Chapter 43: Friends

Under Professor Song’s gaze, Chen Jin drove away.

Before this, she had considered buying a bicycle to make it easier to get from home to school. At that time, she thought she shouldn’t be too high-profile at school. But unexpectedly, she didn’t even have the chance to be high-profile before her family’s situation—having money from the demolition of their house—was broadcasted to everyone.

Since that was the case, she decided not to keep a low profile and deny herself anymore.

The sun in June was already very scorching; just walking outside for a bit could make one break out in sweat. The air in the car was cool, and no one would choose to walk to school in this weather.

Besides a few graduation thesis papers, Chen Jin also had her camera in her bag. Although the time for the graduation photoshoot was set for tomorrow, she and Lin Kexin had made plans to take some personal photos around the school today. After they finished taking the group photo tomorrow, they could leave early. Then there would be the farewell dinner tomorrow evening…

Perhaps because she would continue to work here in the future, Chen Jin didn’t feel sad about graduating; on the contrary, she was almost overjoyed: she had finally made it through college!

“Chen Jin!” Lin Xinran waved at her from the steps of the college and then raised her camera to signal. Chen Jin understood and quickly lifted her bag to show that she hadn’t forgotten her camera.

As Chen Jin walked up, she noticed that Lin Xinran’s roommates were looking for her to take pictures. They all wanted to pose with the sign next to the college entrance. After Lin Xinran finished taking their pictures, she called Chen Jin over, “Hurry up! Someone else will come and take over soon. Other majors are also defending their theses today.”

Chen Jin jogged a couple of steps to get in front of a classmate and struck her signature tourist pose “(？？ ω ？？ )y” for the camera. As soon as she stepped away, someone immediately rushed to grab her spot.

To be honest, she thought that spot wasn’t that great for photos; it was just a sign for the College of Humanities.

At that moment, a few of her dormmates arrived. Surprisingly, Song Jiajia from the physics department came over, holding hands with Qin Xuemei, chatting about something nonsensical.

Chen Jin was about to help Lin Xinran take a picture, but she wasn’t used to Lin Xinran’s camera. The principles were the same, but the operation was slightly different. Chen Jin took out her own camera and said, “I’ll take your picture with mine, and later we can go develop the photos and pick the best ones.”

“Okay!”

Meng Shengnan had been too shy to approach Lin Xinran earlier. Although she was generally carefree, she wasn’t completely oblivious to social cues. She and Lin Xinran were classmates but weren’t close, so it felt awkward to bother her.

Seeing Chen Jin also take out her camera, she hesitated, wanting to ask but overwhelmed by memories of Chen Jin’s impressive feats in the dorm over the past three years. The usually carefree girl suddenly felt shy.

Chen Jin looked at her and asked, “Do you want to take a photo? Liang Xiaoyu, do you want to join?”

“I do, I do! Thanks, Chen Jin.” Meng Shengnan seized the opportunity and rushed over, directing the people nearby to move aside so they wouldn’t ruin her background. After taking her photo, she immediately pushed Liang Xiaoyu into the frame and waved at Chen Jin, “Okay, you can take it now!”

After Chen Jin took the picture, she glanced at Qin Xuemei, who was still glaring at her. Chen Jin rolled her eyes and put away her camera, heading to the conference room with Lin Xinran.

Lin Xinran was a bit nervous, fidgeting with her hands, “Everyone’s in the same classroom listening in. What if I don’t do well in the defense, can’t answer the questions, and get scolded by the teacher… just thinking about it makes me want to find a hole to hide in. I hope the teachers will be a bit gentler today and not too harsh. I really don’t want Professor Song to ask me questions…”

Her murmurs eased Chen Jin’s own nerves a bit: since everyone else was feeling the pressure too, there was no need to panic!

While they were waiting for the defense to start, Chen Jin quickly reviewed her prepared speech.

Suddenly, a shadow fell beside her. She turned her head to see Yang Qian frowning.

