Tan Qianche stretched out an arm, hooking it over Yang Shuwen's shoulder, smoothing things over: "What Lin Zhixia talked about are all basic concepts, very simple. What's there to be afraid of?"
Yang Shuwen looked awkward: "Hey, why don't you take her around instead."
Tan Qianche called Lin Zhixia's name, and she followed behind him like a little tail. He introduced all the large equipment in the laboratory, described the manufacturing process of the Quantum Chip, and answered all of Lin Zhixia's questions in detail. Finally, he asked with great interest: "What do you think of me now?"
Lin Zhixia pointed at herself: "Are you asking me?"
Tan Qianche replied with a smile in his voice: "Yes."
Lin Zhixia thought for two seconds, then actually said: "From an academic perspective, you're smart, a good learner, with solid foundations and rich experience."
Tan Qianche sat on a chair, questioning: "That's it?"
"And," Lin Zhixia said softly, "from an emotional perspective, you're not upright enough."
Hearing this, Tan Qianche chuckled: "What would make me upright enough?"
Tan Qianche put on a careless, cynical demeanor. His shirt collar still bore a faint, blurry lipstick mark—was this the world of adults? Lin Zhixia was suddenly at a loss for words.
Luo Ying stepped in to defend her: "Senior Tan, you're ten years older than Lin Zhixia. Shouldn't you be more careful when talking to her?"
Tan Qianche leaned back in his chair, sitting slanted. He interlaced his fingers, relaxed in posture, and examined Luo Ying with a scrutinizing gaze. After a moment, he stood up and said: "Lin Zhixia, come here. I've prepared something interesting for you."
He walked towards an operation room, turned on the machine, prepared the components, went over the experimental guidelines again, and personally guided Lin Zhixia through the basics.
Lin Zhixia memorized every word he said and eagerly began a series of operations.
Tan Qianche called Yang Shuwen over again, having him and Lin Zhixia supervise each other. Yang Shuwen was extremely reluctant, while Lin Zhixia was quite happy instead. She said: "If I make a mistake, don't hesitate to correct me directly."
Yang Shuwen covered his forehead with one hand, fingers resting on his hairline. He smoothed his hair back, easing his tension, before saying: "Alright, I'll correct you."
The nearby conversations gradually died down. Luo Ying stood at the door of the operation room, faintly able to hear the low hum of the machines. She greeted Lin Zhixia, preparing to leave first, but Tan Qianche stopped her.
In a secluded corner, two large machines blocked the figures of Luo Ying and Tan Qianche. Tan Qianche slowly moved closer to Luo Ying and asked her: "Lin Zhixia is fourteen, how old are you? Are you an adult?"
Luo Ying said: "I'm nineteen."
Tan Qianche leaned against the wall and laughed inexplicably: "Nineteen-year-old junior Luo Ying. How did you get your name? It reminds me of that middle school text 'The Peach Blossom Spring'... 'Falling petals are plentiful, fragrant grass is fresh and beautiful'—it's very beautiful indeed."
The bright lighting illuminated his profile. He had outstanding looks, a tall and straight nose bridge, paired with silver-rimmed glasses, creating an illusion of refined restraint.
He maintained a regular fitness routine year-round, keeping his figure in excellent condition. Wearing a fitted shirt, his broad shoulders and narrow waist made him appear particularly slim, with well-defined muscle contours on his abdomen and back. All the male students in the laboratory paled in comparison to him.However, Luo Ying's attitude toward him was lukewarm: "Sorry, I think I'll head out first."
He made a "please" gesture: "Let me walk you out."
He showed not the slightest intention of persuading Luo Ying to stay.
Luo Ying thought to herself that he was truly a seasoned player in the game of love.
Tan Qianche casually remarked, "I estimate Lin Zhixia won't return until this afternoon. Her experiment is time-consuming—just waiting for the results takes half an hour. Our group is having lunch together at noon..."
