Chapter 23: Jiang Xingran Triggers a Fortuitous Encounter

"What does that mean?"

Jiang Suisui paused for a moment. "Excuse me, Teacher Yu, may I ask, is your grandfather a teacher at the Vermilion Bird City Youth Palace?"

Teacher Yu’s family background was no secret at Morning Star Kindergarten, but Jiang Suisui had only been working there for a few days. She wasn't one for gossip, and since no one had brought it up, she naturally didn’t know who Teacher Yu’s grandfather was.

Teacher Yu realized this and explained with an embarrassed smile, "He isn't a teacher at the Youth Palace, but he was once a professor at the Azure Dragon City Academy of Fine Arts and has even received the highest-level award in the Huaxia Federation’s art world."

To prevent Jiang Suisui from doubting her and hindering Jiang Xingran’s development, Teacher Yu specifically opened her light screen, searched for her grandfather’s name on the Star Network, and showed Jiang Suisui his biography.

She was astonished at what she saw. Teacher Yu’s grandfather was a titan in the art world, a man of immense fame; anyone with even a passing interest in art knew who he was.

Suddenly, even the system came back to life.

【Host, a fortuitous encounter has been triggered due to the student Jiang Xingran’s exceptional talent. An unlimited-time special mission has been automatically accepted for you: Arrange an apprenticeship with Lin Hongyi. Note: Completion yields rewards, failure carries no penalty, and you may abandon it at any time.】

Jiang Suisui was silent for a moment. A "fortuitous encounter"? Was this a game?

Complaints aside, she did hope Jiang Xingran would learn painting from such a master. But that depended on whether Jiang Xingran was willing.

So, Jiang Suisui replied, "Thank you for your kindness, Teacher Yu, and thank you to Mr. Lin for his appreciation. However, I need to talk to Xingxing first. If he is willing, we can discuss the next steps, is that alright?"

Teacher Yu was surprised. If it had been any other parent, they would have likely accepted on the spot upon hearing their child might be taken on as a pupil by her grandfather. But upon reflection, she thought this was actually a good sign. It showed that Jiang Suisui wasn't someone who chased quick success or valued money and fame more than her child.

Teacher Yu smiled. "That's fine. Once you've talked to Xingxing, let me know, and we can set a time."

Jiang Suisui agreed and left Teacher Yu’s office. By chance, she ran into Qin Wulan, who was delivering snacks to Yun Zihao.

"Oh, Suisui, you're here too?" Qin Wulan still wore her gentle and elegant demeanor. "I just brought Zihao some snacks, but he didn't seem to like the pumpkin cakes I made. If you're free, could I ask you for some advice?"

It was convenient enough, and since Jiang Suisui was heading back to the cafeteria for lunch, she simply brought Qin Wulan along.

As she ate, Jiang Suisui shared her experience. "If you found your pumpkin cakes weren't crispy or soft enough, it might be because you didn't mash the pumpkin while it was hot, or perhaps you didn't add glutinous rice flour."

Hearing this, Qin Wulan had a sudden realization. "I really didn't use glutinous rice flour; I thought regular flour would suffice."

After discussing pumpkin cakes, they turned to the topic of their children. Gradually, Qin Wulan shared some details about the kidnapping case with Jiang Suisui.

"Those few caught in the act were just small-time thugs paid with a large sum of money. The police are still investigating the real mastermind, but they’ve already found some leads. That’s why I’ve been taking time off these days to pick up and drop off Zihao personally."

Jiang Suisui chewed on a chicken leg and asked, "How will the police handle them? The ones who were caught?"

At the mention of this, Qin Wulan’s expression turned cold. "After the interrogation, they will be dealt with according to the law. They won't be able to escape."

"When I was assisting with the investigation, one man kept crying to me, saying he was raising a four-year-old child alone and begged me to forgive him. I refused, and he started calling me heartless and vicious. He didn't stop to think how heartless and vicious he was when he kidnapped my child! It made me so angry that I told my lawyer I wanted this person sent to the exile trash planet."

*Clatter.*

The sound of a lunchbox hitting the floor echoed nearby.

Jiang Suisui and Qin Wulan both turned their heads, only to see a figure disappearing around a corner. Having worked together for a few days, Jiang Suisui recognized it instantly as Liu Song.

She thought for a moment and offered a subtle reminder: "Work is work, but you and Zihao’s father should still try to spend more time and energy on him. If you can handle the school runs yourselves, it's better to do so."

Qin Wulan sighed heavily, looking helpless. "It's not that we don't want to. It's just that the nature of our work is special... there's really nothing we can do. But Zihao’s father has upgraded the nanny robot, and after modifying its emotional subroutines, it will be much smarter."

"We’ve also asked Zihao’s grandfather to come to Vermilion Bird City; he should arrive in a couple of days. We’ve reflected on this, and no matter how busy work gets, we will make time to chat with Zihao on the Star Network. Whenever we have time off, he will definitely be our priority."

Usually, parents whose child has been through such an incident would want to stay by their side every second. But Yun Zihao’s parents still couldn't put down their work, and their jobs were clearly unusual. Jiang Suisui guessed that the kidnapping of Yun Zihao was likely not simple. However, she didn't pry and just nodded.

After seeing Qin Wulan off, Jiang Suisui went to the dormitory for a nap. With no work to do after waking up, she used the system to check her student list. She selected [Jiang Xingran] and then [View Profile]. Sure enough, there was an update.

【Student Jiang Xingran, new hobbies added: Painting, Handicrafts.】

No new dream? Jiang Suisui refreshed the screen a few times, but confirmed there was no new dream, which left her feeling puzzled. The system seemed to have fallen asleep again, unable to provide any answers. She wasn't in a hurry, deciding to talk to Jiang Xingran after school.

When school ended, Jiang Suisui ran into Zhou Yan, who was also picking up her child. Zhou Yan had previously said she would visit the stall over the weekend to help with business, and Jiang Suisui had even sent her the location. Unfortunately, Zhou Yan had something come up at the last minute and couldn't make it.

"Speaking of that, it makes me so angry! My best friend used to be such a beautiful, excellent girl, and now she’s been worn down to skin and bones by that dead ex-husband and his parents! I almost didn't recognize her; she looked like a ghost!"

Zhou Yan put her hands on her hips, feeling both angry and stifled. "She only told me after the divorce. If she had told me earlier that her ex-husband was keeping a mistress and having secret children, and that her in-laws were forcing her to leave with nothing, I would have dragged people over there to beat them up! She wouldn't have had to leave empty-handed."

Noticing the children were eavesdropping, Zhou Yan softened her tone and spoke earnestly to Jiang Suisui. "Sigh, Little Jiang, I’m telling you this not to bother you, but to warn you: regardless of whether you get married in the future, you must have your own career and your own bottom line."

Jiang Suisui knew Zhou Yan meant well and was just venting her frustration. She understood completely, chatted with her for a while longer, and then took Jiang Xingran and Jiang Yueyi home.

Once home, while preparing for her stall, she told the two children to do their handicrafts homework first. When she was nearly ready, she went to help them, only to find that Jiang Xingran had already finished his and had helped Jiang Yueyi finish hers as well.

She blinked and sat cross-legged next to Jiang Xingran. "Xingxing, do you really like painting and these crafts?"