Susu poked Mu Chenxi: "Your Professor Luo."
As soon as Mu Chenxi entered the cafeteria, she started looking for Luo Shangqing, and found him still sticking to his old habit, sitting in the corner with a plate of stir-fried beef and rice noodles.
He seed to have lost a bit more weight compared to the last ti she saw him, making his facial features even more sharply defined.
The four sisters found a table to sit down noisily. Quan Jin clearly did it on purpose as the spot she chose was right next to Luo Shangqing. As soon as they sat down, he noticed and gave a quick sidelong glance before continuing to eat his rice noodles.
By the ti they arrived, Luo Shangqing was nearly done with his al. By the ti they were halfway through theirs, he was already looking at his phone and soon picked up his tray and left.
"Hey hey, fourth sis, your eyes are glued to him." Xinyu waved her hand in front of Mu Chenxi: "Enough is enough."
Mu Chenxi reluctantly drew her gaze back, already having lost her appetite.
"By the way, we don’t have Professor Luo’s class this sester." Susu swallowed the rice in her mouth, "I saw it on the newly released course titable today."
This news was a bolt from the blue for Mu Chenxi. She used to look forward to fighting for a seat in Professor Luo’s classes every week to liven up her dull university days. Hearing there would be no classes with him this sester, and thinking that she’d have to create opportunities to see her crush, Mu Chenxi felt like a frostbitten eggplant and listlessly laid her head on the table, pounding the tray with her spoon and wailing: "Oh heavens, are you trying to kill off?"
"Don’t panic, fourth sis." Susu patted her shoulder to comfort her: "I also heard a little inside scoop. I guarantee you can see your Professor Luo every day."
"Big sis, stop panting so much, you’ll scare soone to death," Mu Chenxi suddenly revived, leaned in, and urged, "What news? Tell quickly."
The others perked up their ears imdiately.
Susu put down her chopsticks and said seriously: "I heard from an old professor the other day, Professor Luo won’t be teaching this sester because he is starting a new research project and urgently needs an assistant."
"Needs an assistant?" Mu Chenxi’s eyes imdiately lit up, "What are the requirents?"
"Apparently, Professor Luo set up a PCR experint. Whoever successfully completes this experint will be chosen as the assistant, and the project is linked to the graduation thesis," Susu whispered. "This is insider info, the old professor only told , so you still have ti to prepare and prevent those top students from stealing the opportunity to work with Professor Luo."
Mu Chenxi had been clinging to a sliver of hope, but upon hearing Susu, she could only feel despair. As soone who had never received a scholarship and often needed re-exams, being suddenly tasked to work on a complex experint seed like an impossible job.
Seeing Mu Chenxi’s head droop even lower on the table, Susu earnestly comforted her: "Fourth sis, you are the smartest among us; as long as you put in effort, even if you can’t conquer this challenge, you fought for the chance to be Professor Luo’s assistant, and that’s sothing to be proud of, right?"
"Susu is right. You are bright and talented, only fearing hard work. You usually don’t pay attention in class but manage to pass exams by cramming in the last month. If you really put your heart into it, nothing can stop you," Xinyu also cheered her on, while giving Quan Jin a aningful look, "Third sis, don’t you agree?"
Quan Jin shrugged her shoulders: "Fourth sis, opportunities don’t co often. Though you might be a lump of clay, adding so sand can still get you to stick to the wall."
Mu Chenxi listened to everyone’s argunts and felt increasingly convinced. She sat up straighter, still sowhat in disbelief, pointing at herself: "Are you sure I can do it?"
All three simultaneously nodded: "Definitely."
～
Luo Shangqing was reading in his office when suddenly soone knocked on the door. He did not look up from his book, and said lightly: "Co in."
Soon, a sneaky figure ca in. Seeing him, she imdiately stood straight, "Professor Luo."
Luo Shangqing turned his head upon hearing the voice. She was dressed in a standard school uniform with a hooded sweatshirt underneath, the hood hanging off the back with two thin laces dangling down.
He realized it had been a long ti since he had seen her. The last ti was when he happened to drive by their neighborhood, stopped on a whim, and saw her walking out of the building with a bag of trash, looking at her phone, and bumping into a shopping auntie.
He couldn’t help but laugh out loud and said, "Clumsy ghost."
Even after she moved out and took all her belongings, her traces seed to linger everywhere in the apartnt. He even thought he heard her in the kitchen cooking noodles while he had breakfast.
