Lin Zhixia dragged a chair over and placed it beside Lin Zeqiu. She pulled out a blank sheet of paper with her left hand and picked up a ballpoint pen with her right. Swiftly writing down the problem-solving process, she explained while writing, "Brother, first draw an auxiliary line to get two similar triangles, then draw a perpendicular line. According to the perpendicular chord theorem of circles, you can derive an equation...Lin Zeqiu's blocked thoughts suddenly opened up. He grabbed Lin Zhixia's hand, stopping her from continuing, and said, "I've figured it out."
Lin Zhixia then asked, "What about the second-to-last problem, Brother? Can you solve it now?"
No.
Lin Zeqiu had only understood the third-to-last problem. As for the second-to-last one, it still remained beyond his capabilities.
Yet his younger sister was asking him in a tone full of admiration whether he could now solve the final problem?
Lin Zeqiu felt extremely disheartened, his mind somewhat dazed. He tilted his head slightly and gazed at Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia was staring at him with burning intensity. It was clear she cared deeply about her brother's academic progress. She had also placed her Little Penguin plush toy on her lap. When she wasn't writing, she would hold the Little Penguin with both hands, making the stuffed toy take off and land.
So childish.
Her recreational activities were truly so childish.
Even though Lin Zhixia was a dedicated math tutor, Lin Zeqiu still struggled to accept the fact that "I need her tutoring." He was almost fifteen years old—why should he be taught how to solve the final exam problems by a little girl who couldn't part with her Little Penguin plush toy?
He took a deep breath and lied, "I know how to solve the last problem. You should go back to your room for your nap."
"Really?" Lin Zhixia countered, "Brother, write out the solution process. Once you finish writing, I'll go back to sleep."
Her brother suddenly challenged her, "Can't you throw away your Little Penguin?"
Lin Zhixia's long, dark eyelashes fluttered slightly, "Why?"
Her brother said, "Because..." He struggled for a long time before squeezing out, "I hate penguins."
Lin Zhixia hugged the Little Penguin tightly. Her heart was filled with confusion, "Why do you hate penguins? Have you been to Antarctica? Only if you've been to Antarctica and been bitten by a penguin would I believe you."
Her brother irritably ran his hand through his hair. The heavy household chores had trained his physique, giving his arms well-defined lines. He should have been an active, healthy teenager, yet he claimed, "I've had many nightmares, understand?"
Lin Zhixia hid the Little Penguin behind her back, "Brother, have you had many nightmares about penguins? Could you have been a fish in the Antarctic Ocean in your past life..."
Her brother remained silent.
Lin Zhixia hurried back to her room and hid her Little Penguin under the blankets. She said to the plush toy, "I'm sorry, from now on we can only meet secretly. I'll try my best not to let Brother see you."
Just as she was speaking to the Little Penguin, Lin Zeqiu happened to be standing at the doorway.
Hearing his sister's words, Lin Zeqiu felt like banging his head against the wall right then and there. He simply couldn't accept having his younger sister tutor him—he wasn't some coward afraid of a stuffed toy!
If this kind of thing got out at school, how could Lin Zeqiu ever save face?In their Class 4 of ninth grade, his brilliance had already been overshadowed by Lin Zhixia. People often came to interview him, asking about Lin Zhixia's study methods. He would always respond rudely: "Don't bother me, I don't know."
His classmates would suddenly realize: "That's true. If you knew, you would have gotten into the Olympiad class long ago."
Scenes like this played out almost every week.
Lin Zeqiu cleared his mind and steadied himself. He stepped forward and knocked on Lin Zhixia's door. When she turned and saw him, she immediately grabbed her blanket and covered Little Penguin completely, even pulling out her pillow to flip it over on top of the blanket.
Lin Zeqiu tasted the bitterness of being misunderstood. He truly couldn't solve the last problem, nor could he ask Lin Zhixia for help again. He wanted to walk around the house to clear his mind, adjust his mood, and then return to continue working on the problems.
He urged Lin Zhixia: "What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and take your nap."
Lin Zhixia burrowed under the blanket: "Brother, if you're tired, you should rest too. This morning, Mom helped us sun the blankets, and they're all warm and cozy now. Lying in bed to sleep at a time like this is really comfortable. Brother, why don't you go back to your room and try it?"
