What’s This Supposed to Be

"There used to be only me and Muside in the team who were still in school and therefore ineligible for the competition. Now that you're here, if you want to participate, just sign up!"

He Sixin gave a small smile. "If you've got any ideas, feel free to say them out loud. Muside and I will help."

"I do want to join," Shu Lanzhou bit her lip. "But I haven't come up with a creative angle yet. I need a bit more time."

"No need to wait. Sign up first." He Sixin pulled out her phone. "Leave the brainstorming to Muside—he's full of ideas."

As she spoke, she had already completed the registration on her phone and created a group chat.

A four-person group: aside from Muside, the other member was Professor Mu Yanning.

Right after the group was set up, she dropped a message in it to say they had signed up for the competition.

"..."

Shu Lanzhou was a bit stunned by her decisive and efficient style—and deeply touched at the same time.

She had only casually said she wanted to compete, and He Sixin didn't hesitate at all before signing her up!

Regardless of how things turned out, this kind of support alone was already enough to move her.

"Thank you, Senior. I'll do my best to come up with a great idea. I won't let the team down!"

He Sixin chuckled. "Alright, Muside and I are counting on you to carry us."

With that, she turned and left.

But Shu Lanzhou was still reeling inside.

She knew He Sixin had only been joking. She had just switched majors—everything was a fresh start. How could she possibly carry anyone?

But He Sixin didn't look down on her, not even a little. She kept encouraging her. How could Shu Lanzhou not be moved?

Just spending a single morning together, and already she felt wrapped in warmth. The kindness He Sixin showed her was something she had never felt from the five senior brothers she used to follow around.

It made her a little greedy for more of this warmth—and, at the same time, deeply grateful.

Grateful she had left Han Weicheng's team. Grateful she had chosen the "unpopular" field of acupuncture!

She turned and headed toward the cafeteria. Just then, a message popped up in their new group chat.

It was from Muside:

"Whose idea?"

Shu Lanzhou bit her lip and replied:

"Mine. I want to enter the competition. Is that okay?"

"Got a direction?" Muside replied in seconds.

Shu Lanzhou narrowed her eyes. A thought flashed through her mind.

It was something that, in her previous life, had emerged years later—a significant breakthrough in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The idea had suddenly hit her during a recent consultation. But she wasn't sure if their current team had the ability to carry it out. That was why she hadn't mentioned it when He Sixin asked earlier.

But now…

After a slight hesitation, she typed and sent her idea into the group chat:

"The application of acupuncture in clinical surgeries."

Silence.

A brief but palpable silence hung in the group chat.

Shu Lanzhou's heart skipped a beat. She wasn't sure whether the others would support her idea.

Just as she was debating whether to say something else, someone bumped into her shoulder.

Her phone was swiftly snatched out of her hand.

"What are you looking at so seriously?" Fang Ruoshi leaned down to peek at her screen.

Shu Lanzhou immediately grabbed her phone back. "Nothing. What are you doing here?"

"This is the cafeteria, obviously I'm here to eat." Fang Ruoshi shrugged.

"Come on, join us. The seniors ordered all your favorite dishes."

Shu Lanzhou stopped walking. "How did you know I was coming?"

"Lin saw you heading this way and messaged the group. She said you didn't reply to her last night and was worried you might be upset by what people are saying online. So we're here to cheer you up."

A cold smile touched Shu Lanzhou's lips.

"If she meant the private messages on the forum, I already replied. I don't need her concern, and I don't need your comfort either."

She shook off Fang Ruoshi's hand, making it very clear she had no intention of going with him.

Fang Ruoshi's brows creased.

"Don't you get it? Everyone's been worried about you. We can't control what people say online, but we've been trying to figure out how to make you feel better. And this is how you respond?"

"What—do you want to blame us for what's happened? Treat us like enemies?"

Of course you're the enemy.

Shu Lanzhou glanced at him. "Senior Fang, after all this time we spent together, what kind of person do you think I am?"

The "senior" she called him caught Fang Ruoshi off guard—it felt like the old Shu Lanzhou had returned.

Was she regretting things?

He perked up a little. "Zhouzhou, you're a good girl. Not just me, the other seniors all know it too. You're smart, kind, and hard-working. We all like you!"

"Is that so?" Shu Lanzhou looked at him calmly. "Didn't think you knew me that well, Senior."

Fang Ruoshi reached for her arm again. "Of course I know you. That's why we ordered all your favorite dishes. Come on, the others are probably waiting!"

"Got you an extra bowl of noodles. Want it?" A sudden voice cut in, and a figure stepped between them. Muside looked down at Shu Lanzhou.

She responded almost instinctively: "Yes."

She turned and walked toward the table Muside pointed to.

Fang Ruoshi tried to push past Muside. "What's your deal, Mu?"

"Buying noodles for a classmate. You deaf?" Muside's voice dripped with sarcasm.

Shu Lanzhou turned back to look at Fang Ruoshi:

"Senior Fang, actually, I don't like leafy greens. I prefer braised pork ribs. And when it comes to noodles—I like wheat noodles, not rice noodles."

"And that soup? I can't stand spicy pepper soup. I prefer winter melon and coix seed soup."

Du Yifan used to eat mostly meat to refuel after basketball practice. Shu Lanzhou would give him her meat and take his veggies without a word.

Guo Jialiang was from the south and always ordered rice noodles, never once asking what she liked. Eventually, everyone just assumed she liked rice noodles too.

And the pepper soup? That was Luo Jialin's favorite.

It had a strong smell. Every time he ordered it, the scent would cling to everyone. But he'd blame it on her, saying he only ordered it to please her, and now everyone had to smell like it.

Shu Lanzhou never understood it. It was just a bowl of soup—why not just own it? Why go so far as to shift the blame onto her?

He wasn't some celestial being untouched by the mortal world. Why act like he was above it all?

Ridiculous.

Fang Ruoshi could only stare as Shu Lanzhou picked up a big bowl of pork rib wheat noodles and began eating heartily—completely ignoring him.

And now he finally saw it—she didn't regret anything. She wasn't hurt or sad.

She really had made up her mind to follow Professor Mu's path.

Fang Ruoshi wanted to step forward and demand to know why. Why had she changed so much?

Why couldn't she just sit down and have a normal meal with them, like before—smiling, calling them "senior"?

Why had she become so distant, polite, even cold?

Anger bubbled up inside him. He stepped forward, but Muside blocked him. "Ever heard of the word respect?"

"I'm warning you—don't meddle in my relationship with Zhouzhou. What we have, you'll never understand. Now move."

Muside folded his arms across his chest, unmoving. "She ate my noodles. That means she listens to me now. If you want a word, get in line."

"..." Fang Ruoshi nearly choked on the absurdity of that logic. But deep down, he knew—there was no way Shu Lanzhou was going back with him today.

She was no longer the obedient, eager-to-please underclassman she once was.

She was someone else's teammate now. Someone else's junior.

Panic rose in his chest as he turned and hurried off to find Luo Jialin.

Muside sat down across from Shu Lanzhou. "You ate my noodles."