“Why are you moving so slowly today?” Ren Wanxuan had long since packed up and was waiting for him.

They had to hurry to meet Professor Gao’s teaching assistant.

Usually everyone was very proactive, yet Chen Zheng was much slower today.

With so many people in the classroom, Chen Zheng knew she didn’t want to publicize Bailian’s familial ties to the Ren family. So he didn’t speak.

Only after getting in the car did he ask, “What kind of background does that relative of yours have anyway?”

“What background could she have? Qingshui Street – my grandfather already investigated. Her registered residence is with the Ji family,” Ren Wanxuan knew he was talking about Bailian. She responded dismissively, “What about her?”

“It’s very strange…” Chen Zheng gazed out the window. Handsome brows knitted in puzzlement. “Why would the teacher lend her the Peking University physics text…”

Ren Wanxuan had been looking at the address Professor Gao’s assistant sent her just then.

Hearing this, her head sharply jerked up. “You’re certain?”

“Ninety percent sure,” he couldn’t have seen incorrectly.

**

Xiangcheng, CRFS Research Institute.

Jiang Furong’s eyes were fixed on the detector while holding a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. Shrouded mostly in the indistinct gloom pervading the lab, his face was frigid enough to choke the breath from the group members lined up behind him.

“The chance of producing deuterium is low. Expand detection of gamma rays,” he hastily jotted down some notes. Tilting his head, he passed the notebook to his assistant and asked, “You understand the principles right?”

Glancing up, he randomly singled out a team member.

The chosen member drew himself up and puffed out his chest. With He Wen’s recorder present, they could review anything later if they forgot. “When deuterium enters the detector, it will be captured by atoms to form exotic atoms, thus releasing gamma rays…”

Seeing he could respond smoothly, the bated breaths of the other members were released in unison.

Jiang Furong retracted his gaze. Much more obedient recently.

While walking outside, Jiang Furong began undoing the buttons of the radiation suit. His voice was lifeless. “Email me the lab report.”

The assistant followed on his heels, notebook in hand.

“Right,” Jiang Furong’s fingers halted at a deep blue button. Fine eyes downcast, he ordered: “Get me two invitation codes for the Peking University Academy camp.”

“Yes sir.” The assistant noted it on the agenda.

With nothing else needing his input, Jiang Furong unhurriedly left the suit in the break room. Grabbing his phone, he headed for the elevator.

He had been returning quite early recently.

Of course, this “early” was relative to his past self.

Standing outside the elevator, it wasn’t until it reached the surface level that the assistant felt the lingering pressure dissipate at last.

Only to recall Jiang Furong’s command just now. Asking them to get invitation codes for the Peking University preparatory camp.

Nevermind Jiang Furong’s standing in Peking University’s physics circle. Based purely on the yearly scientific funding the Jiang clan contributed to Peking University—forget two invitation codes, even asking to rename their preparatory camp would be met without argument.

But what would he need those codes for?

The students making it into his lab were academic deities desperately courted with direct recommendations by Peking University. So all of them naturally already had academy accounts.

Unable to comprehend his reasons yet not daring to speculate blindly, the assistant resigned himself. The boss surely had his own rationale for doing things.

**

Thursday.

With monthly exams on the weekend, Zhang Shize didn’t go out to fool around during breaks today.

Opting to review material in class instead.

“Ugh, damn English,” Zhang Shize looked at the word “abandon” and felt it his lifelong nemesis. “I’ve never hated Emperor Jiang Wen this much, truly.”

Griping to his back neighbor about it, “If he had just let Bai Li live, not even Bai Li. As long as either Bai Chongyu or Bai Xiangjun lived another decade, then maybe we wouldn’t have to learn this accursed English now!”

“Let me reincarnate back to early Yong dynasty era and assassinate Jiang Wen!” his deskmate wholeheartedly concurred.

Zhang Shize nodded in satisfaction and went on to clap the student in front. “Scholar-god, what do you think?”

Ning Xiao merely flicked an overcast glance his way without responding. Instead, he called out to Bailian and pointed out the parts he didn’t get down clearly in his notes yesterday for her to explain.

With Ning Xiao’s wan complexion, “You understood this yesterday after hearing it once?”

She had gone to eat after he finished listening yesterday. He didn’t dare admit he missed jotting some points down.

