For a moment, they thought they had misheard.
Wh... wh... what?!
Wasn't it Yang Zhan inviting Gu Xue Jiao to work on the Riemann Hypothesis? How did it suddenly become Gu Xue Jiao inviting Yang Zhan???
The professors fell silent, all staring dumbfounded at Xue Jiao, who was earnestly talking on the phone.
Clearly, Yang Zhan on the other end was equally stunned: "What?"
Xue Jiao smiled. "A friend invited me to join a project, and we're currently assembling a team. Senior Yang Zhan, would you be interested in learning more? You can decide after reviewing the project proposal."
This was Yang Zhan's first interaction with Xue Jiao, but it was clear she was full of surprises.
So much so that Yang Zhan couldn't help but wonder—what kind of project could possibly make her give up the Riemann Hypothesis?
Xue Jiao quickly recited a string of numbers and added, "Senior Yang Zhan, you can add me on WeChat first. I'll send you the project proposal."
After exchanging a few more words, Xue Jiao hung up.
She returned the phone to Professor Tan. "Thank you, Teacher Tan."
Professor Liu, being straightforward, couldn't hold back. "What's going on? Gu Xue Jiao, are you forming your own team for a project?"
Xue Jiao nodded and explained with a smile, "It's an idea from Chu Sheng in the physics department. We're planning a project related to magnetic levitation."
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Professor Ke interjected, "You're in the math department—why dabble in physics?"
Professor Liu agreed. "Exactly, Gu Xue Jiao. You've already proven Fermat's Last Theorem—why not continue with the Riemann Hypothesis? Why venture into physics? And magnetic levitation? That sounds like something that won't yield results easily!"
Xue Jiao simply smiled. She knew the professors were just venting and didn't elaborate further.
"Gu Xue Jiao, this won't do. You're from our math department—why meddle with physics? There's so much research in mathematics that needs young minds like yours. You can't just—"
"Ahem." Professor Tan, who had been silent until now, raised his hand to quiet the others. He looked at Xue Jiao and asked, "Have you really made up your mind? And you're even pulling Yang Zhan into this physics project?"
Xue Jiao nodded firmly.
Professor Tan hadn't interacted much with Xue Jiao, but even in their brief encounters, he could tell she was a stubborn one.
With a sigh, he asked, "What if Yang Zhan refuses to help? Will you still go through with it?"
"I will." Her resolve was unwavering.
Professor Tan shook his head. "Fine, go ahead."
"Old Tan!" Professor Liu couldn't help but widen his eyes.
Tan Zhongying waved him off, gave him a glance, then turned back to Xue Jiao. "I still hope you remember you're a mathematician. While working on this physics project, don't forget about math. And since this project doesn't seem like a short-term one, my office and lab are always open to you whenever you have time."
"Thank you, Teacher." Xue Jiao was visibly moved.
Professor Tan looked up and nodded at her with a smile, the bond between teacher and student evident.
"Oh, Teacher Tan," Xue Jiao suddenly remembered something.
Professor Tan maintained his smile, trying to stay composed. "What else? Go ahead. If it's something I can help with, I will."Xue Jiao grinned, revealing her teeth. "Here's the thing—this project is mainly about theoretical results, with a large portion involving calculations and modeling. I wanted to ask if Senior Zheng Jiakun would be interested in joining..."
Professor Tan's fingers stiffened, and he forced a smile. "Student Gu Xue Jiao, you should leave for today."
"Huh?" Xue Jiao was taken aback.
Teacher Tan said calmly, "If you don't leave now, I might just hit you..."
Xue Jiao: "..."
Tan Zhongying was so furious he could practically taste blood!
He had finally found Gu Xue Jiao, a promising seedling for the future of mathematics, only for this girl to want to work on a physics project!
Fine. Teacher Tan was an educator who supported his students, so he gritted his teeth and endured it, even mustering words of encouragement through clenched teeth.
And now, this girl wanted to poach another promising student from him??
Was this how she repaid her teacher's kindness?!
—
In the end, it was the student's own decision, and Tan Zhongying couldn't stop Xue Jiao.
What made him even more furious was—when Zheng Jiakun looked at the project proposal in Xue Jiao's hands, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he agreed to give it a try, saying he could always come back if it didn't work out.
He agreed...
Agreed...
