“Then wash your hands and come eat,” Aunt Hong beckoned.

Lu Guifan then realized that it was Jiang Ruotang who had been constantly handing him the whiteboard eraser, staying by his side from the beginning to the end of his contemplation. A warmth involuntarily surged in his heart.

“It must have been very boring, right?” Lu Guifan said somewhat apologetically.

“I don’t understand what you wrote, but your process of calculating, thinking, and struggling with contradictions are all etched in my mind. You don’t usually see that. I’ll draw it when I get home and show you,” Jiang Ruotang said with a smile.

Lu Guifan gently stroked the top of Jiang Ruotang’s head and softly said, “Let’s go, let’s have dinner.”

Jiang Ruotang was truly famished, biting into a sweet and sour pork rib, leaving a sauce mark on his right cheek. Lu Guifan couldn’t help but laugh, gently brushing his knuckles against Jiang Ruotang’s cheek.

“Hmm?” Jiang Ruotang turned his face and saw Lu Guifan putting his knuckles to his lips, licking off the sauce. Lu Guifan’s expression was so calm and natural, yet he was completely unaware of how heart-stirring it was. Jiang Ruotang’s heart swelled with emotion, almost rushing all the way down to Jiangnan.

Just as Lu Guifan picked up the last rib for Jiang Ruotang, a shout came from the living room: “Who wrote this? Who wrote all this? Where are they—where did they go?”

Jiang Ruotang was so startled that he dropped his rib.

Lu’s mother was just bringing steamed egg with clams from the kitchen. Hearing such a roar, Lu’s mother’s shoulders trembled along with the steamed egg. Lawyer Hong patted Jiang Ruotang’s shoulder and whispered, “It’s alright, he gets like that when he’s excited. He must have seen that someone answered the question he left, and he wants to discuss it with them.”

Lu Guifan turned his head, “Perhaps I shouldn’t have written anything on it. Professor Yang might feel offended.”

Jiang Ruotang gently squeezed his finger under the table and told him very seriously, “No, absolutely not.” A scholar as pure as Professor Yang would only be excited by understanding and communication, never offended by someone solving a problem before him.

Lu Guifan lowered his eyes, “You always trust me blindly.” But he still curled his fingers, subconsciously holding onto Jiang Ruotang’s fingertips.

---

Actually, Jiang Ruotang’s biggest regret in his previous life, besides being used by Lin Lu and losing himself for Bai Yingchuan, was about Lu Guifan. When Jiang Ruotang was confined to his sickbed, Professor Yang, who was far overseas, greatly admired Lu Guifan’s abilities and once strongly invited him to develop in his laboratory. However, Lu Guifan politely declined Professor Yang, using the excuse that “while parents are alive, one should not travel far.”

When Jiang Ruotang heard the news, he was so angry he almost vomited blood. He asked Lu Guifan why he didn’t take such a great opportunity, when the institute he was currently in was rife with bureaucracy, where all research results had to be attributed to the leaders and superiors, and the laboratory equipment and research environment were subpar, making it impossible to get ahead. If Professor Yang’s offer was good, Lu Guifan could have even brought his parents along.

Lu Guifan simply looked at Jiang Ruotang with downcast eyes and softly asked, “If I leave, what will happen to you? If something happens to your health, I won’t be able to rush back in time.” At that moment, Jiang Ruotang realized that his fear had long been seen through by Lu Guifan. He was very afraid that he would be lonely when he left, and that no one would care about his life or death.

In this life, if he could help Lu Guifan meet Professor Yang earlier, avoid the detours of his previous life, and not suffer those hardships, Jiang Ruotang was willing to do everything in his power. Professor Yang, please see this young man named Lu Guifan. He needs a mentor to lead him into a world where he can shine.

Lawyer Hong walked into the living room and said to her husband, annoyed, “The guests are eating. Please don’t shout.”

Professor Yang, standing in front of the whiteboard, suddenly turned his head: “Guests? What guests?”

“The guest who filled up all your whiteboards.”

Professor Yang’s eyes lit up. He strode towards the dining room, his gaze shifting from Lu’s mother’s face to Jiang Ruotang’s, and finally resting on Lu Guifan.