Chen Jin frowned too, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem with my thesis?”

Yang Qian sat down in frustration and sighed, “You actually wrote a script… Chen Jin, you really don’t need to work so hard; there’s no scholarship this time!”

At first, Yang Qian wanted to stay in the dormitory, but the main reason she moved out was Chen Jin.

Because Chen Jin was just too diligent. Not that most students weren’t serious in class, but Chen Jin rarely participated in club activities; she was either in the library or studying in her dorm. Every time Yang Qian saw Chen Jin, she felt stressed and decided to move out.

She suddenly thought it was pretty nice not having to be Chen Jin’s classmate when she pursued her master’s.

Chen Jin shot her a disapproving glance, “You have to do things properly from beginning to end.”

“You said we’d go shopping together, but when I called you, you didn’t come out. Why not mention doing things properly then?”

Unfazed, Chen Jin continued to read her script, “I only have principles for myself. Now stop distracting me; you can handle the teacher’s scolding, but I can’t handle it!”

Lin Xinran secretly observed the two of them and poked Chen Jin’s arm, “When did you two get so close?”

“We’ve only gone shopping together twice; we’re not that close.”

Yang Qian shot her a look, “I can hear you being so loud.”

“It’s not anything I shouldn’t say; if you hear it, then you hear it.” Chen Jin said casually.

When she looked up, she saw the talented student Zhuo Ran diagonally across the room, gazing at them with a sorrowful, affectionate expression. Just looking at him made Chen Jin break out in goosebumps, even in the stifling conference room. This was the first time she saw a guy in real life expressing the same longing gaze as the male protagonists in Qiong Yao novels.

“Hey, someone’s looking at you.” Chen Jin nudged Yang Qian.

She had missed out on so many dramatic moments by not interacting with Yang Qian before.

Following Chen Jin’s gaze, Yang Qian turned her head coldly, “I’ll be his auntie soon. It’s impolite to stare at elders like that.”

Chen Jin: !!!

Lin Xinran: !!!

Chen Jin thought that when she became a counselor in the College of Literature and Yang Qian stayed on for her master’s, they would indeed have to interact more as college classmates. She had never encountered a situation like this in her village: breaking up with someone and then becoming that person’s aunt?!

Zhuo Ran, feeling dejected, turned away, sending more chills down Chen Jin’s spine.

Lin Xinran wanted to ask Chen Jin about the situation, but classmates and teachers were gradually filling the seats around them, and anything they said would be overheard, so she curbed her curiosity.

As soon as she heard that the defense order would be based on the advisor’s decision, Chen Jin quickly reviewed the content of her thesis.

Chen Jin had watched over a dozen students defend their theses. She felt that the teachers sitting in front had become numb, probably thinking, “What garbage are they writing?”

During regular study, it didn’t feel that difficult, whether preparing for exams or not. But producing a thesis was truly no simple task. Ordinary papers might be easy to write, but the papers for future graduate studies would be much harder.

Professor Song and Professor Jiang were truly the two stern heads of the College of Arts; they were very good at criticizing. The language used by cultured people when criticizing others is always elegant. Compared to outright insults, it’s like using a soft knife to cut flesh.

Chen Jin went up to defend her thesis with a blank expression, recited her manuscript, answered a few simple questions, and then the teachers let her go.

Was it really that easy? She still found it unbelievable.

She had just stood in front, clearly seeing that Professors Jiang and Song had very unpleasant expressions. She felt nervous, unsure what issues they would raise, but surprisingly, neither of them asked any questions.

The few people who defended after her also had smooth experiences.

Yang Qian secretly breathed a sigh of relief; this hurdle was finally over.

After the defenses, only one student’s thesis was not approved, reportedly because it was poorly written and the student had a bad attitude, failing to communicate with the advisor about the thesis, leading to an automatic rejection.

Chen Jin thought that if she became an advisor and encountered such students, it would surely be very frustrating. If students couldn’t graduate smoothly, there would be a lot of work for the advisor.

