—"When the day comes that humanity can migrate to Mars, will people be able to easily touch the human heart?"

The accompanying image is of a distressed dog's face.

This post survived less than five minutes on her friend circle before Hu Lai quickly deleted it.

Zhou Huaiyi was just about to reply: Touching someone's heart is simple. Step one, open the chest; step two, reach in and feel around. No need for a third step.

The system showed that the message no longer existed.

—This Hu Lai, something's off.

Zhou Huaiyi sent her a message: —"How did you turn revenge into pursuit?"

After returning home and taking a shower, Hu Lai changed into shorts and a tank top and lay flat on her bed. After meeting Shen Zhengying, she felt inexplicably down, a kind of indescribable listlessness.

She felt like she was performing a one-man show.

She suddenly thought of that saying, a single slap can make a sound, just slap your own face, clap clap clap, crisp and clear.

Isn't that just slapping yourself in the face? Her son had dumped her, and her mother ignored her.

Hu Lai wasn't narcissistic enough to think she was universally loved, but Shen Zhengying.

—So infuriating!

Walking out of the school and getting into her car, Hu Lai secretly made a decision. If Shen Zhengying called out to her today, she would continue to find ways to seduce her. If she let her leave, then so be it.

She didn't know if a forcibly twisted melon would be sweet, but she didn't like melons anyway.

But Shen Zhengying did call out, only to tell her not to use Baidu.

What a lunatic!

There's absolutely no fu.cking way to say it.

She felt a lump in her throat, unable to spit it out or swallow it.

She could only grab the big bear by her bed and give it a good beating.

"Ding."

It was rare for Zhou Huaiyi to contact her on the weekend.

No matter how close colleagues were, at this stage, they were still just colleagues. Everyone maintained the boundaries appropriate for colleagues, laughing and joking at work, and going their separate ways after hours.

Zhou Huaiyi had a girlfriend and a daughter, busy with family gatherings on weekends, rarely participating in company events, and seldom chatting in the colleague group.

Today, she probably saw that post that existed for five minutes.

Hu Lai scratched her head and replied: —"What lyrics are you sending?"

Zhou Huaiyi: —"Just take it as me sending lyrics."

When someone finally walks into the line of fire, you can't just let it go.

Hu Lai: —"Today I saw Jiang Yuming and his current girlfriend ma.king out on campus, acting like dogs, with his hands even going under her skirt. It was like a rabid dog pouncing on its prey. His mom almost jumped out to beat him up, but I dragged her away. Do you think I should go claim some credit and ask for a reward?"

Zhou Huaiyi: —"I'll send you a five-yuan red packet, and that's it. How did you feel about that?"

Honestly, it felt the same as seeing stray lovebirds or animals mating on the street.

Hu Lai: —"I marveled at the raw power of nature, that's all."

Zhou Huaiyi: —"So, does that mean Jiang Yuming is just a stranger to you?"

Hu Lai: —"A stranger I find annoying."

Zhou Huaiyi: —"Then whose heart are you trying to touch?"

Hu Lai: —"Of course, his mom's!"

Receiving an eye-roll emoji from Zhou Huaiyi: —"Are you trying to pursue his mom?"

Hu Lai: —"I'm not crazy."

Zhou Huaiyi: —"If you're trying to touch her heart, isn't that pursuing her?"

Hu Lai, frustrated, could only admit her failure and firmly denied she was pursuing anyone.

Hu Lai: —"It's about seducing her into bed, understand? Seducing her into bed!"

Zhou Huaiyi: —"Look at you. Revenge isn't about treating someone to dinner. You're not persistent, nor are you playing the role of a devoted admirer. How do you expect to seduce anyone? You're like the guy waiting by the tree for a rabbit to bump into it—waiting for someone to fall for you first. That person is as straight as an arrow, shooting straight into the sky. Oh, by the way, have you bought the bed yet?"

