To comfort Deng Shasha, Lin Zhixia promised: "If you encounter difficult problems, you can take photos with your phone and send them to me. As long as I see them, I will definitely reply."
Deng Shasha responded with a nasal "Mm-hmm."
Lin Zhixia also left a handwritten letter for each of her roommates. Her wording was exceptionally gentle and sincere, each sentence inspiring enough to genuinely move Deng Shasha to tears.
By the end of June that year, Lin Zhixia was about to leave campus.
Before her departure, Lin Zhixia made a special trip to the Quantum Computing Laboratory, where Teacher Gu Likai happened to be present. Lin Zhixia greeted all the senior students, fellow researchers, and teachers, thanking them for their care over the past three years. Teacher Gu then announced he would treat everyone to lunch, partly as a farewell for Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia instinctively asked: "Are we going to the cafeteria now?"
"Not the cafeteria," Teacher Gu said. "We're going to Beihua Hot Pot."
"Beihua Hot Pot" was a relatively famous restaurant nearby, known for its flavorful mutton, fatty beef, and fried sesame cakes.
Lin Zhixia cheerfully followed the group to the restaurant. Along the way, everyone chatted and laughed, with Yang Shuwen appearing even happier than Lin Zhixia. Beaming with a radiant smile, he repeatedly confirmed: "Lin Zhixia, you're graduating and going home in a couple of days?"
"That's right," Lin Zhixia replied.
Yang Shuwen felt an unprecedented sense of relief.
Lin Zhixia added: "I'm the college's graduate representative. I'll be giving a speech on stage tomorrow."
Yang Shuwen showed no surprise at all.
Having worked with Lin Zhixia in the same laboratory for three years, he had witnessed her rapid progress firsthand. She was intelligent, studious, clear about her goals, patient, and hardworking. All her peers believed her future would be bright and promising.
During lunch, Yang Shuwen even ordered a bottle of beer. He clinked glasses with Lin Zhixia, quietly celebrating her graduation.
A Yuan-Yang pot sat steaming on the table, charcoal embers radiating heat that kept the broth boiling vigorously. As Lin Zhixia added a large plate of mutton and beef to the pot, Tan Qianche suddenly remarked: "The cost of living abroad is high, and cafeteria meals are expensive. A single meal in Cambridge would cost at least several dozen RMB. You'll probably have to learn to cook for yourself... Going overseas before adulthood means you'll have to take care of yourself alone."
Lin Zhixia dismissed this lightly: "It's fine, I've grown up already."
Tan Qianche took a sip of beer and didn't continue the conversation.
Teacher Gu sat directly across from Lin Zhixia. Thick steam rose like white mist, blurring the tables and chairs. After wiping his glasses with a napkin, Teacher Gu said: "Studying abroad isn't easy. When you face difficulties, try to overcome them, build a solid academic foundation, and avoid rushing for quick success. I heard from you and your senior that you plan to complete your PhD in two years..."
"Yes," Lin Zhixia admitted.
Teacher Gu advised her: "You have a sharp mind—one of the best thinkers I've ever taught. The standards for a PhD are far different from undergraduate studies. Follow the natural course, read more, practice more, don't be impatient, and success will come naturally."
These words not only encouraged Lin Zhixia but also comforted Yang Shuwen.
Yang Shuwen felt a surge of emotion: "Teacher Gu, if I follow the natural course, read more, and practice more, can I achieve instant success in physics?"
Teacher Gu smiled faintly: "That advice was for your junior sister."
What did that mean?
Could his junior sister follow the natural course while he could only leave things to fate?So far, Yang Shuwen had also published two papers. His citation count was relatively low, less than one-tenth of Lin Zhixia's. However, he benefited from having strong backing—their research group's output was exceptionally prolific, and Tan Qianche was particularly willing to mentor him. As long as he clung tightly to Tan Qianche, he was sure to graduate smoothly.
Yang Shuwen cast a grateful glance toward Tan Qianche.
Tan Qianche continued eating in silence. His personality was full of contrasts—sometimes cheerful and optimistic, other times gloomy and melancholic. Yang Shuwen quietly advised him, "Your junior is graduating. You should be happier, or else when she looks back on this day, she'll only remember your sullen face."
Tan Qianche pursed his lips into a smile. "Lin Zhixia."
Lin Zhixia looked up. "Senior."
"Study hard abroad, and don't slack off," he urged earnestly.
"Your junior knows what to do," Teacher Gu interjected to smooth things over.
After noon, the restaurant gradually filled with more customers, and no empty seats remained nearby. The atmosphere grew increasingly lively. The hotpot broth was refilled twice, and Lin Zhixia ate until she was full. The other seniors also set down their chopsticks. Teacher Gu called for the bill, stood up, and paid by card. His temples were graying, and he was slightly stooped, but his steps remained steady as he walked ahead of all the students, like an untiring guide.
Outside, the sunlight was brilliant. The students followed in small groups.
As they approached the school gate, Lin Zhixia formally bid farewell. "I'll head back now. Goodbye."
Everyone waved to her.
Shadows overlapped outside the school gate. Under the gaze of her seniors, she walked away. Her steps were light and unwavering as she moved steadily toward her predetermined path.
The next morning, three people from the Quantum Computing group decided to attend Lin Zhixia's graduation speech—Tan Qianche was one of them.
