Han Weicheng adjusted his glasses, his eyes sharp as he looked at Luo Jialin.
"You've been my student for so long, and you still don't understand the one thing I absolutely cannot tolerate?"
"I'm sorry, Professor," Luo Jialin lowered his head in apology.
"You can accept your students being average, but you cannot accept them cutting corners. Shulan Zhou has already crossed your bottom line, and you won't allow her to keep going down the wrong path."
"You're doing all this for her own good."
Han Weicheng waved his hand. "As long as you understand. Now go."
But the thought that this might utterly ruin Shulan Zhou—that she could lose not only her reputation but even the chance to graduate—left a bitter taste in Luo Jialin's mouth.
He couldn't help remembering the past—how she used to quietly follow behind him, obedient and considerate. She always completed every task handed to her, and apart from being a little slow, she really didn't seem to have any other flaws.
So why couldn't she just stay the way she was? Why did she insist on going against them and becoming a pawn in Professor Mu's game?
Luo Jialin gritted his teeth. You brought this on yourself, Shulan Zhou. Don't blame us for being ruthless!
…
Back in the dormitory, Shulan Zhou found Ding Yuejiao on the phone with Wu Cheng.
She gestured toward the phone, signaling that she wanted to say a few words to him.
Ding Yuejiao handed her the phone.
"I'm putting it on speaker," Shulan Zhou said as she accepted the phone and turned on the speaker function.
Wu Cheng's voice came through immediately:
"Lan Zhou, hey! I heard all about it from Yuejiao. You helped her with the innovation proposal for the competition—thank you!"
"No need for thanks," Shulan Zhou smiled. "Yuejiao's helped me a lot too."
"Sorry to interrupt your sweet little chat," she said with a playful glance at Ding Yuejiao, "but I've got good news and couldn't wait to share it."
"What is it? You're grinning so much," Ding Yuejiao asked, eyes filled with curiosity.
Shulan Zhou pulled her close. "About your boyfriend's internship. After you mentioned it, I asked Professor Mu about it."
"She said that Wu Cheng can take his resume directly to the Central Research Institute. She'll speak with Professor He over there and approve the internship."
"For real?" Ding Yuejiao cried, throwing her arms around Shulan Zhou. "You're the best! How can I ever repay you?"
Shulan Zhou chuckled. "Careful, your boyfriend's listening. Calm down a bit!"
"How can I stay calm?" Ding Yuejiao clutched her chest like her heart was about to burst.
"Wu Cheng, did you hear that? You're going to intern at the Central Research Institute, thanks to Lan Zhou! You better show your gratitude properly!"
Before Wu Cheng could speak, Shulan Zhou jumped in.
"No need. Just thank Yuejiao. I only asked the professor because of her. And honestly, it's not just because of me. Your innovation project impressed a lot of the faculty, and you've always had top-tier skills. Otherwise, Professor Mu wouldn't have agreed so easily."
Wu Cheng laughed, "No matter what, I owe you a thank you. Here's the deal—once your whole dorm is back tonight, I'll treat everyone to dinner."
"Lan Zhou, if there's anything you want, just say it. I'll get it for you."
"Yeah, yeah," Ding Yuejiao echoed, cheeks glowing. "Tell him what you want!"
Shulan Zhou shook her head, smiling.
"I just have one request—if Professor Mu needs your help during the internship, you better show up and give it your all. And if you don't get to stay after it's over, you can't blame me!"
"Don't worry, I get it," Wu Cheng promised. "I'll do my best not to embarrass Professor Mu—or Yuejiao."
"Good, good." Shulan Zhou stood. "Okay, I'll leave you two lovebirds to it. I'm off to shower."
She winked at Yuejiao and grabbed her clothes.
Yuejiao's face was bright red. After turning off the speaker, she chatted a bit more with Wu Cheng before ending the call.
That evening, the whole dorm was thrilled for Ding Yuejiao when they heard the news.
Dinner plans were eventually scrapped—Shulan Zhou didn't feel like going out after dark, and Dong Anlan had just come back with loads of homemade food. They all stayed in and had a cozy meal in the dorm.
Later that night, after finishing a full practice set and just as she was about to turn in, Shulan Zhou got a call from Mu Yaning.
"Professor?" Shulan glanced at the clock—it was almost midnight. Why would Mu Yaning be calling this late?
Mu Yaning yawned. "Just remembered something. Be at the small auditorium tomorrow morning at ten. Don't oversleep."
"…Got it."
The next morning, Shulan Zhou was up by eight. She grabbed breakfast for her still-sleeping roommates from the cafeteria, reviewed her acupoint textbook while eating, and then headed off to the auditorium.
Right at the entrance, she ran into Han Weicheng.
Shulan instinctively stepped back. "Professor Han."
Though she loathed this hypocritical senior professor with a burning intensity, she wasn't in a position to knock him off his pedestal just yet. Respect, at least on the surface, was still necessary.
Han Weicheng's brow furrowed when he saw her. "Who told you to come?"
He didn't wait for an answer and brushed past her.
"Since you're already here, I suppose we won't have to send out another notice from the Academic Affairs Office."
His words left Shulan confused. What required official notice?
She stepped into the auditorium, heart full of unease.
Inside, she found the room filled with faculty members—many of whom she recognized from the on-campus competition judging panel. Her memory was sharp, and it hadn't been that long.
Not just the first-round judges, but those from the second round and final panel were all here!
Was this a meeting to finalize the competition results?
But if that were the case, why was she the only student here?
As she was puzzling it over, Mu Yaning beckoned her over to sit beside her.
"Don't worry. This is just a routine inquiry. Just answer the professors truthfully when they ask questions."
Mu Yaning wasn't concerned in the slightest about the possible outcome of today's meeting. She had complete faith in the student she'd chosen.
"Okay." Shulan nodded, feeling much calmer thanks to Mu Yaning's assurance.
Soon, Teacher Li from the Academic Affairs Office stepped up onto the stage.
"Everyone, please settle down. The public investigation into Professor Mu's alleged misconduct in teaching is now in session. First, Professor Han Weicheng will present his case."
Shulan was stunned. "Professor?"
"Relax. This is my idea," Mu Yaning said.
"I've been too busy to respond to the school's investigation request, and with the whole controversy over the competition scores, I figured we'd settle everything in one go."
"No need to let certain self-important people keep hopping around like fleas—it's annoying."
The flea, of course, was Han Weicheng.
He strode onto the stage with all the pomp of a seasoned performer, picked up the microphone, and began his grand speech.
"This started when Student Shu recently had a paper published in a prestigious medical journal. I've seen the original manuscript—it falls far short of publication standards."
"I have serious reason to believe that this paper was ghostwritten by Professor Mu herself and published under the student's name, as a means of showcasing her own teaching abilities!"