Hu Lai jumped up from her bed. What's the meaning of this? At first, Zhou Huaiyi was stopping her from seeking revenge, and now she's encouraging her to face the challenge head-on?

Hu Lai: —"Are you motivating me?"

Zhou Huaiyi: —"My eyes are rolling out of their sockets. Jiang Yuming is just an annoying stranger to you. Why are you trying to seduce his mom? Are you lacking maternal love in your life?"

Is that just a stranger's mom? No stranger's mom could be as intriguing as Shen Zhengying, wrapped up tightly, a complete enigma.

Jiang Yuming is the one lacking maternal love.

After sending ten eye-roll emojis and a "pah" spitting, Hu Lai refused to continue the conversation with Zhou Huaiyi. A rational and wise voice inside her said: Maybe just let it go.

She seemed to have no reason to continue this willful pursuit, especially when the object of her pursuit was so uncooperative.

Standing in front of the mirror, she saw her naturally beautiful face, fresh and unadorned.

Couldn't this face transcend gender and spark someone's interest?

Just a little bit would be enough.

—Forget it, Hu Lai thought. I'll think about it again in a few days.

As an Aries who never leaves the outcome to fate, if she just gave up without doing anything, she would regret it later.

Next time, next time she'll just tell Shen Zhengying directly: "Professor Shen, I'm interested in you, do as you see fit."

What would Professor Shen do?

If Professor Shen called her a crazy per.vert, she'd retort that as a psychology professor, she should know better—liking someone of the same se.x is perfectly natural—and then walk away.

If Professor Shen asked, "What do you like about me? I'll change it," she'd say she liked her face and ask if she wanted to get plastic surgery, offering to recommend a hospital.

If Professor Shen ran away, she'd chase after her and say it again.

If Professor Shen pretended not to hear, she'd say it every day.

Thinking about the possible awkwardness Shen Zhengying might display, Hu Lai smirked in satisfaction.

Ignoring her, huh? She wouldn't give her the right to ignore her.

Not getting her was fine, just pissing her off would be enough.

Zhou Huaiyi was right. This was revenge, not pursuit.

Pursuing something based on liking and love means prioritizing the other person's happiness. When it comes to revenge, of course, one prioritizes their own happiness. A person who seeks revenge only thinks of the other person, isn't that a bit twisted?

On Tuesday afternoon, Shen Zhengying had no classes and received a call from Sun Shuxue inviting her out for afternoon tea.

The two agreed to meet at the coffee shop four stops away from the school.

In recent years, coffee shops have sprung up all over the streets and alleys of Shanghai. It's not that the people living in Shanghai suddenly developed a habit of drinking coffee. Rather, with the rise of internet trends, it has become common for people to order a cup of coffee, black tea, and a slice of cake or dessert to chat over.

When it comes to meals, everyone talks about dieting, but desserts are always fair game.

Perhaps there really is a separate stomach in the human body just for sweets.

On a weekday afternoon, the coffee shop was quite busy, with small groups of people, mostly young women. Almost every one of them had a phone in hand, snapping pictures left and right—of their faces, their coffee, the cakes, and the shop's decor.

The sound of camera shutters clicked incessantly.

After taking photos, they all buried themselves in their phones, treating the coffee and cakes as mere decorations.

Sun Shuxue patted Shen Zhengying's hand and said, "Look, what are they doing? Why do they all look so similar, from their hairstyles to their makeup to their outfits? At a glance, it's like I accidentally hit copy and paste."

Without looking up from the menu, Shen Zhengying smiled and said, "They're editing photos, adding filters, adjusting the lighting, and then posting them on social media to attract attention. That's all. You're just being petty."

"Wow, Shen Zhengying, I didn't expect it. You dress like you've just been unearthed from an archaeological site, yet you're quite in tune with trends."

"This isn't a trend, it's something students write about in their papers. Your students focus on crisis intervention and trauma therapy—they don't write about internet trends."