Luo Ying paused and glanced at Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia was discussing some issue with the doctoral students, gesturing at the computer screen. Yang Shuwen couldn't help but applaud her, and then she buried herself in sketching diagrams, completely immersed in the wondrous world of quantum mechanics.
Luo Ying changed her mind and said, "Can you give me an empty desk? I'll study here, is that alright?"
Tan Qianche immediately cleared a space for her.
She slowly took a seat and pulled a math book from her bag.
Tan Qianche set up a desk lamp beside her, adjusted the brightness, and gently advised, "I'll be busy now, but call me if you need anything."
Luo Ying remained silent. She absentmindedly flipped through the math book, letting time slip away minute by minute.
Lin Zhixia, however, didn't notice Senior Luo Ying.
Lin Zhixia spent the entire morning finally grasping some preliminary techniques. She summarized her morning's progress and reviewed one quantum circuit diagram after another. Without needing anyone's explanation, she could understand the structure and function of the circuits.
Yang Shuwen rubbed his face, reminded once again of Niu Siyuan's email.
In the email, Niu Siyuan had said: There might be one or two slackers in the experimental group. Those students who are slacking off, when they encounter Lin Zhixia, are like chicks meeting an eagle—their academic level will be completely exposed, worsening their already meager academic careers.
Recently, Yang Shuwen had been under immense psychological pressure. When he glanced at the wall and happened to see Lin Zhixia's shadow, it appeared dark and towering, like an eagle soaring with wings spread wide.
Yang Shuwen gasped sharply.
Fortunately, at that moment, Tan Qianche called out loudly: "It's half past twelve! Time to eat!"
Yang Shuwen immediately took off his gloves: "Let's eat, let's eat."
The doctoral students around him scattered quickly, like a group of negatively charged electrons. Tan Qianche was like a positively charged atomic nucleus, attracting a swarm of electrons—Lin Zhixia was the only one left behind.
Quantum Computing was a field Lin Zhixia had always yearned for. Gu Likai's Laboratory possessed world-class equipment, and Lin Zhixia was eager to achieve results, showing signs of forgetting to eat and sleep in her dedication.
Tan Qianche called to her again: "Lin Zhixia, take it slow. You can't skip meals."
Lin Zhixia approached him with a blueprint. He patiently listened to her question and smiled, saying, "Not bad, you've thought this through. Your senior Yang Shuwen has been with us for over two months and hasn't made such progress."
Lin Zhixia turned around and discreetly glanced at Yang Shuwen.
Yang Shuwen turned away and took two steps backward.
Lin Zhixia asked with confusion, "What's wrong with Senior Yang?"
Tan Qianche replied, "Don't worry about him."Their laboratory was located on the fourth floor. At the end of the fourth-floor corridor stood a dining area equipped with sinks, microwaves, and over a dozen tables with sofa chairs. Being close to the laboratory with an excellent, clean environment, Tan Qianche often gathered here with his classmates for meals.
Half an hour earlier, several group members had left for the cafeteria. Now they returned carrying large and small takeout boxes. The atmosphere instantly grew lively and noisy as Tan Qianche helped unpack the food containers and called out, "Take a seat! It's rare for all of us to have time to get together like this."
Lin Zhixia blinked and glanced around. "Are we splitting the bill? I brought some change today..."
"No way we'd let you pay," Tan Qianche handed her a pair of bamboo chopsticks. "It's your first day at the laboratory - we senior students should treat you."
Another senior chimed in, "For two or three years, no female students have joined our group. Forget treating you just today - even if we treated you every day..."
Under everyone's gaze, he silently calculated the meal cost and changed his tone: "Haha, my stipend isn't much. Tan Qianche earns more - he's the wealthy one in our group."
Lin Zhixia pressed further, "How do you usually earn money, and how much?"
Luo Ying wanted to ask if Lin Zhixia was short on money, but considering the crowd of doctoral and master's students from Gu Likai's group surrounding them, she held back to preserve Lin Zhixia's dignity.
