With Old Master Mu gone and the old lady long retired, Mu Yaning clearly lacked the capability to carry the family, and now Mu Side had gone and chosen such an obscure field—looked like the Mu family was on its last legs.
That brat actually dared humiliate him? Let him enjoy his moment. One day, he'd make him pay for it.
"You don't need to pretend to care. I'll take my leave right now. Just pray that when you see your grandfather again someday, he won't hold this against you!" Han Weicheng snarled, his gaze piercing into Mu Side.
The old bastard. What a venomous curse! He was basically wishing Mu Side an early death.
Shu Lanzhou's lips curled in mockery.
"Whether he'll hold a grudge or not… well, I suppose that depends on whether you ever get to see him again, Professor Han. Not sure you'll be lucky enough for that."
As she spoke, she pointed first to the sky—then toward the ground.
It was a shockingly disrespectful thing to say to someone who used to be her professor, borderline blasphemous.
But Mu Side couldn't help the rush of satisfaction he felt. Shu Lanzhou was the only person who dared curse her former teacher to hell—and do it to his face!
"You—!" Han Weicheng raised his hand in fury, but the Mu family's security had already stepped in.
He took a deep breath, forcibly swallowing his rage.
"I won't stoop to the level of kids like you. The farewell ceremony for Old Master Mu is solemn and dignified. Shu Lanzhou, mind yourself."
Watching Han Weicheng storm off, Shu Lanzhou turned to Mu Side.
"What did he mean just now? Trying to make it sound like I disrespected Old Master Mu?"
"Don't mind him. Come, I'll take you to see my aunt," Mu Side said casually.
The aunt he mentioned was none other than Professor Mu herself.
Until yesterday, Shu Lanzhou had no idea about that connection—she hadn't even known that He Sixin was Professor Mu's daughter.
She shook her head. "I don't think I should. I only came today to pay my respects—I don't want to intrude. I know you must all be heartbroken, and I'm not good at comforting people."
"There are a lot of guests today. You'll be busy enough without me in the way."
Mu Side looked down at her. When he first met Shu Lanzhou, he'd noticed how malnourished she looked—unhealthily thin, her face pale like paper.
She used to trail behind Han Weicheng's students like a little shadow, timid and silent, as if a single loud noise would frighten her into tears.
Who would've thought that this once skittish girl would have the guts to leave Han Weicheng's team, pursue a niche discipline, and even stand up for him—by cursing someone out?
It was… refreshing. And honestly, kind of adorable.
Mu Side wasn't in a good mood. His grandfather's death had cast a shadow over the entire Mu household. But now—somehow, he felt a little better.
If even Shu Lanzhou could take that difficult first step, why couldn't he? Why couldn't he carry the Mu family forward?
He wouldn't let his grandfather down. He refused to.
Raising a hand, he gave her head a quick pat. "See you in a bit, then."
He walked off before she could even react.
Not long after, Shu Lanzhou stepped into the mourning hall. It was finally her turn to pay her respects.
After offering her silent condolences, she turned—and saw Mu Side standing in the family line, waiting to return her bow.
Meeting his eyes, red-rimmed and weary, she felt like she should say something.
But in the end, she only managed two words. "Senior…"
"Got it. Thank you," Mu Side replied softly, as if he understood what she meant. He gently patted her shoulder.
Professor Mu, standing nearby, looked at her and said warmly, "You're a good girl. Thank you for coming."
On the way back, Shu Lanzhou was more heartbroken than she'd ever been.
She had grown up eating "a hundred family meals"—but not in the way people usually meant.
The villagers all avoided her, saying her mother had run off after giving birth. Out of pity, the village chief forced each household to feed her for a day at a time, rotating the responsibility.
Everyone was poor, and even if she didn't eat much, nobody wanted her.
She'd only been allowed to attend school because she had threatened her life in front of the village chief. In exchange, she had to work to pay her tuition—washing clothes, cooking, feeding pigs, herding cattle. She'd done it all.
She'd never known real love, so she couldn't fully understand the pain of losing someone close.
Even after living two lifetimes, she still couldn't truly grasp it.
But for some reason…
When she saw sorrow in Mu Side's usually calm eyes, her heart clenched tight. A wave of emotion crashed down on her, threatening to drown her.
So this is what it feels like… to lose someone you care about.
It wasn't a good feeling at all.
Holding her chest, she boarded the bus back to school.
That afternoon, Shu Lanzhou returned to her dorm, still feeling heavy-hearted.
Ding Yuejiao looked at her worriedly. "What's wrong? You look so sad."
"I don't know… I just saw Mu Side's expression and couldn't stop feeling upset." Shu Lanzhou rubbed her chest again.
Ding Yuejiao immediately got it. "I knew it! Our Lanzhou is the kindest little sweetheart in the world—can't bear to see anyone else in pain!"
"I'm not!" Shu Lanzhou shook her head firmly. "I was cruel to Luo Jialin and the rest."
No forgiveness for those people.
Pfft—Ding Yuejiao burst out laughing. "You're too cute! That's exactly right. People who treat you badly deserve no mercy."
"I've got class in a bit," she added, grabbing her bag. "Don't sit in here sulking, alright? Go out, get some air. A lot of people are grieving for Old Master Mu, but that's life. No avoiding it."
"Instead of being sad, study harder. You're learning the Mu family's medical teachings now—if you master them, that's the best way to honor their legacy. I'm sure Old Master Mu would be proud."
Shu Lanzhou felt genuinely comforted. "You're right. I won't be sad. I'll study hard and not embarrass Professor Mu."
"I'm off!" Ding Yuejiao waved and headed out.
As soon as she left, Shu Lanzhou spotted a forgotten toy under the desk—a wooden puzzle rabbit. Once completed, it stood upright on its own.
She was born in the Year of the Rabbit. This had been a birthday gift from Fang Ruoshi.
She used to love that rabbit.
But now, just looking at it annoyed her.
Picking it up, she left the dorm.
Near the dorm entrance stood a massive trash bin, often filled with discarded bouquets and oversized teddy bears—offerings from failed confessions.
Shu Lanzhou looked down at the rabbit in her hand and gave a bitter laugh.
She had spent years with those so-called "brothers" who always claimed to treat her like a sister. Yet none of them had ever given her a birthday gift worth over 100 yuan.
They were masters of pretending that "it's the thought that counts"—yet on their birthdays, they always picked out their own gifts and made her pay for them, saying it saved her the trouble of choosing.
Looking back, the cheapest gift she'd ever given was a 300-yuan game card—for Guo Jialiang.
Years later, she'd learned that he had sold it for 500 yuan.
She had been the poorest of them all—her clothes threadbare, her meals the cheapest combos she could find, never buying new toiletries unless she absolutely had to.
Yet they never seemed to see that. They used her, bullied her, took from her.
Her time, her energy, her talent—devoured.
All she got in return was the empty title of "Professor Han's student."
And in the end, even that was ripped away from her by the very people who once claimed to care.
Standing in front of the trash bin, she raised her hand and tossed the rabbit inside.
She turned to leave—
And found herself face to face with a stunned Fang Ruoshi.