Chapter 122: My Sister Will Always Be My Sister

Li Baixiu looked a bit unhappy. "She spoke so harshly. Aren't you angry, Sister?"

Jiang Zao found it somewhat amusing. "Why should I be angry? Her words weren't aimed at me; they were just an expression of her anxiety about her own future. You have to understand, women often feel as though they become entirely different creatures before and after marriage. She dislikes the future she foresees, so it’s only natural for her to feel uneasy."

Li Baixiu gave a cold snort. "Hmph, there’s no 'anxiety' about it. It’s clearly just wanting to have her cake and eat it too. She doesn't want to leave her boyfriend, but she also doesn't want to be tied down by marriage—there's no such easy bargain in this world. Anyone who lives in this world has to make sacrifices. As long as you're alive, you're bound to suffer grievances; struggling to survive is just the human condition. Expecting to get everything without lifting a finger is pure fantasy."

Jiang Zao didn't quite know how to respond. From a certain perspective, Li Baixiu wasn't wrong. But things couldn't simply be reduced to that. The dilemma Tan Wenyi faced was one many people struggled with; at the crossroads of life, no one dared to take a step forward lightly.

Zhou Lichuan walked over after finishing his phone call. He offered no opinion on their conversation. Having sailed through life smoothly, never suffering any setbacks except for those involving Jiang Zao, he knew that inserting himself into such a topic was an easy way to get burned.

"Your graduation procedures are fine; just submit them as usual. I’ve changed your thesis advisor to Professor Jiang. Go see him with your thesis tomorrow, and you won't need to worry about anything else."

Jiang Zao asked curiously, "What went wrong? How were they blocking you?"

Li Baixiu replied, "When I did my teaching evaluations in my freshman year, I gave my current advisor a failing grade... It was fine at the time, but our department suddenly changed the graduation thesis requirements, which meant a group of us didn't have enough accumulated credits. I got caught in the crossfire and faced the risk of delaying graduation. Coupled with the rumors about that old evaluation, it’s all blown up, and now there are even conspiracy theories swirling."

Jiang Zao’s gaze turned icy. "You’re still just a student who hasn't graduated, yet they’re playing such dirty tricks. It seems you’ve made them feel too threatened—threatened enough to make them afraid."

Zhou Lichuan took off his suit jacket and set it aside. "Zhou Jiayan’s education didn't go to waste. Their collaboration this time was very successful. The project the Li family handed over was a tough nut to crack, and they executed it so beautifully that it’s sparked jealousy."

Jiang Zao nodded.

Zhou Jiayan had told her about the project's progress, and on the day the final contract was signed and the project launched, he had even come over specifically to brag about it. She had suspected then that the Li family might feel some resentment, but she hadn't been worried for Li Baixiu. She just hadn't expected the Li family to be so devoid of a moral bottom line that they would even sabotage a student's graduation.

Zhou Lichuan leaned over and patted the top of Jiang Zao's head. "Don't worry. I’ve rearranged the professor. Professor Jiang is highly respected; even if the other party is high-level school management, they can't just move him around at will."

Jiang Zao blushed slightly. Being this intimate with Zhou Lichuan in front of Li Baixiu made her feel like she was setting a bad example for the young man.

Li Baixiu didn't notice at all; his mind was entirely occupied with his graduation. He suddenly asked, "Brother-in-law, won't this make the Li family realize you’re involved in our internal conflict? With such an obvious stance, won't this have any repercussions for you?"

Zhou Lichuan was very candid. "There will certainly be repercussions, but it doesn't matter. Li Mingyi made a private matter public knowledge, using public opinion in the circle to force Zhou Jiayan to bow down. As Zhou Jiayan’s older brother, the only reason I haven't taken action against him yet is out of respect for your grandfather. Helping you is also about venting frustration on Zhou Jiayan’s behalf, so don't worry about it."

Li Baixiu breathed a sigh of relief. "That’s good. Right now, I just want to graduate smoothly; I’ll take any shortcut I can."

