Shen Zhengying, after graduating from university, first got married and had a child, then pursued a master's degree, and later a doctorate. Now, she is an associate professor at H University's School of Psychology. Although she is not good at scheming and has the nickname "Hypnotist," she does her job well and possesses enough wisdom. Yet, at this moment, she couldn't understand Hu Lai's words.

What did she mean by "elope"?

In ancient times, elopement referred to a couple running away to live together against their parents' wishes.

What did she and Hu Lai have to do with elopement?

First, she wanted her to pretend to be her girlfriend, and now she was asking her to elope. What was this girl up to? With such playful ideas, she could charm anyone, male or female, so why insist on targeting her?

Blinking in confusion for a few seconds, Shen Zhengying was interrupted by students coming out from behind her.

In front of her students, Shen Zhengying always maintained a serious demeanor. At that moment, she acted as if she hadn't heard anything and started walking in the direction of her home.

Hu Lai was about to protest but then remembered how Shen Zhengying had two different personas and styles of dressing—one in front of her students and another outside of class. She figured that protesting now would only irritate her, so she quietly walked beside Shen Zhengying without a word.

It was unclear what lingering fear Shen Zhengying had experienced in the past, but it seemed she was the type to flee at the slightest hint of trouble. She not only dressed in a plain and unremarkable manner but also rarely interacted with students outside of class. Her teaching activities were strictly confined to the classroom and scheduled hours. The only students who had any contact with her after class were those she supervised for their theses, and even then, it was strictly scheduled.

Hu Lai had secretly asked Wang Baobao, a self-proclaimed "anti-fan" of Shen Zhengying, about her past. She learned that in her earlier years, Shen Zhengying was very approachable and well-loved by her students, a stark contrast to her current demeanor. Wang Baobao had a few photos of Shen Zhengying from her younger days, taken during school events. Back then, Shen Zhengying's clothing wasn't exactly fashionable, but it was at least vibrant, unlike her current subdued and indifferent style. She appeared to be a warm, intellectual, and popular teacher.

Now, however, Shen Zhengying in the classroom exuded an air of rigidity.

At first glance, she seemed unapproachable.

At second glance, she seemed utterly boring.

By the third glance, well, one might just fall asleep.

The reason behind this change wasn't too hard to guess, but it wasn't entirely simple either. When Hu Lai gossiped about it with Zhou Huaiyi, she analyzed that something must have happened.

People's behavioral patterns and ways of dealing with the world are generally stable. Any significant change usually indicates a major event. While gradual changes over time are possible, there's always a catalyst or a defining moment that triggers the shift.

Secondly, since Shen Zhengying's attitude had changed specifically toward the school and her students, it was likely that the incident involved a student.

Hu Lai speculated that one possibility was that the teacher had a fatal affair with a student, and another possibility was that the student used the excuse of being close to the teacher to get involved with Shen Zhengying's husband, leading to Shen Zhengying's divorce.

Compared to the former, the latter seemed more plausible.

After all, a fatal affair with a student didn't seem like Shen Zhengying's style. Moreover, if she had indeed been involved in an inappropriate relationship with a student, Jiang Yuming would likely harbor some resentment toward his mother. However, during the time Hu Lai had interacted with Jiang Yuming, he spoke of his mother with genuine respect.

Shen Zhengying said nothing, while Hu Lai silently pondered alone, occasionally students would pass by them.

"Goodbye, Professor Shen."

Shen Zhengying: "Goodbye."

"Goodnight, Professor Shen."

Shen Zhengying: "Goodnight."

"See you next week, Professor Shen."

Shen Zhengying: "See you next week."

The greetings were utterly unoriginal, and her responses were devoid of any warmth, coming off as cold and indifferent.

When they reached a quieter path, Hu Lai glanced at Shen Zhengying. Though her expression was neutral, Hu Lai's intuition told her that Shen Zhengying wasn't in a good mood.

Hu Lai stroked her chin, wondering if her earlier joke had upset her. It was just a joke about eloping—nothing too serious. Professor Shen didn't seem like someone who couldn't take a joke.

Could it be that she has seen through her ulterior motives?

Being a thief had its downsides. Once you became aware of your own intentions, it was hard not to feel a bit guilty.

As she fretted internally, Shen Zhengying suddenly stopped and turned to look at her.

Hu Lai put on a pitiful expression.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Shen Zhengying asked.

—Da.mn, it's because you haven't been talking. I thought something had gone wrong and we needed to clean up the mess.

"I was waiting for your answer." Hu Lai continued, sensing that Shen Zhengying wasn't angry with her. She lowered her head, looking at her toes. "Let's elope?"

