Genius Girlfriend

Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai had been desk mates for a week.

During this week, they had gained a deeper understanding of each other.

Back when Jiang Yubai was in elementary school in Singapore, no one in his grade could surpass him. Now that he had returned to China, he was no longer the person he used to be. Every morning, he even felt somewhat reluctant to get out of bed, dreading going to school.

This absolutely could not go on!

To rebuild his self-esteem, Jiang Yubai officially regarded Lin Zhixia as his rival. He also made a request to his parents: "I want to study physics."

At that moment, the family was having dinner.

The dining room was surrounded by six large floor-to-ceiling windows. Outside, the vast night had soaked the entire lawn, while the indoor chandelier shone brightly. Jiang Yubai picked up a glass, and even the cold water inside seemed to glitter under the dazzling light.

Jiang Yubai took a sip of cold water and repeated, "I want to study physics."

Mom put down her chopsticks and asked him, "What made you suddenly think of this?"

Jiang Yubai's mother was nearly forty but maintained herself extremely well. Her face showed no fine lines at all—she was elegant, radiant, and captivating, making it impossible to guess her age. She was exceptionally beautiful, and her tone was very gentle: "You're still so young, Jiang Yubai. You already have so many classes. Studying would be too hard on you."

"Not hard at all," Jiang Yubai insisted earnestly, holding his rice bowl. "I like physics."

"Is that so?" Dad asked nonchalantly.

Jiang Yubai nodded. "Yes."

Dad asked him, "Besides going to school every week, you also have Martial Arts Class, piano lessons, and English and French classes at home. Can you handle all that?"

This question stumped Jiang Yubai.

Dad continued, "Your mother and I both want you to have a relaxed and happy childhood. If you're genuinely interested in physics, of course we're willing to nurture that. But you've never mentioned it before or talked to us about physics. Why the sudden change today, insisting on studying physics?"

Dad had just returned from the company and was still wearing a shirt and suit. His expression didn't change as he spoke to Jiang Yubai, but his gaze was filled with scrutiny as he observed his son.

Jiang Yubai sensed his father's underlying meaning. His parents didn't seem to want him to pursue a scientific path in physics.

He said, "I'll think about it some more."

Dad raised his hand and gently patted Jiang Yubai's shoulder. "Mathematics is the conceptual expression of physical reality. If you want to study physics, why not study math instead? You're my only son. When you grow up, you'll certainly have to inherit my..."

Mom coughed, and Dad changed his words: "Of course, I don't want to pressure you."

Jiang Yubai buried his head in his rice bowl.

He couldn't help but wonder: What were Lin Zhixia's parents' attitudes toward her? Would they support her no matter what she did or studied?

To resolve this doubt, the next afternoon after school, Jiang Yubai sent a text to his driver: "I'm going to the stationery store with a classmate. Please wait for me at the school gate for half an hour."

The driver replied: "Okay, Little Jiang."

After a week of school, Jiang Yubai had made a friend. This friend's name was Ding Yan.Ding Yan had practiced taekwondo since childhood, while Jiang Yubai often trained in martial arts. The two boys got into a fight on the school playground over which was stronger—"Chinese martial arts or Korean taekwondo"—boys' friendships are strange indeed. After the fight, they developed mutual respect, talked about the hardships of training, reconciled, and became good friends.

Jiang Yubai shared his plan with Ding Yan: "I'm going to follow Lin Zhixia."

Ding Yan was stunned: "What?"

Jiang Yubai explained in detail: "Lin Zhixia said her home is very close to school. If we follow her together, we can reach her place in fifteen minutes."

"She... she's not someone to mess with. Before you transferred here, nobody wanted to be her desk mate," Ding Yan warned.

At 5 p.m., the sun cast long shadows as dusk approached. The sky was painted with dark crimson twilight, leaving only the day's cleaning duty students in the classroom. Warm sunset light streamed through a window, tracing golden dust-like patterns across the desks and chairs. After arranging the furniture, sweeping the floor, and bidding farewell to the hygiene monitor, Lin Zhixia shouldered her backpack and left the classroom.

She didn't look back.

Jiang Yubai grabbed Ding Yan, strictly executing their "surveillance plan."

"If she catches us," Ding Yan warned, "you're dead."

But Jiang Yubai countered: "If she kills me, she won't have a desk mate anymore."

Ding Yan shook his head: "No, you're wrong. She doesn't hit people. But those who offend her..."

Jiang Yubai whispered: "What happens to people who offend Lin Zhixia?"

Ding Yan hesitated, unsure how to phrase it.

After some deliberation, he finally said: "People who offend Lin Zhixia end up with terrible luck. Like Zhou Bufeng, who sits in front of you—he really likes stealing others' belongings. He steals pens and money. Zhou Bufeng also stole from Lin Zhixia... and then during PE class, he kept getting stung by swarms of Wasps. Zhou Bufeng told us Lin Zhixia is a freak."

