“I’m finally home! I was starving the whole way back, and now I can finally eat a hot meal!” Zhang Lu was so excited that she almost rushed to sit at the table and start eating right away.

Jiang Zhida glanced at Zhang Lu’s hair. “Who gave you that haircut?”

“I did it myself.” Zhang Lu touched her head and grinned, “Cool, right? My previous hair was a hassle for training; I couldn’t even tie it up, so I just shaved it all off. I have to admit, short hair is super convenient—I can wash my face and hair in one go.”

She looked at Jiang Zhida with a bit of regret. “If I’d known how practical it was, I’d have cut it sooner. You guys with short hair have it easy.”

Jiang Zhida teased her, “Guess you’re not planning on finding a partner, huh?”

“What’s that? My goal is to serve my country, and dating would only slow me down.”

“Alright, alright, whatever you say. But just wait until your mom sees this.”

Jiang Zhiyi, who was standing nearby, took a while to adjust to Zhang Lu’s new look, still somewhat in disbelief. “Lulu, do all the girls in military school shave their heads like this?”

“Not all of them, but the ones I’m close with did.”

As the three of them chatted, they walked into the living room where everyone had been eagerly awaiting Jiang Zhida and Jiang Zhiyi’s return.

At the sound of their arrival, everyone stood up and turned to the door.

When they saw Jiang Zhiyi and Zhang Lu, now with short hair, Jiang Zhiguan gasped, “Oh my goodness! Lulu, what happened to your hair?”

Having not been home for a year and a half, Zhang Lu returned with quite a “surprise” for Jiang Zhiguan.

It was hard for her mother to accept, especially since Jiang Zhiguan had always dreamed of raising Zhang Lu as a refined young lady.

Instead, she ended up with a tomboy who was even more boyish than the boys.

Rushing over to Zhang Lu, Jiang Zhiguan held her arm, checking her hair and face with a pained expression. “The last time I saw you at school, you didn’t look like this!”

Last year, Zhang Lu hadn’t been able to come home for the Lunar New Year because she was training at an air force base.

When she finally returned to school, the holiday had already passed, and she only then learned that her mother had visited the school to see her.

During the training, they had been in complete lockdown, allowed only to write letters home, and with no external communication.

Since letters couldn’t disclose the base location, her family’s letters were sent to the school, so she couldn’t visit home.

After returning to school, she immediately called home and asked the school to allow her mother to visit.

Back then, her hair was already short but still within her mother’s acceptable range.

Now, with this hairstyle, it was a complete shock.

Zhang Lu replied, “Back then, I hadn’t yet experienced the joy of a buzz cut. Mom, you have no idea how convenient this hairstyle is.”

Jiang Zhiguan frowned, “I don’t care about that. All I see is that my daughter has turned into a boy.”

Zhang Lu laughed, “Aside from my hair, I’m still your daughter.”

Zhang Wei, her father, consoled his wife, “She’s young and doesn’t know any better.”

Since her hair couldn’t grow back immediately, Jiang Zhiguan had no choice but to accept her current look.

As Zhang Lu attracted most of the attention, no one noticed that Jiang Zhiyi had been exchanging silent glances with her parents.

After greeting them, she didn’t know what else to say.

Her feelings toward them were complicated.

If it had been anyone else returning home after years abroad, they would probably embrace their parents with tears.

Unfortunately, the distance between Jiang Zhiyi and her parents was too great, and after so many years apart, the ease of their past interactions had faded.

At that moment, Grandfather Jiang tapped his cane on the floor, saying, “Alright, everyone’s here. Let’s eat!”

Grandfather Jiang had only expected the happy surprise of Jiang Zhiyi’s return, but with Zhang Lu back as well, his New Year’s dinner felt complete.

Everyone quickly took their seats.

Since there wasn’t enough room for all, they split into three tables, each with the same dishes.

The children had their own table, where Jiang Zhida and Jiang Zhiyi also joined them.

Cen Huaian, seated nearby, glanced at Zhang Lu’s hair and nodded in agreement. “It’s definitely convenient for washing.”

Zhang Lu laughed heartily, grabbing Cen Huaian’s arm, “You get it! By the way, An An, how’s college? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. No one’s been bullying you, right?”

Bullying doesn’t end in college.

Though different from the harassment in middle and high school, college bullying often involves isolation or other forms of social exclusion.

Cen Huaian shook his head, “No.”

In the lab, there had been conflicts, but none directly involved him; those who tried to isolate him didn’t affect his progress.

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you something.”

Zhang Lu, in the middle of eagerly digging into her meal, responded casually, “What is it?”

“Uncle is getting married. Did you know?”

Zhang Lu dropped her drumstick onto her plate, staring in disbelief. “Uncle’s getting married? When? How come it’s so sudden?!”

“On the sixteenth day of the second lunar month. It’s not sudden; he and Tao Tao have been together for a while.”

“But wasn’t…”

Cen Huaian shot her a glance, and she quickly bit her tongue, patting her chest with a sigh of relief, “That scared me. I almost let something slip.”

