Genius Girlfriend

Jiang Yubai printed out "The Operation Manual for Robot Lin Jiang" and placed it into an archival box.

The box contained the first volume of "Human Observation Diary," the notebook Lin Zhixia had given him, and the first edition manuscript of the "Exploring the Universe" comic series—all items brimming with sentimental value for Jiang Yubai.

After the winter break ended, Jiang Yubai returned to Beijing with his archival box. He placed it on his study desk, where it accompanied him daily during his studies. He would take the college entrance exam in May this year, receive the results in August, submit university applications in September... If all went smoothly, by January next year, Jiang Yubai could expect his university admission letter.

Jiang Yubai dared not slack off in the slightest, diligently reviewing every day.

For three whole months, even though he and Lin Zhixia lived in the same city, they never met in person, only briefly communicating via QQ video calls. Lin Zhixia seemed even busier than Jiang Yubai. Her Laboratory work wasn't progressing smoothly, as the chip design for Quantum Computing had hit a snag.

The latest chip she was developing with her seniors couldn't be physically manufactured—it could only exist in computer software, running simulations in a virtual environment. Existing chip manufacturing technology couldn't meet Lin Zhixia's requirements, leaving her momentarily at a loss. It was as if she specialized in solving problem A, devised solution B, but B required C, and she was powerless against C.

Pioneering research in cutting-edge fields proved more challenging than she had imagined.

She suddenly considered switching fields to study chip manufacturing.

Lin Zhixia didn't share her troubles with Jiang Yubai. During every video call, she claimed everything was going well and encouraged Jiang Yubai to keep pushing forward bravely.

In mid-May, Jiang Yubai faced his college entrance exams.

His Dad and Mom specifically took time off work to fly to Beijing and visit their son. The whole family reunited in Beijing, with even his uncle and aunt making an appearance.

During the exam days, Dad served as the chauffeur, personally driving Jiang Yubai to the test center. Carrying his backpack, Jiang Yubai stepped through the exam hall gates and resolutely marched forward without looking back once.

Jiang Shaoqi watched his nephew's retreating figure and couldn't help laughing: "Hahaha, is Xiao Jiang a bit nervous?"

When Jiang Shaoqi's older brother glanced back at him, he immediately corrected himself: "Xiao Jiang probably isn't nervous—he's determined. An exam at this level is a piece of cake. Xiao Jiang could ace it with his eyes closed."

Jiang Shaoqi had full confidence in Jiang Yubai, and Jiang Yubai indeed performed well.

Jiang Yubai steadily completed all exam questions, even daring to compare answers with classmates after the tests. One classmate asked him: "Did you do well?"

Jiang Yubai admitted: "It was acceptable."

The classmate pressed: "Can you get into your desired college?"

But Jiang Yubai replied: "Not necessarily."

He wanted to attend Trinity College at Cambridge University—a college known for intense competition. Without absolute certainty, he could only try his best. Strangely, he didn't feel much pressure and had even mentally prepared himself for possible rejection.Jiang Yubai once believed himself to be a perfectionist. However, after years of Lin Zhixia's constant teasing, he had come to accept the fact that he was just an ordinary person. Getting into Trinity College would be wonderful, but if he didn't make it, that was fine too—it wasn't as if he had nowhere else to study.

On the night after all his exams ended, Jiang Yubai felt completely relaxed, both physically and mentally. Soaking in a bathtub filled with warm water, he felt like a fish returning to the ocean. He turned on the TV in the bathroom and tuned in to CCTV10, watching an excellent program called "Man and Nature."

On the marble shelf beside the bathtub stood a wine glass filled with freshly squeezed orange juice. Just as Jiang Yubai picked up the glass, his phone rang.

He accidentally pressed the answer button.

Lin Zhixia's cheerful voice came through: "Jiang Yubai! I just got out of the laboratory and saw your text. Congratulations! I'm sure you'll get into the school you want! What are you doing right now? How about a video call later? I'm almost back at my dorm..."

Jiang Yubai panicked for a moment but quickly regained his composure. He replied calmly, "I'm watching TV."

"What show?"

"Man and Nature."

Lin Zhixia asked again, "Do you have time for a video call?"

Steam filled the bathroom, blurring Jiang Yubai's vision. He lifted his head slightly, but his sight remained unclear. His heartbeat suddenly quickened, and caught off guard, he said the wrong thing: "Some other time."

