Xue Jiao sat down beside them. Xu Jing didn't quite approve, but since Zheng Jiakun had already agreed, she didn't say anything.
In her heart, however, she believed Xue Jiao wouldn't be of any help.
If these calculations were simple arithmetic that anyone could do, why would they be sitting here?
They might as well just program a computer to do it.
These calculus calculations required accompanying diagrams.
How could Xue Jiao, who hadn't studied advanced mathematics or analytic geometry, possibly know how to do them?
Xu Jing shook her head and stopped paying attention to her.
She and Zheng Jiakun had to complete all the calculations today and deliver the data to the graduate office.
The workload was immense—these tedious yet complex calculations were extremely time and energy-consuming.
Zheng Jiakun was fast. Xu Jing knew he would be the main force tonight, while she was just assisting.
"Senior, I think the division of labor and cooperation among the other seniors today is prone to issues. Also, since our progress differs, let's each calculate everything once. That way, we can cross-check the data. Verify every five calculations—this should minimize errors," Zheng Jiakun said seriously, adjusting his glasses.
Xu Jing's face flushed slightly as she stammered, "I'll definitely be slower than you..."
Cross-checking every five calculations... There was no way she could keep up with this speed demon!
She knew all too well how terrifying Zheng Jiakun could be.
"It's fine. After you finish, you can use your data to check mine," Zheng Jiakun paused, then added, "Gu Xue Jiao too."
"Won't that take a long time?" Xu Jing asked again.
Zheng Jiakun sighed. "No choice. We have to do it this way. The results must be ready today—they're needed tomorrow."
With that, he lowered his head and began calculating.
Seeing Zheng Jiakun had already started, Xu Jing hurriedly bent over her own work.
If it were someone else with similar progress, they could collaborate. But Zheng Jiakun's speed was on another level. Xu Jing couldn't keep up, so this was the only way...
Xue Jiao didn't rush to start writing. She first reviewed the material.
Actually, Xue Jiao knew how these calculations should be done—she had watched the seniors work on them before.
But she wasn't in a hurry to begin. Instead, she flipped open her analytic geometry textbook to a few specific pages and carefully reread them.
Xu Jing happened to look up and saw Xue Jiao reading. Her frown deepened.
She actually needs to consult a textbook while doing this!
Does this person think university-level math is like elementary school arithmetic?
Xu Jing shook her head and returned to her calculations.
The workload was too heavy. She didn't dare waste a single second—she didn't want to keep Zheng Jiakun waiting too long.
Xue Jiao didn't know what Xu Jing thought after that glance, but even if she had, she wouldn't have cared.
She had encountered geometry-related concepts during her second year of high school while preparing for math competitions. Once you grasped the fundamentals, the applications might differ, but the core principles remained the same. Moreover, during her recent video calls with Lin Zhihua, she had intentionally discussed relevant calculation methods with him.
Xue Jiao wasn't rushing to start calculating for two reasons: first, to be absolutely certain, and second, to clarify any remaining uncertainties before proceeding.
Ten minutes later, Xue Jiao closed her book and picked up her pen.
Beside her, Zheng Jiakun had already finished three time segments, while Xu Jing had just completed the first one. Anxiety gnawed at her.But her gaze uncontrollably returned to Xue Jiao. Was she... starting to calculate?
Xue Jiao's speed was fast—her pen, like Zheng Jiakun's, barely paused. Beside her, geometric shapes were sketched on scrap paper.
Her lips moved slightly.
Xu Jing's pupils constricted. She was calculating mentally!
She must be guessing randomly! There's no way she could solve it!
Xu Jing told herself this, then hurriedly lowered her head to focus on her own work when she saw Zheng Jiakun already starting the fourth time segment.
Half an hour later, Xu Jing finished the fourth segment and looked up.
Across from her, Zheng Jiakun's table already had ten entries filled in! Beside him lay ten sheets of calculated data.
Xu Jing shot him an admiring glance before shifting her gaze to Xue Jiao...
Seven?!
How was that possible?!
Xu Jing stared in disbelief, instinctively craning her neck to see—was she just making it up?!
Her lips parted slightly before she abruptly stood up, watching as Xue Jiao pointed at data with her left hand, sketched graphs with her right, and silently mouthed calculations before writing down the eighth segment's result.
"Gu Xue Jiao! You're this fast?!" Xu Jing blurted, unwilling to believe it.
Xue Jiao, absorbed in calculations, looked up blankly. "Huh?"
"There's no way you're this quick!" Xu Jing reached out. "Let me see your data sheet."