Unlike Luo Ying's caution, Tan Qianche appeared completely at ease: "I receive a fixed monthly stipend of 1,500 yuan deposited into my account by the university. As a teaching assistant for the Quantum Computing course, I get an annual salary of 50,000. I also have the President's Scholarship worth 5,000 monthly, plus project funding of 30,000 per year. That's about it. Some others in our group earn more than me - he's away for the National Day holiday, but I can ask him for you when he returns."
Lin Zhixia instantly calculated the total: "So you're earning 158,000 yuan annually before taxes, even before finishing your doctorate."
"You'll get there too," Tan Qianche smiled at her.
Lin Zhixia picked up a box of fried rice, deep in thought.
So this was how much one could earn as a doctoral student under Gu Likai.
Lin Zhixia remembered that the seniors in Shen Zhaohua's group weren't nearly as well-off. For instance, Senior Niu Siyuan was quite frugal, often organizing supermarket discount cards at his desk and being a regular at secondhand markets. If he had as much money as Tan Qianche, he wouldn't need to complain about poverty in the office.
After careful consideration, Lin Zhixia couldn't help asking: "Could I become a teaching assistant?"
Luo Ying was startled: "You want to be an TA for undergraduates?"
Lin Zhixia murmured to herself, "Most undergraduate courses are relatively simple. Given some preparation time, I could definitely meet the professor's requirements."
But Luo Ying countered, "STEM professors are very strict with heavy teaching loads. TAs get so busy they have to work overnight."
"I won't stay up late," Lin Zhixia explained. "I have a detailed schedule. I can complete everything I want during daytime. After 7 PM every day is my leisure time."
As Yang Shuwen listened to Lin Zhixia, he picked up an extremely spicy sour noodle soup. Tan Qianche was still advising him: "Yang Shuwen, you prefer mild flavors - you can't handle spicy food, can you?""It's fine," Yang Shuwen sniffled, taking a large gulp of hot and sour soup.
Lin Zhixia turned her head and stared at Tan Qianche: "Are you still looking for teaching assistants?"
Another senior answered: "Teaching assistants are scarce resources. All positions are filled. You should ask about other specialized courses."
"That's not the issue with specialized courses," Tan Qianche opened a can of beer. He took a small sip before saying: "You're younger than most undergraduates. If you stand there, no one would probably take you for a teaching assistant, Lin Zhixia."
Lin Zhixia felt somewhat defeated: "I'll grow up. Don't look down on me for being young."
Tan Qianche quietly watched her. He shook his beer can, the smile at his lips deepening: "Don't worry, I'll wait for you to grow up."
He lowered his head, holding the beer can, murmuring to himself: "Just four years. I can wait that long. Four years from now, you'll be eighteen."
Suddenly, Luo Ying punched Tan Qianche's shoulder.
Luo Ying used all her strength, and Tan Qianche turned pale with pain. His classmates were almost all focused on their meals, and Luo Ying's movement was so swift and abrupt that no one noticed how hard she had hit.
Tan Qianche truly hadn't expected that Luo Ying, who appeared delicate and weak, thin as a rail, could hit so painfully! That single punch nearly drained his health bar. It took several minutes for Tan Qianche to barely recover.
Luo Ying didn't apologize to him.
She was absolutely furious.
The atmosphere in the cafeteria remained harmonious and cheerful. Several doctoral students were discussing circuit design, while others brought up chip manufacturing in the neighboring Laboratory. Only four people seemed out of sync—Yang Shuwen held a bowl of hot and sour noodles, looking dispirited and distracted; Lin Zhixia was considering part-time work, wanting to earn money while studying; Luo Ying glared coldly at Tan Qianche, while Tan Qianche sat upright as if nothing had happened.
Tan Qianche whispered: "That's not what I meant. The people I date are all girls over eighteen."
"You've dated girls?" Luo Ying sneered sarcastically. "Do you have a girlfriend?"
Tan Qianche picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth: "I'm currently single."
Luo Ying smiled: "The lipstick mark on your neck hasn't faded yet."
Tan Qianche clutched the tissue, covering his chin: "Does it bother you?"
