With Johan’s help, Liyan quickly adapted to life in Oxford, but she couldn’t shake off an uneasy feeling. She’d been raised to believe you should never accept something without giving back, and the favor she owed Johan felt like a heavy stone on her chest. Yet, she couldn’t refuse his kindness. Whenever she faced a problem in Oxford, Johan was the first person she thought of. It had become a reflex.

　　Liyan wanted to repay him. Despite Johan’s efforts to keep a low profile and hide the disparity between his background and that of others in the lab, his unique accent, the upper-class vocabulary that slipped out when he spoke English, and his high-quality, tailor-made clothes led her to suspect that he was at least from the upper-middle class. Given her current financial situation, even if she tried her best to find a way to reciprocate, an expensive gift from her would be insignificant to Johan and might even annoy him.

　　Reading people’s cues had always been a survival skill for kids from blended families, and Liyan noticed that the seemingly carefree Johan had a hidden struggle. He was stuck with his dissertation, yet he had to get his PhD. Liyan decided to discreetly use her strengths in archaeology to help Johan with his dissertation.

　　Once she made up her mind, Liyan started inviting Johan to the library whenever she went to study. Although Johan never went to the library on his own, he didn’t mind going with Liyan. He wasn’t used to sitting still for three hours in the library, wandering aimlessly among the shelves until the annoyed looks from other readers forced him to reluctantly grab a random book and sit beside Liyan, pretending to read.

　　Liyan opened Johan’s academic notebook and flipped to a page boldly marked "Core Literature Reading." Johan’s handwriting was so messy it seemed ready to take flight off the page, making it impossible for Liyan to decipher. His notes often had only the first half of a sentence, never finished later. Towards the back of the notebook, Johan had drawn a black-faced sheep and a cute little bear wearing a red hat. So childish! Liyan covered her mouth, trying hard not to laugh out loud.

　　Finding no valuable information in Johan’s academic notes, Liyan turned to the reference books and journal articles that Professor Li had assigned Johan. She was already well-versed in the history of Chinese ceramics, and the history of British ceramics, with its smaller scope, was a piece of cake. Effortlessly, Liyan outlined the key points of British ceramic history from the required readings, creating a framework that included manufacturing techniques, artistic appreciation, and commercial value.

　　Liyan was diligently taking notes in the library, while Johan appeared to be deeply engrossed in a book.

　　"What are you reading so intently?" Liyan asked curiously.

　　"Nothing much." Johan closed the book and placed it face down on the desk, deliberately hiding the title from Liyan. Then, he shifted the focus, "Let me see what you’re writing."

　　Johan snatched the outline Liyan was working on. He quickly realized that the well-organized outline wasn’t related to Liyan’s research—it was his. Johan was momentarily speechless. Though he wasn’t interested in ceramic history, he couldn’t let Liyan’s effort go to waste. He carefully read through the outline. Liyan’s detailed outline could directly serve as the main and subheadings of his dissertation. She had even written summaries, keywords, and core ideas. Johan only needed to thoroughly understand the academic materials Professor Li had given him and incorporate recent discoveries, filling in the content like a puzzle to complete the dissertation step by step.

　　Johan’s resistance to his dissertation began to crumble. While Liyan wasn’t paying attention, Johan discreetly returned his leisure book to its place and dutifully opened the reference book Professor Li had given him. He couldn’t quite explain whether it was because he realized the dissertation wasn’t as daunting as he had imagined or because of Liyan. After a few more trips to the library with Liyan, he felt comfortable researching literature and conducting artifact analysis in the lab. His dissertation started to take shape, and the weekly meetings no longer made him anxious. He finally had progress to share with everyone.

　　To Johan’s surprise, his relationship with his mother also improved. They went from being at each other’s throats to having calm, casual conversations. Many things Johan hadn’t dared to hope for since starting his PhD were happening without him even realizing it.

　　At 10 PM, Johan and Liyan left the library together. A young man on a bicycle wobbled toward them, nearly hitting Liyan.

　　"Watch where you're going!" Johan yelled.

　　The young man jumped off the bike suddenly. "Johan, it's you!"

　　Johan recognized him too. "Justin, long time no see."

　　"Sorry, I've been drinking. Didn’t hit you, did I?"

