"According to Ke Beichen," Dong Anlan gossiped as she held up her phone for Shu Lanzhou, "the students who originally enrolled in Professor Han's class this semester suddenly switched over to Professor Chen's class. The school had to add two extra sessions for Professor Chen because there were so many students signing up."
"And there's one more thing—you're going to love this." Dong Anlan broke into a laugh.
"Apparently, after leaving the Academic Affairs Office that day, Luo Jialin went straight to a bar, got totally wasted, then staggered back to the lab and slept there overnight."
"The next morning, someone saw him and Lin Muyao coming out of the lab… both looking disheveled. Rumor has it… they slept together!"
"…"
That fast?
In her previous life, Luo Jialin hadn't been trapped by Lin Muyao's scheme until two years later.
Luo Jialin was a traditional man—deep down, he looked down on women, pouring all his energy into his studies, determined to make his mark in medical research.
And he had succeeded… until Lin Muyao betrayed him at a critical moment, stealing all his research results. Afterward, Lin Muyao rose to fame as a rising star in the medical field, while Luo Jialin was forced to return to his family's business, becoming nothing more than the man behind Lin Muyao's success.
Shu Lanzhou had never known whether Luo Jialin regretted it—she'd never had the chance to ask in her past life.
But now, she found herself curious. Someone as traditional and picky as Luo Jialin—what kind of expression would he have when he eventually discovered Lin Muyao's true nature?
She was starting to look forward to it.
"What are you thinking?" Dong Anlan nudged Shu Lanzhou's arm.
"You think… they're dating?" Dong Anlan asked, pulling a disgusted face. "I mean, if they really were, there's no way they'd rush it like this, right? And in the lab, of all places? Gross."
Shu Lanzhou chuckled. "They definitely weren't like that before."
"But now… who knows? They might be."
Dong Anlan frowned in confusion. "What do you mean? Wait… does Luo Jialin actually like someone like Lin Muyao? No wonder he kept targeting you because of her!"
"Like?" Shu Lanzhou sneered. "Not necessarily. But they've slept together now, haven't they?"
"Luo Jialin's the type who'll feel obligated to take responsibility."
"Hah!" Dong Anlan burst out laughing. "You're telling me Lin Muyao set him up? Haha! Serves him right. Honestly, I think they're perfect for each other."
"A hypocrite and a premium bitch. Hypocrites deserve bitches!"
"…"
Weirdly makes sense.
After that incident, Shu Lanzhou finally had a few peaceful days. She didn't even run into Luo Jialin or his crew on campus.
Later, she learned Luo Jialin hadn't come back to school since that day. As for Tian Hua and Fang Ruoshi, except for class, they spent nearly all their time locked up in the research center's lab.
It seemed they were desperate to achieve something—Lin Muyao hadn't even bothered showing up to stir the pot lately.
It wasn't until a week later that Shu Lanzhou received a call from Wu Cheng.
"The first stage of the research is complete," Wu Cheng told her excitedly over the phone. "I've finished the paper. This afternoon, we're having a meeting with all collaborating teams to verify and discuss the findings."
"If the results are validated, my paper could be published very soon."
"Shu Lanzhou," his tone turned sincere, "I couldn't have completed this experiment so quickly or gotten these results without your guidance. I can't take all the credit for this. I want to include you as a co-author on the paper."
Shu Lanzhou felt a surge of warmth in her chest.
"There's really no need," she replied gently. "This is your research. I didn't do anything. Just having my name listed as part of the team is more than enough. I can't take authorship on the paper itself."
Wu Cheng initially resisted, but Shu Lanzhou remained firm. In the end, he could only relent.
"Fine then—at least let Ding Yuejiao and me treat you to a meal. I have to prep for the meeting now. See you this afternoon!"
Not long after he hung up, Shu Lanzhou got the official meeting notice in the group chat.
As she thought about Wu Cheng's good news, a smile blossomed on her face.
In her previous life, this research achievement had belonged to Tian Hua.
Tian Hua had used that breakthrough to secure a permanent spot at the research institute, laying the groundwork to become one of the youngest senior professors there.
It wasn't until much later—when Wu Cheng was nearly taken to court by the institute—that Shu Lanzhou learned: the experimental technique Tian Hua used had originally been proposed by Wu Cheng.
But because Wu Cheng hadn't been offered a position after his internship, his methodology was handed over to Tian Hua, who applied it to achieve success and published a groundbreaking paper.
In the end, whether the technique or the final results—it had always been Wu Cheng's work.
Had it not been for Tian Hua being Han Weicheng's student, and clinching the grand prize in the past life, Wu Cheng wouldn't have been edged out of the institute. He wouldn't have lost the rights to his own method, or nearly been sued by the institute.
That was why Shu Lanzhou had refused authorship on his paper.
Because from beginning to end—it had always been Wu Cheng's achievement. She had simply given him a timely nudge, saving him months of struggle.
Still, she hadn't expected him to get results this quickly.
By her estimate, it had only been a little over a month since the experiments began. Clearly, their new equipment had played a pivotal role.
Just as she finished packing up, she got a call from Mu Side.
"I'm waiting for you at the campus gate. We'll head to the research institute together," he said.
Strange. Mu Side had been spending all his time at the institute lately—why would he suddenly come back to campus? After all, he didn't have classes anymore, while she still had to attend lectures.
But Shu Lanzhou didn't dwell on it. She grabbed her books and hurried out the door.
The weather had warmed up; she'd shed her puffer jacket for a long trench coat, paired with combat boots.
She dashed toward the gate, oblivious to the stares around her.
"Hey, hey, wasn't that Senior Shu Lanzhou who just ran past?"
"Yeah, that's her! I recognize that trench coat—Dong Anlan has the same one!"
"I heard they're roommates. No wonder—they say hanging out with pretty girls makes you prettier. Have you guys noticed Shu Lanzhou's been getting prettier lately?"
"Totally. Honestly, I think she looks way better than Lin Muyao now."
"Exactly! How did they even pick the campus belle last time? If they hold another vote this year, I'm definitely voting for Shu Lanzhou."
"Maybe… maybe she really wasn't that good-looking before…"
"…"
Shu Lanzhou had no idea that with the new semester, the campus beauty rankings were about to be updated too.
She raced to the gate, barely catching her breath when Mu Side strode over.
"What's the rush?" he frowned. "We're not in a hurry."
"I didn't want to keep you waiting," Shu Lanzhou beamed up at him.
After months of recovery, she'd finally regained her glow—her cheeks were fuller, tinged with healthy color. When she smiled at you with those big, bright eyes, it felt warmer than a spring sun.
Mu Side's heart softened even more, his gaze involuntarily turning gentler.
"I could wait forever for you," he murmured without thinking. "Come on—let's go."
He reached out to take her bag and opened the car door for her.
"You're not worried," Shu Lanzhou giggled as she climbed in, "but I am!"
Mu Side chuckled softly, giving her cheek a playful pinch. "Silly girl. Enjoy it while it lasts."
When they arrived at the research institute, they just so happened to run into Luo Jialin and his group.
They were carrying folders and notebooks, clearly heading to the conference room as well.
It was worth noting that while the institute had rented a neighboring building as extra lab space, the conference room remained on the top floor of the original research building.
Since both project teams were holding their summary meetings that afternoon, it wasn't unusual to cross paths.
Shu Lanzhou hadn't thought much of it—she hadn't even planned to acknowledge them.
But some people were simply born to pick fights…