Bailian turned back in her seat. One hand indolently draped over her chair back while the other held a pen, sketching a diagram in his notebook. Ivory fingertips languidly gesturing as she slowly elaborated. “Set the magnetic induction intensity values for each direction. The magnetic distribution function becomes this formula…can infer the leading term…”

She spoke unhurriedly with unexpectedly lucid explanations.

Zhang Shize hadn’t even covered this competition level material before. Yet even he briefly felt he grasped the concepts.

Ning Xiao frighteningly regarded Bailian again. His gloomy face was rare astonishment. “Do you have eidetic memory?”

How could she comprehend it after only hearing something once? On top of that, her teaching methods differed completely from Jiang Furong’s, yet were even clearer.

Ning Xiao always had absolute faith in his learning capabilities until Jiang Furong, then Bailian appeared. And now even that little kid constantly made him doubt himself.

Bailian leisurely spun her pen between her fingers before abruptly clasping it in a fist. Contemplating the meaning behind “eidetic memory”, she nodded. “Possibly.”

Ning Xiao took back his notebook. “I’ve only developed a mind palace system. Nowhere as fast as you.”

Or with as adept comprehension either.

Beside them, Zhang Shize—still struggling through memorizing “abandon”—went to look up what eidetic memory and mind palace memory entailed.

Finished searching, he gaped wordlessly.

So amazing!

His front deskmate had eidetic memory.

His own deskmate possessed mind palace memory.

While he only had…seven second memory.

Expressionlessly putting his phone away, Zhang Shize resentfully reopened his vocabulary list. After forcing his way through another page, his gaze pivoted longingly between his two superhuman neighbors once more.

There were so many people with naturally good memory in this world!

What difference would one more make?!

Once Ning Xiao finished consulting Bailian about those physics questions, Lu Xiaohan finally spoke up to her.

“Bailian, look here,” Lu Xiaohan secretly revealed her phone, showing Bailian a picture. “This is the sword dance costume we picked out for you. What do you think?”

Bailian lifted her head.

It was a classical style dress with a white, gold-trimmed outer shirt on top and a red, black and gold brocade layered skirt below.

“I think you’ll definitely look beautiful in it,” Lu Xiaohan’s eyes were wide anticipating her response. That very first time when Bailian showed up in a horseface skirt, Lu Xiaohan found her shockingly stunning.

Only the color scheme was too plain.

Hence her intentional selection of red tones this round.

The most beautiful person deserved the boldest colors.

“Bailian?” When she didn’t react, Lu Xiaohan couldn’t help calling her name.

“Mm,” Bailian returned from her thoughts upon hearing her name. Long dark lashes dipped down slightly, veiling her midnight pupils. Hand propping up her chin, she appeared rather lethargic. “Thank you, but I won’t be wearing this color series for the time being.”

“Oh? Then okay,” Lu Xiaohan rubbed her nose, somewhat regretful yet not questioning further. “What about this ash gray one instead?”

She swiped to another photo.

Bailian languorously raised her eyes, curving her lips in a lazy smile Lu Xiaohan’s way. “No need. My clothes are all tailored by my grandfather. I’ll just find something suitable then. You can match me with a sword.”

Everything Ji Heng made was stage-worthy.

Bailian sometimes wondered if it wasn’t somewhat wasteful for him to use that skill making clothes for her.

“No need either?” Unwilling to give up, Lu Xiaohan still hoped to buy Bailian a nice dress. “Our class funds aren’t lacking.”

Seeing Bailian firmly decline though, she could only shelve those plans.

And go pick the best-looking sword for her instead.

If they couldn’t get her clothes, then they’d buy an exceptional sword.

**

At training class, Ning Xiao was wholly focused on plowing through practice questions the entire time. Aside from studying, he could rarely muster interest in anything else.

After finishing the video lecture, Bailian took out her phone and unhurriedly typed a message to Jiang Furong—

?I watched through the advanced physics text. Can I give the book to my teacher??

On his end, Jiang Furong had just removed his glasses when he saw this pop up.

No idea what others might think, but Teacher Jiang truly felt some people were just so adorable, asking him about everything.

Teacher Jiang: ?It’s yours now that I gave it to you. Do as you please with it?

Only after receiving his reply did Bailian put her phone away. She lifted her head and casually poked Ning Xiao’s shoulder with her pen. “Want to take a look at this book I have?”

