At the research institute, Academician Ma was usually busy with work. Although he no longer took on students, some post-doctoral researchers would still seek his guidance on broad research directions, even though they rarely managed to catch him.
He had to attend evaluations, forums, and academic conferences, and there were many matters his team needed to discuss with him. Though Bai Lian had been in Jiangjing for quite some time, he hadn’t found time to meet her, waiting for her to come to him instead.
However, as soon as Bai Lian arrived, she joined Xu Wenyao and Chen Hong for the mathematical modeling competition, followed by matters concerning Xu Zhiyue, leaving no free time.
“I’m free these few days,” Bai Lian put down her chopsticks.
“These few days?” On the other end of the phone, Academician Ma picked up his laptop. “Then come today. I’ll be at the research institute. I’ll send you the address.”
After they hung up, Academician Ma sent Bai Lian the address.
Bai Lian looked at the address: Quantum Information Research Institute.
After finishing their meal, Lu Xiaohan asked Tang Ming and the others, “Where are you staying?”
When Lu Xiaohan came to Jiangjing, her mother had initially planned to come along. However, after learning from Ji Heng that Lu Xiaohan would be living with Bai Lian, her parents weren’t worried anymore. Their whole family had an inexplicable trust in Bai Lian.
Ning Xiao put down his book and replied concisely as usual: “Upstairs.”
“Upstairs?” Lu Xiaohan looked up.
“On the fifth floor. His uncle apparently gave him an apartment, unit 501,” Tang Ming had only learned about this from Ning Xiao this morning after crawling out of his hotel bed.
Lu Xiaohan was surprised. Everyone in Class 15 was ordinary students, and Ning Xiao rarely spoke.
Like Yang Lin, he always wore school uniforms, and everyone thought his family wasn’t well off. Now his uncle had given Ning Xiao an apartment? Bai Lian was only renting. Ning Xiao…given?
As they talked, Ming Dongheng unconsciously glanced at Ning Xiao. He lived in 301 because Jiang Fuli had given him that apartment. While Mountain Sea Apartments wasn’t a luxury complex, it was in a school district, so property prices weren’t low. Ming Dongheng couldn’t afford to buy one yet. That aside. Had he paid his social security? Ming Dongheng looked at Ning Xiao, puzzled.
The Quantum Information Research Institute was near the Science and Technology Museum. It was quite far from Jiang University. In the 11th floor conference room, Academician Ma, who was sitting in front listening to reports, checked his phone. Seeing it was about time, he stood up pressing against the table. “Today’s morning meeting ends here.”
He wore a plaid T-shirt, his hair uncombed, with large-framed glasses on his nose bridge. He stood up holding a report. As the young teachers in his team packed up their things, seeing Academician Ma leaving early, someone hurried after him.
The researchers and professors they met along the way were particularly excited to greet Academician Ma. Academician Ma mostly focused on research with his team and no longer took students, almost becoming reclusive. People mainly saw him at award ceremonies in the news.
“Academician Ma,” the assistant caught up, “Dean Huang asked me to check if you’ll be teaching undergraduate courses this year.” The assistant professor asked, feeling puzzled. Academician Ma rarely taught undergraduate courses unless substituting for other professors. What was Dean Huang thinking?
“No…” Academician Ma opened his office door, but halfway through speaking, he suddenly remembered something. “Tongfeng Class, large course, Topological Quantum Computing.”
The assistant followed behind. “You’re teaching Topological Quantum Computing?”
“Not certain,” Academician Ma stood at the doorway without entering, tilting his head slightly. “Go to the entrance to receive someone, a female student named Bai Lian.” He then gave out a number.
The assistant memorized it and, seeing Academician Ma had no other instructions, went down to receive the visitor. Just reaching downstairs, he called Bai Lian’s number. It wasn’t a Jiangjing local number, but from Xiangcheng.
“Hello, Miss Bai, where are you now? Academician Ma asked me to wait for you at the entrance.” The assistant looked toward the door while speaking.
