Lin Xiaoxiao carried Duoduo to the window, leaned over, and glanced down. She froze—it really was Zhou Huaian.

Wasn't he supposed to be at the hospital? What was he doing here?

She shoved Duoduo into Lin Wenbin's arms. "I'm going down to see."

Hearing it was Zhou Huaian, Lin Wenyuan and Li Yuling also came to the window. From the second floor, they could see clearly.

Li Yuling studied him for a moment, then nodded with satisfaction. "Our Xiaoxiao has good taste. Zhou Huaian is quite handsome."

Lin Wenyuan also nodded approvingly. The young man looked responsible and dependable—worthy of their little princess.

Xiaoxiao flew down the stairs and ran toward Zhou Huaian, who was still hesitating by the entrance. "Zhou Changsuo—" she began, then caught herself. With people coming and going, it wasn't good for others to hear that childhood nickname—it was her special name for him now. "Zhou Huaian! What are you doing here?"

Seeing her running toward him, Zhou Huaian's eyes softened. "Slow down," he cautioned gently. "There's no hurry."

But she was already in front of him, her eyes curved into happy crescents. "Why are you here? Have you eaten?"

He shook his head. "No. Xiaoling is at the hospital. Lin Zihao doesn't want to see me, so… I thought I'd come see you."

He had originally intended to take the bus straight home, but discovered this route's final stop was Peking University. On an impulse, he'd ridden it to the end.

Stepping onto the campus, he was enveloped by an atmosphere of intense study. Students with bookbags and textbooks walked past, their faces radiating confidence and contentment.

He had stood there for a long time, before finally heading to Xiaoxiao's classroom. A few students were inside, and a girl in a red shirt helpfully told him Lin Xiaoxiao was having lunch at the foreign teachers' building and even gave him directions.

Walking across campus, his mind had wandered. He remembered a long time ago, after he'd been seriously injured for the first time, what Lin Zihao had told him: "If you can ever walk onto a university campus someday and feel their happiness, you'll know… every sacrifice was worth it."

Xiaoxiao hadn't expected that Zhou Huaian was now the person Lin Zihao disliked the most. She couldn't help but laugh. "You're too stern with him. He's just a child now. You have to be patient with children, more tolerant. You just need to coax him."

Zhou Huaian knew she was right, but he simply couldn't bring himself to do it.

Xiaoxiao checked the time. The small cafeteria would still be serving. She tugged at the sleeve of his coat. "Come on, let's get some food first."

He obediently followed. After they had walked a distance, he remembered to ask, "Why were you eating at the foreign teachers' building?"

Xiaoxiao knew she couldn't be careless with her words; Zhou Huaian wasn't easily fooled. "I came to see Duoduo. I hadn't seen him in a few days and missed him. And I just hit it off with Teacher Linda—we always have so much to talk about."

Zhou Huaian didn't reply. He had seen Lin Wenbin standing at the window. Despite the glass's reflection, his eyes had locked onto the target immediately.

Xiaoxiao hadn't planned to mention Lin Wenbin being there; it would be complicated to explain. Her visiting Linda's family because of Duoduo made sense. But Lin Wenbin also being there? That was harder to justify. Should she say Lin Wenbin also missed Duoduo and came to see the child? That didn't fit his character at all.

So she kept talking about Duoduo. "He's only two months older than our kids, but he's still such a little silly. He still calls me 'Mama' when he sees me!"

She chattered on about Teacher Linda and Duoduo.

Zhou Huaian listened quietly. It wasn't until they were seated in the small cafeteria that he asked, "You really like their family?"

Xiaoxiao nodded vigorously. "Yes, I really, really do. Seeing them feels like seeing family. You know I never experienced a mother's love growing up. I think a mother should be gentle, just like Linda."

She felt this was a perfect opportunity to gradually weave her affection for Li Yuling and the others into their conversations, paving the way for formally acknowledging them as family later, which would then seem perfectly natural.

Zhou Huaian listened attentively, then nodded. "As long as you're happy."

Xiaoxiao happily went to order two dishes and a pound of rice. She enthusiastically recommended the food to Zhou Huaian. "The food here is really good, and cheaper than the state-run cafeterias outside!"

She then leaned across the table, closer to him, and whispered conspiratorially, "But the braised pork here isn't good. I heard they use old sow meat. The lamb with radish and the braised fish are delicious, though."

Zhou Huaian watched her, his gaze soft. It felt like being back in Longbei City, when it was just the two of them. At every meal, Xiaoxiao would chatter away, making the most ordinary things sound interesting.

When the food arrived, Xiaoxiao diligently picked out fish for Zhou Huaian. "Try this, the flavor is great—just the right balance of salty and sweet."

He obediently ate while listening to her share amusing stories about school.

"Everyone says there's a ghost behind our medical school building. Some say they've seen a woman with long hair, dressed in red, floating past without her feet touching the ground."

Zhou Huaian naturally didn't believe it. "Probably hallucinations caused by fear?"

Xiaoxiao shook her head. "I'm not sure. But more than one person has seen it. They say a female student who was assaulted hanged herself there years ago. She was wearing red when she died, so she could come back as a vengeful spirit. They say she later haunted innocent female students, and that someone dies there every year."

At a nearby table, two cafeteria workers were also eating, taking advantage of the lull. Hearing Xiaoxiao telling ghost stories, a chubby chef couldn't resist chiming in. "That student died five or six years ago. Some say she got a letter from home saying there was trouble that would ruin her future. She couldn't take it and hanged herself."

Xiaoxiao was curious. "Have you worked here long?"

The chef nodded. "I was assigned to this university's cafeteria right after my own assignment started. First the big cafeteria, then later this smaller one. So I know a fair bit about the goings-on here. But it's best not to talk too much about that student's affair. This area has a strange feel to it."

Xiaoxiao patted her chest, feigning alarm. "You're right, you're right! Many say you shouldn't talk about it. If you discuss it too much, you're sure to run into the female ghost."

She was only pretending to be scared. Inside, she was burning with curiosity. Having dissected so many cadavers without ever feeling afraid, she was intensely curious—just what did a ghost actually look like?