Just as she thought Shen Zhengying would either pretend not to hear or scold her for being ridiculous, she heard Shen Zhengying sigh and say, "Okay."

"Ah?" Hu Lai suddenly looked up and gazed into Shen Zhengying's eyes, which showed no joy or sorrow.

Now she was certain that the reason for Shen Zhengying's unhappiness tonight wasn't because of her. If it were, Shen Zhengying would probably have said, "Get lost."

Shen Zhengying was in a bad mood, and after the blind date during the day, Hu Lai's mood wasn't much better either. The question of whether to elope or not was just a casual one, meant to tease Professor Shen, but unexpectedly, it received an affirmative answer. Throughout history, this might be the least enthusiastic and least excited agreement to elope ever.

Originally, the surprise outweighed the joy. Even if she thought her charm was unparalleled, she never imagined that Professor Shen would have a special affection for her without any dru.gs involved.

Hu Lai's eyes sparkled with an idea.

"Let's go then."

Every time she came to H University, Hu Lai parked her car in the same spot. The two walked out of the campus in silence. When they reached her car, Hu Lai asked, "Did you bring your ID?"

After a brief hesitation, Shen replied, "Yes."

She didn't ask why or what for.

Hu Lai found these two lines of dialogue particularly funny, as if they had agreed to go to a hotel. Especially that pause from Shen Zhengying, where you could clearly sense a momentary choke, which was quite unlike her usual image. Once they got into the car and she saw Shen Zhengying fasten her seatbelt, looking as if she was just going along with it, she burst into laughter, resting her head on the steering wheel.

"Professor Shen, you're just too adorable."

Shen Zhengying didn't understand what was so adorable about her that made the girl act so crazy. She took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Didn't you say we would elope?"

She wanted to see where Hu Lai would take her.

It was a place she never expected.

Not too far, just within Shanghai, but not too close either—it took a full hour and a half to get there.

On the way, she either closed her eyes and pretended to sleep or opened the window to let in the wind, and the two of them never really communicated. She had no interest in talking, and her parents' words from earlier in the day kept echoing in her ears.

"We've lived our lives with integrity, but our daughter has a flaw in her marriage. Jiang Bo has already remarried, and it's not good for you to stay single. People might think the divorce was your fault."

"Zhengying, your sister-in-law said there's someone you can meet."

"For remarriage, our standards aren't high. As long as he has a decent job, that's fine. The man has a daughter, older than Ming Ming, already married. Your sister-in-law said his family is well-off, all self-made, and his company is quite large. He's a bit older than you, sixty years old."

"We're doing this for your own good. Parents won't be around forever. What will you do then? A young couple grows old together, companions in old age."

"But you need to work on your temper. Marriage is not a game. Once you're married, you need to get along well. When you divorced Jiang Bo, we actually had our thoughts about it."

A twenty-five-year-old girl being pressured by her family to go on blind dates, and a forty-five-year-old divorced woman being pressured by her family to do the same. How old was the man? Sixty-years old.

It was still the golden years.

In the eyes of parents, divorce is a flaw, a stain of impurity.

Shen Zhengying also wanted to laugh, she chuckled softly, only to feel her eyes welling up with tears.

The car stopped at this moment, and a tissue was handed to Shen Zhengying.

"Don't worry, Professor Shen. In a few years, we'll have a daughter and a son. We'll bring the kids back home, and we won't have to worry about our families disagreeing."

Standard lines for elopement scenes.

Shen Zhengying took the tissue. "You're the one who'll have to give birth. I'm too old now, being an older mother comes with too many risks."

". . ." Hu Lai pretended to struggle before saying, "How about adopting one and treating it as our own?"

Shen Zhengying finally laughed out loud. "I'm afraid we won't find one as good-looking as you."

"Wow, Professor Shen, I didn't expect that..." Hu Lai genuinely hadn't expected Shen Zhengying to think she was attractive.

"I'm not blind." After a few lighthearted exchanges, the heaviness in Shen Zhengying's heart lifted considerably. She glanced outside. "Where are we? You can't just park anywhere. Keep driving, I'm fine."

"We've arrived. It might be a bit cold outside. Just wait a moment." Hu Lai got out of the car and took a large shawl from the back seat for her.

Once Shen Zhengying stepped out, she indeed felt the chill and wrapped herself in the shawl.

Unbeknownst to her, they had arrived at Dishui Lake on the outskirts of Shanghai, and the car stopped in front of a beautifully decorated inn. It was nearly eleven o'clock, with few pedestrians around, and only the bright lights of the nearby square illuminated the area like daylight, further highlighting the tranquility near the inn.