Actually, it wasn't Mom who had sunned the blankets—it was Lin Zeqiu.
At seven this morning, while Lin Zhixia was still brushing her teeth and washing her face in the bathroom, the sunlight outside was pure and brilliant. Lin Zeqiu had set up the metal rack on the balcony, wrung out a clean wet towel, and carefully wiped down the crossbars of the rack.
The balcony was narrow, and the metal rack wasn't long enough to sun more than two blankets at a time. After thinking for a moment, Lin Zeqiu first brought Lin Zhixia's blanket, then the one from their parents' bedroom. He had given them priority for sunning the blankets.
Besides sunning the blankets, there were many other things, but he couldn't remember them all. He didn't have Lin Zhixia's memory.
Lin Zhixia was good at being clingy, pretending to be well-behaved, had a sweet mouth, couldn't stand being wronged, and was pretty and adorable like a little angel descended to earth. It was inevitable that Mom favored her more.
Lin Zeqiu felt he could understand.
He glanced at the wall clock and said to Lin Zhixia: "Hey, you can still sleep for forty minutes. When it's time, I'll wake you up."
"Mhm, thank you, Brother!" Lin Zhixia replied.
Lin Zeqiu casually closed his sister's door tightly. He went to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, skimmed his fingers past the strawberry yogurt, and pulled out a carton of yellow peach yogurt. As he lifted the lid, Mom happened to be changing her shoes at the entryway. He asked: "Mom, are you going out?"
Mom told him cheerfully: "I'm going to the market to buy live shrimp. I'll get a few extra pounds, prepare the filling, and make shrimp dumplings. Qiuqiu, what do you want to eat tonight? I'll buy it while I'm out."
Lin Zeqiu paused for a moment before saying: "I want to eat apples."
"Besides apples?" Mom held the doorknob. "Stir-fried beef with green peppers then—you always like that dish."
Lin Zeqiu said offhandedly: "Forget it. That two thousand yuan was the scholarship Lin Zhixia earned. Buy more of what she likes to eat."
Mom halted her steps: "You're Xia Xia's brother—she'd definitely be willing to share with you. Xia Xia is Mom's good child, and Qiuqiu is Mom's good child too."When Mom said this, Lin Zeqiu was tilting his head back to gulp down some yogurt. He coughed once and was about to say something, but Mom had already stepped out. He chased after her to the doorway and saw her pushing out a bicycle—the seat of Mom’s bicycle had long been broken. Meanwhile, Lin Zeqiu’s bicycle remained in perfect condition. Even so, Mom had never borrowed his.
Lin Zeqiu called out unconsciously, “Mom.”
Mom instructed him, “Tonight, we’ll have shrimp dumplings, stir-fried beef with green peppers, apple soup, chilled tofu salad, and a plate of stir-fried greens. You like cola, so I just chilled a can for you… After school this afternoon, bring your sister home. Our family will have a nice dinner together.”
Lin Zeqiu straightened up. His back was as straight as a plumb line. Gripping the door handle, he mumbled in a muffled voice, “Okay.”
Lin Zhixia also liked saying “okay.” She could make those two short words sound sweet, full of energy, and endearing. But when Lin Zeqiu expressed the same sentiment, it sounded as if he had a rotten peach in his mouth. Mom waved at him and rode away from the apartment building.
Suddenly, Lin Zeqiu felt a bit of his strength return. The math problem that had been troubling him earlier didn’t seem so terrifying anymore. He closed the door, walked back to his bedroom, and threw himself into his studies with renewed vigor.
Unfortunately, his mental fortitude was fleeting.
Ten minutes later, he still couldn’t solve the final problem.
As time ticked by, he sat on his chair as if on pins and needles.
The cup of peach yogurt was coated with a fine layer of condensation, like beads of sweat seeping from his heart. He held the yogurt cup, his fingers damp and slightly chilled by the moisture. Lifting his chin, he gazed out the window when Lin Zhixia’s voice came from behind him: “Brother…”
Startled, he asked, “Why are you awake?”
Lin Zhixia rubbed her eyes. “I dreamed you were eaten by a Little Penguin. I cried so sadly in my dream…”
Lin Zeqiu felt awkward.
But he couldn’t expose what he had told his sister. He evasively replied, “It was just a dream. What are you afraid of?”