“Is it… you?” Professor Yang asked, somewhat incredulously, because Lu Guifan was too young. Professor Yang’s gaze was so intense that Lu Guifan found it a bit overwhelming.

“Yes.”

“Which university are you from? Shengshi University? No, no, no… Shengshi University would be too small for you. You wouldn’t choose a university whose research capabilities aren’t top-tier…” Professor Yang began an incomprehensible analysis, so excited that when Lu Guifan tried to answer, he was caught in Professor Yang’s rhythm, “Could it be someone from another province who came back for winter break? Capital University of Science and Technology? Shanghai Jiaotong University? Or Southwest University of Science and Technology?”

These three were all top-tier science and engineering universities in China, producing numerous talents. In his previous life, Lu Guifan had the ability to attend Capital University of Science and Technology, but for living expenses and scholarships, he chose the more remote Southwest University of Science and Technology.

“Professor Yang, I’m just a high school student,” Lu Guifan finally found an opportunity to speak.

Professor Yang was completely stunned. His originally radiant eyes were now filled with confusion. “What… what? A high school student?”

Jiang Ruotang put his arm around Lu Guifan’s shoulder and smiled broadly: “This is our Beicheng Guangyao University’s top student, a contestant who won the national mathematics, physics, and chemistry competitions for two consecutive years in his second and third years of high school!”

Professor Yang regained some composure amidst Jiang Ruotang’s excited voice. Then, he very seriously said to Lu Guifan, “You’ve solved the core problem of battery conversion efficiency that I’m currently researching!”

“This is just theoretical… it still needs experiments…” Lu Guifan was startled by his attitude.

“Right, right, right, it needs experiments! I’ll call and arrange a lab now!”

Lawyer Hong wordlessly gripped Professor Yang’s hand. “Old Yang, wake up! It’s past nine in the evening, and it’s New Year’s. Do you think the lab belongs to you? You can use it whenever you want?”

Professor Yang immediately slapped his forehead. Everyone thought he would calm down, but then his eyes lit up, “I have an old classmate at Shengda University who has a lab! I’ll ask him to borrow… no, I’ll ask to rent it! I’ll pay! Anyway, their lab is idle during the winter break, might as well put it to some use!”

Everyone present: …

Professor Yang suddenly came in front of Lu Guifan and grabbed his shoulders: “Lu Guifan, you also want to know if your idea is correct, right? Right?”

“Uh… yes.”

“After the seventh day, I’ll rent the lab. Will you come?”

“…I have classes.”

Professor Yang seemed to have found an irrefutable reason. He looked at his wife and said, “Look! Look! This student will be starting school in a couple of days! He won’t experience the excitement of personally verifying whether he’s correct or not! That’s unfair to him!”

Lu Guifan actually didn’t have such a strong obsession. He was about to say, “It’s okay,” but his wrist under the table was gripped by Jiang Ruotang. Jiang Ruotang, in a half-joking tone, said, “Professor Yang, if the experiment succeeds and proves Lu Guifan’s design and calculations are correct, can he apply for a patent? Will his name be on the patent?”

Lu Guifan was slightly stunned. For him, it was just a comprehensive problem applying physics and chemistry, but Jiang Ruotang thought further ahead.

Professor Yang spread his hands, “Of course!”

“Guifan, then do this experiment. Whether it ultimately proves you right or wrong, it’s an experience. And you won’t find another chance for an expert like Professor Yang to help you verify right and wrong,” Jiang Ruotang looked at him with very firm eyes.

Lu Guifan nodded, “Okay.”

“Then it’s settled! I’ll contact them now! Let’s seize every moment!”

Professor Yang, despite appearing spontaneous, had a wide network in the industry. Within half an hour, he managed to contact the laboratory at Shengshi University of Technology.

“Old Chen! You know what? My battery problem is solved! Truly, the younger generation surpasses the older one. It was a high school student who helped me solve it!”

“You want to know his name? Hehe, I won’t tell you. You definitely want to poach my student; I won’t let you succeed!”

“His method is brilliant. Hurry up and figure out a way to lend me a lab! Those foreigners said it was impossible to improve that much, but I’m going to show them!”

Professor Yang was showing off like a child to everyone, as if Lu Guifan was already his student. After the lab was confirmed, Professor Yang clapped Lu Guifan’s shoulder and said heroically, “Let’s go!”