"Some other time?" Lin Zhixia sounded confused.

But she quickly agreed, "Okay, I won't keep you then. I have to climb the stairs now. Bye."

After Lin Zhixia hung up, all Jiang Yubai heard was a series of beeps. His fingers slipped, and his phone nearly fell into the water.

He set the phone aside and turned off the TV.

Steam drifted everywhere, and the hazy lighting made the scene dreamlike. Water flowed gently in the faint glow, creating a quiet atmosphere that should have been perfect for reflection. Yet, Jiang Yubai's thoughts became muddled.

Leaning back against the built-in rest in the bathtub, he belatedly realized that his earlier reply, "Some other time," had sounded too cold and even carried a hint of impatience... That wasn't what he had meant. He stood up, put on his bathrobe, and called Lin Zhixia.

To his surprise—her phone was turned off.

Jiang Yubai waited a while and called again, but her phone remained off. He then logged into QQ and checked his contact list—Xia Xia's profile picture was gray.

In reality, Lin Zhixia's phone had run out of battery.

She also had no time to use QQ.

She had left for class at 7:30 in the morning, attended a seminar in the afternoon, and spent the evening working in Professor Gu Likai's laboratory. She had barely rested all day. Returning to her dorm after 9 p.m., she took a shower, collapsed onto her bed, and fell asleep instantly.

Lin Zhixia slept soundly and even had a dream. She dreamed of the chip she had designed with her seniors and professors. Placing the chip into a machine, she immediately collected the data results everyone had been hoping for. Professor Gu Likai told her that this type of chip could be mass-produced, greatly enhancing the performance of traditional computers and bringing about an era-defining transformation for human society.Lin Zhixia's dreams were always exceptionally vivid, with every scene containing such complete details that they could deceive her senses, making her unaware of whether she was in an illusory world of imagination.

The next morning, after waking up, Lin Zhixia sat blankly on her bed for a full minute.

Her roommate Deng Shasha asked her, "What's wrong with you?"

Lin Zhixia replied, "I dreamed that our team's difficult problem was solved, and I advanced the progress of human society."

Deng Shasha held a cup of coffee in both hands and sighed, "The God of Study is indeed the God of Study, even solving problems in your dreams. When I was in my third year of high school, I was just like you. My mom had someone tell my fortune, and the fortune teller said I could get into the best university in the country..."

Lin Zhixia gripped the bed railing, still silently pondering. She felt certain she could find a solution—she had merely forgotten something crucial.

She recalled the papers she had read, along with what her teachers and seniors had told her. Even her morning hunger became less noticeable. She hurriedly washed up, changed clothes, grabbed a pack of biscuits and a bottle of water from her cabinet, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and rushed to the Quantum Computing Laboratory.

Throughout the entire weekend, Lin Zhixia hadn't contacted Jiang Yubai.

Jiang Yubai had just finished his exams and could rest for a few days. But he couldn't reach Lin Zhixia by phone, nor could he find her through QQ. He sent her a text message: "Are you free lately?"

Jiang Yubai didn't say anything extra.

Jiang Yubai had always been reserved and introverted. He couldn't possibly tell her directly that he was waiting for her call.

His wait turned out to be quite long.

Around four o'clock on Sunday afternoon, Jiang Yubai sat in the garden reading a copy of "The Practice of Management." He absentmindedly turned the pages when his phone suddenly rang loudly. He quickly answered, hearing Lin Zhixia's long-missed voice: "I've been so busy these past two days, I didn't have time to charge my phone. How have you been?"

Jiang Yubai set his book aside: "I'm fine. These past couple days, my grandfather has been teaching me how to handle work."

"What work?" Lin Zhixia asked.

Jiang Yubai patiently described it in detail. He also mentioned that this summer, he needed to prepare for university interviews, and next September, he would be going to study in the UK.

Lin Zhixia's tone revealed reluctance: "We're going to be separated again."

Jiang Yubai said, "I'll come back during holidays."

"Mm!" Lin Zhixia responded.

Jiang Yubai really wanted to see her, but he knew she had been very busy lately and might not have time to hang out. So he casually asked, "Are you reviewing for final exams?"

"No," Lin Zhixia replied, "I never review."

