held down his ankles.

Then Da Bao punched the troublemaker’s face repeatedly until the troublemaker was bruised and begging for mercy.

If the troublemaker went home and complained?

The brothers would immediately go to Fang Chengguang.

He said that if there was a need to deal with parents, they should come to him. Even if not out of personal concern, the strictness of Fang Chengguang would generally deter people from causing trouble over such matters.

The person seems to have little interest in anything, always appearing nonchalant and unambitious, but in reality, he’s quite fierce.

If someone makes him unhappy, he can make them uncomfortable for a long time.

As for the children around ten years old, Dabao and Xiaobao are unbeatable.

If necessary, they can have Fang Chengguang or He Liang lead them to personally confront the troublemakers’ parents!

“You’re calling us fools, and we can’t beat your kid? We don’t expect adults to handle it, so you deal with it yourselves.”

If the parents want to calm things down, it’s not going to happen.

Dabao and Xiaobao’s chatter can make even adults break into a sweat.

In the end, the parents themselves get so furious that they punish their troublesome children, making them promise not to call anyone names again.

“Whoever calls others fools is the biggest fool!”

This saying became popular in the compound and turned into a catchphrase among the kids.

When someone insults another, they are immediately countered with “Whoever calls someone X is the biggest X.”

Within just half a month, no troublemakers dared to insult Wensheng with such nonsense anymore, and Wensheng enjoyed his days in comfort.

Thanks to the support from Fang Chengguang and He Liang, Cheng Rushan could confidently go out, and there was no need for Cheng Yunzhi and Yan Runzhi to worry.

Jiang Lin could also focus on her studies without concern.

On the bus, Jiang Lin, unable to read due to the bumpy ride, closed her eyes to review the knowledge she had learned that week.

At the beginning of the semester, some classmates had not yet adjusted to the new routine, but she was already fully engaged in her studies.

As an architecture student, she had to start from scratch with many things, requiring a lot of energy to keep up with the specialized courses.

She noticed that half of the class had already immersed themselves in their studies, attending early morning classes, lectures, and evening study sessions without fail.

The other half attended classes normally but were not in a rush due to the start of the semester.

A small number of students, however, were busy with various social activities and events, often skipping classes with various excuses.

On Saturdays, when there were no specialized classes, their enthusiasm for attending classes was far less than their interest in social events.

When Jiang Lin arrived at the provincial university, she got off the bus and had a few minutes’ walk to the campus entrance.

“Hey, miss, are you from the provincial university?” Someone stopped her.

Jiang Lin looked over and saw a young man with a fierce expression. “Do you need something?”

The young man had a rough, leering look on his face. “I’m Huang Xiangyu. I think we have a good vibe. Let’s get to know each other and be friends.”

Jiang Lin noticed the bulge at his waist and realized he had a gun.

Having seen people like He Liang carrying guns around the compound, she was very sensitive to such details.

She said, “Sure, making friends is fine. But our family has many rules. We check three generations of background and character before making friends. My husband works in the military, and I have many older and younger brothers. Every friend of mine has to be vetted by them.” She smiled at him, “So, are you okay with that?”

Huang Xiangyu was momentarily stunned, then gave a forced smile, “What a coincidence, my relative is also in the military—a division commander, a big shot!” He leaned closer to Jiang Lin, speaking in a confidential tone, “Your husband? Oh, you’re married, huh? Didn’t see that coming.”

Jiang Lin: “Yes, I’m married and have a child.”

Huang Xiangyu narrowed his eyes and looked her up and down. “What does your husband do? Want me to pull some strings for you, help him get a promotion?”

Jiang Lin: “I’m heading to class now, so I don’t have time to chat. But my family will pick me up after school. You can talk to them then and see if they can help with a promotion.”

While saying this, Jiang Lin quickened her pace, and by the time she reached the campus entrance, she was walking briskly.

Huang Xiangyu hesitated for a moment but followed her slowly.

With his experience with women, he could tell at a glance that Jiang Lin was exceptional and didn’t want to miss the opportunity.

He wasn’t worried about her being married—if needed, he could deal with that.

He watched as Jiang Lin chatted and laughed with her classmates and then trailed behind, looking for someone to inquire about her background.

People generally avoid Huang Xiangyu when he looks fierce and intimidating, preferring to quickly distance themselves.

Huang Xiangyu decided to find someone he knew to get information, and soon learned about Jiang Lin’s major, classroom, and dormitory location.

