Chapter 139: Winter Break

Jiang Linyuan and Yu Songsong were eating desserts in the dessert shop, while on the other side, Jiang Zhiyao caught up to Su Muzhi.

"Wait a moment."

Jiang Zhiyao stepped in front of Su Muzhi and blocked her path.

"Hmm? Little sister, do you need something from me?"

Su Muzhi stopped and sized her up.

How surprising. If she had strong possessiveness, shouldn’t she be putting more effort into staying with Yu Songsong, who spends time with Jiang Linyuan?

"Do you like my brother?"

Jiang Zhiyao asked directly.

Su Muzhi narrowed her eyes and smiled:

"I'm not your little sister. Don't call me that. Call me Jiang Zhiyao."

Jiang Zhiyao said coolly.

"I want you to answer my question directly."

"Do you like Jiang Linyuan?"

"I do, very much."

Su Muzhi answered plainly.

"...How can you say that so easily?"

Jiang Zhiyao glanced at Su Muzhi:

"You just find him interesting, right? You think he's fun and amusing. After that playful feeling fades, will you still like him?"

"We've barely met a few times. How can you so hastily conclude a person's feelings?"

Su Muzhi stared at Jiang Zhiyao and countered.

At first she thought the girl was just someone who liked to make a fuss, but now, she had a few of his traits.

Sure enough, even if not blood-related, growing up together still leaves some influence.

"I've seen people like you before. You just want to play. You don't really care about his inner feelings, do you?"

Jiang Zhiyao deliberately said something derogatory, waiting to see how Su Muzhi would react.

Suddenly Su Muzhi reached out and lightly placed her hand on Jiang Zhiyao's shoulder, smiling:

"You should feel lucky you're Jiang Linyuan's sister."

"This time, I'll forgive you."

Prideful but not overly possessive? Seeing Jiang Linyuan with Yu Songsong, she didn't show strong reactions.

No, it felt more like she simply looked down on her.

Jiang Zhiyao watched Su Muzhi's demeanor and sketched a rough profile of her.

She was the most troublesome and most annoying kind of person.

Because Jiang Zhiyao knew clearly that someone like this would get along very well with Jiang Linyuan — not suitable as a lover, but overly suitable as a friend.

"You won't turn around and badmouth me to Jiang Linyuan, will you?"

Jiang Zhiyao asked again.

Pfft, where did this sister learn the little "green tea" tricks?

So cute.

Su Muzhi waved her hand casually:

"Hehe, I wouldn't do something like that. It's too low-class. Besides, with Jiang-classmate's personality, it would be weird if he believed whoever said bad things about you."

"...You surprisingly understand him."

Jiang Zhiyao said.

"But I still dislike you."

"Doesn't matter. You don't have many reasons to meddle between Jiang-classmate and me."

Su Muzhi said lightly:

"Hehe, or are you planning to keep sabotaging his romantic life? As a sister?"

She said this while looking at Jiang Zhiyao.

Maybe she was overthinking it, but... it was worth testing.

"Mind your own business about matters between us."

Jiang Zhiyao retorted stubbornly.

No way.

Su Muzhi was a little stunned by that reaction.

No way?

Even if not blood-related...

Hehe, if that's the case, this is really interesting.

Jiang Linyuan, you and your sister are both very amusing.

She suddenly looked at Jiang Zhiyao and said unexpectedly:

"Do you know Shen Wanyu?"

"I've heard of her. She's the Department Head of External Liaison for Jiang Linyuan, right?"

"Hehe, she's more than that. Do you want to meet her? I can help set it up."

"...Okay, thank you."

Hehe, so cute.

...

As January approached, the university's atmosphere grew progressively colder.

Christmas and New Year's were all swallowed up by the ruthless final exams.

Jiang Linyuan didn't wear a Santa hat during Christmas because none fit his size.

Valentine's Day could maybe be made up for with a consolation "lucky charm" hat.

During this period, the library and study rooms became the most crowded places.

Jiang Linyuan had been enjoying his "Overclocked Brain," finals were nothing, he easily sliced through them!

With free time on his hands, he shifted focus to the AI model Zhang Shuo had mentioned.

