September 24, 2005, was a beautiful day with clear skies and gentle breezes.
It was a peaceful and tranquil Saturday.
Lin Zhixia tugged at her mom's wrist and asked tentatively, "Mom, Mom, my classmate invited me to hang out. I might not come home for lunch. Can I go out now?"
"Who invited you?" Mom inquired.
Lin Zhixia explained in detail, "My best friend. He was my elementary school classmate and is now my middle school classmate too."
While wiping the shelves, Mom asked kindly, "Where do you plan to go?"
"Provincial No. 1 High School!" Lin Zhixia replied cheerfully. "Mom, today is the high school club recruitment festival! The seniors have prepared lots of activities! I promised to meet my friend at the school gate, and I plan to treat him to lunch at the school cafeteria!"
Students in the Olympiad class at Provincial No. 1 High School were generally top achievers among outstanding students. Lin Zhixia possessed unique qualities but still needed companionship from peers. It was indeed good for her to befriend excellent students.
Moreover, since Lin Zhixia and her friend would be playing within the familiar school campus, safety wasn't much concern. Their residential compound was very close to Provincial No. 1 High School—just three bus stops away.
Without hesitation, Mom readily agreed, "Alright, you can go, Xia Xia. Take your phone card with you and call us if anything comes up."
"Okay!" Lin Zhixia dashed away in a flash.
She returned to her room and put on her favorite light pink cotton T-shirt and dark gray jeans. She specially braided her hair from the crown, dividing it into two sections and braiding until it reached ear-level, then tying them into twin tails with strawberry hair ties.
Her braiding skills were exceptionally refined, showcasing her dexterity. Even Mom couldn't help praising her, "Xia Xia looks so cute and pretty today."
This made Lin Zhixia even happier. She had always loved hearing compliments from her mom since childhood.
Mom added, "Our Xia Xia will grow up to be even more beautiful and perfect, possessing both wisdom and beauty. Mom can't find any flaws in you."
"Mhmm!" Lin Zhixia nodded with slight shyness.
Just then, her brother passed by. Hearing the conversation between Mom and his sister, he snorted dismissively, "Lin Zhixia, don't get too proud. Don't you know? Kids might grow up awkward-looking."
In a hurry to leave, Lin Zhixia had no time to argue with her brother. She swiftly rushed out the door, throwing back a remark, "Brother, if you grow up awkward, you'll definitely be worse off than me because you'll lose both your looks and intelligence."
Her brother was left speechless with anger.
After running half a step away, she suddenly turned back, "Today is the high school club recruitment festival. I'm going to watch the performances at school. Brother, aren't you coming?"
"No," her brother answered firmly, "I'm staying home to study for exams. We have monthly tests on the 11th next month. Lin Zhixia, aren't you reviewing? Your Olympiad class has weekly tests."
"I always rank first in class! Full marks are my scores," Lin Zhixia revealed.
She actually dared to say something as arrogant as "Full marks are my scores."
Once again, her brother was rendered speechless.Lin Zhixia was completely unaware of the seismic upheaval raging in her brother's heart. Her mind was entirely occupied with the high school club fair and, more importantly, the fact that today happened to be her birthday—Jiang Yubai must have prepared a gift for her!
What would he give her? Practice problems, a notebook, or perhaps candies and cookies?
Whichever it was, Lin Zhixia would accept it with delight.
Reality, however, surpassed her imagination.
When she ran into Jiang Yubai at the provincial No.1 High School's entrance, he handed her an exquisitely crafted key. The key was as long as her finger, engraved with Dirac notation from quantum mechanics. Jiang Yubai told her: "This key can open a lock."
"What lock?" Lin Zhixia asked in astonishment.
Jiang Yubai avoided answering directly. Instead, he sincerely wished her: "Happy birthday, Lin Zhixia."
Lin Zhixia circled around him: "Jiangjiangjiang Jiang Yubai! Is that lock of yours hidden somewhere in the school? Are you going to give me clues? We're just like the protagonists in 'Indiana Jones,' following clues to find treasure!"
Jiang Yubai raised his hand and pointed ahead: "Linlinlin Lin Zhixia, the club activities are about to start. Keep the key safe and follow me."
"I'm coming!" Lin Zhixia grabbed onto his backpack strap.
The campus path was paved with uneven cobblestones, with lush tree shadows draping both sides of the road. The cool autumn breeze brushed against Lin Zhixia's cheeks as she relaxed, feeling leisurely and content, as if she were on an autumn outing with Jiang Yubai.
The high school division's club recruitment event was in full swing. Along a spacious long street within the school, members of various clubs had set up booths to distribute promotional brochures.