Jiang Yubai murmured to himself, "You really don't need to review."

Lin Zhixia's mind was completely occupied with her work at the laboratory. After chatting with Jiang Yubai for a bit, she indeed didn't arrange to meet up with him.

Lin Zhixia was wholly devoted to her research, not even as enthusiastic about eating as usual. Both she and her senior were working hard to simplify the chip design in hopes of creating a successful experimental prototype.

Last October, Lin Zhixia had submitted her first draft paper to Teacher Gu. Teacher Gu first praised her extensively, then asked her to continue learning for a while under Senior Tan Qianche. Up to now, she had been studying for over seven months but still hadn't produced a paper. Though she didn't say it aloud, she felt somewhat anxious inside.In two months, Lin Zhixia would follow her teachers and seniors to attend an academic conference on quantum topics in Los Angeles, USA. Quantum computing was her future direction—how could she go without any papers to her name?

For the first time in her life, Lin Zhixia understood the anxiety of ordinary people.

Meanwhile, Yang Shuwen in their research group had become more relaxed. He had co-authored a paper with Tan Qianche, which was successfully published, giving him at least some achievement. Yang Shuwen’s energy and demeanor were different from before. He worked steadily and calmly in the laboratory, always wearing a focused expression—no one could tell he had once blown up the lab.

He even advised Lin Zhixia, "Say a few nice words to Tan Qianche, let him give you an innovative idea, and help you publish a practice paper."

Lin Zhixia firmly refused, "Thank you, but I can publish a paper on my own."

"Experimental physics cultivates intuition," Yang Shuwen countered, trying to persuade her. "No matter how smart you are, your experience isn’t as rich as Tan Qianche’s. You’re younger, your intuition isn’t as strong..."

Lin Zhixia remained silent.

Yang Shuwen sighed emotionally, "Have you read Inferiority and Transcendence ? That book enlightened me."

"I’ve read it," Lin Zhixia nodded.

Yang Shuwen nodded slightly, "Read it again—it’s useful."

Lin Zhixia sat on a chair in the laboratory, listening to Yang Shuwen’s account: "Last year when I first started, I met a Ph.D. student from the neighboring group. Every time we met, I’d ask him, 'Any progress? Have you achieved anything? Is your supervisor pushing you?' He always told me he hadn’t studied, that he played every day, gaming all the time, and his supervisor wasn’t pressuring him—he was completely relaxed..."

"Really?" Lin Zhixia asked skeptically.

"False!" Yang Shuwen sighed repeatedly. "He lied to me. I never figured out why he’d lie to me. What do you think?"

Lin Zhixia guessed, "Was he afraid you’d feel pressured?"

Yang Shuwen waved his hand, "No, he said the same thing to everyone else in our group."

Lin Zhixia tapped the table lightly with her fingertip, "Are you trying to tell me that external voices can be true or false, and I shouldn’t be influenced by others?"

"Right," Yang Shuwen scratched his head, "You know a lot. If I can figure it out, you definitely can."

Lin Zhixia murmured to herself, "I’ve read many philosophy books. Philosophy is like mathematical formulas—understanding the formula doesn’t mean you can apply it to yourself."

"True," Yang Shuwen agreed.

Lin Zhixia looked up at him, "No one can sail smoothly through life. I’ll keep working hard."

Yang Shuwen gave her a thumbs-up.

Between May and June, Lin Zhixia called home less frequently. She stayed in the laboratory every day until after 9 p.m., then returned to her dorm to shower and get ready for bed.

On the night before June 6th, Lin Zhixia received a call from home. Her mom asked, "Xia Xia, what have you been busy with lately?"

Lin Zhixia described honestly, "I’ve encountered an academic challenge. I really want to solve this problem..."

"Your brother is taking the college entrance exam tomorrow," her mom reminded her.

She asked in return, "Does Brother want to talk to me?"

Lin Zeqiu was sitting on the sofa, munching on an apple. Her mom handed him the receiver, but he didn’t take it.

Lin Zhixia called out, "Brother?"He lowered his head just then, pressing his ear to the receiver. "What's up?"

Lin Zhixia cheered excitedly, "Wishing you success in the college entrance exam, Brother!"

Lin Zeqiu asked her, "Are all your classmates ranked within the top hundred in the province for the college entrance exam?"

