The term "Changying" originates from the "Biography of Zhong Jun" in the Book of Han from the Eastern Han Dynasty, symbolizing "the power to conquer enemies." The Song Dynasty scholar Lu You also wrote in his poem "Reading Military Texts at Night": "If the long tassel can indeed be requested, I would mount my steed without hesitation."
Jiang Yubai greatly admired this line.
He and Lin Zhixia had known each other for over a decade, being each other's closest friends, partners, and beloved. He named his daughter "Changying" as a subtle expression of his desire to walk hand in hand with her through life. Although he didn't have a daughter yet, he could imagine it. He firmly held Lin Zhixia's hand, as if feeling the pulse throbbing within her.
Without a word, she tilted her head and leaned against his shoulder.
Outside the car window, the night flowed by. The broad streets were bustling with pedestrians on both sides, skyscrapers stood in orderly rows, and the lights of countless homes twinkled in harmony. Lin Zhixia's heart was at ease and serene. She gently touched the back of Jiang Yubai's hand, eventually intertwining her fingers with his. Even without speaking, their silent affection spoke volumes.
Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia returned to the Jiang family estate specifically to visit his cousin who was about to turn one month old.
The cousin, just a month old, was still a tiny infant, curled up in a small bundle. She lay sleeping peacefully in a crib with railings. Lin Zhixia stood at a distance, watching her, not daring to step closer for fear of disturbing her sweet dreams.
"So adorable," Lin Zhixia remarked sincerely.
Jiang Yubai hooked his finger with hers. The room was dimly lit and utterly silent. She turned to look at him, her eyes clear and sparkling. In an extremely soft voice, she said, "In a few years, let's have one too."
"Just as adorable as you," Jiang Yubai predicted.
He led Lin Zhixia out of the room, where his uncle and aunt were chatting outside the door.
The uncle's face was radiant with the joy of new fatherhood. He placed a hand on Jiang Yubai's shoulder, selflessly sharing tips on "how to be a good father," and added, "Set the date soon. Your aunt and I are looking forward to celebrating your wedding."
Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Yubai discussed the wedding arrangements in detail with Lin Zhixia that very evening. Lin Zhixia and her family loved islands, so Jiang Yubai decided to hold the wedding in Hainan. He opened a perpetual calendar and flipped to the page for August 2018. Lin Zhixia immediately leaned in.
Under the soft glow of the desk lamp, her thick eyelashes fluttered twice, like the wings of a black butterfly. Resting her chin on her left hand, she pointed with her right hand at the perpetual calendar: "August 24th. It's suitable for travel and weddings. Let's pick this day. After the wedding, in a few more days, I can also celebrate your birthday."
Jiang Yubai circled "August 24th" with a red pen and noted beside it: "Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia's Wedding."
On a whim, Lin Zhixia called out to him in a sweet, coquettish tone, "Husband."
Jiang Yubai had never heard her use such a tone before. Momentarily distracted, his pen stroke lengthened, though his expression remained composed. "Which relatives and friends do you want to invite? Finalize the list, and I'll send out the invitations."
Lin Zhixia only smiled and said, "Husband, look at me."
Jiang Yubai remained unmoved. "Let's finish the important matters first."Jiang Yubai knew perfectly well that for Lin Zhixia, the more strongly he reacted to the word "husband," the more amusing she found it—this had been her nature since childhood, brimming with curiosity and a strong desire to explore. As a child, she would incessantly call out "Little Jiang, Little Jiang," and now she was murmuring, "Husband?"
Jiang Yubai closed the perpetual calendar, opened a work notebook, and skimmed through next year's project plans, adding, "In late August, we'll take half a month off."
He patiently waited for Lin Zhixia to pester him.
Sure enough, Lin Zhixia pushed aside his notebook, moved her chair closer to him.
Before she could utter a word, he grasped her wrist, leaned in slightly, and smoothly kissed her lips, savoring her lip gloss to quench his thirst. In an extremely gentle voice, he repeatedly whispered her pet name. Lin Zhixia's heart suddenly surged, waves of emotion crashing within, the burning heat melting her ears.
Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia had set their wedding date and informed both families.
Lin Zhixia's parents were both happy for their daughter and somewhat worried and reluctant. To address this, the Lin family held a special family meeting to discuss the wedding details.
Mom sat on the living room sofa, holding Lin Zhixia's hand and said, "Xia Xia is only turning twenty-four next year, and she's getting married..."
Lin Zeqiu interjected, "That Jiang Yubai is in a hurry to get a wife."
Dad seemed to have already switched sides: "Qiu Qiu, your sister and brother-in-law have a good relationship. Don't always pick on your brother-in-law—he's not having it easy either. He's a very sensible kid."
Lin Zeqiu stared silently at Dad, who continued chattering: "After Xia Xia and Xiao Jiang get married, they'll live in the neighborhood across the street, not far from us. Xia Xia will still come home to stay every week. Your mom and I are satisfied with that."
