"Don't worry, Senior," Zhao Huanhuan giggled mischievously. "I'm smart—I'd never be the one to stick my neck out. I've only been spreading things quietly in private. No one knows it was me."
She scoffed, clearly indignant.
"I just can't stand it—how does a teacher like that still get to stay in the school? With people like him around, professors like Professor Chen, who truly care about their students, will never get a chance to shine."
"Don't you think so, Senior?"
Shu Lanzhou sighed softly.
"There are always those who quietly dedicate themselves to doing solid, meaningful work. But because they don't chase fame, they're often ignored by the public—and in the end, they suffer unfair treatment."
"If possible, I'd love to help promote them."
"But!" Zhao Huanhuan's tone dropped into something heavier. "Professors like them probably don't want fame. They just want to teach well. And too much attention from the public… well, that's not always a good thing."
"True," Shu Lanzhou agreed with some helplessness. Take the Mu family, for instance—they hated being disturbed by the media.
But in today's world, attention is king. Public opinion is a double-edged sword. If she wanted to go up against someone like Han Weicheng, she had no choice but to use it to her advantage.
Raising her brows slightly, Shu Lanzhou added,
"But for teachers who walk the right path and have nothing to hide, a little attention isn't necessarily a bad thing. They're not celebrities—it's unlikely the public would hound them constantly, right?"
"You're right," Zhao Huanhuan relaxed. "A bit of publicity won't hurt. No one's going to be breathing down a college professor's neck every single day."
—
After hanging up the call, Shu Lanzhou felt much lighter. She decided she would return to the university in the next day or two.
She had to face Han Weicheng sooner or later.
"You're sure about this?" Mu Side asked with concern when he learned of her plan.
Shu Lanzhou nodded. "I'm sure. I've done nothing wrong—why should I hide from him? Whether he gets dismissed or stays, I have to face him."
"Alright, I'll take you. But first," Mu Side turned to pick out an outfit, "we're making a stop somewhere else."
After a good night's rest, Shu Lanzhou was feeling much better. She raised an eyebrow when she saw the white shirt Mu Side handed her.
"What's this?"
"We're registering our marriage." Mu Side handed her the clothes with a smile.
"I don't want to wait even one more day. And besides, it's time people knew you have someone backing you. Even if it's just a piece of paper, it represents my status."
"Shushu, it's time you gave me a proper title."
Shu Lanzhou laughed, amused and touched.
"Alright then, let's go get our marriage certificate."
—
After leaving the Civil Affairs Bureau, Shu Lanzhou bought some candy and snacks. To keep it casual, she chose a variety—after all, she'd promised Zhao Huanhuan she'd bring her some treats.
They didn't plan to announce the marriage publicly, but Mu Side couldn't resist the urge to show off. Before they'd even left the building, their marriage photo had already made it into the group chat.
Close friends and family quickly caught wind of it, and a flood of congratulations came pouring in. Shu Lanzhou's heart swelled with excitement.
Looking at the bright red marriage certificate in her hands, she still felt like she was dreaming.
She was married.
To Mu Side.
The man who, in her past life, had seemed so distant and untouchable.
Once, Dong Anlan had asked her what love meant. Was her feeling for Mu Side more about gratitude, or genuine affection?
Without hesitation, she had said: she had always been moved by Mu Side.
If it were just gratitude, she wouldn't have trusted him so easily from the beginning. The truth was—she'd fallen for him from the start.
Mu Side parked the car outside the school gates.
"Go on in. Call me if anything happens. I won't go in with you."
"Okay. Get back to the company—you're already late." Shu Lanzhou waved at him before getting out, her arms full of snacks.
As luck would have it, she hadn't walked far when she ran into Han Weicheng.
He looked neat and spirited in his suit, as if untouched by the recent scandals or his hospital stay.
He smiled at her warmly.
"Shu Lanzhou, hello! I didn't expect you to be so talented—even livestreaming yourself writing three papers in one night. Impressive!"
"Professor Han, you flatter me. I'm nowhere near your level of scholarly achievement," Shu Lanzhou replied with an equally polite smile.
This kind of surface-level civility was exhausting. Such a hypocritical performance—it was just sad.
Shu Lanzhou stepped to the side, intending to walk away.
"Of course I'm ahead of you," Han Weicheng sneered.
"Don't think a few papers are enough to erase my decades of academic accomplishments."
"I merely let my guard down and gave a student like Lin Muyao an opening. That's hardly a grave sin. I'm not one of those professors who consistently ranks at the bottom in teaching evaluations."
"And don't think just because you've got Mu Yanning behind you, you can easily push me out. This university isn't the Mu family's private backyard!"
Originally, Shu Lanzhou had planned to let it slide. They'd soon find out whether he was staying or leaving anyway.
But now… that didn't seem possible.
"At a time like this, you're still trying to shove the blame onto Lin Muyao? Don't you feel even a little guilty? Sure, she was in the wrong—but without your indulgence, would she have dared to act so recklessly?"
"Lin Jiayi should really see you like this. I wonder if she'd still defend you at the research institute."
Han Weicheng's eyes narrowed.
"What did you tell her? Shu Lanzhou, you've got a vicious heart, don't you? All that obedient, respectful behavior before—it was fake, wasn't it?"
"Are you using the same tricks on the Mu family? Aren't you afraid that once they see your true colors, they'll toss you aside like trash?"
"The Mu family's not as tolerant as I am. You really think they'll let you stay in Shen City after this?"
Shu Lanzhou laughed, too angry to hold it in.
"Did you forget? Weren't you the one who kept saying the Mu family was using me as a tool? And now you're claiming I'm fooling them with a fake persona?"
"Your attempt to sow discord is just laughably weak."
"You want to know what I told Lin Jiayi?" Shu Lanzhou smiled coldly.
"I told her that if you could cast aside your own daughter, you'd certainly discard her someday too."
"Professor Han, you say Lin Muyao only slipped through because you were momentarily careless. But what if I told everyone that Lin Muyao is your daughter?"
"What do you think people would say? How would Luo Jialin and those other students you used react?"
Han Weicheng's face turned pale.
"Stop spouting nonsense! She's not my daughter—not at all!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Shu Lanzhou looked at him with mockery.
"Who knows? It's not like you can just whip out a DNA test in front of the public, can you?"
"You've used public opinion to protect your reputation—I can do the same. Unlike the Mu family, I'm not so kind. I won't let you keep hopping around unchecked."
"I have no problem dealing with the media. I'm just a student—how could my reputation possibly outweigh that of a 'respected professor' like yourself? Who's to say who'll come out on top in the end?"
Han Weicheng laughed in anger.
"So this is the real you! Let's see, shall we? Let's see who gets the last laugh, and whether you really have what it takes to get me kicked out."
"You're still too young, Shu Lanzhou. A bit of talent doesn't mean you can be arrogant. In medicine, it's real skill that counts. And you think you can surpass me? Dream on!"
Shu Lanzhou grinned.
"Why, Professor Han—are you planning to govern my dreams too?"