Nearby grew a cluster of lush osmanthus trees, their buds blooming amidst September's splendid autumn scenery. The faint, delightful fragrance of flowers drifted over with the wind. Lin Zhixia took a deep breath and exclaimed: "Since ancient times, autumn has been seen as lonely and desolate, but I say autumn days surpass spring mornings. That's from 'Ode to Autumn' by the Tang dynasty poet Liu Yuxi. Have you heard of it?"
Before Jiang Yubai could respond, a senior high school student standing nearby suddenly rushed over: "This junior? Are you a junior? You look so young! You just recited a poem! Are you interested in learning about traditional Chinese poetry and culture?"
Both Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai stopped walking.
The senior patiently explained: "We're the Provincial No.1 High School's Classical Literature Club! Our club has a great atmosphere, plenty of activities, and fair rules. We use the 'Flying Flowers Game' to select each term's club president and vice-president..."
Before he could finish, Lin Zhixia exclaimed joyfully: "Flying Flowers Game!"
"Exactly!" The senior raised both hands and gestured to the side, introducing with great ceremony: "I'm in my second year of high school. Our new president is only in her first year. She's from the first-year honors class, also the grade-level beauty—Luo Ying! President Luo Ying... President Luo!"
Luo Ying?
That name was quite distinctive.
Lin Zhixia looked up and saw a girl about fifteen or sixteen years old—clearly the "Classical Literature Club" president, the legendary senior Luo Ying.
Luo Ying sat to the left of the "Classical Literature Club" signboard, wearing a dark green long-sleeved dress. Her elbows rested on the table, a mechanical watch on her wrist, her pale slender hand propping up her chin, her entire gaze fixed on Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia called out in a sweet voice: "Hello, Senior Luo Ying."Luo Ying smiled at her. "Hello, are you a junior from the middle school division?"
"Yes. I'm in the seventh-grade math Olympiad class," Lin Zhixia admitted.
Luo Ying handed her a brochure. "When you advance to eighth grade, you can join our club too. What's your name, junior?"
"My name is Lin Zhixia," Lin Zhixia said honestly. "'Lin' as in woods, 'Zhi' as in knowledge, 'Xia' as in summer."
"What a beautiful name, it suits you perfectly," Luo Ying commented.
Around them, numerous high school boys continued streaming toward the Classical Literature Club like relentless waves crashing upon a shore. Luo Ying engaged them in a Flying Flowers Game, resembling Zhuge Liang debating scholars single-handedly as she triumphed over countless opponents.
Luo Ying also asked Lin Zhixia, "Have you ever played the Flying Flowers Game?"
Just as Lin Zhixia was about to answer, Jiang Yubai interrupted, "The Astrophysics Club is recruiting. They've listed the ye-yo Universe explosion model."
The "ye-yo Universe explosion model" captivated Lin Zhixia's imagination.
She immediately abandoned the Classical Literature Club and dashed toward the Astrophysics Club across the way.
The president of the Astrophysics Club held up a large sign, explaining "the Universe formation hypothesis" to passing students. With thick black-framed glasses and messy short hair, he patiently elaborated: "Fellow students passing by, come take a look! This is the Astrophysics Club! The Universe evolved from the quantum gravity era to the stellar era, and spacetime might originate from quantum information!"
Lin Zhixia raised her hand to ask, "When you mention quantum information, does it relate to quantum error-correcting codes? The English academic term is quantum error code."
"Exactly!" The Astrophysics Club president revealed a subtle expression. Having traversed countless obstacles and experienced life's varied flavors, he had finally found a kindred spirit!
The president then looked at Jiang Yubai: "Are you both joining the Astrophysics Club? Do you understand quantum information, junior?"
Jiang Yubai modestly shared his thoughts: "The content on your display board reminds me of topological quantum field theory in fixed spacetime and n-dimensional spacetime."
Since Jiang Yubai had acknowledged his friendship with Lin Zhixia, his bedtime reading had shifted from "Middle School Mathematics" to "Quantum Computing." His tutoring team had also incorporated a physics teacher who frequently addressed his questions.
Thus, he had a general grasp of some terminology.
He continued forward with Lin Zhixia.
The Astrophysics Club president was left behind by Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia.
The pitiable president, facing sparse attendance, could only watch the junior students' retreating figures from afar.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhixia continued questioning Jiang Yubai: "Jiang Yubai, have you studied topological quantum field theory?"
"No," Jiang Yubai walked alongside her, "I just read a basic introductory book."
"Did you understand it?" Lin Zhixia pressed.
