In the distance, a semi-circular building rose from the flat ground. The walls were gray, the arched roof covered with tempered glass, supported by crisscrossed steel beams, minimalist, cold, and full of modern technological flair.
At the entrance, the most advanced dual identification system: iris and fingerprint, automatically sensed and granted access.
Inside, the space was larger than expected. Each area had been carefully divided, clearly demarcated yet harmoniously integrated.
But none of that was the main point.
The real shock was—the equipment!
Rows of experimental apparatus, many of them foreign patented models. The cost alone was secondary—the key was that these machines were difficult to obtain, their purchase channels obscure. Without deep connections, money alone couldn’t buy them.
Xu Kaiqing quietly scanned the room. Several of the larger machines weren’t even available in his own lab.
He was so envious.
Old Peter wasn’t as composed. He gasped in amazement, then couldn’t help but reach out and touch things—
“Oh! COD47, XV99, FD21… all limited editions, unbelievable!”
“My God! Even the ‘Blue Whale’! Every time I call to order one, they say it’s out of stock!”
“This one… looks like a SYP gauge? But the structure’s a bit different?”
Jiang Fuyue replied, “Because it’s a modified version.”
“Hiss—something from the Slott Factory actually has a modified version?!” Peter’s eyes went wide.
“Before, there wasn’t. Now, there is.”
The Slott Factory was known for selling finished equipment only. Confident in their quality, they never accepted customer feedback.
In other words, convincing them to adjust their products for client needs was as likely as the sun rising in the west.
Peter sneaked a look out the window. Nope, the sun was still where it should be.
“How did you manage that?” he whispered.
“Simple,” Jiang Fuyue said. “Make them believe the device had a problem, and naturally they’d agree to modify it.”
How did she even make those stubborn people believe that?
No point asking, it would be a waste of breath.
But he had to admit, “You’re awesome.”
He said those two words in Chinese.
Jiang Fuyue just smiled faintly.
Yan Zhenfeng, Qin Libin, and the others were even more dramatic: first stunned, then shaken, then full of admiration.
Sun Qun looked around. “This lab is… unbelievable.”
Qin Libin said, “The area alone could match five of our A1 labs, right?”
Yan Zhenfeng shook his head. “More. The equipment here is far more complete.”
“My goodness,” Yuan Bentao clicked his tongue several times. “How much did all this cost?”
Li Zhao raised a number with his fingers. “At least this much.”
He Longchang sighed, “It must be nice to be rich.”
Meanwhile, from the moment Zhou Zhengqi saw the building from a distance, he had been struck dumb.
When he entered and saw the clearly organized zones, the fully equipped instruments—
For a brief moment, he felt like the biggest fool in the room.
His face burned like it had been slapped—hard—and he couldn’t even complain, because…
He’d brought this all upon himself.
“Old Zhou,” Xu Kaiqing approached with a cheerful smile, “why so quiet?”
“…A bit tired.”
“So? What do you think of the lab?”
Not bad? That would be an understatement—it was leagues beyond A3 Lab. Even Xu Kaiqing’s own main laboratory couldn’t compare.
Then Zhou remembered all the things he’d said—
“You think putting up a shed and tossing in some instruments makes it a lab?”
“High-end equipment has to be preordered overseas, shipped through special routes. Sure, you can flap your lips all you want—it costs nothing to brag.”
“Student Jiang, confidence is fine, but don’t overreach.”
“Those floating in midair will fall sooner or later.”
……
At this moment, Zhou Zhengqi only wished he could swallow back every word he’d ever said.
When the visit ended, no one seemed eager to leave.
After getting Jiang Fuyue’s permission, Xu Kaiqing was already sitting on the lab bench, fiddling with several of the “big machines.”
Old Peter joined him excitedly.
Yan Zhenfeng and Qin Libin were intrigued by the unique zoning layout and were deep in discussion about which design had more advantages compared to the traditional setup.
Yuan Bentao and Li Zhao, true math experts, were far more interested in Jiang Fuyue’s paper than the lab itself. They had already downloaded the full text from a search engine and couldn’t wait to analyze it.