Through the phone came a young woman’s voice: “Almost there, one minute.” The voice was lazy yet clear and melodious. She sounded young, like a freshman.
The assistant had thought the person Academician Ma asked him to receive would be a professor around Ma’s age. He hadn’t expected someone who sounded so young.
“Alright, I’m wearing black sportswear, waiting at the entrance.”
The assistant hung up and began pondering this girl’s identity. Before a minute passed, a young woman appeared wearing a gradient beige linen dress, loose and casual, with a matching belt loosely tied at the waist. An ancient wooden hairpin adorned her hair. Her fair face was clearly illuminated by the sunlight. Both her temperament and appearance were striking.
Just as the assistant was wondering if she might be some celebrity, the young woman stopped before him, her long lashes lowering as she politely asked: “Are you Academician Ma’s assistant?”
“Ah… yes,” the sunlight was dazzling, and the assistant, struck by the impact of her face, came back to his senses and turned to lead Bai Lian up. “Academician Ma is waiting for you on the 11th floor.”
On the 11th floor. Academician Ma poured Bai Lian a cup of water in a disposable cup. His computer was on, and Bai Lian sat in front of it, opening a file. “This is the team’s new research proposal, calibrating global entanglement gates.”
Bai Lian’s interest was immediately piqued, her lazy eyebrows raising slightly: “Quantum benchmarking?”
She understood immediately. No one dislikes smart students. Academician Ma stood beside her, taking a sip of water. “Yes, the team’s work. The paper will be published next week, I’ll send it to you then.”
“You’re planning to test for Tongfeng Class, right?” He suddenly remembered something.
“Mm.” Bai Lian nodded while looking at the file.
Academician Ma put down his disposable cup, his mood considerably improved. After telling his assistant about teaching the course, he continued in a gentle voice, “Take your time looking through it, no rush. I’ll take you down to see the lab this afternoon. Ask if you have any questions.”
Beside them, the assistant, who had been listening to their conversation, finally let out a breath and gave Bai Lian a deep look.
At lunch. In the research institute’s cafeteria, someone asked Ma’s assistant while holding chopsticks, “Teacher Yun, why did Academician Ma suddenly come to the research institute today?”
As one of today’s three quantum giants, many people paid attention to his movements.
Assistant Yun held his food tray, thinking to himself—
What’s this compared to him going to teach undergraduate Topological Physics in Tongfeng Class later? That news would be even more explosive.
Academician Ma’s team had just those few people, and he had only taken on a handful of students, each now a master in their field. The last person he taught was Dean Huang. Assistant Yun knew that China’s scientific research field didn’t lack talent, but rather first-class top talent.
Academician Ma had always maintained high standards, taking no students in recent years. Most people thought he wouldn’t take any more disciples.
If he really took another student at this time, that would truly make her— The little junior sister among a group of masters.
He could already feel the pressure.
August 7th. Jiangjing Mingfeng Airport.
The plane from North City landed, and Bureau Chief Chen and Ji Heng got off. He took Ji Heng to the baggage claim belt, asking while waiting for Ji Heng’s suitcase, “Uncle Ji, are you going fishing tomorrow? I haven’t seen Brother Ji in a while, don’t know if he’s busy lately.”
Bureau Chief Chen had been busy with the Xiangcheng transition and preparing election materials for Jiangjing, leaving almost no free time. He had few opportunities to go fishing with Ji Heng. Now back in Jiangjing and not busy, he planned to invite Ji Shujun and Ji Heng fishing.
Ji Heng still held his pipe. Though his nicotine addiction was strong, he didn’t light up at the airport and had no lighter in hand. His gaze fixed on the baggage carousel: “Can’t tomorrow, it’s Ah Lian’s birthday. Maybe in a couple days.”
Ji Heng had deliberately timed his arrival to Jiangjing for the day before Bai Lian’s birthday.
“Tomorrow is Miss Bai’s birthday?” Bureau Chief Chen just learned of this. He pondered what gift to prepare for Bai Lian on such short notice.