Xue Jiao handed over her filled table. Xu Jing scanned the first four entries with shock...
Correct...
"Let me check." Zheng Jiakun took the sheet from Xu Jing's stiff hands.
After reviewing it, his brows relaxed. "All correct."
Pausing, he dragged his chair next to Xue Jiao. "Gu Xue Jiao, let's collaborate."
"Eh?" Xue Jiao blinked.
"I'll calculate the eleventh segment. You start the twelfth slightly after me, then give me your twelfth segment's data so I can begin the thirteenth—this way we'll overlap efficiently."
Xue Jiao understood. Each time segment had four data points, each serving as input for the next segment. Zheng Jiakun would solve the first point; Xue Jiao would use it to start the next segment's first point. By the time he finished the second point, she'd need it for her calculations.
When he began the thirteenth segment, Xue Jiao's twelfth segment data would be ready, allowing her to proceed to the fourteenth.
This was the most time-efficient arrangement, but...
It required perfectly matched calculation speeds!
"Alright, let's begin." Xue Jiao nodded.
Xu Jing's jaw dropped further, her expression stunned.
"Then what about me—"
"Your speed can't keep up. Xue Jiao and I will handle it." Zheng Jiakun's bluntness was brutal.
Xu Jing: "..."
Her face flushed crimson.
Zheng Jiakun had already lowered his head to work. Xue Jiao followed suit without distraction—she wanted to finish early and go home.
Xu Jing refused to believe Xue Jiao could truly keep pace, especially since she hadn't even taken university-level math!
But Zheng Jiakun wouldn't lie... and Xue Jiao had already solved seven segments.
All... correctly...
Their collaboration proved Xue Jiao could match Zheng Jiakun's speed.
Xu Jing stood rigidly, watching the duo work with astonishing, uninterrupted efficiency.
"3.6," Zheng Jiakun announced upon solving a data point.
"Mm." Xue Jiao acknowledged and began graphing.Xu Jing stared blankly, having initially thought that the only "freak" she'd encountered in her life was Zheng Jiakun. Now, another such "freak"...
Had appeared!
She sat there dazedly, watching the two of them.
One pointed at data with their left hand, drew diagrams with their right, calculating mentally.
The other pointed at data with their left hand, drew diagrams with their right, calculating aloud.
Both worked at astonishing speed—Xue Jiao... actually managed to keep up with Zheng Jiakun's computational pace...
Xu Jing glanced at her own scribbled notebook and the few scattered data sheets beside it, gradually sinking into silence.
At nine in the evening, Zheng Jiakun set down his pen. "Done?"
Xue Jiao didn't look up, her hands still moving swiftly.
A moment later, she stopped. "Done."
Zheng Jiakun picked up the sheet between them, filled with both their handwriting, and examined it carefully.
Soon, his brow relaxed, and a look of relief crossed his face. "All set."
Xue Jiao stretched her stiff back and smiled. "Great!"
"You're impressive, Gu Xue Jiao," Zheng Jiakun remarked.
Xue Jiao shook her head earnestly. "I'm just good at calculations. You're the one who excels in every aspect."
Zheng Jiakun didn't respond further, noticing Xu Jing nearby. His voice carried mild surprise—
"Senior, why are you still here?"
Xu Jing: "..."
She didn't know why she had stayed to watch their collaborative calculations either...
Xu Jing was at a loss for words, utterly stunned.
Her voice came out hoarse and weak. "You're both incredible..."
Having witnessed their entire process, she was completely awed.
"I'm heading to the office. See you." Zheng Jiakun bid them farewell and walked away.
"Senior, I'm heading home too."
Xue Jiao grabbed her books and hurried to pack her bag. It was already nine—Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong were probably worried.
And... it was time for her video call with Lin Zhihua. She needed to message him quickly to let him know, so he wouldn't be kept waiting.
Even if he insisted he wasn't busy, Xue Jiao didn't want to waste his time.
Hmm... she could pause the tutoring sessions for now. She could manage the rest on her own.
Xue Jiao rushed out of the office in a hurry.
Xu Jing: "..."
What had she said earlier?
That Gu Xue Jiao wasn't up to it?
Now she realized...
It was she who wasn't up to it.
Those who won first prizes in math competitions and were specially recruited by Teacher Tan into the office...
Were clearly anything but ordinary!
That night, after returning home and having dinner, Xue Jiao went straight to her room.
[Lin Zhihua: Still up for discussing today?]
Xue Jiao did have a few questions left. Her eyes lit up as she quickly replied—
[You have time?]
