High Profile in Action, Low Profile in Life

To live a peaceful life, one must keep a low profile. What I have already done is enough to attract attention. There is no need to court trouble voluntarily.

Do not ask why she was so cautious. Her past lives had taught her a single truth: one can be high-profile in actions while keeping a low profile as a person; but for someone who is high-profile as a person while keeping a low profile in actions, it is very difficult to get ahead. Moreover, once such a person falls from grace, there are plenty of people ready to kick them when they are down.

Being too much of a high-profile person inevitably offends vast numbers of people. It is fine as long as one hasn't lost power, but once power is lost, it is time to taste the bitter fruit of one's own making.

Furthermore, she disliked trouble, and keeping a low profile had nothing bad about it.

Those past lives were merely trials within the journey of mortal existence, and she had finally managed to find some leisure. Were it not for the influence of the times, and provided she had sufficient wealth, she would have genuinely loved to enter her retirement years right away.

Hao Nan harbored doubts, but seeing that Tian Shangguo did not ask anything, he kept his mouth shut.

Tian Shangguo said, "Comrade Zhong's words are very reasonable, it is just that you have to bear the hardship. You have made so many contributions to the country, yet in the eyes of many, you remain unknown."

The academic world knew of her great achievements, but people outside understood nothing. Even the students of the same school only caught a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg; they did not fully comprehend the true contributions Comrade Zhong had made.

"What do these count for? They merely made things convenient for me." In inventing these things, laziness was, to a greater or lesser extent, part of her motivation.

"You naturally think this way with your broad-mindedness." A hint of a smile flashed across Tian Shangguo's eyes. "How many people are fighting over your inventions."

Zhong Xiuxiu nodded slightly and gave a light laugh. Sometimes it was just like that—clearly she hadn't done all that much, yet she was praised to the high heavens. While it made her feel ashamed, it also compelled her to whip herself forward to make a bit more contribution, doing as much as she possibly could.

Upon arriving at China University, Tian Shangguo and Hao Nan waited outside the school gates as usual, while Zhong Xiuxiu entered the campus alone. The sky was gradually darkening, and dim lights flickered on across the campus, casting a faint, welcome glow over the shadowed paths.

Reaching the administrative building, on her way to the office, she happened to pass Professor Ding's office. The door was wide open, and Professor Ding sat at his desk, writing and drawing by the light of a lamp.

Xiuxiu raised a hand and knocked on the office door. "Good evening, Professor Ding. When did you arrive? I've come later than you."

"Ah, Professor Zhong is here! Come in and sit down." He quickly put his things away and stood up from behind the desk.

Zhong Xiuxiu stepped into the office and sat opposite Professor Ding in the guest rattan chairs. She placed the item she was holding onto the coffee table and pushed it toward him.

"This is a cold dish made by my Gouda. I brought some for you to try."

"A cold dish?" Looking down at the oil paper soaked through with seasoning, Professor Ding asked, "Do you mind if I open it now?"

Zhong Xiuxiu made an "at your leisure" gesture.

Smiling, Professor Ding unwrapped the oil paper. Tender and succulent radish slices were revealed under the light. He picked one up with a smile, tasted it, and nodded repeatedly. "Crisp and refreshing, moderate in sweetness and spice, and cool—it's great to eat when you want to clear your palate and reduce internal heat."

"As long as you like it. Gouda made quite a lot, so I brought some over for you. If you enjoy it, Gouda will make more next time and send some more your way." Professor Ding's teeth were no longer very good, and he didn't enjoy eating radish slices quite as much as young people did. "Eating a little bit is fine, but if I eat too much, these teeth of mine won't be able to take it."

An old man's teeth always feared cold food; even the slightest chill felt uncomfortable.

Zhong Xiuxiu nodded. "If you don't like eating cold food, you can take it back and warm it up slightly in a pot of hot water before eating. The texture might be a little compromised, but it won't be too bad. Of course, it mustn't be boiling water when you warm it, or it will lose its original flavor."

It could only be warmed up gradually so that the radish slices retained a comfortable warmth.

"Alright, I've made a note of it. I'll take it back and let my wife taste it too." Professor Ding gathered the items and wrapped them back up. "What is the current situation between you and Comrade Yan? When are you planning to get married?"

Zhong Xiuxiu: "......"

The pressure to marry was ubiquitous.

"We plan to get our marriage license first, and hold the wedding after I graduate." Though feeling shy, Zhong Xiuxiu still voiced it out.

Professor Ding nodded. "What kind of family is the Yan family? Are his parents and elders easy to get along with?"

"They are all easy to get along with. His grandfather holds a high position and has a kind disposition; his father is an upright and steadfast man, and his mother is a quite interesting woman. We get along reasonably well."

"That is good then. A man fears choosing the wrong profession, and a woman fears marrying the wrong man. Even if one gets divorced, it remains a lifelong heartache, and whenever you think of it in the future, there will always be a knot in your heart." They say divorced people can still remain friends, but how many such friends are there really?

Do not think that because he was old, he didn't understand the world of the young.

Touched by the old man's genuine concern, Zhong Xiuxiu smiled. No matter what, he truly cared for her. "Well, before deciding to get married, I considered these issues. When I agreed to him initially, I hadn't yet met his parents, but he was indeed very good and possessed a strong sense of responsibility. After meeting his parents, all my hesitation vanished, and that last shred of uncertainty in my heart disappeared."

The union of a man and a woman was never merely a matter for the two of them alone. They were born with fathers, mothers, and elders—how could those ties simply be cast aside? Marriage between two people was a matter between two families, and whether they would be able to get along in the future had to be discerned clearly before marriage.

Human relations and ethics were most complex—subtle yet capable of instilling fear.

"In that case, congratulations to you both. When you host the wedding banquet, I must come and beg for a cup of celebratory wine." She was intelligent and rational; she could maintain a sensible mindset to observe and analyze matters of the heart. He didn't need to worry about her being young, lacking experience, and walking down a misguided path.

Zhong Xiuxiu smiled radiantly and nodded. "We could leave anyone out, but certainly not you. When the time comes, I will personally invite you, and you must honor us with your presence."

"Most certainly, most certainly."

The old man and the youth chatted for a while. The evening self-study bell rang, and the sky outside grew dark. Zhong Xiuxiu took her leave, first stopping by her office to pick up the name list and roster, and then heading straight to the classroom for the First Class of the New Biology and Physics Department.

Before even stepping inside, she heard the classroom buzzing with lively and incessant chatter.

Around thirty people were enthusiastically getting acquainted with one another. Some had already made friends, some were chatting amiably, and while others sat quietly by themselves, the overall atmosphere was bustling.

Stepping into the classroom, someone caught sight of her arrival and quieted down. Then, this eerie wave of silence made the other students notice the anomaly as well. As they all turned to look, one by one, they too fell completely silent.

"Everyone is chatting quite lively!" Walking up to the podium, she placed the roster and name list on the desk, and Zhong Xiuxiu smiled faintly. "Since everyone has quieted down, let me introduce myself. My name is Zhong Xiuxiu—the Zhong Xiuxiu of *Zhong Ling Yu Xiu*—and I am twenty-two years old."

She picked up a piece of chalk and wrote her name on the blackboard. Her graceful, fine-tipped cursive writing won the students' glances of admiration, shock, and fondness.

A person with good handwriting could always easily win others' favor in life.

As the saying went, handwriting reflected the person, and a fine hand was also a person's facade.

"Starting today, I am your head teacher, as well as one of your course professors. You all come from all corners of the country, and gathering here is a matter of fate as well as your good fortune. I hope that in the next five years, you will all get along harmoniously."