Zhou Xiaoling stared at her mother in disbelief. "Mom, what are you talking about?"

Lin Xiaoxiao couldn't help but smile. Li Yunlan had a way of getting straight to the point.

Li Yunlan looked thoughtful. "If you didn't like him, you wouldn't have spent the last ten minutes talking about nothing else."

Zhou Xiaoling stammered, lost for words.

Frowning, Li Yunlan went on, "Lin Zihao must be ten years older than you. He seems...

complicated. You're too trusting for your own good—I'm not sure you two are well-matched."

Zhou Xiaoling looked offended. "Mom, I'm not naive! How could you and Dad raise a foolish daughter? Besides, marriage isn't about outsmarting each other. Look at my brother and Xiaoxiao—they're doing just fine."

Li Yunlan nodded slowly. "So you really do like him. Well, if you're serious, and if he feels the same, your father can look into his family. They don't have to be wealthy, but his parents should be reasonable people. I won't have you treated poorly."

Zhou Xiaoling was taken aback by her mother's sudden shift. One moment she was opposed; the next, she was planning inquiries. "Mom, he's been divorced. Would you really be okay with that?"

Li Yunlan didn't seem bothered. "He looks older than your brother, so it's not surprising. But why did the marriage end? Was it his fault, or his ex-wife's? Those things matter."

"Wait, no—that's not what I meant," Zhou Xiaoling said quickly. "I never said I wanted to marry him! Please don't start playing matchmaker."

Lin Xiaoxiao was impressed. Li Yunlan was more open-minded than most. Plenty of parents would outright refuse to let their daughter marry a divorced man—no matter how accomplished he was. The gossip alone would be brutal.

That evening, after everyone had left, the house fell quiet. Lin Xiaoxiao felt that familiar hollow ache in her chest again. She rubbed her eyes, fighting back tears. "Zhou Huaian," she said softly, "my eyes hurt."

He brought a warm towel and had her lie down before gently placing it over her eyes.

"Zhou Huaian," she began after a moment, "don't you have anything you want to ask me?"

She'd left so many clues—surely he was curious.

His voice was calm. "No. Is your eyes feeling better?"

She nodded, then changed the subject. "I forgot to tell your mom today that the baby moves. It feels like two little fish swimming around. There must be two in there. Zhou Huaian... do you prefer boys or girls?"

With her eyes covered, she couldn't see his expression. "Well?" she pressed.

Wary of being teased, he answered carefully, "I'll love either. They're our children."

Lin Xiaoxiao huffed. "What a generic answer. The babies will be disappointed."

Zhou Huaian fell silent. He knew better than to try winning this game. Still, he loved this playful, demanding side of her. It meant she was still fighting.

Feeling powerless and heartbroken, Lin Xiaoxiao knew she couldn't change what had happened. She could only adjust her attitude and carry on.

She didn't want Li Yunlan or the others to worry, so she kept up a cheerful front during the day—eating, studying, laughing. Only at night did she allow herself to grieve.

By the end of November, the national college entrance exams were approaching. Radio broadcasts highlighted record numbers of test-takers across the country, all striving to change their fate through education.

At first, Lin Xiaoxiao hadn't been nervous. But the constant reports began to wear on her. She'd been a strong student in her past life, but this world was full of hidden talent. She couldn't afford to be overconfident.

She buried herself in practice tests, reviewed her textbooks repeatedly, and stayed up late memorizing political theory—her weakest subject.

Zhou Huaian watched her studying in bed late at night, wrapped in a quilt, and felt a pang of concern. "You'll do fine. Your teacher said you're the most prepared in the class. If you test normally, you'll get in."

Lin Xiaoxiao sighed. Her "preparation" had been built through years of extra classes and tutoring. But there were no guarantees here—no special advantages, no golden fingers. The only luck she'd had was meeting Zhou Huaian.

"I can't slack off. Those other test-takers are fierce. I heard some only sleep two or three hours a night. I can't underestimate them."

"You're still better prepared," he reassured her. "Many haven't touched a book in years. They're studying on their own—they're bound to make mistakes."

She shook her head. "There are only two weeks left. I have to make every day count." The more she memorized now, the calmer she'd feel later.

A week before the exam, Zhou Huaian took time off to accompany Lin Xiaoxiao to the city early—just in case heavy snow blocked the roads. Many other students were doing the same.

Li Yunlan and Zhou Zhennan discussed joining them. "We have nothing else to do. We should go with Xiaoxiao," Li Yunlan insisted.

But Zhou Zhennan disagreed. "Too many people will make her nervous. She needs to be relaxed before an exam. We should wait here."

"But what if something happens? She's so pregnant—what if Zhou Huaian can't handle it alone?"

Overhearing them, Lin Xiaoxiao quickly interjected, "Mom, Dad, please stay home. Zhou Huaian and I will be fine. If too many people come, I'll get anxious. And if I'm anxious, I won't test well."

Zhou Zhennan agreed. "She's right. We shouldn't add pressure."

Lately, Lin Xiaoxiao had been asking him for help with political questions—his area of expertise.

He'd not only answered them but also written additional practice questions and model answers for her.

Seeing how seriously she was studying, he was confident she would do well. Now it all came down to nerves.