Soon, a video call came through, which she answered immediately.
Lin Zhihua's smiling face appeared, clearly in high spirits. "I haven't been busy lately. Evenings are free—work will pick up toward year-end."
"Being the boss does have its perks..." Xue Jiao mused.
Lin Zhihua smirked. "Would you like to be one, then?"
Xue Jiao shook her head vigorously. "No thanks. I just want to focus on math. By the way, Lin Zhihua, today at the office, I helped calculate some data. While drawing the diagrams, I suddenly felt they looked familiar, almost like... like..."
She frowned, unable to recall just then.
Inspiration was fleeting—she couldn't grasp it at the moment."If you can't remember, don't worry. You'll recall it somewhere else later," Lin Zhihua said.
Xue Jiao nodded, put her bag down, and took out paper and a pen.
"By the way, today's calculation was actually fundamentally similar to a problem you gave me back in my second year of high school. But now the difficulty has increased tenfold. Still, when using calculus, it wasn't that hard anymore. Indeed, the more you learn, the easier those problems that used to take two pages to solve become."
Lin Zhihua chuckled lightly: "Of course. That's why we say the sea of learning has no bounds. What you could solve back then should naturally be solvable now that you've encountered better methods."
"That makes sense," Xue Jiao agreed with a nod. "Oh, I also ran into another problem today..."
The two began discussing.
Downstairs, Cheng Shuo looked seriously at Li Sitong and slowly opened his mouth—
"I suspect Jiao Jiao is dating someone."
Li Sitong nearly spat out her water, her face shocked as she pressed, "What?! With whom?"
Cheng Shuo's expression remained grave: "Lin Zhihua."
"Impossible!" Li Sitong instinctively refuted, unwilling to believe it.
"How is it impossible?" Cheng Shuo frowned deeply, staring at Li Sitong.
Li Sitong hesitated before saying, "Lin Zhihua is afraid of women..."
"Does he look like he has a problem? Does he seem scared of Jiao Jiao? That day on the plane, they were so close!" Cheng Shuo looked exasperated.
With Li Sitong and Xue Jiao's emotional intelligence, even if a wolf came into the house and carried the child away, they'd still think it was a sheep!
At this thought, Cheng Shuo's pupils suddenly constricted—
"They knew each other before!!"
"Huh?"
"At Xue Jiao's second-year gathering, I thought it was strange that Lin Zhihua, who supposedly couldn't interact with women, shook hands with Jiao Jiao. Turns out he had his eye on her back then!!" Cheng Shuo was so angry he could pound his chest in frustration, blaming himself for being so blind.
The wolf had been by their side for two years, and he'd only just noticed!
"Lin Zhihua definitely has feelings for Jiao Jiao!"
"Ah? How can you be so sure?" Li Sitong still seemed doubtful.
After all, Lin Zhihua and Xue Jiao...
They were two people who seemed completely unrelated!
"Jiao Jiao is on video calls with someone every night. Today she came back so late and barely ate before rushing upstairs—she must be video-calling Lin Zhihua!" Cheng Shuo said with utmost seriousness.
"Ah?"
"Sitong, we don't even know what they're talking about. Since they're still on the call, I'm going up to stop them!"
Li Sitong blinked: "Catch them in the act?"
Cheng Shuo: "…………"
Li Sitong probably realized she'd used the wrong phrase and scratched her head. "I don't think Jiao Jiao and Lin Zhihua could be like that. It's just that Jiao Jiao saved her, so they have a connection..."
"I trust a man's intuition," Cheng Shuo said firmly.
"Then should we go up and check?" Li Sitong ventured.
"Let's go!" Cheng Shuo, filled with anger, led Li Sitong upstairs to "catch them in the act."
Xue Jiao's door was tightly shut.
Li Sitong mouthed silently, "The door's closed..."
Cheng Shuo reached out and tried the handle—it wasn't locked.
"You open it," Cheng Shuo mouthed back.
"Huh?" Li Sitong paused, then understood.
Since Cheng Shuo was a man, she should open the door first to make sure Xue Jiao wasn't changing clothes or anything before they both entered.
Once she figured it out, she pushed the door open with force.
Inside, Lin Zhihua's voice was clear—"Jiao Jiao, your interpretation of the Euler equation is correct. Although it's different from the textbook approach, it's more concise."
Xue Jiao held her pen, her expression serious.
Li Sitong: "..."
Cheng Shuo: "..."
Xue Jiao felt gazes on her back and turned around, slightly startled.
"Dad? Mom?"
