Chapter 65 Research Conference 18 Preliminary Evaluation
Xin Xiuying couldn't help but recall the first time she met Chu Xingjin.
Her first impression was actually quite good. She also remembered the point where her impression started to decline: when she was with Xie Jiaoyue, watching Chu Xingjin comfort Feng Qianqian in real time.
But it's alright. Considering that Xie Jiaoyue and Feng Qianqian have both accepted this matter, she can't question too much about it, even though she doesn't understand it.
Chu Xingjin's talent is undeniable. Although she personally finds it hard to accept, many aristocratic families would choose to make their younger generation suffer for the sake of a talented marriage partner.
But she didn't know when it started, but she felt that her impression of Chu Xingjin was getting worse and worse.
It's like there was a hazy mist in your mind that always concealed some flaws, making people appear more beautiful. But once that mist disappeared, the world suddenly became clearer, and those previously barely noticeable flaws suddenly became as bright as the moon in the night sky or the sun under the azure sky—in short, they became incredibly obvious.
For example, right now, she dislikes Chu Xingjin's behavior very much, feeling that this person is arrogant and self-centered, only caring about himself and not considering the feelings of others.
He is not someone you can entrust your life to at all.
She couldn't help but grasp Xie Jiaoyue's hand.
Chu Xingjin had already quickly skimmed through Xin Xiuying's manuscript. Turning to Xie Jiaoyue, he said in a seemingly concerned tone, "Jiaoyue, your plan is far too reckless. Are you trying to win against us with such a risky idea?"
He tossed Xin Xiuying's manuscript to her, patted Xie Jiaoyue on the shoulder, and continued, "The chances of making this are too low. If you can't make anything, won't you even get a decent ranking? Why don't you think of a safer direction? Even if you can't beat us, you might be able to get second place if you try your best."
Did he have any bad intentions? He was just trying to be helpful, to prevent his fiancée from getting bad grades.
Before Xie Jiaoyue could say anything, Xin Xiuying was already very indignant.
"No matter what our final ranking is, we're still better than people who don't even want to try." She wouldn't allow anyone to discredit her and Xie Jiaoyue's plan.
If this thing really succeeds, it will be extremely valuable to fragile alchemists like them. This person really has no vision.
Chu Xingjin seemed to only just notice Xin Xiuying, and frowned as he glanced at her.
He didn't have a good impression of Xin Xiuying. This woman was probably spoiled by her family, had an overly strong personality, and no sense of romance. She wasn't a woman worth liking.
The only thing worth mentioning is that he inherited the Water Pattern Alchemy Furnace, but so far this thing is not important to him.
Therefore, he never paid attention to it, nor did he make a special note of it.
If he becomes more interested in alchemy later, it might be worth paying attention to.
Chu Xingjin refused to give Xin Xiuying a second glance: "Try? I never do anything I'm not sure of, but if I do it, I'm sure I'll win."
He had only come to check on his fiancée, and since the two of them showed no appreciation, there was no need for him to stay: "Since you are so stubborn, I have no reason to persuade you. Take care of yourselves."
After saying that, he found Feng Qianqian who had rushed over, grabbed her hand, and walked towards the door.
As Feng Qianqian turned around to greet Xie Jiaoyue, she tried to pull her hand away from Chu Xingjin's, puzzled. "Hey, I just got here. I wanted to say hello to Jiaoyue too."
"Why are you saying hello? Do you think they want to say hello to you? Don't disturb them while they're preparing for the preliminary evaluation."
Xie Jiaoyue didn't look at the two people who left. She reached out and covered Xin Xiuying's ears with her hands: "Don't listen. What he says is just his opinion."
Xin Xiuying was deeply moved; Jiaoyue was actually comforting people, and was comforting her so earnestly.
"The initial evaluation we hear might be even worse than this. If you can't stand it now, you'll probably cry later."
Hsin Hsiu-ying: "Huh? How could that be! No, I mean, I won't cry. No matter what kind of comments I hear, how could I possibly cry?"
She's not the kind of person who's fragile, nor does she cry easily.
Time passed, and just when Xin Xiuying felt she could recite the manuscript by heart, it was finally almost their turn.
There was only one group left ahead of them, and Xin Xiuying could no longer listen to the other disciples' presentations.
For some reason, she had attended countless banquets, including a birthday party specially organized for her by her father, and had accompanied her father to some important occasions. She was even the first among her peers to pay respects to the clan's patriarch.
But at that time, she was the daughter of the Xin clan chief, the inheritor of the Water Pattern Alchemy Furnace, or something else entirely; in any case, she wasn't herself.
Others only see her identity, or the water-patterned alchemy furnace behind her; no one ever pays attention to her as a person.
But this time, she had no other identity. She participated in the plan, designed the alchemy method, and read half of the pile of books.