Luo Ying picked up her lunch box, splashing some oily soup onto her fingers. She said with double meaning: "So dirty."
Tan Qianche seemed never to get angry. He leaned close to her ear, speaking in a nearly whispering breath: "I haven't been dirty this month yet. Why don't you take my first time this month?"
Luo Ying slammed the table and stood up.
Lin Zhixia snapped back to attention and quickly asked: "Senior, what's wrong?"
Luo Ying said: "I can't eat anymore."
Lin Zhixia exclaimed in surprise: "Senior, what happened?"
The surrounding classmates began asking about Luo Ying's condition one after another. The boys responsible for buying the food even felt somewhat guilty, thinking they hadn't chosen good dishes and that the food didn't suit Luo Ying's taste, making her unhappy.
Luo Ying stood still for a moment, wanting to confront Tan Qianche openly but afraid it might affect Lin Zhixia's work in the Laboratory. She could only suppress her overwhelming anger. But having been pampered since childhood, when had she ever endured such treatment?
She sat back down in her original spot. This time, she took the initiative to move closer to Tan Qianche.
Tan Qianche listened attentively.Luo Ying said to him, "If you dare say another word like that to me, or entertain any thoughts about Lin Zhixia that go beyond ordinary classmates..."
"What will you do?" Tan Qianche asked her.
She scanned him from head to toe: "I won't just hit your shoulder."
Tan Qianche took another sip of beer and asked calmly, "Aren't you afraid of being expelled for fighting on campus?"
"My family is in real estate. Even if I drop out, I'll have work back home," Luo Ying said softly. "The Peach Blossom Spring villa district next to Provincial No. 1 High School was designed by my mom. You guessed right - my name is related to 'The Peach Blossom Spring'."
Tan Qianche remained silent.
Luo Ying asked him again: "You earn 158,000 a year, right?"
With her fingertips slightly raised, she looked down at the floor and placed her Hermès Birkin bag on her lap: "It's not even worth as much as this bag."
Luo Ying's voice rose slightly, and this time, many people including Lin Zhixia heard her words. The group of doctoral students exchanged glances, not quite understanding why Luo Ying was suddenly flaunting her wealth to Tan Qianche.
Yang Shuwen, holding a bowl of sour and spicy noodles, stood by another table and whispered to a doctoral student: "This is what's called PUA."
Lin Zhixia approached them from behind, holding her lunch box.
She heard Yang Shuwen say: "During summer vacation, I was browsing Tianya Forum and came across a post about PUA. PUA destroys a person's confidence to control their mind and achieve malicious goals."
Lin Zhixia unconsciously repeated: "PUA?"
Yang Shuwen clearly heard Lin Zhixia's voice but didn't turn around. It suddenly dawned on him that Lin Zhixia's criticism of him might also be a form of PUA - the more he cared about Lin Zhixia, the easier it would be for her to defeat him.
After the lunch gathering ended, everyone returned to their respective positions.
Lin Zhixia recalled the morning's procedures and threw herself completely into the research work. She wasn't afraid to make mistakes and often encountered thorny problems - sometimes even Tan Qianche couldn't provide accurate explanations.
Lin Zhixia wrote an email listing some difficult questions and sent it to Gu Likai's mailbox, copying the entire research group.
Lin Zhixia believed that the problems she discovered would be helpful to all the students in the group.
However, after reading her description, Yang Shuwen's eyelids trembled and he felt drowsy, wanting nothing more than to lay his head on the desk and sleep.
Tan Qianche suggested he go to the break room for a while, but he declined. He put on his gloves and uniform, continuing his unfinished work.
While setting the experimental parameters, Yang Shuwen was still thinking about Lin Zhixia's email. He unconsciously adjusted the instruments, vaguely feeling that his stomach was quite uncomfortable. He had never been accustomed to eating spicy food - that sour and spicy soup at lunch... was really going to be the death of him.
Suppressing his discomfort, Yang Shuwen placed a Quantum Chip. Suddenly, a red box popped up on the instrument screen requesting a password. He had never seen this red box before and shouted at the top of his voice: "Tan Qianche, what's the highest authority password?"