Jiang Yubai sneered coldly: "You believe a thief's words?"

Ding Yan immediately responded: "I-I don't believe it."

Jiang Yubai mercilessly taunted: "Are you scared of Lin Zhixia? A boy, afraid of a girl..."

Ding Yan tightened his grip on his backpack straps: "Who's scared of her? I'm not!"

Jiang Yubai sprinted ahead: "Keep up with me!"

Ding Yan sighed in resignation. He could only follow Jiang Yubai's lead as they investigated Lin Zhixia's home environment. He also told Jiang Yubai that he'd seen Lin Zhixia's Mom during a previous parent-teacher conference. "Lin Zhixia's Mom is quite beautiful," he remarked.

Jiang Yubai casually replied: "Lin Zhixia is also beautiful."

The moment he said it, his face flushed crimson.

He couldn't forgive himself for making such a blunder in front of his classmate.

Lin Zhixia was his academic rival—how could he pay attention to his competitor's appearance? Wasn't his goal to far surpass Lin Zhixia's intellect and make her understand that "there's always someone better"?

Steadying himself, Jiang Yubai refocused on Lin Zhixia's retreating figure.

Lin Zhixia paused mid-step and glanced back. She saw Jiang Yubai and Ding Yan quickly duck behind a telephone pole, though she couldn't quite figure out what they were doing.

Are they following me? Lin Zhixia wondered.

Then she thought: Why would they follow me?

Lost in thought, she continued walking until she unconsciously arrived at her doorstep.

This was an old residential neighborhood.The main gate of the residential complex could only accommodate one car at a time. Outside the gate stood two pillars about three meters high, with four iron wires connecting the tops of the pillars, curving into an arch resembling a bridge. A sign hung on the wires bearing the characters "Ancheng Residential Complex."

The complex contained a total of 27 residential buildings. The exterior tiles of the buildings had yellowed, and cement poles supported a tangled mess of electrical wires. A few households had even privately strung two additional lines downstairs to steal electricity.

Various items were piled up between the buildings. A middle-aged man riding a tricycle, holding a rattle-drum, was collecting scrap nearby. He parked his tricycle next to a pile of clutter and bent down to pick up scattered cardboard boxes on the ground.

Not far away, there was a road that seemed to have been dug up, leaving a large pit. Murky water had accumulated in the pit, forming a ditch. Lin Zhixia stepped over the ditch in one stride and quickly ran toward a small supermarket, shouting, "Mom! Dad! I'm back!"

Mom was sitting on a chair beside the cash register, holding an account book. She calculated twice with a ballpoint pen and scolded, "Old Lin! Old Lin! Come here right now!"

Dad immediately came over.

Lin Zhixia's father was only thirty-three years old this year. He was still young, but his wife loved to call him "Old Lin," and he couldn't do anything about it. He and his wife were the same age. Back when they had just turned twenty, they held a banquet in their hometown, borrowed some money, and went to the provincial capital to work, running a small business.

They had two children together. The eldest was Lin Zeqiu, a boy who had just started middle school this year. When Lin Zeqiu was born, he had a minor heart condition and underwent two heart surgeries, but he was fine now. Using Lin Zeqiu's "heart problem" as a reason, he and his wife successfully obtained permission for a second child, and thus Lin Zhixia was born.

As for Lin Zhixia...

How should I put it?

She was very special.

For example, right now, she was clinging to the side of the cash register, acting spoiled: "Mom, Mom, give me the account book... I'll help you check it."

The so-called "cash register" was actually a glass counter. The counter was filled with cigarettes and alcohol priced above 10 yuan. On the countertop, there was a tub of Big Bubble tape and hundreds of lollipops stuck into a hemispherical soft plastic base.

Lin Zhixia reached out to grab a lollipop. She continued to whine to her mother: "Mom, Mom, I'll help you check the account book. Can you give me a lollipop? I want a Strawberry-flavored lollipop."

Mom replied sternly, "No!"

Lin Zhixia fell silent, tears welling up in her eyes. Her skin was very fair, as white as snow, and her pupils were very dark. Her long eyelashes were wet with tears, making her look as adorable as could be, as pitiful as could be—her mother simply couldn't resist and soon softened.

Mom spoke gently to her daughter: "Xia Xia, how many times have I told you, you can't keep eating candy. Every time I restock, I only get so much. If you eat it all, what will we sell?"

Dad tried to mediate from the side: "One piece of candy, what's the harm?"

"Who asked you?" Mom couldn't bring herself to get angry at her daughter, so she redirected all her frustration onto her husband. "Where did you record yesterday's accounts? I can't balance the books; there's a shortage of seventy yuan worth of cigarettes and alcohol..."

