Lin Wenyuan naturally wanted to meet Zhou Huaian. He was curious about the man who had so captivated his daughter that she constantly sang his praises. After all, Lin Xiaoxiao had always been notoriously selective.

Lin Wenbin offered a fair assessment: "Aside from being a man of few words, Zhou Huaian is truly beyond reproach. He's responsible and courageous."

This set Lin Wenyuan's mind at ease. He never put much stock in family background—few could rival their own family's status, anyway. Often, sons from similarly privileged families turned out to be playboys, surrounded by scandals, with no intention of building a stable life. He had always looked down on such types and never wanted his daughter married to one. Hearing about Zhou Huaian, he felt the man met all his criteria. It seemed his daughter's judgment was sound.

After lunch, the family still hadn't settled on a plan. No matter what suggestion was made, Lin Wenbin would counter with one question: "The rest of the Zhou family might be easy to fool, but do you really think Zhou Huaian is?"

The thought gave Lin Xiaoxiao a headache. The Zhou family maintained a polite distance, which made some things easier, but Zhou Huaian was different. He took everything about her to heart.

As she and Lin Wenbin left the faculty apartments, she couldn't help but sigh. "Being loved so completely... it can feel like a burden sometimes."

Lin Wenbin playfully rapped her on the head. "Look at you, getting all boastful now that Zhou Huaian is back. Your little tail is practically wagging itself off."

Bickering and joking, the siblings walked toward the school gate, unaware of Meng Xiaona watching them from a distant corner.

Meng Xiaona had noticed Lin Xiaoxiao's frequent visits to the foreign teachers' building over the past few days. She'd also heard that Professor Linda had found her lost child—a one-year-old, apparently located with Lin Xiaoxiao's help. A sudden wariness gripped her. If Lin Xiaoxiao decided she wanted to study abroad now, Professor Linda would undoubtedly help her. They looked alike, and Lin Xiaoxiao had found her child. The professor would be eternally grateful and would spare no effort assisting her.

The more Meng Xiaona thought about it, the more anxious she became. The number of government-sponsored study abroad slots was incredibly limited. Universities got a few, and some outstanding individuals from state-owned enterprises were sent to learn advanced techniques. When divided up, each school only had a handful of spots per year, yet the number of applicants was huge.

Preoccupied, Meng Xiaona walked toward her dormitory, lunchbox in hand, when she ran into Dai Xueming midway.

Dai Xueming frowned at her. "What's wrong? You didn't come to find me for lunch."

Already in a foul mood, Meng Xiaona snapped at him. "I'm always the one going to find you! Why don't you ever come looking for me? I'm irritated right now, so don't talk to me unless you want a fight."

Dai Xueming was taken aback. Seeing her genuine irritation, he didn't dare say more. In their relationship, he was always the one in the subordinate position. His tone instantly softened into a coaxing whisper. "Who upset you? Tell me what's wrong. I'll help you think of a solution; we can face it together. If someone bullied you, tell me, and I'll deal with them." He sounded resolute, trying to project an air of masculine protectiveness.

Meng Xiaona shot him a sidelong glance. "What if I said it was Lin Xiaoxiao who upset me? Would you go 'deal with her'?"

Dai Xueming hesitated immediately. Meng Xiaona might not know what Lin Xiaoxiao's husband did for a living, but he did. Just the man's aura was enough to make Dai Xueming speak softly in his presence. How could he possibly cause trouble for Lin Xiaoxiao? Besides, he'd heard her in-laws were quite influential and were native Beijingers. He was an out-of-town student with no power or connections; he wouldn't dare make waves.

But he couldn't show fear in front of Meng Xiaona. He cleared his throat. "How did she provoke you? Tell me, so I can go and reason with her."

Meng Xiaona instantly fell silent. If she had to specify how Lin Xiaoxiao had wronged her, there was nothing concrete. Saying it out loud would only make her seem petty and jealous. She gave Dai Xueming an exasperated look. "Forget it. You wouldn't understand anyway. By the way, have you ever thought about studying abroad?"

Dai Xueming shook his head. "No. I'm not good at foreign languages. I'd be like a blind man over there. What would I do?"

Meng Xiaona felt their aspirations were diverging. But she genuinely liked Dai Xueming and was reluctant to end the relationship. "I want to go abroad. I hear there are government-sponsored student quotas every year. Let's apply together! If we don't get it this year, there's always next year. We should have a chance before we graduate."
"Besides, if both of us apply, our chances will be better. If just one of us gets to go, they can then find a way to bring the other over as a dependent or something."

It was only then that Dai Xueming realized Meng Xiaona harbored dreams of going abroad. The idea was completely foreign to him; his sole ambition was to secure a job in a major city like Beijing or Shanghai after graduation. That was why he was willing to cater to Meng Xiaona like a princess. Now she was talking about going overseas—something he had never considered and had no desire to do. If he refused, their relationship would likely end. What would become of all the effort he'd invested in her?

(He conveniently forgot that it was often Meng Xiaona who paid for their meals and shopping.)

Seeing Dai Xueming silent, Meng Xiaona nudged his arm. "I'm talking to you. What do you think? Only by following my plan can we progress together. I've heard foreigners live in villas, eat Western food every day, and drive cars. Their standard of living is far better than ours."

Dai Xueming snapped out of his thoughts and forced a smile. "Let me think about it. I've never considered going abroad before. But I also want us to stay together for the rest of our lives."

Satisfied, Meng Xiaona said, "You just need to listen to me. That's how we can work towards a better life." Internally, she was still thinking that she needed to stay on good terms with Lin Xiaoxiao. Even if she herself wanted to go abroad, having Lin Xiaoxiao put in a good word for her with Professor Linda might be crucial later.

Unaware that she was once again on Meng Xiaona's mind, Lin Xiaoxiao attended one class in the afternoon. Seeing that the following lectures covered material she already knew and weren't crucial, she asked Zhang Wanqing to cover for her attendance. She slipped out of school and headed to the hospital to find Zhou Huaian.

When she arrived, Zhou Huaian was there, along with Zhou Xiaoling—and that girl, Feng Juanjuan, was also present.

It seemed an argument had just taken place. Zhou Xiaoling's face was dark with anger, and Feng Juanjuan stood leaning against the wall, her eyes red-rimmed.