“It’s real,” Cen Huaian assured her.

Zhang Lu understood his point. “I’ll have to prepare a wedding gift for Uncle and Aunt. Have you all bought yours?”

“Not yet,” Cen Huaian replied.

Zhang Lu stuffed a chicken leg into her mouth and said, “The mall will open in a couple of days. Let’s go shopping together then.”

Her striking short haircut caught the attention of Jiang Weixi and Cen Huaixin, who kept sneaking glances at her during dinner, their curiosity obvious.

After they finally finished eating, Jiang Weixi ran up to Zhang Lu, hugging her around the waist and asking, “Lulu-jie, your hair looks so short now. It’s really different from before. Can I touch it?”

Zhang Lu lifted her up easily, letting her reach for her head. “Go ahead, feel it! My hair’s not delicate.”

Jiang Weixi cautiously patted Zhang Lu’s hair.

It was stiff and spiky but didn’t hurt her hands.

Instead, it gave off a strong, resilient feeling.

After a quick touch, Weixi let go.

Jiang Zhiguan had been wanting to talk to Zhang Lu about how she was doing at school, but Zhang Lu was busy sitting with the kids, animatedly sharing stories about her training and studies.

These were things the younger children had never heard of, and they listened intently.

As Jiang Zhiguan watched her, his eyes grew more and more pained.

He pulled Chu Xia aside to complain, “Lulu’s hair… it’s like she has no sense of how girls should care about their appearance.”

He was worried.

Would Zhang Lu keep this haircut forever?

Would he never see her with long hair again?

Chu Xia smiled. “Don’t worry. When Lulu starts caring about her looks, she’ll grow her hair out naturally.”

Jiang Zhiguan sighed, feeling it was still a long way off.

The New Year’s Eve dinner went well for most, though a few had their own worries weighing on their hearts.

After dinner, Jiang Zhiyi went into the study, staring at the phone for a long time without making a move, her expression complicated.

Eventually, she dialed the number Qian Ran had in Beijing, given to her by Jiang Zhida.

“Hello?” Qian Ran’s polite and gentle voice came from the other end of the line.

Upon hearing his familiar tone, Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes instantly reddened, and she sniffed.

“Zhiyi? Is that you, Zhiyi?”

Qian Ran already knew she had returned home.

He had people at her side in Heilongjiang, so he’d been informed of her arrival in Beijing before she even got there.

He had been waiting, wondering if she would call.

There was still no response from the other end of the line, and Qianran grew more anxious, repeatedly calling her name.

Jiang Zhiyi wiped the corner of her eyes and finally spoke, “It’s me,” her voice heavy with emotion.

Qian Ran let out a breath of relief. “I’m glad it’s you. Have you arrived in Beijing?”

He already knew the details of her return, but confirmation was reassuring.

“Yes. Xiaoran-ge, do you have time tomorrow?” Jiang Zhiyi finally steadied her emotions, speaking to him as she normally would.

“I do. I definitely have time.” Qianran replied quickly, afraid that if he hesitated, she might say something else.

He had his suspicions about what she wanted to discuss.

“Let’s meet at Xidan tomorrow.” Jiang Zhiyi decided it would be easier to talk about their future in person rather than over the phone.

When she emerged from the study, nothing on her face gave away her emotions.

In the past, she would always stay at her grandfather’s house after New Year’s Eve dinner.

But this time, when her second uncle asked if she’d be returning home, she hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

From the side, her grandfather said, “Second son, don’t do anything you’ll regret again.”

Her uncle paused, then sighed and said, “I understand, Dad.”

Chu Xia, watching the scene, was curious.

She wondered if Jiang Zhiyi’s second uncle and Zhou Huaying still harbored thoughts of forcing Jiang Zhiyi to change her career.

But tonight, no one brought it up, and Zhou Huaying, who used to argue with Jiang Zhiyi, remained unusually quiet.

As they left her grandfather’s house, Zhang Lu waved to Cen Huainan. “Don’t forget! Our high school friends are gathering at Yunmengze tomorrow, make sure you come!”

Zhang Lu was back on a short break from military school, eager to relax and enjoy herself.

She had missed her high school friends and was excited about the reunion.

Sitting in the car’s passenger seat, Chu Xia watched Cen Zhengnian fasten his seatbelt and remarked, “Lulu and Zhiyi have grown up so much. Even Anan… in the blink of an eye, you all went from little kids to adults.”

There was a deep sense of nostalgia in her voice.

She marveled at how quickly time had passed, though she was proud of how much Anan had grown, especially knowing he had changed his own fate.

Cen Huainan didn’t say anything but looked at his mother.

Cen Zhengnian reached over and gently patted her head. “The kids have turned out well, but don’t worry. No matter how much time passes, I’ll always be here.”

He squeezed Chu Xia’s hand, and Cen Huai’an suddenly felt that the car was too small.

Maybe he shouldn’t have been there at all!