I have something I want to tell you...

Chapter 44: 

The person was sitting so high up and working that Fang Xue Ni couldn't do anything to him even if he wanted to. He could only focus on his swimming exercises and think about it. The little lifeguard seemed to handle the job effortlessly, probably because he had some underwater skills. Fang Xue Ni had been swimming for a while as well, but he didn't think he could compare to him.

Just contemplating this made him distracted. He watched Li Ting's slender arms and legs moving gracefully through the water, and the way the shallow blue pool water reflected his skin gave it a translucent quality. His waist moved gently with the waves... This wasn't a lifeguard at all; it was more like a mermaid.

No, no, no. His thoughts were getting out of hand again. Fang Xue Ni had to concentrate and return to reality.

Fortunately, Money-kun was there to supervise and urge him on in his competition. The head student not only completed his daily exercise routine but also swam several laps more than planned, as if he had taken some sort of energy supplement. When he looked up at the observation deck again, he noticed that the person who had been sitting there was no longer present.

Fang Xue Ni immediately became anxious and began to search around frantically. He spotted Li Ting walking down from the observation deck and standing at the edge of the pool, scanning the area with a serious expression. Their eyes met, and Li Ting started walking towards him.

Fang Xue Ni's mind was racing with questions once more.

Are you avoiding me because you don't want me to see you at Windy Branch?

Do you have feelings for me, too?

Is that why you've been checking up on me so frequently?

But when Li Ting finally stood in front of him, Fang Xue Ni found himself at a loss for words. He was too stunned to speak.

Just as Fang Xue Ni struggled to find his voice, a splash of water hit him in the face, soaking him from head to toe. He looked up to see Li Ting standing there with a casual expression, as if nothing unusual had occurred.

Fang Xue Ni considered doing something impulsive but then refrained. Instead, he merely stared at Li Ting with a blank expression, running his fingers through his hair to comb it back.

Li Ting slowly walked away, leaving Fang Xue Ni standing there alone.

At last, after what felt like an eternity, it was time for the sun to set.

Fang Xue Ni got out of the pool and wrapped a towel around his waist before heading toward the changing room.

He walked in the same direction as Li Ting, so it wasn't surprising when he saw Li Ting washing his hands at the sink in front of him.

Fang Xue Ni didn't rush to change clothes; instead, he stood next to Li Ting and washed his hands slowly. As they cleaned up, he suddenly spoke up.

"How did you end up working here as a lifeguard?"

Li Ting replied simply, "I just came."

Fang Xue Ni nodded and looked at himself in the mirror. "Do you have a lifeguard certification?"

Li Ting shook water off his hands and said, "From last year's exam."

Fang Huai Ning was about to ask again when a number of people surged into the restroom. Fang Huai Ning stepped back to give them space, and Li Ting also cleared the sink area, the two of them retreating to the back. Out of the corner of his eye, Fang Huai Ning saw Qian Kun coming in as well, looking around for him, but he still had things to say to the little scammer. In a moment of urgency, he pushed Li Ting into a small room behind them.

The door closed automatically. Inside was a shower space of less than two square meters. For one person, it wasn't exactly small, but with both of them—especially someone as big as Fang Huai Ning—the space felt a bit cramped.

Fang Huai Ning was surprised by his sudden action.

Out of habit, he took two steps forward, pressing one hand against the wall, effectively pinning Li Ting in the corner.

In contrast to Fang Huai Ning's tension, Li Ting's face registered only a brief moment of surprise before he quickly composed himself. There was actually a bit of space behind him, but he showed no intention of retreating, standing firm with his chin raised as he looked at Fang Huai Ning, eventually lowering his head slowly.

He lightly uttered two words.

"Wet."

Fang Huai Ning was stunned.

In a panic, he glanced down and noticed that droplets of water on his chest had pressed against Li Ting's shirt, leaving a wet patch on the lifeguard's T-shirt.

