To make up for the debt owed to Lin Qingping and Gu Juncheng

Zhiyuan was very busy in the first half of the year.

Dean Wan truly valued him highly, taking him along on rural medical aid trips and exchange programs. While he was busy with work, six months quietly passed.

During his time in the capital, Dean Wan would occasionally invite him to dinner, which he usually declined with various excuses, but there were always times when he couldn't refuse.

The Wan family members were very welcoming to him, including Wan Xuening and her daughter, so much so that he was a little overwhelmed by their enthusiasm.

In June, he and the dean returned from their trip to the countryside.

This trip to the countryside didn't go smoothly. The dean tripped and twisted his ankle. Although it had been treated, he still had difficulty walking. So, the task of taking the dean home naturally fell to him.

It was already evening when the medical team's bus returned to the hospital. Zhiyuan could only call a car and help the hospital director into the car to go back to the director's home.

Unsurprisingly, I was asked to stay for dinner again.

Dean Wan praised Zhiyuan highly in front of his wife and daughter. Wan Xuening looked at him and smiled all night. Wan's mother's surname was actually Lu, and her name was Lu Yi.

Lu Yi kept asking him all sorts of questions. Actually, she had wanted to ask them for a long time, but she rarely saw Zhiyuan. Every time she finally came to eat, she would chat with Dean Wan and then leave in a hurry. Because of this, Lu Yi had complained about Dean Wan. Today, she finally had a chance to get to know him properly.

Lu Yi was very artful in his speech. He first praised Zhiyuan for his excellent academic performance, and then proceeded to ask him all the way up, such as which primary school he attended and which middle school he attended.

Zhiyuan answered truthfully: he attended primary school for a few years in a small county town by the sea, then came to the capital for a period of time, and then went to middle school by the sea until graduation.

"I heard your aunt owns a shop in the capital?" Lu Yi asked again.

Zhiyuan nodded. "Yes."

"What does your mother do? How did she raise you to be so well?" Lu Yi asked with a smile.

“My mother…” Zhiyuan was not a boastful person and had always been low-key. After thinking for a moment, he said, “She doesn’t work; she does her own thing.”

"Is it also a shop?" Lu Yi asked again.

"Yes." Zhiyuan thought for a moment, and guessed it...

"Oh? What do you sell?" Lu Yi asked with a smile.

"Hmm... I've sold clothes, cakes, seafood and stuff like that..." Zhiyuan had watched Lin Qingping grow up step by step, and he was truly proud of his mother and deeply appreciated her hard work.

Lu Yi looked suddenly enlightened. "What about Dad?"

“My dad… just goes to an ordinary job.” In Zhiyuan’s records from childhood to adulthood, the section for his father’s workplace has always been blank. No teacher would ever ask about it. The school must know about the situation of the children of military personnel and keep it to themselves.

But Lu Yi was different; she insisted on getting to the bottom of it, "Oh? Where do you work? What do you do?"

Zhiyuan hesitated. Some things couldn't be said to outsiders, but Lu Yi's persistent questioning was really giving him a headache. "Yes... I work in security," he said vaguely.

Lu Yi nodded, seemingly understanding. "Is it a security guard?"

It seems... well, maybe it counts? Protecting the safety of the country and its people?

Zhiyuan nodded haphazardly, hoping this hurdle would pass quickly.

Dean Wan seemed to notice his discomfort and said to Lu Yi, "Are you investigating his household registration? You're scaring Zhiyuan with all these questions."

Lu Yi then stopped talking and explained to Zhiyuan with a smile, "No, no, that's not what Auntie meant. I just wanted to know what kind of parents could raise such a good child since you are so outstanding."

Zhiyuan forced a smile, stood up, and said, "Dean, you have injured your foot and need to rest. I'll head back now. Thank you for your hospitality, Auntie."

"This child is so polite," Lu Yi said with a smile.

"I'll take you!" Wan Xuening jumped up and said.

This time, Zhiyuan did not refuse.

The two walked downstairs together. Wan Xuening kept staring at his wrist, but she didn't see the coral stone. She was delighted and her eyes lit up. "Zhiyuan, where's your stone? I haven't seen you wearing it."

Zhiyuan had been deep in thought when he heard this sentence, and suddenly a spark of inspiration struck him.

“Because I have to see patients regularly, it’s inconvenient to wear jewelry on my hands, so…” He pulled a string from his collar, the pendant being the coral stone, “I’m wearing it around my neck.”

Wan Xuening's face paled, but she managed a forced smile. "You really cherish this stone."

Zhiyuan nodded, his tone resolute, "Yes, I cherish it very much."

"Heh..." Wan Xuening's laughter was somewhat unnatural. "Then, the person who gave you the stone must be a very, very important person to you?"

"Yes, it's very important." Without the slightest hesitation.

Wan Xuening was stunned.

Zhiyuan breathed a sigh of relief. "Wan Xuening, thank you for bringing me down. I'll take a ride myself; a car is just coming."

Zhiyuan quickly got into a taxi and then let out a long sigh of relief inside the car.

Wan Xuening and Aunt Lu treated him with excessive enthusiasm, which made him feel uncomfortable. At the same time, he wondered why, and even thought of one possibility—that Wan Xuening liked him.

But they've never said anything! Li Zhiyuan, aren't you just imagining things?

But what if it is?

He was conflicted and uneasy. He couldn't possibly be stupid enough to rush up to Wan Xuening and say, "Don't like me, I don't like you," could he? The girl hadn't even said she liked him. Wouldn't it be offensive to say that?

But Wan Xuening and her mother's attitude was really unsettling. In his dilemma, he finally had the chance today, so he decided to use this stone to express his feelings—he has someone very, very important to him now.

The meaning is clear enough, isn't it?

If Wan Xuening really liked him, she would understand his meaning and give up, right?

It's a bit embarrassing to use Sunny Day as an excuse, but anyway, Sunny Day isn't here and will never find out...

When Wan Xuening returned home, her mother was still talking to her father about Zhiyuan.

"This child comes from a very ordinary family. His father is a security guard, and his mother works very hard, making clothes, selling pastries, and selling fish. She's practically the breadwinner for the family. It's such a pity..."

"What's there to regret?" Dean Wan didn't understand what he meant.

"It's a pity that such a good child doesn't have a good family; it's ultimately a bit of a shame."

Dean Wan disagreed, saying, "Heroes come from all walks of life, and we should never underestimate the potential of a young man."

Lu Yi nodded again, "You're right. This family must have good genes. Zhiyuan is very handsome, and his cousin is also very beautiful. Moreover, both siblings are so good at studying. Not only did Zhiyuan graduate with a doctorate, but his cousin also graduated with a doctorate and is teaching at the Capital University! It's clear that the genes are good. As for the family background, let's forget about it. It's rare that Xue Ning likes it. Anyway, we're here. We won't let Xue Ning live a hard life."

Dean Wan smiled, clearly satisfied with Lu Yi's words.

When Wan Xuening entered, she was filled with disappointment and grievances. Upon hearing this, her eyes lit up, and a new hope shone through.