Tan Qianche always saw a reflection of his younger self in Lin Zhixia. She was spirited and resolute, much like he had been at sixteen or seventeen. Then it suddenly occurred to him that Lin Zhixia was indeed at that very age—a youth with lofty ambitions and no worldly worries, which made perfect sense.
Tan Qianche, Yang Shuwen, and another female doctoral student went together, blending into the graduation ceremony of that year's mathematics department. They arrived just in time, waiting only about ten minutes before the host announced clearly, "Let us welcome the outstanding graduate representative of the Class of 2012, student Lin Zhixia, to the stage."
Deep red curtains hung down, and the auditorium was brightly lit.
Lin Zhixia, draped in a bachelor's gown and wearing a square academic cap, walked slowly onto the stage. She adjusted the microphone, causing the tassel on her cap to sway slightly and brush against her cheek. Unable to control it, she sneezed, prompting a soft wave of laughter from the audience.
Yang Shuwen was far from her. Standing behind the last row of seats, he couldn't clearly see the expression on Lin Zhixia's face. He worried that she might feel embarrassed, forget her lines, or make a public blunder. But Tan Qianche put an arm around his shoulders and revealed, "Her memory is a bit like mine—maybe even better."
Yang Shuwen didn't understand.
Tan Qianche offered no further explanation.
The tassel on the cap stopped swaying, and Lin Zhixia stood straight. She began, "Respected teachers, classmates, and parents, good morning. I am Lin Zhixia, a graduate of the Class of 2012. Today marks our farewell to our alma mater. Starting tomorrow, we will all embark on new journeys..."
Her opening was conventional, and some of the students listened with wandering attention.Yang Shuwen also remarked, "She didn't mention being a genius, nor did she bring up her string of published papers."
"In our physics department," Tan Qianche said with a laugh, "there are quite a few exceptionally talented undergraduates."
Unable to resist asking, Yang Shuwen inquired, "Compared to them, who is stronger—Lin Zhixia or them?"
Tan Qianche still had his arm around Yang Shuwen's shoulder. "Some students are particularly brilliant, but they might not necessarily be inclined toward academia..."
On the podium, Lin Zhixia continued, "I am honored to have been selected as this year's outstanding graduate representative to speak. First, I would like to express my gratitude to my alma mater for its nurturing and for providing me with an excellent environment for growth. Secondly, I want to say that I, too, have gone through periods of uncertainty. Since childhood, I have always ranked first in exams. During my four years of secondary school, my science scores were nearly perfect... After entering university, I encountered many difficulties in my studies. My derivations contained errors, my experiments failed to meet standards, and the materials for the chips I designed remained undecided. For a long time, I did not publish a single paper. I felt anxious, irritable, tense, and suffered from insomnia. For the first time, I felt I was wasting resources, and I realized how deeply I feared failure."
The entire hall fell silent.
She raised her voice, "The goals I initially set for myself were misguided. Later, I finally understood: What standard should I use to evaluate myself? It should be based on my own experiences and accumulated knowledge. This is a three-dimensional standard. Under this framework, both failure and success are multifaceted. Because everyone makes mistakes—perhaps more often than they succeed—and life is a continuous process, the value of any given experience changes over time. Our hopes are eternal and precious; they will accompany us as we forge ahead fearlessly on unknown paths."
At this point, she looked out at the audience and said, "I sincerely wish for everyone to remain forever young, forever resolute in spirit, and to realize all the possibilities within your dreams..."
Yang Shuwen thought Lin Zhixia had finished speaking. He led the applause and even shouted, "Genius!"
Before his voice faded, many students turned to look at him.
Lin Zhixia remained still and silent.
Only then did Yang Shuwen realize—the speech wasn't over yet; Lin Zhixia still had more to say. Unintentionally, he seemed to have disrupted her rhythm. After all, apart from him, no one else had applauded yet.
The back of the auditorium was dimly lit, and Yang Shuwen wished he could vanish into the floor. He turned toward the exit but was stopped by Tan Qianche's hand on his shoulder.
Just then, Lin Zhixia suddenly spoke again, "I have always believed that thought is a precious asset, one that gives meaning to life. And meaning cannot be measured—it involves every individual. If I am a genius, then every student here is a genius. May we, long after leaving our alma mater, continue year after year to pursue equality, self-confidence, and hope."
"Can we applaud this time?" Yang Shuwen asked.
He didn't catch Tan Qianche's reply—their voices were drowned out by the applause filling the auditorium.
Lin Zhixia bowed to the crowd.
It was only then that Tan Qianche remembered what Lin Zhixia had said earlier—that she had grown up.
Lin Zhixia stepped lightly away from the podium. In her mind, she recounted the major events of her university years: she had experienced a Laboratory explosion, earned money by writing software, and published three papers. Most importantly, her understanding of herself and others had grown increasingly clear and bright.Lin Zhixia descended the stairs and walked through the corridor. None of her classmates were present; only senior students in their fourth year remained.
She spotted Luo Ying, Yang Shuwen, Tan Qianche... Without exception, they all faced her and applauded. The sound was like an impassioned anthem, and she followed its rhythm—pausing with each step yet never ceasing to move forward.
Unlike in elementary and middle school, Lin Zhixia was no longer afraid of farewells. She knew that every experience had its end, and the reluctance of each parting would transform into the joy of reunion.
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