Qin Nanshan hadn’t slept all night. The books on his desk hadn’t been touched since Wen Yi came, but the ashtray next to it was filled with cigarette butts, scattered in disarray.

    The sky was just beginning to brighten, the light soft and hazy.

    He got up to turn off the lamp and went to the bathroom to shower. Summer followed his master, wagging his tail at the door.

    Summer is an Alaskan Malamute, ten years old this year. He is well-fed, with shiny fur and a healthy body, still as strong as a young man at ten.

    After Qin Nanshan came out, he patted Summer’s head, prepared his food, and then went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

    Breakfast was simple: steam two buns and heat a glass of milk. After eating, he washed the dishes and placed them neatly in the sink, then said goodbye to Summer and left for work.

    Today it wasn’t raining, but the early morning air on campus was still damp and misty.

    The car drove through the quiet campus and stopped in front of the Mathematics Department building. Some early-rising students recognized him and greeted him, “Good morning, Professor Qin.”

    Qin Nanshan nodded, “Good morning.”

    His desk was at the back of the office, simple and neat, with only a computer, a water cup, a calendar, and a few textbooks, all arranged neatly and cleanly, as if no one used it.

    Qin Nanshan turned on the computer, took out a USB drive from his bag, inserted it into the computer, and checked the slides for the upcoming class.

    Around 7:20, the office floor gradually became noisy. Teachers were either eating breakfast or chatting softly. Soon, Teacher Wang from across the hall came over and asked, “Teacher Qin, Professor Chen’s lecture has a spot reserved for you. Are you going?”

    Professor Chen is a prominent figure in their department. He graduated and was directly hired by the university, receiving the treatment of a professor, and obtained the title of associate professor within two years. Naturally, some people were jealous, but there was nothing they could do since he could easily publish in top journals.

    However, his personality is not very good, and he is not easy to approach. As the saying goes, geniuses are often a bit eccentric.

    Qin Nanshan thought for a moment and replied, “I have something to do today, so I won’t go.”

    “Is it that urgent? Professor Chen specifically mentioned your name, and he might discuss the national natural science project after the lecture.”

    Qin Nanshan’s face showed a hint of helplessness, “I’ll talk to Professor Chen separately later.”

    Teacher Wang shook his head, “Alright.”

    At 7:50, Qin Nanshan picked up his textbook and went to the classroom.

    He doesn’t have many teaching hours, only three times a week, six periods in total. The rest of the time is mostly spent on research and various meetings.

    At 9:30, today’s two classes ended. A student came up to ask a question, and Qin Nanshan glanced at his watch and said gently, “Teacher has something to do later. Please give your question to the class monitor, and I’ll answer it later.”

    At this time, there were many students changing classes, and Qin Nanshan walked through the crowd to leave the teaching building. He didn’t want to go back to the office, so he went straight to his car in the parking lot.

    He rolled down the car window, opened the glove compartment, and found a pack of cigarettes and a lighter that had been there for who knows how long.

    He doesn’t have a smoking habit and doesn’t like to smoke. From last night until now, he probably smoked a year’s worth.

    The lighter took a few tries to light, and the thin cigarette was lit.

    Qin Nanshan slowly exhaled a few wisps of smoke. The smoke swirled in the confined space and slowly dissipated.

    The cigarette was probably damp and had lost its original flavor, tasting strange and harsh. He opened a half-empty bottle of water from a few days ago, put out the cigarette, and leaned back in his seat.

    He still found it hard to believe.

    These past few years, his life had been stable, and he didn’t feel there was anything wrong. He had made plans to complete his research, obtain the title of associate professor as soon as possible, and then go abroad for a two-year exchange. His mentor had already been contacted.

    Wen Yi’s arrival disrupted all of this.

    That night’s accident made his straightforward life take a different path, and he couldn’t ignore it. It was a mistake he made in a moment of weakness, and he had to take responsibility. He forced himself to accept this accident and the disrupted life.

    In fact, Wen Yi had always barged into his life without warning.

    In high school, during military training, he was preparing for the IMO, so he missed the military training. When he arrived at school, the military training had already ended. His classmates had formed their own groups, making him feel lonely and isolated. He didn’t care about making friends, but the class teacher, because of his good grades, paid special attention to him and arranged for the class monitor, Wen Yi, to take care of him.

    He gained a “friend for a week.” Wen Yi, to fulfill the class teacher’s request, followed him during every free activity time, such as morning exercises, lunch, and PE class.

    Qin Nanshan had never seen someone who could talk so much. Her mouth seemed to never close, and she could chat with anyone she met. He didn’t want to wait for her, and every time…

    At this time, she would be exasperated and complain, saying that the person she just met was the student council president or the principal’s daughter, and she was supposed to introduce them to him.

    The dining table was also her social scene. She could spend an hour eating lunch, not letting him leave, so every lunch that week, he had to bring his homework.

    He couldn’t understand her socializing, and she couldn’t understand his functions and equations. After a week, the two returned to their own lives and studies, as if this “friend for a week” had never existed.

    After a long time, Qin Nanshan took out his phone, found the number he didn’t answer last night, hesitated for a moment, looked at his watch, and saw it was 9:45. At this time, she should be at work, so he dialed the number.

    It rang three times before it was answered. He spoke first, “Wen Yi.”

    The other end was noisy, and her tone was not good, “What do you want to say?”

    Qin Nanshan lightly frowned, “Where are you?”

    “At the hospital, getting an abortion.”

    He paused for a few seconds, took a deep breath, and calmly said, “Don’t do it yet, let’s talk.”

    “Okay, I’m at the First Affiliated Hospital. Let’s meet at the coffee shop outside the hospital in an hour.”

    “Alright.”

    The call ended, and Wen Yi shrugged at Zhao Ling, “I’m leaving, you continue with your work.”

    Zhao Ling grabbed her and advised, “You’re not really going to do it, are you? Director Zhang said that aborting this child is very risky for you. You have to think about yourself too. Besides, Qin Nanshan is not bad, you’re lucky to have him.”

    Wen Yi tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, nonchalantly, “I don’t like this type of man. Besides, he doesn’t want the child, and I won’t force him. I also don’t want to be a single mother, so please help me ask your colleagues.”

    “You don’t like him, but you slept with him!”

    “……It’s different, personality and body can be separated.” Wen Yi smiled seductively, “You know, I’ve been single for four years, and with beauty in front of me, I couldn’t resist.”

    “Get out of here.”