"So you're Shu Lanzhou?" Lin Jiayi smiled as she looked over the petite girl in front of her.
Not very tall—at most around 160 centimeters. Far too thin, obviously malnourished, with dull, slightly yellowing hair.
Her small, palm-sized face wasn't ugly, but not particularly stunning either. Only her large, lively eyes could be called striking.
At best, she was an ordinary university student—several leagues below her own daughter.
Yet it was this delicate, unimpressive girl who had time and time again humiliated her daughter. Quite a skill she had.
While Lin Jiayi was sizing up Shu Lanzhou, the latter lifted her head and met her gaze.
Shu Lanzhou hadn't expected Lin Jiayi to approach her, much less speak to her.
In her past life, she had spent years at the Central Research Institute without ever catching Lin Jiayi's notice.
She had known of Lin Jiayi's position as the Vice Dean of the Research Center, but back then, she hadn't known Lin Jiayi was Lin Muyao's mother.
It wasn't until years later, after Shu Lanzhou was framed for stealing research materials, that she saw Lin Jiayi standing beside Han Weicheng.
It was Lin Jiayi who called the police to accuse her of theft—even though those materials had been personally handed to her by Lin Jiayi to destroy.
When she tried to confront Lin Jiayi to ask why she had set her up, she saw Lin Muyao sweetly calling her "Mom."
In that moment, everything became painfully clear.
There was no defending herself. The entire setup—Lin Jiayi's report, Han Weicheng's testimony—had been a long-planned conspiracy.
She had no choice but to accept it.
Shu Lanzhou snapped back to the present, her gaze steady on Lin Jiayi's face.
Compared to her past life, Lin Jiayi looked noticeably younger now. Her naturally sultry eyes couldn't quite hide the coldness lurking within, even when she smiled.
How to describe her?
Lin Jiayi was the type of woman who exuded a dangerous allure to men, with her innate fox-like eyes.
Even at over forty, she remained enchantingly attractive.
In comparison, Lin Muyao lacked that kind of seductive charm.
Keeping her expression calm and composed, Shu Lanzhou met Lin Jiayi's gaze without a trace of inferiority.
"I am. And you are?"
The way she spoke—direct and lacking any honorifics—bordered on rude.
Standing nearby, He Sixin opened her mouth as if to remind Shu Lanzhou, but ultimately said nothing, only tugging lightly at her sleeve.
Lin Jiayi's brows knit slightly in displeasure. As expected from a country bumpkin, she thought. No manners at all. How could someone like this ever stand out?
Her smile faded as she replied,
"My name is Lin Jiayi. I'm the Vice Dean of the Central Research Institute. I'm here to scout a few promising innovation projects."
"Sorry," Shu Lanzhou immediately took half a step back, her tone firm. "Our project already has a professor lined up for collaboration. I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."
Her posture made it clear: Don't even think about stealing my project.
He Sixin stood frozen in disbelief. What kind of brain circuit is this?!
A normal person, upon recognizing Lin Jiayi's prestigious identity, would fall over themselves trying to get close.
Yet Shu Lanzhou acted like she was avoiding the plague.
Though shocked, He Sixin found it strangely satisfying.
She had always disliked Lin Jiayi's condescending attitude, treating every interaction like an act of charity.
Lin Jiayi hadn't expected this reaction either. Inwardly, she sighed again: Ignorance really is fearless.
This girl probably doesn't even understand who she's talking to.
"Shu," Lin Jiayi said patiently, "I think there's been a misunderstanding."
"Our research institute is the top innovation center in the country. Normally, we only select projects from the top teams—those who win grand prizes."
"Your team only took first prize. I'm afraid it's not quite at the level for us to collaborate."
Shu Lanzhou patted her chest dramatically.
"Oh, thank goodness! I was scared for a moment there when you called me by name. I thought you were interested in my project!"
With that, she grabbed He Sixin's hand and briskly walked away, muttering loudly enough for Lin Jiayi to hear,
"So weird. If our project isn't good enough, why bother asking around about me? Isn't she too free for a research institute's vice dean? So strange."
He Sixin didn't dare look back at Lin Jiayi's expression—she was too busy holding in her laughter.
She knew her father's biggest rival at the research center was Lin Jiayi—always using her position to bully others instead of focusing on actual research.
It was truly satisfying to see her getting snubbed.
Finally kicked the iron plate today, she thought gleefully.
Shu Lanzhou was absolutely fearless—even the vice dean was nothing to her!
"Shu Lanzhou," He Sixin said, grinning, "you're way too fierce! Do you even know who she is? Aren't you afraid she'll make things hard for you later?"
Shu Lanzhou shook her head calmly.
"I'm not worried. I'm not working with her, and I'm not part of the Research Center. She has no excuse to target me—at least not for now."
"As for the future…" Shu Lanzhou's gaze sharpened slightly.
"Honestly, even without considering her position, just knowing she's Lin Muyao's mother is enough for me to stay clear."
"Rather than wasting time pretending to be friendly, I'd rather tear off the mask early. My energy should be spent on academic research, not meaningless social games."
"I believe that if my academic achievements are strong enough, no one—not even her—can suppress my brilliance."
He Sixin stared at her, dumbfounded.
"So ambitious! You've seen through things so clearly at such a young age. I'm impressed, Shu Lanzhou!"
"But… how do you know she's Lin Muyao's mom? And how are you so sure she'll be hostile toward you?"
This question stumped Shu Lanzhou for a second. She didn't want to lie, but she needed a plausible explanation to warn He Sixin about Lin Jiayi.
After thinking for a moment, Shu Lanzhou answered carefully,
"Back when I was still on the team, I happened to see Lin Muyao's personal file. Her guardian was listed as Lin Jiayi."
"As for why I'm sure she'll be unfriendly…" Shu Lanzhou's voice grew colder.
"It's simple. I don't believe Lin Jiayi was unaware of Lin Muyao's plagiarism."
"The first time, Lin Muyao claimed she was suffering from depression and skipped school for days."
"The second time, right before the campus competition, I was kidnapped. If not for my seniors and teachers, I might not have been able to participate."
"After that, Lin Muyao again disappeared from school for several days, during which the police investigation concluded."
"Right after that, Professor Han launched an attack against Professor Mu—targeting me specifically. Although he failed and got kicked out of the judging panel, the timing says it all."
"That evening, when I went out for dinner, I ran into Lin Muyao—who had just returned to campus. Among four of us, she specifically approached me, speaking in ways that clearly showed she was testing me."
"She obviously knew Han Weicheng had planned something against me—just didn't know he had failed."
"Considering the sequence of events, there's no way Lin Jiayi wasn't involved. Especially the kidnapping and Professor Han's targeting—those aren't things Lin Muyao could have orchestrated alone."
He Sixin was stunned.
"Now that you lay it out like that… it really does add up."
"But, plagiarism and the professor's scheming can be traced with evidence. How are you so sure about the kidnapping?"