Lawyer Hong was already used to this, but Lu’s mother was dumbfounded. “It’s almost ten at night… and they’re still going to do experiments?”

Jiang Ruotang patted Lu’s mother’s shoulder and whispered in her ear, “Let them go. If it proves Lu Guifan is right, it’ll be more meaningful than winning a dozen competition championships.”

Although Lu’s mother didn’t understand all this, after spending time with Jiang Ruotang, she had come to believe one thing—following Jiang Ruotang’s advice would never be wrong.

Professor Yang was already full of fighting spirit, putting on his coat, and telling Lu Guifan what instruments they would use and what experimental methods would yield more accurate data. Lu Guifan listened quietly beside him.

As they left, Jiang Ruotang loudly called out, “Be sure to keep experimental videos, records, and data!” Professor Yang nodded, raised his hand, and said, “Don’t worry!”

Jiang Ruotang looked at Lu Guifan and said, “I don’t think you two will come out until tomorrow morning. Tell me the address, and I’ll go with Aunt Lu to prepare delicious food and drinks for you.”

Lu Guifan raised his hand. He was a little reluctant; this was the only time he had seen Jiang Ruotang during the New Year holiday. Jiang Ruotang, as if knowing what he was thinking, tiptoed and nudged his head into Lu Guifan’s palm. “Touch it if you want, but…”

“But what?”

“A man’s head, a woman’s waist. You practically put your arm around my waist, so aren’t you going to take responsibility for me?”

Jiang Ruotang had a smile on his face, but his heartstrings were slightly taut. He didn’t know how Lu Guifan would answer him. Lu Guifan gently pressed Jiang Ruotang’s head towards him with a little force and softly said, “You’re dressed like a little bear; I can’t even feel your waist.”

There was also a very soft chuckle that seemed to brush against Jiang Ruotang’s eardrum. When Jiang Ruotang turned around, Lu Guifan had already gone to the entrance to put on his shoes.

Only Lawyer Hong remained, rubbing her temples and complaining, “Argh, I barely see this guy all year, and as soon as he’s back, he dives back into the lab! Marrying him was truly marrying loneliness!”

Jiang Ruotang jokingly retorted, “Really? But how come I heard that Aunt Hong likes Professor Yang’s seriousness and dedication the most?”

“That’s what I tell outsiders! The real reason is this guy has good looks! Big eyes, long legs, fair skin, handsome face, and he’s forty years old without a bald spot or a beer belly. Otherwise, I would have dumped him long ago.”

Despite Lawyer Hong’s seemingly disgusted expression, Jiang Ruotang had heard that more than ten years ago, Lawyer Hong was ostracized by her law firm for speaking up for a victim. At that time, she was very disheartened and doubted her chosen profession. It was Professor Yang, who was then studying for his doctorate overseas, who handed over all his patent income to her, simply saying: “Start your own law firm and do what you want to do.” In Lawyer Hong’s view, this man was indeed not perfect, but he understood her.

Lu’s mother felt a bit guilty. If it weren’t for her son, Professor Yang would still be at home celebrating the New Year with his wife. So, she quickly stewed a few more dishes in the kitchen for Lawyer Hong and the two children to eat for lunch the next day.

Xiao Gao drove Lu’s mother home first.

Sitting in the car, Lu’s mother asked, “Ruotang, is this Professor Yang a very remarkable person?”

“Sort of,” Jiang Ruotang replied. “But in his field, there are many remarkable people. Professor Yang might not be the most outstanding, but he is the one most kindred spirited with Lu Guifan.” Lu’s mother vaguely understood, but looking at Jiang Ruotang’s bright expression, Lu’s mother also secretly decided to fully support her son in doing experiments with Professor Yang.

---

Once immersed in experiments, Professor Yang could work tirelessly. Lu Guifan, however, knew that Jiang Ruotang would be curious about the laboratory, so he specifically filmed a video for him, patiently introducing the names of various instruments. The video briefly showed Professor Yang, and Jiang Ruotang happened to see him in his lab coat, so he also made a request to Lu Guifan.

[Did you also wear a lab coat? Can you send me a picture?]