Tan Qianche was writing a report. Distracted, he replied: "Why do you need the password?"
"I'm the only one in the whole Laboratory who doesn't know the highest authority!" Yang Shuwen yelled. "What's the password?"
Tan Qianche directly called out: "351426!"Yang Shuwen entered the string of numbers "351426" on the touchscreen. He clicked the "Confirm" button, only to hear another doctoral student say, "Hey? Wait, don't touch that! That's an old machine bought several years ago for generating ultra-strong magnetic fields. The system was modified by a senior student—it usually doesn't ask for an access password unless the parameters you set exceed the safety range..."
Yang Shuwen froze completely.
He frantically clicked "Pause," but it was useless. The system prompted, "Experiment in progress." He hurriedly said, "Where's the main switch? Shut it down! Shut it down now!"
Another doctoral student shouted, "Press the emergency button!"
The emergency button was only three meters away from Yang Shuwen.
At this critical moment, Lin Zhixia happened to walk out of another room. She was carrying a stack of blueprints and was about to pass by Yang Shuwen. Abandoning the emergency button, Yang Shuwen grabbed Lin Zhixia's sleeve and dragged her toward the emergency exit, yelling as he ran, "It's going to explode! It's going to explode!"
Before his words faded, a loud "bang" erupted in the distance.
An excessive current caused the coil to explode instantly.
Windows shattered, glass fragments flying everywhere.
Pale smoke filled the air, and several male students screamed in panic.
Lin Zhixia was badly startled.
She slipped and fell to the ground, her ankle throbbing with intense pain, while the experimental blueprints scattered all around her.
The Laboratory alarm blared, and Tan Qianche rushed out of the control room, his face turning pale. He quickly regained his composure, cut off the power to the relevant machines, and calmly handled the aftermath, even as Yang Shuwen kept shouting at him.
He organized all the students to evacuate in an orderly manner and called Teacher Gu. Upon hearing about the coil explosion, Teacher Gu immediately asked, "Is anyone injured?"
Tan Qianche crouched in the stairwell of the emergency exit. Looking down at Lin Zhixia's swollen ankle, he sighed repeatedly and said, "Lin Zhixia fell and twisted her ankle. The other students are fine."
Teacher Gu said he would come right away and instructed Tan Qianche to first evacuate everyone from the Laboratory building. Teacher Gu also mentioned that on the 27th of last month, September 27th, three doctoral students from the neighboring university had also blown up their Laboratory.
Tan Qianche quickly replied, "Teacher, the damage isn't severe—just that one machine. The coil exploded, the circuit is burnt, and the windows are broken. The area below is a green belt, so no one was hit. I've already called the fire department, and they'll be here soon."
Teacher Gu instructed, "Good. Carry your junior sister downstairs and take her to the school hospital for an X-ray to check if any bones are injured..."
Tan Qianche hung up the phone and knelt on one knee in front of Lin Zhixia. "Come on, I'll carry you downstairs."
Lin Zhixia was still in shock.
She couldn't describe her memory to others.
As she recalled the accident—the deafening noise, the shattering of glass, the strange, pungent smell, and the sudden surge of fear—it all flooded her consciousness like a tidal wave, overwhelming her perception. In that instant, she understood why she had always hated injections since childhood: her most terrifying memories would uncontrollably resurface, forcing her to relive the scenes repeatedly, like a real-life version of a horror loop with no end in sight.
Her face was deathly pale. "Mom..."
Tan Qianche leaned closer and asked, "What did you say?"
She repeated, "Mom, I want my mom."Tan Qianche thought to himself: A fourteen-year-old girl shouldn't be this dependent on her mom, right? She's quite intelligent, so how come she's still such a momma's girl?
But after all, she was very young—ten years younger than Tan Qianche—and also his direct junior. Tan Qianche patiently coaxed her: "Don't be scared anymore, it's alright now. Your senior will carry you downstairs."