Fang Huai Ning hurriedly stepped back, his ears burning with embarrassment.

"Sorry," he said earnestly.

Li Ting stood there silently, regarding him with a mix of innocence and confusion. It was a very ordinary expression, but the close distance made Fang Huai Ning's heart race uncontrollably, matching the fluttering of Li Ting's eyelashes.

At that moment, he realized the torment he had endured over the past few days without the little money-grubber. He had been drawn to this person to the point that he could no longer hide it.

Fang Huai Ning could feel the intensity of his gaze, but Li Ting didn't seem to resist or feel scared; he continued to look at him calmly, a hint of a smile glimmering in his eyes.

In a daze, Fang Huai Ning felt that he had grasped something important and was about to speak without hesitation when someone knocked on the door behind them.

"Huai Ning? Huai Ning? Where are you?"

The breath Fang Huai Ning had just taken was suddenly released.

"Huai Ning... you little brat, don't tell me you left?" Qian Kun was searching room by room.

Fang Huai Ning took a couple of quick breaths and leaned closer to Li Ting. "I… I want to treat you to a meal. When do you have time?"

Li Ting raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

With Qian Kun calling out insistently, Fang Huai Ning reluctantly said, "I have something to discuss with you…" something that couldn't be said right now.

Li Ting remained silent.

Fang Huai Ning, rarely feeling impatient, pressed on, "Today?"

Li Ting shook his head. "No."

"What about tomorrow?"

Li Ting shook his head again. "Not possible, either."

"Then when…?" Fang Huai Ning's heart sank a little as he gritted his teeth. "Next week!?"

Li Ting pressed his lips together, watching the flickering light in Fang Huai Ning's eyes for a moment as if contemplating, and finally nodded.

"Okay."

Fang Huai Ning was about to feel happy when Li Ting added, "But I'll be busy next week, so we'll set a specific time later."

After saying this, Li Ting easily pushed past Fang Huai Ning and opened the door to leave.

At that moment, Qian Kun happened to brush past Li Ting, and a few minutes later, he saw Fang Huai Ning coming out of the same door.

Qian Kun was confused, pointing behind him and then in front, "Huh? How did you… just now he… you two…"

Fang Huai Ning had already sorted out his emotions. When he interacted with anyone other than Li Ting, he was always at ease. "I asked him to help with something."

Watching Fang Huai Ning open a clothing box to take out the clothes and then head back into the changing room, Qian Kun was even more baffled.

What could this person possibly need Li Ting's help with when he wasn't even dressed just moments ago?

Li Ting left the swimming pool directly after his shift, taking the stairs down to the first floor and turning into a restaurant called "September Private Kitchen." It wasn't mealtime yet, and both the waitstaff and the supervisor were resting. As soon as the supervisor saw him, he pulled him aside to sit down.

"How's it going? Are you getting used to the job after two days?" Tian Dian asked with concern.

Li Ting replied, "Pretty good."

Tian Dian slapped his thigh. "When I saw the job posting while going upstairs to use the restroom, I knew it'd be a perfect fit for you. This swimming pool is quite upscale, the membership fee is high, and there aren't many customers. The workload isn't heavy at all; it's much easier than the outdoor water parks you worked at before, right? I told you, scientists frequent this place, so the environment must be good."

Li Ting didn't respond, only looking down at his phone.

Tian Dian noticed that he had an incoming call, but Li Ting only gave it a brief glance, showing no intention of answering.

The phone rang for a moment before stopping, but after two seconds, it started ringing again, persistently.

Li Ting waited a little longer before pressing the hang-up button directly. When the caller called back, he hung up again, repeating this until the call was finally terminated.

When he looked up, he saw Tian Dian staring at him in shock. "You… finally figured it out?"

Li Ting was confused. "What are you talking about?"

