Fang Ruoshi shook his head. "No."
His gaze dimmed slightly. "Not only did she say no, she even said that one day, when we're no longer of use, Professor Han will toss us aside just like he did Guo Jialiang!"
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Tian Hua nervously glanced around, and after confirming no one had overheard, hurriedly dragged Fang Ruoshi to the side.
"Have you lost your mind? Just a few words from her and your resolve is shaken? Guo Jialiang brought that upon himself! We're nothing like him, and Professor Han isn't that kind of person!"
Fang Ruoshi let out a half-laugh. "Really? Then what about your internship? Professor Han said he'd help you. Where did he arrange for you to go?"
"Of course it's been settled!" At the mention of this, Tian Hua lit up. "I'm staying at the Central Research Institute. I got into Professor Shi's team. I heard Professor Han might collaborate with him!"
Fang Ruoshi visibly relaxed. "So Professor Han really isn't abandoning us?"
"Relax. As long as we stay focused on research, why would he?"
"Once I complete my internship, I'll be able to stay at the institute. As for you—just focus on prepping for the postgraduate entrance exam. Once you pass, Professor Han definitely won't give up on you."
Tian Hua gave his shoulder an encouraging pat before heading toward Han Weicheng and Xiao Anning.
Only then did the turmoil inside Fang Ruoshi begin to settle.
Tian Hua was right. He was not Guo Jialiang. As long as he got into graduate school and stuck with Professor Han, there would be a future for him in Shanghai!
Shu Lanzhou must still resent how he treated her before. That's why she deliberately said all those things to rattle him. He couldn't fall for it.
The one who would be discarded—would be her!
…
Farther away, Shu Lanzhou and Mu Side were walking hand-in-hand.
Shu Lanzhou was still fuming and didn't notice she hadn't let go of Mu Side's hand. Mu Side, on the other hand, was quite content to let her keep holding it.
"Still angry?" Mu Side turned his head to glance at her. "Do you still care about what they said?"
Shu Lanzhou shook her head vigorously. "Of course not. Why would I care about them?"
"If that's the case, why let it upset you?" Mu Side said with a calm, reasonable expression. "They're just irrelevant people saying irrelevant things. So what if you heard it?"
Shu Lanzhou couldn't help laughing. "That actually makes a lot of sense. When you put it like that, it really isn't worth getting mad over."
"Exactly." Mu Side smiled at her.
Looking at that smile, Shu Lanzhou couldn't help thinking of Mu Rongxie—Mu Side's second uncle.
She had to admit, the Mu family had some seriously good genes. The uncle and nephew looked quite alike, both very handsome—though, of course, Mu Side was a bit more attractive.
Shu Lanzhou bit her lip, trying to figure out how to ask about Second Uncle Mu.
She didn't want to raise suspicion, but at the same time, if something really happened to him, it wouldn't just sadden the Mu family—Zhang He would be devastated too.
She didn't want to see that happen.
After wrestling with her thoughts, she suddenly remembered she hadn't visited Grandma Mu in a while. "Brother, how's Grandma been lately? I want to go see her."
Mu Side nodded. "She's been doing well. She's excited about taking on a new apprentice—been looking forward to it every day. If you want to visit, just go. The Mu house is your home too. No need to feel like an outsider."
"Oh…" Shu Lanzhou felt a pang of guilt. She'd been so busy with her studies lately, it had been a long time since she'd visited. Grandma Mu had been nothing but kind to her back when she lived with them.
"I heard from my teacher that the third daughter of the Long family has been living abroad for years and hadn't planned to come back—if it weren't for Elder Long, she might not have returned at all. Is that true?"
Mu Side nodded. "Yes. There was even a time she tried to take Elder Long abroad with her. If Director Long hadn't stepped in, Elder Long might have given up his post as director of the National Hospital by now."
"You don't think Elder Long encouraged Grandma to take on a disciple just to draw his youngest daughter back to China, do you? Maybe she stayed away all these years because of something involving the Mu family?"
The more Shu Lanzhou thought about it, the more likely it seemed. "It's hard to leave your hometown. Maybe Elder Long didn't want to leave Shanghai but still missed his daughter. This was his way of getting her to return?"
"And maybe Grandma agreed because she really likes the third Miss Long?"
"You seem really curious." Mu Side leaned in, his charming peach blossom eyes fixed squarely on her.
Shu Lanzhou's heart skipped a beat.
Why hadn't she noticed before how disarmingly attractive Mu Side could be?
"Aren't you curious?" she said, doing her best to maintain composure. She blinked up at him with wide, glistening eyes. "Sister Xin said Miss Long is really beautiful and has never married. That made me think of your second uncle. They're probably around the same age, right?"
"Their lives seem so full of mystery. It's only natural to be curious!" she added, eyes bright with interest.
Mu Side couldn't help pinching her cheek. "Little gossip queen. Poking into your elders' private lives isn't a good habit. Better fix that."
Shu Lanzhou pouted. "How can you call it gossip? I call it concern—concern, you hear me? Like Grandma, Second Uncle, your teacher… They're all doctors, and you can't assume they'll take care of themselves."
She straightened up and emphasized, "Exactly. That's why you should pay more attention to them—from their moods to their health. Got it?"
She tried to make it sound casual, like a general reminder—but Mu Side was too sharp. One look at her, and he knew she was hiding something.
He couldn't quite figure out what, but a sudden thought struck him. "Didn't your roommate go to intern at Mu Medical?"
"The general affairs office, right? She'd see my second uncle often. Did she say something to you?"
Oh no, this guy's way too sharp…
Shu Lanzhou flinched and instinctively took a step back. "No, really, no! Don't overthink it. I was just making conversation. If you don't care, I'll take it upon myself!"
She was so flustered she didn't even know what she was saying anymore.
"Shu Lanzhou wants to take my place?" Mu Side's eyes twinkled with amusement. He looked leisurely and completely unfazed.
Shu Lanzhou's cheeks flushed scarlet.
What on earth am I saying?!
It sounded like… like she wanted something to happen between them!
Even though deep down she kind of did, reality told her that was impossible. She needed to stop this before things got too far.
Not possible, not possible, she repeated silently, then quickly composed herself and said, "I'm your little sister. Helping you shoulder responsibilities isn't unreasonable. Just don't get jealous when everyone starts liking me more than you!"
"..." Mu Side gave her a slightly aggrieved look. "Mm, I won't get jealous. I like you too."
Huh?
Shu Lanzhou froze. She looked up, dazed. "You… what did you just say?"
Did she hear that right?
Her hands were shaking with excitement.
"Silly girl." Mu Side was still holding her hand. When he felt her trembling, he sighed inwardly—I've scared her.
But he couldn't hold back any longer.
He gently rubbed her head, his expression serious. "Didn't you say everyone likes you? Well, I do too."
（Do you think Muside's confession will succeed today? Will our little Lanzhou finally find her own love? Where are the power stones? Lanzhou's love needs your support and encouragement!）