"We’re doing fine." Jiang Keke turned around, forcing a smile at the corner of her lips, "The exam is coming, let’s head into the classroom." Jiang Keke avoided the other person’s gaze and urged with her head down. Hearing Jiang Keke’s words, An Yin sighed in relief, but felt anxious again thinking about the upcoming exam. On exam days, An Yin would lose her appetite. Once the exam was over, she felt like a deflated balloon, and the first thing she did upon returning to her dorm was collapse onto her bed. The whole girls’ dormitory was filled with excitement, with occasional singing echoing through the corridors, seeping through the door cracks into the room. In comparison, the dormitory where An Yin stayed was particularly quiet. An Yin turned her head, looking at the beds of the other three girls. Jiang Keke’s belongings were still in the dorm, with all sorts of trinkets piling up on her desk, collecting dust. Shi Qing had very few belongings, besides necessities, An Yin hadn’t seen Shi Qing buy other things, even her change of clothes were few. As for Yan Lan, who rarely showed up in the dorm, An Yin hadn’t seen her for quite a while. They weren’t really familiar with each other, so the absence of one person wasn’t really noticeable, considering she rarely spent time in the dorm anyway. After the exam, An Yin lay dazedly on her bed for a while before picking up her phone and dialing Mrs. An’s number. The phone rang for a long time, and just when An Yin was about to hang up, the other side answered. "Yinyin, you’re done with the exam, right?" An Ying started the conversation. "Yes." After An Yin responded, she could hear chaotic noises and faint broadcast sounds from the other side of the call, "Mom, are you outside?" "Yes, it’s a bit noisy here." An Ying paused in her tone before continuing. "Are you shopping?" An Yin asked, full of doubts. "Yes." An Ying vaguely replied, immediately changing the topic, "When do you plan to come back?" An Ying wasn’t urging her daughter to come home. Knowing her daughter well, she figured An Yin would usually stay back at school a few days after exams to hang around with friends or go on nearby trips. "I..." An Yin hesitated, looking at the ceiling, "I don’t know yet." During this period, she wanted to work part-time to earn some extra money, but she didn’t dare mention this idea to Mrs. An since her workplace was a bar. "If you want to go out and play, go ahead. It’s good to relax." An Ying’s voice was gentle, "But remember to inform me before you leave and check in with me every day, okay?" An Ying knew young people nowadays liked to travel and explore different cities. She wanted her daughter to enjoy life freely and not just be stuck at home. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✶𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮✶𝓷𝓮𝓽 Back when she had a bookstore, An Yin would rush home after school to help her mom with it. All of this An Ying noticed, leaving her both comforted and heartbroken, knowing her daughter was considerate of her. "Got it." A sourness welled up inside An Yin’s heart. Mrs. An’s words sparked a resolve in An Yin to stay at school for a part-time job. "I won’t keep you, mom. You’re in the middle of shopping." An Ying’s voice was a bit anxious. "Alright, goodbye, mom." After hanging up, a "ding" quickly sounded from the phone, and An Yin opened WeChat. Mrs. An had sent over a transfer. Looking at the two thousand yuan, An Yin didn’t tap on it. She began typing a message, [I’ve saved some money this semester, no need to send me any money.] Before she could hit send, a message from An Ying came over first. An Ying: [Remember to accept the money.] An Yin knew An Ying’s personality; if she didn’t accept the money, she would undoubtedly call to persuade her, and An Ying was skilled at psychological tactics, leaving An Yin at a loss. She decided to accept it first. Later, when she went home, she planned to give all the money she saved on WeChat plus her part-time earnings to An Ying. Just thinking about it made An Yin a little excited. She could finally earn money to support An Ying! Just as An Yin was secretly delighted, the phone rang. She didn’t check who the caller was, assuming it was Mrs. An with something unfinished. In a lazy manner, An Yin stretched and mumbled, "Mom, what else?" The other party even knew her surname? Feeling alert, An Yin sat up, with a slight sweat in her palms gripping the phone, "Who are you?" Her voice slightly trembled, feeling a vague familiarity in the man’s voice. "Miss An, I’m Assistant Lin, who is with Mr. Bao." So it was Assistant Lin? "Assistant Lin, is there something wrong?" An Yin asked nervously. "Mr. Bao instructed me to come pick you up." Assistant Lin’s tone held a hint of heaviness. An Yin felt perplexed hearing this, "Why?" "Miss An, please ask Mr. Bao personally once you get here." Seeing she didn’t respond, Assistant Lin added, "The car is parked at the school gate, please come soon, Miss An." "I’m not going." An Yin strongly resisted. "Miss An, Mr. Bao is doing this for your own good." Assistant Lin advised. For her own good? Chatting with Assistant Lin, An Yin suddenly felt her brain couldn’t keep up, "If you don’t explain clearly, I won’t go out." A sigh came from the phone, and An Yin heard it clearly. "Miss An, Mr. Bao is in the hospital." Assistant Lin said solemnly after a pause. "What happened to him?" An Yin asked anxiously. "Miss An, there are some things I can’t say, if you want to know, please ask Mr. Bao yourself." Conflicted internally, An Yin finally spoke slowly, "Could you park the car further away? Not right at the school gate." "Sure." Listening to her words implying she accepted to come out, Assistant Lin was pleased, "Uh, park at the usual spot?" As she walked out of the girls’ dormitory. The sky was overcast, with a light drizzle falling. She hurriedly made her way out of the campus, the roads were wet, and her white sneakers got damp from the puddles. Such things were the last on An Yin’s mind. Assistant Lin mentioned Bao Shaojin was in the hospital, was he sick? Or injured? On the path out of the gate, she wasn’t even aware that her brows were tightly knit, portraying a worried look, walking faster than she normally would. Arriving at the usual pick-up spot, she saw Assistant Lin leaning against the back seat. When she got closer, Assistant Lin deftly opened the car door, "Miss An." He nodded respectfully. An Yin hesitantly glanced at him, quickly getting into the car. Of course, being by Bao Shaojin’s side, everything was precise and meticulous, even after she told them there was no need for such formalities. As the car door closed, Assistant Lin walked around the car to the driver’s seat. When the car started, An Yin was fidgeting, watching Assistant Lin’s head, several times wanting to ask something.