Lu Guifan just thought Jiang Ruotang was curious because he watched too many TV shows, so he extended his arm and sent him a selfie. It was truly an unaesthetic angle; if Lu Guifan hadn’t been handsome, the photo would have been unbearable.

But the moment Jiang Ruotang saw the photo, his heart tightened, and his eyes welled up. In his previous life, when he was in the hospital room, Lu Guifan would video chat with him during his lunch break in the lounge, almost always wearing a lab coat.

[Before the experiment starts, I have to put my phone in the locker, so I can’t chat with you.]

[Okay, good luck!]

Jiang Ruotang wiped the moisture from the corners of his eyes, sincerely hoping that Lu Guifan would also have a bright future under Professor Yang’s guidance.

The next day, Jiang Ruotang woke up early, brewed coffee, made tea, brought pastries made by Sister Juan, and then got the insulated food boxes from Lu’s mother, heading to the laboratory Professor Yang had rented. This was Jiang Ruotang’s first time in such a lab. Unfortunately, he couldn’t go inside, only watch Professor Yang and Lu Guifan busy themselves through the glass.

Professor Yang’s chin was already covered in stubble, and there were dark circles under his eyes. Perhaps from constantly scratching his head, his hair was disheveled, giving him a sort of decadent uncle aesthetic. Lu Guifan was assisting him, manipulating instruments Jiang Ruotang couldn’t name under Professor Yang’s guidance. At this moment, he perfectly resembled the person Jiang Ruotang couldn’t forget from ten years later.

During a break in the experiment, when Lu Guifan turned around, Jiang Ruotang tapped on the glass. Through the glass, Lu Guifan gently tapped the spot where Jiang Ruotang had tapped, then shook his head, indicating he couldn’t come out yet.

Jiang Ruotang took out his sketchbook and quickly sketched Lu Guifan in various poses. When he was hungry, he took out the pastries Sister Juan had prepared. When he was very bored, Jiang Ruotang took out practice papers and casually did some problems.

After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Ruotang fell asleep with his head on the table. When Lu Guifan looked up, he saw Jiang Ruotang sleeping there with his eyes closed. He checked the time; Jiang Ruotang had been waiting for him for a very long time.

He walked out and went to Jiang Ruotang’s side, gently brushing aside the stray bangs from his forehead. Half of Jiang Ruotang’s face was pressed against his arm, a sight that reminded Lu Guifan of a little octopus from a cartoon. He quietly turned on the air conditioning for Jiang Ruotang, then sat beside him and saw the sketchbook he had casually thrown on a nearby chair. It was full of sketches of himself. This was perhaps the greatest spiritual comfort for him after more than ten hours of experimenting.

Professor Yang finally emerged from the laboratory. He looked at the things Jiang Ruotang had brought on the table and suddenly said, “I miss my wife.”

“Huh?” Lu Guifan turned to look at him.

“When I was doing my Ph.D. in the U.S., my wife… she was my girlfriend back then, flew for over ten hours and had a layover to see me. I promised to take her shopping and sightseeing, but who knew the lab data was wrong, and I had to stay inside. My wife waited outside for me until she fell asleep… just like Ruotang now.”

Lu Guifan said softly, “If you miss Aunt Hong, just tell her. She’ll be very happy.”

Professor Yang sat down, looking as if he had just solved a century-old problem, and sent a message to his wife: [Yingying, I miss you.]

Lawyer Hong replied instantly: [Then finish the experiment and get back here quickly.]

Professor Yang let out a silly chuckle. Looking at him, Lu Guifan felt envious. Then he thought to himself how funny he was, when Jiang Ruotang was right there beside him.

Professor Yang and Lu Guifan opened their insulated lunch boxes. Smelling the food, they suddenly felt ravenous. Professor Yang devoured his meal. Jiang Ruotang, hearing the sounds, rubbed his eyes and sat up.

He noticed that Lu Guifan wasn’t eating but was looking at the problems he had been doing before he fell asleep. “Ah! Don’t grade my homework in front of Professor Yang, it’s embarrassing!”

Jiang Ruotang made to grab it, but Lu Guifan held his wrist. He looked up, a slightly teasing smile on his lips. “It’s not embarrassing at all. Your approach for these problems is correct, it’s just the last one has a calculation error, and your method is a bit clumsy. I’ve written a simpler, easier-to-understand one for you.”

