Chapter 429: A Top Journal Triple Publication

Wang Xiaoqing shot him a glance.

Yang Xu immediately changed the subject. “So, uh, Jiang He, how are the preparations for Professor Sun’s exam coming along?”

“They’re ready, Teacher,” Jiang He said.

“Did you make the questions a little harder, like I said?”

“Er… not exactly. Um… Teacher, there’s no way Professor Sun won’t pass the assessment. You know that, right?”

“Tsk, I know. I just want him to get a lower score, to make him squirm a little.”

Wang Xiaoqing cursed at Yang Xu, “You’re being so childish!”

Then she said to Jiang He, “Jiang He, don’t listen to him. Just make the questions normal.”

Jiang He smiled and sat down. “Alright, whatever the Mrs. says.”

The hot pot base was quickly brought out—a clear broth made from simmered beef bones.

Eating a little hot pot like this in the winter was a truly full-body comfort.

Several plates of freshly sliced sirloin cap were served, the meat so fresh it almost seemed to still be moving.

Then Chen Hao held a plate vertically and explained to everyone, “See this meat? When it’s fresh, it sticks to the plate. This is called ‘the upright plate that won’t fall.’ See? It proves the meat is fresh…”

Lin Yue: “True.”

Zhou Yang said bitterly from the side, “That’s not right. Lin Yue has changed. She’s not the same as she used to be.”

Lin Yue: “?”

Zhou Yang said, “You used to only say ‘True’ to me. Now you say ‘True’ no matter who’s talking. Sigh, it’s so upsetting…”

Lin Yue: “…”

Yang Xu teased Zhou Yang, saying, “Lin Yue belongs to everyone, not just you. The entire Affiliated Hospital No. 1 has started saying ‘True’ now. Isn’t that right, Lin Yue?”

Lin Yue: “True.”

Zhou Yang: “Wifey, have a piece of meat.”

It was a childish declaration of ownership, but Lin Yue fell for it completely. She lowered her head shyly and ate the piece of meat Zhou Yang had placed in her bowl.

Yang Xu, ever shameless, copied him. “Wifey, have a piece of meat.”

Wang Xiaoqing shot him a glare, then looked at everyone else. “Everyone, eat up. Please, eat.”

Sure enough, this started a trend.

Cheng Xiyao picked up a piece of food for Tang Pei. “Wifey, have a piece of meat.”

Lu Xiaolin picked up a piece of food for Cai Zhuoqun. “Hubby, have a piece of meat.”

Chen Hao picked up a piece of food for Jiang He.

Just as he was about to speak, Jiang He said, “Get lost.”

Yi Xiangwan picked up a piece of food, her chopsticks pausing in mid-air before she placed it in her own bowl.

Everyone joked with each other and chatted.

The atmosphere in the private room quickly grew lively.

Since it was the end of the year, everyone had a few drinks.

After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation inevitably turned to the matter of the blockade.

“Boss, those American bastards are sons of bitches.”

Feng Ye said, “I heard yesterday that not only is our mass spectrometer shipment being held up, but they’re also deliberately delaying the refund process for our deposit. They’re clearly just trying to piss us off and make our lives difficult.”

Lin Yue put down her chopsticks and said seriously, “True!”

At this point, everyone was simmering with pent-up frustration.

But Chen Hao was perfectly relaxed.

He said:

“Brothers, what’s there to worry about? The last person who made our whole team this angry was Teacher Miller from Johns Hopkins University, and now that old geezer is probably off somewhere gnawing on donuts.”

“We can do it this time, too. With the boss leading the team, when have we ever lost? We’ll handle whatever they throw at us.”

Hearing this, everyone burst out laughing.

“Haozi’s right!”

“As long as we’re with the boss, we just have to get it done.”

“The more they block us, the more it proves they’re scared!”

“Come on! To making those Americans unemployed sooner rather than later! Bottoms up!”

“Bottoms up!”

Jiang He also raised his glass, clinked it with everyone else’s, and drained it in one go.

He rarely drank, but since it was New Year’s Eve and the mood was right, he joined in for a few glasses.

After dinner, the night had grown deep.

The group dispersed at the entrance of the hot pot restaurant.

Jiang He walked back to his apartment alone.

December in Yangcheng wasn’t as cold as in the north.

Under the influence of alcohol, his thoughts began to wander.

‘It’s New Year’s.’

