Jiang Yubai understood Li Zirui very well.
Many years ago, Jiang Yubai's mindset had been similar to Li Zirui's, perhaps even more severe.
Jiang Yubai remembered how he had given up vacations and social gatherings back then, with his daily entertainment consisting only of drawing the "Exploring the Universe" comic and hanging from the horizontal bar on the sports field. Even when he was having great fun with Lin Zhixia, he stubbornly insisted that he wasn't falling for her—he was merely employing flexible tactics to make his competitor let down their guard.
Jiang Yubai's expression grew somewhat complicated.
Li Zirui waved at him: "I'm really overwhelmed, gotta go. I'm heading back to study."
"Good luck," Jiang Yubai sincerely wished him.
With his backpack slung over one shoulder, Li Zirui hurried away.
Three other students from their class filed out of the classroom one after another. The boy named Han Guang was still chatting with Lin Zhixia: "I submitted my paper from last semester to Physical Review Letters."
Jiang Yubai had heard of Physical Review Letters. He knew it was a top-tier journal in physics, and it was quite impressive for an undergraduate to publish even one paper there.
During her undergraduate years, Lin Zhixia had published two consecutive papers in Physical Review Letters, once again attracting widespread media attention. But as always, she declined all interviews, fearing she might inadvertently find herself under public scrutiny.
Han Guang clearly knew about Lin Zhixia's academic background. He briefly described his current situation: "I submitted my paper three months ago, and the day before yesterday I received responses from three reviewers. Two of them told me to change my model and recalculate..."
Earlier this month, before her advisor went on vacation, he had specifically connected Lin Zhixia to become a reviewer for top-tier journals. She had accepted the journal editor's invitation. There were still two papers in her computer waiting for her review.
Therefore, she paid close attention to Han Guang: "Were all three reviewers' comments positive?"
"Pretty good, they all wrote positive evaluations," Han Guang replied.
"Then don't worry," Lin Zhixia shared her experience. "Follow the reviewers' suggestions, carefully check your paper, and fill in whatever's missing. If a reviewer's viewpoint is incorrect, contact them promptly. Communication leads to progress."
Han Guang suddenly smiled: "I'm not quite sure whether the reviewers are right or wrong."
"Are you the sole author?" Lin Zhixia asked again. "Have you consulted any professors?"
Han Guang unzipped his backpack and pulled out a printed copy of his paper along with the review comments: "My professor went to the Max Planck Institute."
When Han Guang mentioned "Max Planck Institute," he was referring to Germany's Max Planck Institute for Physics, also known as the Heisenberg Institute. This institution maintains high academic standards and enjoys an excellent reputation in the physics community.
Han Guang briefly explained that his professor was very busy at the Max Planck Institute and took about a week to reply to emails. He felt that Lin Zhixia had solid foundational knowledge and had reached the level of a journal reviewer. Before he could finish speaking, Lin Zhixia agreed: "Alright, give me your paper and the review comments. I'll take a look for you."
He paused for a second, then immediately handed the documents to her.
Lin Zhixia flipped through them casually and said: "I'll finish reading by tomorrow. Tomorrow evening, I'll email you.""So soon? You're not doing anything else?" Han Guang exclaimed in surprise.
Lin Zhixia said sincerely, "Because I think your time is somewhat tight. If you want to apply for a PhD at MIT, you must have papers published in top-tier journals to connect with professors. Getting this paper published earlier will make your application much easier."
She gazed at Han Guang, her eyes shimmering with light.
Han Guang's gaze drifted uncertainly, wandering everywhere. He compared Lin Zhixia with the other teaching assistants and thought to himself that Lin Zhixia's teaching method suited him better. Li Zirui was under immense pressure, while he felt completely at ease.
Lin Zhixia tucked Han Guang's paper into her backpack. "If you have any questions, don't delay—just email me directly. I wish you success in your application in advance."
Han Guang said, "That's great, thank you."
Lin Zhixia waved her hand dismissively. "I'm your teaching assistant; doing these things is part of my job. The school pays me for this."
After saying this, Lin Zhixia took Jiang Yubai's hand. "Sorry to keep you waiting. What time did you arrive?"
Jiang Yubai said, "Two fifty."
"Do you have no more classes today?" Lin Zhixia asked again.
Jiang Yubai's fingertips brushed against her palm, making her a little ticklish.
They walked together on the sun-drenched stone path. Lin Zhixia deliberately stepped on his shadow, and he actually let go of her hand, pulling two membership cards from his coat pocket.
"What are these?" Lin Zhixia asked him.
Jiang Yubai answered evasively, "You've been in your PhD program for seven months and haven't gone out to have fun once. Your advisor is on vacation this weekend. Do you want to go somewhere else? Change the environment and enjoy the scenery."
The weather was clear today, with a gentle breeze. Bathed in the warm sunlight, Lin Zhixia felt a stirring in her heart but showed some hesitation. "No... I have to revise papers. I'm a reviewer; I don't have time to rest."
