Yu Jia was one of He Yan’s students. The girl had been frequently ill, often taking sick leave, sometimes disappearing for days. Just before summer break, she had even missed the final exams. So when she requested a leave of absence, He Yan wasn’t particularly surprised. Still, she remained cautious. “I’ll need to call Yu Jia to confirm.”

 She rummaged through the office drawer for the class contact list, but Fu Shenxing was quicker—he had already pulled up a number on his phone. Reaching across the desk, he offered, “I have her number. Here, use this.”

 He Yan hesitated for a moment before taking the phone. Her eyes briefly glanced at his hands—clean and slender, his fingers long and graceful. They looked like the hands of a scholar, not a criminal. Her fear began to ebb.

 She dialed the number.

 The ringtone rang for a moment before Yu Jia picked up. Her reply matched what Fu Shenxing had said earlier. She sounded nervous, her voice tight and uncertain. But nervousness before a teacher was common among students, especially those who were shy by nature.

 He Yan thought nothing of it. She asked a few questions about Yu Jia’s health, offering some gentle reassurance before hanging up. When she looked up, she found Fu Shenxing watching her with a faint smile—calm, composed.

 That face still unnerved her.

 She pursed her lips slightly and handed his phone back. “Mr. Fu, you’ll need to get the application form from the department office.”

 She led him to pick up the necessary paperwork and explained the additional materials required—a medical diagnosis, the doctor’s recommendation, and Yu Jia’s signature on the application. “Once you have all of that, bring them to me, and I’ll help you get approval from the school administration.”

 Fu Shenxing nodded and then asked, “Professor He, may I have your phone number?”

 He Yan hesitated. “You can reach me at the office.”

 Fu Shenxing smiled without pushing.

 Out of politeness, she walked him to the door. Just as they were about to part ways, he suddenly asked, “Forgive me, but do I look like someone you know?”

 She froze. He continued, “Someone who scared you, maybe? Someone who hurt you?”

 He Yan had always been mild-tempered and courteous, but right now, she wanted to snap, “What business is that of yours?” But her self-control stopped her. She raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance. “Pardon me?”

 Fu Shenxing smiled faintly. “I just said goodbye, Professor He.”

 She quickly shook his hand, pulling away the moment they touched. “Goodbye.”

 He didn’t say anything else—just turned and left.

 She was distracted the entire afternoon. Liang Yuanze called her several times to check in. Near the end of the day, he even drove to the school to pick her up.

 His presence reassured her. As she got into the car, she teased him, “What about my car?”

 “Leave it at school.”

 “How will I get to work tomorrow?” she asked with mock frustration.

 “I’ll drive you,” he replied in her exact tone.

 They both laughed. Then, after a moment of silence, she said abruptly, “Yuanze, I want to apply for a doctorate. I don’t want to stay as a counselor forever.”

 She only had a master’s degree, which wasn’t enough to become a lecturer at a university.

 Liang Yuanze supported all of her decisions. “Sure. Which school? Do you want me to help find you a supervisor?”

 She shook her head. “I’ll go back to my alma mater. I’ll ask my old advisor.”

 As soon as she decided, she called her professor the next day. The old man was delighted, immediately encouraging her to register for the next spring entrance exam. It was already September, and registration opened in October—suddenly, she had a ton of work to do and had to ask Liang Yuanze for help.

 The two of them worked together at night, sorting documents. One evening, Liang Yuanze suddenly turned to her with mock seriousness. “Yanyan, let’s try harder to have a baby now. If you get pregnant, you can take the entrance exam next year with the baby in tow. That counts as prenatal education.”

 She blinked, then grinned. That didn’t sound like a bad idea at all. They dropped their papers and climbed into bed—enthusiastic about “making life.”

 A week later, she received an unexpected phone call while running errands for her PhD application. The caller ID was unfamiliar, but she assumed it might be one of her students, so she answered.

 “Hello, Professor He.”

 It was a man’s deep voice, carrying a strange summer coolness. He Yan immediately stiffened. Her voice came out tight and unnatural. “Hello, Mr. Fu.”

 “You remembered my voice,” Fu Shenxing said.

