Chapter 244: Chapter 244

If it were the usual case, Shi Nian would probably not agree. After all, this is Kangchuan University, and if they had a quarrel on campus, it wouldn’t be good.

But tonight... she heard the gloom in Xiang Yuan’s tone.

"Okay, wait for me." She agreed, hurriedly getting up to change clothes.

Since she had just finished showering, she had no time to dress too formally or reapply makeup. She just grabbed a tracksuit, tied her still damp long hair into a bun on top of her head, and secured it with a hairband.

Upon leaving the room, she saw that Tang Yanqing and Zhong Kui’s chess game was still unfinished, and their match had even attracted others from the dorm to watch.

Not wanting to draw attention to herself, she tried to slip quietly toward the door. Jason, with a smile of admiration, was saying, "Look, Zhong Kui put so much thought into his strategy, but Professor T wasn’t even looking at the board; he was watching Zhong Kui’s face... From the subtle changes in Zhong Kui’s expressions, the professor knew that moving that piece was the right choice."

Everyone was amazed and quietly gasped in surprise.

Shi Nian inwardly praised Jason for "doing brilliantly," as objectively, he helped divert everyone’s attention, allowing her to slip smoothly out of 507.

The night at Kangchuan University was quiet and serene.

The autumn breeze came from afar across the artificial lake, bringing a slight chill and the moisture of the water.

The autumn breeze also blew the yellowing leaves, causing them to fall one by one on the large lawn, resembling flowers blooming quietly in the dark night.

Xiang Yuan stood in such cool night air, with a few leaves on his head and shoulders. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NovєlFіre.net

As she walked over, watching his tall figure cast in the lamplight, seeing the broad and smooth shoulders bearing the fallen leaves, and his slim waistline casting a shadow on the ground, Shi Nian couldn’t help but acknowledge that Xiang Yuan was indeed a handsome man.

If she could step out of their four-year marriage, if she could view him completely objectively, she might see even more of his merits.

"Hey, I’m here." She tightened her tracksuit jacket and walked toward him.

The process between her and him was one that bypassed a relationship and went directly into marriage. She couldn’t help but wonder if they had experienced a campus romance, what kind of scene would they first see each other in?

What she saw now seemed to fill in that gap in her imagination by some mysterious fate.

Xiang Yuan quietly watched Shi Nian as she leisurely approached from the dormitory building.

This woman was once his wife, with whom he spent four years, but it seemed only now he truly recognized her beauty.

The woman approaching him now had calm and determined eyes, no longer showing previous timidity and fear; four years had refined a slightly immature girl into a mature woman with a pearl-like luster. At 25, she was just beginning to exhibit her womanly charm, starting her journey toward confident elegance.

He had the chance to stand at this starting point, witnessing the beginning of her beauty; yet... perhaps he wouldn’t have the chance to see her continue walking down this path with confidence and grace step by step.

He struggled to smile and reached out his hand to her.

He was longing for a hug. But even if there wasn’t one, it didn’t matter; the extended hand also represented his current feelings.

—He had always been trying to move towards her, but somehow, the farther he walked, the more distant he became.

Shi Nian walked over, her hands in the pockets of her tracksuit jacket, quietly avoiding his hand. She looked up at him: "It’s so late, what’s the urgent matter you wanted to see me about?"

Xiang Yuan could only withdraw his arm sadly and sighed quietly.

There was indeed something urgent—Huatai Hall, Huangfu Huazhang.

And his father had earnestly instructed: "If you want to untangle this predicament, there’s only one person who can do it, and that’s Shi Nian. You don’t have to get a divorce; you don’t have to lose Huatai Hall, as long as you can persuade Shi Nian to help you plead with Huangfu Huazhang."

"Huangfu Huazhang cares greatly about her opinions. If she is willing to plead for you, even if it’s just a phone call, it might change Huangfu Huazhang’s mind."

"Xiang Yuan, perhaps no one in this world can sway Huangfu Huazhang’s heart, but there’s an exception, and that’s Shi Nian."

These thoughts entwined in his mind, circling repeatedly, each almost slipped out of his mouth given his past nature—

But what he finally said was: "It’s nothing, I just wanted to see you."

Tonight, Xiang Yuan seemed a little unusual.

It was as if he was no longer the Xiang Yuan from the two years when their relationship began to stalemate, but rather the him from when they first got married and were still in their honeymoon phase.

His words and laughter were gentle, his brows and eyes warm.