Jiang Yubai paused for a second before answering truthfully: "No."Lin Zhixia burst into laughter, "Hahahaha!" Then, her eyes sparkling, she looked at him encouragingly and said, "You gave it a try! That's one of Jiang Yubai's many strengths—Jiang Yubai is fearless, Jiang Yubai always tries! Honestly, I couldn’t understand research papers the first time I read them either. I also have to start from the basics. Whenever I encounter a completely new subject, I have to first browse through its foundational theories and introductory knowledge."
She stood on tiptoe, flattening her palm and raising it bit by bit: "A pyramid is built layer by layer, and both Jiang Yubai and I will build our own pyramids."
Jiang Yubai’s hands were tucked in his coat pockets. Hidden by the fabric, he clenched his fists slightly, his emotions surging with anticipation for adulthood. He believed that one day, years from now, both he and Lin Zhixia would reach the peak of their careers.
Jiang Yubai was thinking further ahead than Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia only had her eyes on the Western Music Club right in front of her.
The Western Music Club had set up a grand scene. They had cordoned off a square area, arranged their instruments, and invited passing students to play—joining the club required a certain level of musical skill.
"An upright piano—they brought an upright piano!" Lin Zhixia tugged on Jiang Yubai’s backpack strap. "Jiang Yubai, I’ve never heard you play the piano. I really want to listen."
Lin Zhixia often expressed her thoughts bluntly. When interacting with Jiang Yubai, she had no concept of "subtlety" or "reserve." Jiang Yubai felt a little embarrassed, after all, he had never performed in public before.
But when he imagined Lin Zhixia sincerely praising him as incredibly skilled after he finished playing a piece… he found himself stepping in front of the piano.
Even though he still felt some reluctance and secretly thought, I should keep a low profile, no showing off… his fingers had already brushed across the black and white keys. He sat down slowly, made a slight adjustment, and smooth, beautiful notes leaped from his fingertips.
The notes flowed coherently and rhythmically, weaving into a melodious and magnificent composition, its rises and falls striking a chord in the listeners’ hearts with every measure.
From Lin Zhixia’s perspective, Jiang Yubai’s fingering was exceptionally skilled and polished. Even as a layperson, she could tell he must have received instruction from top-tier masters since childhood.
The club members around them paused their tasks. Seniors passing by spontaneously formed a circle. Jiang Yubai naturally became the center of attention. He seemed born to stand out. In any case, he wasn’t affected by the gasps of the onlookers. The music remained vibrant, grand, and powerful, just like his unwavering original aspiration.
As the piece neared its end, the president of the Western Music Club led the applause. The president exclaimed three times in a row: "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Junior, which grade are you in? Come sign up with me. You don’t need to pay the membership fee—I’ll cover it for you."
However, Jiang Yubai thanked the president and said, "Sorry to trouble you," before shouldering his backpack and gradually walking away with Lin Zhixia.
The president of the Western Music Club stood rooted to the spot, stunned. Countless students at Provincial No. 1 High School had tried every means to join his club, only to be coldly rejected. And the first time he proactively extended an olive branch to a junior, all he got was a "Sorry to trouble you."
*Lin Zhixia wandered aimlessly until she reached the end of the long street.
At the street's end stood a bulletin board.
The board was covered with various campus notices. She spotted a blue slip of paper bearing Dirac notation and a quantum mechanics calculation. She solved it on the spot, then followed the clues on the back of the paper to deduce a specific direction and set of coordinates.
When she turned around, her gaze met Jiang Yubai's.
"Is that place the restaurant near the school?" Lin Zhixia ventured.
Jiang Yubai showed her his watch: "It's 11:50 AM now."
"Time for lunch?" Lin Zhixia hesitated slightly. She took one step, then suddenly broke into a sprint, leaving Jiang Yubai nearly unable to react.
Near the south gate of Provincial First High School stood an upscale restaurant with thriving business. Outside its main entrance permanently stood two welcomers in suits, whose mere presence made passersby aware of the establishment's average price range.
Lin Zhixia stood still at the restaurant's steps, her backpack on her shoulders. She told Jiang Yubai: "Jiang Yubai, I brought forty yuan today - my saved allowance. I wanted to treat you to lunch at Provincial First High's cafeteria. If you prefer eating here instead, I probably can't afford it... but only for now, since I'm just ten and child labor is illegal. After I start earning money, or when I begin competing in contests this year and win prizes, we can come here to eat then."
Lin Zhixia negotiated with Jiang Yubai in gentle tones. Her gaze was clear as water, utterly unclouded, making Jiang Yubai unable to even meet her eyes.
"This... this is..." Jiang Yubai inexplicably stumbled over his words, "My family's restaurant."