Teacher Tan leaned against the door, maintaining a strained smile.
Zheng Jiakun stepped forward, concerned. "Teacher, are you alright?"
Teacher Tan forced another smile, his expression stiff. "I'm fine. I... s-u-p-p-o-r-t you both."
After a pause, he added, "But don't forget, both of you are mathematicians. Mathematicians! It's fine to work on the project, but don't neglect mathematics."
Xue Jiao quickly replied, "Understood."
Zheng Jiakun also nodded. "Understood."
Teacher Tan leaned against the wall as he walked back to his office.
Xue Jiao and Zheng Jiakun exchanged glances. "Senior, let's make sure to come back here often in the future."
Zheng Jiakun: "Agreed."
After bidding farewell to Zheng Jiakun, Xue Jiao called Chu Sheng on her way back to the dorm.
"Chu Sheng, how many people are on our team right now?"
"Two." Chu Sheng's voice carried a hint of embarrassment.
Xue Jiao: "...You and me?"
"Yeah..." Chu Sheng hurriedly explained, "Among our batch of freshmen, I don't think anyone else is up to par yet. As for the capable seniors, none of them are willing to join us—they all have their own projects."
His voice was low. With just him and Xue Jiao on the team, getting started early would be extremely difficult.
Xue Jiao laughed. "Chu Sheng, I managed to recruit a senior from our department to join us!"
Chu Sheng frowned slightly. A math major?
Trusting Xue Jiao, he asked, "Who?"
"Zheng Jiakun."
Chu Sheng: "..."
The other end of the call fell silent. Xue Jiao glanced at her phone in confusion—the call was still connected.
"Ahhhh—Gu Xue Jiao, you're amazing!!!" Chu Sheng rarely lost his composure like this.
Xue Jiao pulled her phone away from her ear to protect her hearing, then added, "Also, I helped invite Yang Zhan for you. I'll set up a group chat later. Whether he joins us or not will depend on how well you can persuade him."
"Yang... Yang Zhan?" Chu Sheng stammered.
Xue Jiao nodded with a smile. "That's right."
"Great, great!" Chu Sheng could only repeat the word as he jumped around excitedly on his end.
Finally, panting, he said, "Gu Xue Jiao, you're really amazing! Thank you."
"What's there to thank me for?" Xue Jiao smirked. "Aren't I a member of this project too?"Chu Sheng also chuckled foolishly. At this moment, he felt particularly grateful for having met Xue Jiao.
"Alright, I'll add you both to a group chat," Xue Jiao said before hanging up.
After adding Yang Zhan and Chu Sheng to the group, Xue Jiao returned to the dormitory, where only Shu Lan was present.
"Huh? Where are Jiajia and Ding Qi?"
Shu Lan turned around, forcing a smile. "They went to the library."
Xue Jiao nodded, then looked at Shu Lan's haggard face and sighed inwardly.
She walked over and gently took Shu Lan's hand. "Shu Lan, when is Yu Cheng leaving?"
Shu Lan's eyes reddened as she bit her lower lip and whispered, "Tomorrow."
"How did you find out?" Xue Jiao was surprised, thinking Shu Lan hadn't known.
"I called... his mother..."
Xue Jiao paused, sighed, and pulled Shu Lan into a hug.
From the time Yu Cheng planned to study abroad until all the procedures were completed, Shu Lan had become skin and bones.
How deep must her love be to call his mother, knowing full well the woman would only humiliate her?
Xue Jiao didn't quite understand, but thinking of love, Lin Zhihua's face flashed through her mind.
Shu Lan reached out and lightly hugged Xue Jiao's waist, tears streaming down. "Why won't his mother agree? Why? Am I really that terrible?"
"You're not terrible at all," Xue Jiao said firmly. "They are the ones who are terrible."
Shu Lan closed her eyes, tears falling continuously.
"Shu Lan, if Yu Cheng's parents don't accept you and he doesn't have the ability to stand up to them, then... it's really hard for you two to be together," Xue Jiao said softly. "If love is fated but not meant to be, perhaps it's better to let go..."
Shu Lan bit her lip hard and sobbed aloud.
Xue Jiao patted her back. "Love is just one part of life. We still have family, friendship, and things worth striving for our entire lives. In the end, we live for ourselves. The universe is boundless, life is endless, but each of us only has about a hundred years to experience the world. In these hundred years, we should live for ourselves."