The reason no one left was that they wanted to make the most of Jiang Fuyue’s presence—to dive deeper into discussion while they still could.
Seeing this, Xiao Shan stepped forward at just the right moment. “Why don’t we all stay and have a meal together? Nothing fancy, just simple cafeteria food, something casual.”
The suggestion immediately won agreement.
“That sounds great.”
“I’ve long heard the Ming University cafeteria is legendary. Today I’ll finally get to see for myself.”
“Then we’ll trouble you, Principal Xiao.”
When the group filed into the cafeteria and began eating the special stir-fried dishes, they soon realized that the comment about “Ming University’s legendary cafeteria” wasn’t flattery at all.
The food at Ming University was truly, truly delicious!
Zhou Zhengqi felt sour inside.
The proper thing to do would’ve been to politely decline and leave right away. But somehow, he’d ended up following everyone in, dazedly eating the stir-fry, and now, inexplicably, scooping himself another full bowl of rice.
Mm. He must have gone crazy.
……
After lunch, the group of veteran professors returned to the lab.
By now, the tour was mostly complete. They naturally spread out into different sections, rubbing their hands in anticipation, ready to get hands-on.
Of course, before touching any equipment, they all sought Jiang Fuyue’s permission first.
Xiao Shan swept his gaze around. “You can tell the professors are very enthusiastic.”
Jiang Fuyue nodded with satisfaction, her tone meaningful. “Good that they are.”
If they weren’t, how else was she going to rope them into the future experimental building?
She had asked Little Six to design a full twenty-two floors, each with at least one lab. How was she supposed to fill them if she didn’t bring these people in?
At that moment, Jiang Fuyue looked at the professors the way one might look at a coop full of chicks.
Once they grew up, she could corral them into the coop to lay eggs, hatch eggs—producing endlessly…
Just the thought made her happy.
Xiao Shan quietly noticed the faint smile curving the girl’s lips. Though it was midsummer, a chill ran down his back.
When the sun finally dipped low and they truly couldn’t stay any longer, everyone left reluctantly.
Xiao Shan handled the farewells.
Jiang Fuyue stayed behind to check the power, reset the devices, and lock up the doors and windows before getting ready to leave.
Suddenly, her steps halted. She stared ahead, momentarily stunned.
There, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, stood a man: tall, straight-backed, and strikingly handsome. His features carried a natural coolness, yet the moment his gaze fell on her, the dark pupils deepened, softening into a warmth that could draw anyone in.
Jiang Fuyue blinked, then blinked again, finally confirming she wasn’t mistaken—Xie Dingyuan was really standing there, alive and in person, having appeared without warning.
As though he’d descended from the heavens, cloaked in sunset glow.
Her smile bloomed suddenly; she ran toward him.
Xie Dingyuan also strode forward.
The two of them met halfway, like completing a mutual journey, under the sunset, beautiful as a fairytale.
“You’re here?”
“Congratulations on the lab’s completion.”
They spoke at the same time, met each other’s eyes, and both laughed.
Xie Dingyuan said, “Here, for you.”
A bouquet of roses appeared between them—red as blood, dewy and radiant.
Jiang Fuyue took it, lowered her head for a sniff. “Smells wonderful. Thank you.”
“As long as you like it.”
“You could’ve told me earlier. You scared me.”
“I wanted to surprise you.”
“All finished with work in Linhuai?”
“Mm.”
Jiang Fuyue took his hand and led him inside. “Come, I’ll show you my lab.”
Xie Dingyuan followed with a faint smile.
“How is it?”
“The exterior’s quite distinctive.” Under the sunset, the gray walls reflected an amber glow through the glass panels. From afar, it looked like half a sun sinking into the horizon.
“That’s all?”
He glanced around, studying the interior layout before saying, “The zoning seems different from typical labs.”
“Mm, I divided it according to my own habits. Any other comments?”
He gave her a helpless look and simply asked, “What kind of comment do you want to hear?”
Jiang Fuyue’s lips curved. “Compared to your lab, better or worse?”
“You want the truth?”
“Of course.”