Mom suddenly chimed in: "Qiu Qiu, you're a few years older than your sister. She's almost married, and you still don't have a girlfriend? Are there any suitable girls at your company? If not, should Mom introduce you to someone?"
Lin Zeqiu was eating an apple. He nearly choked on a piece. He quickly glanced at Lin Zhixia, signaling his sister to say something to help him out—with her linguistic skills, fooling their parents would be a trivial matter.
However, Lin Zhixia took a sip of strawberry yogurt and quietly met Lin Zeqiu's gaze. Lin Zeqiu knew then that this sister was utterly unreliable. He could only fall back on the company's strict policy: "Our company doesn't allow office romances. If you don't believe me, ask Lin Zhixia."
Lin Zhixia nodded: "Brother is right."
"What about your classmates?" Mom pressed. "Do your friends or your sister know any single girls? You need to speak up, Qiu Qiu. Ask them to introduce you to someone."
Lin Zeqiu ran a hand through his hair. He had short black hair, dark and thick. With his handsome looks, 187 cm height, decent job and education, honest and upright character, and an exceptionally talented sister, his dating prospects should be quite good—so why couldn't he find a girlfriend? Mom let out a long sigh: "I'm not rushing you. Your dad and I aren't in a hurry for grandchildren. It's just that your sister is starting a family, and I worry you might feel lonely alone in the future.""Being married doesn't necessarily mean you won't feel lonely," Lin Zeqiu retorted. "I often go out with friends for drinks, play ball, watch games—it's great. Once you're married, you're tied down. Too much trouble."
Leaning back on the sofa, Lin Zeqiu stretched out his legs and rested his arms behind his head. His lazy, carefree demeanor and his completely unenthusiastic attitude toward marriage worried his Dad deeply.
Dad asked him, "Qiu, you're in your twenties now, and you still only hang out with guys?"
Lin Zhixia shot her brother a meaningful look, but Lin Zeqiu wasn't as quick to catch on. Not understanding what his Dad meant, he answered truthfully, "Yeah, so what?"
Dad set down his teacup. "When I was your age, Xia Xia was already old enough to run errands."
Lin Zhixia pointed out a flaw: "I never ran errands for soy sauce."
Dad was taken aback, and Lin Zhixia spoke up for her brother again: "Lin Zeqiu is an adult. Let him choose the life he wants to live. No matter what, I'm on Brother's side."
Lin Zeqiu stretched out a hand, palm up, and Lin Zhixia high-fived him. The siblings had an almost perfect understanding.
After that, Mom and Dad stopped pressuring Lin Zeqiu to find a girlfriend. As parents, they didn't want to irritate their son or argue with their daughter. Besides, both their son and daughter were very busy with work, and it was rare for the family to have time to chat together. The issue of relationships had to be set aside for the time being.
Dad took the initiative to ask Lin Zhixia about her situation at school. He had heard that she served as the deputy head of the Four-University Joint Research Group, had heavy research responsibilities, and even had her own funding project. He wasn't sure if she could handle it all.
"I can manage," Lin Zhixia explained to her parents. "When I'm working in the Laboratory, a whole morning passes without me noticing. After lunch, I continue working in the afternoon. Day after day, time flies by. Because I'm doing what I love, I don't feel tired."
Mom peeled an orange, ate a segment herself to confirm it was sweet, and then handed it to Lin Zhixia. "Xia Xia, listen to Mom. Take it easy at school, don't overwork yourself. Your health is the most important thing. Mom and Dad both worry about you."
"Mhm," Lin Zhixia said vaguely while eating the orange. "I know."
The orange had a rich texture, sweet with a hint of fragrance. It tasted like home.
Ever since the "Four-University Joint Research Group" was established, Lin Zhixia's research progress had accelerated significantly. Her colleagues were all top talents from across the country, and the students under them each had their own strengths. After a brief adjustment period, their collaboration became increasingly smooth.
Lin Zeqiu and Tan Qianche were both core members of the research group. Their respective research teams attracted a lot of attention, and an invisible competitive pressure fell upon the students in both groups. Although Lin Zhixia remained gentle with her students, Tan Qianche emphasized "postgraduate goals and planning" every week and even created a "weekly self-evaluation form" for the students.
Tan Qianche reminded Lin Zhixia countless times of her Indian senior from Cambridge—based on her personal experience, the Indian senior's strict teaching style could also successfully motivate some students. She had no right to interfere with Tan Qianche's teaching methods, and he often held joint group meetings with her.At present, the focus of their Four-University Joint Research Group was developing quantum chips—an extremely challenging and complex problem. Lin Zhixia’s approach was remarkably bold. She completely overturned the conventional operational model of qubits and proposed a novel reform method. About half of the team members disagreed with her, while Tan Qianche and Gu Likai were quite supportive.
To expedite the creation of a chip prototype, Tan Qianche broke down the tasks and assigned them to his students, continuing to push them forward.