Jiang Yubai thought that Lin Zhixia was overly exhausted and burdened. Since she started her PhD, she had less and less time to relax.
Jiang Yubai painted a beautiful picture for her: "Let's go on a vacation to Switzerland—two days and two nights. We'll leave today and return next Monday. I've booked a hotel room. That hotel is near the Alps with beautiful scenery—mountains and water... Haven't you always wanted to see the Alps?"
Yes.
When Lin Zhixia was a child, she loved eating Alpenliebe candy, so she had always been curious about the Alps. She had heard Jiang Yubai describe scenes of "heavy snow falling on mountain peaks, lush green grass covering the slopes," and the clear, rushing streams surging at the foot of the mountains.
Moreover, Lin Zhixia already had a Swiss visa. Their research group had close ties with ETH Zurich. This summer, Lin Zhixia was scheduled to give an academic presentation at ETH Zurich, so she had obtained the visa in advance.
Could she go to Switzerland for tourism first?
Lin Zhixia felt slightly shaken.
She had never traveled with family or friends before.
In her memory, Mom and Dad were always busy with work—they had to take care of the family supermarket. The four of them rarely even had meals together at the same table, let alone went on family trips.
Every Spring Festival, Mom and Dad would take Lin Zhixia and Lin Zeqiu back to their rural hometown. Mom and Dad came from the same village, where Grandpa, Grandma, and both sets of grandparents still lived.Grandma and Grandpa’s house was a self-built two-story cottage. The yard housed a pig and a flock of chickens, perpetually exuding the scent of leftover food. Every winter, a stove would be set up in the main hall, blazing with a roaring fire and emitting wisps of smoke and ash. Uncle, Aunt, and Brother always occupied the best spots by the fire. They often talked about their family vacations to Japan, South Korea, and the Maldives. Back then, Lin Zhixia felt a twinge of envy in her heart. She knew Brother was envious too. But neither of them would show it. Both siblings would pretend to prefer staying in the countryside, feeding pigs and playing in the mud.
But how could a child’s thoughts escape the notice of adults?
Suddenly, she understood the awkwardness and embarrassment her Mom and Dad must have felt years ago, sitting around the stove. As parents, being unable to provide better material conditions for their children was something they had no choice but to accept.
Lost in her memories, Lin Zhixia gradually lowered her head.
Jiang Yubai’s voice interrupted her thoughts: “Bring your laptop, and you can review manuscripts in the hotel room. Consider this a scouting trip. If you like it, we can travel more often in the future.”
The phrase “scouting trip” struck a chord with Lin Zhixia.
She asked, “How much is the accommodation per night?”
Over ten thousand yuan, Jiang Yubai thought to himself. Considering Lin Zhixia’s financial situation, he kept the price from her.
Jiang Yubai evasively said, “My Dad has a partnership with this hotel.” — This was true. Jiang Yubai’s father held controlling shares in a European food transportation company. The resort hotel happened to be one of the transportation company’s clients.
Jiang Yubai’s explanation was selective, making the luxurious suite sound like a complimentary gift. In the end, he successfully persuaded Lin Zhixia. If he had told her about the travel plans a few days earlier, she would have had the chance to look up the hotel’s room rates online. But by waiting until Friday afternoon to mention it, Lin Zhixia had no time to ponder and simply accepted his arrangements.
Lin Zhixia returned to her dorm, quickly packed her luggage, and got into the car from Jiang Yubai’s family. They boarded a private jet and, after a short one-and-a-half-hour flight, landed at an airport in Switzerland.
The sky had already darkened.
A bright moon hung high in the sky, casting a faint and gentle glow.
Lin Zhixia sat in a business sedan. The car drove smoothly along the highway, heading straight to their resort hotel. Lin Zhixia pressed her hands against the car window, gazing at the landscape outside. She couldn’t see the snow-capped majestic mountain peaks, only the lush meadows bathed in the mingled light of the moon and lamps.
Lin Zhixia felt a surge of excitement.
Then, a thought suddenly occurred to her: “Jiang Yubai.”
Jiang Yubai leaned closer. “What is it?”
“How many rooms did you book?” she asked seriously.
Jiang Yubai said, “One suite.”
Lin Zhixia turned to look at him, her voice very soft: “So, this weekend, will I be sleeping in the same bed as you? To be honest, I’m not mentally prepared enough for that.”
Jiang Yubai let out a noncommittal “Hmm,” neither loud nor soft. He said, “On New Year’s Eve last year, we spent the night in the same bed.”
“No, no, no,” Lin Zhixia corrected him. “Not just sleeping—I mean that.”
Jiang Yubai’s breath hitched.A sweet fragrance spread, and a gentle breeze brushed past the tip of his ear. Lin Zhixia leaned close and whispered, "That's how it always goes in the movies—when the male and female leads travel together, they always end up..."
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