Tian Dian pointed at the caller's name. "Li Han. You finally see his true character, right?" Over the years, whenever Li Ting got busy and might overlook his own calls, he would respond to Li Han, even if he was reluctant. Despite being such a troublesome kid, Li Ting was particularly tolerant of this younger brother, which sometimes made Tian Dian a little envious.

"I know you remember the small favors he did for you over the years, but you also need to consider what he's gained from you. It's not too late now; your life can move away from such extremes. Good days are just beginning," Tian Dian said with satisfaction, patting his shoulder.

Li Ting shrugged off his hand, put away his phone, and walked straight out of the restaurant.

However, after taking a couple of steps, he suddenly stopped, turning his head cautiously, scanning the area but not spotting anything unusual. Li Ting resumed walking, his expression pensive.

In the swimming pool, Fang Huai Ning successfully caught sight of someone, and he thought he had finally grasped the movements of the little cat. However, the next day, he arrived at the swimming pool on time, only to come up empty-handed again. He then went to the hyacinth area but still found nothing. After several days of missed opportunities, Fang Huai Ning, who had just regained some comfort, felt anxious again. He thought that even though Li Ting had agreed to his invitation, he was still deliberately avoiding him before they actually had a meal together, as if holding a grudge. This little cat was too clever; he truly couldn't see through him. When would he be able to confine him thoroughly so he couldn't escape anywhere? The more Fang Huai Ning thought about it, the harder it became to endure, and he secretly resolved to take action. … Li Ting indeed did not go to either place; instead, he returned to school and attended classes for a few days because midterm exams were approaching. His school might be shabby, but with an almost ninety percent attendance rate, Li Ting still managed to get by, all because his grades were acceptable and he rarely failed his courses. Regardless of the subject, as long as he applied himself, even if he couldn't be the best, he wouldn't be the worst. He wasn't someone who enjoyed failing; this applied to both his part-time job and his studies. After class, Liang Yu walked over and said to Li Ting, "Actually, the teachers this semester are quite reasonable.

They will outline the exam content. If you're busy, you don't have to come every day; I can keep a copy for you."

After saying that, she didn't hear a response. Liang Yu followed Li Ting's gaze and noticed the enormous bulletin board on the playground repeatedly displaying a notice— Professor Song Chuping from the Computer Science College of A University will give a lecture in our college auditorium today and tomorrow.

It was rare for such a prestigious professor to visit; the glaring red letters were particularly eye-catching. Liang Yu remarked, "The school is really generous. Given how underfunded our computer science department is, I doubt even two classes' worth of students could fill the auditorium. Inviting a professor from such a renowned university is quite an achievement."

Li Ting responded to Liang Yu, "You think it won't fill up?" "Of course it won't, which is why they keep announcing it, probably hoping students from other departments will come to support it. It's actually quite beneficial; professors from prestigious universities have extensive knowledge. Even if it's not directly related to their major, it's still worthwhile to listen to, and many students from our department want to attend."

Li Ting didn't say anything; instead, he suddenly pulled a bag out from his desk and handed it to Liang Yu. Liang Yu, taken aback, asked, "For… me?" Li Ting replied, "A token of gratitude." After all, she had helped him a great deal.

Liang Yu felt her heart skip a beat as she reached out to take it, squeezing it lightly. What could it be? After contemplating various unremarkable gifts, she quickly opened it with excitement after Li Ting stood up and left, pulling out a thick stack of discount coupons—some for the swimming pool and others for a bookstore. Liang Yu: "......"

Chapter 45: When Exactly? Z University is located in the northern corner of City A, nearly ten kilometers from the city center, making it a relatively remote campus. The surrounding transportation isn't very developed, so when Professor Song Chuping arrived at Z University in a car sent by the school, he was surprised to see Fang Huai Ning. "Hmm? What are you doing here?" Fang Huai Ning was standing there, looking at the Z University sign; he turned his head upon hearing the noise. "I came to find someone," he replied casually. "Who did you come so far to find? A girlfriend?" joked the little assistant of Professor Song, who was also Fang Huai Ning's senior. Fang Huai Ning didn't answer. There was also a teacher from Z University present, so Professor Song didn't chat for long. He asked Fang Huai Ning to come to the auditorium to find them when he had time and offered him a ride back to school in the afternoon. Fang Huai Ning agreed, and after Professor Song left, he headed towards the teaching building of Z University.