Silence stretched between them before Jiang Yubai confessed: "It's my mom's chain restaurant. The flagship opened in the provincial capital in 1999, with branches in Beijing and Shanghai."
Lin Zhixia tilted her head.
The restaurant's front office manager had already emerged through the revolving glass door. Dressed in a neat suit skirt and black high heels, she politely greeted Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai: "Please follow me, you two."
Jiang Yubai was unusually candid: "The birthday banquet private room is already reserved - my uncle helped book it. When he heard about your birthday, he suggested this celebration method."
"Your uncle?" Lin Zhixia repeated.
"Uncle remembers you quite well," Jiang Yubai relayed verbatim, "He told me to fulfill my duties as a friend, entertain you to the best of my ability, and contribute to the advancement of human science."
Lin Zhixia sorted through the uncle's logic: "By entertaining me and being my friend, you're contributing to human scientific progress?"
"That's what my uncle said," Jiang Yubai inadvertently betrayed his uncle.
Guided by the restaurant manager, they passed through a long corridor into a spacious private room. When the door opened, Lin Zhixia discovered several of her elementary school classmates inside - including Dong Sunqi, Ding Yan, Wei Rongjie, Gan Shuli, and Tang Yueqin. With Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai added, there were seven children total in the room.
The moment Dong Sunqi saw Lin Zhixia, he immediately cheered: "The birthday girl is here! The birthday girl is here! Classmates, let's do exactly what we rehearsed earlier!"Dong Sunqi stood before a plush sofa, his hands raised high. His expression was solemn, his attitude meticulous, as if he had suddenly descended upon Vienna's Golden Hall and become a professional orchestra conductor with extensive expertise.
An onlooker might have thought Dong Sunqi was about to conduct a complex Beethoven symphony. In reality, he was merely organizing everyone to sing "Happy Birthday."
Under Dong Sunqi's orchestration, the several classmates present—all six except Lin Zhixia—sang loudly: "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you... Lin Zhixia, forever happy!"
"Good! Hold it!" Dong Sunqi declared with great satisfaction.
Ding Yan leaped over in one bound, wrapping an arm around Jiang Yubai's shoulder: "Damn, I've missed you so much! Jiang Yubai! How are you and Lin Zhixia doing at the new school? Lin Zhixia, are you still ranked first in your grade?"
Vice Class President Tang Yueqin chimed in: "Is that even a question? Lin Zhixia must be first in her grade, right?"
Gan Shuli took Lin Zhixia's wrist: "Lin Zhixia, how have you been lately?"
"I'm doing well," Lin Zhixia nodded vigorously, "I, I..."
She couldn't complete her sentence. After pausing for two seconds, she asked instead: "How have you all been?"
Wei Rongjie approached with his hands behind his back, pacing like a senior official: "Lin Zhixia, Jiang Yubai, without you two in Class 1, Grade 5, the class's academic atmosphere isn't what it used to be."
"Wei Rongjie," Dong Sunqi jumped in to refute, "Lots of classmates come to borrow books from me every day."
Tang Yueqin tucked her hands into her sleeves, gazing at the ceiling: "Lin Zhixia, both you and Jiang Yubai skipped grades. In the first week of school, during the Grade 5 placement tests, the top student in the grade became the study committee member from Class 2... Our class's top student didn't even make it into the top three in the grade."
"No, don't say it!" Dong Sunqi let out a low, faint cry, "Don't let Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai hear this! We can't make them worry about us!"
Dong Sunqi's tone was so amusing that Lin Zhixia really wanted to laugh inside. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, and her eyes sparkled with mirth. It was then that she turned her head and noticed a strawberry cream cake placed on the table. She had to use the word "towering" to describe that cake because it had three layers, each adorned with a circle of plump, crimson fresh strawberries that completely captivated Lin Zhixia's soul.
"So many strawberries!" Lin Zhixia sat down in the spot closest to the strawberry cake.
The hotel manager personally served them, and various dishes were brought out one after another by the waitstaff. Lin Zhixia thought this was a perfectly wonderful birthday party, and Jiang Yubai even told her: "You can open your presents before the meal."
"There are presents too?" Lin Zhixia murmured to herself.
"Of course," Jiang Yubai said gravely, "This is your tenth birthday. I want to give you a memory."
"I understand," Lin Zhixia beamed with laughter, "You're giving me happiness. Thank you, Jiang Yubai! I'm really happy today! I'll treasure this memory and keep it carefully in my mind."
Author's note: [Next episode preview: The Olympiad class's severe tests arrive! Little Jiang's advance!]
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