Chapter 2, Evening Breeze

She lowered her eyes, her gaze unfocused as it fell upon the back of her hand

She was startled for a moment, "... ... um, the proposal report is due in November"

Only then did I understand what Chen Zhiyu intended to do, and I quickly opened the PPT

After a moment of waiting, Chen Zhiyu replied with two words: did not do

Chen Zhiyu occasionally opened his eyes to glance at her, said nothing, and then closed them again

On Thursday, Su Nan received an email notification from Chen Zhiyu that the afternoon class was canceled, and promptly shared this news in the WeChat group

Chen Zhiyu rested his hands on his knees, slightly hunched over, his voice somewhat hoarse, "The report consists of three parts..."

She is somewhat contradictory; she cannot tolerate criticism from others, yet she also adopts a defeatist attitude, believing that it is only natural for others to criticize her

The backpack behind her felt like a heavy weight pressing down on her, causing her frail body to bend slightly, while her slender shadow stretched long under the streetlight.

She let out an "oh" and opened the Word window

Jiang Mingqian nodded, "Sister Han said we still need someone to do miscellaneous tasks, and I am the only male in the sect, so I should take the initiative."

In a moment, she realized: Teacher Chen, are you unwell

This statement carries a somewhat confrontational tone

At the preparation meeting the next day, Su Nan saw his junior apprentice again.

At 8 or 9 o'clock in the evening, this road is precisely at its liveliest.

Half an hour later, Su Nan finished the PPT, turned to look at Chen Zhiyu, and, unsure if he was asleep, gently called out, "Teacher Chen."

Chen Zhiyu slowly raised his eyes and said, "Hmm"

Is there no issue you wish to research?

She pressed her lips together

Chen Zhiyu was slightly taken aback, glanced at her, smiled, and said nothing more

Sit. I will dictate.

Her financial situation is not very good, so whenever there are opportunities for subsidies in the institute, Lin Han always encourages her to take advantage of them. In this regard, the teacher-student relationship, which carries a certain level of authority, has made her feel much more at ease.

Chen Zhiyu glanced at her screen and said, "Write it down first, and we will deal with it later"

Even after collecting the PPTs from other teachers, I remained restless

In an instant, she suddenly came to her senses, looked up at the IV bag, which was nearly empty, and quickly stood up. She waited for the medication to finish dripping and pressed the call button to summon the nurse

It is best to go to the nearby Dancheng People's Hospital

Teacher Chen has praised you to me, saying that you are diligent in your work

Jian Mei's "April Rips the Silk"

There is no need to rush; I can think it over when I return—perhaps I can also have a discussion with Teacher Chen, as he is well-versed in the history of communication studies

Su Nan did not leave immediately; instead, he sat aside, starting to work on the PPT while unconsciously keeping an eye on the infusion in the IV drip.

On that afternoon when I returned, inexplicably, there was a feeling of life being tightly embraced, a mix of pain and joy

To Chen Zhiyu, after hesitating for a moment, I sent a WeChat message.

Su Nan felt a bit confused, but still sat down beside and opened the laptop

She hesitated for a moment, closed the notebook, and said, "Are you feeling better?"

For more than a month, Su Nan served as his teaching assistant. Every time he attended class, he was dressed in a shirt and dress pants. Sometimes he wore frameless glasses, but today, seeing him in a gray cotton t-shirt is the first time.

After a while, when the IV fluid was finished, the nurse came over to remove the needle from Chen Zhiyu

The meeting has not yet started, he is leaning on the table with headphones in his ears

Su Nan put the notebook back into her backpack and walked out of the hospital together with Chen Zhiyu, who lived in an apartment in the family area and was heading in the same direction as her

Subconsciously picking it up, I took a look and saw a message from Chen Zhiyu: Bring the notebook and come to the emergency infusion room at the People's Hospital

Amidst the lush leaves, a corner of the night sky is revealed, allowing the light to shine through

After chatting for a while, they set the time for the gathering of their peers. Lin Han sent off three new graduate students and stayed with Su Nan, asking her if she had any ideas for her thesis topic—at Dan Cheng University, students in the journalism department pursuing a master's degree must start their thesis topic in the second year alongside those in the professional master's program.

He sat casually, and because of his long legs, the narrow aisle appeared particularly cramped

Two girls and one boy, two junior sisters, one tall and one short, both wearing glasses, quiet and reserved, clearly the type that Lin Han prefers; the junior brother is very tall, when he stood up to pour water for everyone, Su Nan estimated that he is at least 1.85 meters tall

Chen Zhiyu glanced at her and said, "Last time I mentioned that you have no reverence for academia, that statement was incorrect"

Let it be as it is

She opened her notebook, reviewed the PowerPoint presentation she had just created, and then opened a new document

His complexion is poor, looking somewhat haggard. His skin is pale, and the dark circles under his eyes have become increasingly pronounced

Lin Han stood up and went to the office to get a form. "The school is holding a forum on Saturday, and I am one of the hosts. We need two students to volunteer, you should go. Come to the college office tomorrow after class for a preparatory meeting."