“Oh.”

After eating, the two rested for a while, then plunged back into the experiment. They didn’t go home for the entire sixth day of the New Year. They stayed up until the early hours of the morning, still a little short on the experiment. Professor Yang was still trying to find the deviation, while Lu Guifan was already so tired that he fell asleep on the table.

On the seventh day, the senior high school students were supposed to return to school for classes, but Jiang Ruotang persuaded Lu Guifan to stay in the lab and take a leave of absence from school.

“Wouldn’t that be bad?” Lu Guifan hesitated.

Jiang Ruotang advised, “Actually, the college entrance exam knowledge isn’t difficult for you anymore. Instead of wasting time on things you’ve already mastered, why not challenge something new?”

“You’re right,” Lu Guifan smiled. “My greatest pleasure every time I go to school is figuring out problem-solving ideas that enlighten you.”

“What do you mean? Am I so stupid that I’m a challenge to you? Hmph!” Jiang Ruotang turned his face away.

---

The next day, the senior high school students began their winter break tutoring. Jiang Ruotang went to the classroom. Although his much-anticipated desk partner seat was empty, he was still quite happy with Cai Ji, Zhao Changfeng, and Jian Sha accompanying him and chatting. Moreover, when he encountered problems he didn’t understand, Cai Ji would try his best to teach him.

In contrast, Bai Yingchuan took ten days off to report to the crew of “Boiling Age,” leaving Lin Lu sitting alone and looking lonely.

When Bai Yingchuan arrived on set, he still remembered Jiang Ruotang’s advice. Whenever he had the chance, he would seek out Old Man Feng and other veterans to learn lines, including handling subtle details. At first, Feng Moshan was polite but not close to Bai Yingchuan. Later, he noticed that even when Bai Yingchuan wasn’t filming, he wouldn’t rest in his RV but would stand by and watch other actors.

Originally, Bai Yingchuan had brought his agent and assistant. Sister Yu, feeling sorry for him, told him, “You can sleep in a bit more in the morning; just arrive at the agreed time. The pay for this drama isn’t high, so just meet the contractual requirements.”

Bai Yingchuan, however, disagreed. He always remembered Jiang Ruotang’s advice and didn’t accept Sister Yu’s arrangements. “I’ll arrive when filming starts. Those are veteran actors and seasoned performers. How they analyze the script on set, how they block, how they deliver lines – missing that would be a real loss.”

So, when Old Man Feng and Teacher Chen Ping, who played the protagonist’s father, were discussing a scene, Bai Yingchuan listened not too far away. Old Man Feng smiled and waved at Bai Yingchuan, saying with a laugh, “Xiaobai wants to hear us discuss the scene? Then come over and join the discussion.” Chen Ping also pulled over a small stool for him to sit down.

At first, Bai Yingchuan didn’t speak much. After a morning passed, he would occasionally raise questions, and the two teachers would express their views back and forth. Bai Yingchuan felt very fulfilled; this was true acting class.

When it was his turn to act, standing in front of Old Man Feng, he truly felt that Old Man Feng’s acting was superb. With a “cut,” Feng Moshan’s expression instantly changed from kindly to stern and cold. The imposing presence of a patriarch descended from above. When Bai Yingchuan looked up at Feng Moshan, he slightly parted his lips and managed to squeeze out a “Grandpa,” naturally falling into character. In his heart, he was stubborn and unwilling to accept the elder’s arrangements, wanting to resist, yet he couldn’t muster the momentum in front of the elder.

He could only look at his grandfather like that. That feeling was as if he yearned so deeply to be close to Jiang Ruotang, yet his mother always tried to use his future to curry favor with Lin Chengdong. His mother’s influence, authority, and the team she sent to supervise him were suffocating Bai Yingchuan.

Bai Yingchuan looked at Feng Moshan, and just when everyone thought he had forgotten his lines, he finally spoke: “I don’t want to study economics. If I must study, I want to know how engines, transmissions, and these things work. I want to build cars… build our own cars.” His lines didn’t have much intonation, no grievance, no anger, but they conveyed a deep-seated determination after much thought.