Lin Zhixia retorted confidently, “Can’t I be a little scared?”
There was another chair beside Lin Zeqiu. He slapped the empty seat firmly, and Lin Zhixia hurried over with light, quick steps to sit beside him. He raised his hand and stroked the top of her head as if petting a kitten.
“You’re too timid,” Lin Zeqiu chided while smoothing her hair.
But Lin Zhixia said, “But I’m not afraid of penguins or bugs.”
Lin Zeqiu had been bitten by a centipede as a child, and ever since, he had a fatal flaw. The sight of bugs would make him instantly fall apart, stripping away all his masculinity and rendering him incapable of maintaining his usual aloof, calm, and superior demeanor.
He warned Lin Zhixia, “Don’t mention bugs in front of me. If you bring it up again, I’ll tell you a ghost story right away.”
Lin Zhixia was terrified of ghost stories. She couldn’t forget them or the eerie atmosphere they created. At her brother’s casual remark, her face turned pale. Indignantly, she said, “You’re so mean.”
Her brother gently stroked her head again. “Ungrateful little thing.” He added, “Since you were three, Mom and Dad have had me help take care of you. I was only six that year.”
Lin Zhixia fell silent.The glass window faintly reflected the indoor scene. The siblings coexisted harmoniously, with warm familial affection overflowing—what a heartwarming picture it was.
Until Lin Zhixia spoke up: "Brother, haven't you solved the finale problem yet?"
Lin Zeqiu withdrew his hand, stood up, and organized his pencil case: "It's almost time. Go get ready, we're heading to school."
Lin Zhixia ignored her brother. She picked up her pen and wrote the answer on paper, detailing the solution steps exhaustively. She even took out a blank sheet to carefully summarize "solution methods for similar problem types." After writing the final character, she yawned and quietly returned to her room.
Lin Zeqiu held the pages she left behind, standing motionless in place for a long time.
That evening, Lin Zeqiu benefited from Lin Zhixia's achievements again. Their family dinner was as lavish as a New Year's Eve feast.
Business was busiest around six or seven in the evening, so Dad didn't dare to close the shop. Instead, he packed some dishes in a lunchbox. Lin Zhixia picked up her chopsticks, took Dad's lunchbox, and transferred a large portion of shrimp dumplings and green pepper stir-fried beef into it.
Dad was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion: "Xia Xia is so wonderful, just look—my Xia Xia, what a splendid girl."
Holding the lunchbox contentedly, he headed toward their family shop.
Mom stayed at the dining table to keep their son and daughter company during the meal. Lin Zhixia expressed her joy by clapping: "Shrimp dumplings! Three plates of dumplings!"
Mom said with a laugh, "Eat as much as you like if you enjoy them."
Lin Zhixia held a porcelain bowl, poured some vinegar, and reverently picked up a shrimp dumpling to place in her bowl. She savored it slowly, chewing the resilient wrapper, tender shrimp, sweet corn, and tangy aged vinegar. Her heart filled with cheerful emotions, and even the air she breathed felt light and sweet.
"Xia Xia is so happy," Lin Zhixia exclaimed as she ate heartily.
After eating seven dumplings in a row, she asked, "Are Brother and Mom happy too?"
Mom humored her: "If Xia Xia is happy, then Mom is happy."
Having received a satisfactory answer from Mom, Lin Zhixia turned her head to look at her brother.
Brother didn't dip his food in vinegar, simply placing the green pepper beef and shrimp dumplings in his bowl before devouring them like a whirlwind. To his left was a bowl of apple pudding, and to his right, a glass of ice-cold cola. He could hardly keep up with eating. Hearing Lin Zhixia's question, he actually replied, "Thanks to you, the family earned an extra two thousand yuan in side income."
In truth, when Lin Zhixia won first prize in the junior high school league, the school had awarded her a five-hundred-yuan scholarship. However, she hadn't turned that five hundred over to her parents. She secretly hid it—this way, she wouldn't have to ask Mom and Dad for money when buying books, stationery, or participating in spring and autumn outings. She always felt somewhat embarrassed when asking her parents for money.
Brother mentioning "two thousand yuan" reminded Lin Zhixia of her five hundred. Her face flushed red, and she bit into a dumpling, evading the topic: "Two thousand yuan isn't that much money... I'll earn more money in the future."