While Mom and Dad were talking, a few people suddenly arrived outside.

Mom immediately fell silent. She opened the glass counter and rearranged a row of cigarettes more neatly.This group of people were all middle-aged men in their thirties and forties. The leader among them was Lin Zhixia's uncle. Her uncle had been the first college student from their rural hometown. After completing his undergraduate degree back then, he went on to pursue a master's degree and obtained his "lawyer qualification certificate." Since then, he had stayed in a prominent law firm in the provincial capital, becoming a distinguished and respectable litigation lawyer.

Uncle lived in a large flat in the city center and had a son, who was Lin Zhixia's cousin. The cousin was a year older than Lin Zhixia, had just started fifth grade, and attended the same school as her.

When Lin Zhixia saw her uncle, she greeted him politely, "Hello, Uncle."

Uncle was dressed in a suit and tie, with an expensive watch on his wrist. He introduced the people behind him, saying, "This is my sister and her husband, and this is my little niece." Then, turning to Lin Zhixia's mom, he added, "We have four relatives visiting from our hometown. My work this month is particularly busy, and next month I have a business trip to Shanghai. You know my situation—your sister-in-law keeps a tight rein on me, and my house has limited spare rooms. There's simply no space to accommodate four people..."

Lin Zhixia chimed in, "Uncle, our house can't accommodate them either. We only have three bedrooms: one for Mom and Dad, one for me, and one for Brother. The place is filled with cardboard boxes, and there's no room to even stand in the living room. Your house, on the other hand, is spacious and bright."

Uncle was taken aback and patted Lin Zhixia's head. "Xia Xia, have you been studying hard lately?"

"No," Lin Zhixia replied. "I only like watching TV and playing games."

She dodged her uncle's hand and hid behind her dad. Clutching the hem of her dad's clothes, she peeked outside and noticed that Jiang Yubai and Ding Yan were still standing on the steps outside the supermarket.

She waved at Jiang Yubai.

Jiang Yubai seemed to have encountered some terrifying monster. He retreated four steps in a row, moving even farther away. Before Lin Zhixia could say anything, he turned and ran, picking up speed until his silhouette gradually merged into the glow of the setting sun.

Inside the supermarket, a few more customers entered. They were all residents of the neighborhood and acquaintances of Lin Zhixia's parents.

Mom left Uncle and the four relatives standing where they were. Only after greeting the customers did she speak up: "Big brother, I leave at four in the morning every day to restock, and I still have to take care of the kids and manage the business. Even if you bring people here, I can't possibly look after them all, right?"

Uncle took a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes from the glass counter without paying. He tore open the pack, lit a cigarette, exhaled a thin stream of white smoke, and slipped his left hand into his pocket.

One of the relatives asked, "Where are we supposed to stay? Give us a clear answer. We're all from the same hometown, trying to make a living in the city. If you can help, then help. If not, just forget it!"

The others chimed in agreement.

Uncle waved his right hand dismissively. "Let's go. It's fine, I'll make arrangements."

The relatives praised him for his sense of righteousness, remarking that it was no wonder he had managed to stay in the big city as a lawyer.

Lin Zhixia watched as her uncle walked away.

Leaning against the doorframe, she sighed inwardly.

The twilight glow dimmed as the city lights began to flicker on.

Around 5:30 p.m., her brother returned home.

Her brother was already a first-year middle school student, dressed in his school uniform. He stood over 1.8 meters tall, quite a bit taller than Lin Zhixia. She liked his name—Lin Zeqiu, Lin Zeqiu—as if it bestowed grace upon all things in autumn, carrying a certain poetic charm.

As for Lin Zeqiu himself...Lin Zhixia didn't have a good relationship with him.

Lin Zeqiu rode his bicycle to the front door of his home. He carried the bicycle into the supermarket and locked it in the warehouse at the back. Mom was still minding the store, while Dad had finished cooking and called for his son and daughter.

The food was laid out on a round table with only three chairs around it. There were four people in the family, but someone always had to stay outside to watch the store.

The living room was cramped, containing only a sofa, a round table, and a television set perched on a wooden cabinet. The television was a 28-inch color set, as wide from the front as it was from the side, with its signal antenna stretched out long.

Lin Zhixia held the remote control, switched to CCTV-1, and waited contentedly for the start of the "Big Windmill" program.

Soon, music came from the television. Lin Zhixia stood up and sang the theme song of "Big Windmill" a cappella: "Big windmill, creaking and turning, the scenery here is so beautiful, the sky is beautiful, the earth is beautiful... and there's a group of happy little friends!"

Lin Zeqiu took a deep breath: "So noisy! Lin Zhixia! Can't you eat quietly? If not, get out!"

