Shu Lanzhou was sent in place of her professor to give a lecture on acupuncture at a hospital in the city.
After the lecture, she left the large conference hall and headed toward the bus stop, intending to return to the research institute.
She had barely exited the hospital when she was suddenly bumped into by a patient.
"Heehee… Shu Lanzhou, do you know who I am?" The patient had disheveled hair, her hands on her hips, and a mischievous grin stretched across her face.
Shu Lanzhou was taken aback for a moment. "Lin Muyao?"
"Hah… So you do know me?" Lin Muyao's eyes widened in a manic glare.
"Let me tell you, I'm better than you—way better! Everyone… everyone loves me, not you!"
Her smile abruptly vanished, replaced by a venomous expression as she glared at Shu Lanzhou.
"You filthy countryside girl, how could you possibly be better than me? There's no way you could! I'm the best! I'm the one they love!"
"Mama, I can do it! I really can! I'm better than Shu Lanzhou! Please don't hit me… I'm begging you, don't hit me! Don't hit me!"
Suddenly, she curled into herself, dropping to the ground and cradling her head.
"Muyao!" Guo Jialiang rushed out from the elevator and knelt beside her, scooping her into his arms.
He looked up and shot Shu Lanzhou a hostile glare. "What did you do to her?"
"What happened to her?" Shu Lanzhou asked at the same time, her voice calm but firm.
She cast Guo Jialiang a fleeting glance. "Why are you—?"
She didn't finish. She wasn't sure what to say.
Though she had known Guo Jialiang's prison sentence wouldn't be long, she hadn't expected to run into him so soon—and certainly not like this.
"I just got out a few days ago," Guo Jialiang said, lifting Lin Muyao into his arms. "Muyao's mental state isn't good. Please, don't make things harder for her."
"I was wrong before. I'm sorry. I won't ever hurt you again, and I won't bother you in the future."
"Please… just let us be. Muyao poses no threat to you now. I'll take her far away and live quietly."
Shu Lanzhou hadn't expected to hear such words from him.
The Guo Jialiang she once knew would never have bowed his head like this, nor spoken with such humility.
Her emotions were mixed.
"I've never had an interest in kicking someone when they're down, and I certainly don't intend to make her life difficult," she said, her voice steady. "Everything I ever did was simply to protect myself."
"I know," Guo Jialiang said with a bitter smile. "You always seemed passive and meek, but somehow managed to win everyone's favor and build your own network."
"While we… we looked like we had the upper hand, but ended up with absolutely nothing."
"Shu Lanzhou, you're smart. I admit, I was never your match. During the year I spent behind bars, I reflected on everything—every single day."
"I acknowledge my mistakes, and I've paid the price. So let's end things here."
He shifted Lin Muyao into a more secure hold and walked toward the elevator.
In his arms, Lin Muyao clung to his shirt like a child, completely dependent on him.
"Brother, who was that?" she looked up and asked.
"Was that Shu Lanzhou? Why did you talk to her? I'm better than her! Don't talk to her—talk to me, okay?"
"That wasn't Shu Lanzhou," Guo Jialiang coaxed her softly. "She's not as good as you. Our Muyao is the best."
Just before the elevator doors closed, Shu Lanzhou heard his words.
Something in her chest twinged—uncomfortably.
Not because of what Guo Jialiang had said, but because of what she saw.
Had Lin Muyao really been driven mad by her own mother?
—
Back at the research institute.
The moment Shu Lanzhou stepped into her office, Zhao Huanhuan came bounding over with a face full of gossip.
"Senior, did you hear? Lin Muyao dropped out!" Zhao Huanhuan sighed dramatically, launching into the story before Shu Lanzhou could even ask.
"I heard she got detained for hitting Luo Jialin, then attacked someone else while in custody. Her detention lasted until just a few days ago. Then, once she got home, her mom beat her—badly."
"Like, ambulance-needed bad. Then Lin Jiayi was taken away by the cops, and that old Professor Lin fainted in front of the operating room. Thank goodness Guo Jialiang was there!"
"I also heard Guo Jialiang used to be Han Weicheng's student. He went to prison a year ago and just got out. Everyone's saying he's madly in love with Lin Muyao—ran to her the moment he was released."
"Do you think it's true?"
Zhao Huanhuan looked up at her, wide-eyed with curiosity.
"Maybe," Shu Lanzhou said mildly.
She knew Guo Jialiang. His selfishness was no less than Han Weicheng's. If he loved anyone, it wasn't Lin Muyao—it was the Lin family's status and wealth.
Zhao Huanhuan shook her head. "Doesn't matter if it's true. What matters is that the guy helping process Lin Muyao's withdrawal said she had a mental breakdown. When she came to, she was… not right anymore."
"If Guo Jialiang really loves her, I wonder if he still will now that she's gone mad. Will he still be willing to take care of her?"
Maybe. In fact, a mentally unstable Lin Muyao might actually benefit someone like Guo Jialiang.
Shu Lanzhou sighed. She hadn't expected things to turn out this way.
After a few quick instructions to Zhao Huanhuan, she went straight to the lab.
She had no time to worry about other people's lives. Her own research had reached a critical juncture, and she couldn't afford any distractions.
Ever since she had been inspired by a conversation with Yi Ming, she had gone to Team Leader Ni to revisit a few experimental approaches she'd once proposed in a paper.
She was anxious to see how things had progressed.
—
After she left, Zhao Huanhuan muttered a few more comments, only to get a sharp knock on the head from Yi Ming.
"You came here to deliver documents, not gossip. This is a research institute, not a tea house."
"Ow! That hurt! And don't act like you weren't listening just as intently!" Zhao Huanhuan stuck out her tongue and got her cheek pinched in return.
The two nearly broke into a scuffle.
Wu Cheng and Shen Mo watched nearby, trying not to laugh.
—
In the lab.
Ni Sheng looked at Shu Lanzhou with a serious expression. "Turns out you were right—again. Once we stepped away from traditional assumptions, we uncovered entirely new problems."
"They've now been addressed, and the new medication has been improved during this phase. Should we proceed with a joint experiment?"
Shu Lanzhou nodded. "Let's go for it. If anything comes up, we'll consult the professors."
—
Two hours later, the small lab erupted into cheers and applause.
It took two tries from Ni Sheng to quiet the team.
"Even if it seems like a success, we need to remain cautious. It still requires repeated validation and large-scale experimentation. Let's not get carried away."
"Aw, come on, Team Leader Ni! We've been grinding for so long, can't we celebrate just a little?"
"Yeah! Don't worry—we know the drill. We won't go blabbing to the world unless we get a definitive breakthrough."
"And we'll definitely keep quiet about Shu Lanzhou's involvement, so those sour people can't start making snide remarks again!"
"Haha… One day, Team Leader Ni and Shu Lanzhou will dazzle everyone so hard they won't know what hit them!"
—
Shu Lanzhou was just as thrilled. The experiment had gone even better than she'd hoped. Her acupuncture technique had been flawless—swift, precise, effective.
As they stepped out of the lab, Ni Sheng called her into his office.
"That technique of yours—did your teacher really teach it to you?"
Shu Lanzhou blinked. "Team Leader Ni, why do you ask?"