During the joint group meeting the week before winter break, Tan Qianche addressed everyone: "There are some things your Teacher Lin won’t say, so I’ll say them for her. Teacher Lin’s Quantum Technology Company has developed new graph theory, integrating classical computing with quantum algorithms, significantly enhancing the security of network information transmission. The government and enterprises are collaborating with her. However, this does not mean that a true quantum computer has been realized..."
He looked directly at Xu Lingbo, as if speaking specifically to him: "Quantum computers have three core requirements: algorithms, encoding, and chips. Chips are the most critical and are currently under development. If any of you go home for winter break this year, you’ll miss this opportunity to participate."
The atmosphere in the large conference room grew exceptionally tense, but Tan Qianche smiled and said, "Let me give you an example: Student A goes home, Student B does not. A relaxes and plays at home, while B learns new knowledge and attends academic conferences. After a month-long winter break, how big is the gap between A and B?"
The room fell silent.
Tan Qianche continued, "This year, none of you should go home. Stay and work in the laboratory."
Standing at the head of the long table, hands resting on its surface, he asked, "Who agrees? Who opposes?"
Xu Lingbo muttered under his breath, "Teacher Tan is exploiting students—inhuman."
However, Tan Qianche’s next words were: "Each of you will receive a 1,000-yuan stipend, paid by me."
Tan Qianche was a professor heavily supported by the university. With numerous projects, his income was substantial. As early as the end of last year, he had upgraded to a Mercedes-Benz and wore a Lange watch, exuding the aura of a successful professional.
Yet, Fang Yiwen dared to challenge him publicly. She raised her hand and said, "Teacher, your earlier assumption is incorrect."
Tan Qianche questioned her, "What’s incorrect about it?"
Fang Yiwen stood up to explain, "If the one going home to relax is Teacher Lin Zhixia, and the one staying in the laboratory is Student Xu Lingbo, after one winter break, A would still be far more capable than B. Don’t you agree?"
Instead of getting angry, Tan Qianche laughed even more heartily: "That precisely illustrates why you shouldn’t go home for winter break—you need to catch up to Teacher Lin’s level. Teacher Lin completed her undergraduate degree in three years, and during those three years, including winter and summer breaks, she never went home. Learn from her example."
"Wait a moment," Lin Zhixia interrupted him, "Students, you are all adults and free to make your own choices. Staying on campus is entirely voluntary. Teacher Tan is offering each of you a 1,000-yuan stipend, and I will add another 1,000 yuan. Any student who wishes to go home for the Spring Festival is completely free to do so. Don’t feel pressured. Just send me an email tonight stating whether you will stay on campus or not."
The Spring Festival is an annual traditional holiday.In Lin Zhixia's imagination, the perfect Spring Festival was a round table with a yin-yang hot pot. The table was laden with beef and lamb rolls, fish balls and shrimp dumplings, scallops and crab sticks, mushrooms and leafy greens, steam rising in white clouds everywhere. Mom, Dad, Brother, and Jiang Yubai would gather around the table, the whole family eating together in lively celebration. The Spring Festival Gala would play on TV, and the night sky would bloom with colorful fireworks.
Putting herself in others' shoes, Lin Zhixia assumed her students would return home for the holiday.
However, that evening, emails showed that none of the twenty-four students across her and Tan Qianche's research groups—including Xu Lingbo—had gone home for the New Year. They had all chosen to stay on campus and continue their experiments. Since each student received a 2,000-yuan stipend, both Lin Zhixia and Tan Qianche were highly praised on the university forum as "conscientious, generous mentors," which surprised Lin Zhixia somewhat.
After repeatedly confirming her own students' intentions, she found them all resolute, as if deeply influenced by Tan Qianche's earlier remarks.
After much deliberation, Lin Zhixia asked about her students' plans for New Year's Eve and then reserved a table at the university's upscale cafeteria for a reunion dinner, paying nearly two thousand yuan. When she posted the menu in the research group's WeChat chat, the students erupted in cheers as if already celebrating the festival.
A few minutes later, Xu Lingbo privately messaged her: "Wishing you an early Happy Spring Festival, Professor!"
Lin Zhixia instantly replied: "Same to you! Keep up the good work!"
Xu Lingbo was frantically writing his thesis.
Since last October, he had endured the most grueling period of his life. Every day upon waking, his mind was consumed by his thesis and experimental methods—thinking about them while showering, eating, constantly. He finally grasped the deeper significance of the research topic Lin Zhixia had assigned him a year ago, which papers could be interconnected, and which arguments could be refined. While marveling at his genuine progress, he privately lamented not having this clarity sooner, having pointlessly squandered opportunities and endured humiliation.
He posted on his Moments: "I've wasted twenty-five years of my life."
He forgot to restrict Lin Zhixia from seeing it.
Thus, Lin Zhixia became the first to comment: "Nothing was wasted. Every experience you've had shaped who you are today..."
Tears welled in Xu Lingbo's eyes until he read Lin Zhixia's follow-up: "Finish your thesis and send it to me soon."
Wiping away his tears, Xu Lingbo swiftly added Lin Zhixia to his "Hide My Moments from" list.
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