The university has been established for several years; it was previously a vocational school and only introduced its undergraduate program in the last decade. Currently, there are still many associate degree students, so the facilities in the teaching building are quite outdated, and the greenery is lacking, resulting in a somewhat drab appearance. However, Fang Huai Ning had no comparative thoughts; on the contrary, he felt that as long as he remembered that Li Ting studied and attended classes here, this Z University, though small, was quite pleasant—unlike A University, where attending a class felt as exhausting as traveling to the outskirts. After walking a bit further, he asked some students for directions to the Foreign Language Department, and they informed him it was on the seventh floor. Fang Huai Ning steeled himself for the climb to the top floor, thinking he would have to search extensively to find the person he was looking for. To his surprise, when he turned a corner on the stairs, he saw a familiar figure leaning against the window of a classroom at the end of the hall, talking to someone. Who else could it be but Li Ting? In front of him was a girl wearing glasses. Fang Huai Ning didn't catch the first few sentences. As he approached, he saw Li Ting handing a paper bag to the girl from the desk. Li Ting's expression remained calm, but the two words he spoke caused Fang Huai Ning to feel a lump in his throat. Li Ting said, "A token of gratitude."

Fang Huai Ning had frequently assisted Li Ting and received his gratitude, yet all he had received in return were a bowl of cold noodles, a bowl of seafood noodles, and a bowl of strawberries. At that time, Fang Huai Ning felt satisfied with the gestures, but now, gazing at the thick stack of papers in the girl's bag, he couldn't help but frown.

He looked at the excited expression on the girl's face and then at Li Ting as he left the classroom. Fang Huai Ning wanted to chase after him, but the iron gate in front of him refused to open. To get through, he had to run all the way down to the first floor.

Fang Huai Ning, clearly agitated, punched the iron door, spun around quickly, but when he went downstairs, Li Ting was nowhere to be found.

He had thought this Z University was quite user-friendly; he didn't expect it to catch him off guard so quickly.

Fang Huai Ning circled around the teaching building twice with no luck, pondering what to do next as he overheard several students nearby discussing Professor Song Chuping's lecture. Fang Huai Ning glanced at the time and turned his feet toward the auditorium.

In the office at the back, he found Professor Song Chuping, helping Professor Song sort out his notes. Fang Huai Ning then entered the auditorium first; there were still twenty minutes before the lecture was set to start, and more than half of the seats were already filled with students.

Note: Corrected spelling mistake 'Huaining' to 'Huai Ning'.

Fang Huaining chose a seat in the last row on the right side, took out his phone, and pretended to browse casually while surveying the entrance. As a result, the first group of students who entered immediately caught his gaze, and his good looks naturally sparked curiosity and speculation among many about when such a handsome guy had appeared at the school.

Fang Huaining waited until it was almost time for the lecture to start. The large auditorium was nearly full, yet he still had not spotted the person he wanted to see. It made sense; Li Ting wasn't in this field, and although he always looked at the e-books Fang Huaining created for him, he might not come to attend such a lecture. After all, he was very busy and could have left school to work somewhere far away.

As he contemplated this, Fang Huaining sighed helplessly, feeling that he might be making another wasted trip when he noticed someone walking in.

That person strode in confidently, not glancing in Fang Huaining's direction, and headed straight for a seat in the far left corner of the lecture hall. A pillar obstructed the view of Song Chuping at the front, so the area around that seat was relatively empty, with only a few students scattered nearby.

Fang Huaining's eyes lit up.

