The question about his family background was already on the tip of her tongue, but Shi Nian cautiously swallowed it back down. After all, this is abroad, unlike in China where people chat by digging into each other’s roots. It’s impolite to casually inquire about soone’s background before they bring it up themselves.
She changed the topic, "Actually, I wanted to ask, are you really familiar with Zhou Guanghan?"
.
According to behavioral psychology, any autonomous behavior of a person should reflect his specific ntal state and activities.
Take, for example, the selection of seats by 20 students; the choices involved can reveal their personalities.
Shi Nian had previously asked Tang Yanqing whether the initial seat arrangent was fixed by him or chosen by the students themselves.
He looked up and gazed quietly at her, "What do you think?"
Her face slightly flushed.
He would naturally let the students choose for themselves. As a professor of behavior analysis, he wouldn’t pass up such an opportunity to observe his students.
She took a deep breath, "Then Zhou Guanghan sitting next to Mark is no coincidence. It shows that their personal relationship should be quite good."
Soone who clearly has a good personal connection with Zhou Guanghan never ntioned Zhou in front of her. Even knowing that she was sitting in the seat Zhou Guanghan used to sit in when alive, he never showed the slightest sentintality or longing for ti gone by. More importantly, he said many things to her but not a single word about Zhou Guanghan.
It couldn’t be due to negligence, more likely a deliberate omission.
"When soone deliberately avoids ntioning soone they were once close to, there are often two possibilities." She looked into Tang Yanqing’s eyes and slowly stated her conclusion, "Either they are unable to co to terms with Zhou Guanghan’s death and can’t accept it, thus forcing themselves not to ntion ’death’; or they fell out with Zhou Guanghan, forr friends turned enemies, and avoid ntioning due to hatred, or perhaps... out of guilt."
Tang Yanqing naturally chid in, "If it’s the forr, he might investigate the murderer himself to avenge Zhou Guanghan; if it’s the latter — then he himself might be the murderer."
The two shared a knowing glance and couldn’t help but smile at each other.
And then...
Shi Nian’s face flushed red, unwilling to recall further.
Afterward, he stood up and walked toward her, spreading his arms.
"When we parted a month ago, we commorated our farewell with a hug; then today, to celebrate our reunion and having found a mutual key so quickly, shouldn’t we hug again?"
At that mont, she didn’t know what ca over her—she couldn’t refuse.
When his arms fell and encircled her, as she was drawn into his embrace, she inhaled deeply through her nose—as if she suddenly felt a sourness.
Yet at that mont, her heart was undeniably sweet.
He whispered softly in her ear, "...Sleeping Beauty, I missed you."
.
Shi Nian hurriedly took a sip of juice and patted her cheeks, not wanting her emotions to be exposed.
Mark noticed and asked softly, "Are you perhaps reflecting on today’s detention test?"
She was caught off guard and startled, "How did you figure it out?"
Mark laughed cheerfully, "Don’t forget, I am also a student of Professor T. I deeply rember the behavior analysis thods he taught."
Mark said, extending his finger to trace a circle in the air around Shi Nian’s cheeks, "When soone is distracted, they often recall the most prominent events from the past 24 hours. The most significant events for you today should be two: the detention test, and witnessing a quarrel."
"The latter is a heavy event. If you thought about it, you would only show a look of lancholy or resentnt. But just now, your cheeks were flushed, and your eyes were moist... obviously thinking of sothing joyful, so it must be the detention matter."
Shi Nian choked and hurriedly grabbed a tissue to bow and cough.
Mark reached over to pat her back, smilingly, "It seems you must have passed the test smoothly. Why not share what Professor T tested you on, and how you handled him?"
.
Shi Nian was taken aback, sohow, the word "handled" Mark used at the end made her slightly pause.
But fortunately, due to this pause, her spirits’ pressure finally helped her breathing return to calm.
She stared into Mark’s eyes.
A student personally interviewed by Tang Yanqing indeed has the potential for behavior analysis.
But even though he saw through her, she could not admit to him that her exam was analyzing him... Shi Nian had to make up a lie: "Oh, the professor asked to analyze the personality traits revealed by everyone’s seat choices."
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