“Are you alright at home by yourself?” Jiang Zhonglin asked.

Yu Yao waved a hand from behind the sofa, “I’m fine. You’ve asked three times already.”

Jiang Zhonglin couldn’t help but remind her again, “I won’t be back for lunch. The dishes are in the fridge; remember to cook them. Don’t just eat snacks. Don’t nap too long, and remember to wash and eat the fruit.”

“Got it—”

After thinking there was nothing more to say and not wanting to annoy Yu Yao, Jiang Zhonglin changed into his outdoor shoes. He had to go to Haida University today for a public lecture. Before leaving, the electronic butler embedded in the wall chimed, “Sir, there will be rain today. Please remember to bring an umbrella.”

Jiang Zhonglin took a deep blue umbrella from the stand by the door and left.

Soon after Jiang Zhonglin left, Yu Yao turned off the game, discarded the device, and got up from the sofa. She tied her hair up, changed clothes, and quickly grabbed a small bag and headed to the door to change her shoes. When she opened the door, the electronic butler recognized her as the homeowner and chimed, “Madam, there will be rain today. Please remember to bring an umbrella.”

Yu Yao took a smaller red umbrella from the stand.

Jiang Zhonglin was going to Haida University for a class, and Yu Yao’s destination was also Haida. However, she wasn’t going to attend Jiang Zhonglin’s lecture but rather to explore the university. She didn’t want to tell Jiang Zhonglin because she knew he would insist on showing her around and making sure she was entertained, which would be too much trouble. It was more convenient for her to go by herself.

After leaving the neighborhood, Yu Yao used the public transit system to summon a driverless vehicle. These public cars come in single, double, or multi-seat options, and are a popular and convenient choice for most people. Yu Yao had never used one herself before, so she was excited to try it out. When the car arrived, she got in and explored it for a while.

She used to drive, but considering that the cars now were different from before, she chose the autopilot mode, set her destination, and then sat back to enjoy the scenery.

Yu Yao had checked that while Haida University had strict access control, teachers had humane entry permissions that allowed them to bring their partners and children, so Yu Yao could swipe her ID card to enter.

The weather was gloomy, but it wasn’t raining yet, just very windy, and it had cooled down a bit in recent days.

When Yu Yao arrived at Haida University’s entrance, she admired the historic-looking gate. Following a group of chatting students, she swiped her personal terminal for authentication and entered successfully.

Haida University is very large, and not far from the gate, there was a huge map with a scan code icon that provided an electronic map of the campus. Yu Yao scanned the code and used her terminal to check the locations of various buildings on campus. She thought to herself how convenient this setup was for people who are directionally challenged. The current students had it much better than she did back in her time.

Yu Yao didn’t know where Jiang Zhonglin’s class was, but she planned to visit the university library. Recently, she had looked into what qualifications were needed to continue working as a preschool teacher and found that there were many things to learn. The long list of required books made her feel overwhelmed, like a nightmare from her student days had returned.

However, she had a strong point: once she decided on something, she would pursue it no matter how difficult it was. The phrase “knowing when to retreat” didn’t apply to her; “charging forward in the face of difficulty” was more fitting.

So today, her main goal was to find reference books at the Haida University library, which was said to have the most comprehensive collection in the city.

Following the map, Yu Yao found the Haida University library, a trio of intersecting spherical buildings decreasing in size. From a distance, the buildings appeared silver-white, but up close, she noticed many elegantly shaped cut-glass windows on the exterior. Upon entering the vast library, Yu Yao experienced the excellent lighting inside. On a sunny day, it would likely have a very airy and transparent feel.

Walking from the gate, she passed many students, including a large group heading back to their dorms after class. The campus was full of youthful energy, and the library was even busier, but everyone maintained a quiet atmosphere. Occasionally, those speaking too loudly were reminded by their peers, making the library quieter than outside despite the crowd.

Yu Yao hesitated between the physical book area and the e-book area on the first floor. She decided to start with the physical book section.

In this area, students mostly appeared relaxed, sitting by tables or leaning against bookshelves, slowly flipping through books. Yu Yao found the books she was looking for, but given their thickness and weight, she decided to give up and head to the e-book area.

This section had even more students, most likely looking up references and materials. Yu Yao glanced around and saw several students with frustrated expressions, possibly working on essays or assignments.

Looking at the world, despite all the changes, some things never change, like students suffering through assignments.