At that moment, Song Chuping stepped forward, and the lecture began. Although Professor Song was not yet well-established at A University, he possessed excellent foundational qualities as a scholar; he was young, cheerful, and humorous.

He quickly captured the students' interest. He lacked the sense of distance typical of someone from a prestigious university; his descriptive language was very approachable, and he seemed aware that many of those present were not computer science students. The entry point he chose was engaging and straightforward, immediately creating a lively atmosphere. While speaking, he pulled out a clip about pioneers in computer science to show the students, providing them with a more intuitive understanding of the topic he intended to discuss.

As the large screen on stage slowly descended, the room's lights dimmed significantly.

Fang Huaining had attended many of Professor Song's classes and had already seen this video hundreds of times. As he listened to the background sounds, he uncrossed his legs, stood up slowly, and began to move from the right side to the left in the classroom.

When he reached his intended spot, Fang Huaining set down the chair and chose the second-to-last seat.

Although the auditorium was quite dark, someone of such stature could not possibly be unaware of another person approaching, yet he remained focused on the front, not even casting a sideways glance.

Is he deliberately ignoring me?

What a capricious little cat.

The flickering lights cast shadows on the little cat's face, accentuating his striking features. Fang Huaining glanced at him a few times before slowly lowering his gaze to the other person's hands.

The little cat's fingers were slightly curled into a loose fist, resting gently on the armrest.

Fang Huaining turned his gaze back to the front, placed his hands on the armrest, and lightly scratched the wooden pattern with his nails. After two seconds, he slowly shifted to the side.

The distance between their hands gradually closed, and just when it seemed he could grasp that little fist, the previously quiet little cat suddenly spoke.

Li Ting asked, "Who's your idol?"

His expression was serious, and his tone didn't suggest a joke. Fang Huaining paused for a moment, looked up, and saw the screen displaying an introduction to the pioneers of computer science. He calmed his restless heart and answered, "Of course, it's Turing."

Li Ting asked again, "Do you think humans are more impressive, or are computers more impressive?"

Such a vague and childish question didn't seem like something a money-obsessed person would be interested in, let alone someone who would pose it in this particular setting, especially directed towards someone like Fang Huaining, who had strong professional expertise. A serious answer would invariably be lengthy and dull, while a non-serious answer would lack substance.

Surprisingly, after hearing the question, Fang Huaining felt a bit dazed, as if he had pondered for a long time before whispering, "Of course…it's humans who are more impressive."

Li Ting accepted the answer readily and continued, "Then what do you want to…"

This time, Fang Huaining didn't hesitate; he blurted out his response before Li Ting could finish.

"What do I want to be in the future? I want to be a computer engineer and create the most advanced human-like robots…"

Also known as highly intelligent robots…

After saying this, Fang Huaining turned to look at Li Ting in disbelief.

At that moment, the video on stage was nearing its end, and the auditorium lights came back on. Song Chuping returned to the center of the stage and continued speaking.

However, Li Ting did not continue to listen. He gently pulled back his hand, which was just a few millimeters away from touching Fang Huaining's, stood up, and walked straight out.

Fang Huaining stared at his retreating figure, still somewhat slow to react.

He was thinking…

When had someone asked him these three questions?

And he had answered in exactly this way.

He had said, "I like Turing, I want to be a computer engineer, and I want to create an amazing robot!"

Filled with passion, full of dreams, even naïve in that distant past… when had that been?

A fleeting memory suddenly flashed in his mind, but it was too quick for Fang Huaining to grasp. Nevertheless, regardless of the origin of that memory, how could Li Ting know these things?!

Thinking of this, Fang Huaining hurriedly got up to chase after him and seek clarification. However, just as he exited the auditorium, his phone rang from his pocket.

If it had been any other call, Fang Huaining would have definitely ignored it, but this number belonged to Ni Weinian's office.

With no alternative, Fang Huaining stopped and answered the call.

"Hello? Huaining?"

But it wasn't Old Ni on the line; it was his senior, Wu Yi.