"No," Lin Zhixia explained seriously. "Our college has many students who were admitted through competition-based recommendations."

Lin Zhixia wanted to ask about Lin Zeqiu's class ranking and mock exam scores, but she didn't dare bring it up. Instead, she offered a stream of encouraging words, continually boosting his morale. Lin Zeqiu maintained an air of unshakable confidence, which reminded Lin Zhixia of the Russian contestants from that year's Romanian Master of Mathematics competition.

Lin Zeqiu attended the top science advanced class at Provincial No. 1 High School. His ranking within the class was above average, though the top few students in his class were virtually guaranteed admission to Tsinghua or Peking University—Lin Zeqiu still had some ground to cover to reach their level. His goal wasn't Tsinghua or Peking University—both were the nation's best with the highest admission thresholds. Instead, Lin Zeqiu aimed for a Project 985 engineering university in Beijing, which aligned with his capabilities while reducing psychological pressure.

For Lin Zeqiu's college entrance exam, Mom and Dad closed their family shop, posting a "Temporarily Closed" notice. Dad even found a friend with a car, slipped him a thousand yuan, and entrusted him with transporting Lin Zeqiu to and from the exam.

On the day of the exam, June 7th, Dad accompanied Lin Zeqiu in his friend's car to the test site, watching his son enter the examination hall with his own eyes.

Provincial No. 1 High School had dispatched several accompanying teachers. These teachers set up a shaded pavilion in an open area outside the test site, establishing a "Love in Support Service Station" that provided free bottled water to parents.

The teachers chatted quietly among themselves, mentioning the top students from the advanced classes.

Lin Zeqiu's dad approached them and asked very politely, "Hello teachers, I'm a parent of a Provincial No. 1 High School examinee. May I ask, how difficult is this year's college entrance exam?"

A young female teacher smiled and asked, "Hello, which class is your child in?"

"My son is Lin Zeqiu from Class 11, Grade 12. I'm his father, Lin Fugui," Lin Fugui replied in detail.

The female teacher handed him two bottles of water. "Your child is in the top advanced class. This exam shouldn't be difficult for him—our school's mock exams are harder than the actual college entrance exam."

Lin Fugui thanked her. Clutching the water bottles with both hands, he sat on the tiled edge of a flower bed.

It had rained earlier that morning, leaving the flower bed damp with moisture—perfect for seeking shade and coolness. The pavilion overhead blocked the scorching sun. Lin Fugui pulled a crumpled newspaper from his pocket and had only read two pages when the same female teacher suddenly realized something and hurried over to ask, "Hello parent, is Lin Zhixia your daughter?"

Lin Fugui looked up from his newspaper. "Ah, yes, yes."

The surrounding teachers unanimously praised his parenting skills.

Though he smiled on the surface, Lin Fugui felt guilty inside. His daughter Lin Zhixia had always been self-taught—he, as a father, had never been able to help with her studies.

Just last night, his wife had mentioned that their daughter had been having a particularly tough time these past two months. She had encountered difficult problems she couldn't solve, burying herself in the Laboratory every day, leaving early and returning late. They didn't even know if she was eating properly... After all, she was only fifteen—still a minor who needed adult care.Lin Fugui raised a hand to his forehead. Like countless parents, he worried about his children. While thinking of his daughter far away in Beijing and his son currently in the examination hall, he only hoped both could smoothly overcome their challenges.

As the first Chinese language exam on the initial day of the Gaokao was nearing its end, Lin Fugui opened his backpack and took out an apple. He peeled it and rinsed it slightly with mineral water.

When the examination hall doors opened, numerous candidates streamed out. Lin Zeqiu blended into the crowd of young people, wearing inconspicuous clothing, yet Lin Fugui spotted him immediately. Lin Fugui called out: "Qiuqiu, Qiuqiu, Dad is here!" Holding up the apple as he approached, he said: "Tired? Dad peeled an apple for you."

But Lin Zeqiu responded: "I'm not hungry. I still have the math exam this afternoon, so I'd better not eat anything raw or cold."

Lin Fugui withdrew his arm: "Alright, that's sensible. You need to be careful these two days."

