To promote a corporate culture of "fairness and equality," the internet company where Lin Zeqiu worked required every employee to adopt an English name. Colleagues were to address each other by these English names, eliminating honorifics like "Director X" or "Manager X."
Lin Zeqiu was pursued by a former classmate who kept calling him "Brother Qiu," drawing frequent glances from coworkers. Lin Zeqiu couldn't help but feel annoyed and coldly asked, "Is there something you can't finish saying right here?"
The classmate hurriedly explained, "Your sister is quite famous at our high school. Her name is in the alumni archives of Provincial No. 1 High School..."
Lin Zeqiu set his tray down on the table, the stainless steel utensils clinking softly with a "clang." He sat down, took a few bites of his meal, and then asked, "Do you want to get to know my sister?"
The classmate hesitantly admitted, "Just to make friends."
But Lin Zeqiu replied, "She's very busy. Don't bother her if you don't have anything important."
Despite Lin Zeqiu's cold demeanor, the classmate didn't lose heart. After gathering his thoughts, he shared what was really on his mind. It turned out he had a cousin named Meng Liansi, who had just turned thirty and worked at the best university in the provincial capital—she was a lecturer in theoretical physics and hadn't yet been promoted to associate professor.
Lin Zeqiu assumed the classmate would discuss career development, but instead, the classmate revealed that his cousin, now in her thirties, hadn't started dating, and her family was extremely anxious about it. Therefore, he wanted to introduce his cousin to Lin Zeqiu and himself to Lin Zhixia—sister paired with brother, younger sister with younger brother, strengthening family ties and doubling the joy. Wouldn't that be a wonderful arrangement?
Lin Zeqiu thought to himself: Get lost.
He put on a stern face and said, "Focus on writing your code. Don't waste time on such nonsense."
The classmate still refused to give up: "My cousin is quite attractive, with a mature, elegant style, highly educated and well-qualified..."
Lin Zeqiu scoffed, "Enough, take care of yourself. My sister already has a boyfriend. Don't bring this up with me again. We weren't in the same class in high school—you don't know what kind of person I am. I'm in a career growth phase and don't want to hold any woman back."
With that final statement, Lin Zeqiu shut down all avenues. The high school classmate awkwardly walked away, while Lin Zeqiu continued eating his meal. The beef bowl was tender and flavorful, each grain of rice soaked in a savory sauce. After finishing the entire bowl, his mood was fairly good. He worked diligently all afternoon and, after clocking out in the evening, bought a box of strawberries at a nearby fruit shop before boarding the company shuttle bus home.
Lin Zeqiu never expected that Lin Zhixia wouldn't come home tonight either.
Lin Zhixia called Mom. She explained logically, "I want to establish a Quantum Technology Laboratory. Jiang Yubai has prepared a 'Business Plan.' I need to discuss business collaboration with Jiang Yubai. Mom, I won't be home tonight..."
Mom put the call on speakerphone. Lin Zeqiu heard Lin Zhixia's voice and directly asked her, "Will you be back tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow morning," Lin Zhixia said. "Jiang Yubai will bring me home."
Lin Zeqiu didn't respond further.
Mom repeatedly reminded Lin Zhixia to be careful, and Lin Zhixia picked up on the underlying implication.During the year Lin Zhixia worked in the United States, Jiang Yubai often visited her home. He never came empty-handed, always bringing various gifts. However, Lin Zhixia felt that her Mom still didn't quite trust Jiang Yubai.
After hanging up the phone, Lin Zhixia seemed lost in thought.
Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia sat in a restaurant where the white marble-carved dining table seamlessly merged with the floor. This table must have cost at least five figures. Lin Zhixia gently patted the cool table surface and mused, "After all these years of human societal development, why are we still using currency to exchange goods and services?"
Jiang Yubai peeled a huge lobster for her: "What's more valuable than currency is reputation."
Lin Zhixia stared at him for a moment: "By reputation, do you mean things like fame, influence, achievements... and such?"
Jiang Yubai pulled out a wet wipe to clean his hands, then discussed "the causes of the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis" with Lin Zhixia, moving from "market confidence" to "Lehman Brothers' bad debts." Finally, he shifted the topic directly: "From the perspective of reputation, you're richer than me."
Lin Zhixia roughly understood Jiang Yubai's meaning.
Financial institutions enabled a group of people who weren't qualified for loans to successfully obtain mortgages—this was one of the causes of the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis. Later, the collapse of market confidence led to the real estate bubble bursting, and Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy. Lehman Brothers was an investment bank and international financial institution. Jiang Yubai also had investment companies under his name. He cited Lehman Brothers as a cautionary tale but couldn't avoid the business risks caused by "market confidence." In contrast, Lin Zhixia's reputation was entirely determined and earned by herself—her academic record was the best proof of herself.
Lin Zhixia tasted a piece of lobster meat before saying: "You're always finding roundabout ways to compliment me."
Jiang Yubai poured her a small glass of Strawberry wine: "I'm just telling the truth."
Lin Zhixia picked up the glass, took a small sip, her lips stained with the wine's color, appearing vividly red. She really loved the taste of Strawberry wine—sour and sweet, mixed with the aroma of alcohol and strawberries—it was simply delicious. Unable to resist, she lifted the bottle and took a big gulp in one go. Jiang Yubai immediately stopped her: "Don't drink like that, your alcohol tolerance isn't good."
