Genius Girlfriend

In late June, the final exams for the sophomore year concluded, and the students welcomed a joyful summer vacation.

Lin Zhixia and Lin Zeqiu took the train home together. The siblings could only stay at home for a week—Lin Zhixia needed to go to the Laboratory to wrap up her work, as she was planning a new research paper. Meanwhile, Lin Zeqiu was preparing to participate in the "International Collegiate Programming Contest" and had to join the university's summer training camp.

Lin Zeqiu didn't expect to win any awards in the competition. He had heard that the teachers at the summer training camp were very responsible and would cultivate students' algorithmic programming skills. It was essentially a free training opportunity, and Lin Zeqiu certainly wouldn't pass up such a good chance.

On the way home, Lin Zeqiu said to his sister, "How much money did you make from selling the software? Don't use it to buy a house for the family—keep it for yourself. You're going abroad to study, so you can't be short on cash. I've learned a lot at school, and in a couple of years, I'll be able to intern at a company."

"Brother," Lin Zhixia suddenly asked him, "Did you choose computer science just to make a lot of money?"

Lin Zeqiu answered truthfully, "If studying computer science didn't lead to making money, what would be the point of this major?"

Lin Zhixia sat on the lower bunk of the train, holding an orange in her hands. As she squeezed the orange peel, she asked him, "If our family were very wealthy, what major would you choose?"

Lin Zeqiu thought for a moment and replied, "Archaeology, I suppose—digging things up from underground."

After saying this, he pulled out a Swiss Army knife—another gift from Lin Zhixia. Lin Zeqiu wiped the blade clean with a disinfectant wipe and rinsed it with mineral water before using it to cut the orange for Lin Zhixia.

Lin Zhixia happily ate the orange, her voice muffled: "Brother, programming is fun too—it's like digging things up from the online world..."

Lin Zeqiu lazily lay down and opened a copy of "Programming Pearls." It was 9:30 at night, and the sky was completely dark. Outside the window, everything was pitch black, and faint snores could be heard from the carriage. Lin Zhixia yawned, tidied up, washed up, and then lay down on the bed, hugging her stuffed penguin as she fell asleep.

In a half-dreaming state, the train pulled into the station platform.

The sleeper carriage remained dim, with only a small yellow light glowing on the side near the seats. The faint, hazy light was accompanied by rustling sounds as a robust man in his thirties, carrying a suitcase, walked over. He lifted a corner of Lin Zhixia's blanket, his hand brushing against her sock. A sudden chill swept over her body, and Lin Zhixia instantly woke up. She sat up abruptly and shouted fiercely, "What are you doing!"

Lin Zeqiu also woke up. He rolled out of bed and asked in an unfriendly tone, "Who are you?"

The stranger reeked of alcohol. He glanced at his ticket and rubbed his chin. "Oops... wrong berth."

Lin Zeqiu radiated menace. Standing nearly 1.9 meters tall with a strong, muscular build, he loomed like a solid mountain in the carriage aisle. Without saying a word, he exuded a fierce, combative aura. The stranger repeatedly apologized, picked up his luggage, and hurried away.

"Brother," Lin Zhixia called to him.

He sat down by her bed. "Go back to sleep, it's fine now. If that guy comes back, I'll break his legs."

Lin Zhixia lay back down.Lin Zeqiu tucked the blanket around her. Clutching her penguin, she lay quietly on her side. He gently patted her back and whispered in the dim light, "You'll be studying abroad alone in an unfamiliar place..."

"I'll adapt," Lin Zhixia replied. "Don't worry about me."

His hand rested on the blanket. "You've become braver than before. When you were little, you'd cry when strangers frightened you."

Lin Zhixia fell silent, drifting drowsily into dreams. At 4:30 in the morning, she woke once and was surprised to find Lin Zeqiu still sitting on the edge of her bed. He held a book, flipping through it repeatedly. She asked, "Have you been up all night?"

He said, "I lay down for a while but couldn't sleep."

Lin Zhixia hugged her penguin tighter. "Brother..."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

He responded, "I'm your own brother. There's no need for thanks."

Lin Zhixia felt that since her brother started university, their sibling relationship had improved dramatically—evolving from their childhood pattern of "small arguments every three days, big fights every five days" to their current state of "harmonious coexistence and mutual devotion." Their parents would surely be deeply comforted.

After returning home, Lin Zhixia grabbed her mother's wrist and said, "Mom, Brother and I have grown up. We don't argue anymore."

Her mother praised them, "Mom knows you're both good children."

They stood in the clean, tidy living room. A refreshing cool breeze blew in from the balcony, summer cicadas chirped incessantly, and the familiar aroma of home-cooked food wafted from the kitchen. Lin Zhixia felt completely relaxed, her mood lifting further. She dragged her suitcase into her bedroom and began organizing her clothes.

Her mother came over to help.

Dad was still in the living room talking with her brother.