She smiled apologetically: "The dorm upstairs is a suite, it’s a place where many people live together, so I’m sorry, I can’t take you up to see it."

Xiang Yuan understood and nodded: "It’s okay, just seeing you is enough for me."

Shi Nian then took another step forward, raising her eyes to carefully observe his brows and eyes.

"A Yuan, you actually have something going on. Although we are legally separated, we are still people who can rely on each other. If there’s something, tell me, okay? Maybe I can help you."

For all the years in M Country, he handled everything for her. Finding a suitable nursing home for Mom, communicating all the details with the nursing home, hiring appropriate caregivers... everything was done by him. Though she once resisted his taking care of everything, now thinking back, how could her heart not feel a little gratitude?

If it weren’t for him, she and Mom might still be living in fear back home, never knowing when that person would come after them. With her own abilities, she might not have been able to protect Mom at all, let alone provide the kind of care Mom enjoys today.

Xiang Yuan gazed into her eyes, watching the tiny droplets forming in the clear depths of her eyes, feeling somewhat uncertain.

Were the tears because of him?

Or had he said something wrong again, making her sad?

He was truly awful, utterly unfit to be a lawyer, always unable to find the right words with her, always doing the wrong things.

He nervously wiped his palm on the seam of his trousers and then carefully said, "Really, I have nothing going on. I just wanted to come see you... seeing you makes me feel at peace."

Shi Nian scrutinized him, while secretly reminding herself that maybe she was just being overly sensitive.

Xiang Yuan avoided Shi Nian’s gaze, looking around the entire campus.

His eyes couldn’t help but fall on the campus police office on the first floor of the dormitory building, frowning as he asked, "Sean, did he die there?"

Shi Nian also sighed softly, turned back to look, and nodded: "Yes."

The place was once again brightly lit, with new campus police fully armed on duty. The students in the dormitory had also returned to their normal studies and lives, with no one even sparing a glance at that office anymore — people are good at forgetting, and in such tragic past events, being good at forgetting is a wonderful trait.

Xiang Yuan squinted his eyes: "...At that time, were you also scared out of your wits?"

Shi Nian smiled: "A bit, but not so much as ’scared out of my wits.’ At that time, I was more focused on helping the police quickly catch the culprit than on how scared I was."

A look of admiration flashed in Xiang Yuan’s eyes: "Truly brave."

Shi Nian’s cheeks felt somewhat warm. Although they had been married for four years, such praise, nearly reverent, was rare.

"A Yuan, you’re too kind. I’m a journalist, and I’m the daughter of a police officer, so I had to stand up."

The two of them stood there talking dryly, drawing the curious glances of passing teachers and students.

Whether Shi Nian wanted it or not, Nana had become a not small, not big celebrity on campus because of this series of campus murder cases.

Xiang Yuan noticed Shi Nian’s awkwardness and looked back outside the main gate: "On my way here, I think I saw a shop selling handmade ice cream. Can you treat me to one?"

Shi Nian generously nodded: "Sure. If we’re buying, let’s get two; how can one be enough?" She then walked on, giving a thumbs up: "Even though it’s your first time here, you’ve got a keen eye. Their ice cream is really super delicious. Sometimes when I have no appetite or can’t eat the cafeteria food, I come and buy ice cream. Eating two, and I’m full."

Watching her animatedly talk about campus life, Xiang Yuan couldn’t help but smile wistfully. At this moment, the streetlamp’s light flickered in her eyes, and her whole being, lit up by joy and contentment, was no longer the gloomy, grievance-filled her from before.

With the autumn wind gently blowing, the knot in his heart was miraculously untied.

The two sat together eating ice cream, the boy’s love for ice cream nowhere near as profound as the girl’s, so he managed only one and a half before he was full. In contrast, Shi Nian quickly finished two, and her eyes involuntarily fell on his unfinished half.

He couldn’t help but laugh: "Want it?"

Shi Nian was a bit embarrassed: "When I was a kid, if I left this much uneaten, my mom would definitely scold me for a long time."

He couldn’t help laughing: "Oh, so that ’Nian Nian’ is this ’recite’."

"It’s not!" Shi Nian’s face turned crimson, her eyes sparkling as she stared at him.

Xiang Yuan felt his heart racing again, as if he had regained the feeling of a first love.

Yet he slowly lowered his head, not handing the half ice cream to Shi Nian, instead just saying faintly:

"Shi Nian, let’s divorce."

[Second update in the morning~]