Luo Ying carried herself with a gentle and elegant grace, which drew an admiring click of the tongue from Tang Tingting. "Senior, your aura is really lovely," she remarked, then added thoughtfully, "There are quite a few handsome guys and pretty girls at our Provincial No. 1 High."
At the mention of "handsome guys," Duan Qiyan perked up a little.
He abandoned his lofty ideals and completely descended into the role of a vulgar slacker—at that moment, all he wanted was to hear Tang Tingting praise his looks, saying things like "Duan Qiyan is genuinely handsome" or "Duan Qiyan, your physique is amazing."
So, he deliberately asked, "Tang Tingting, who are the handsome guys and pretty girls in our class?"
Tang Tingting chuckled and began earnestly listing them: "Lin Zhixia, Jiang Yubai, Shen Fuxuan... Actually, Cao Wu isn’t bad either. Do you remember Cao Wu? Our class’s P.E. monitor, tall and built with solid muscle. Cao Wu went to Tongji University to study architecture. He told me that after graduation, he’d probably end up hauling bricks on construction sites."
Lin Zhixia laughed heartily, "Ha ha ha ha, he’s so modest."
Tang Tingting affectionately linked arms with Lin Zhixia. "Shen Fuxuan is even more modest."
Curious, Lin Zhixia asked, "How has Shen Fuxuan been lately? Have you been in touch with him?"
Tang Tingting held nothing back: "Shen Fuxuan is determined to go into politics. You know, after graduating from undergrad, he passed the civil service exam, got assigned to a grassroots position, and toughed it out for a year. I heard he’s about to be transferred back soon. Pretty impressive, huh? Our class is full of high achievers."
"They’re all outstanding," Lin Zhixia summarized.
Tang Tingting agreed, "Yeah, everyone’s doing well, but you still have the highest academic credentials."
As she spoke, she pushed her suitcase forward—it was so heavy her wrists ached, and she couldn’t help but hiss in discomfort. Duan Qiyan smoothly picked up her luggage and rolled up his sleeves. His arms were firm with muscle, faint veins visible, and Tang Tingting glanced at them a couple of times before casually commenting, "Not bad, you’ve been working out."
Duan Qiyan tugged at the chain of her purse, his voice muffled as he grumbled, "Why didn’t you mention me earlier?"
Tang Tingting understood—Duan Qiyan meant that when she listed the handsome guys, she hadn’t included his name. She stifled a laugh for a moment, then leaned close to his ear and whispered, "You’re quite good-looking, but you’re my partner—it’d be awkward for me to boast about you. I didn’t call myself a beauty either, think about it."
Duan Qiyan savored a hint of sweetness in her words.
He put extra effort into carrying the suitcase.
Tang Tingting added, "It’s almost 5 p.m. My parents will be off work soon. Why don’t you come home with me and let them see you? My dad doesn’t believe I have a boyfriend; he always says I’m bragging."
"Sure," Lin Zhixia answered on his behalf, "let your dad take a look at Duan Qiyan."
Tang Tingting wrapped an arm around Lin Zhixia’s shoulder. "Are you free this weekend? Let’s get Jiang Yubai and our whole group of friends together for a meal. You have no idea how much I missed you in Beijing."
Without hesitation, Lin Zhixia replied, "I missed you too."
"What about me?" Luo Ying chimed in.
Lin Zhixia glanced sideways at her.
Outside, the area was crowded with vehicles, the sounds of suitcases being dragged coming from near and far. Luo Ying rested a hand on Lin Zhixia’s sleeve, her fingers slightly extended, almost brushing Lin Zhixia’s back, before Lin Zhixia finally spoke up: "Mm, I often think of you and Senior Wei Ruoxing."
Luo Ying smiled without a word.
*The taxi sped down the wide road and soon arrived at Tang Tingting's home. Tang Tingting took Duan Qiyan by the wrist and bid farewell to Lin Zhixia before leaving: "See you at the company next week!"
"See you next week!" Lin Zhixia responded warmly.
Tang Tingting grinned. "At the company, should I call you President Lin?"
Lin Zhixia replied honestly, "Most of my colleagues call me Professor Lin."
"Got it," Tang Tingting said immediately. "Let's catch up later, Professor Lin."