Cheng Shuo's face came into view as well, both he and Li Sitong wearing awkward smiles.
"Did you need something?" Xue Jiao asked curiously.
Cheng Shuo opened his mouth but ultimately just smiled and said, "Don't... study too late... get some rest..."
"Okay."
"Then we won't disturb you. Goodnight." Cheng Shuo closed the door and led Li Sitong away.
Inside the room, Xue Jiao looked puzzled as she turned back. "What was that about my parents...?"
She was both curious and confused.
On the video call, Lin Zhihua wore an expression that suggested he understood everything but chose not to comment.
What was going on?
Definitely nothing good!
Outside the door.
Li Sitong pouted: "See? Jiao Jiao and Lin Zhihua are completely innocent. Why are you so suspicious?"
"What do you mean I'm suspicious?" Cheng Shuo's eyes widened.
Then he couldn't help but sigh in frustration.
"Ah, Jiao Jiao really inherited your emotional intelligence. Innocent? A man like Lin Zhihua whose every second is worth a fortune, wasting his evenings tutoring Jiao Jiao—only someone with your and Jiao Jiao's emotional intelligence would believe that!"
"Huh?" Li Sitong looked bewildered. "But didn't Jiao Jiao save Lin Zhihua's life? And aren't they good friends? What's wrong with helping each other?"
Cheng Shuo covered his face. "If he didn't have ulterior motives toward Jiao Jiao, someone like Lin Zhihua would have repaid his debt long ago if anyone else had saved him! Friends? I don't buy it."
"Then what should we do?" Their long relationship made Li Sitong instinctively trust Cheng Shuo's judgment.
Cheng Shuo gritted his teeth. "I'm going to meet with Lin Zhihua! Jiao Jiao clearly doesn't have those feelings yet. We need to stop whatever he's plotting!"
Li Sitong looked dazed: "...Oh."
After a moment, she added, "But Jiao Jiao has already graduated high school and is about to start college. She couldn't date before, but now it wouldn't matter, right?"
Cheng Shuo: "..."
He clenched his teeth. "Just not Lin Zhihua!"
Lin Zhihua's power and cunning ran too deep. If Xue Jiao got involved with him,
Cheng Shuo feared he wouldn't be able to protect her if she ever got hurt or was in trouble.
Thus, Cheng Shuo arranged to meet Lin Zhihua.
The appointment was set for the following afternoon.
Lin Zhihua agreed.
At noon that day, Lin Zhihua changed into a brand-new suit and carefully styled his hair.
"Boss..." Tan Qi couldn't help speaking up. Unlike the steady Chen Yan, he struggled to control his emotions.
"Hmm?"
"Who are you meeting with today?" After all this preparation, just who was this important person?
Lin Zhihua checked his reflection—impeccably dressed, dignified yet youthful, flawless in every way.
He raised an eyebrow, smiling. "My future father-in-law."
Tan Qi: "......" ????
What?
He wondered if he'd misheard.
Lin Zhihua said no more, and despite his shock, Tan Qi didn't dare ask further.
Just then, Chen Yan returned.
"Boss, everything is prepared."
Tan Qi stared in surprise at the man following Chen Yan—the renowned top lawyer, Attorney Zhou.
Meeting the father-in-law...
Why bring a lawyer?!Lin Zhihua glanced at the time and chuckled lightly, "Let's go. Can't keep my father-in-law waiting."
With that, he strode off.
Lawyer Zhou immediately followed, clutching his briefcase.
Tan Qi grabbed Chen Yan, "Secretary Chen! Secretary Chen! Is the boss really meeting his father-in-law? Why bring a lawyer? Give me a hint, quick!"
Chen Yan frowned expressionlessly, gently brushing off his hand, and only said, "Tan Qi, you'd better be as quiet as a chicken today. If you ruin the boss's big plans, you—"
He made a slicing motion across his neck.
It was a rare moment of playfulness from Chen Yan, but Tan Qi shuddered in fear.
Chen Yan walked away, and Tan Qi quickly followed obediently.
Sometimes, arriving late isn't what makes one imposing.
For instance, today, Cheng Shuo planned to arrive early so he could mock Lin Zhihua when the latter arrived.
Thus, he brought Li Sitong with him, arriving half an hour early.
Yet, when they reached the door, someone was already standing outside the private room—Tan Qi, Lin Zhihua's assistant.
Pushing the door open, they found three more people inside.
"Uncle Cheng, you're here," Lin Zhihua said with a smile, standing up and pulling out a chair.
