Chapter 129: The Scheming Teacher-Student Duo

Chapter 129: Chapter 129: The Scheming Teacher-Student Duo

On Monday, during a break between classes, the counselor took Deng Yuyuan to the Academic Affairs Office. Deng Yuyuan’s lab mentor and the dean were also there.

The teachers discussed future arrangements with Deng Yuyuan and briefly checked her academic progress. She had already self-taught all the courses for her freshman and sophomore years.

By all accounts, making an exception to grant her an attendance exemption was not an issue. However, to lay the cards on the table, if her grades dropped out of the top thirty percent of her class, her exemption would be revoked, and she would have to attend classes normally. Deng Yuyuan naturally agreed.

The Academic Affairs Office and the counselor would help communicate with her course instructors. Her regular grades would be based solely on her homework, without factoring in attendance or class participation, though she would still be required to take the final exams.

Furthermore, after the discussion, her mentor pulled her into a quiet corner to deliver some good news: she had secured a spot in a special, closed-off project. Considering her unique situation as a single mother raising a child, her mentor had secured an extra week for her to think it over.

The mentor pushed up his glasses, his voice lowered and solemn. "The project is directly overseen by the Provincial Science and Technology Bureau. The location isn’t on campus; it’s at a confidential research base in the Western Suburbs. You’d go in as an assistant to the project leader, participating in core experiments and data logging. The entire process will require you to work in a closed environment for about half a month. During this time, you won’t be able to leave, and communication will be restricted.

"I know your difficulties, but opportunities like this are rare. The project is of a high level, and upon completion, you’ll receive an official certificate of participation. This will carry a lot of weight for your future job assignments and further studies. Moreover, these types of projects offer an extra research stipend. The amount... is equivalent to several months of an average worker’s salary. It’s been specially approved by the higher-ups that a portion can be paid in advance.

"You have a week to arrange your affairs at home. If no one can look after your child for the time being, the school... I can try to ask around and see if any faculty family could lend a hand temporarily. Yu Yuan, you are one of the most promising students I’ve ever seen. This project is a challenge, but it’s also the fast track to success. Think about it carefully."

"Very well. The promise made to Tuantuan last night is already broken today. Bracket, I’m being sarcastic," the AI customer service system mused in Deng Yuyuan’s mind.

Deng Yuyuan’s voice was steady, betraying no excitement, only careful consideration. "Thank you for fighting for this on my behalf, sir. I fully understand the content and significance of the project, and the opportunity is indeed rare.

"As for my child, I will find a way to properly sort things out within a week. Thank you so much for your recommendation and trust, and for giving me such a precious opportunity."

Her mentor finally broke into a slight smile. "I’m glad you understand. There’s no rush. Take this week to spend some quality time with your child. You don’t need to keep your brain tense all the time and bury yourself in the lab. Rest up, show them your true capabilities, and let those snobbish old fogeys see what you’re made of."

The mentor and student exchanged a smile, both displaying a similar, slyly cunning expression.

Originally, she was just a student he had to look after due to a favor from an old friend, but he hadn’t expected her to possess such a natural flair. Thrilled to discover a hidden gem, he now considered her his prized pupil.

He had a premonition that this field would inevitably undergo earth-shattering changes because of his extraordinary disciple.

He didn’t think the future world Deng Yuyuan had outlined for him during their interview was a pipe dream. Just like when the telephone was first invented, who could have predicted that two people separated by thousands of miles would be able to converse?

Her mentor beckoned to her. "Ahem, come here, there’s one more thing. Your classmate was exposed for falsifying data. I assume that was your doing? I told the higher-ups that you prefer to use your own unique notation method for logging data. Let’s get our stories straight so the secret doesn’t slip out.

"A student of mine must keep her hands perfectly clean in the open, while watching those devious fools reap what they sow."

By the time Deng Yuyuan came out, it was already noon. She went to Chu Tiankuo’s place to pick up Tuantuan and take her out for lunch.

Tuantuan was very alert. "Mommy, are we going to see Brother Xiao Shu?"

"No, honey. The cafeteria doesn’t have anything tasty, so Mommy is taking Tuantuan out for a big feast," Deng Yuyuan said, hugging her. "If Tuantuan sees a restaurant she wants to try, just tell Mommy."

Tuantuan instantly breathed a sigh of relief. A huge smile blossomed on her face, her little cheeks flushing red with happiness. She softly placed her order with her mother, "Tuantuan wants to eat cotton candy."

"Okay, but that’s for dessert," Deng Yuyuan agreed. "We still need to figure out what to have for lunch."

In the afternoon, they went to the park to play. She bought Tuantuan a toy pinwheel made of colorful glazed paper, which would spin in the wind when she ran. Since Tuantuan couldn’t run yet, she could only hold the pinwheel and blow on it, generously feeding the pinwheel a mouthful of her drool.

"The pinwheel makes Tuantuan drink more water, so the pinwheel is good. Yuanyuan bought a pinwheel for a Tuantuan who can’t run, so Yuanyuan is bad," the AI system remarked in her mind.

"What on earth?" Deng Yuyuan thought, utterly perplexed.

After Tuantuan finished half a bottle of water with a series of loud GLUG GLUG GLUGs, she looked up to face Deng Yuyuan, whose expression was utterly unpredictable.

"Tuantuan, Mommy treated you to some water. What should you say?"

"Thank you, Mommy. Mommy is so good. Tuantuan is so lucky to have the best, best Mommy in the whole wide world..." The little cub prattled on, CHATTER CHATTER, rattling off a string of sweet words before quickly polishing off the other half of the water bottle.

"There, now I’ve also made Tuantuan drink more water," Deng Yuyuan nonchalantly replied to the AI customer service in her mind, picking Tuantuan up to find a place to buy more water.

It wasn’t until they finished playing and night fell, returning to the dorm, that Tuantuan finally learned she wouldn’t be able to see her mother for half a month.

Deng Yuyuan hadn’t wanted to tell Tuantuan the news too early, but if she sprang it on her at the last minute, the child would cry so hard that she wouldn’t even have her mother around to comfort her.

It was far better this way. Right now, she could lie in her mother’s arms, crying until she was out of breath. When she got tired of crying, she could give her mother a kiss, take a few sips of water her mother handed her to soothe her throat, and fully relish the comfort of being pampered while shedding her tears.

"Can’t you take Tuantuan with you? Tuantuan is very obedient and very quiet," the little one tried to bargain with her mother.

Deng Yuyuan explained to her just how important this opportunity was for her—so important that she had to go, even if it meant a brief separation from Tuantuan.

"Tuantuan is Mommy’s most precious darling. Even when Mommy is there, she will be thinking of Tuantuan every single moment."

Tuantuan tried to smile, but she couldn’t manage it, and her tears fell once more. "Then, before you go, can Mommy spend a little more time with Tuantuan?"

"Tuantuan knows. Mommy is going for Tuantuan’s own good, and for Mommy’s own good, too." Tuantuan’s tone was resolute. "Mommy, Tuantuan will go find Aunt Wei tomorrow and ask if she can let Tuantuan stay with her for half a month."

Tuantuan was truly a strong little darling. Just like before in Dazhang Village, when her grandmother had secretly sought her out and ordered her to bring her mother back to find her father, claiming that a woman without a husband would amount to nothing, no matter how well she did out in the world. How could it amount to nothing? Seeing her radiant and dazzling mother, Tuantuan felt nothing but absolute pride!