As if competing with her, Brother immediately followed up: "I can earn a lot of money too."
"When you earn money, you have to treat me to a meal," Lin Zhixia proposed one of her dreams. "I want to eat Atlantic lobster with Mom, Dad, and Brother."
She gestured a length: "An Atlantic lobster this big."
Brother tightened his grip on the cola bottle: "That day will come."
Lin Zhixia nodded: "Mhmm, it will."*
Lin Zhixia loved seafood.
She had once earnestly read a book titled Encyclopedia of Marine Life in the library to determine which seafood was edible and which was not. Later, when she became Jiang Yubai's deskmate, she learned even more about seafood from him.
Jiang Yubai had a remarkably broad perspective. Not only had he read extensively, but he had also personally traveled to many places around the world. His firsthand experiences and descriptions were far richer than the perspectives found in The World Travel Encyclopedia .
Lin Zhixia enjoyed listening to him recount what he had seen and heard during his travels.
She had heard him talk about St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England. In the basement level of St. Paul's Cathedral lay the coffin of the Duke of Wellington, surrounded by faded flags, with the stone floor engraved with the names of many deceased individuals.
From St. Paul's Cathedral, it was just a ten-minute drive to the famous landmark, the "London Eye."
However, Jiang Yubai said the "London Eye" was utterly uninteresting—a rather boring attraction. He had stood on a bridge near the "London Eye," watching from afar as a group of tourists took a sightseeing boat along the River Thames...
"What's the River Thames like?" Lin Zhixia asked him.
He hesitated for two seconds before answering honestly, "The river water is somewhat yellowish, relatively turbid, and not particularly clean."
Jiang Yubai was very particular about hygiene, so his focus differed from Lin Zhixia's. Cupping her face in her hands, Lin Zhixia concluded, "So that's what the River Thames in London is like. As expected, industrial pollution is severe—I've read about it in books."
Jiang Yubai added, "The upper reaches of the Thames are somewhat better. North of London, there's Hampton Court Palace by the upper riverbank, where the scenery is passable. Many famous buildings are constructed along the riverbanks. The Cherwell is a tributary, and Oxford University lies beside it..."
Suddenly, Lin Zhixia asked him again, "What about Paris, France? What is Paris like?"
Jiang Yubai picked up his water glass and patiently recounted his travel experiences. Lin Zhixia felt as if she were setting off with him, admiring the foreign landscapes. What made Jiang Yubai particularly interesting was that he shared unembellished, personal insights.
He said that in July, atop the Alps, the swirling snow had turned his hat white. In August, in Aswan, Egypt, the sunlight around the Abu Simbel temples had been so intense he could hardly keep his eyes open. He admired the ancient Egyptians for constructing such world wonders under such harsh conditions.
After listening to his travel stories, Lin Zhixia immediately resolved, "I'll share my experiences with you too."
Jiang Yubai asked her, "What experiences?"
If it were anyone else inquiring about his travels, Jiang Yubai would have refused to answer. But Lin Zhixia was different. Jiang Yubai knew that she spent every winter and summer vacation at home, hardly ever going out for fun. Out of a compensatory mindset, he told her everything he knew without holding back.
In return, Lin Zhixia said, "Next January, I'm going to participate in the 2007 National Mathematical Olympiad. Our provincial team's students and teachers will all stay in a hotel. At that time, can I call you? I'd like to share my experiences of the national competition with you."
"Sure," Jiang Yubai agreed without hesitation.
He wrote down his mobile number, his bedroom landline number, and even the mobile numbers of his driver and butler, perfectly ensuring smooth communication between him and Lin Zhixia.Lin Zhixia glanced at the note and said, "I've memorized it."
Jiang Yubai couldn't accompany Lin Zhixia to the 2007 National Mathematical Olympiad competition, which left her with some regret. But just as Jiang Yubai had said, Lin Zhixia needed to bravely move forward and explore new Universes.
On January 25, 2007, Lin Zhixia arrived in the city hosting the National Mathematical Olympiad competition with her provincial team. This was the first time in her life she had traveled far from home alone, without Dad, Mom, or Brother by her side.
At night, Lin Zhixia hugged her plush Little Penguin and lay quietly on the hotel bed.