Ji Heng hadn’t told Bai Lian about his coming to Jiangjing. At the parking lot, Ji Shujun and Shen Qing came to pick up Ji Heng. In the car, Ji Shujun discussed Bai Lian’s birthday with Ji Heng, “Xiaohan is also in Jiangjing, there will be many classmates, it’ll be lively.”
This would be their first time celebrating Bai Lian’s birthday.
At Ji Shujun’s residential complex. The building manager came looking for Ji Shujun and Shen Qing but found them absent.
Inside, Ren Wanxuan received the gift. Mu Yining had given her a bag, and before even opening the packaging, she knew it was a limited edition that couldn’t be ordered without high-level membership.
Ren Wanxuan held the gift box and said honestly, “Aunt and Uncle went to book a restaurant.”
“Restaurant?” The building manager looked over.
Ren Wanxuan said, “It’s Bai Lian’s birthday.”
She rarely spoke with Ji Shujun, and he seldom initiated conversation with her, so she didn’t know much.
Hearing this, the building manager didn’t ask further. He shook his head, “Mm, when he returns, tell him to submit the documents to the young lady as early as possible. He needs to be more diligent during this period.”
“Okay.” Ren Wanxuan saw the building manager out.
Ren Wanxuan lived upstairs. Since coming to Jiangjing, her social circle had grown wide, and she was rarely seen.
When Ji Shujun returned, she came downstairs to relay the building manager’s message. Opening the door, she was startled to see Ji Heng sitting on the sofa. She had no idea he was coming today. Lowering her gaze, she approached: “Grandfather.”
Ji Heng placed his pipe on the tea table, giving a brief “Mm,” not saying much.
Ren Wanxuan saw Ji Shujun and Shen Qing cooking in the kitchen. Despite the range hood, the kitchen was smoky, so she stood at the doorway, “The building manager wants you to submit the documents early.”
“Alright.” Ji Shujun responded in a deep voice as he brought out a dish. His expression was cold and stern.
However, Shen Qing gave Ren Wanxuan an awkward smile, “Tomorrow is Ah Lian’s birthday, would you like to come, Wanxuan?”
Bai Lian’s birthday? Ren Wanxuan held her phone, instinctively shaking her head, “I have plans with someone tomorrow…”
In the evening, at Mountain Sea Apartments. 302.
Jiang Fuli opened the door to see Jiang He sitting by the sofa, with the small lamp beside him turned on.
Jiang He had finally finished his work and sat on the carpet drawing.
Jiang Fuli put his keys aside and turned on the main light, glancing up to see the middle room’s door was also open.
Bai Lian sat lazily by the guzheng, one hand propping her chin, the other holding a pen, leg propped up, her expression completely relaxed.
Seeing Jiang Fuli return, she lazily raised her head, managing a greeting.
“Why so listless?” Jiang Fuli also turned on the music room’s main light and walked to the window, opening the soundproof window.
A fresh breeze blew in, stirring the white paper beside her.
Jiang Fuli lowered his gaze, his long curled lashes dropping as he immediately noticed the crumpled paper beside her. He bent down to pick it up, his distinct knuckles unfolding the paper to reveal simplified notation.
He picked up all the paper, smoothed them out together, then walked to her side, lowered his head to take the black pen from her hand, and held her hand with his distinct bones showing: “Let’s eat first.”
His fingers were always cool, even in summer. His fingertips had a thin layer of calluses.
Bai Lian looked up at him, slightly stunned before saying, “Oh.”
When Bai Lian came over.
Lu Xiaohan lay on the sofa, on the phone with Dean Jian. Dean Jian was telling her about the new video.
Lu Xiaohan changed the TV channel, lowering her voice, “The day after tomorrow then, tomorrow is Sister Lian’s birthday.”
Jiang Fuli stood with one hand in his pocket, following behind Bai Lian, his posture straight, appearing noble yet distant. After some thought, he took out his phone and unhurriedly sent a message to Academician Ma.
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