C19 Mo Is That You?

After a long pause, Mu Zhiyuan finally found his voice. "Qiao Mo, you're alive? You're back!"

"Director, I'm not dead. I had an accident, I'm sorry it took so long to return."

"You silly girl, you went off to do a side job for a bit of money. If something had happened to you, it would have been a huge loss for our country's biological sciences."

"I'll be more careful from now on."

"It's good to have you back. When you disappeared, Yanzhi nearly lost his mind. If I hadn't stopped him, he'd still be searching for you where the accident happened. Have you called him yet?"

"Not yet, I wanted to see you first."

"Call him right away."

Qiao Mo nodded, took out her phone, and dialed. As soon as it connected, a familiar male voice, trembling, came through. "Mo, is that you?"

"Yes, Mu Yanzhi, it's me."

"Hahaha, you're alive... you're alive. You have no idea how worried we were. Remember, you owe me and Yiyi. We nearly drained our bank accounts looking for you."

Qiao Mo replied, "I know, I'll pay you back."

"Where are you now?"

"In the director's office."

"Finish up with my dad and meet us at the usual spot. I'll bring Yiyi."

"Okay."

After hearing about Qiao Mo's two-month ordeal, Mu Zhiyuan clapped his hands and laughed. "Come back to school tomorrow. We have a new project in the department, and we need you."

"Thank you, Director, thank you," Qiao Mo said repeatedly, bowing to Mu Zhiyuan. "Thank you for giving me another chance."

A few minutes later, Qiao Mo walked into the bubble tea shop at the school entrance. Her best friend, Jiang Yiyi, spotted her and rushed over, grabbing her arm and scrutinizing her for several seconds before pinching her cheeks playfully.

Qiao Mo thought to herself, "Oh no, here we go again!" She tried to dodge, but couldn't escape Yiyi's grasp.

Jiang Yiyi gave her arm a good twist. "Ouch!" Qiao Mo winced.

"Hurts, huh? Good!" Yiyi said, then hugged her tightly and burst into tears.

This was happening three months earlier than in her previous life, but the script was exactly the same.

"Mo, you're really alive! We've been looking for you for so long. Why didn't you show up?"

"I drifted too far! Over seventy miles, actually. Luckily, a kind dolphin found me and carried me into the deep sea. Without that adorable dolphin, I might not have made it back to see you all."

"Whether your luck is bad or good, at least you're alive, so it's good luck. Yiyi and I almost had to build a memorial for you," Mu Yanzhi said, smiling from the table.

It was indeed incredible luck—being reborn was something she never expected.

Jiang Yiyi and Qiao Mo had been classmates from middle school through high school. When Yiyi's father went bankrupt in their sophomore year, she lost interest in studying and became a workaholic. She started working right after graduation and now works with a film crew. She's also a makeup enthusiast with a talent for cosplay and has quite a following. This friend of hers loves dabbling in stocks, too, but often finds herself short on cash, being quite the penny-pincher.

Mu Yanzhi, following in his father's footsteps, is a few years older than Qiao Mo. After graduating from the biology department at Hua University, he joined a large biopharmaceutical company in River State.

When Qiao Mo started college, Mu Zhiyuan selected her to join his research team. She often went to his house for meals with the team. After getting to know Mu Yanzhi, she found they had a lot in common, and he genuinely appreciated and liked her.

Qiao Mo shared her experiences on the island with the two of them but didn't mention how Qiao Chu and Lu Zhengqing had wronged her, nor how Gu Chi had saved her. She simply said she was rescued by a passing yacht.

Jiang Yiyi marveled, "Mo, your story of drifting at sea and the island ordeal would make a blockbuster movie. Have you ever thought about going public with it?"

Qiao Mo asked curiously, "Why go public?"

"Publicity means money. A real-life Robinson Crusoe story, but with a beautiful woman facing deadly snakes and daily struggles for survival—it's got all the makings of a hit."

"Don't lead Mo astray. She's still a student. She can think about making money after graduation," Mu Yanzhi interjected, then turned to Qiao Mo, "Don't listen to her. Focus on your studies."

Qiao Mo laughed. Yiyi was still the same, always quick to see a money-making opportunity. And Mu Yanzhi, with his father's nurturing spirit, was like a caring big brother.

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