AFTER ten days in the hospital, Ding Hecheng’s condition showed significant improvement. Following the attending doctor’s advice, Ding Yi agreed to let his father stay for another two days for further observation.

　　Although they were still under observation, the family’s mood had brightened considerably compared to the previous days. With his father about to be discharged, Ding Yi decided to finalize his plans for enrolling in a part-time graduate program before returning to Linghai.

　　Enrolling in a part-time graduate program wasn’t about upgrading his credentials or embellishing his resume. Through his recent work experience, Ding Yi deeply felt the urgent need to enhance his theoretical knowledge.

　　For this particular task, it might seem that familiarizing himself with loan operations would suffice. However, to excel in his role, he realized he needed to grasp accounting, financial management, and economic law as well.

　　Over the past few days, he had carefully reviewed the enrollment brochures his niece had brought back from Hedong University. He found that the courses offered in their finance program could largely meet his needs.

　　After some consideration, he decided to enroll in the part-time graduate program at Hedong University. This program allowed for online learning with no more than fifteen days of in-person classes per year, making it ideal for someone with his demanding schedule.

　　The only drawback was that graduates received a certificate of completion rather than a diploma. However, by taking the national exam for equivalent academic proficiency, he could earn a degree certificate with the same value as that of full-time graduates. This degree would also be valid if he decided to pursue a full-time doctoral program in the future.

　　In the afternoon, Ding Jing had some time off to look after their father, so Ding Yi borrowed her car and headed home to gather his documents before going to Hedong University.

　　Sia Chingching, who had no classes in the morning, was staying at home and decided to catch a ride with Ding Yi to the university in the afternoon.

　　Ding Jing’s car, a white Passat, had always seemed spacious enough when she drove it. But with Ding Yi behind the wheel, Sia Chingching couldn’t help but feel it looked somewhat awkward.

　　Ding Yi had already pushed the seat back considerably, but the driver’s space still seemed cramped.

　　“You really don’t suit driving a sedan,” said Sia Chingching and couldn’t resist teasing. The atmosphere just didn’t match—it all looked out of place!

　　“As long as it suits you, that’s all that matters,” Ding Yi said and laughed, the stern lines of his face softening a bit.

　　“Could be!” said Sia Chingching. Seeing that he seemed to be in a good mood today, she tried to banter with him. “Even your Envision doesn’t quite suit you—it’s lacking in style.”

　　“Do you remember that I’m just a laborer?”

　　“Don’t think like that! You’re a high-ranking bank executive now, with a rumored annual salary!”

　　“I’ve only been there a short while. Annual salary, my foot!”

　　Ding Yi steered with one hand and tapped her on the head with the other.

　　Rubbing her sore forehead, Sia Chingching fawned and asked, “How about telling your condition to my Grandma?”

　　Before Ding Yi joined the military, he had transferred his company shares to his mother, Jhao Suchin, since his partners, Lin Siao and Liou Yan, didn’t want him to leave and didn’t want to take over his shares. Over the years, just the dividends from those shares would have been enough for Ding Yi to buy multiple luxury cars.

　　“Absolutely no! A car is just a means of transportation,” he said, dismissing the notion of it being a status symbol.

　　“Fine,” Sia Chingching pouted, silently thinking—drive that old car and be single forever! But she only dared to think it.

　　The car entered the campus, and Sia Chingching guided Ding Yi towards the parking lot. Hedong University’s parking lot was an open space with floral dividers, and it had several entrances. Ding Yi turned into the lot at the first entrance and drove around several rows without finding an empty spot.

　　As it was almost class time, Sia Chingching started to get anxious.

　　“Try the next row up ahead,” she said.

　　“Does your school have any other parking lots?” Ding Yi frowned and asked.

　　“There’s another lot near the administrative building, but it’s for staff only, so we can’t park there. If we can’t find a spot here, there’s a paid parking lot next door,” Sia Chingching suggested.

　　Ding Yi patiently drove through each row, thinking it didn’t really matter where he parked. It looked like the last row was their only hope, but all the spaces seemed occupied.

　　“Hurry up, there’s a free spot up ahead!” Sia Chingching exclaimed, leaning halfway out of the window as she spotted an empty space in the distance.

　　Ding Yi couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm. He pushed the throttle forward to get to the spot, but just as they were about to reach it, a white car sped out from a nearby bend.

　　Reacting quickly, Ding Yi slammed on the brakes.

　　The driver of the other car seemed startled and didn’t smoothly pull into the spot, but veered towards Ding Yi’s car.

　　“Wait! What happened?” Sia Chingching exclaimed, her face turned pale as she froze in her seat.

　　Ding Yi honked the horn to alert the other driver, who was jolted awake by the noise and managed to stop their car just in time. The two cars were now facing each other, barely thirty centimeters apart.

　　“Oh my, that’s so close!” Sia Chingching said, her initial fear turning into anger. She sat up straight, eager to see who was driving the other car.

　　The driver turned to unbuckle the seat-belt, revealing only that it was a woman with long, flowing hair.

　　“A woman driver! It’s people like her that give us female drivers a bad name—” Sia Chingching grumbled.

　　Ding Yi remained silent. He was about to reverse and find another spot when he saw the woman get out of the car. He rolled down his window and pulled up the handbrake, waiting.

　　Sia Chingching continued her rant, “Isn’t this a threat to public safety? People like this—Uh, Ms—Ms. Su—”

　　Recognizing the woman, Sia Chingching was struck speechless, her mouth almost forming an “O”. She couldn’t believe her idol teacher Ms. Su was a dangerous driver!

　　“Who is she? Your teacher?” Ding Yi asked, raised an eyebrow at her.

　　Sia Chingching didn’t reply but quickly jump out of the car to greet the woman.