Lin Zhixia waved at her.
After Tang Tingting and Duan Qiyan left, the taxi became much quieter.
The driver was a taciturn middle-aged man, and Luo Ying wasn’t much of a talker either. To lighten the mood, Lin Zhixia took the initiative to ask, "Senior, it’s past six—would you like to have dinner?"
Luo Ying nodded. "I am a little hungry." She added, "My parents aren’t home—they’re on a business trip to Shanghai."
Lin Zhixia pulled out her phone, browsed through a review app, and found a highly-rated restaurant. They got off the taxi early and had dinner there together. Luo Ying sat beside Lin Zhixia and said softly, "You’ve been back in the country for over a year now—you’ve published plenty of papers, your company is running smoothly, and your students praise your lectures online… You excel at everything."
"You’re even better, Senior," Lin Zhixia responded. "Just like when we worked on group projects together, you’ve put in so much effort for the Quantum Computing Platform. I’m really happy you decided to join the company full-time."
A server brought over a bottle of champagne.
Luo Ying extended her index and middle fingers, cradling the bowl of the stemmed glass.
She swirled the wine, her fingernail resting against the rim.
Her nails were neatly trimmed, smooth and rounded, with a natural pale pink sheen that reflected the wine’s hue in the glass, shimmering faintly like mother-of-pearl.
At that moment, Lin Zhixia caught sight of the French label on the bottle—it turned out to be a strawberry champagne. Instantly excited—who could resist the allure of strawberries?—she promptly poured herself half a glass, took two quick sips, and sighed in admiration. "Such authentic strawberry wine."
Luo Ying hesitated. "Can you handle alcohol?"
"Of course," Lin Zhixia declared confidently. "I won’t get drunk."
Luo Ying took her at her word.
She continued chatting with Lin Zhixia, who had a knack for making her laugh. Every time she smiled, her eyes shimmered like flowing water, her rosy lips curving upward, and even the platinum necklace around her neck seemed to shine brighter.
Under the influence of alcohol, Lin Zhixia seemed slightly tipsy. She stared at Luo Ying, who then asked, "Do I look good?"
Lin Zhixia blurted out, "You’re the most beautiful senior I’ve ever known."
They were seated in an elegant Western restaurant, a silver candleholder on the table with a flickering flame that danced in Lin Zhixia’s eyes, like twin flames sinking into clear spring water.
Luo Ying gazed at her, lifting her glass, her fingertips slowly tracing the straw—when suddenly, Lin Zhixia’s phone rang. The screen displayed an incoming call from "Jiang Jiang Jiang Jiang Yubai."
Lin Zhixia pressed the answer button.
Jiang Yubai got straight to the point. "I just boarded the plane."
"Mm," Lin Zhixia replied. "I’ll… pick you up tomorrow at ten in the morning."
Jiang Yubai was sharp. "Have you been drinking?"Lin Zhixia recounted truthfully, "I had a little to drink. I'm having dinner with my senior. She hasn't returned home or taken a vacation for a whole year to graduate as soon as possible. Right after coming back, she joined our Quantum Technology Company. She truly loves the field of quantum computing. Just now, she even told me she particularly enjoys working overtime—preferably with me every day. She doesn’t mind 996 and can even handle 007. I have to applaud her dedication."
At the mention of "senior," Jiang Yubai paused mid-motion. He tossed the document folder onto the seat beside him, while his secretary asked, "Mr. Jiang?"
The secretary bent down to pick up the folder for him.
Jiang Yubai thanked the secretary.
Settling into the soft seat of the private jet, he carefully considered Lin Zhixia's words—"996" referred to "working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week," while "007" was even more extreme, meaning "working from noon to midnight, seven days a week without a break." Both overtime models would leave employees utterly exhausted.
As far as he knew, Luo Ying's parents were prominent entrepreneurs in the provincial capital, and their company was thriving. Her ambitions didn’t lie in business, nor was she entangled in commercial interests. So why was she pushing for overtime?
Gazing out the window, Jiang Yubai responded calmly, "Your alcohol tolerance is too low—one sip and you're tipsy. I’ll call your brother to take you home. Rest early tonight and sleep well. No need to pick me up tomorrow; I’ll come to your place."