Jiang Zao counted on her fingers. "By the time you graduate, it should be just about the time the baby is born."

Li Baixiu said, "That’s right. I’m already preparing a welcome gift for the baby. Sister, what do you like? I’ll prepare an 'upgrade' gift for you too."

Jiang Zao looked at Zhou Lichuan and had a sudden inspiration. "Gold. Hard currency."

Li Baixiu gave a thumbs up. "Simple and brutal. As expected of my sister."

Li Baixiu didn't stay long that day, leaving early after dinner. Thinking that the young man was busy with his graduation season, Jiang Zao didn't press him to stay.

Zhou Lichuan pulled Jiang Zao into his arms, turning her gaze away from the car Li Baixiu was driving away in, feeling a touch of jealousy. "You look at him like that, but you don't even think to look at me."

Jiang Zao rolled her eyes at him and turned to head inside.

Sister Hui brought the prepared snow fungus soup to the swing on the second floor and smiled at the visibly aggrieved Zhou Lichuan. "Madam was just thinking of her own younger brother. Sir, don't eat this kind of 'flying vinegar' [jealousy]; Madam won't be happy."

Zhou Lichuan quickly sat down next to Jiang Zao, who was playing a game. "Were you thinking about your brother?"

Jiang Zao rolled her eyes dramatically. "Why would I think about that bastard? The less I see of that heartless thing, the better."

Zhou Lichuan said, confused, "But Sister Hui said..."

However, Sister Hui had already set down the pear soup and gone downstairs to her own room, leaving no one to verify the truth.

Jiang Zao rubbed her fingers gently, looking thoughtful. "Li Baixiu calls me 'Sister' so naturally that I really do feel like I’ve gained a younger brother."

Zhou Lichuan took her hand and said, "Perhaps your temperament is a bit like his mother’s. Your hands are a little cold—shall we go back to our room upstairs?"

Jiang Zao obediently let him lead her upstairs, but she didn't forget to ask while they walked, "I haven't heard him mention his mother. Did she pass away?"

Zhou Lichuan explained, "No, she just has some psychological issues and is being cared for by the Li family. That’s the reason Li Baixiu had to go back. His mother’s condition is tied to his father."

Jiang Zao nodded silently, finally understanding why Li Baixiu had turned into that little wolf cub of a person.

She could foresee many things, but she hadn't expected that Li Baixiu would actually remember Tan Wenyi, who had offended Jiang Zao in the backyard that afternoon.

A week after Li Baixiu’s visit, Meng Qiaoyuan suddenly showed up at their door.

Jiang Zao was still wondering why she would visit on a workday, but she hadn't expected Meng Qiaoyuan to burst into an anxious outpouring of words the moment she entered.

"Zaozao, can you help my second brother? Or could you help me get an appointment with Li Baixiu?"

Hearing the name "Li Baixiu," Jiang Zao’s scalp went numb.

"What’s going on? Don't be anxious, tell me slowly."

Meng Qiaoyuan sat on the sofa on the first floor, thanked Sister Hui for the fruit tea, and grabbed Jiang Zao’s hand, saying urgently, "Around the time I was discharged from the hospital, my second brother took on a hotel courtyard project. Since Tan Wenyi specializes in landscape and courtyard design, he handed both the construction and design parts over to her. Everything was fine at first, and the client didn't say anything during the initial inspection.

"But three days ago, the hotel suddenly changed its tune, demanding a complete overhaul and rejecting many of the design’s key elements. You know Tan Wenyi’s personality—she had some friction with the hotel staff at the time. Later, the investor specifically pointed her out, saying they didn't want her doing the design and demanded the design team be replaced. The contract deadline is almost here, and there’s no better design team on the market than Tan Wenyi’s. Besides, time is so tight that even if we found one, it would be too late to build. Tan Wenyi also had a competition abroad that required project verification; because of this mess, the competition is off the table, too."