As someone who had lived two lives, his appreciation for holidays had actually grown quite faint.

But on this special night, looking at the countless lights of the city, he couldn’t help but miss his wife.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and glanced at it.

It was empty. Teacher Shen still hadn’t replied.

A thread of worry appeared in Jiang He’s heart.

‘It’s been so long, since this afternoon.’

‘Even if she was holed up in the library, she should have seen her phone by now.’

“Could she be sick?”

Jiang He went through his contacts, found Juanzi’s number, and called it.

BEEP… BEEP…

But Juanzi didn’t pick up either.

Jiang He’s brow furrowed.

‘I’ll go home first, then call some other people to see what’s going on.’

Since Teacher Shen had protection, he wasn’t particularly worried about her safety.

‘I just don’t know what she’s doing right now.’

He pushed open the door to his home.

Suddenly, Jiang He froze.

The apartment felt different today.

How to describe it… it seemed a little cleaner, as if someone had tidied up.

A wild thought suddenly popped into his head.

‘No way, no way, no way…’

He took off his shoes, closed the door, and walked forward.

He passed the corner of the entryway.

The first thing he saw was a bowl of congee on the table.

Jiang He stood there, stunned.

Then, suddenly, someone hugged him from behind.

He stumbled forward.

In that instant, the thought in his mind solidified into an overwhelmingly real emotion.

‘Teacher Shen is here!!’

Jiang He turned around and, sure enough, saw Teacher Shen, radiant as a starry night.

She was smiling brightly as she said softly, “Dr. Jiang, surprise~”

That “Dr. Jiang” was like a sniper’s bullet straight to Jiang He’s heart.

This time it wasn’t a BIU BIU BIU, it was a BOOM BOOM BOOM…

‘C4 has been planted in my heart, and it’s beating violently…’

‘Can’t worry about anything else.’

‘I have to hug her!’

‘I have to pull Teacher Shen into my arms first.’

Holding her, he understood the saying:

There’s no place like home.

The dazzling lights of the world can’t compare to a warm hearth with your wife and family.

A whole day of hard work was for this one moment: coming home to this bowl of hot congee.

Ten minutes later, the two of them were sitting at the dining table.

Jiang He sipped the congee, smiling like an idiot every few seconds.

Shen Yu propped her chin on her hand, watched him gently, and asked softly, “Is it good?”

Jiang He replied, “So good~”

The congee was piping hot.

It made him break out in a sweat.

Shen Yu took a napkin and wiped the sweat from Jiang He’s brow. “Eat slowly. And remember to drink a little less next time.”

“Mhm~”

In front of Teacher Shen.

Jiang He easily turned into a babbling fool who could only say “mhm, mhm.”

As he ate, Jiang He asked, “When are you going back?”

Shen Yu said, “I have to go back soon, right after New Year’s Day.”

“You came all this way just to spend New Year’s with me?”

“Of course. It’s the first year of our engagement, so I wanted to spend it with my fiancé. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”

“I should have been the one to go see you.”

“Hehe, it’s okay. I’m happy to come see you, too. And I got to surprise my Dr. Jiang, right?”

“Mhm, mhm.”

Jiang He fed Shen Yu a spoonful of congee.

She accidentally got a little on the corner of her mouth.

She licked it off with her tongue.

It was a completely ordinary gesture, yet somehow incredibly seductive.

Jiang He’s gaze seemed to have a heat of its own.

It made Teacher Shen blush.

She said, “Why are you staring at me like that!”

After speaking, she cleared her throat and said:

“Dr. Jiang, um, I have some good news to tell you~”

“What is it?”

“I told my parents about us.”

“What did our mom and dad say?”

“Hehe…”

Teacher Shen’s shy smile said more than a thousand words.

Jiang He’s heart filled with happiness.

He couldn’t help but lean in and give her a kiss.

She kissed him back.

The young couple went back and forth.

Soon, they were lost in a deep kiss.

Teacher Shen was sitting on Jiang He’s lap.

She was wearing a very ordinary outfit—a sweatshirt and jeans.

But she somehow managed to look like a total knockout in it.

Shen Yu could feel that Jiang He was running a little hot today…

She suddenly felt a little flustered, a little nervous.

‘Both our parents have already agreed.’

‘Under the influence of alcohol.’

‘An engaged young couple.’

‘Dry kindling meets a raging fire.’

‘What could possibly happen next? It’s so hard to guess…’