Sun Shuxue's research focuses on crisis intervention and trauma psychology, and she's a prominent figure at H University. She has personally led teams to disaster zones during several major crises. With a carefree personality, she has always taken good care of Shen Zhengying.

The two ordered a pavlova, cappuccino, cheesecake, and tiramisu, and Sun Shuxue additionally ordered a macaron.

In Shen Zhengying's dictionary, macarons are unbearably sweet, and she could never understand why Sun Shuxue, who prefers savory flavors, liked such things.

According to Sun Shuxue, it was her eternal, unchanging girlish heart.

"Oh gosh, why do you always dress like a sack when you go out? It's not like you're at school, and you won't run into any students. What are you so afraid of?" Just as Shen Zhengying couldn't understand her, Sun Shuxue couldn't understand why Shen Zhengying always dressed like a nun from a convent. Even if she had been bitten by a snake once, she didn't need to avoid suspicion to this extent. Saying she looked like a sack was being polite—what Sun Shuxue really wanted to say was that she looked like a rag.

"Convenient, hassle-free, and comfortable." Shen Zhengying always replied with this line.

"Thankfully, you remembered to take off your glasses this time, or I would have been reminded of a movie."

"Conan?"

"Final Destination."

Shen Zhengying shook her head, took a sip of coffee, and licked the foam off her lips as if it were second nature.

"Hey, Zhengying. If you dressed up properly—no, if you just wore normal clothes—the number of people pursuing you could circle H University three times."

"Are divorced women in high demand now?" Shen Zhengying chuckled. "My son is already in graduate school. Why would I need anyone pursuing me? It's such a hassle, and you know what happened before."

"Don't say that," Sun Shuxue said, noticing the subtle change in Shen Zhengying's expression when she mentioned her son. "What's going on with your son?"

After Shen Zhengying recounted what had happened at school last Saturday, Sun Shuxue burst into laughter. "So, did you talk to your son about it?"

"No. It's too awkward. Other families might have the father explain things, but if I told Jiang Bo, he wouldn't have anything nice to say. Trust me, men don't lose out in these situations, and he'd definitely say such shameless things." Shen Zhengying could have made a scene at the time, but afterward, she couldn't bring it up.

"A lot of mothers would say the same thing. You've got it tough," Sun Shuxue said with a laugh. "That's why I don't want kids. No kids, no worries—no need to worry about a daughter being bullied or a son bullying others, or even vice versa."

"There's no going back on these things."

"But Jiang Yuming isn't like his father, he takes after you more. College students are young and impulsive, and our campus has beautiful scenery. It's inevitable to stumble upon a couple or two when walking at night. You said a girl pulled you away that day—who was she? You rarely have private interactions with students."

"The school path is the only one there. Walking together doesn't count as a private interaction. That person isn't even a student, just someone auditing classes, a member of society. Comes a few times, sleeps a few times, and won't wake up unless I play the sound of a screaming chicken." Shen Zhengying found it amusing, but it was also a mystery she couldn't solve—how could someone sleep so soundly?

Sun Shuxue laughed uncontrollably. "What a weirdo! Is she here for a hypnosis class? You hate it when students fall asleep in your class. How could you let her come back after sleeping once? Didn't you kick her out?"

"She took me out for a really good hot pot, so I let it slide."

Sun Shuxue couldn't believe her ears. "You went out for hot pot with a student!"

"Auditing the class, not a student, I don't know why she's here, but it's definitely not to listen to lectures. Maybe she just wanted a place to sleep." Shen Zhengying cut a small piece of tiramisu and put it in her mouth, savoring the rum flavor in the ladyfingers and the slight bitterness of the cocoa powder.

After complimenting the tiramisu, Shen Zhengying said, "She probably won't come back."

On Saturday night, Shen Zhengying could sense that Hu Lailai was not in a good mood, somewhat downcast, probably related to herself.

"Hmm, she won't come back again."

---

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