Lin Zhihua's face appeared in her mind again, and Xue Jiao couldn't help but smile slightly.
"Meeting someone who understands and stands by you is a gift from heaven. But if fate hasn't brought you together, you can't force it. Yu Cheng... isn't right for you. He doesn't have the strength to fight for you against the obstacles. You can remember him, cherish him, and let him be the most beautiful memory of your youth. But since you're fated to part, Shu Lan, let yourself go."
"Jiao Jiao—" Shu Lan hugged Xue Jiao tightly and cried bitterly.
After a long while, she released her. "Jiao Jiao... you can go. I need some time alone. I'll be fine... I just need to think."
Xue Jiao wiped her tears and nodded. "Alright, Shu Lan, think it over, but don't forget to eat, okay?"
"Mm," Shu Lan nodded.
Xue Jiao picked up what she had come to the dorm for and left.
Many years later, Xue Jiao would wonder—what if she had stayed in the dorm that day?
There was no answer.
Because no one can predict what never happened.
Cancer, car accidents, disasters... these things with minuscule probabilities still occur from time to time. Some are just fortunate enough not to experience them personally.But life is like this—full of variables. No one knows what the next moment holds, or whether someone who was perfectly fine might suddenly be gone.
The probability is small, yet it happens every day.
Ahead of us, no one knows if there will be any sudden changes.
Life is just like this—unknown, terrifying, yet full of longing.
——
When she reached the downstairs, she glanced at her WeChat. There were over a hundred messages, most of them from Chu Sheng trying to persuade Yang Zhan.
But clearly, while Yang Zhan was very interested in the project, he wasn’t quite willing yet.
One of his repeated lines stood out—
[Yang Zhan: I’m very interested in this project—honestly, I even really like it. But I have to say, this might just be a futile effort. The probability of us finding geomagnetic field energy is 50%, and the chance of applying it to flying vehicles is 30%. On top of that, random factors could reduce the final success rate by another 20%, meaning our overall probability of success is only 20%. Anything with less than a 30% success rate isn’t worth attempting in my opinion, let alone just 20%? And that’s already my generous estimate.]
Chu Sheng was stumped by Yang Zhan. He really wanted to work on this project, but he also knew Yang Zhan was right, so he fell silent.
Yang Zhan was about to leave the group chat and even sincerely invited Chu Sheng to join his future physics projects.
Xue Jiao thought for a moment, then typed out a line—
[Yes, the probability of success isn’t high, but this is a project we love and truly want to pursue. Senior Yang Zhan, the advancement of science is built on wild imagination—where predecessors draw conclusions, successors overturn them. Whether we succeed or not, we’ll leave something behind in this field for future generations. We can stand on the shoulders of giants, and we can also become giants ourselves.]
Chu Sheng quickly chimed in—
[Right, right! Senior Yang Zhan, if you like it, why not give it a try? Before starting any project, we never know if it’ll succeed—it’s just that this one has a slightly higher chance of failure.]
Yang Zhan was silent for a moment. He liked Xue Jiao’s words: We can stand on the shoulders of giants, and we can also become giants ourselves.
So, in the end, he said—
[Let’s meet up sometime to discuss the details. I’ll bring Senior Zhang Han along, and you can try to persuade her too.]
Zhang Han!
Even through the phone, Xue Jiao and Chu Sheng’s eyes lit up simultaneously.
Zhang Han—the physics prodigy from Peking University!
Both Xue Jiao and Chu Sheng immediately agreed. Once Senior Zhang Han was free in a few days, they could all meet up—after all, they were all in Beijing.
If they could win over Yang Zhan and Zhang Han, it might not raise their project’s success rate from 20% to 50%, but it would definitely double their progress!
Xue Jiao smiled as she put away her phone. She hadn’t expected Yang Zhan to give them such a big surprise.
She couldn’t wait to meet Senior Zhang Han.
After the chat ended, she and Chu Sheng arranged another meeting and talked for half an hour before she finally slung her bag over her shoulder and headed home.
Xue Jiao walked briskly toward the school gate.
But just as she stepped outside and turned a corner, she froze in place.
Not far away, a man stood with his hands in his pockets, smiling as he walked toward her.
