The summer heat gradually faded, giving way to a creeping chill. The lingering autumn tiger stubbornly reminded everyone at noon not to overlook its presence. A few days earlier, Shi Zhongshan had reminded Zhou You not to forget to report to the school. How could he forget? Zhou You's dream of a PhD was at stake.
At the appointed time, Zhou You took a bullet train to head there. It turned out the bullet train line hadn't been opened yet, so he had to fly instead. But the distance was so short that he had to transfer midway, making it more troublesome than taking a train. The airline's excuse was that the distance was too close and passenger traffic too low. Well, it wasn't far—the two cities were less than 400 kilometers apart. The main issue was that Zhou You was too lazy; he rarely drove long distances. Anything over two hours of driving made him uncomfortable.
Now, there weren't many people on the bullet train, mainly because the ticket price was much higher than regular trains—a second-class seat cost as much as a soft sleeper on a regular train. Many who weren't in a hurry still chose regular trains. But later, when money depreciated and people got used to spending, more would prioritize bullet trains or high-speed rail. Fewer would bother with regular trains. Still, Zhou You could never quite tell the difference between high-speed rail and bullet trains!
Getting off the bullet train and exiting the station, he saw Shi Zhongshan waiting at the exit. Zhou You hurried over: "Professor Shi, why did you come? I told you, you didn't need to—I could just take a taxi."
Professor Shi beamed with joy at seeing Zhou You. "Haha, my daughter personally assigned me this task. Do you think I dare not come?"
"Ah, next time I'll tell Xiuxiu not to be so formal. Having you pick me up—I'll get scolded by my advisor when I get back!" Zhou You was genuinely a bit uneasy. Without the connection to his advisor, he might have deserved the welcome. But human relationships aren't all about exchanging favors; some are held together by emotion. People who don't lack for food or drink—even if you're rolling in wealth, if they don't want to associate with you, they simply won't. Not everyone is money-driven. As awareness gradually awakens in the future, more people will break free from consumerism and the shackles of money. If Zhou You didn't stay low-key, he might end up on a lamppost someday. Life is long—who can predict what changes lie ahead?
"Xiuxiu was supposed to come back, but they all went to Vancouver to shoot a movie—arranged by you—so she entrusted me to take care of you. Let's go home and eat first; Xiuxiu's mom has already cooked." Shi Zhongshan was delighted that Zhou You was coming for his PhD. He'd originally planned to owe Wang a favor, but now he owed Wang a big one. Usually, students begged advisors to take them on, but now Shi Zhongshan was worried Zhou You might not come. After all, library science PhD programs weren't exclusive to his school—there were others in Beijing and Shanghai. He could get in anywhere, though it might be more troublesome. Besides, from chatting with Xiuxiu, he learned that this cheap student of his was quite wealthy, investing tens of millions in movies without blinking. Whether he pursued a PhD or not didn't matter much; he just wanted a diploma. Well, at least he was willing to go through the motions.
They drove to the school's faculty housing. Older universities all allocated apartments near campus. Young teachers nowadays didn't have such good perks. At home, the meal was ready. There were only three of them, but the table was laden with braised fish, chicken stewed with mushrooms, vinegar ribs, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, mapo tofu, cold cucumber salad, and marinated dishes—a full spread. Finally, besides rice, they brought out a few steamed buns.
"Xiuxiu said you sometimes like noodles. Can you handle this?" Xiuxiu's mom was bustling around, sweating profusely.
Zhou You felt genuinely flustered. "Auntie, please sit down. I'm not picky about food—I just eat until I'm full. You're too kind; it makes me a bit embarrassed."
Xiuxiu's mom, Shi Suqiu, had been a dancer in her youth. She'd quit and run a dance training class for a while. This was probably why Shi Wenxiu pursued the entertainment industry—she was somewhat influenced by them.
"Xiuxiu told us everything. We're so grateful for your care, Xiao You. Otherwise, we'd be worried sick. His dad and I will toast you with drinks instead of alcohol." Shi Suqiu pulled Shi Zhongshan along. He was a bit embarrassed—after all, he was a professor and her teacher; teachers didn't usually initiate toasts.
Zhou You quickly stood up, holding his drink with both hands. "Auntie, you're too kind. It was nothing. Besides, Xiuxiu has helped me a lot too. She can even oversee my funds when she's there."
"Today, you're not just Old Zhong's student. Don't be so formal. My gratitude isn't fake—it's from the heart. His dad and I never wanted her in this line of work, especially as a girl. We have no connections to help or protect her." Shi Suqiu's eyes reddened as she spoke.
"But the kid is stubborn. She wouldn't listen and ran off on her own. His dad and I were frantic at home. We're not rich, but we don't lack for food or money. Who knew she'd be dead set on trying this?"
"Thankfully, Old Shi met you. At least she has someone to rely on now. We're not so worried anymore." Tears streamed down her face. "Don't laugh at me, kid. You don't have children yet, so you don't understand. You will when you do."
"We don't expect her to become a star or make a fortune. We just want her safe and healthy, earning a little money, having enough to eat and drink. Raising a child isn't easy!"
"After all the hard work raising her, watching her get bullied with no way to help—it breaks my heart."
Shi Zhongshan saw his wife getting more emotional and patted her shoulder. "Alright, stop crying. Everything's fine now. Zhou You just got here, and you're like this. He won't dare come next time!"
Zhou You could empathize with that feeling, but as adults trying to make money in the entertainment industry, there were often no easy choices. Either take the pure actor route and slowly hone your skills, but even then, there would be more temptations than for ordinary people. The stakes were too high.
"Auntie, don't worry. Xiuxiu is acting as my producer now. As long as she doesn't bully others, no one will bully her." Zhou You didn't know how to comfort her. He couldn't guarantee Xiuxiu would never be bullied—no one could protect anyone forever, not even parents.
Halfway through the meal, Shi Wenxiu called. It was midnight where she was. She asked about the reception and praised her parents, making the old couple overjoyed. Zhou You also asked about the filming progress. It should wrap up by the end of the year, and she'd come back to shoot a few more scenes.
After eating, there was business to attend to. Shi Zhongshan took Zhou You to Jiangcheng University to handle enrollment. Since he was aiming for dual certificates, there were a few more procedures. But with Professor Shi guiding him, everything went smoothly.
Jiangda lived up to its reputation as a prestigious old-school university in an old city. Its humanistic atmosphere was far richer than Luzhou University's. New campuses couldn't yet foster that vibe—it would take decades. Lush vegetation blended with humanities, a few gnarled old trees standing here and there. Under them sat two or three students quietly reading. This was what a university should be.
Children have their own fortunes; don't be a beast of burden for them.