The momentum Cheng Shuo had prepared to seize the initiative was stifled, leaving him speechless.
"Oh, no need to be so polite," Li Sitong said, her eyes crinkling with laughter.
Cheng Shuo tugged at her, and she quickly composed herself.
As they sat down, Chen Yan respectfully brought over the tea, and Lin Zhihua personally poured water for Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong.
Cheng Shuo felt even more stifled...
"Why bring so many people? Looking for a fight?" He couldn't help but nitpick.
Lin Zhihua remained unruffled, smiling as he replied, "They're just here to bear witness later."
"Witness what?"
"What I say today," Lin Zhihua answered, still smiling faintly.
Cheng Shuo stared at him for a moment before snorting, "Fine, I'll cut to the chase. Stay away from Jiao Jiao. You two aren't suited for each other."
"Why not?" Lin Zhihua countered.
"You're too old!"
"Uncle Cheng, I'm twenty-seven this year." Twenty-seven—hardly old...
"But you're nine years older than Jiao Jiao!" Cheng Shuo glared.
Lin Zhihua gazed at the tea before him, his eyes growing profound—
"Isn't it better that I'm older than her? I've already experienced the hardships she'll face in life, walked the paths she hasn't yet tread. In the days to come, I'll shield her through life's rough patches, clear the thorns from her path, gently guide her when she strays, and protect her when she hits a wall—sparing her from harm."
He looked up, his expression earnest, "I'm only nine years older than her."
"Jiao Jiao should be with someone her own age, someone who shares her aspirations, not someone out of her league," Cheng Shuo said sharply.
Lin Zhihua remained just as earnest, "But I'm not out of her league. No matter how high I stand, I'm willing to step down for her."
He paused, mentioning someone he'd rather not, "Being the same age isn't necessarily a good thing. Yi Tianyu sat beside Jiao Jiao for two years, and even if she had some feelings for him, she still turned him down. Someone her age would only burden her with immaturity. Though Jiao Jiao may be petite, her heart is that of a soaring eagle. She's mature and rational in her thinking. I'm willing to fly alongside her—others can't."
Lin Zhihua had always known why Yi Tianyu lost. He was grateful that when he met Jiao Jiao, he was already the best version of himself.Cheng Shuo froze, unaware that Xue Jiao had also rejected Yi Tianyu...
After a moment, he opened his mouth: "But you... you..."
His face flushed red, unable to speak.
"Hmm?"
Cheng Shuo held his breath before speaking: "Your health!"
Lin Zhihua's lips twitched slightly: "My health is fine, Chen Yan."
He called Chen Yan's name, and the man respectfully produced several sheets of paper.
Lin Zhihua took them, placed them on the table, and pushed them forward.
"These are my complete medical reports. I'm perfectly healthy."
"But the rumors..." Li Sitong interjected.
Lin Zhihua's lips curved slightly as he thought of Xue Jiao, his smile transforming into something different—
"That's because I hadn't met someone I wanted to be close to. As for the rumors... why bother with them?"
Li Sitong's face showed sudden understanding.
All these years, Lin Zhihua had never explained himself, merely avoiding women, which only made the rumors grow more outrageous.
Cheng Shuo studied Lin Zhihua. As a man, he recognized the other's sincerity, but as a father, he still wanted to find fault.
After struggling for a moment, Cheng Shuo said—
"But if Jiao Jiao is with you, I can't guarantee her future. Your influence is too great—I wouldn't be able to stand up for her!"
He preferred Jiao Jiao to be with an ordinary man, someone he could always support her against.
But if it was Lin Zhihua... dealing with them would be too easy. He wouldn't even be able to offer Jiao Jiao any backing or help.
Lin Zhihua smiled—the broadest smile he'd shown since arriving today—
"Uncle Cheng, in the future, I'll be the one standing up for Jiao Jiao."
Cheng Shuo froze.
Lin Zhihua continued: "If you still don't believe me, look at this. Lawyer Zhou."
"Right away!" Lawyer Zhou stood and produced a stack of documents.
He took out the first one: "After Mr. Lin Zhihua and Ms. Gu Xue Jiao marry, all of Mr. Lin's real estate holdings, including properties and other fixed assets worth 1.1 billion, will be transferred to Ms. Gu Xue Jiao's name."
He produced the second document: "All assets under Mr. Lin Zhihua's name, including the Lin Group, will become jointly owned marital property."
He presented the third: "Mr. Lin Zhihua pledges that if he wrongs Ms. Gu Xue Jiao—such as through infidelity—he will leave the marriage with nothing."
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