What are you preparing to do

"It's nothing, this is what I should do..." She saw Chen Zhiyu stepping towards the teacher's dormitory and quickly answered the phone

On the Monday following the National Day holiday, Su Nan went to Lin Han's office to meet the three newly recruited graduate students.

The southern region of Jiangsu stands with its head bowed by the roadside

"Every year, so many people graduate, but not all of them are suited for academia." I couldn't help but mutter softly.

Su Nan was taken aback

... ... is completed, please check it.

Your attitude towards work is commendable, but perhaps just one thing: you are indeed not particularly suited for academia

She did not ask why, simply replied with a "good" and hurriedly changed her clothes, slinging her laptop bag over her shoulder and heading out

Su Nan took a glance and indeed, Chen Zhiyu must be present

In October, the weather begins to cool slightly, marking the best time of year in Dancheng. Upon waking in the morning, one can smell the fresh moisture in the air, with a clear blue sky overhead

Chen Zhiyu remained indifferent, letting out a soft "hm" before closing his eyes again

The infusion room was overcrowded, and after tiptoeing for a while at the entrance of the Su Nan station, I spotted Chen Zhiyu's figure in a row by the window.

After taking a look, I noticed there was an empty seat next to him, so I walked over and sat down

It was only then that Su Nan realized that Chen Zhiyu's class cancellation on Thursday was likely due to illness. Given the severity of the situation, she was unsure what the illness could be. This matter was beyond her control, but it seemed she should inform Lin Han—yet she thought again, perhaps Lin Han already knew.

As he entered the school, Su Nan's phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out to take a look and then raised his head to look at Chen Zhiyu, "... ... Teacher Chen ... ..."

After a moment of reflection, Su Nan recalled that his name was Jiang Mingqian, a rather unremarkable name that is not easy to remember after hearing it just once

Lin Han, after assigning the teachers from other schools, noticed that there were still five teachers from his own school remaining. With a decisive stroke, he allocated them to Su Nan, saying, "These five do not require accommodation; you are responsible for them."

It takes only ten minutes to walk from the school to the People's Hospital

She plans to wait until 10 o'clock, and if Chen Zhiyu does not contact her by then, she will discuss this matter with Lin Han

Chen Zhiyu spoke clearly and concisely, finishing in no time. Then, he leaned back slightly and closed his eyes

Chen Zhiyu slowly opened his eyes

She quietly turned her head to glance at him

Chen Zhiyu came to a stop, his voice calm, "I will be going back now, thank you for today."

Holding the phone, unsure of what to do, just as I was about to ask Lin Han for advice, Chen Zhiyu sent a message: Is your school hospital reliable

The Bozhi Forum, organized by the Danda News Institute, is an annual event lasting two days, attended by renowned scholars from various fields of major universities.

Jiang Ming also smiled and said, "It is a privilege to serve the senior sisters, something one could only wish for."

Hurry over, "Teacher Chen"

Did Sister Han call you here

Su Nan made a sound of acknowledgment and said "good"

Su Nan took the form, glanced at the schedule on it, and nodded in agreement

The warm yellow streetlights cast their glow, shrouded in swirling smoke, while the air is filled with the aroma of food—scallions, tofu, and heavily oiled chili... Pedestrians come and go, and an elderly couple walks by, holding their dog's leash...

At the meeting, tasks such as the production of the x display stand, arranging the accommodation list, coordinating the sign-in process, and preparing the meeting materials were all systematically assigned. Finally, teachers were allocated, with each person responsible for three tasks.

"Are you going to write your graduation thesis?" Chen Zhiyu suddenly spoke up

Su Nan smiled and said, "In the sect, the yin is strong while the yang is weak"

On Friday evening, begin contacting the teachers responsible for the meeting to collect the PowerPoint presentations to be used in the meeting the next day

While copying the PPT, the phone vibrated

Not yet decided

Sunan honestly admits that he has not yet formed any ideas

It has been a long time since we last met, and I hesitated, yet I did not dare to ask further

Neither leaving nor staying is an option, in the end, I can only sit idly with my computer in my arms

Su Nan estimated the flow rate and estimated that it would take about fifteen minutes to finish, yet he sat down again

The nurse hung up another small bottle and marked on the list with a pen, "This is the last bottle."

The wording was carefully considered multiple times. Upon sending it, I noticed several instances of "impertinent" and "disturbing," and I felt that it seemed somewhat overly formal.

Chen Zhiyu took a few steps outside, paused, and turned to look back.

He moved slightly, slowly turned his face, and upon seeing it was Su Nan, quickly sat up, took off his headphones, and called out "Senior Sister Su Nan"