CM - 39

Zhou Yan hung up Zhou Siyuan’s call and looked at Si Wen: “You’ve been contacting Siyuan behind my back.”

Si Wen didn’t deny it: “Yes.”

“Are you sending our daughter back just to return to your old ways? Whether it’s drug trafficking or anti-drug operations, you just won’t cut ties with drugs, will you?”

“Zhou Yan.”

Zhou Yan understood: “Don’t call me.”

“If you don’t agree, I won’t leave here.”

Zhou Yan suddenly smiled: “But you clearly know I’m loyal to you.”

If you’re a good person, I’ll be a good person. If you’re a bad person, I’ll be a bad person. If you save the world, I’ll set sail. If you commit murder and arson, I’ll hand you the knife, give you the kindling.

You clearly know all this.

Si Wen walked up to her: “You don’t trust me? Nothing will happen to me.”

Zhou Yan’s heart suddenly ached, an ache she hadn’t felt in years: “I trust you, but Si Wen, you are more important than trust itself.” I only want my husband. I don’t care when the sky will fall, or when the moon will no longer shine. I just need you by my side, with your clear eyes.

Si Wen took her hand and kissed her fingers: “As you wish.”

But Zhou Yan knew she couldn’t keep him for too long. This island was too small. Si Wen was too capable; it couldn’t hold him.

________________________________________

Zhou Shuirong spent days and nights catching up on her studies in China, only barely reaching an average level.

Compared to the schools she attended abroad, the workload in China was immense. Students had a lot to learn, but their comprehension abilities were lower than students in those foreign schools. She knew this was related to the educational environment.

She didn’t believe there were innate differences between races. If China could provide educational environments equivalent to the schools she attended abroad, then they would truly be far superior. Imagine if Chinese children were nurtured with free thinking from a young age, while strict national policies also provided a certain degree of discipline; they would be both free and self-disciplined. Which of those seemingly glamorous but actually terrible foreign education systems could compare?

She had only been back in China for a short time but had already experienced many feelings, both good and bad. She positioned herself as an observer, examining the differences between the domestic and foreign environments. This process greatly benefited her, and her desire to see her parents’ upbringing environment seemed to be satisfied.

They might have suffered many grievances, but they would suffer grievances no matter where they were. She believed that what could be criticized was human nature, never the country.

She thought her parents held the same attitude, otherwise, they wouldn’t have sent her back.

During her three-day suspension, Zhou Shuirong continuously worked on practice problems and even enrolled in a class taught by a science and math teacher. The teacher not only taught math but also previously taught comprehensive science, which suited Zhou Shuirong perfectly.

Zhou Shuirong organized all the parts she didn’t understand and went to tutoring at fixed times.

These classes, though called tutoring, were essentially for reviewing and practicing problems with the teacher. The advantage, compared to self-study, was being able to ask questions at any time, which helped with consolidation.

Furthermore, since money was paid, students would learn a few more techniques and some small rules that could be exploited, compared to those who didn’t pay.

Zhou Shuirong would find issues during every small test, specifically when testing physics, chemistry, and biology in class. That’s why her comprehensive science scores in the monthly exams were decent, which she attributed to a bit of luck.

Now that she had someone to consult, she completely dismissed Shen Tingwen, that “encyclopedia,” from her mind.

She could be distracted by many things, but absolutely not by men. Especially Shen Tingwen, that scoundrel who had a record with her!

Lost in thought, she again thought of Shen Tingwen, and cursed him again. Even after cursing, she still felt unsatisfied. Thinking about all the things that had happened since she met him, she grew angry.

When had Zhou Shuirong ever been led by the nose by anyone else? What bad luck!

The more she thought, the angrier she got. She picked up her phone, saw the dozens of messages he sent, replied with a “Get lost,” and then blacklisted him again.

________________________________________

Shen Tingwen had just finished a set of practice problems when he received a message from his ‘wife.’ Although it was only two words, “Get lost,” it was enough to make him curl his eyes into a smile. He cleared his throat, put on a magnetic voice, and sent her a voice message: “What’s wrong?”

The message was sent but rejected.

He saw the familiar line of text and smiled slightly. He could almost imagine Zhou Shuirong’s expression when she typed those two words.