Chapter 16

Grace let out a heavy sigh, "There's no way I'm getting married and having kids in the countryside."

Lily echoed her sentiment, "Me neither. Just the thought of it makes me feel trapped."

Their conversation then shifted to Sophia.

Grace laughed and asked Sophia, "Hey, Sophia, when are you and Henry getting married?"

Sophia blushed at the question, "What are you talking about? Henry and I are just good friends, not what you're thinking."

Grace didn't believe her, continuing to laugh, "Do you think we're blind or stupid? Anyone can see the way you two look at each other."

Sophia climbed into bed, trying to cover Grace's mouth, "Enough, go to sleep."

Grace pushed her hand away and continued, "I'm serious. Henry is such a charming guy. He's the kind of man who attracts girls but is hard to keep loyal. You better make sure to hold onto him, or someone else will."

As they laughed and chatted, Summer remained silent.

She wasn't asleep; she was lying there, deep in thought.

She wasn't thinking about Sophia and Henry but about the times they were living in.

They had been talking about spending their lives in the countryside.

Summer had thought the same way, believing that the policies were set in stone and most people, like them, were stuck in the countryside.

But now, her mind was filled with the contents of a novel.

According to the novel's background, their society wouldn't stay the same forever.

Soon, many policies would change.

The college entrance exam system, which had been halted for ten years, would be reinstated. Everyone could take the exams and go to college. Those who had been sent to the countryside would no longer be restricted and could return to the cities freely.

Then came the "reform and opening up" period.

Society would undergo earth-shattering changes.

At that time, doing business wouldn't be considered a crime. Entrepreneurs could openly exist, and many unemployed people could find ways to make money through business.

Among these entrepreneurs, some would become wealthy first, giving rise to the term "millionaire."

And as policies gradually loosened, society would develop rapidly. Skyscrapers would rise, many people would live in apartments and use telephones.

Later, computers and mobile phones would become ubiquitous, and colorful cars would fill the streets.

In addition to green trains, faster high-speed trains would appear on the tracks, and air travel would become very convenient.

All of this was beyond Summer's imagination.

With her current knowledge and perspective, she couldn't envision what that would be like.

The events described in the novel hadn't happened yet, and she hadn't experienced them.

Trying to imagine them based on descriptions alone seemed too exaggerated.

Thinking about it too much felt like a fairy tale.

But no matter how unimaginable, they would happen.

So she wondered if, when the country kept introducing new policies, she could also catch this wave of progress and make a name for herself, becoming one of the first to get rich.

In the novel, it was Logan and Henry who caught this wave.

And Henry was able to do so because she had given him all her assets to start his business.

Thinking about this made Summer feel frustrated.

If she had the capability to start a business, why didn't she do it herself? Why give her resources and opportunities to Henry?

Was being the woman behind a successful man the only way for a woman to succeed?

She didn't want that kind of success now. It was a deceptive success.

Summer turned over in bed, facing the wall.

Although there were many things to consider, some things were too early to think about, so she refocused on the immediate issue.

The most pressing matter was to find a way to break free from the constraints of the novel's plot.

If she didn't solve this, everything else would be pointless. No matter how unwilling she was, she would still follow the predetermined storyline.

So.

Starting tomorrow.

She would shamelessly stick to Logan.

***

The next day.

Summer was still the first to get up in their dormitory.

As she took her toiletries and headed out, Logan was also coming out from the opposite side.

They didn't greet each other but went to the well to wash up.

They didn't speak, brushing their teeth and washing their faces in silence, then returning to the dormitory together before heading to the kitchen to make breakfast.

Today's breakfast was even simpler, just heating up some water to steam the buns and eating them with canned food.

Logan finished steaming his buns first, took some hot water, and sat down at the table to eat.

Summer followed suit, placing her steamed buns into an empty bowl.

With a can of food and chopsticks, she hesitated slightly before sitting across from Logan.

Logan looked up at her in confusion, "What are you doing?"

There were three tables in the kitchen, and during their previous meetings, no one, including Summer, had ever sat at the same table as him.

Summer cleared her throat and said seriously, "We finished cleaning the school yesterday, so we can officially start enrolling students today. I wanted to discuss with you how we should go about it."

Logan continued eating, "Don't lump us together. You do your thing, and I'll do mine. Let's not get in each other's way."

Summer looked at Logan for a moment and then asked, "Do you really not want to work with me?"

Logan replied bluntly, "That's right."

He had no desire to work with someone who couldn't think clearly.

Summer looked at him, her tone slightly comforting, "Then you'll have to bear with it for now."

Logan paused, looking up at Summer.

He had expected her to take her bowl and move away from him, but instead, she said this.

Summer met his gaze, and regardless of what he was thinking, she smiled sincerely at him.

Logan: "..."