The hotel room was plunged into boundless darkness. The thick curtains blocked all light sources, and tonight's moon was nowhere to be seen. Lin Zhixia opened her eyes wide, staring at the pitch-black ceiling, clearly hearing her own heartbeat—thump-thump, as if echoing right beside her ears.
She tightly hugged the Little Penguin, fearfully shrinking under the covers.
Since childhood, she had been particularly terrified of unfamiliar dark environments.
Tossing and turning, Lin Zhixia couldn't fall asleep. She deeply regretted not insisting that Mom accompany her to the competition. She had been worried that after Mom left, Dad wouldn't be able to manage everything at home alone, which was why she had confidently declared: All the students in the provincial team are minors, so Lin Zhixia wouldn't encounter any problems! Lin Zhixia is strong and brave!
Lin Zhixia felt deeply ashamed.
She wasn't strong or brave at all.
In the silent hotel room, her nerves were tense, but the fear didn't dissipate, still deeply rooted within her. She recalled the ghost stories she had heard from adults in the countryside as a child. It was said that if a ghost appeared behind someone in the dead of night, you must never turn your head abruptly—you had to slowly turn your body, or the person would be scared to death by the ghost.
Remembering the atmosphere back then, the cold of the winter night, and Grandma's solemn expression, Lin Zhixia nearly frightened herself.
She also remembered a dream she had one noon where the Little Penguin ate Brother. Because of this, even the Little Penguin in her arms could no longer provide her with any sense of security. She missed Jiang Yubai terribly. Jiang Yubai always pretended to be calm and composed—he would run to the playground during breaks and hang from the Horizontal bar, he would quietly unscrew his thermos and drink water when classmates talked about him, and he would gently push her back when she didn't dare take a step forward.
Lin Zhixia really wanted to call him.
The current time was 9:05 PM.
Jiang Yubai was already asleep. He went to bed every night at 8:30. He needed to grow taller, so she couldn't disturb him.
Lin Zhixia muddled through the night. At 2 AM, half-asleep, she accidentally caught sight of the red light on the TV power indicator and was startled again. She completely burrowed under the covers, hiding her toes and hands, leaving only the lower half of her face exposed to breathe.
The next morning, when Lin Zhixia woke up, her mind was completely foggy.
After washing up and getting ready, Lin Zhixia followed her teachers and classmates to the designated location to attend the opening ceremony of the 22nd National Middle School Mathematical Olympiad competition. She saw math competition experts from all over the country, and even overseas students from regions like Russia and Singapore.
The competition was so intense!Lin Zhixia felt that she must get a good night's sleep tonight in order to perform at her expected level in tomorrow morning's competition exam.
Around five or six in the afternoon, Lin Zhixia first called her Mom. After being comforted by her mother for half an hour, she immediately felt relieved and promptly called Jiang Yubai.
Ever since Lin Zhixia left with the provincial team to compete, Jiang Yubai's desk mate seat had remained empty. For the past two days, Jiang Yubai carried his phone with him everywhere, even placing it on his bedside table at night. He intentionally or unintentionally reminded the butler and driver to watch for unfamiliar calls, yet he still hadn't received any news from Lin Zhixia. Just as he was puzzling over it, Lin Zhixia's call finally came through.
His phone kept vibrating while he was having dinner.
He set down his chopsticks and immediately answered the call. Lin Zhixia's voice rang in his ear: "Jiang Yubai, Jiang Yubai, the exam starts tomorrow. This morning, I met students from various provinces at the opening ceremony... Last night, I didn't sleep well. The room was too dark, and I was a bit scared. I wish you could compete with me."
"Even if I competed with you, we wouldn't be sharing a room," Jiang Yubai reasoned logically.
Jiang Yubai's Dad, Mom, and uncle were all at the dining table. Upon hearing his nephew's words, the uncle choked on his wine and spat it out.
Jiang Yubai didn't quite understand. He hadn't said anything wrong, so why did his uncle react so strongly? He continued comforting Lin Zhixia: "Don't be afraid, Captain Lin Zhixia. The Universe is black—are you afraid of the Universe?"
"No," Lin Zhixia answered honestly.
Jiang Yubai nodded: "Captain Lin Zhixia, set forth toward the Universe."
Lin Zhixia's fighting spirit blazed fiercely: "Okay!"
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