Shu Lanzhou saw Guo Jialiang again two days later. She had just stepped out of the research institute and was about to catch a bus back to school when she spotted Guo Jialiang arguing with Lin Muyao at the entrance of a nearby alley.
The two of them seemed to be having a heated dispute. In the end, Lin Muyao angrily flung his hand off and got into a car waiting by the roadside.
Noticing Shu Lanzhou, Guo Jialiang didn't appear the least bit ashamed. Instead, he strode toward her in large steps.
Shu Lanzhou frowned slightly and was about to walk away as if she hadn't seen him, when he blocked her path.
"Help me, please. I don't want to leave Shencheng. I can join your team—I've already completed all my graduate coursework. I can handle being a medical assistant!"
"I've also heard your team's lacking someone with a background in cytology. I'd be a perfect fit!"
Where did he get the nerve?
Shu Lanzhou laughed, incredulous. "You think you're talented? What makes you think we need you? And more importantly—why on earth would I help you? What obligation do I have to you?"
"I know Lin Muyao's secret!" Guo Jialiang licked his dry lips. "She stole Luo Jialin's research materials—most of which were nearly completed papers."
"If you go tell Luo Jialin about this, he'll definitely see you in a better light. I know you like him. Isn't that why you left the team and stood against us? Just to get his attention?"
"Shu Lanzhou, as long as you help me, I'll help you win him over. I know you like him, don't you?"
This time, Shu Lanzhou couldn't help but laugh out loud. "What gave you the idea I like him? If that's the big secret you were dangling, then sorry, I'm not interested. Now move."
"No, wait! That's not the secret I meant!" Guo Jialiang grew frantic and grabbed her arm.
"You clearly like Luo Jialin—I know it! You always paid the most attention when preparing research materials for him. You obviously like him!"
"What does that have to do with me?" Shu Lanzhou shook off his hand sharply. "Touch me again and I'll scream."
"No, no, please don't…" Guo Jialiang stumbled back, tears brimming in his bloodshot eyes, his scruffy face twisted in desperation.
"Shu Lanzhou, I really want to help you—just help me this once, alright? We were fellow students, weren't we? I'm begging you."
He had truly reached a dead end. Lin Muyao had promised to help him, but things weren't that simple. Even if she was Han Weicheng and Lin Jiayi's daughter, she probably couldn't make decisions on their behalf.
What's more, the two of them had just fought. He couldn't risk placing all his hope in her.
But Shu Lanzhou was different. She had Mu Yanning and He Xin behind her. If she was willing to plead for him, he still had a chance of staying in Shencheng.
He didn't care about getting into the institute anymore. He just wanted a job—any job. He wasn't asking for much!
Guo Jialiang looked pitifully at the girl in front of him. He knew she was soft-hearted. As long as he appeared pathetic enough, she'd give in.
But he had clearly misjudged her!
Just as the bus arrived, Shu Lanzhou glanced at him coldly and said, "Then you've begged the wrong person. I will never help you."
"You—" Shu Lanzhou's response stunned him. In a burst of rage, he lunged toward her, but before he could even touch her, police officers rushed in and twisted his arms behind his back.
"Guo Jialiang, you are under suspicion of stealing critical medical research data. Please come with us to the station for investigation."
"…"
Shu Lanzhou was momentarily stunned. Did the research institute finally decide to press charges?
That didn't make sense. Incidents like this were considered institutional scandals. Arresting Guo Jialiang would expose serious managerial flaws. The institute had no reason to risk harming themselves in order to punish him.
Could it be… he had stolen other research data too?
As the police escorted him past her, Guo Jialiang's eyes flickered with panic amid the anger. He nervously muttered under his breath:
"Lin Muyao is Han Weicheng's daughter!"
What?
Shu Lanzhou's head snapped up in shock. Guo Jialiang gave her a solemn nod, then offered a bitter, regretful smile.