That afternoon, the photo-taking team originally consisting of only her and Lin Xinran inexplicably added Yang Qian.

“Next time, let me know in advance when you’re taking photos. I’ll bring my camera too.”

The three of them, who would continue studying or working at NTU, didn’t behave like soon-to-be graduates. Instead of looking for the school’s landmark buildings, they chose less crowded, picturesque corners of the campus to take photos.

Chen Jin was glad she had brought makeup; otherwise, Yang Qian would have insisted on going home to change clothes and put on makeup before agreeing to take pictures. If she didn’t look good, it would delay others, and Chen Jin had never rolled her eyes so frequently before.

She and Lin Xinran were quite curious about her relationship with her Uncle Zhuo Ran, but Yang Qian dismissed them with two sentences, saying, “What’s there to know? He’s just an old man.”

An old man eight years her senior made them feel a bit sorry for Yang Qian, so they didn’t press her further.

“Let’s take a break; we don’t need to rush to take pictures. We can come back in a few years after graduation,” Lin Xinran said while wiping sweat. “I don’t know why, but I feel pretty happy about graduating. I don’t feel sad at all.”

Chen Jin and Yang Qian expressed similar feelings.

Seeing several classmates walk past them, looking particularly close and lively, while a photographer directed them to pose, made Chen Jin a bit envious. Having friends who grow together and share joys and sorrows in university is truly rare.

However, that envy quickly faded. Perhaps each stage of life has different paths, and not every stage requires friends. Listening to Lin Xinran and Yang Qian talk past her suddenly put her at ease.

She had graduated from university. She wondered if a certain friend had also graduated from military school.

The next day, while taking graduation photos, Chen Jin deliberately put on what she thought was a great makeup look before heading out. She waved to Shen Baichuan, whom she hadn’t seen for days, and then got in the car and left.

Her movements were too swift; the car sped off before she heard Shen Baichuan ask if he could hitch a ride.

After watching for a while, Shen Baichuan ultimately drove to work himself.

Chen Jin had always found taking graduation photos to be a hassle. Standing under the blazing sun for half an hour, she finally waited for the photographer to arrive. They had to adjust their positions, and after taking one shot, they had to change locations for another.

After the group photo, many people went to find their teachers for pictures. Chen Jin thought about slipping away, but Yang Qian and Lin Xinran said they wanted to go to her house for lunch and then head together to the teacher appreciation dinner in the evening.

“Chen Jin, come over for a photo.”

Chen Jin turned around to see Professor Song calling her, with Professor Jiang and several other teachers nearby. Chen Jin had thought about taking a photo with the teachers, but too many students were lining up for photos, and it was sunny, making her impatient.

Since the teachers called her, of course, she went!

Chen Jin handed her camera to Yang Qian, adjusted it, and reminded her, “You need to make me look good.”

Not entirely reassured, she also asked Lin Xinran to help take some pictures. Surely one of them would manage to get a few decent shots?

“From now on, we’ll have to call you Teacher Chen,” Professor Jiang joked.

At that moment, as she heard the shift in how people addressed her, Chen Jin finally felt the reality of her impending graduation.

Returning to the small western-style building, the first thing Chen Jin did was turn on the air conditioning and tell Lin Xinran and Yang Qian to make themselves at home. “There’s something to drink in the fridge; I’ll go change my clothes first.”

To look a bit better in photos, she wore nice clothes and shoes that were neither breathable nor comfortable. It was really just making things difficult for herself.

Downstairs, Yang Qian casually placed her bag on the coffee table, then went to check the fridge for drinks. She saw rows of beverages and then opened the freezer, which was filled with various flavors of ice cream.

After asking Lin Xinran what she wanted to drink, she handed it over to her.

After drinking a sip of cold water, the heat dissipated, and Yang Qian and Lin Xinran wandered around inside and outside. When Chen Jin came downstairs after changing, Yang Qian said, “Last time you said you’d ask the neighbor aunt if there are any more small western-style houses for sale. Did you ask?”

