"Uncle Zhou."
The moment they stepped out of the administrative building, Chen Yuanchu naturally changed how he addressed the man behind him.
He held up the meal containers he was carrying. "You probably haven't had dinner yet, have you? This humble daoist just packed two portions from the cafeteria. Why don't we go to the rented place together and eat?"
"Yuanchu, you're too kind." Zhou Ming laughed and waved his hand. "But tonight I've got dinner plans with some leaders. I can only show you the place before I head out. Next time you come to Uncle's place, I'll cook you a proper meal myself."
"I didn't know Uncle Zhou could cook. This humble daoist will definitely have to try your handiwork."
Zhou Ming laughed at that. "I came from the countryside too. Back in our day, what rural kid didn't know how to cook? Whether it tasted good was another matter entirely."
The rental place wasn't far from the school, so Zhou Ming decided to walk instead of drive, giving Chen Yuanchu a chance to get familiar with the surroundings. They chatted as they walked to the school gate.
"Uncle Zhou rented out your old family home, so where do you live now?" Chen Yuanchu asked.
"Also close to the school." Zhou Ming stood at the school gate and pointed to the left. "I live in that residential complex now." Then he pointed to the right. "The rental is over there in the old neighborhood."
Both places were near the school. Chen Yuanchu figured it was only about a ten-minute walk.
"Does Wanqiu commute to school as well?"
Zhou Ming paused, then smiled. "She boards at the school. Mainly because I'm so busy with work that I don't have time to cook for her. The school assigned me a faculty dorm room, so she lives there on her own. If she needs anything, I bring it to her."
He paused and asked curiously, "Did Wanqiu tell you I'm her father?"
"She didn't say it explicitly, but from looking at both of your appearances, this humble daoist could tell."
"Hehe, Yuanchu, you really do have an eye for people!"
Since the conversation had turned to Lin Wanqiu, the topic naturally fell to her, and they continued walking and chatting.
"Yuanchu, are you settling in well in class? Wanqiu isn't giving you trouble, is she?" Principal Zhou asked.
"Everything's fine."
Principal Zhou knew his daughter's personality well. He'd pushed a desk mate on her and asked her to help Chen Yuanchu settle in—she wouldn't be giving him the cold shoulder, and that would be the best he could hope for.
"Her mother passed away early, and I'm always swamped with work. Wanqiu has been independent since she was little, but she's not very good at interacting with people. Every day she just reads and does problems—no other hobbies, and barely any friends…"
His tone carried worry. "Academically, of course I'm not concerned. But I've been wondering—is this state of hers actually good or bad…"
Chen Yuanchu listened quietly. He wasn't familiar with Lin Wanqiu, so he didn't dare offer random comments.
Because depending on what one used as a reference, each person occupied a different position and received different perceptions in others' hearts.
"Yuanchu, what do you think?"
"…This humble daoist's cultivation is far inferior to my master's. I'm afraid I can't offer Uncle Zhou particularly good advice."
"Don't be so modest. Since your master was willing to pass the temple to you, he clearly trusted your abilities. Uncle wants to hear what young people like yourselves think."
"What Uncle Zhou just described is really just a series of comparative benchmarks. Perhaps that's not the real her. This humble daoist actually thinks that whatever kind of person Wanqiu wants to become, whatever kind of life she wants to live—as long as she's comfortable and doesn't regret it, that's fine."
Chen Yuanchu paused. "Not every choice must be the 'correct' option. If she wants to, she can choose what she likes. Besides, life is long, and she's still young. What's considered the 'correct' option now may not actually