Feng Moshan was very satisfied because just now, when they were discussing this character, Feng Moshan had told him that externalizing emotions was something most actors could do, but being able to retract emotions and show strength in calmness was what truly defined good acting. The young man in front of him, though a bit naive, had grasped all the pointers Feng Moshan had given him during their scene. When they went to look at the director’s small monitor, Feng Moshan said to Chen Ping beside him, “This kid has high comprehension.”

The agent initially didn’t quite understand Bai Yingchuan’s insistence on coming to the set early in the morning, thinking it was just a boy his age who didn’t like being controlled. But when she accidentally overheard Feng Moshan’s assessment of Bai Yingchuan, she suddenly realized that perhaps she wasn’t as mature as Bai Yingchuan.

Because he also had to return to school for classes, his scenes were scheduled quite tightly, and he had two night scenes. He originally thought he would fall asleep quickly on his hotel bed, but unexpectedly, he became wide awake as soon as his head hit the pillow. He picked up his phone, and several messages were from Lin Lu, expressing concern. Bai Yingchuan merely replied politely.

Since the Qilin Video incident, Bai Yingchuan had instructed his assistant to closely monitor Lin Lu’s anonymous online comments. Any inflammatory remarks were to be addressed immediately, before they escalated out of control. Then came his mother, Bai Yue, instructing him that since he was so familiar with Feng Moshan, he should take more photos of them discussing the script, which could be posted on Weibo to show his pleasant conversations with the seniors and salvage some reputation.

This was a routine operation in the entertainment industry, but Bai Yingchuan knew it was wrong. Old Mr. Feng genuinely guided him, and he would be using the other party as a marketing backdrop, which would disappoint the senior. Bai Yingchuan seriously called Bai Yue: “Mom, what you suggested cannot be done. If Teacher Feng truly recognizes and guides me, he will naturally strongly recommend me when he encounters a suitable role. But if I use my relationship with him for marketing, then to avoid suspicion, he might not say a word for me in the future.”

Bai Yue on the other end of the phone was silent for a while, then said, “Then do as you wish.” Just as she was about to hang up, Bai Yue subconsciously said, “You seem more mature than I imagined.”

Bai Yingchuan lowered his eyes. Mature? Perhaps it was because of Jiang Ruotang. If he were his agent, he probably wouldn’t agree to use photos of discussing scripts for publicity either.

---

This week’s filming wrapped up quickly, and Bai Yingchuan was to return to school for classes. The night before Bai Yingchuan finished filming, Feng Moshan even specifically reminded the director that everyone should have a meal together. Everyone could see Old Mr. Feng’s fondness for this young man. During dinner, Bai Yingchuan also said he wanted to get into the Beijing Film Academy so he could go watch Old Mr. Feng’s plays. Feng Moshan laughed, saying that this kid’s acting was comparable to many formally trained actors, and the film academy would definitely accept him.

On the way back, his agent, Sister Yu, nodded at Bai Yingchuan and said, “Regarding your mother’s marketing suggestion, I also thought it wasn’t a good idea, but I didn’t say anything. I didn’t expect you to refuse so firmly; it made me feel that you’ve really grown up.”

“Old Mr. Feng and Teacher Chen Ping both taught me seriously; they put their heart into guiding me, and I want to treat them with sincerity. If the photos were really posted, Old Mr. Feng would be very disappointed in me,” Bai Yingchuan looked out the window. “Sister Yu, of course I know that in this industry, marketing is necessary, but at least I don’t want to exploit others’ sincerity towards me to gain temporary favor from netizens.”

Sister Yu drove quietly. As the urgent desire to carve out a path calmed down, Sister Yu also realized that Bai Yingchuan’s idea was correct. With Old Mr. Feng’s qualifications, if he were willing to guide Bai Yingchuan, the resources he would gain would undoubtedly be of high quality. And Bai Yingchuan knew very well that his ability to be patient and not so eager for quick success owed much to Jiang Ruotang’s guidance.

---

In the afternoon of the third day of Lu Guifan’s leave, their experiment was finally completed. Professor Yang had transformed from an elegant, handsome middle-aged man into a vagrant. When Lawyer Hong came to pick him up, he proudly introduced their experimental results to his wife.