When he heard about the class social event happening on the playground tonight, he immediately came up with a plan and went to rally his friends.

Jiang Lin followed her schedule to the lecture hall, where there were two political science classes in the morning with several classes combined.

As soon as she entered, Yang Lu waved at her, “Jiang Lin, over here.”

Jiang Lin’s gaze deliberately avoided Yang Lu, pretending not to see or hear, and continued to look for an empty seat.

There were quite a few empty seats available.

The dull political science lecture made everyone drowsy.

Most students only crammed before exams, and some avoided classes if possible, preferring to study in the library instead.

Jiang Lin chose a seat a bit farther from Yang Lu, and as luck would have it, Su Xingyun came over and sat next to her.

Yao Zhenxia, Zhu Caiying, and several male classmates also came over and took seats behind them.

Yang Lu quickly grabbed her backpack and squeezed past a male classmate who was about to sit next to Jiang Lin.

“Excuse me,” she said, plopping down beside Jiang Lin.

Jiang Lin was taken aback, “!!”

Yang Lu had a reputation for being haughty with those she looked down upon, but chatty and nosy with those she liked, often prying into others’ secrets and making them reluctant to engage in further conversation.

Even if others were silent, she could chatter endlessly.

Her roommates often complained that she was a bit of a freeloader, always using other people’s pens even though she had ink herself.

When others joked about it, she would insist it was a mistake.

Despite her flaws, Yang Lu had some advantages—she was very sensitive and detail-oriented, which made her effective as a class monitor.

Her studies were also good, but students tended to avoid her, and she didn’t seem to realize why, only feeling that her classmates were picking on her.

Jiang Lin, on the other hand, was fine with the arrangement—she came in the morning and left in the evening, only staying to have a meal.

At noon, she mostly spent time with Zeng Hongjie, occasionally meeting with Sun Qinghui or Lu Hang and Jiang Xinglei.

If not, Su Xingyun would discuss the social event with her.

Yang Lu never found a chance to forcibly attach herself to Jiang Lin or to eat Jiang Lin’s food.

At that moment, the teacher hadn’t arrived yet, and the classroom was filled with chatter and noise.

Jiang Lin took out her textbook, pen, and notebook from her bag, planning to review a bit.

Yang Lu leaned in close to Jiang Lin. “Jiang Lin, don’t you think Zhu Caiping is acting sneaky? Do you think she has a secret?”

“Don’t gossip about classmates. Anyone can have secrets.”

Yang Lu looked at her intently. “Do you have any?”

Jiang Lin: “Of course, I have many big and small secrets.”

Yang Lu’s eyes lit up with curiosity, as if she couldn’t sleep until she found out.

Jiang Lin’s tone had been a bit harsh, which might make most people uncomfortable and stop them from talking.

But Yang Lu, who was proud and aloof with those she looked down on but clingy with those she admired, didn’t mind Jiang Lin’s tone at all.

Jiang Lin glanced at her and said, “We’ve both studied physics, right? Do you think you are still the same person you were yesterday, and I am still the same person? Is it possible that you died in a dream last night and that today’s you is actually a different soul?”

Yang Lu looked puzzled. “What are you talking about?”

Jiang Lin’s words were quite advanced for the moment, but they weren’t about ghosts or superstitions.

Yang Lu was immediately captivated by the idea.

Jiang Lin continued, “Have you ever seen scenes that seem familiar? Felt like you’ve met certain people before? Do you think your actions are entirely under your control? Is it possible that you were created by a higher intelligence? Do you really think you chose to go to college on your own? Think carefully—was your whole life really decided by you, or was there some unchangeable force guiding you?”

Yang Lu: “I… wasn’t supposed to go to college originally, but then…”

Jiang Lin: “Wrong. If the program was set for you to attend college, you would go no matter what. And the program might have specifically set you to attend this university rather than another.”

Hearing such a statement for the first time, Yang Lu was deeply intrigued and found the idea increasingly frightening.

Jiang Lin thought Yang Lu’s ability to get into college showed she had no problem with intelligence and was very capable of learning.

She noticed that Yang Lu often contradicted herself when talking about her family.

For instance, she claimed her parents treated her well, but some of the things she mentioned didn’t sound so positive.

She said her partner was caring and supportive, but some details suggested otherwise.

Everything seemed like something she had made up, indicating she had a very rich imagination!