　　“Ms. Su, are you okay? Hope you’re not being scared!” she asked anxiously.

　　Ding Yi watched his niece’s quick change of attitude with amusement. He realized that her ability to adapt would serve her well in the future.

　　“Chingching, it’s you! Yes, I’m fine,” the woman called Ms. Su replied, initially expressed surprise and delight.

　　Then she clasped her hands together apologetically and said, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t expect another car to be there. I was so scared I forgot what I was doing.”

　　With Sia Chingching in the way, Ding Yi couldn’t see the woman’s face, but her voice was clear and gentle, speaking in a calm, measured tone.

　　“It doesn’t matter. Maybe you don’t drive very often?” Sia Chingching asked, quickly offered an excuse for Ms. Su.

　　“I’m so ashamed that I got my license five years ago, but just mustered the courage to drive it these past couple of days after buying a car recently, ” the woman replied.

　　“That’s alright! The more you drive, the more skilled you’ll be. Oh, this is my uncle Ding Yi,” Sia Chingching said, and suddenly remembered to introduce the person who was in the car. “And this is my teacher in the class, Ms. Su.”

　　Realizing she was standing in the way, blocking their view of each other, she quickly moved aside, finally introducing her teacher to her uncle.

　　Only then did Ding Yi see Ms. Su. She was surprisingly young, tall, and slender, with fair skin and a head of thick, glossy black hair that cascaded naturally over her shoulders.

　　She had a classic oval face, but her features were not particularly striking. Her eyebrows were slightly thin, and her eyes, though not big by conventional standards, were expressive and gentle. Her nose wasn’t particularly refined, and her lips weren’t especially small. Overall, her appearance was plain and unremarkable—easily forgettable after a single glance. However, she exuded a serene and calm aura that seemed to illuminate her entire being, making one overlook her ordinary looks entirely.

　　“Hi! I’m Su Manhua,” she said, smiled and nodded politely at Ding Yi.

　　Ding Yi stepped out of the car, thinking that they probably wouldn’t have any further interactions.

　　“Nice to meet you, Ms. Su. Thank you for taking care of Chingching,” he responded courteously.

　　“You’re so kind, Mr. Ding.” Su Manhua replied warmly.

　　While they were exchanging pleasantries, a car drove into a spot from the adjacent row. Sia Chingching couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the oblivious driver who had just snagged the last available spot while they were still waiting.

　　The inconsiderate driver got out, locked the car, and walked away without so much as a glance in their direction. The two stood there didn’t seem too bothered, but Sia Chingching was fuming.

　　“It looks like there are no more spots here. Is Mr. Ding here to run an errand? I can show you where to park near the administration building,” Su Manhua said and patted her shoulder reassuringly.

　　“That would be great. Thank you,” Ding Yi gladly agreed.

　　Ding Yi followed Su Manhua’s white car towards the administration building. Glancing at the time on the car’s navigation system, he turned to Sia Chingching in the passenger seat.

　　“Isn’t it time for your class?”

　　“Ms. Su is with us, why should I worry? By the way, what do you think of our teacher’s demeanor?”

　　“Seems nice,” Ding Yi replied casually, not expecting his offhand comment to spark Sia Chingching’s curiosity.

　　“You have no idea! In our Economics college, students have nicknamed her ‘Beauty of Bright Moon and Gentle Breeze’ because she has a serene and soothing presence,” Sia Chingching said proudly, as if she was the person involved.

　　That’s a good description! Ding Yi thought, allowing himself a faint smile before returning to his usual stoic expression. He silently followed the car ahead, watching as Su Manhua lowered her window to speak to the security guard, gesturing towards his car as she did.

　　Seeing Ding Yi’s lack of response, Sia Chingching wisely kept quiet.

　　Soon, the white car entered the parking lot. Ding Yi saw the security guard wave him in, and he followed. After some searching, he finally found an empty spot.

　　After parking, Ding Yi and Sia Chingching walked toward the exit. As they neared the administration building, they noticed Su Manhua’s car still maneuvering into a side spot.

　　Out of politeness, Ding Yi felt it necessary to thank her. As they approached, he saw that Su Manhua was struggling to park between two cars. One of the cars had its rear wheel just over the yellow line, making the spot quite tight—even for a compact car like the white car.

　　Seeing Su Manhua attempt several times to parallel park without success, Ding Yi sighed and stepped forward.

　　“Need some help?” he asked.

　　“Of course, thank you so much!” Su Manhua said, as if she had found a savior. She quickly got out of the car and stood next to Sia Chingching.

　　Ding Yi squeezed into the small car and, with a single smooth maneuver, perfectly parked it in the tight spot. Su Manhua watched in awe.

　　“Unbelievable!” she exclaimed, impressed by the one-shot parking.

　　“Indeed! By the way, he’s single. How about introducing him to you?” Sia Chingching said and laughed, feeling interested enough to joke with her young teacher.

　　After earning her PhD, Su Manhua returned to Hedong and immediately began teaching at Hedong University. The first class she took on was the class where Sia Chingching was in, and for the past three years, she had treated them more like friends than students, often joking around with them.

　　“Won’t there be any generation gap between us?” she didn’t take Sia Chingching’s teasing to heart and casually asked.

　　“That’s impossible! There’s only a four or five-year difference between you two. You’re both from the 80s generation so you’re perfect for each other!” Sia Chingching said, and was getting more convinced that the two were a good match.

　　Seeing Ding Yi approaching after parking the car, Su Manhua quickly stopped Sia Chingching.

　　“Stop talking nonsense, please! Mr. Ding is coming,” she said anxiously.

　　Watching Su Manhua’s reaction, Sia Chingching chuckled and shrugged. She couldn’t help but think—when it comes to fate, who’s to say?