Late-night Q&A
The bell for the end of evening self-study rang at 9:30 sharp, and the teaching building was instantly filled with the noise of desks and chairs being moved and students packing their bags. Lin Weixi slowly sorted through her exercise books, her eyes occasionally glancing at the familiar spot by the window.
Chen Wang was still deep in work on a physics problem, his brows slightly furrowed, the light from the desk lamp framing his focused profile. The room gradually dispersed, until only the two of them remained.
"Aren't you leaving yet?" Chen Wang raised his head and happened to meet Lin Weixi's gaze which had not yet moved away.
Her cheeks grew slightly hot. “There’s still a math problem I haven’t solved.”
In fact, she had already solved the problem in the afternoon, but she suddenly felt reluctant to leave this space where only the two of them were.
Chen Wang stood up and walked to her desk naturally: "Which question? Let me see."
Lin Weixi pointed to a function question in the exercise book, her heartbeat speeding up involuntarily. When Chen Wang leaned over to check, his arm accidentally touched hers, and a warmth came through her school uniform.
"This one needs to be converted." He picked up a pencil and fluently wrote down his solution on the draft paper. Lin Weixi looked at his slender fingers and found that his nails were neatly trimmed, and his knuckles turned slightly white when he exerted force.
Suddenly, rain began to fall outside the window, pounding against the glass, isolating the classroom from the outside world. In this space enveloped by the sound of rain, time seemed to slow down.
"Do you understand?" Chen Wang turned and asked her, his eyes looking particularly bright under the desk light.
Lin Weixi nodded, then shook her head: "I understand the first few steps, but I still don't quite understand why it switches like this later."
Chen Wang didn't show any impatience, but changed his way of explaining. His voice was particularly clear in the quiet classroom, accompanied by the rustling sound of pencils on paper. Lin Weixi found it difficult to concentrate because his proximity made her uneasy.
"Am I speaking too fast?" Chen Wang noticed that she was distracted.
"No, I was a little distracted just now." Lin Weixi admitted honestly.
Chen Wang smiled, revealing that familiar dimple: "Then let's start over from here."
The rain was getting heavier, and there were only the two of them and a warm light in the classroom. When Lin Weixi finally understood the question completely, it was almost ten o'clock.
"Thank you for bothering you every time." She said softly.
"It's not a big deal," Chen Wang began to pack his schoolbag. "In fact, the process of teaching you is also an opportunity for me to consolidate my knowledge."
These words made Lin Weixi feel sweet in her heart. She liked this feeling of mutual benefit, as if the relationship between them was not a one-sided demand, but a valuable exchange.
The rain had subsided by the time they left the teaching building. Chen Wang pulled a black umbrella from his schoolbag and opened it naturally, covering both of them.
"Let me take you to the bus stop," he said.
Lin Weixi nodded, her heart leaping with joy in her chest. The space under the umbrella was limited, so they had to get very close. She could smell the faint scent of laundry detergent on him, mixed with the fresh scent of rain.
"Do you study so late every night?" Lin Weixi asked, wanting to prolong their journey together.
"Almost. I'll study a little longer after I get home," Chen Wang said. "Admission is just the starting point, not the end. College courses are much more difficult than high school courses, so I can't slack off."
Lin Weixi silently memorized this sentence. It turns out that excellent people never stop working hard.
When they arrived at the bus stop, the last bus had just arrived. Lin Weixi said goodbye in a hurry, ran onto the bus, and looked out through the window. Chen Wang was still standing on the platform, holding an umbrella, waving at her.
After the bus started, Lin Weixi kept looking back until the figure disappeared in the rainy night. She touched her cheek and found that it was still hot.
That night, Lin Weixi recorded the entire Q&A process in detail in her diary. She drew an umbrella with their initials written side by side under it, and the date and the words "Rainy Night" marked next to it.
"Today, when he was explaining the problem to me, he leaned so close that I could count his eyelashes. The rain was so loud, but the classroom was so quiet, so quiet that I could hear my own heartbeat. I hope there will be another night like this."