 She didn’t want to make small talk. “Mr. Fu, when will you submit Yu Jia’s documents? The university requires leave applications to be filed within two weeks of the new semester.”

 “I just left your office,” he said. “Your colleague said she didn’t know when you’d be back, so I called your mobile. Yu Jia gave me the number.”

 Counselors were required to be on campus, but the rule wasn’t strictly enforced, and He Yan often left without filing leave.

 “I’m not on campus at the moment. But you can leave the documents at my office, if you don’t mind,” she suggested.

 “That’s not ideal,” he declined firmly. “I’m going on a business trip tomorrow and won’t be back in Nanzhao for a while. Professor He, could you come back now? I’ll wait for you at school.”

 His tone was no longer polite—it was more like a demand. But He Yan didn’t want to argue with a student’s relative, especially since she was technically in the wrong. After a moment’s thought, she relented. “Give me half an hour. I’ll head back now.”

 She drove straight to campus. Just as she parked behind the admin building, a burly man in a black suit stepped out of a nearby luxury car.

 “Miss He? Mr. Fu is waiting for you,” he said politely.

 That car was expensive. The suited man looked like a bodyguard. None of this resembled a typical student’s older brother. She hesitated, but walked forward anyway.

 As she approached, the backseat window rolled down, revealing Fu Shenxing’s handsome, indifferent face. He nodded slightly. “Professor He, right on time.”

 She stayed guarded, scanning him closely. Compared to the man from her nightmares, Fu Shenxing’s features were more refined—his eyebrows softer, his gaze less sharp. He looked well-bred and cultured. And yet…

 As if noticing her scrutiny, he said casually, “Just came from a meeting.”

 They walked to the office together. Along the way, he tried to make small talk. “You look very young. Just graduated?”

 She was already twenty-seven, had finished grad school four years ago. She didn’t care to chat and responded politely with a faint smile, “No.”

 She quickened her pace, even out-walking his longer legs. When she reached the stairwell landing, she realized he hadn’t followed. She turned to look at him.

 He stood at the bottom of the stairs, calmly watching her. “I’m not in a hurry, Professor He.”

 She felt embarrassed. She had overreacted. But she couldn’t help it. Just hearing his voice triggered her trauma. She was already exerting all her willpower just to speak to him normally without screaming or fleeing.

 She didn’t reply—only waited in silence.

 He ascended slowly, and as he passed her, he said, “I really am curious. Why are you so afraid of me?”

 “You’re mistaken,” she said softly. “I just have something urgent to deal with. That’s all.”

 He nodded, smiling faintly. “Apologies for making you come back on such short notice.”

 She forced a polite smile. “It’s part of my job.”

 The process went smoothly. The department head was home, and Fu Shenxing’s paperwork was all in order. Once the form was signed, she escorted him to the academic affairs office. On their way out, his car was already waiting at the curb.

 “Is the Academic Office far?” he asked. “Wouldn’t it be faster by car?”

 It was a bit of a walk, but she didn’t want to be in the same car with him.

 “I’ll drive separately. You go straight, turn left at the second intersection. I’ll meet you at the entrance.”

 Fu Shenxing agreed without argument. She retrieved her car from the rear lot and arrived to find him already waiting at the entrance—tall, handsome, attracting stares from passing students.

 They walked in together. The staff member on duty—a young woman—was clearly smitten. She kept stealing glances at him.

 “Who is he? So handsome!” she whispered, tugging He Yan aside.

 Fu Shenxing must’ve noticed. He glanced their way and gave a subtle smirk. The young woman nearly swooned. “Come on, He Yan! Do you have his number? Give it to me!”

 He Yan hesitated. She did have his number, but giving it out didn’t seem right.The staffer pleaded, “You’re married! Let us single folks have a shot!”

 “He’s just a student’s cousin. I don’t know him well,” He Yan replied with a mischievous smile. “Why don’t you keep his info as part of the leave application? When it’s approved, you can call him to come pick it up.”

 The colleague blushed. “Is that… appropriate?”

 She smirked. “It’s called doing your job.”

 Fu Shenxing finished his paperwork and looked over. He Yan straightened. “Anything else?”

 “Contact info for the guardian,” her colleague said.Fu Shenxing jotted down his number and handed it over, smiling faintly.