“What book?” Ning Xiao glanced back lowly.

Bailian took out the Peking University physics text for him to see. “This one.”

No one else in the auditorium noticed what was happening at Bailian’s side.

But Chen Zheng, who had kept an eye on Bailian today, now confirmed the book in her hand was indeed the Peking University physics volume.

He didn’t see incorrectly yesterday.

Next to Chen Zheng, Ren Wanxuan also caught his look and peered Bailian’s way. “He really lent it to her…”

She couldn’t help the stirrings of resentment.

Still somewhat skeptical after hearing Chen Zheng’s words yesterday, seeing it now with her own eyes though—

The teacher from Class 8 finished distributing tonight’s questions. “Work hard everyone. The principal wants to meet with me so ask me directly on WeChat or tomorrow if you have any issues.”

With that said, he turned and exited.

“Teacher,”

Ren Wanxuan deeply inhaled before standing up amidst everyone’s gazes.

“Ren Wanxuan?” The teacher had just reached the auditorium doors when he halted upon hearing her, surprised. “Did you have a question?”

Clutching her bag, Ren Wanxuan looked to him as she spoke loud and clear before all present. “Teacher, I’ve always believed in you. But why—you clearly know Bailian’s awful composite science scores. And surely aren’t unaware of the connections that got her admission. So why do you favor her at every turn?”

At her words, Bailian looked up and narrowed her eyes Ren Wanxuan’s way.

Hearing Ren Wanxuan, the Class 8 teacher was taken aback instead. “I’m biased towards her?”

“Yesterday when I asked to borrow your Peking University physics text, you refused,” Chen Zheng hadn’t expected Ren Wanxuan to directly speak out. He looked conflictedly at Bailian before finally standing by Ren Wanxuan’s side after some hesitation. “Yet you clearly lent it to Bailian today.”

While Ren Wanxuan’s earlier words weren’t much.

Chen Zheng’s follow-up ignited a storm in the auditorium.

Not one of these top students present hadn’t heard of Peking University’s physics course.

They were all selfish. Why lend it to Bailian without informing the rest of them?

Everyone redirected their attention towards Bailian—

Bailian maintained her original posture seated in place. Tranquil and unruffled, her gleaming obsidian eyes half-grasped a copy of Peking University’s physics text still.

Under collective scrutiny, she idly spun the book in a circle. A strand of black hair draped lazily by her eyes.

She didn’t care one bit for anyone’s stares.

The situation finally dawned on the Class 8 teacher too.

Now he understood why the training class universally shunned Bailian.

“On what connections did she get into training class?” The Class 8 teacher returned to the lectern. Meeting Ren Wanxuan’s gaze head-on without retreating a single step.

Ren Wanxuan’s lips still curled derisively. Unwilling to let the teacher gloss things over. “With 85 marks, how did she get admitted? You’re clearly feigning ignorance.”

Bailian was nothing but one among the multitudes of Qingshui Street in her eyes.

What connections could she have besides the Ren family?

The other training class members shared similar mindsets to Ren Wanxuan’s.

They were all admitted based on individual competence. Suddenly some random nobody with uncertain origins appears—small wonder these prideful elites looked down on Bailian.

“There should be mutual trust between students and teacher,” the teacher nodded. Looking squarely at Ren Wanxuan, “Student Ren, student Chen, let’s address the first doubt then.”

Right then, his phone rang. It was the principal. “Old Li, why haven’t you arrived yet? I have good news here…”

“How timely, Principal,” the teacher’s tone remained steady. Cutting him off. “I wanted to ask, who did student Bailian rely on to get into training class?”

Ren Wanxuan silently watched the teacher.

The derision at her lips seemed to mock his ability to fabricate some flowery rationale.

“Rely on connections?” The principal’s voice clearly sounded from the speaker across the pin-drop silent classroom, extremely bemused. “Bailian was specially admitted because of a vortex collision data set. Didn’t I tell you this last time you asked? Old Li, is your memory really fading with age?”

After the principal finished, his tone grew severe once more. “Student Bailian is unprecedently sensitive towards data sets. You have to watch out for her in my stead, Old Li. Many higher-ups have taken notice so you absolutely cannot allow her to secretly switch back to liberal arts!”

You could have heard a needle drop in the auditorium.

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