She paused at this point, remembering Chen Wang's expression when he said, "The process of teaching you is also an opportunity to consolidate your knowledge." It was so frank, so sincere, without the slightest hint of giving.
In Friday's math class, the teacher assigned a difficult test paper as weekend homework. When Lin Weixi saw the last big question, she felt both anxious and excited - this question was obviously beyond the scope, and she would definitely need help.
After school, she mustered up the courage to walk over to Chen Wang's seat and asked, "Would you have time to explain the last question on the weekend test?"
Chen Wang was packing books into his schoolbag. He looked up when he heard this and said, "I should be studying in the classroom on Sunday night. You can come over."
"Okay, thank you." Lin Weixi tried hard to make her voice sound calm.
Lin Weixi spent the entire weekend preparing for the "Question and Answer" on Sunday night. Not only did she carefully complete the entire paper, she also listed all the possible questions and even previewed the content of the next chapter.
At 7:00 pm on Sunday, she arrived at the classroom on time. To her surprise, Chen Wang was already sitting in his seat, with Zhou Xu and Shen Siyu sitting next to him.
"Wei Xi, come quickly!" Shen Siyu waved. "Chen Wang said he wants to give us some private lessons and explain the thinking behind the competition questions."
Lin Weixi felt a little disappointed, it turned out that this was not individual tutoring. But she soon felt relieved - this would be more natural and would not seem too deliberate.
Chen Wang's explanations were insightful and easy to understand. He not only explained the standard solutions but also shared several clever ideas. Lin Weixi discovered that his teaching style was very different from her teacher's, focusing more on guiding thinking rather than instilling results.
"Wei Xi, do you understand this part?" Chen Wang suddenly called her out and asked.
"Oh, I see." She answered hurriedly. In fact, she was distracted for a moment and was observing his gestures when he spoke.
After class, Zhou Xu and Shen Siyu left first. Lin Weixi deliberately packed her schoolbag slowly, wondering if she could have a chance to talk to him alone.
"Let me take you home. It's getting dark." Chen Wang packed up his things and said naturally.
Walking on the small path on campus, the street lights stretched and shortened their shadows. Lin Weixi mustered up the courage to ask: "What do you want to do in the future? I mean, after graduating from university."
Chen Wang thought for a moment and said, "Maybe I'll go to graduate school and do scientific research. I like the feeling of exploring the unknown."
"That's great," Lin Weixi said softly, "You know what you want."
"What about you?" Chen Wang asked back.
This question made Lin Weixi stunned. She had never seriously thought about the future, or rather, her vision of the future always revolved around one person.
"I might... study photography or literature," she said uncertainly.
Chen Wang nodded. "You are a perfect fit. The photos you take are very heartwarming, just like your award-winning work."
He actually remembered her award-winning work. This realization made Lin Weixi feel warm in her heart.
When they reached the dormitory building, Chen Wang pulled a thick book from his bag. "This is an advanced guide to physics competitions. It contains many interesting problem-solving ideas. I think it'll be useful."
Lin Weixi took the book and felt it was heavy, not only the weight of the book, but also the feeling of being trusted.
"Thank you. I'll take a closer look."
Back in the dormitory, she opened the book's title page and found Chen Wang's signature and date on it, with a line of small words written next to it: "To future photographers."
This discovery made her eyes slightly warm. It turned out that in his eyes, she was not just a classmate who needed help, but also an independent individual with a future and dreams.
Late that night, Lin Weixi read the guidebook carefully under the desk lamp. Occasionally, Chen Wang's comments could be seen between the pages, which were concise and precise, just like his lecture style.
On the last page of the book, she found a note with Chen Wang's handwriting: "Answering questions and learning from each other, teaching and learning benefit each other. May you and I be each other's beacon on the road to knowledge."
This sentence was like a seed, quietly taking root and sprouting in her heart. Perhaps secret love does not have to be a humble admiration, but can also be the strength to move forward side by side.
Closing the book, the moonlight outside the window sprinkled on the desk. Lin Weixi thought of Chen Wang's smile when they parted tonight, and the promise of "see you on Sunday".
This late-night Q&A session not only answered the math problems, but also resolved the confusion in her heart.
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