A gust of wind passed by, and with the faint sound of the lake water, Shen Zhengying caught the scent of the lake. More captivating than the smell of the lake was the osmanthus fragrance that permeated the night, reaching deep into the heart.

After visiting her parents earlier in the day, Shen Zhengying had been in a somber mood, her thoughts fragmented and weighed down by their words. Apart from teaching her classes, she had been enveloped in a cloud of irritability. That's why, when Hu Lai suggested eloping, she had agreed.

In that moment, she truly wished she could leave everything behind, disappear from the city, and escape to the ends of the earth.

Only now, as the dark cloud lifted, did Shen Zhengying regain her usual clarity and rationality. Looking at the warm, dim light of the inn, a sense of unease rose in her heart.

—Who am I?

—Where am I?

—What am I doing?

Hu Lai retrieved a large backpack from the trunk, along with a bag of items, and locked the car.

"Come on, Professor Shen, why are you just standing there?"

"Where to?"

"Inside."

"Huh? This... doesn't seem right."

"What's wrong with it?" Hu Lai linked arms with Shen Zhengying and pulled her toward the inn without hesitation. "It's called the Wanderer's Inn, not a love hotel. What are you afraid of? Where's the boldness you had when you agreed to elope with me?"

"But..."

"No buts. You don't have classes tomorrow, and you're not a teenage girl. This is eloping—take it seriously."

In the suburbs of a big city, at eleven o'clock at night, the inn was lit up. Two women in their forties were sitting in the living room drinking tea. When they saw Hu Lai and Shen Zhengying, they exclaimed. "Oh!"

One of the slightly chubby women said, "When I heard the sound of the car stopping, I thought it must be you, and it really is you."

The slimmer woman added, "I figured you'd be coming around this time. The air is nice today. Is this your friend?"

"Yeah, my friend." Hu Lai greeted the two, briefly introduced Shen Zhengying, then pulled out two thermoses from the bag, "One with water, one with coffee. Thanks."

Shen Zhengying was once again taken aback.

The woman in the inn seemed quite familiar with the routine. After filling her water bottle, she hand-brewed a cup of coffee for her, adding a small splash of milk. As she worked, she teased, "You're such a wealthy and beautiful woman, yet you're so frugal, do you really need to be so stingy and bring everything yourself?""

Hu Lai smiled sweetly, "Thrift is my virtue."

It was clear that Hu Lai was quite familiar with them. After chatting for a bit, without even registering her ID, Hu Lai took the key and led Shen Zhengying upstairs.

"I come here to hang out when the air is good. They're the owners of the inn, two sisters, with the surname Sun. I've also invested in it, and the room on the rooftop is mine."

The inn only had three floors and was mostly empty. When there were no guests, the rooftop room was Hu Lai's private space.

Following Hu Lai to the rooftop, Shen Zhengying hesitated outside the door, feeling uneasy.

From the moment she got out of the car until now, she still hadn't figured out how she had gone from agreeing to elope with someone to ending up in a room with them.

Even though Hu Lai was just a young girl, and even though she was young enough to be her daughter, sharing a room with someone outside of a trip was a first for her.

Hu Lai noticed Shen Zhengying's cautious regret and couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. After setting down her things, she poured a cup of coffee for Shen Zhengying and began assembling her equipment on the rooftop.

The day had been full of surprises. By the time Shen Zhengying saw Hu Lai skillfully set up the telescope and invite her to stargaze, she was at a loss for words.

The city center was plagued by light pollution, and stars were rarely visible at night. The inn faced Dishui Lake, offering an open view, and was backed by a square. After 11:30 PM, the square's lights would go out, leaving the world silent and still, with only the warm glow from the rooftop room and the occasional sound of a car passing by.

As the owner, Sun, had mentioned, the air was exceptionally clear today, making it perfect for stargazing.

"The news said there'll be a Mars-Moon conjunction early in the morning. The nearly full moon will be very close to Mars, making it a great time to observe Mars. You should be able to see it—it's the one with a faint red glow. It's a shame I didn't have time to come during the Orionid meteor shower."

Shen Zhengying had seen the Milky Way in the mountains before, but this was her first time using a telescope to look at the stars. It was as the saying goes: so close, yet so far.

Hu Lai sat on a nearby chair, sipping her coffee, and said slowly, "The full moon in early October—a friend of mine was in Ali and managed to capture Mount Kailash on the night of the full moon. I was so envious."