Mouthing the words, he said, "I'm sorry!!"
Tears streamed down his cheeks again, but this time, Shu Lanzhou knew—they were real.
That was the last time she ever saw Guo Jialiang.
Later, she heard it wasn't the research institute that reported him.
It was Luo Jialin.
All of Luo Jialin's academic research during grad school had been stolen by Guo Jialiang.
His motive? To use the data to win over Lin Muyao, hoping she would persuade Lin Jiayi to let him stay in Shencheng—or even land him a job.
But according to Mu Si's intel, Guo Jialiang didn't admit to the charges. He insisted that Lin Muyao had instructed him to steal the files.
He claimed he only did it because she promised to help him settle in Shencheng.
What he didn't know was that after receiving the materials, Lin Muyao immediately went to Luo Jialin—and the two of them reported him to the police together.
Eventually, Guo Jialiang confessed. He admitted it had been his idea all along.
And why? Because his parents back in the county had suddenly received a large sum of money.
All this Shu Lanzhou only learned much later, after Guo Jialiang had been sentenced, through Mu Si's updates.
…
The day Guo Jialiang was arrested, Shu Lanzhou rode the bus back to school, her mind replaying the sentence he had shouted—Lin Muyao is Han Weicheng's daughter!
In her past life, she had never understood why, even though they were both his students, Han Weicheng treated her and Lin Muyao so differently.
It wasn't just that he gave Lin Muyao extra guidance—he'd turned a blind eye when she took credit for other students' work. Worst of all, he had even transferred Shu Lanzhou's own research results to Lin Muyao's name.
That was how Lin Muyao, at such a young age, became a rising star in the medical field, quickly cementing her status and eventually becoming the youngest PhD in the discipline.
Now it made sense.
But over twenty years ago, Han Weicheng had already been considered the Mu family's son-in-law. How had he ended up with a child by Lin Jiayi?
And if they had a child together, why hadn't he married Lin Jiayi all these years?
Shu Lanzhou couldn't make sense of it, so she gave up trying.
When she returned to school, she ran into Zhang He just stepping out of a taxi.
Zhang He ran over excitedly. "Big news! Huge! Guo Jialiang's been arrested!"
She held up her phone for Shu Lanzhou to see. The screen showed a video of Guo Jialiang being taken away by police at the bus stop.
It looked like it had been taken by a random bystander.
"Wow, this blogger clearly knows what's going on. Look at this caption—'Medical student from a prestigious university suspected of stealing critical peer research, arrested on the spot.'"
Zhang He tsked twice. "That scumbag finally got what he deserved. Shu Lanzhou, you can relax now, right?"
Could she?
She hadn't felt much when she first saw him taken away. But now, hearing it again from Zhang He, a dull ache settled in her chest.
It wasn't for Guo Jialiang.
It was for the version of herself who had died in prison in her past life.
That time, she had died by smashing her own head against the wall.
Compared to that, Guo Jialiang's arrest wasn't nearly enough.
The true culprits—Han Weicheng and Lin Jiayi—and their accomplices—Luo Jialin, Du Yifan, Tian Hua, Fang Ruoshi, Lin Muyao—they were all still living their lives untouched.
Shu Lanzhou had no intention of letting any of them go.
Every last one of them would pay for what they'd done.
"Shu Lanzhou, are you okay? You look pale." Zhang He gave her a worried nudge, noticing her silence.
Shu Lanzhou shook her head. "I'm fine. Just remembered something."
She had just figured out why Guo Jialiang had "generously" told her about Lin Muyao's parentage before his arrest.
It wasn't guilt—he probably never felt sorry for her at all.
He just hated Han Weicheng and wanted to use her to take him down.
But Guo Jialiang had miscalculated.
She wouldn't let Han Weicheng off the hook—but not for his sake.
"Was it about the rumor that Han Weicheng's project might get cancelled?" Zhang He leaned in with a mischievous smile...