Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Five years ago, Ning Yifan had just finished his postdoctoral fellowship when the faculty made an exception and promoted him to associate professor.

On top of that, he was refined, gentle, and possessed a scholarly air.

From the moment he started, he became a sensation on the school forums.

I had also just recently joined the staff, and I was the darling of the senior professors, who were all eager to play matchmaker for me.

He soon began pursuing me while I was still a lecturer.

Four years ago, we were married amidst a flurry of well-wishes.

In our personal lives, we were deeply in love and perfectly in sync. In our academic lives, we could discuss ideas together and tackle difficult problems as a team.

Two years ago, I was also promoted to associate professor and began supervising my own students.

My lab and Ning Yifan’s were at opposite ends of the floor-one in the south and one in the north.

His research focused on synthesis, while mine leaned toward data modeling.

Because of this, I didn’t spend much time in the experimental building, spending most of my hours at our home faculty or lecturing undergraduates.

Initially, I didn’t understand his disdain for Xie Ruoyan.

“She’s just a student,” I told him. “She’ll graduate with a thesis in three years, and you’ll never have to see her again. Why get yourself so worked up?”

He put down his chopsticks and gave a soft, mocking laugh.

“Research should be conducted with a certain level of decorum. She’s constantly chirping away and acting flighty; she lacks any sense of seriousness. Besides, the Dean was extremely tight-lipped about why her previous supervisor refused to keep her. I doubt it was for anything good.”

I took a bite of winter melon, choosing my words carefully.

There were many reasons for changing supervisors, and it wasn’t always the student’s fault.

Ning Yifan’s take on the matter was a bit extreme.

I was about to try and persuade him otherwise when he gave me a gentle, playful glare.

“Honey, you’re not allowed to take her side.”

I had accepted Ning Yifan’s advances not just because we had so much in common, but also because of his face.

In front of others, he was always disciplined, courteous, and refined. In front of me, however, he would occasionally show these little flashes of temperament.

I found it quite endearing.

I looked down with a smile and served him a spoonful of loofah soup.

“Then you should eat more.”

After that, almost every time I went to the experimental building, I would run into Xie Ruoyan.

She was very popular, flitting between the various labs and getting along famously with the senior male students.

She seemed to have only just found out about my relationship with Ning Yifan. Whenever she saw me, she would respectfully call me “Shimu,” and I would acknowledge her with a nod.

One day, a supplier delivered some new equipment.

My students were all tied up with their own tasks, so they called me directly. I signed for the delivery and then headed into the lab to check on an ongoing reaction.

Suddenly, the fire alarm in the hallway began to blare.

I didn’t even have time to take off my white lab coat and mask before I hurriedly evacuated through the emergency exit.

I felt a sense of relief when I reached the sunlight outside.

But as I turned around, I froze in my tracks.

Ning Yifan was running down the stairs behind me.

In his arms, he was cradling a girl in a floral dress.

His suit jacket was draped over her head.

“Are you okay?”

Ning Yifan’s voice was thick with anxiety, his eyes brimming with concern.

The suit jacket was slowly pulled away.

It was Xie Ruoyan.