Dad rapped Lin Zeqiu on the head with his chopsticks: "How dare you speak to your sister like that? Is that any way for an older brother to act, so fierce and menacing? Is she your sister or your enemy?"

Lin Zeqiu viciously picked up some food and shoved it into Lin Zhixia's bowl: "Sorry!" He bit out the apology to his sister word by word through gritted teeth.

Lin Zhixia beamed: "It's okay! Don't be angry, Brother!" Then she added: "Given your moral character, being able to say 'sorry' to me is the upper limit of your interpersonal skills!"

Dad slammed his chopsticks on the table: "Lin Zhixia!"

He scolded: "Lin Zhixia! How can you say such harsh words to your brother? Are you really Mom and Dad's daughter? What kind of girl can't bear to suffer the slightest loss like you?"

"Why should I suffer losses!" Lin Zhixia retorted, "I'm not a fool! Lin Zeqiu is the fool!"

Lin Zeqiu threw down his bowl: "I'm not eating anymore!"

"Lin Zeqiu! Who are you trying to scare?" Dad's anger flared up, "If I starve you for three days, you'd even eat a toad! If you throw a tantrum with me now, when your mom comes, no one can save you!"

Mentioning "Mom" made Lin Zeqiu a bit afraid. He forced himself to calm down and picked up some spinach from the plate, covering the rice in his bowl with it.

Lin Zeqiu lowered his head to eat. With his high nose bridge and deep-set eyes, even at just twelve years old, it was clear he would grow up to be a handsome man.

As for Lin Zhixia, she also had extremely delicate features, a true beauty in the making. In another ten years, she would undoubtedly be a very pretty young woman.

Heaven had blessed the Lin family with such precious children. Both had inherited the family's excellent genes, and their academic performances were outstanding—especially Lin Zhixia, who could no longer be described with a simple "good"...

Lin Zhixia's Dad suddenly wondered if he was asking too much from life. Was he being too ungrateful? Was he too strict with the children? His anger gradually subsided. Shining with paternal kindness, he gently advised: "Lin Zhixia, Lin Zeqiu, you are siblings. Siblings should help each other, not constantly blame one another. Listen to Dad, okay?"

Lin Zhixia, nibbling on a chicken drumstick, repeatedly agreed.Lin Zeqiu also said, "Alright then."

Dad was quite satisfied. He picked up his rice bowl again and asked with concern, "Xia Xia, did you learn anything new at school today?"

"Yes," Lin Zhixia replied after finishing her chewing, watching cartoons while narrating, "Today at school, I was thinking about the Quantum Monte Carlo Method. Traditional Monte Carlo algorithms consume significant computational power when calculating probability distributions for Bosons and Fermions, while Quantum Monte Carlo cannot perform integration. Do you know about Bose-Einstein Condensate? What I mean is, when particles are divided into Bosons and Fermions, bosonic atoms exhibit gaseous and superfluid states in environments approaching absolute zero temperature[1]..."

"Please, just stop," Lin Zeqiu interrupted.

Lin Zhixia lowered her head slightly.

Under the bright incandescent light, Lin Zeqiu gripped his chopsticks tightly and looked at his sister: "You keep talking about these things all day long. You won't have any friends at school."

"I don't talk to others about it," Lin Zhixia defended herself. "At school, I only talk to my deskmate."

"You have a deskmate?" Dad and Brother asked in unison.

Brother looked utterly incredulous, while Dad appeared overjoyed.

When Lin Zhixia first started elementary school, she often said "strange things" to her deskmate at the time, making both boys and girls cry. When the homeroom teacher asked Lin Zhixia's successive deskmates what exactly she had said to them, not a single child could articulate it clearly.

In fact, they all exhibited the same symptoms—dazed eyes, distracted minds, stammering speech, with words like "galactic collapse," "id, ego, and superego," "de Broglie hypothesis"... and other messy things popping out of their mouths.

Teacher Wu told Lin Zhixia, "Lin Zhixia, have you read many books? Reading is good, but you can't affect others, right? You're a good child, so I won't scold you. I hope you can keep improving and have a positive influence on your classmates, okay?"

Thus, starting from second grade, Lin Zhixia no longer had a deskmate.

She learned to act like a normal person in class.

But now, Jiang Yubai had become her new deskmate.

Lin Zhixia happily told Dad and Brother, "My new deskmate is named Jiang Yubai, and he's really nice! Jiang Yubai is my good friend. He likes listening to me talk about physics and asks me to explain it to him several times every day."

Lin Zeqiu questioned, "Does he understand what you're saying?"

Lin Zhixia stated with certainty, "He doesn't understand a single word of it."

"Yet he still asks you to talk about physics with him," Lin Zeqiu marveled. "At such a young age, he's really tough on himself."