Wen Yi went to the bedroom, changed into a pretty dress, put on light makeup, grabbed her favorite handbag, and happily went out.  

Just as she sat in the car, her phone rang. She waited for the ring to go halfway before answering with a sharp tone: “What’s up?”  

Qin Nanshan’s calm voice answered: “Are you home? I have a lecture tonight. I was preparing the materials just now and didn’t see my phone. Have you eaten?”  

“No.” Wen Yi hummed. “What lecture? I didn’t know about it.”  

On the other end, Qin Nanshan chuckled. “You go to bed early every night, so I never get a chance to tell you. It’s just a regular lecture, an hour and a half.”  

“Oh.”  

Qin Nanshan glanced at the time. “I’ll be home around 9 PM. There’s food in the fridge. Can you cook? If not, wait for me to get back. You can eat something in the meantime. Snacks are in the desk drawer in the guest room.”  

His tone made it sound like he couldn’t live without her, and Wen Yi muttered, “You’re so wordy. I’m going out to eat with Qiao En.”  

“Okay.”  

The call ended, and Wen Yi sat in the car for two minutes before sending a message to Qiao En: [I’m going to listen to Qin Nanshan’s lecture, we’ll plan for next time.]  

Qiao En replied immediately: [Wen Yi! I was just about to leave! You’ve forgotten all about me now that you’re married! You’ve already run off with another man!]  

She kept complaining: [Do you remember who has been there with you through thick and thin, and now, less than six months into your marriage, your heart has already run off?]  

Wen Yi replied: [Run off? You haven’t even left yet. Fine, fine, it’s my fault. From now on, let my daughter call you ‘Mom.’ How does that sound?]  

Qiao En: [Hmph, at least you know better now.]  

Wen Yi put away her phone and drove to A University.  

…  

The school didn’t allow outside license plates, so Wen Yi parked outside and walked in.

On the way, Wen Yi casually asked a student where the lecture was, and the student pointed her to the direction of the small auditorium. The campus of A University was unusually large, and after turning a corner, Wen Yi got lost. Not wanting to call Qin Nanshan, she asked another student for directions.

The student said, “Turn left, you’ll see a lake, then turn right. Walk to the second intersection and turn left, go all the way to the end.”

Wen Yi felt dizzy trying to follow the directions and could only walk one step at a time.

The campus was lively around 6 PM, full of youthful energy. Wen Yi walked slowly, soaking in the youthful atmosphere and no longer feeling annoyed.

Unexpectedly, she ran into someone she didn’t expect—Qin Nanshan’s cousin, Qin Tan.

Qin Tan recognized her too. After a brief surprise, she greeted her obediently, “Cousin-in-law.”

Qin Tan wasn’t born to Zhong Lan, and her life in the Qin family over the past decade or so was probably difficult to imagine. A delicate and gentle girl, her personality was… to put it kindly, obedient, but in reality, she was a bit too timid, her character repressed too much.

Wen Yi, as an observer, felt a pang of sympathy. She softened her voice and asked, “I’m looking for your brother. Do you know where he is?”

Qin Tan nodded. “Yes, my cousin has a lecture tonight in the small auditorium.”

With Qin Tan guiding her, Wen Yi felt much more at ease. As they walked, Wen Yi asked, “What major are you studying?”

“Chinese Language and Literature.”

Wen Yi didn’t know much about that field, so she decided not to push the conversation and asked instead, “Is the pressure of studying high?”

“Not really.”

“…What do you like to do in your free time?”

After a long pause, Qin Tan replied, “Nothing in particular.”

Wen Yi understood then; this was indeed Qin Nanshan’s real sister.

She felt a little sad. A girl at this age should be lively and free, like Qin Xi.

Not wanting the conversation to stall, Wen Yi asked, “What’s your brother talking about in the lecture today?”

Qin Tan replied, “It’s our school’s ‘Famous Teacher Lecture Series.’ The lecture’s theme is up to the teacher. I saw the poster, and it says ‘Mathematics and Life.’”

Wen Yi raised an eyebrow, surprised that he was giving such a down-to-earth talk.

“But many people are competing for seats, so there might not be any space.”

“Really? Did you manage to get a seat?”

Qin Tan smiled, showing a cute and sly expression, “I got one, and I even helped my roommate get one.”

Wen Yi praised her, “You’re good! Next time, help me grab concert tickets!”

“No problem!”

But there was still an important issue: “How do I get in?”

Qin Tan instinctively asked, “Doesn’t your brother know you’re coming? He can save you a seat.”

“No, I want to surprise him.”

Qin Tan glanced at her secretly. Wen Yi’s smile was bright, her expression proud and happy. She lowered her head and quietly said, “My roommate went on a date with her boyfriend. I didn’t want to come alone, but now you can come with me, but… the seats are in the back.”

“It’s fine.” Wen Yi smiled gently. “You can just call me ‘sister-in-law’ like Qin Xi does. No need to be so polite.”

Qin Tan paused for a moment, then nodded. “Okay… sister-in-law.”

They arrived at the small auditorium just before 7 PM, and many students had already entered. Thanks to Qin Tan, Wen Yi smoothly got a seat.

However, she felt a bit awkward. Surrounded by young college students, she, a pregnant woman, felt out of place.

Qin Tan noticed her discomfort and kindly comforted her, “Sister-in-law, if you sit down, no one will see your belly. And you’re really pretty, like a senior.”

Hearing this, Wen Yi retracted her earlier thoughts. Qin Tan was way sweeter than Qin Nanshan.

She looked down at herself. Thankfully, she had worn a dress and done her makeup, otherwise, she would’ve felt too embarrassed to accept being called “senior.”

Wen Yi smiled contentedly and said, “Then you can call me senior.”

“Okay!”

At 7 PM, the lights on stage dimmed and then brightened again. The host’s voice echoed, “Dear students, welcome to the first ‘Famous Teacher Lecture Series’ of this semester. We are honored to have Professor Qin Nanshan from the Mathematics Department to give a lecture on ‘Mathematics and Life.’ Let’s give a warm round of applause to Professor Qin.”

The small auditorium, filled with around five to six hundred people, erupted in applause, loud and overwhelming.

Qin Nanshan walked out from backstage, the spotlight following him.

Because they were seated toward the back, Wen Yi couldn’t see his expression but could only make out his tall figure in a black casual suit and a navy blue tie. His aura was elegant and impressive.