“Yingying! Our experiment was successful! This means that with our method, the power of lithium iron phosphate batteries can be increased by at least thirteen percent!”

Lawyer Hong smiled and stroked the stubble on her husband’s chin, “You, you’re almost a savage! Hurry up and come home with me to brush your teeth and wash your face properly, you’re almost stinky!”

Professor Yang blinked, then傻傻地 (shǎ shǎ de – foolishly) picked up his collar and sniffed it, then showed a disgusted expression, “Why does Xiao Lu smell so good?”

Lu Guifan watched from the side. He envied Professor Yang and Lawyer Hong; they supported and understood each other, celebrating each other’s achievements.

Lawyer Hong looked at Lu Guifan and smiled, “Xiao Lu, who are you waiting for?”

“No… no one. I’m tired too, I should go back to sleep,” Lu Guifan touched the stubble on his chin.

Lawyer Hong smiled and looked over, “Xiao Lu, remember to give me your ID, and some forms also need to be filled out. Once Old Yang has prepared the materials, we’ll apply for the patent for you.”

“Patent? Mine?” Lu Guifan quickly shook his head, “No need, I just did the calculations… and I also have to thank Professor Yang for bringing me into the lab. He taught me firsthand how to use these instruments and how to record everything…”

Professor Yang shook his head and said, “You are too modest. Without your calculations, we wouldn’t have achieved this at all, and we can even continue to improve based on your concepts. This is to document your own creation and ideas; there’s no need to be modest.”

Although Lu Guifan had won many awards, this was his first time applying his ideas to reality, as if a door to a new world had opened before him.

“Go home quickly, your father is waiting for you at the door.”

As soon as Lu Guifan heard this, he immediately ran out the door and saw a black sedan. The driver was his father. “Dad… you… why are you here?”

“Ruotang called me. He said he had to go to class and couldn’t pick you up. It just so happened that I had just dropped off Mr. Zheng for some business, and he wouldn’t be done anytime soon, so he asked me to pick you up. Come, experience your old man’s driving skills.”

When Lu Guifan heard the words “Ruotang,” his tired spirit softened. He originally wanted his father to take him directly back to school so he could still catch the last class, but then he suddenly remembered Lawyer Hong saying that Professor Yang smelled bad. He couldn’t help but lift his own collar and sniff. Jiang Ruotang had said he liked his scent, and he didn’t want to spoil that good impression, so he still asked his father to drive home, took a good shower, and fell into a deep sleep.

He didn’t know how long he had slept, but he faintly heard the sound of his bedroom door being gently pushed open. A premonition surged, and he immediately sat up. Even without his glasses, seeing only a silhouette, he could identify that it was Jiang Ruotang standing outside the door.

“What are you doing, being so sneaky?” Lu Guifan fumbled on his bedside table for a long time but couldn’t find his glasses.

“Did I wake you up?” Jiang Ruotang asked guiltily.

“It’s not even evening yet; I wasn’t sleeping soundly anyway.”

“Haha, let me guess, you never dreamed that one day you’d actually have a patent?”

Lu Guifan nodded. Jiang Ruotang came to his side and immediately found his glasses, but he didn’t put them on Lu Guifan right away. Instead, he hid them behind his back, bent down, and leveled his eyes with Lu Guifan’s. Even though the room lights weren’t on, Jiang Ruotang could clearly discern Lu Guifan’s deep eyes and delicate eyelashes with his gaze. His heartbeat felt like a cycle of falling again and again, no matter what.

Lu Guifan didn’t rush for his glasses, letting Jiang Ruotang have his fun. Outside, Lu’s mother’s voice could be heard. She was asking Lu’s father in the living room, “Should we wake Guifan up? It’s past seven, it’s time for dinner.” Hearing this, Jiang Ruotang knew his treasured time was over and had no choice but to return the glasses.

Lu Guifan raised his voice, “Mom, I’m up. Ruotang is here too; let’s have dinner together.”

“Alright! I’ll make him chive and egg pancakes!”

Lu’s mother prepared a very rich meal. While eating, Lu’s mother asked about the patent. Jiang Ruotang thought for a moment and told Lu Guifan, “I think you should still discuss it with Professor Yang. Not only should your name be on this patent, but most importantly, Professor Yang’s name should be added.”