Lin Zhixia didn’t dwell on it. She agreed, "Alright, see you tomorrow."
With that, she hung up.
Luo Ying asked, "What did Jiang Yubai say?"
Lin Zhixia relayed his instructions word for word.
Luo Ying offered no comment.
After spending over an hour at the restaurant, Lin Zeqiu arrived. Lin Zhixia remained firm in her stance—she and Lin Zeqiu first escorted Luo Ying home before leaving her residence together.
Under the deep night sky, a thin mist veiled the moon in white. Lin Zeqiu held his sister's hand and lectured her earnestly, "Don’t drink outside next time… not even with your senior. You haven’t seen her in years—your bond isn’t that strong."
Lin Zhixia wondered, "Why are you so wary? Didn’t we grow up together?"
Lin Zeqiu stayed silent.
Lin Zhixia yawned. "Brother, let me interview you—when a girl approaches you, do you immediately suspect she has ulterior motives?"
Yes.
Exactly.
Lin Zhixia’s words struck a chord with Lin Zeqiu.
Since childhood, Lin Zeqiu had always felt that girls who liked him were only drawn to his appearance. In contrast, work felt more tangible—in the workplace, effort translated directly into performance, and performance into deserved bonuses.
Lost in thought as he walked, Lin Zeqiu heard Lin Zhixia call out again, "Brother?"
With icy detachment, he asked, "What’s so interesting about dating, tell me."
Leaves rustled as the night wind swept through the treetops. He crushed the scattered moonlight underfoot and added, "Fools create their own troubles."
Under normal circumstances, Lin Zhixia would have likely dropped the subject.However, at this moment, Lin Zhixia was unusually bold. She persisted in explaining, "It's a strange feeling—my heart pounds faster, my mind becomes incredibly clear, and all drowsiness vanishes... At first, I wasn’t used to it. At night, just thinking about Jiang Yubai would keep me awake, and I’d start imagining meeting him the next day. When I’m with him, I feel both relaxed and tense, excited and happy. He always understands me, even if he doesn’t grasp my research at all. Do you get it now?"
Lin Zeqiu, however, retorted, "Contradictory."
Lin Zhixia didn’t argue further.
Lin Zhixia’s words left a deep impression on Lin Zeqiu—his attitude toward Jiang Yubai softened slightly. The next evening, when Jiang Yubai came to visit, Lin Zeqiu even personally opened the door for him.
Jiang Yubai entered carrying a bag of gifts.
Lin Zhixia ran up to him. "You must be exhausted after your business trip. Was it tiring?"
Jiang Yubai replied calmly, "Not tired. Fourteen hours of work a day, ten hours of rest... I can handle it."
Lin Zhixia hugged his arm. "You’re making me worry. Are you sleepy now? Go take a nap in my room."
And just like that, Jiang Yubai was led into her bedroom. She even locked the door behind them, leaving Lin Zeqiu with nothing to say.
Lin Zeqiu returned to his own room, distractedly watching TV. Coincidentally, a friend invited him out to watch a soccer match, so he changed clothes and left.
Jiang Yubai was indeed exhausted—he had just returned from Europe and hadn’t adjusted to the time difference yet.
As Jiang Yubai lay on Lin Zhixia’s bed, she gently touched his face. He turned his head to listen as she said, "My undergraduate and doctoral advisor, Senior Wei Ruoxing, and that mathematician friend from Russia—all four of them agreed to serve as senior advisors for our company. Brother plans to apply for a transfer to join our company’s foundational framework team. Tang Tingting and Luo Ying have already joined the company, while Feng Yuan and Wen Qi will probably come on board next year. Their trust in me..."
"It’s what you deserve," Jiang Yubai murmured, his voice growing softer. "Keep moving forward bravely."
Lin Zhixia thought he was about to fall asleep. She quietly lay down beside him, only for him to pull her into an embrace. "Stay with me for a while," he said.
Lin Zhixia obediently closed her eyes. Of course, she didn’t sleep. Instead, she entered a state of meditation, meticulously organizing her thoughts and reflecting on years of exploration and research. She still had a bold quantum chip concept yet to realize—just as Jiang Yubai had encouraged, she would move forward bravely.
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