He glanced at the question, then looked up at Li Jing, lowered his voice, and lightly tapped the scratch paper with his fingertip, "I do know how to do this question. Actually, the key to this type of question is understanding the combined application of the law of conservation of energy and the momentum theorem. Look here..."
His voice was deep and clear, his explanations were logically rigorous and his steps were distinct, displaying a kind of methodicalness honed in the military.
Li Jing was indeed a little nervous at first, her mind wandering, but she was quickly drawn in by his clear and concise explanation.
He spoke patiently, pausing every now and then to ask her questions:
"Can we keep up here?"
"Do you understand now?"
"Can you explain the principle behind this formula?"
Li Jing looked at his focused profile and smelled the fresh scent of soapberry so close to her, and nodded subconsciously.
Finally, Guan Hongqi summarized the entire problem-solving process in a concise way, then looked up at her with gentle eyes, his voice even softer than before, "Did you understand what I meant by explaining it this way?"
His gentle voice brushed against Li Jing's heart like a feather.
Li Jing's heart pounded, and a bold yet somewhat shy thought suddenly popped into her head.
Almost instinctively, she lowered her eyelashes, gently shook her head, and said in a voice barely audible, "Sorry, I... I still don't quite understand that transition part..."
She dared not look him in the eye, afraid that he would see through her little 'trick'.
However, Guan Hongqi was used to being upright, and Li Jing looked very cute, so he didn't doubt her words at all, only feeling that he hadn't explained things clearly enough.
So instead of being impatient, he looked encouraging and said, "It's okay, let's explain it again and try a different method."
As he spoke, he picked up his pen again and began to redraw the force analysis diagram on the draft paper, speaking more slowly and explaining in more detail.
This time, Li Jing listened with exceptional 'attention,' her gaze mostly fixed on his moving pen tip and his well-defined fingers, occasionally asking a harmless little question.
Time slipped away quietly amidst the rustling of pens during the question-and-answer session, and the sunlight outside the window gradually slanted westward, casting long shadows on the ground.
More than two hours passed just like that.
Guan Hongqi glanced at the slightly worn Shanghai brand watch on his wrist, began tidying up the books on the table, and reminded them, "It's getting late, the library is about to close."
Li Jing's heart tightened, and she almost held her breath, not knowing where the impulse came from.
Just as Guan Hongqi was about to stand up, she suddenly raised her head and spoke as if she were going to do anything, her voice trembling slightly with nervousness, "Comrade...! Thank you so much for today!"
Guan Hongqi stopped what he was doing and looked at her.
Li Jing's cheeks flushed, but she tried her best to remain calm and said in a slightly faster pace, "My name is Li Jing, Li as in 'wood,' and Jing as in 'quiet.' I am a former educated youth who returned to the city, and I am currently studying to prepare for the college entrance examination."
She paused, her fingers subtly clenching the hem of her dress. "I usually come to this reading room every morning at eight o'clock and study in this window seat. If... I mean, if you have time to come here to study too, we can... we can discuss our studies together..."
After she finished speaking, she felt as if she had used up all her strength, and her heart was about to jump out of her throat.
Guan Hongqi paused for a moment, looking at the girl's flushed cheeks and her eyes filled with nervousness and expectation, then flashed a hearty and frank smile, revealing a set of neat white teeth:
“Great! It’s good to learn from each other. My name is Guan Hongqi, Guan as in care and Hongqi as in red flag. I just retired from the army last year and am also studying on my own to prepare for the exam.”
Li Jing's eyes lit up, and she inexplicably murmured his name in her heart, feeling incredibly happy.
Guan Hongqi didn't notice her unusual behavior and continued generously, "It's settled then. I'll come early tomorrow so we can study together!"
"Yes!" Li Jing nodded vigorously, feeling as if the whole sky had brightened up.
Guan Hongqi smiled at her again, "Okay, I'll go first then, you should go home early too."
After saying that, he picked up his military satchel, straightened his back, and strode out of the reading room.
Li Jing remained standing there, watching his retreating figure disappear through the doorway, motionless for a long time.
She only slowly sat down when the staff began urging the museum to close, gently pressing one hand against her still rapidly beating heart.
She recalled the words from a book she had recently stumbled upon in a corner of the library, a book with slightly curled edges on its title page: "Love Is Unforgettable."
At the time, she was only shocked, but now she feels a genuine resonance.
She silently told herself: "It's over, Li Jing. Just like in that book, 'When you meet the right person, your heart really does beat like a drum!'"
She's fallen for a man!
This man's name is Guan Hongqi!
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