Lin Zhixia remembered something important. She revealed, "Mom, Mom, I earned money from selling software—370,000 in total. I spent 4,000 on a phone for Brother, leaving 366,000. Let's use it for a down payment on a house."

Her mother was speechless with surprise for a long moment. Tears welled in her eyes as she praised her daughter repeatedly, then called over her husband and son. All four family members gathered in the bedroom to discuss how to handle the substantial sum.

Contrary to Lin Zhixia's expectations, her parents and brother all disagreed with buying a house. They unanimously believed that since Lin Zhixia would be pursuing her doctorate abroad, the 360,000 should serve as her emergency fund.

Dad said earnestly, "Xia Xia, your mother and I have lived here for almost twenty years—we're used to it. You'll be studying overseas, and everything costs money there..."

"I have a scholarship," Lin Zhixia declared.

But her mother said, "Your dad recently read a book about a group of students who went to study in America last century. Those students came from poor families—they suffered hardships abroad, were bullied by foreign landlords, and had to wash dishes in Chinese restaurants. Your dad's afraid you'll end up washing dishes overseas too."

Dad sighed.

Lin Zhixia was stunned.

She repeatedly emphasized, "I won't be washing dishes. I want to go to Cambridge because they have a quantum research group with a chemistry focus. There's still controversy over current Quantum Chip materials—I want to approach the problem from a different angle. Besides, when top universities hire faculty, their job postings often state 'candidates with overseas study or work experience are preferred'...""Where will you go to be a professor after graduation?" Lin Zeqiu asked.

Lin Zhixia laid out her plans: "I want to be a teacher at the best university in our province."

The best university in their province ranked among the top five nationwide.

Lin Zhixia said with anticipation: "I can become colleagues with Professor Shen Zhaohua and Sister Zhu Chan."

Lin Zeqiu had a premonition that his younger sister would become a young professor. If he pursued graduate studies at the best university in their province, he might even have the chance to audit Lin Zhixia's classes. He shuddered at the thought and fell silent.

The family's supermarket temporarily closed for an hour, as both Mom and Dad were too distracted to work. Lin Zhixia and Lin Zeqiu hadn't been home for too long, and their return was like two little birds returning to the nest, making their parents want to protect them under their wings by any means possible.

During the few days Lin Zhixia and her brother were home, Mom and Dad attended to them with meticulous care. Moreover, because Lin Zhixia had earned a lot of money, Mom was so overjoyed that the whole family enjoyed shrimp dumplings for three consecutive days. Mom made plenty of dumplings, and Lin Zhixia ate to her heart's content.

On the day of their departure, Lin Zhixia was especially reluctant to part with Mom and Dad. But she had to move forward for her future. Holding her brother's hand, she bid farewell to her parents at the train station. After the siblings had walked a long distance, Lin Zhixia looked back and saw her parents still standing outside the station, braving the scorching sun as they gazed into the distance.

Summer continued.

The heat of July and August was relentless, but fortunately, the school's Laboratory had air conditioning.

Lin Zhixia immersed herself in the Laboratory, dedicating her efforts to researching the "state maintenance strategy for superconducting quantum circuits." After delving into this field for several months, it was harvest season. After repeatedly verifying the experimental data, she began drafting her paper—this article received Teacher Gu's approval, who said that once she finished writing it, she could submit it to Physical Review Letters .

Physical Review Letters is a top-tier journal in the field of physics.

Lin Zhixia was highly motivated. She worked on her paper with great energy every day.

The topic of this paper originally belonged to Tan Qianche, but his research methods differed somewhat from Lin Zhixia's, and his experimental results were significantly inferior to hers—because of this, Tan Qianche specifically sought out Lin Zhixia for advice, and their discussions lasted an entire week.

Lin Zhixia incorporated some of Tan Qianche's suggestions and slightly improved her experiments. She politely said, "Thank you, I'll add your name to the paper's author list."

Tan Qianche replied nonchalantly, "That's not necessary. I already have over a dozen first-author papers."

Lin Zhixia calmly responded, "Teacher Gu said that my article provides a comprehensive analysis of superconducting quantum circuits, with far-reaching implications, and it could make it into Physical Review Letters ."

Tan Qianche's mouth twitched, but he maintained his composure: " Physical Review Letters is a good journal..."

He couldn't continue after that. He felt that Lin Zhixia's current academic level wasn't far behind his—it might even be on par with his. Her progress was astonishingly fast. Any knowledge she had seen or heard, she would never forget.He changed his tone and said, "Work a bit harder and finish your paper early. If it gets accepted, this article will be your biggest achievement so far, and a small step forward. You can produce even better work in the future."

"I know," Lin Zhixia replied, facing the screen and typing on the keyboard. "I'm sixteen, and there's a long road ahead."

She's only sixteen, Tan Qianche thought to himself.

What was he doing when he was sixteen? He couldn't help but think of Wei Ruoxing again. He walked out of the lab building and went downstairs for a smoke.

