Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  At the mention of Lin Yuankang, Qiao Nan rolled her eyes. Nobody in the family interfered with her selection of either the humanities or science courses. Everyone respected her thoughts and opinions.

  Even for Zhu Baoguo, the most that he did was to change his own aspirations in order to choose the humanities course so as to be in the same class as her.

  Her master, whom she had known for a year, called her directly on the phone and told her to choose the humanities course.

  “What about Zhu Baoguo?”

  “I sent him to the science class,” Qiao Nan said helplessly. “Wait a minute. Brother Zhai, you have said so much just to ask me this question?”

  Qiao Nan felt much better all of a sudden.

  She was worried that Qiu Chenxi would always spend time with Brother Zhai. However, it was, in fact, the same for Brother Zhai. He was worried that Zhu Baoguo would always stay by her side.

  “You should heed your master’s advice.” Zhai Sheng refused to answer her question. Qiu Chenxi would not be a threat to Qiao Nan, but he had to be mindful of Zhu Baoguo.

  “Nan Nan, you are still on the phone? Who called you?” Qiao Nan was on the phone, chatting happily with Zhai Sheng while Qiao Dongliang, wearing an apron, came out from the kitchen with a plate of spicy stir-fried chicken. The fragrant smell made one salivate.

  Qiao Dongliang liked spicy food, and he knew how to prepare spicy food as well, particularly Sichuan cuisine.

  Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin disliked spicy food. Back then, he was married and was busy with work, so everything at home was left in the hands of Ding Jiayi. He had to put aside his favorite food and hobby of cooking.

  Since moving out with Qiao Nan, Qiao Dongliang had picked up his hobby and spent more time cooking.

  “Dad, they smell great.” Qiao Nan took a deep breath, the spicy scent stimulating her taste buds. “I am on the phone with Brother Zhai. He knew that I am choosing the course, hence he called to ask which course I have chosen.”

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  “Zhai Sheng really cares about you,” Qiao Dongliang said out of the blue, sounding depressed.

  Even an outsider knew that Nan Nan was choosing her class and called to ask about her, but there was no news from Ding Jiayi. As for Zijin……

  “Brother Zhai is very good to me,” Qiao Nan replied with honesty. She then grabbed a piece of chicken and put it into her mouth.

  “You have yet to wash your hands!”

  “Have you washed your hands?”

  Qiao Dongliang and Zhai Sheng could be heard yelling at her to wash her hands.

  Qiao Dongliang had been watching her, so he caught Qiao Nan, who was fond of food, eating some of the chicken before washing her hands. But Zhai Sheng was on the other end of the phone. He must have very good hearing and was as sharp as a detective to know what she was doing.

  “Alright, I will wash my hands.” In fact, she felt very hungry. She was starving when she asked her father about dinner just now.

  “Nan Nan, pass the phone to Uncle Qiao. I have something to tell him.”

  “Alright.” Qiao Nan stretched her hand toward her father. “Dad, Brother Zhai has something to tell you.” She could take her time washing her hands.

  “Hi, Zhai Sheng, what’s the matter? Well, I’m pretty good lately. Busy? Not busy. Actually, it’s good that we are busy. That way, we will not have the spare time to think too much or create trouble for people around us.”

  Zhai Sheng could tell that Qiao Dongliang seemed to be troubled.

  There were only a few people that Qiao Dongliang was worried about, and among them, Qiao Nan was the only one who stayed with him now.

  Zhai Sheng could tell easily who Qiao Dongliang was referring to.

  “No, it’s fine. Everything is alright now. Nan Nan cares a lot for me. I am very good. Yes…… You must stay healthy as well. We will have dinner soon. You should go and have dinner as well. Let’s chat next time. Goodbye.”

  By the time Qiao Nan came back from washing her hands, Qiao Dongliang had already hung up the phone. “Get the rice. Don’t starve yourself.”

  Qiao Nan looked at the phone reluctantly and went to get the rice.

  After dinner, Qiao Nan went back to her room silently.

  Qiao Dongliang cast Qiao Nan strange looks. “Nan Nan, why do you turn in so early for the night? It’s only half past eight.”

  “Well, the syllabus for this semester is much more difficult. I was very tired at school. I got up early and slept late. I am very sleepy. Now that I am finally home, I have to rest well. Dad, can you see my dark eye circles? I can be compared to pandas now.”

  “Well, then you’d better go to sleep. Studies may be important, but your health is also very important. Now that all of you are in high school, the workload should be much heavier. You rarely get the chance to have a break, so you must rest more. Even if you only get to sleep for two more hours, it is still good for your body.” Now that Nan Nan mentioned it, she seemed to have lost a lot of weight. Studying had been very tough on her.

  “Dad, I will go to sleep now. Good night.”

  “Good night.” Qiao Dongliang urged Qiao Nan to go to sleep. He hoped that she would fall asleep as soon as she lay on the bed.

  Contrary to what Qiao Dongliang wished for, Qiao Nan tossed and turned for more than half an hour, yet sleep eluded her.

  A dainty girl like Qiu Chenxi actually chased Zhai Sheng all the way to the army. Apparently, she still liked him. She had total confidence in Brother Zhai, but she was not too sure about Chief Zhai and Auntie Miao, especially Chief Zhai. She heard from Sister Zhai Hua that he really liked Qiu Chenxi.

  If there was a day when she married Brother Zhai instead of Qiu Chenxi, would he be their obstacle? Would he find her not pleasing to the eye?

  In the previous life, Chen Jun’s parents did not like her as well. It was Chen Jun who managed to persuade his parents to accept her. Thinking about what happened then, she felt sorry for herself.

  It might not be good to have a smooth-sailing life as one would not have the chance to learn and develop. However, her life was full of twists and turns. It was too tough on her.

  She had no idea how Brother Zhai would deal with Qiu Chenxi.

  With that thought in mind, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

  Qiao Dongliang went into Qiao Nan’s room to check on her at ten o’clock. Qiao Nan, who usually had a good night’s sleep, had kicked the blanket to a side.

  Qiao Dongliang sighed and covered Qiao Nan with the blanket. The children nowadays might have a better life than them, but it was not easy for them to handle the heavy workload at school.

  Back then, he did not remember seeing Qiao Zijin troubled over her school work. Qiao Dongliang sighed and decided to stop dwelling over it.

  Qiao Nan, who was fast asleep, was clueless. She was worried about what would happen to Zhai Sheng and her in the future. She did not expect that her father would misunderstand and think that she was losing sleep over her studies.