This time, she was simply herself.
So, will she succeed?
She couldn't help but turn to look at Xie Jiaoyue. How come Xie Jiaoyue didn't seem nervous at all? Even now, she was still able to listen to other people's plans.
She glanced at the pen and paper in Xie Jiaoyue's hand, and lines of words appeared on the paper. My God, she was actually listening!
Xin Xiuying took a deep breath and looked at Xie Jiaoyue, who was so peaceful. Her own heartbeat finally slowed down and returned to calm.
Xie Jiaoyue wasn't particularly nervous about the initial evaluation.
This is related to her past experiences, but it's not the only reason. That's just her personality. She will work hard to achieve a good result, but after doing her best, she can also face the assessment with composure.
As long as she has tried her best and can be true to herself, that's enough. The outcome is beyond her control, so there's no need to be nervous.
Instead of wasting this time, it would be better to listen to other people's solutions and broaden your thinking.
When the previous group finally finished, after hearing their teachers call their names, Xie Jiaoyue calmly straightened her clothes, stood up, turned around, and reached out her hand to Xin Xiuying.
"Shall we go?"
Xin Xiuying tilted her head back and placed her hand in Xie Jiaoyue's.
The two often walked, sat, and lay together. It wasn't the first time she had been led by Xie Jiaoyue, but perhaps because the surroundings were so quiet, she noticed for the first time how steady Xie Jiaoyue's steps were.
Everyone's pace is different. For example, Feng Qianqian looks like she's hopping and skipping, while Xie Xinghui and Xin Rong's pace is unsteady, sometimes high and sometimes low, very casual.
But Xie Jiaoyue was different. Each step she took was about the same distance, and each step was steady without any swaying, as if Xie Jiaoyue was very confident in her every step and had no doubts.
The warmth from my palm traveled upwards, warming my wrists along my fingertips, passing over my elbows, over my shoulders, and finally flowing to my heart.
Thump thump, my heartbeat returned to a normal speed this time.
At this moment, Xin Xiuying felt extremely confident. They had prepared so much and were so confident that they had no reason not to achieve good results and win the praise of their teachers.
She stood before a dozen or so teachers, the array beneath her feet emitting a soft light that illuminated the two of them.
Besides their teachers, there were also many disciples who had stayed behind, surrounding them. So many eyes were shining brightly at them, like tiny, sparkling grapes scattered around them.
She swallowed hard, and then felt Xie Jiaoyue gently shoving her from behind.
Oh right, she started first.
Xin Xiuying didn't take out a draft; she had already memorized all the drafts in her mind and could recite them fluently.
"Greetings, esteemed teachers. Xie Jiaoyue and I have come up with a plan that combines swordsmanship and alchemy..."
Five minutes later, she finished what she needed to say.
Five minutes later, Xie Jiaoyue, who was behind her, also finished speaking.
Xin Xiuying was extremely confident. Both of them performed exceptionally well, exceeding their full potential! Absolutely perfect!
They all performed so well, they should be praised by their teachers this time, right?
Xin Xiuying whispered to Xie Jiaoyue, "Next is the Q&A session with the teachers. I'll answer."
Xie Jiaoyue raised an eyebrow: "Are you sure?"
Xin Xiuying nodded confidently; she was absolutely certain of everything.
Xie Jiaoyue silently took a small step back, giving Xin Xiuying the opportunity to shine.
The teachers in charge of the initial evaluation were writing and drawing on paper. The teacher on the far left was the first to ask a question: "Have you tried this plan before?"
Xin Xiuying was taken aback by the question; the division commander's tone suggested that he wasn't entirely satisfied with them.
She answered truthfully, "We tried once, but it didn't work. However, we have developed an improvement plan and believe we will succeed next time."
The second instructor asked, "How did it fail? Could it be that the alchemy furnace exploded?"
"Ah, yes, that's right."
The first instructor continued, "It's infuriating to think about! There have always been magical artifacts that can seal sword energy, but there have never been any elixirs. Haven't you ever wondered why?"
"We have thought about it, but magical artifacts are inconvenient to use due to limitations in size, cost, difficulty of release, and wear and tear. That's why we thought about whether we could improve them."
The second division commander picked up the conversation: "So what are your ideas for improvement?"
Xin Xiuying was about to demonstrate their "pressure cooker" design when she was stopped.
"Alright, I suppose you can't come up with any reasonable solutions either. I suggest you try a different approach. Alchemy and swordsmanship are completely unrelated. Aren't you an alchemist? Your fire control should be pretty good. Why don't you study the combination of swordsmanship and fire techniques? You don't have to go down the wrong path."
Xin Xiuying lowered her head further and further.
She came full of confidence, so why did she only receive such a comment?
Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-06-02 22:30:11 and 2024-06-03 23:35:24!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: yjbin 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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