At 3 a.m., the landmines in front of the station

She changed her shoes, picked up her things, and went inside.

As is customary, the first thing to do is inquire about their recent situation.

Have you been rehearsing lately?

"I've already rehearsed. I have another rehearsal tonight, I'll go after class."

"Oh? It's so dense?"

Jiang Nai narrowed her demonic eyes, discerning something.

"Yes, there's a performance the day after tomorrow at Tianlai. Teacher, you can go if you're interested."

Gu Zhi directly revealed the performance information, aiming to disrupt the battlefield and increase the chaos of the battle.

She believes that Jiang Nai's arrival will reshuffle the team's dynamics.

The "Flower God Technique - Fragment" states: "When faced with a problem that you cannot solve yourself, if you cannot force the issue, then bring in outsiders to confuse the situation and wait for an opportunity to act."

This passage is said to come from a revised version of a top-level manual, but its effectiveness is unknown.

As the name suggests, a revised edition is not something written by the author himself.

However, the original manual has been lost. If one wants to learn the Flower God Technique, it is unlikely that there is any other way to obtain the true manual without reading the revised version. Gu Zhi had no choice but to stop after only a superficial attempt.

"Oh, Tianlai... that's quite close. I'll buy a ticket now."

Sure enough, Jiang Nai would want to go wherever Su Che was.

Seeing her drag her weary body out of her phone and buy pre-sale tickets with lightning speed...

Gu Zhi felt a chill run down her spine, realizing that the relationship between her and him was far more than just a few threads.

"Teacher Jiang, I have a question I'd like to ask you."

"About playing the piano?"

"Su Che's side."

"Then ask away."

The exchange between the two was concise and to the point.

Gu Zhi cut to the chase: "Teacher, tell the truth, is your physical condition caused by seeing Brother Che?"

"?"

Jiang Nai was taken aback.

Only then did I realize...

It turns out that Gu Zhi suspected that she had slept with him all night and felt that she didn't have menstrual cramps, so this was a subtle way of probing.

"Haha, I did see him...but it was a very normal meeting between us, just like old friends, you know?"

"An old friend?"

Looking at the smug expression on her face, Gu Zhi felt that there was an element of showing off in it.

"What level of old friendship are they?"

She sat down on the sofa, her legs unconsciously pressed together, clearly showing how much she cared about the issue.

Jiang Nai observed her movements and hesitated for a moment.

Honestly, I had no intention of having any unpleasantness with the student today. After all, I was already quite tired, and I didn't have the energy to argue with her.

Instead of trying to reason with her and enlighten her, a teacher should try to help her stop getting stuck on her own ideas. That's what a teacher should do.

Ok.

Thinking of this, Jiang Nai spoke up:

"Actually, the process of me getting to know him wasn't as smooth as you imagine."

"what…"

"We're not childhood sweethearts, just netizens who admire each other online."

"Is that so..."

Gu Zhi's expression hardened, as if deep in thought.

She did suspect that Jiang Nai and Su Che had known each other since childhood.

After all, their relationship seemed so close that they could sleep together at any moment, which was intriguing.

In particular, it's something that no one else could easily stick to, right?

Not to mention Jiang Nai's skill level at Tianhai, where she could charge at least 500 per lesson,

Just considering the fact that she was still willing to bring her instrument after being poisoned once, it's something most teachers probably wouldn't do.

If it weren't for his sake, she would have definitely called the police.

and so--

"Che is more important to her than her own health, in other words, more important than her life."

Gu Zhi's mind was clear, and she felt more and more that the battle before her was difficult to win.

"Don't be so hostile towards me."

Jiang Nai looked helplessly at her pitiful expression and shook her head:

"I wanted to team up with him. But he didn't want me. He chose you instead."

"... "

"Do you understand? He'd rather train a bassist from scratch than call me over to play in a band together."

A hint of resentment flashed across Jiang Nai's face. She took a deep breath.

"So now, I've joined a new team, trying to take a roundabout approach to at least resolve the long-distance relationship issue. I want to be closer to him so I can see him from time to time, fantasizing about making him change his mind and come back to me."

"..."

"As you can see, the situation is now very clear. You are the one who successfully teamed up with him, and you are the one who can sit next to him during rehearsals."

However, the person he assigned to take care of the child was me.

The person who will be watching you all perform together from the audience the night after tomorrow is still me.

Jiang Nai's tone was full of disappointment, "Although I have been trying very hard to attract his attention, compared to you, I haven't even achieved the first step I wanted to take—joining the band."

Do you think someone like me is worth trying so hard to study?

"."

I have to say, for a fleeting second,

Looking at the haggard Jiang Nai, Gu Zhi felt a pang of pity.

It's hard to describe the feeling; it's like watching a defeated person.

Watching a pitiful person who was almost eliminated recount their tragic past to themselves.

If I hadn't studied some fragments of secret manuals, I almost would have believed it.

Gu Zhi recalled what was said in the fragment:

"Those who suffer defeat and are driven to despair do not give up, and there is only one reason—"

"That means she hasn't even gotten to eat it yet."

The words may be rough, but the truth is real.

Gu Zhishen agreed with this view.

After all, I am like that too.

Snacks don't count as eating.

In the world of food

Gu Zhihui divides eating into several levels—

The beginner level is a snack, meaning to only have a small taste, which is almost equivalent to not eating at all;

The intermediate level is half full, meaning you've eaten but haven't fully enjoyed it; you have some taste in your mouth, but it's not enough.

"High-level" refers to eating heartily, to indulging in a delicious meal with great satisfaction, leaving one thoroughly satisfied.

This is the level I've always wanted to reach.

Of course, above these levels, there is another type called "special food".

What do you mean?

—This means that you've finished eating, and no one else can even lick the crumbs.

This is what is meant by "special treat".

Eat when you have no way out.

Turn renewable resources into non-renewable ones, leaving not a single drop for anyone else.

This is the ultimate goal that Gu Zhi wants to achieve before she turns 25.

Once successful

What house cat, what little sister...

No, your sister can still have some soup.

Domestic cats, stray cats, small fish, big birds, big foxes—none of them got any food.

They wouldn't give us a single bite.

Gu Zhi had these thoughts in mind, but she couldn't possibly express them outwardly.

“Teacher Jiang, I understand now. I’ve been misunderstanding you all along. It was my fault.”

She suppressed her thoughts and accepted Jiang Nai's statement in a lukewarm manner.

Turning the conversation,

He continued, "But there's something I don't understand."