"Where are you now? Aren't you at school?" Wu Yi's tone lacked its usual teasing quality and sounded quite serious. "The situation with the project I mentioned earlier has changed a bit. The big boss from the investment company wants to get involved after hearing about it; he's very interested in Lao Ni's project and might even contribute additional funding. However, he only has time in the next two days, so we need to set off a bit earlier. We'll leave from school first thing tomorrow morning. I'll book the plane tickets now; if you can, try to rush back today to manage your studies and other responsibilities. Then come over tomorrow to meet us, and we'll head straight to the airport."

After Wu Yi finished speaking, he didn't hear a response from Fang Huaining and asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Is there a problem you can't resolve?"

Fang Huaining looked at the empty road ahead, clenched his jaw, and forced out two words.

"No."

Chapter 46 What Are You Talking About?

Li Ting didn't find out about Fang Huaining's departure from A City until the following afternoon. On that day, he went to work at the Hyacinth cafe and encountered Wei Ping, who was working the afternoon shift.

Wei Ping occasionally glanced at Li Ting and, upon seeing him cleaning a corner by the window with a cloth, suddenly called out, "Hey, wait a minute, leave two seats here. My boyfriend and Fang Huaining will be coming over later."

Upon noticing that Li Ting didn't dispute her, Wei Ping quickly realized her mistake. She slapped her forehead and said, "Ah, I got it wrong. Just leave one; Fang Huaining isn't coming. He's gone on a business trip."

Li Ting paused in his cleaning.

It was a brief pause, but it was noticeable by Wei Ping. She added, "He probably won't be back for ten days or half a month. It's such a waste now that he's got a seasonal card."

Li Ting rolled the cloth in his hand without responding. He turned and entered the back work area.

Wei Ping watched his retreating figure, speculating about Li Ting's true feelings towards Fang Huaining. His reaction seemed somewhat affected, but not as intense as she had imagined. Could it be that Fang Huaining had genuinely caught his eye? Had the charming top student from the School of Management finally met someone who wasn't captivated by his charm?

…

Li Ting finished his shift on time that day and headed to the supermarket to buy some vegetables to cook for himself.

Tian Dian looked happily at the dishes being placed on the table and eagerly picked up his chopsticks to dig in. However, as soon as the food touched his mouth, his expression changed. He turned to Li Ting, who was serving rice.

"Sweet… pickled radish? Is this a new dish?"

He then pointed at the nearby green beans. "Using vinegar instead of salt for dieting?"

Li Ting took a bite, then set down the bowl with a grimace. "It's burnt; let's order takeout."

Tian Dian stared at his absent-minded roommate, his eyes darting around before he suddenly asked, "Do you remember the last time I burnt something?"

Li Ting tossed everything from the table into the trash can without looking up and replied, "When have you not burnt something?"

Tian Dian shot back, "That was the worst, the absolute worst time!"

Li Ting fell silent.

Tian Dian continued, "That was when I was heartbroken after breaking up with that jerk before I met Cai Yang… remember? I was so devastated that I ended up making several pots of garlic vermicelli, scrambled eggs with chives, and braised meat with onions…" Each dish had been charred beyond recognition, and the smell nearly suffocated everyone in the building.

Over the years, Li Ting and Tian Dian had weathered quite a few storms together. Li Ting was nothing like Tian Dian, who was so fragile. To put it dramatically, regardless of the upheavals in family, work, studies, or life, Tian Dian had never seen Li Ting lose his cool or become distressed.

His nerves were exceptionally robust. Therefore, when neither family nor friendship could disturb him, Tian Dian felt that the only thing left capable of making him absent-minded was…

Love.

The relationship expert struck again; Tian Dian said, "You may not be in a relationship to lose, but that doesn't mean you don't have a relationship to discuss. Li Zi, you have a problem…"

Li Ting didn't respond, but the clash of his bowls and chopsticks rang out sharply.

