That person walking side by side with a woman, laughing and chatting—
Who was it?
Professor Xie?
No way.
But with a closer look… oh, turns out that woman was Jiang Fuyue. Old Bai calmed down.
But then, something still felt off.
Sure, Jiang Fuyue was a familiar face, but Professor Xie never got that close to anyone, even familiar faces. Their shoulders were practically touching!
More importantly—she’s a woman!
Old Bai had been with Xie Dingyuan for years. There hadn’t been a single female mosquito buzzing near him all this time. Even if he appreciated Jiang Fuyue’s talent, he’d never shown it in such a… well, intimate way, right?
Yes, as unbelievable as it seemed, the facts were the facts. The two really didn’t look like they had a normal relationship.
Old Bai was stunned.
As he watched them walk further away, he quickly whipped out his phone and click click click.
Rule #1: When in doubt, take photos first.
He then sent them straight into their private group chat (without Professor Xie, of course).
Old Jin: Huh? Isn’t today a day off? You, Professor Xie, and Jiang Fuyue all went to the lab?
Old Bai: I just came to grab my car keys, and ended up stumbling onto a huge secret!
Ding Yu: What secret?!
Liu Guan:👀
Old Bai: Look, I uploaded the photos. See for yourselves!
Old Jin: What’s the big deal? It’s just Professor Xie and Jiang Fuyue.
Old Bai: Look closer. Really look.
Ding Yu: Wait—Professor Xie is smiling? He looks even happier than when Ackermann’s conjecture was proven!
Old Bai: Ding’s got the sharp eye! Right on the mark.
Liu Guan: Are you trying to imply something? You shading Professor Xie?
Old Bai: 🙄
Old Jin: No way, Old Bai, are you saying there’s something between Professor Xie and Jiang Fuyue?
Silence fell in the group chat for two seconds.
Ding Yu: HOLY—are you serious?!
Liu Guan: You’ve got some serious nerve!
Talking about Professor Xie like that? Unthinkable.
No one believed him.
Only Old Bai stood firm, all alone: You guys weren’t there. You didn’t feel the vibe. I’m telling you—there’s definitely something going on! Have you ever seen Professor Xie that relaxed and chatty with anyone? And how close they were! You know the concept of “personal space,” right? Allowing someone into that zone? That’s deep trust. Jiang Fuyue hasn’t been here long. If they were just colleagues, why trust her that much? We’ve been in his lab group for years. Ever walked shoulder-to-shoulder with the man?
He ranted alone, passionately.
And to be fair… he had a point.
Old Jin: Professor Xie and Jiang Fuyue? I dunno… just feels weird.
Ding Yu: Still not convinced.
Liu Guan: Plus, your photos don’t exactly prove anything.
Old Bai stared at their replies, feeling the weight of a prophet unrecognized in his own time.
“Fine! Believe it or not, I don’t care. But when this blows up in the future, your jaws are gonna hit the floor so hard you’ll never pick ‘em back up again,” he thought smugly.
…..
Meanwhile, Jiang Fuyue and Xie Dingyuan were once again at that same hotpot restaurant, same private booth as last time.
Only this time, the man seemed much more adept—whether ordering or eating.
He didn’t even ask clueless questions like “What’s duck blood?”
Jiang Fuyue just chalked it up to his strong learning skills and high comprehension.
What she didn’t know was that someone had quietly “studied up” after their last meal.
From doing his research to real-world testing, he’d turned himself into a hotpot expert.
The funniest part?
Xie Dingyuan, in pursuit of thoroughness, had studied even the academic background—the history of hotpot, the regional differences between Sichuan and Chongqing styles, etc.
He even created his own “Hotpot Fundamentals Handbook,” filled with a variety of strange, yet practical, hotpot questions—
Like:
- “Is the 9-grid pot better, or the split-style pot?”
- “Is duck intestine tastier than goose intestine?”
- “If you order luncheon meat, should you still get ham sausage?”
- “Why do people in Chongqing mock those who order a mild spice ‘Yuan Yang’ pot?”
- “Why is ‘mild spice’ the final compromise?”
There was even an appendix on pro hotpot terminology—
Such as:
- “Flash-cook tripe: in and out 7 times,”
- “Swish duck intestines like you’re slurping noodles.”
When Xie Dingyuan committed to something, he didn’t just do it—he turned it into a thesis.
Of course, knowledge without practice is nothing. So he spent a whole week hitting up ten trendy hotpot joints near the company.
At first, he hesitated over every order. But now, he could scan the menu and decide in seconds.
…And then he got mouth ulcers. A hero’s injury.
—
Back in the private room, the dishes kept coming, and the soup base was bubbling away.
Xie Dingyuan asked, “What should go in first?”
Jiang Fuyue scanned the table. “Duck blood.”
He personally added it to the pot, then looked up. “Next?”
“Shrimp paste.”
He did as told. Not a single awkward “straight man” comment came out.
Compared to last time? Massive improvement.
Jiang Fuyue ate while casually instructing him to add this and that—totally at ease.
And Xie Dingyuan?
Tsk—he actually followed her instructions obediently?
If Old Bai saw this scene, his jaw might really hit the floor.