Lin Fugui's friend drove the car over. Lin Fugui got into the vehicle with his son. His son had already grown taller than him, with broader shoulders, wider horizons, and the vibrant spirit of youth. As these thoughts crossed his mind, Lin Fugui felt a lump in his throat and said softly: "Qiuqiu, whatever result you get is fine. You'll always be Mom and Dad's good child..."

Lin Zeqiu didn't respond. He was still reviewing the exam questions in his mind.

During the Gaokao period, Mom and Dad took meticulous care of Lin Zeqiu. In fact, ever since Lin Zhixia left for university in Beijing, Lin Zeqiu had become the focus of his parents' attention. He was determined to achieve excellent results in the Gaokao, to live up to his parents' expectations and justify his years of diligent study.

How difficult exactly is the Gaokao?

As a student who received direct admission, Lin Zhixia had never experienced it personally.

To understand the Gaokao process, Lin Zhixia specifically went to consult her classmate Deng Shasha.

Deng Shasha opened a bag of potato chips, munching as she explained: "The Gaokao? Ah, that was the most glorious period of my life. After finishing the last subject, I knew I would either get into Tsinghua or Peking University. On results day, admissions officers from both Tsinghua and Peking University came to our high school to intercept me. Tsinghua even brought along this super handsome doctoral senior who made me stare wide-eyed..."

"Then why didn't you choose Tsinghua?" Lin Zhixia asked.

Deng Shasha crunched down on a chip: "The senior said he had a girlfriend."

Lin Zhixia picked up a chip, took a small bite, and asked: "Did you firmly reject Tsinghua's admissions office?"

With apparent pride, Deng Shasha declared: "Yeah, our university's math program is better..." She paused mid-sentence, her tone softening: "Except my math isn't good. Ah, I just hope I can graduate."

Lin Zhixia comfortingly patted her gently on the back.

Everyone has their worries, Lin Zhixia thought to herself.

Compared to classmates struggling through exam week, Lin Zhixia could be considered quite fortunate. Taking final exams felt like relaxation to her. She enjoyed the quiet, comfortable examination environment, leisurely and happily writing out her answers, and could estimate before submitting her paper that her score would consistently remain above 95. In other words, her grades would still be perfect.

Since childhood, Lin Zhixia had never worried about her exams.

But she was somewhat concerned about Lin Zeqiu and Jiang Yubai.In mid-to-late June, Lin Zeqiu's college entrance exam results were announced first—he ranked 430th in the provincial science stream, slightly better than he had expected. Apart from Tsinghua and Peking University, he could basically choose any university in Beijing.

Dad was so excited he wanted to rush back to their hometown overnight to burn incense at their ancestors' graves.

Mom called Lin Zhixia again to share the good news. Infected by her mother's joy, Lin Zhixia excitedly announced in her dorm room, "My brother ranked 430th in the province!"

Her three roommates were stunned.

After several seconds, Deng Shasha was the first to react: "Incredible! The God of Study's brother is also a god!"

As last year's top science student in the college entrance examination, Feng Yuan also nodded slightly in approval: "Out of hundreds of thousands of exam takers in the province, he ranked 430th..." Feng Yuan began clapping: "So impressive!"

The dorm room was filled with a lively and celebratory atmosphere. Lin Zhixia dug out a bag of strawberry biscuits from her cabinet, opened the package, and generously shared them with her roommates. When asked about her summer plans, Lin Zhixia revealed: "This summer, I'll be flying between several countries."

Yuan Wei said: "I found an internship at an internet company."

Feng Yuan said: "I'm researching hidden Markov trees with my advisor."

Deng Shasha slapped her bed rail: "I'm going to lie in bed all summer!"

Deng Shasha's style was uniquely different and outstanding, yet Lin Zhixia handed her several notebooks. Deng Shasha's expression changed dramatically: "What are these?"

Lin Zhixia said sincerely: "These are notes from a senior mathematics major. That senior ranked in the top three of her department and will be working at Microsoft Research Asia after graduation. She donated her notebooks to help first-year female students..."

As the recipient of this senior's help, Deng Shasha collapsed onto her pillow - this feeling, how to describe it? It was as if Deng Shasha were a struggling household in a village, and the senior, out of great kindness, had come to provide poverty relief, directly reaching Deng Shasha's home.

Deng Shasha asked worriedly: "Do all the seniors know about my poor grades?"