Tian Dian was taken aback; could it really be true?

If there was someone, who could it be that made Li Ting not come home at night and look so distraught?

Tian Dian might not have guessed anything else, but seeing Li Ting's expression, he sighed, "Li Zi, do you really like him a lot?"

Li Ting remained silent.

The takeout arrived quickly. After they finished eating, Li Ting took a shower and climbed into bed.

He held his phone and hesitated for a moment before opening the Farmville app. While waiting for it to load, he noticed a message popping up from a chat app. Very few people would message Li Ting; even when they did, he usually didn't reply, so everyone had grown accustomed to calling for a quicker response. As a result, Li Ting hardly used social media.

Seeing the message today, he hesitated for a moment and then tapped it open.

To his surprise, it was a message from Tian Da Kai, accompanied by a cheeky sticker that said, "I've seen through you."

Li Ting grabbed a book from his nightstand and tossed it upstairs without a second thought, unaware of where it would land and resulting in an immediate scream from the person above.

He ignored the noise and intended to exit the app when he suddenly noticed an update alert from his friend circle. He stared at the little red dot for a moment, then clicked on it.

He had added very few people, and among those who hadn't been blocked, the number was even smaller. So, a post from a few hours ago by someone with a lemon avatar appeared near the top of his homepage.

The post read: "Going to U City on a business trip for a few days, will be back soon."

The accompanying picture depicted a plane taken through glass, with a somewhat helpless expression captured in the frame.

Li Ting silently observed the reflection on the glass for a while before switching back to Farmville.

In addition to Ni Weinian, those heading to U City this time included a researcher from the institute, as well as two students, Fang Huaining and Wu Yi. Xu Miaomiao had originally been supposed to join them, but it turned out she might have to attend a social dinner. Old Ni deemed it inconvenient for a girl to go, so he didn't let her accompany them. The company they were investing in is a financial institution that treated them particularly well. As soon as they arrived at the airport, someone was there to take them to the hotel, where they had very nice rooms, surprisingly arranged with one room for each person.

After dropping off their luggage, everyone went out to eat.

The other party demonstrated considerable sincerity, fully aware that Ni Weinian is a prominent figure in this field. In truth, Old Ni didn't lack investors; rather, it was uncommon to find collaborators who genuinely understood the potential of his project. Consequently, he conversed with the other party until nearly nine o'clock, and they arranged to meet again the following day before retiring to their rooms.

Fang Huaining took a shower and finally had a moment to check her phone. When she opened her chat app, she found that the moments she posted before leaving in the morning had garnered numerous likes and dozens of comments. Most commenters expressed surprise at Fang Huaining appearing in her friends' circle, while others praised her for being able to discuss projects with the boss at such a young age.

Amid the flood of admiration, only Wei Ping stood out with a blunt comment: "You really spend lavishly."

Fang Huaining chose to respond to that comment: "I had no choice; does he know?"

Wei Ping happened to be online and replied swiftly. Wei Ping: "With me around, how could he not know?" Fang Huaining: "Is he angry?" Wei Ping: "Do you want him to be angry or not?" Fang Huaining thought for a moment: "Just a little bit angry." Wei Ping: "... You're done for." Wang Fuliang: "What are you guys talking about?" Zhao Bang: "What are you discussing?" Qian Kun: "What are you on about? Wife?" Wei Ping: "Yeah." Fang Huaining: "Um…" Qian Kun: "???" Zhao Bang, Wang Fuliang: "?????"

Without checking the chaotic comments that followed, Fang Huaining closed the chat app, took a moment to think, and couldn't resist opening her Little Farm.

To her surprise, she discovered that Li Ting's account had been updated, showing how many pigs and rabbits he had booked today, what vegetables he bought, and what takeout he ordered—each detail listed clearly.