Later, he stayed at the Luo family old house for a few days, and when he returned, the feeling that soone was always bouncing around in front of him gradually faded.
"Professor Luo, are you busy?" Mu Chenxi grinned at him, "I’m coming in?"
Luo Shangqing put down his book and gestured with his hand: "Co in."
Mu Chenxi quickly entered the room, closed the door behind her, and walked over to Luo Shangqing’s desk. She glanced casually at the book he was reading, "Professor Luo, where can I buy the book you’re reading?"
Luo Shangqing looked at her sly and sneaky appearance and sighed silently, "Just say what you want to say."
Mu Chenxi scratched her head. Indeed, she couldn’t hide her thoughts from him and straightforwardly asked, "I heard that Professor Luo is starting a project and looking for an assistant, is that true?"
"It is true." Luo Shangqing clasped his hands together with interest and a mocking smile appeared on his lips, "What does that have to do with you?"
"That... I heard that as long as I complete the experint you assign, I can beco your assistant."
"Where did you hear all this?" Luo Shangqing frowned slightly, "Quite the grapevine you have."
"Is it true? If I really complete that experint, can I beco your assistant and work on new projects with you?"
"Yes," Luo Shangqing nodded affirmatively, "If all goes as planned, that’s the case."
"I understand." Mu Chenxi clapped her hands joyfully, "Professor Luo, I will work hard to beco your assistant."
Before Luo Shangqing could react, Mu Chenxi was already joyfully heading out.
"Mu Chenxi." Luo Shangqing suddenly called out to her.
"Ah?" Mu Chenxi turned around, puzzled, "Professor Luo, is there anything else?"
Luo Shangqing stood up, grabbed a stack of docunts, and walked over to her. Because she was standing by the door, his tall figure nearly pinned her against the door, exuding an overwhelming presence that forced her to look up at him.
Luo Shangqing handed over the docunts, "Take these back and study them carefully."
Mu Chenxi quickly grabbed them, and her heart fluttered with joy at first glance at the title—this was exactly the experint Professor Luo had assigned. Was he giving her a shortcut?"
Mu Chenxi cheered and bowed, "Thank you, Professor Luo."
Luo Shangqing remained at the office door, watching her joyful departure. The girl looked as thrilled as if she had won a five million lottery when she first got the docunts, thinking he hadn’t noticed,
Luo Shangqing chuckled, leaned back against the door fra, crossed his arms, and watched her depart with joy and excitent.
He knew the experint was challenging and that her current skills might not suffice, but seeing her determination to strive as his assistant filled him with satisfaction.
She was making an effort, how could he just stand by and watch?
Mu Chenxi returned to the dormitory with the docunts, finding Quan Jin plucking her eyebrows.
Suddenly, she hugged Quan Jin from behind and exclaid, "Little Quan, Professor Luo gave so docunts. I will strive to succeed in this experint and beco his assistant, so I can be with him every day."
Quan Jin twitched her hand and accidentally plucked too many eyebrows, leading to a resigned look, "Mu Laosi, look at my eyebrows, I plucked too much, they look awful now."
"You’re already beautiful, a few more or less doesn’t matter." Mu Chenxi hugged her and swayed, "Do you think I can succeed in this experint?"
Quan Jin bluntly crushed her hopes, "With the little knowledge you have, thinking you could succeed is pure fantasy. Do you think the experints set by Professor Luo are child’s play?"
Originally joyful, Mu Chenxi woke up from her euphoria upon hearing Quan Jin’s words. She had gotten overly excited, thinking that having Professor Luo’s materials ant she had already succeeded. But Quan Jin was right; how could Professor Luo’s experints be so simple? The people eligible to be his assistants must be incredibly talented, and probably every top student at the school had already tried to get the position. She, being academically inept, was already outpaced even before starting.
Mu Chenxi instantly beca dejected and flopped onto her bed, wailing, "It seems true that an ugly person needs to read more."
"Regretting now, aren’t you? Regretting that you didn’t study hard initially." Quan Jin sat beside her, "But you know, as they say, there’s only a thin line between a genius and a fool, and you’re just one step away from genius."
"That step feels as long as the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon to ." Mu Chenxi rolled around for a bit, then suddenly sat up and swung her fists, "Even if it’s as long as the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, it won’t stop from becoming Professor Luo’s assistant. Just wait for the genius to erge."
After a while, Mu Chenxi suddenly glared, "Were you just implying that I’m a fool?"
Quan Jin laughed, "Silly girl."
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