"No, no," Lin Zhixia explained, "That senior is about to graduate. She knows Tan Qianche from our research group. Tan Qianche said she wanted to help junior students, so she gave me the notebooks."

Deng Shasha shifted her focus: "Senior Tan Qianche... is quite handsome."

Having spent over eight months in the laboratory, Lin Zhixia had long memorized Tan Qianche's behavioral patterns. Every weekend, Tan Qianche would date different girls. He's really such a playboy!

Thinking of this, Lin Zhixia stood on the floor, gripping the bed rail tightly as if guarding against something: "No, Tan Qianche isn't handsome at all... He's not as good-looking as my brother, and definitely not as good-looking as my friend."

"Is your friend that Jiang Yubai?" Deng Shasha carefully recalled, then couldn't help but admire: "He's really handsome. Wow, God of Study, birds of a feather flock together."

After saying this, Deng Shasha became more interested in Lin Zhixia's brother: "How old is your brother?"

"Eighteen," Lin Zhixia answered truthfully.

Deng Shasha asked lazily: "How tall?"

"187 cm."

"Does he have a girlfriend?"

"Single for eighteen years."

"What's his personality like?"

"Well..."

Lin Zhixia said tactfully: "Quite unique."

Deng Shasha waved her hand: "Not bad, not bad."

Lin Zhixia laughed. She realized that their conversation had taken an odd turn, as if she were matchmaking between Lin Zeqiu and Deng Shasha. She quickly changed the subject and started discussing mathematics with Deng Shasha instead. Though Deng Shasha found it overwhelming, she still listened patiently, unwilling to miss Lin Zhixia's face-to-face tutoring.

*The final exams of the second semester of freshman year had concluded, and the students had each begun their summer vacation. However, Lin Zhixia did not return home. She stayed in her dormitory studying, occasionally visiting the laboratory. By early July, Gu Likai took the students in his group on a flight to Los Angeles, USA, to attend the annual International Quantum Computing Conference.

This was Lin Zhixia’s first time setting foot on North American soil.

She curiously observed the scenery along the way and took many photos.

Teacher Gu and his students checked into a local hotel. After resting for a day, they set off for the conference center the following day.

The International Quantum Computing Conference lasted three days, bringing together researchers from various countries. During the day, there were academic presentations, and in the evenings, banquets and gatherings. Here, Lin Zhixia met a research group from the University of Tokyo—she tried speaking Japanese with them, and they were quite surprised.

Within the University of Tokyo’s research group was a doctoral student in her twenties. As usual, Lin Zhixia enjoyed sticking close to the doctoral sister. She consciously imitated the sister’s Japanese pronunciation to make her own tone sound gentler.

The sister handed her a business card.

Lin Zhixia automatically translated her name: Nagano Ayaka.

Nagano Ayaka specialized in derivative algorithms for quantum computing. She and Lin Zhixia hit it off in conversation. Her English was somewhat halting, far less smooth and fluent than her Japanese.

Lin Zhixia also exchanged contact information with Nagano Ayaka.

When Nagano Ayaka learned that Lin Zhixia would only turn fifteen this September, her smile froze for two seconds. Then, Nagano Ayaka suddenly urged Lin Zhixia to persist in her current research path.

Nagano Ayaka was older than Lin Zhixia and her academic senior, so Lin Zhixia had been using Japanese honorifics with her. Hearing Nagano Ayaka make such a formal and polite request caught Lin Zhixia off guard for a moment.

After thinking it over, Lin Zhixia tactfully expressed that she felt the number of female doctoral students in STEM fields was still somewhat low. For example, artificial intelligence was currently a globally popular research direction. Researchers in AI typically needed to publish several top-tier conference papers, yet the male-to-female ratio of authors at these conferences was seven to one. She hoped global education could become more equitable, free from gender imbalances, and nurture more female scientists in research fields.

Nagano Ayaka repeatedly agreed.

Lin Zhixia was pulled into the University of Tokyo’s group by her.

The seniors from Peking University couldn’t find Lin Zhixia for a while.

Professor Gu Likai was chatting with a professor from Switzerland and didn’t notice where his students had scattered. Some of this professor’s ideas aligned closely with Lin Zhixia’s, so Gu Likai immediately grabbed Yang Shuwen beside him and urged, “Quick, find your junior sister.”