Seeing the prototype, he could only say, the future looked bright!

He founded a studio, bought the AI outright, increased funding, and waited for the hen to lay golden eggs!

Then he'd be a big boss too!

The External Liaison Department's final meeting of the term ended with the cold, merciless line, "See you next semester."

The staff rose to leave.

Lin Yilin glanced at the room and saw Shen Wanyu and Jiang Linyuan still sitting, so she didn’t leave immediately and asked:

"Senior and Department Head, aren't you leaving?"

Shen Wanyu glanced at her and said:

"I'll be here for a bit to sort the semester's outstanding staff awards and compile everyone's comprehensive evaluation scores for External Liaison."

"Oh, okay."

Lin Yilin nodded and looked at Jiang Linyuan:

"Senior, you'll definitely help with the work, right?"

Jiang Linyuan snorted:

"Wrong! The Department Head is helping me!"

"Mm, so the senior is responsible for even more then."

Lin Yilin had long learned Jiang Linyuan's personality and didn't believe his words for a second.

She didn't bother them then, picked up her bag, and left.

At the door she seemed to remember something and poked her head back, waving at Jiang Linyuan:

"Senior, see you next year."

"Xiao Yilin wants to see me? She can video call anytime."

Jiang Linyuan said.

Lin Yilin nodded, then noticed Shen Wanyu sitting there and shyly added:

"Department Head, see you next year too."

Shen Wanyu nodded:

"See you next year."

With Xiao Yilin gone, only Jiang Linyuan and Shen Wanyu remained in the room.

"Lin Yilin is a nice girl."

Shen Wanyu typed on her keyboard, eyes fixed on the screen, and said without looking up.

"She really is."

Jiang Linyuan nodded.

"Good that you think so."

Shen Wanyu said, then paused her typing:

"A few days ago, Su Muzhi brought your sister to see me."

Jiang Linyuan froze for a moment:

"When was that?"

"Last weekend, I think."

Shen Wanyu slowly raised her head and looked at him:

"Your sister is far more polite than you."

"Don't flatter and insult at the same time; Department Head."

"Fine, I just meant you're impolite."

Shen Wanyu said.

"What did you two talk about?"

Jiang Linyuan sat beside Shen Wanyu, automatically filtering out the Department Head's snarky criticisms.

"Probably about what kind of relationship you and I have, or something like that."

Shen Wanyu turned her face toward him:

"Your sister is excessively clingy."

"Isn't Guoguo also clingy toward you?"

"Guoguo is only in middle school, your sister is already twenty."

"Being clingy in middle school is also a problem, right?"

Jiang Linyuan said.

"Is it? As long as you know how it is in your heart."

Shen Wanyu sighed and brought up another matter:

"Have you recently started a company?"

Being judged again, speechless.

"I'm not following those things. Shen Pingyan told me."

Shen Wanyu said:

"He asked me to pass along a message: this voice cloning AI will be heavily regulated by the state in the future, since it involves personal privacy and such."

Jiang Linyuan asked.

"Why would you think that?"

Shen Wanyu said indifferently:

"This kind of thing is hard to regulate. Development is inevitable, but it shouldn't be wild. The industry needs a benchmark."

"Oh, so they want to recruit me?"

"You could say it's more like cooperation. Someone will come to you later. You just need to ensure the AI doesn't go out of control."

Future father-in-law is pretty supportive.

Vice Principal, look at him! Then look at you! Your spot as second father-in-law might not be safe in the future!

"Department Head, what are your plans for winter break?"

"Take my mother back to our ancestral home for a visit."

"What about your uncle's side?"

Jiang Linyuan asked again.

"I don't want to go, but it's hard to refuse."

Shen Wanyu pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly annoyed:

"My mother keeps hoping I will return to my ancestral roots. Yanjing cares about these things."

"Do you want me to accompany you?"

"You should first take good care of your sister."

Shen Wanyu put away her computer and stepped outside, leaving one sentence behind:

"See you next year."

Jiang Linyuan watched her walk away, then slowly tidied up the room.

For winter break he'd definitely return home with Haji Yao for New Year.

Just the two of them; that was a little headache-inducing.