Xue Jiao stared blankly as he approached…Lin Zhihua walked up to her and reached out, gently brushing her nose with his finger.
"How long are you going to keep hiding?"
Xue Jiao's face flushed crimson, and she stammered, "I-I'm not hiding... I've just been busy..."
Lin Zhihua looked at her with an amused smile. "Really, Jiao Jiao? Your paper has already been published, and you've been putting off our celebratory dinner for days now."
Xue Jiao immediately felt embarrassed and lowered her head, unsure how to explain.
Truthfully, she and Lin Zhihua video-called quite often, but ever since the New Year, they hadn’t met for a meal. The day her paper was confirmed for publication, Lin Zhihua had suggested celebrating together over dinner.
Before, she’d thought nothing of eating with him, but after their feelings were laid bare, Xue Jiao couldn’t help feeling awkward—almost as if… it were a date.
Just thinking of those two words made her face burn even hotter.
Lin Zhihua took a step closer, leaning down to murmur by her ear, "Jiao Jiao, this time, I hope you won’t run away."
"I-I wasn’t—" Xue Jiao stuttered.
"Little turtle, it’s time you gave me your answer."
Answer?
Now even the tips of Xue Jiao’s ears turned red, and she wished she could vanish into the ground.
"Um… that…"
Lin Zhihua watched her, barely suppressing his own nervousness as he waited for her reply.
"Uh—"
Ding-ding-ding— Xue Jiao’s phone rang.
Both of them froze for a moment before Xue Jiao fumbled to pull out her phone.
"Hello?"
"Jiao Jiao! Have you seen Shu Lan?!" Mai Jiajia’s voice was frantic.
"Wasn’t she in the dorm?" Xue Jiao frowned slightly.
"Jiao Jiao! I think Shu Lan went to the Yu family’s place!" Mai Jiajia’s voice rose in frustration.
Xue Jiao was stunned. "What?"
Ding Qi couldn’t help cutting in, "Jiao Jiao, we’re going after her—we can’t let her get humiliated again! That Shu Lan, honestly!"
"I’ll go too!" Xue Jiao was worried, but more than that, she was confused.
After talking Shu Lan out of it earlier, she’d seemed ready to move on. Why would she go back to the Yu family now?
It was this confusion that drove Xue Jiao to go check on her. The last time Shu Lan had come back from the Yu household, she’d looked absolutely devastated.
"Okay, where are you?"
"At the school gate. Have you guys left yet?"
"We’re almost there, just wait for us!" Mai Jiajia hung up.
Xue Jiao looked up at Lin Zhihua apologetically. "I need to—"
"I’ll go with you," Lin Zhihua said firmly.
"Huh?"
The corner of his lips lifted as he bent down to meet her gaze. "Today, you’re not getting away."
Xue Jiao: "..."
Mai Jiajia and Ding Qi were stunned when they saw Lin Zhihua. Mai Jiajia, who didn’t know him, was simply dazzled by how handsome he was.
But Ding Qi looked as if she’d seen a ghost, too shocked to speak. She kept glancing between Lin Zhihua and Xue Jiao with suspicion.
Lin Zhihua drove, with Xue Jiao in the passenger seat while Mai Jiajia and Ding Qi sat in the back.
With Shu Lan’s situation weighing on her, Mai Jiajia didn’t have the energy to pry into Lin Zhihua. She just sighed irritably, "Honestly, why can’t Shu Lan just let go?"
Xue Jiao sighed too before asking, puzzled, "How did you know Shu Lan went to see Yu Cheng?""We had planned to have dinner together. She said she'd wait for us in the dorm, but when I got back, no one was there. Her phone was left on the bed. We waited for a long time but she never showed up, so we checked her recent calls—it was actually Yu Cheng!"
"Huh? Yu Cheng managed to contact Shu Lan?" Xue Jiao was puzzled. Wasn't he supposed to be locked up all this time?
Mai Jiajia shook her head. "I don't know how he got in touch, but I have a bad feeling. I'm really worried."
Xue Jiao sighed and looked ahead.
Lin Zhihua said nothing but silently increased their speed.
——
Yu Cheng had indeed contacted Shu Lan and asked her to come.
After hearing Xue Jiao's words, Shu Lan had already begun to consider slowly moving on from her love for Yu Cheng.
