"Oh, you’re not?" Teacher Chen gave an awkward laugh. "I just thought an elder in your family might know Elder Meng."

Jiang Silu immediately shook her head. "Teacher Chen, no one in my family knows Elder Meng. He’s so famous, how could we possibly have a connection to him?"

"Is that so?" Teacher Chen laughed awkwardly again. "I see, I must have been mistaken. Here, have some cake."

For the next little while, she made small talk with Jiang Silu.

But since Jiang Silu had another class soon, Teacher Chen didn’t keep her for too long.

"Goodbye, Teacher Chen."

"Okay, goodbye~"

After Jiang Silu left, Teacher Chen muttered to herself, ’It was probably her family’s connections that brought Elder Meng here, and Silu just doesn’t know about it. It seems her family is quite well-connected.’

Meanwhile, Jiang Silu was also replaying Teacher Chen’s question in her mind.

’Why would she ask me out of the blue if I already knew Elder Meng?’

’Just because Elder Meng took me on as a student, does Teacher Chen think I got in through connections?’

Jiang Silu felt a little angry. She believed that among the first-year students, she ranked near the top in terms of both talent and hard work.

Even if Elder Meng really were to pick an apprentice from the first-year class, she definitely stood a chance.

So why would Teacher Chen ask something like that?

Jiang Silu thought about it all morning, so much so that she was somewhat distracted during her classes.

When lunchtime came, she sent a voice message to Jiang Yixia: "Mom, what are you doing? Are you at the shop?"

At that moment, Jiang Yixia was cleaning her new shop.

When she saw the message from Jiang Silu, she replied, "Mom’s flower shop has moved. I’m just cleaning up the new place now."

As soon as Jiang Silu heard this, she immediately called Jiang Yixia.

"Mom, what’s going on? Why did the flower shop suddenly have to move?" she asked anxiously.

Jiang Yixia then briefly told Jiang Silu what had happened yesterday.

"Dad was there yesterday?" Jiang Silu was surprised.

Seeing her reaction, Jiang Yixia had no choice but to answer, "Yes, he opened a pastry shop across the street from my flower shop."

Hearing this, Jiang Silu found it rather interesting.

’To think that her once-irresponsible father would actually use a tactic like this to win Mom back.’

Jiang Silu asked curiously, "So Dad helped find the new shop space too?"

"Yes, but I’ve already settled all the costs with him," Jiang Yixia explained. "My new flower shop is far from his pastry shop now, so he can’t bother me anymore."

"He’s actually kind of interesting, using the pester-you-relentlessly tactic on you, Mom," Jiang Silu snickered.

Seeing Jiang Silu teasing her, Jiang Yixia changed the subject. "How are your drawings for the design competition coming along? Have you been listening carefully to Elder Meng’s lessons?"

"Mom, speaking of Elder Meng, I have something to tell you." Jiang Silu thought for a moment, then decided to tell her what Teacher Chen had said. "Today, my advisor called me over. First, she was all nice and asked how I was doing, and then she asked what my relationship with Elder Meng was. Does she think I’m not skilled enough to be Elder Meng’s last disciple?"

"Of course you are."

Jiang Yixia didn’t plan on telling Jiang Silu that Lu Fan had contacted Elder Meng.

So she encouraged her, "Our Lulu is talented and capable, why couldn’t you be?"

"I know, but why would she ask that? I don’t get it." Jiang Silu sounded aggrieved. "I didn’t even know Elder Meng before this."

"It’s okay, don’t worry about it. You just need to know that Elder Meng came all the way from the Capital to Jinling specifically to teach you all. As long as you’re learning from him, that’s all that matters," Jiang Yixia comforted her.

At first, Jiang Silu didn’t think anything was wrong with her mother’s words.

But a second later, she grew suspicious. "Mom, I didn’t even know Elder Meng came to Jinling from the Capital. How did you know?"

"I... uh..." Jiang Yixia had never been good at lying, and she had always been honest with her daughter.

After three seconds, she finally sighed. "Alright, the truth is, your father contacted Elder Meng. He heard from your classmates that you were entering the Landscape Cup Design Competition and were being bullied by a fourth-year student. So he asked Elder Meng, the master of landscape architecture, to teach at your university and, while he was at it, take you as his last disciple to pass on his life’s work."

After hearing this explanation, Jiang Silu was utterly shocked.

She was silent on the other end of the line for a long time before finally speaking. "And here I thought Elder Meng took a special interest in me and accepted me as his apprentice because I was exceptionally talented." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Lulu, you really are excellent. Otherwise, how could you have absorbed all the knowledge Elder Meng taught you so quickly?" Jiang Yixia said, quickly trying to console her, worried her daughter would feel disheartened.

But Jiang Silu didn’t seem as fragile as she had imagined. Instead, she said in a relaxed tone, "Now it all makes sense. Teacher Chen and the others thought I had some connection to Elder Meng, that he came to Jinling University specifically to teach and take me as his apprentice. I thought it was because I was exceptionally gifted, but it was actually my dad who arranged everything."

"He... he just wanted to help you." Although Jiang Yixia hated Lu Fan, she still wanted to maintain his image as a father in front of their child.

Jiang Silu, however, was quite philosophical about it. "Actually, Mom, I’m not sad. On the contrary, I’m pretty happy. Ever since I was little, I’ve dreamed that my dad would be there to solve my problems, that he could help me with anything. But growing up, he was never there."

"That’s why I hated him. I felt like he never took good care of the three of us. But now he’s using his own ways to help me, and to help you too, Mom. I think that’s pretty great."

"Even though I still can’t accept him as a father right away, his image has improved a tiny bit in my mind."

Hearing Jiang Silu say this, Jiang Yixia finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The mother and daughter chatted for a while longer before hanging up.

After hanging up, Jiang Silu thought for a moment, then dialed a number from her contacts.

Just then, Lu Fan was getting off a plane.

He saw the caller ID was his daughter, Jiang Silu, and immediately answered.

"Hello, Lulu. What’s up?"

"Are... are you free?" Jiang Silu hesitated for a moment before mustering her courage to ask.

Lu Fan immediately replied, "I’m free. What’s wrong?"

"I know about Elder Meng. Mom told me. To thank you, I’d like to treat you to a meal."

"Okay!" Lu Fan laughed. "Where should we meet?"

"Let’s meet at the school gate at five p.m."

"Okay."

After ending the call, Lu Fan suddenly felt that the air in Jinling was filled with the sweet scent of family!!