was only when Wen Jian called her that she realized how bad things had gotten. She cried hysterically on the phone, telling Jing Yu that she was bankrupt and that Zhuo YUAN was relentlessly pursuing...Ruan Ruan didn't expect that this matter would still cause a wave of discussion after the start of school. However, during the meeting in the department, the leader defended her this time, repeatedly emphasizing at the meeting to prohibit spreading rumors. As for Mu Han's matter, it had been properly handled during the winter vacation.

But some people still believe that there's more to it than meets the eye, and rumors continue to circulate in hushed tones.

Actually, Ruanruan doesn't really care. The truth is that a lie can't cover up forever. Since it's already been resolved, there's no need to waste energy and emotions on it anymore.

After the meeting at the hospital, Chen director said to her in the office: "Teacher Gu, there is a landscape sketching class this semester, and it may be temporarily assigned to you to teach. The teacher we hired externally originally didn't renew the contract with the school this year."

"Okay, please send me a copy of the syllabus. She had taught this course for a semester before and was pretty familiar with it, so she could get started quickly."

Since the incident with Muhan during winter break, Director Chen's attitude towards her has also changed. Although it's still lukewarm, at least he doesn't randomly assign her tasks like before. The class taught by that hired teacher was the only one assigned to her, while the rest were given to other teachers.

Ruan Ruan took a look at the course schedule and found that there were several sessions that required taking students out for sketching. So this time, she planned to take the students to see Huizhou architecture. After submitting an application to the school, it was quickly approved.

When she set off with her students at the end of March, she unexpectedly met Teacher Yuan Ligao at the high-speed rail station. Upon inquiring, she learned that their research project was recently studying Huizhou architecture, and Yuan Ligao had gone there to conduct field research and collect materials, coinciding with their destination.

After getting on the high-speed train, it was still the same carriage.

The students happily said:

"Mr. Yuan, what a coincidence!"

Yuan Li is handsome and has an air of scholarship. He doesn't put on airs in front of students, never acts like a professor, and never lectures them about their personal lives. As a result, he enjoys a good reputation among the student body, especially among the female students.

He was wearing a windbreaker, jeans, and carrying a backpack. He stood in the aisle of the train car, first putting Ruanruan's suitcase on the rack, then helping each girl with their luggage, making sure the easels were placed carefully. Finally, he clapped his hands and went to find his own seat.

A male classmate sitting next to Ruanruan stood up and said, “Teacher Yuan, you sit here, I’ll switch places with you.”

The male student felt that sitting with Teacher Gu would be a bit pressure-filled, after all, she was his teacher. So, he came up with a clever idea and suggested the two teachers sit together.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work." Yuan Ligao didn't refuse either, so he sat down next to Ruanruan and told the boy his seat number. The boy left happily.

After the train pulled away, Yuan Ligao took out his laptop from his backpack and placed it on the small table in front of him to start reviewing the materials. When Ruanruan saw that they were related to their research topic, she unconsciously straightened her body and waited for him to assign tasks, as if they were attending a meeting.

Yuan Li has a kind of persistence and drive, like a spinning top that never stops. Every time I see him at school or his teaching apartment, he's either carrying his laptop bag or holding a stack of files, rushing about with great enthusiasm for his work.

This enthusiasm is easily contagious, so the teachers of this subject have all been influenced to be particularly proactive and self-aware.

Yuan Lige glanced at some materials for a while, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Teacher Gu was sitting upright beside him. He suddenly smiled and said: “Teacher Gu,”

"Don't you need a break"

Before Chinese New Year, when he first joined the group, he had a very packed work schedule. Since after the Chinese New Year and into the new semester, the research group has only held one meeting, entering a different state. As a result, Ruan Ruan feels out of place instead.

"You're mainly responsible for the part about foreign architecture, and it's almost done. You can review and revise it after the paper is finished. Right now, we have three teachers, including me, working on the domestic traditional architecture. Don't worry about that." He was clear about his division of labor and responsibilities.

When he said this, for some reason, Ruan Ruan suddenly remembered an argument she had with Lu Kuo on New Year's Day. Lu Kuo had said: "It's just that Teacher Yuan's work arrangements are unreasonable."

She was thinking about what Lu Kuo had said, and Yuan Liguo seemed to know what she was thinking. He closed his laptop and explained.

“My original plan for this semester was to study abroad at another university for six months. I probably wouldn't have the energy to lead this project during that time, so I rushed to finish the big framework before then. Hopefully, after I return from my exchange, things will be easier for everyone.”

Ruan Ruan, after hearing his explanation, felt a little embarrassed. She had been too cynical just now.

"So now we don't need to communicate anymore"

"Well, plans have changed temporarily. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Yuan Ligao openly apologized for his previous fast-paced work without making excuses for himself, which deepened Ruan Ruan's favor towards him. Of course, it was just a friendly feeling between colleagues.

It takes about four hours to reach the destination by high-speed train. Yuan Liguo has stopped working on his computer and is chatting with Ruanruan in a desultory manner.

Both of them have overseas study experience.

We talked a lot, and somehow, we ended up talking about Muhan's incident during the winter break.

Yuan Liduo said: "These rumors, Mr. Gu needn't mind them. The environment of this school is, after all, a small society. It will have the same kind of contradictions as any other."

He turned his head slightly to glance at Ruanruan by the car window, his eyes soft and gentle.

At this moment, Ruannuan was just looking out the window, her side profile slender and graceful. Her black hair was long and straight, without any dyeing or styling. When she heard his words, she suddenly turned back to look at him, her hair sliding gently as if carrying a faint scent of floral shampoo – he guessed it must be jasmine.

Yuan Liguo withdrew his thoughts, retracting his gaze, and sat upright, looking straight ahead.

In two hours, it will be noon. At this time, the slightly noisy sounds in the carriage gradually subsided, and those around were students who had entered their lunch break mode.

Ruan Ruan also started to close her eyes and look inward. Yuan Ligao was a workaholic, never needing to rest. He simply opened his computer again and started looking at the materials with peace of mind.

After a while, he felt a heaviness on his shoulder. Beside him, Ruanruan had fallen asleep at some point, her head slightly tilted against his shoulder. The faint scent of jasmine from before was now so close and distinct.

He remained completely still, not even daring to move the hands that had been tapping away at the keyboard on the small table beside him, afraid he might startle her.

The train sped along, the slight tremor most unsettling. During her nap, Ruanruan had several fragmented dreams, none of which she could remember, but she knew that in every fragment, there was Lu Kuò.

Since the beginning of the school term, Lu Kuo has ...

He would come to see her every day, but in order not to bother her, he would only wait for her on the path outside the faculty apartment.r.She ran all the way back to the hotel, bundled in her coat. It was only a few degrees outside on this March morning and her legs were bare under her coat, turning red from the cold.It's a coinciden...