After carefully reviewing the details, she opened the memo pad and found it filled with new entries as well. These were tasks that Li Ting needed to complete over the next two days, specifying what he needed to do and where he needed to go at particular times. It was highly meticulous, almost like a little kitten's personal diary. Fang Huaining felt a twinge of excitement in her heart.

What if... what if she had been in City A? What if these things had been written by the little kitten a few days earlier? Then she thought again—did the little trickster know that she would look at the Little Farm? When did he find out? Was he doing this on purpose to upset her? Why was he so mischievous yet so clever?!

The more she pondered, the more flustered she became. Fang Huaining couldn't help but press her finger against the memo pad. This was her first time leaving her mark on the little kitten's schedule. Fang Huaining selected the date two days later and typed out, word by word — "I'll be back." After thinking a bit longer, she also selected the week after her return and wrote the words "eat" twice.

After reviewing these notes several times, Fang Huaining felt quite satisfied. Just as she was about to close her phone, the words on the memo pad suddenly changed. At first, Fang Huaining thought she was seeing things, but after refreshing it, she indeed saw that two words had been added before "eat."

"Not free." "Not free for meals."

Fang Huaining's heart tightened; the first day was noted as not free. Refreshing again, she noticed that the second day also had the words "not free" added, followed by Saturday, Sunday… until only Wednesday remained, gradually marked out.

Fang Huaining waited for the refusal for the last day to appear, but after refreshing several times, nothing changed. She confirmed…the other party was indicating they were free on Wednesday? Fang Huaining instantly felt elated and carefully added a smiling emoji in the Wednesday column. After refreshing, the emoji was joined by a little rolling eyes face.

Fang Huaining couldn't help but reach out her fingertip to gently touch the screen, wondering how she had created such an expression pack back then. It was too adorable and so expressive.

After refreshing several times without seeing any further updates on the memo pad, Fang Huaining felt disappointed but thought that while playing together was enjoyable, over time, it seemed unsuitable for prolonged chats, and the little round face didn't seem to like using those chat apps. Shouldn't there be something added to this Little Farm?

The more she pondered, the more logical it seemed. Moments ago, feeling exhausted from a day of socializing, Fang Huaining had perked up energetically from her bed, grabbed her notebook, and immersed herself seriously in her professional work...

...

The next morning, Wu Yi spotted Fang Huaining in the restaurant looking sleepy and couldn't help but be surprised. "Wow, we're just here to fill the numbers and get acquainted with the investors; it's not yet time to put in heartfelt effort, right? You don't have to try so hard!" Fang Huaining rubbed her face and took a sip of her black coffee, mumbling to herself, "If I don't try hard, how can I catch the little kitten..." Wu Yi: "???" Soon, another busy day began. Fang Huaining followed Old Ni to the investors' company to learn about their development direction and cooperation intentions. In the evening, the investors hosted a lavish banquet for them. Old Ni actually didn't enjoy such gatherings and refrained from drinking, but they couldn't disregard the investors' hospitality. Instead of putting them in a difficult position, they exchanged a few simple toasts as a social courtesy. As a student, Fang still needed to show support for her teacher.

Wu Yi had a good tolerance for alcohol and managed to go through two rounds without changing color or missing a beat, while Fang Huaining struggled a bit; after her first drink, her face turned bright red.

Fortunately, everyone moderated their behavior, chatted for a bit, happily arranged the next meeting, and then said their goodbyes.

Fang Huaining was somewhat tipsy, but his mind was still relatively clear. After returning to his room, although he had only slept a few hours the previous night, the thought of returning to A City the next day to see the people he longed to meet made him even more excited. Just as he hesitated whether to continue revising his small farm or not, his gaze suddenly landed on an open suitcase nearby.

At the top were two books he had casually packed before leaving home, intending to flip through them when he was bored. One was "The Mysterious World," and the other was his diary from years ago, which he had brought back from his grandfather's house along with a science magazine.

Fang Huaining picked both of them up, and after a moment's thought, he leaned against the headboard and began to browse through the pages.