During the summer break, their campus was open to the public for visits. Anyone could enter for free with a prior reservation. Tan Qianche saw quite a few tourists, and some bold girls even struck up conversations with him, asking for his phone number and whether he was a college student.

He lied and said he wasn't.

He claimed he had dropped out of middle school, his family had no money, he had been married for years, had children, and enjoyed a happy life with a loving father and filial children.

A few days earlier, Tan Qianche had stayed up for three nights to finish a paper. Now, he was unshaven and disheveled. The breeze ruffled his cotton T-shirt as he held a cigarette between his lips and clutched a plastic lighter in his hand, giving off a roguish, simple, and sloppy vibe.

Just then, a boy of about sixteen or seventeen approached from the opposite direction. The boy was neatly dressed, exceptionally handsome, and strikingly good-looking. Tan Qianche raised an eyebrow and called out to him, "Jiang Yubai, are you here to see Lin Zhixia?"

Jiang Yubai had never set foot in Lin Zhixia's university before. He was about to go abroad and wanted to take a look. He hadn't informed Lin Zhixia because he knew she was busy and might not have time to entertain him.

Jiang Yubai briefly explained the situation. Tan Qianche had initially believed that Lin Zhixia should focus entirely on her studies and avoid getting involved with anyone—but he detected a uniquely youthful innocence in Jiang Yubai.

The word "innocence" felt distant to Tan Qianche.

After finishing his cigarette, Tan Qianche turned and went back into the lab building to pass a message to Lin Zhixia. Jiang Yubai waited outside for a few minutes before Lin Zhixia appeared. She rushed out of the elevator and ran toward him: "Why didn't you call me?"

He had a valid reason: "Didn't want to disturb you."

Under the dense shade of the trees, he smiled self-deprecatingly and said, "Still couldn't resist seeing you."

Lin Zhixia reached out and hooked her pinky finger with his: "Wait one more year, and we'll be at the same school again."

As she initiated their pinky promise, he added, "School is starting soon. I'm planning to go abroad next week."

"Can you come back during the Christmas break this year?" Lin Zhixia asked cautiously.

Unlike before, Jiang Yubai didn't readily agree to her request. He pretended to hesitate and said, "What if I can't come back…"

Lin Zhixia patted his shoulder: "Then stay there and focus on your studies."

Jiang Yubai had half-expected to hear Lin Zhixia say, "I'll miss you so much," but it seemed his strategy had backfired. Nevertheless, Lin Zhixia made time in her busy schedule to show Jiang Yubai around her university campus.

They explored every corner of the school, and she even bought him ice cream from the supermarket. They sat on a bench by the lake, the summer heat of August rising and falling in waves. Lin Zhixia pointed to a path in front of them and said, "I walk this way every morning and evening. It's the route from my dorm to the lab building."Jiang Yubai pointed to a nearby tree: "If I were this tree, I'd greet you every morning and evening."

Lin Zhixia held a strawberry ice cream cone, the melting cream nearly dripping onto her dress: "Are you... writing poetry, or talking to me?"

Maybe it's a love poem, Jiang Yubai thought.

So he replied: "Both."

Lin Zhixia immediately declared: "I have something to tell you."

Smelling the strawberry fragrance, she was about to bravely confess her feelings when a group of tourists suddenly appeared on the path—parents with children. They chattered continuously, taking photos everywhere, their laughter and noise filling the air. The lakeside area was no longer quiet and secluded, so Lin Zhixia abandoned her confession plan.

Jiang Yubai waited for a while, but Lin Zhixia remained silent. He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd missed something important.

That noon, Lin Zhixia invited Jiang Yubai to have lunch at the school cafeteria. After the meal, she personally walked him to the school gate and watched him get into the car. With Lin Zhixia's paper submission deadline approaching and Jiang Yubai soon going abroad, they probably wouldn't meet again until December this year.

The car started, wheels speeding away, the distance between them growing.

Lin Zhixia stood by the roadside for a few minutes, then cast aside all melancholy and raced back to the laboratory building against the clock.

The day Lin Zhixia completed her first draft happened to be September 1st—the university's "Freshman Welcome Day."

Both Deng Shasha and Feng Yuan had volunteered for the "Freshman Welcome Day" activities. Around noon, Deng Shasha called Lin Zhixia, begging her to bring a pancake from the cafeteria. She claimed she was fighting on the front lines, caring for every new student while secretly checking if the mathematics department had admitted any handsome freshmen.

After buying the pancake, Deng Shasha called again. She laughed heartily: "Heaven rewards the diligent! I've found a really handsome one! He's so good-looking, just a bit thin. This eighteen-year-old freshman is quite outstanding..."

Then Deng Shasha provided live commentary: "I saw his name—Shen Fuxuan... Oh, his friend isn't bad either. This is hilarious, his friend is wearing a T-shirt with our school emblem printed on it. They're both from your hometown... How does your hometown keep producing batches of beauties? I'm thinking of moving there after graduation."