In the bustling, noisy banquet hall, Yang Shuwen scanned the surroundings and spotted Tan Qianche at a glance. Tan Qianche was surrounded by two attractive female doctoral students, discussing several theories of quantum communication with them.

Yang Shuwen rushed over, tugging at Tan Qianche’s sleeve: “Lin Zhixia is missing?”

Tan Qianche was startled. He adjusted his silver-framed glasses, gazed into the distance, and calmly said, “She’s over there, mixed in with the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University circles.”

“How did she end up with the Japanese group?” Yang Shuwen exclaimed in shock.Tan Qianche simply said, "If you want to find Lin Zhixia, look for female PhDs first. She loves talking with female PhDs the most, understand? Don't make a fuss. There are two female PhDs in the Berkeley group working on quantum limit amplifiers. After Lin Zhixia finishes chatting with that Japanese girl, she'll probably dive into the American circle. Keep an eye on her so she doesn't wander off."

Yang Shuwen awkwardly rubbed his hands together. "Teacher Gu wants her to come over."

Tan Qianche took a sip of wine and said calmly, "Go tell her that. What's the use telling me?"

Tonight, Tan Qianche's tone was somewhat sharp.

Yang Shuwen didn't mind. He lived up to Gu Likai's request and successfully brought Lin Zhixia before Gu Likai, who then introduced Lin Zhixia to the Swiss professor with the attitude of presenting his prized student.

Lin Zhixia's English was very fluent. Given that Switzerland's official languages include German and French, she could alternate between these languages as well.

The professor patiently conversed with Lin Zhixia. She felt she had gained some new understanding, inspiration dancing like points of light in her mind, but just as she tried to grasp them, the light disappeared.

Lin Zhixia wanted the professor's contact information, but Teacher Gu interrupted, "For any questions, send an email."

Lin Zhixia nodded.

On the final day of the conference, Tan Qianche delivered a speech specifically explaining the content of his papers over the years. Wearing silver-rimmed glasses, he looked scholarly and refined, with spoken English no less impressive. Tan Qianche's classmates all praised his elegant demeanor, saying he brought great honor to everyone.

However, Tan Qianche wasn't the most outstanding student in Gu Likai's research group.

Gu Likai had another doctoral student about to graduate, whom the junior students called the "academic machine." Though he hadn't published many papers, their quality was consistently high. He was about to become a visiting scholar in the United States and was also an object of daily admiration among the junior students.

In comparison, Lin Zhixia didn't seem particularly outstanding.

Lin Zhixia wasn't discouraged at all.

As long as she kept striving...

She was being the best version of herself.

With the International Quantum Computing conference in Los Angeles concluded, Gu Likai led his students to Cambridge, UK. Gu Likai's former university classmate was currently teaching at Cambridge and had sincerely invited Gu Likai to visit, even arranging an on-campus lecture for him.

No sooner had Lin Zhixia bid farewell to America than she set foot in England. She still hadn't grown accustomed to long-haul flights; emerging from the airport, she felt completely dizzy, but she still mustered her energy and took out her camera to photograph everything around her.

Compared to downtown Los Angeles, Cambridge appeared quite tranquil and modest.

On their first evening in Cambridge, around 8 PM, the sky was still bright, azure like a lake surface. Lin Zhixia's senior classmates suggested going for a walk, and everyone agreed. Lin Zhixia followed along with them.

They walked along the ancient streets toward a local supermarket called Sainsbury's.

The supermarket's fruits were displayed in refrigerated cases not far from the entrance. Upon entering, Lin Zhixia headed straight for the refrigerated section, grabbed two boxes of strawberries, and hugged them tightly without letting go. But then she noticed—each box cost £2, which converted to about 20 RMB per box. Wasn't that too expensive?While Lin Zhixia hesitated, Tan Qianche pulled out a Visa credit card: "Don't worry, I'll pay."

"I have money too," Lin Zhixia insisted.

Tan Qianche smiled and said, "Come on, you're only fifteen. Let me treat you."

Yang Shuwen chimed in: "Senior, can you pay for my things too?"

Surprisingly, Tan Qianche agreed: "Sure, go ahead and buy." His willingness to take care of his junior schoolmates almost made people forget his usual lifestyle.

Overjoyed, Yang Shuwen picked out two boxes of cakes and two cans of beer, returning with his classmates fully loaded.