Chen Jin hesitated for a moment while opening the fridge, feeling a bit guilty. “I’ll ask tomorrow.”

Yang Qian shot her an angry glare.

Lin Xinran saw her turn on the TV and, disregarding her image, directly flopped onto the sofa. “I now understand why you love staying at home. If I had an entire building to myself and didn’t have to worry about food or drink, I wouldn’t want to go out either.”

Chen Jin hummed in agreement and touched her nose.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like going out; she just didn’t enjoy going out with others all the time. She felt very happy exploring by herself, as long as she could drive her car in, she could wander through every street and alley.

There was an old street in the Dongcheng District, with towering trees lining both sides of the road. Every time she passed through, she would slow down and drive through as if she were traversing a forest in the city. She delightedly enjoyed that lively yet peaceful stretch of road.

“I heard that many of the residents here are retired teachers from the school. Is that true? Are all your neighbors teachers?”

“Here, there are new teachers from the computer science department who studied abroad. Over there are two retired teachers. The original owner of my building was also a retired professor; he has another building nearby, not too far from here. Anyway, most of the people here are probably from NTU University.”

Even she would become part of the NTU faculty starting next month!

“That’s great. If the neighbors have good quality, there will be fewer troubles.” Lin Xinran sighed, “I said I would move out once I started my graduate studies, right? My family’s place has neighbors who are hard to deal with; they can argue over the tiniest issues. After I renovated my place, the old lady downstairs reported me three times for disturbing the peace.”

“I told my mom that if it doesn’t work out, I might as well stay at school. Living with Chen Lu is fine too.”

“Look at you, Chen Lu is okay; she won’t go crazy in the dorms.” Chen Jin said objectively, “She only wants to study. Living with her will save you a lot of trouble.”

“Let’s see, but I don’t plan to continue living in the dorms. Besides,” Lin Xinran shrugged helplessly, “my family is arranging blind dates for me. They’re introducing me to the sons of my parents’ friends. If there’s someone suitable, I’ll go for it; living at school wouldn’t be convenient for that.”

It seemed like the world had fallen into a whirlpool of “marriage pressure,” making Chen Jin feel that the people around her were either dating or preparing to date. Everyone seemed to have tacitly accepted the notion of “being of age” and felt they should “settle down.”

She hadn’t even considered dating yet. She always felt that she was still young, just graduating from university and about to step into the workforce. Her exploration of this new stage in the world was just beginning, so how could it be “time to settle down”?

“By the way, you haven’t seen your ex lately, right?”

Chen Jin replied, “I ran into them in the neighborhood a while ago. They frequently visit Professor Song’s house next door. Oh, they even bought a place in the staff housing area. So, I might run into them often during commutes.”

“Isn’t that awkward?” Lin Xinran said with disdain. “It’s like those two are haunting you; can’t they just go away a bit further?”

“What’s awkward about it? I’m not awkward at all,” Chen Jin said proudly, shaking her head. “I doubt they would dare to show up in front of me and act out.”

After chatting about various topics for a while, Chen Jin couldn’t help but get curious and leaned towards Yang Qian. “Why don’t you tell us about your situation with Uncle Zhuo?”

Yang Qian was really annoyed by Chen Jin’s way of referring to people. She called Aunt Zhao “Sister Zhao,” and now referring to her fiancé as “Uncle Zhuo” was enough to make anyone roll their eyes.

Surprisingly, Chen Jin understood her irritation and said confidently, “Then how should I refer to him? We can’t keep calling him Zhuo Ran’s little uncle, right? If I mention that too much, Zhuo Ran will worry it’ll remind you of your heartache.”

“Then just call him by his name: Zhuo Jiyu.”

Yang Qian hugged the cushion behind her, her tone flat. “There’s nothing special about it; my family has a marriage contract with his family, and we have to each send someone to marry. I’m the only girl in my family, and they have many boys, so Grandpa Zhuo let me choose. It doesn’t matter who I pick; Zhuo Jiyu’s biggest advantage is that he’s good at making money, so I won’t have to live a hard life with him.”