　　"You just came back from The Bar of Old Captain, didn’t you?" Johan smelled the strong scent of whiskey on Justin.

　　"Why haven’t I seen you there lately?"

　　"I'm working on my dissertation!"

　　"You're hitting the books?!" Justin glanced at Liyan. "Got yourself a new girlfriend, huh?"

　　"We were studying in the library. Just finished." Johan meant to clarify that Liyan wasn’t his girlfriend.

　　"Your previous girlfriends were all so cool." Justin clearly didn’t buy Johan’s explanation. "This is a big change!"

　　"Don’t listen to his nonsense," Johan told Liyan, also hinting to Justin to shut up.

　　"Johan, you’re something else. Your girlfriend is even more charming than Miss Saigon!" Justin ogled Liyan with a lascivious curiosity and said flippantly, "Have her hook me up with an Asian chick too."

　　"Buddy, you're out of line," Johan snapped.

　　"Just joking, why so serious? Goodbye, Miss Saigon." Justin was annoyed at Johan's lack of humor. He hopped back on his bike and wobbled away.

　　Johan wanted to chase after Justin and give him a piece of his mind.

　　All jokes have a grain of truth, and Liyan heard Justin’s prejudice and objectification of Asian women. But she just wanted to keep the peace, so she tugged on Johan’s sleeve. "Let it go, he’s drunk."

　　Johan reassured Liyan, "Don’t take anything he said seriously."

　　"Which part should I not take seriously? That I’m your girlfriend, or Miss Saigon?"

　　"He said I had cool ex-girlfriends. I swear they were all respectable, and I’m not some random player." Johan was worried Liyan might think he was promiscuous.

　　"He’s drunk. I’m not taking anything he said to heart." Liyan comforted Johan in return. "Don’t get mad at people like him."

　　Just then, Liyan felt something slide off her neck. A crisp clinking sound followed as a piece of white jade fell to the ground, chipping a corner.

　　Liyan picked up the jade pendant, realizing the string had broken. She gently rubbed the chipped edge, feeling that bad luck was piling up—it really was a troublesome night.

　　Seeing Liyan’s eyes redden, Johan guessed the pendant held great significance for her. He tried to comfort her. “It’s not too badly damaged. I’ll find a way to fix it.”

　　“Jade can’t be fixed once it’s broken.”

　　“I know magic.”

　　Liyan chuckled. “You’re such a braggart.”

　　“I know some antique shops in Oxford. Maybe they can help?”

　　Trusting Johan seemed better than blindly searching for help herself, so Liyan solemnly handed the pendant to him.

　　After walking Liyan back to her apartment, Johan didn’t miss a chance to cheer her up before she went upstairs. “I promise to fulfill this mission with utmost diligence!”

　　“If it’s too much trouble to ask someone, just forget it. It’s not that valuable,” Liyan said, though she didn’t mean it, thinking about owing Johan another favor.

　　“Don’t worry, I’ve got this.” Johan held the pendant tightly, as if it were Liyan’s hand instead.

　　A week later, Johan returned the pendant to Liyan. The chip had been filled with jade almost identical to the original, making the repair nearly invisible. Liyan was both happy and amazed. What touched her even more was the new, handmade woven cord that replaced the old one, looking sturdier and more elegant.

　　Just as Liyan was about to ask how much the repair had cost, Johan preemptively said, “A friend of mine who’s an antique dealer did it for me. I’ve sent him a lot of business before, so he didn’t charge me for this.”

　　Seeing Liyan’s skepticism, Johan quickly changed the subject. “What’s engraved on this pendant?”

　　“Lide Liyan, Wuwen Xidong. ‘Liyan’ is my name.”

　　“So it’s a pendant with your name on it. No wonder you were so upset.”

　　“It’s a keepsake from my dad. I’ve always worn it as a talisman.”

　　“Did your dad give you your name?”

　　“Yeah. Lide and Ligong are about making a broad impact, which isn’t something an individual can always achieve. My dad said that for a scholar, ‘Liyan’—establishing one's words—should be the top priority, as writing and statesmanship are grand undertakings.”

　　Johan nodded approvingly. “I think you’ll achieve that someday.”

　　Liyan smiled, touched by his words. “Thanks, Johan. That means a lot.”