"Don't be envious. You can just take some time off and go. Are you afraid of altitude sickness?"

"I've heard that people with altitude sickness get dizzy, have headaches, and their lips and fingers turn purple. In severe cases, they might even feel chest pain. But I'm not afraid. Have you been to Ali, Professor Shen?"

"Been there once."

Hu Lai nearly jumped out of her chair. "Really? How bad was the altitude sickness?"

"It wasn't too bad. I stayed in Lhasa for a few days before going. The altitude increases gradually, so as long as you don't do any intense exercise, it shouldn't be a big problem." Looking into Hu Lai's eyes, which were brighter than the stars, Shen Zhengying smiled and said, "Just go, There's nothing to be afraid of."

"I'm not afraid. Really, I'm not."

Thinking of the hotel photos in Hu Lai's WeChat Moments, Shen Zhengying said, "The accommodations there are a bit rough. You're used to staying in luxury hotels, so you might not be accustomed to it."

Hu Lai sighed softly. "Professor Shen, I've told you before—I don't actually like staying in hotels. The Mars-Moon conjunction probably won't happen until early morning. Do you want to get some sleep first?"

"I can't sleep now." The suburbs were cooler than the city center. Shen Zhengying had already felt drowsy, but the cold wind of late autumn and the sight of Andromeda and Perseus had revived her. "I'll just have some coffee. Pass me the shawl, are you cold?"

Hu Lai raised her steaming cup. "Not yet."

There was only one swing chair on the rooftop. It was fine for one person, but a bit cramped for two. Neither of them suggested bringing another chair from inside.

Humans always have endless imaginations about the stars. Shen Zhengying pointed to the sky and asked, "What constellation is that?"

"How would I know?" Hu Lai replied matter-of-factly.

Only in novels do people casually name the stars when taking friends stargazing.

". . ." Shen Zhengying chuckled.

Hu Lai continued with her reasoning, "You've seen the starry sky in the true illusion, right?"

"Yes, I have."

"That's the difference between reality and virtual. In reality, you point at the sky and can't touch anything. But in the virtual game, a dialogue box pops up telling you what star it is and how many kilometers away from Earth it is. Who cares? The vast universe, just feel it."

Shen Zhengying laughed again.

"Professor Shen."

"Hmm?"

"You seem unhappy today."

"I'm quite happy now. How about you? How was the blind date?"

"It was unbelievable."

Hu Lai recounted the events of the lunch date to Shen Zhengying, who laughed several times. After all, Hu Lai was a sharp-tongued young girl.

"Professor Shen, Professor Shen." Hu Lai mimicked holding a microphone and extended it toward Shen Zhengying. "Does having a son really give you that feeling of suddenly being crowned and having a throne to inherit?"

"Nonsense. I often teach Ming Ming to care for women and children, to respect women. If he gets into a relationship, protective measures must be taken. Actually, I prefer daughters over sons..."

"Pah." Hu Lai scoffed. "Many people say that now. 'I actually prefer daughters, but women have it so hard in this world, so I want to have a son. I'm not as good as the child's father, he can be a good role model for a son, but I can't be a good role model for a daughter, so I want to have a son.' How fake is that? Even with IVF, they still want to have their cake and eat it too. It's so fake it makes me want to throw up my dinner from last night."

"You're quite the feminist."

"Absolutely."

The two chatted on the rooftop, and after finishing a thermos of coffee, Shen Zhengying felt a bit hungry. She had been eating dinner at the school cafeteria, which was crowded, so to get good food, she had to go early. She usually had dinner early and went to bed early, and at this time, she would have already been asleep.

"I'm hungry," Hu Lai said, patting her stomach and pouting. "Hungry."

She had eaten a lot for lunch, but after returning home and stewing in her anger, she barely touched her dinner. After driving for nearly two hours, it was now midnight, and she was starving.

"I'm hungry too. Is there takeout we can order here?"

There is, but the takeout here isn't good. But don't worry, I have my own clever plan."

It was indeed a clever plan. Shen Zhengying never would have imagined that someone carrying an astronomical telescope for stargazing would also bring self-heating hot pots.

That's right.

In the bag that Hu Lan was carrying, there were three different brands of self-heating hot pots: Xiaolongkan, Dalongyi, and Haidilao, two boxes of spicy sour noodles, a head of lettuce, three packs of Hormel beef slices, a bag of crab meat sticks, a can of luncheon meat, and a bag of corn sausages. If she were to pull out a few eggs from somewhere, no one would have been surprised.

No wonder that surname Sun, the boss, called her stingy.

Shen Zhengying was completely convinced.

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