Chen Jin still didn’t understand. “If it doesn’t matter who you choose, couldn’t you just be with Zhuo Ran? Once he returns to the country, it’ll be fine, right? You can still enjoy your freedom for the next few years.”

Yang Qian raised an eyebrow. “That’s a new perspective; I hadn’t thought about the advantage of marrying late. Indeed, if I choose Zhuo Jiyu, I’d have to get married this year. He’s older, after all.”

“But Zhuo Ran is really not suitable.”

Lin Xinran was curious. “What do you mean not suitable?”

Chen Jin, however, thought of it from another angle and remembered what Aunt Zhou had said in the village about a man in a certain family being useless, which led to his wife running away. She said seriously, “If a man is useless, then he really is.”

“…” Yang Qian was once again irritated. “What are you thinking about? I’m saying he’s unreliable!”

Chen Jin awkwardly smiled and closed her mouth.

“Zhuo Ran’s dad is the second son of Grandpa Zhuo, and he’s the most mediocre one. Once Grandpa Zhuo passes away, the gap between his family and the others will widen. Zhuo Ran is an only child, and his mother has a strong controlling nature. Whoever marries him will definitely end up being tightly managed by their mother-in-law. To be honest, Zhuo Ran can write some things, but he doesn’t know how to do anything else.”

“Our family is in business. I have two older sisters and one older brother. My two sisters both married well. If I marry Zhuo Ran, our family resources will absolutely not tilt even slightly in my favor.” Because Zhuo Ran and his parents were not worth the investment.

Yang Qian smiled. “Do you find it hard to believe, like you’re reading a story about a feudal family?”

Lin Xinran wore an expression that said, “I’ve seen a lot,” and said, “What’s so surprising about that? It’s quite normal. Anyway, my family’s situation isn’t as good as yours, but my parents also introduce me to partners who have good conditions. The most important thing is the person; you can’t believe in the idea that a bad family background can be built up together!”

When it came to this topic, Lin Xinran had a lot to say. “Poor couples have a hard life. When my family was in a relatively poor condition, I saw many couples fighting over trivial matters like food and daily expenses. Life was not easy, and love alone can’t satisfy hunger.”

Looking at Yang Qian, she said, “After hearing your analysis, I think it makes sense for you to choose Zhuo… um, whoever. Your family isn’t really feudal, right? Ah, how should I put this… what do you think?”

Why is this coming back to me again?

Chen Jin summarized, “This doesn’t have anything to do with whether it’s feudal or not, right? You guys are just, uh, integrating the connections you have?” She had heard her second cousin analyze some things, but she forgot the specifics because her second cousin had recently been in contact with her uncle’s friend’s daughter, Zhuang Yao, and they might be establishing a relationship soon.

“It’s perfectly normal for you to choose Zhuo Jiyu. From what you’ve said, Zhuo Ran really isn’t suitable. People always strive to go higher; it’s most important to live well yourself.”

“Like my ex, he wants to be with someone who is better off. I don’t think he did anything wrong, but they can’t do something shady and then come back to step on me. If they had just talked it out, I wouldn’t have clung on to it.”

“Ah, I’m getting off track. Anyway, no matter whether your family is feudal or not, the most important thing is that you benefit from it.” Chen Jin thought for a moment and asked, “Your fiancé isn’t bad-looking, right?”

Yang Qian nodded, “He’s okay.”

“No messy situations? Like having a few mistresses or anything like that?”

“Well, no, he doesn’t really have any major flaws except that he’s a bit older.”

“Well, isn’t that enough?! It’s not like you’d necessarily find someone better on your own.” Sure, there’s a bit of feudalism, but even in their village, they don’t really do arranged marriages anymore, yet this feudalism has its advantages!

Chen Jin sighed again. How did it all come back to the same issue of marriage and finding a partner?