After the Nan family left, Aunt Qiu pulled Qiu Xi over to tell her about their afternoon conversation.
"Xiao Xi, this matter is for you and Nan Hua to discuss yourselves. We parents won't interfere."
It wasn't that she wasn't thinking of her daughter, but rather she felt her daughter had the means. Whether she received the shares or not made no difference.
Moreover, for such a significant matter, she and the child's father didn't know much. They just didn't want their child to be gossiped about behind her back in the future.
With Xiao Xi's current financial standing, she indeed couldn't compare to the Nan family, but for the child herself, what she had was already enough.
Their current considerations were more likely about the feelings between the two of them.
In the future, if they could continue, they would, and if not, they would part ways. There would be no financial disputes.
Since the Nan family wasn't getting involved, they, as outsiders, should leave this matter to the children.
"If it doesn't work out, go talk to your master and Grandma Li. They know more..."
Qiu Xi looked at her mother and finally said, "Mom and Dad, it's so good to have you."
Aunt Qiu gently hugged her daughter. "Alright, just remember, we are your strongest support. If you have any problems, come to your family."
"Okay~ I know."
"Mmm."
"Your Aunt Chu has already gone to find someone to pick a date. We should know in a couple of days. If you're okay with it, we'll start making preparations."
"Mom, I have no objections. I'll listen to you."
"Good~"
And so, two days later, the Qiu family received a message from the Nan family.
The engagement date had been set for August 19th.
Chu Sheng said it was a specially chosen auspicious day.
"Xiao Xi, you just need to pick out your clothes. Leave the rest to Mom and Dad."
Regarding the engagement banquet arrangements, Aunt Qiu and Chu Sheng had discussed it. It would be a private affair for both families, not a grand one. So, the two mothers took on the planning task together.
This immediately freed up Qiu Xi, the protagonist, from the engagement matters.
However, her leisure lasted only two days before her mentor called her to the school ahead of schedule.
...
July 23rd.
As Professor Qi had instructed, Qiu Xi went to the school office at 10 AM to meet him. He said he wanted them to get to know each other and begin to adapt to their upcoming studies and life.
"Knock knock knock~"
"Come in."
Hearing the voice, Qiu Xi stepped inside.
There were already two or three people seated in the office.
"Professor Qi, Senior Sister Mo, good morning."
There were two other people. Qiu Xi found them unfamiliar and didn't know whether to greet them, so she just smiled and nodded.
"Hello, junior sister," Mo Ya Ya smiled gently.
The two people beside her also nodded slightly.
"Since you're here, come and sit," Professor Qi Xi Zhi called to Qiu Xi as he glanced at her entering the office.
"Now that everyone is here, let's have you introduce yourselves."
Saying this, Qi Xi Zhi looked at Qiu Xi and a boy next to her.
"Here, let me introduce the two younger ones first."
"This is your senior from the third year of graduate studies, Wei Ziqin," Qi Xi Zhi said, pointing to the boy on the far side.
"Next to him is your senior from the second year of graduate studies, Mo Ya Ya."
As soon as he finished speaking, the two nodded and greeted them.
"Ziqin, Ya Ya, these are your new junior sister and junior brother, Qiu Xi and Luo An."
"Hello."
"Hello, senior brother, senior sister."
"Alright, now that you know each other, there's not much more to say," Qi Xi Zhi said, looking at the students.
Originally, he planned to take only one student this year, as in previous years.
However, due to the school's expansion and Qiu Xi's exceptional talent, taking on another student to help with some work wasn't impossible. So, in the end, he took one more.
"Ziqin, although you're graduating soon, you still have some time, and your thesis is almost done. When you have time, help your junior sister and guide your junior brother and sister."
Wei Ziqin nodded, "Teacher, I understand."
He was curious about which student the teacher had made an exception for this year.
"Mmm. For convenience, for anything that comes up, Qiu Xi, you'll ask your senior sister Mo Ya Ya. As for Luo An, you'll temporarily follow the third-year senior brother."
"We'll discuss other matters once school officially starts."
"Okay, teacher." Both nodded in unison.
"Mmm, since you're all here, let's talk about it first."
"Both of you have a good foundation. School doesn't start for over a month. I won't have you follow me during this period. Just do your work at home."
"You'll have a reading report once a week. I'll have your senior sister send the reading list and literature to you in the group later."
"For this month, just familiarize yourselves with these. I'll emphasize it again when school starts."
In essence, it all came down to one thing.
But everyone present, including the still novice Qiu Xi and Luo An, understood it.
Why read, study books, and literature? It was all in preparation for writing a thesis...
If you only read and couldn't output anything, you'd likely be eliminated after one or two reading reports, well before school started.
"Okay," so both nodded obediently.
Indeed, what was due would come, nothing less.
...
Afterward, Qi Xi Zhi chatted with the two newcomers for a while. He seemed quite approachable.
"Alright, I have something else to attend to. You two can chat with them. If there's nothing else, you can head back."
Saying that, Qi Xi Zhi left the office with his documents.
"Okay, teacher." The four turned back after watching him leave.
"Junior sister, you chat with them. I'll go get some things," Wei Ziqin said, glancing at Mo Ya Ya.
Mo Ya Ya nodded, "Okay, senior brother, you go ahead."
Then Wei Ziqin walked towards a nearby computer.
Mo Ya Ya looked at the two of them. "Don't be nervous. Once you get to know them, the teacher and senior brother are very kind."
At this time last year, she was also very nervous.
"Mmm..." the two nodded.
Qiu Xi wasn't nervous, but she felt that things were not simple.
"Alright, let me tell you," Mo Ya Ya began.
"Professor Qi is a good person, but he's very serious about academics, so his requirements for us are inevitably high."
"So, the first important task for you is to do your reading reports well."
"Of course, if you have your own ideas and find inspiration from it, Professor Qi will be very happy."
This meant that this child would be easy to guide. In that case, having them as helpers would be pleasant, without much effort.
This was also what Professor Qi liked and was most happy about.
"Senior sister, we understand that. We'll prepare carefully." Luo An nodded, "I just don't know what else we need to learn..."
It was better to prepare in advance to avoid being caught off guard.
Hearing this, Mo Ya Ya smiled.
"There is indeed something, and it's quite difficult. You need to be prepared."
"What is it?" the two asked, confused.
"Time is short. It's best for you to take this month to review your undergraduate knowledge. Your foundation needs to be solid to avoid mistakes."
"Professor Qi has an old habit. He's sometimes a bit lazy. When he's in the mood, he likes to ask his students to help teach undergraduate courses..."
"Ah? This?"
What kind of trick was this?
They were only recent university graduates...
Qiu Xi was shocked, Luo An was shocked and uneasy.
"Mmm, my senior brother and I both went through this. If the teacher is willing, you might have to continue teaching this course until you graduate," Mo Ya Ya said, secretly glancing at her senior brother not far away.
"So, you need to be prepared."
As a senior sister, this was all she could help with.
"...Okay."
Besides nodding, there was nothing else they could say.
"Cheer up!"
...