Lin Xiaoxiao was surprised. "You knew my grandfather?"

Zhou Zhennan shook his head. "Not personally, but I've heard of him. It's good that you have your own plans and are willing to work hard. If there's anything we can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask."

Lin Xiaoxiao nodded. "Don't worry, if we run into any problems we can't handle ourselves, I'll definitely come to you."

For instance, the intense competition for college entrance spots. The first year the national exams resumed, countless people schemed and fought over those opportunities. Some female even traded personal favors for a chance.

Fairness was hardly guaranteed. So if Lin Xiaoxiao had access to certain advantages, she saw no reason not to use them.

Whether she could actually test into college would depend on her own ability.

Zhou Zhennan rather admired Lin Xiaoxiao's pragmatic attitude. "I need to return to work soon. I can't stay in Longbei for too long."

Li Yunlan immediately looked upset. "Go back? Aren't we staying? I'm not going back. Wherever Huai'an is, that's where I'll be."

Zhou Zhennan took her hand. "You stay. I'll go back to take care of things at the university, then come right back. Alright?"

That seemed to reassure her. "You go. I'll stay."

He spoke gently. "If you feel unwell while you're here, go see Xiaoxiao or visit a doctor. It'll take me at least a month or two to return. It might be as long as summer break."

Li Yunlan wasn't concerned. "Huai'an is here. Don't worry."

Lin Xiaoxiao listened quietly to their exchange. Their affection for each other was undeniable.

After the meal, Zhou Zhennan took Li Yunlan to the guesthouse to rest. He urged Lin Xiaoxiao to go keep Zhou Huai'an company, then stopped by a nearby store and bought two bags of powdered milk, some candies, peanuts, and a type of small biscuit Lin Xiaoxiao didn't recognize.

He handed them to her. "The milk is for Huai'an—to help him recover. These snacks are for you.

Xiao Ling loves eating these."

He was implying that Lin Xiaoxiao, like Zhou Xiaoling, was still a young woman who enjoyed little treats.

The small, thoughtful gesture made Lin Xiaoxiao's nose sting with sudden emotion. It made her think of her parents and her home—in her original world, they had also spoiled her like a little princess.

"Thank you. I really like them," she said, accepting the gifts with a warm smile. She watched Zhou Zhennan and Li Yunlan leave before heading back to the hospital ward.

On the way, she couldn't resist. She took out a piece of fruit candy, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth. The sweet orange flavor made her eyes crinkle with pleasure. This world still had its warmth.

When she reached the ward, she pushed the door open quietly. Zhou Huai'an was lying on the bed with his eyes closed. She wasn't sure if he was asleep.

A mischievous idea came to her. Tiptoeing closer, she suddenly leaned down and gave him a firm kiss on the lips. When he didn't stir, she playfully nipped his lower lip.

Zhou Huai'an had known she entered—he'd just been curious what she would do. Typical Lin Xiaoxiao, never doing what he expected. He wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her, worried she might tumble off the bed.

Lin Xiaoxiao pulled back, grinning. "You were pretending! Were you hoping I'd kiss you?"

Zhou Zhennan sighed softly. "This is a hospital room..."

"So if it weren't a hospital, could I do whatever I want?" she asked, scrambling up. She didn't want someone walking in—not because she minded, but because she was afraid Zhou Huai'an would get embarrassed and not let her kiss him so freely next time.

Zhou Huai'an didn't answer. His lips were still glistening, slightly redder now, lending him a faintly alluring look.

Lin Xiaoxiao clicked her tongue and leaned in to kiss him again quickly. "I wanted you to taste the fruit candy I just had. Orange flavor. Isn't it good?"

Then she giggled, stood up, checked the hallway, and closed the door. "Don't worry, no one saw. Besides, we're married—who's going to say anything? You don't need to be shy."

Zhou Huai'an massaged his temple and slowly pushed himself up. "They've gone to rest?"

"Yes. Your father has to go back soon, but your mother is staying. That means we'll need to rent two places. I'll go look around tomorrow noon."

Then she remembered An Xiuyu's strange behavior that afternoon—she still hadn't told Zhou Huai'an. She recounted the "ghost story" An Xiuyu had told and how she'd insisted Zhou Huai'an looked exactly like the corpse from three years earlier. "Doesn't it seem contradictory? She said the face was too swollen to recognize, yet now she swears you look just like him."

Zhou Huai'an frowned. "Three years ago?"

"Yes, three years— Oh!" Lin Xiaoxiao suddenly made the connection. "Three years ago... wasn't that when Zhou Xiaocheng died? Someone who looked like you... could it have been him? I thought about that too, but the location doesn't match."

Zhou Huai'an had been thinking the same thing—but he'd also considered something else. He'd recently learned that Zhou Xiaocheng had been killed by an explosion.

Was it possible it wasn't Zhou Xiaocheng who died, but someone else? What if Zhou Xiaocheng was only seriously injured?

But how would he have ended up in Sun Village?

Lin Xiaoxiao thought hard but couldn't make sense of it. She sighed. "I hope it was him. I really hope he's still alive. It would ease your mother's pain."

Her heart ached for Li Yunlan—struggling with her mental health, a brain tumor, and grieving every single day.

That afternoon, Zhong Zhiguo arrived in a hurry to discuss the highway explosion with Zhou Huai'an.

Knowing her presence would be a distraction, Lin Xiaoxiao poured a glass of water for Zhong Zhiguo and returned to the dorm.

Li Guiling was already back, chatting with An Xiuyu. They greeted Lin Xiaoxiao when she entered, then continued their conversation.

Li Guiling sounded curious. "So they really said your little Hu Zi encountered something?"

An Xiuyu nodded. "Yes, they said a drowned ghost attached itself to him. We need to take his clothes to the riverbank at night and call his spirit back. If we do it for several nights, his soul should return."

Having lived rurally for seven years, Li Guiling had heard many similar stories and believed them deeply. "You should do it. I've heard it works best if you know the dead person's name."

An Xiuyu sighed. "No one from our village has drowned in years. The only body in the river was the one that drifted there three years ago. Who knows what his name was."

Catching a bit of the conversation—they were on that topic again—Lin Xiaoxiao moved closer.

"Sister Xiuyu, are you really sure that man looked like my husband?"

An Xiuyu looked almost apologetic. "I know it sounds bad, but it's true. When I saw your husband, I was terrified. Their faces—the eyes and brows—were exactly the same."

Lin Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow. "But wait—when you saw the body, wasn't it dead? His eyes would have been closed, and his face was swollen beyond recognition. How could you tell their eyes and brows were the same?"