"Not bad," Lin Zhixia insisted, "I never get dizzy no matter what I drink."
Jiang Yubai made a skeptical sound: "Really?"
Lin Zhixia pulled her chair closer to him: "Really, you should believe me."
She quietly gazed at him, her eyes bright and shining, with a hint of expectation.
Jiang Yubai inexplicably felt his mouth go dry. He took Lin Zhixia's wine glass, borrowed her cup to take a sip of wine, then turned his head and whispered something in her ear. The Strawberry-scented alcohol breath continuously spread, making her increasingly shy and bashful: "You..."
Jiang Yubai kissed her reddened earlobe: "What about me?"
Lin Zhixia didn't answer.
She stood up from her seat and quickly ran away.She unintentionally ran into Jiang Yubai's bedroom. He followed her inside and locked the door behind them. Suddenly feeling exhilarated—since Jiang Yubai usually indulged her every whim, such rare resistance tonight sparked her innate love for novel experiences—she let out a soft laugh, kicked off her slippers, and padded barefoot across the floor before disappearing into the bathroom doorway.
Jiang Yubai paused mid-step.
Lin Zhixia leaned against the doorframe, revealing only half her face. "Come in quickly," she urged, her voice dripping with coquettish charm, the rising lilt reminiscent of mythical water spirits luring travelers toward treacherous waters.
Jiang Yubai maintained his composure. After all, patience was second nature to him. He switched off his phone, confirmed the door was securely locked, activated the doorbell's do-not-disturb mode, and finally turned off the bedroom lights. Stepping into the darkness, he entered the bathroom and descended into a radiant world of swirling water.
Late in the quiet night, Jiang Yubai carried Lin Zhixia back to bed. They clung to each other like newlyweds on their honeymoon, inseparable as glue and lacquer. Though exhausted, Lin Zhixia’s mind buzzed with restless energy, sleep eluding her. Memories of last night and tonight surfaced, prompting involuntary comparisons that reignited sensory recollections—a wild fire seemed to blaze from her heart to her ears in the dark.
Noticing her feverish warmth, Jiang Yubai asked urgently, "Are you unwell?"
Lin Zhixia flinched as if caught misbehaving, defending weakly, "I’m perfectly fine."
After repeated questioning left her without plausible excuses, she surrendered to honesty. The moment the words escaped, she burrowed under the covers, only to be retrieved by Jiang Yubai. Disheveled, he held her close, kissing her cheeks and murmuring "Xia Xia" repeatedly. At the peak of passion, he restrained himself, soothing her with gentle whispers until she drifted toward sleep.
Cradled in Jiang Yubai’s steadfast embrace, Lin Zhixia relaxed completely. Yawning, she mumbled, "I really need to sleep now."
"Sleep," he said. "I’ll stay with you."
Her consciousness blurred at the edges: "I still want you to tell me a story..."
Jiang Yubai sounded amused: "What kind of story?"
Her voice grew faint, words slurring: "The adult version of Exploring the Universe ."
Breathing in the delicate fragrance of her hair, he murmured, "Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai landed on an unknown planet, where only the two of them existed..."
"For the continuation of humanity," Lin Zhixia continued, half-asleep, "Lin Zhixia decided she would... with Jiang Yubai..."
What would she do with Jiang Yubai?
He waited for her to elaborate on the saga of human propagation on this alien world, but after a long silence, no further words came. Abandoning the adult Exploring the Universe narrative, he drew her closer, kissed her cheek once more, and gradually succumbed to slumber.
Early the next morning, Jiang Yubai drove Lin Zhixia home.Lin Zhixia parted ways with him at the gate of Ancheng Residential Complex, after which he took a detour to his company. His work efficiency was notably higher than usual, and he processed documents at a significantly faster pace. Even when he discovered that one subsidiary’s annual performance was abysmal, it stirred no emotion within him. During a midday video call with his elders, he casually mentioned the company. His grandfather advised, "It’s a new company established last year and only handed over to you this year. Losses are common at this stage—no need to worry. Proceed with your own approach."
Jiang Yubai produced a document and shifted the conversation to the "Quantum Technology Laboratory." His team had already drafted a contract, and he signed his name on it. His grandfather cautioned him, "Take it easy with new industry investments."
Jiang Yubai asserted, "I’ll bear the profits and losses myself."
He had great faith in Lin Zhixia’s abilities.
Lin Zhixia had not yet received her official university appointment letter. However, the vice dean had already contacted her, hoping she would offer a course titled "Quantum Bit and Computer" for third-year undergraduates in the interdisciplinary college—students from the schools of Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, and Electronic Engineering could also enroll.
The vice dean added that balancing research and teaching responsibilities could be particularly demanding for young faculty. If Lin Zhixia preferred not to teach, the college leadership would understand.
Lin Zhixia promptly responded, "It’s no problem at all. I truly enjoy teaching. I will prepare diligently—lesson plans, assignments, and exams—and look forward to the start of the academic year in September."
The vice dean was greatly relieved: "Excellent, excellent. Professor Lin, the students will be waiting for you in September."
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