After dinner, the elders moved to the living room to continue drinking tea and talking. The topic gradually turned to work and social relationships. Zhao Rui was about to slip back to his room for some peace and quiet, but was quietly stopped by his cousin Zhao Wanqing.
Zhao Wanqing is a sophomore in the Chinese Department, one year higher than Zhao Rui. She has a quiet and bookish temperament and is also very beautiful.
"Xiao Rui, you're also from the Physics Department. I want to ask you something. Do you know... Lu Qingyang?"
Zhao Rui was stunned. He had never expected to hear the name from his cousin. He subconsciously asked, "Lu Qingyang? Sister, why are you asking him?"
He muttered in his heart, how could Lu Qingyang, that guy, who is always elusive except for the class, have any connection with his cousin?
Zhao Wanqing pursed her lips slightly, seeming a little embarrassed, but she still explained, "One time before, I was stopped by a somewhat persistent suitor near the school. He said some inappropriate things. I happened to run into Lu Qingyang from your department passing by, and he... he was quite resourceful. He persuaded the guy to leave with just a few words and resolved the situation. I've always wanted to thank him, but we haven't seen each other much since."
Zhao Rui was a little confused after hearing this.
Lu Qingyang? Helping his cousin out?
Still "calm" and "prudent"? His mind immediately flashed with the image of Lu Qingyang when he was young, cold and taciturn, with no interest in anything except studying and his own business.
This description seemed a little inconsistent with the Lu Qingyang he knew...but strangely, it didn't seem out of place.
"Uh... I know him. He's my classmate." Zhao Rui scratched his head and felt even weirder.
"Really?" Zhao Wanqing's eyes lit up. "So...how has he been lately? Is he busy?"
Zhao Rui looked at his cousin's rare expression of concern, and then thought about the possibility that Lu Qingyang didn't take this seriously at all, and his mood became a little complicated.
He replied vaguely, "Yeah, he's quite busy. He studies very hard and... he also has to help out outside."
Before leaving, Zhao Wanqing took advantage of the fact that the elders were still greeting each other at the door and said goodbye, and quietly pulled Zhao Rui aside.
"Xiao Rui, after we get back, could you... tell Lu Qingyang that I want to treat him to a meal to formally thank him for his help? And if you can... ask him when he's free?"
Zhao Rui looked at his cousin's expression and saw concern, gratitude, and seemingly something else hidden in it.
This made him feel a little uneasy, and he thought this matter might not be that simple.
His cousin Zhao Wanqing was well-known in school for her high standards and arrogance. When had she ever taken the initiative to ask a boy out for dinner to express her gratitude?
He grumbled even more inwardly, but could only agree: "Uh... okay, sister, I'll go back and talk to him about it. But he's... quite busy, and doesn't seem too interested in this kind of thing. I can't guarantee he'll agree."
"It's okay, just ask for me. Thank you, Xiaorui." Zhao Wanqing smiled, seemed relieved, and returned to her quiet appearance of a few days ago.
Zhao Rui stood there, watching them leave, feeling a mixture of emotions, as if a bottle of seasoning had been overturned in his heart.
After the relatives left, the lively atmosphere in the house suddenly became quiet.
Zhao Rui was about to slip back to his room when he was stopped by his mother.
"Xiao Rui, come here, sit down and talk to Dad for a while." Xiao Qin pointed to the sofa next to him and sat down first. He picked up the cigarette box on the table, thought about it, put it down, and just picked up the teacup and took a sip.
Zhao Rui sat down as he was told, wondering what his mother was going to say, and it was probably the same old story.
Sure enough, my father pondered for a moment and then spoke, "Although your uncle and the others were nagging, their words were true. Studying in Beijing is not the end, but the beginning. Dad has spent half his life in the research institute, and he knows best what the country lacks right now. It lacks talent, people who can truly calm down and do research and tackle tough problems."
"Especially in our basic physics-related fields, there is a lack of successors."
My father's voice deepened. "The outside world is bustling. Doing business and making money sound glamorous, but for a country without a solid scientific research foundation, those are just castles in the air. Dad hopes you can focus on studying physics well and lay a solid foundation. When you graduate, you can come to the research institute and take over our class. This is the right path, and it's where you can truly realize your value."
Zhao Rui knew that what his father said was reasonable and that he had planned a safe and glorious path for him. If it were before, he might have retorted impatiently, wondering why his life should be arranged by others.
But at this moment, his mind was a little confused.
The glamour of "doing business and making money" mentioned by his father-in-law inexplicably overlapped with the steam from the new food restaurant, the clinking of pots and spoons in the kitchen, and the quiet profile of Lu Qingyang as he checked the accounts.
That doesn't seem frivolous either, it also requires wisdom and sweat.
As for the research institute... he certainly knew that it was a sacred place, the place where his father had devoted his life.
But for the first time, he began to have vague doubts about whether he could really calm down and endure the loneliness to tackle the "tough problem".
"Dad, I understand." In the end, Zhao Rui didn't confront him directly like he had done before. He just whispered in a muffled voice, "I will study hard."
Before Zhao Rui was about to go to school the next day, he suddenly remembered that there seemed to be several of the latest foreign physics monographs in his father's study, which were versions that were difficult to obtain in China.
He thought about it, then got up and slipped into his father's study.
The study was filled with the smell of old books and ink. Zhao Rui found the thick, well-bound books with ease and flipped open them. They were filled with complex formulas and charts.
He hesitated for a moment, but finally pulled them out and carefully stuffed them into his backpack.
"Let's wait and see," he thought to himself, "I can't let the old man down."
Returning to the school dormitory, Zhao Rui put down his backpack, took out the heavy books and placed them on his desk, making a slight sound.
He glanced at Lu Qingyang, cleared his throat, and didn't know where to start.
"That... Lu Qingyang."
Lu Qingyang raised his head again, his face expressionless, his eyes only expressing inquiry.
"Yesterday, I went home and ran into my cousin. She said you helped her before."
Hearing the name, Lu Qingyang didn't have any unusual reaction.
"She... asked about you specifically and said she wanted to treat you to a meal to thank you for helping her out this time. She asked me to ask when you'd be free."
After saying that, Zhao Rui stared at Lu Qingyang, waiting for his next reaction.
"It's just a small favor, no need to be so polite. You don't have to eat. Thank you, Mr. Zhao, for your kindness."
The answer was crisp and clear, even a little too direct, leaving no room for Zhao Rui to continue lobbying.
Zhao Rui was speechless for a moment, and all the prepared words were stuck in his stomach.
He looked at Lu Qingyang, who didn't take it seriously at all, and thought about the expectant look on his cousin's face before she left, and that strange feeling in his heart came up again.
This guy... does he really think it's insignificant, or does he not care about his cousin at all?
"Oh... okay, just reply to her like this." Zhao Rui touched his nose and turned around a little embarrassedly.
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