But when she heard Yu Cheng's desperate voice saying he wanted to see her, Shu Lan immediately stumbled out and rushed to the Yu family home.
When Shu Lan arrived, the outer gate was open, but the house seemed empty.
"Yu Cheng?"
No response. After a moment, she heard noises from upstairs. Shu Lan's breath caught as she ran up the stairs to the rooftop.
"Yu Cheng—" Shu Lan's voice trembled as she saw Yu Cheng standing at the edge of the balcony.
The railing had been violently broken. If Yu Cheng took even a slight step forward, he would fall.
Her legs nearly gave out, but she leaned against the wall, struggling to stay upright.
The Yu family's villa had four floors, including the rooftop, but the ceilings were high. A fall from here would undoubtedly cause serious harm!
"Lan Lan." Yu Cheng instinctively took a step back when he saw her, but quickly stopped himself.
Su Qing was already crying uncontrollably, while Yu ZhengGuo shouted with reddened eyes, "Yu Cheng, come down! We can talk about anything once you're down!"
"Have you ever really listened to me? Huh? How many times have I said I want to be with Shu Lan? I went to whatever school you wanted, I applied to whatever university you chose! But why—why do you even control who I can be with?!"
Yu Cheng beat his chest as he sobbed, his body trembling. Standing at the edge, his precarious position terrified the three of them.
"We only want what's best for you! When you inherit your father's company, having a wife who can support you is far better than some clueless girl! You might have feelings now, but over time, you'll regret it!" Su Qing cried in explanation.
"But I don't want it! I don't!" Yu Cheng clutched his head, weeping. "I don't want to take over Dad's company, I don't want to marry some 'suitable' woman—I only love Lan Lan! You don't understand anything! All you care about is making me obey!"
His foot wobbled slightly, making Su Qing scream in fright.
Shu Lan's vision blurred with tears as she slowly stepped forward—
"Yu Cheng, Yu Cheng, come down... please come down first..."
"No! If I come down, they'll just lock me up again!" Yu Cheng's expression twisted with anguish. After being confined for so long, his emotions were spiraling out of control.
"Yu Cheng!" Shu Lan continued to approach, still crying.
Yu Cheng's parents also moved forward, trying to get closer to him.
But Yu Cheng reacted violently—
"Stay back!! Don't come any closer!!" He shifted backward, nearly toppling over the edge.
"We won't move! We'll stay right here!" Su Qing frantically waved her hands in panic.
Shu Lan froze, not daring to take another step.
"Lan Lan... you've lost so much weight." Yu Cheng gazed at Shu Lan through his tears.Shu Lan also cried, "You've lost so much weight. Come down first, and let's talk properly."
She took another step forward. When Yu Cheng didn't react, she slowly moved closer.
"No! They won't let me speak properly. They never listen to me!" Yu Cheng swayed, then looked at his parents. "I'll say it again—this is Shu Lan, your daughter-in-law. The only person I'll marry in this lifetime is Shu Lan!"
"Son!" Su Qing nodded. "Come down, I promise you, I promise you!"
Yu Zhengguo glared fiercely at Yu Cheng: "Have you learned to use death to threaten us now? For the sake of an outsider, you don't care about your parents at all?"
Again with this!
Yu Cheng clutched his head and sobbed bitterly. Every time he opposed his parents' decisions, they would say—
Don't you care about your parents?
Do you want to make your parents cry for you?
Your mother has gone on a hunger strike because of you!
Your father is about to have a heart attack because of you!
Why can't you just listen!
Can't you be more sensible?
Yu Cheng pounded his head several times. Living was just too painful for him...
"Lanlan, it's good to see you one last time," Yu Cheng said through tears and laughter, then turned around.
At that moment, Shu Lan had already moved close to him. Instinctively, she reached out, grabbed him, and pulled.
Yu Cheng was yanked backward and fell to the ground, but the force—which had used up every ounce of Shu Lan's strength—sent her tumbling in the opposite direction.
——
"Is it this neighborhood?" Mai Jiajia asked Ding Qi.
"Yes, it's that building up ahead," Ding Qi pointed forward, then her pupils suddenly constricted.
Almost instantly, Lin Zhihua turned and shielded Xue Jiao, raising his hand to cover her eyes.
Beside them, Ding Qi let out a heart-wrenching scream—
"Shu Lan—"
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