Lin Zhixia climbed onto his back. As he stood up, he exclaimed in surprise: "You're so light! Do you usually eat properly?"
Lin Zhixia remained silent.
Tan Qianche carried her on his back, swiftly crossing the steps.
All the students and teachers in the entire laboratory building had been evacuated. Students were descending along the emergency stairwell. Along the way, Tan Qianche overheard someone ask, "Which lab exploded?"
Another person replied, "Seems like it was the Quantum Computing group..."
"How can quantum stuff explode?"
"It's a quantum computer, based on spin, requires strong magnetic fields, current overload—so it exploded, didn't it?"
"Don't they have experimental safety protocols?"
"They just don't follow the rules, I guess."
These idle remarks grew increasingly intense. They drifted through the air, continuously circulating.
Tan Qianche had no choice but to quicken his pace. Carrying Lin Zhixia on his back, he ran out of the laboratory building. Outside stood a group of security guards, the atmosphere stern and grave. The guards had set up a cordon, forbidding any student from stepping back into the laboratory building.
Beyond the cordon, Luo Ying had been waiting for a long time.
After finishing lunch earlier that day, Luo Ying had left the laboratory building. She had intended to buy some strawberries for Lin Zhixia from a fruit shop but heard from a classmate that a major incident had occurred in one of the Quantum Computing group's labs.
She immediately rushed to the entrance of the laboratory building.
Students were fleeing the building one after another, and Luo Ying's gaze followed the crowd. She spotted Tan Qianche and Lin Zhixia, feeling a wave of relief, but then noticed Lin Zhixia's pale complexion and hurriedly asked, "Are you hurt?"
"Sprained my ankle," Lin Zhixia replied. "It's swollen."
Luo Ying said, "Let me accompany you to the hospital."
Lin Zhixia said, "Thank you, Senior."
Tan Qianche was still carrying Lin Zhixia on his back. He questioned her, "I carried you down four flights of stairs—why didn't I hear you thank me?"
Lin Zhixia squeezed out a dry, "Thank you, Senior."
Tan Qianche and Luo Ying escorted Lin Zhixia to the hospital.
From the moment they entered the hospital, Tan Qianche's role became less significant—Lin Zhixia no longer needed him to carry her.
Luo Ying rented a wheelchair and had Lin Zhixia sit in it. Luo Ying pushed Lin Zhixia around, helped her register, accompanied her to see the doctor, took her for tests, and waited with her for the results.
Lin Zhixia sighed, "Senior is so kind."
Luo Ying said softly and gracefully, "You're my junior, and we come from the same city—of course we should look out for each other."
Tan Qianche interjected, "I'm your fellow townsman too."
Luo Ying gave a strained, insincere smile. She found a spot along the corridor, with Lin Zhixia's wheelchair right beside her.
Bright lights reflected off the polished tile floor, casting one white shadow after another. Occasionally, nurses, doctors, patients, or family members stepped over these shadows. Watching others' shoes, Lin Zhixia couldn't help but wiggle her own feet.
"Does your foot hurt?" Luo Ying asked her.
She leaned sideways, resting her head on Luo Ying's shoulder. "Not much anymore."
"Are you still scared? Do you want your Mom?" Tan Qianche crossed his arms and asked Lin Zhixia in a low voice.
Lin Zhixia pulled out her phone from her pocket and immediately called her Mom. Her Mom comforted her for half an hour, and her mood gradually improved. Her Mom also said that Lin Zeqiu had been terrified upon hearing about Lin Zhixia's ordeal. Especially the word "explosion" had made Lin Zeqiu extremely anxious. Lin Zeqiu insisted that once Lin Zhixia returned to her dorm that night, she must find time for a QQ video chat with him.
Lin Zhixia reluctantly agreed to Lin Zeqiu's request.After that, Lin Zhixia casually made another phone call to Jiang Yubai. Jiang Yubai told her that in a few days, he would be taking the IELTS speaking test. Lin Zhixia enthusiastically encouraged him: "Go for it, Jiang Yubai! You'll definitely ace it!"
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