He thought for a moment. “If we’re talking purely about hardware, yours is newer, since it’s just been built. But from a user’s perspective, I still prefer mine.”
“So if I invited you to use this lab with me, you’d be… wronged?”
He paused. “…What do you mean by that?”
Jiang Fuyue didn’t answer. Instead, she sighed dramatically. “In that case, I won’t invite you, then—”
The next second, the man grabbed her wrist. “You’re not done talking yet. You’re doing this on purpose.”
On purpose to see him flustered.
“Say it again.”
Jiang Fuyue blinked innocently. “Good words don’t get said twice.”
Before she finished, the man’s large hands gripped her waist lifting her easily. With a turn, he set her down on the lab bench.
Xie Dingyuan stood between her legs, his hands still resting on her waist, unwilling to let go.
“Say it or not?” he threatened softly.
Jiang Fuyue narrowed her eyes, smiling. “No.”
“I heard that. You invited me.”
“Then why insist I say it?”
“…”
“I accept your invitation,” Xie Dingyuan said deliberately, word by word.
“But now I don’t want to invite you anymore. What should we do?”
“You wouldn’t dare—” He squeezed lightly.
“Ah! Stop—my waist’ll break!”
He knew she was pretending, but still loosened his grip obediently.
Jiang Fuyue smirked, a little pleased with herself.
But soon, her smile froze.
The man’s hand had moved to her chin, lightly tilting it upward. His touch wasn’t forceful, but firm enough that she couldn’t pull away.
Then he leaned in, slowly…
A kiss landed, warm with his body’s heat.
Jiang Fuyue felt herself surrounded by his faint pine scent. A soft pressure brushed her lips—skin against skin, breaths mingling.
An electric shiver tingled through her; her fingertips trembled, arms instinctively wrapping around his neck.
A deep glint flickered in Xie Dingyuan’s eyes, but he didn’t rush deeper. He drew back slightly, giving space for words. “Have you missed me lately?”
Jiang Fuyue nodded. “Mm.”
“How much?”
“A little.”
“Only a little?” His breath was hot as he leaned closer, almost biting, hands tightening unconsciously.
Her smiling eyes met his intense gaze—like spring wind rippling over an icy lake, breaking into soft waves. “A little every day… adds up to more than a little.”
“And what’s that?”
“A lot.”
He chuckled lowly, pleasure softening his entire expression. Without another word, he kissed her again—this time, deep and longing.
No one knew how long it lasted. When Jiang Fuyue’s breathing turned uneven and she weakly thumped his shoulder, Xie Dingyuan finally let her go.
Her cherry-pink lips had turned rosy red; her peach-blossom eyes shimmered with mist and faint reproach.
Xie Dingyuan almost lost control and leaned in again.
But Jiang Fuyue turned her head away, gasping. “At least… let me catch my breath…”
It was clearly the first kiss, yet she was the one reminding him to breathe. Now, after such a short time, he’d already mastered the art and turned the tables.
Tch…
Xie Dingyuan said, “One more chance—are you inviting me or not?”
Jiang Fuyue dodged his hand and hurriedly blurted out, “Yes! I’m inviting you, okay?”
As she spoke, she somehow pulled something out and handed it to him.
“?”
“The lab key.”
Although it had iris recognition, she’d deliberately kept the old-fashioned key access, just for good measure.
“There are two keys in total—one for you, one for me. You can come use the lab anytime you want.”
A warmth spread through Xie Dingyuan’s chest. He reached out and pulled her into his arms.
“…Thank you.”
Clearly, she’d prepared the key in advance. So even if he hadn’t asked, she would have given it to him eventually.
Leaning her head against his shoulder, Jiang Fuyue muttered softly, “Saying thank you? You really don’t have any boyfriend instincts.”
“Hmm? What instincts?”
“The instinct to act like it’s only natural.”
Xie Dingyuan laughed. “Yueyue…”
You’re so good.
…
After she gave him a quick tour of the lab, the sky had already gone dark.
They left and walked together under the tree-lined path of the campus, streetlights glowing on either side.
Xie Dingyuan took her hand and adjusted their grip until their fingers were interlaced.
“Come on, let’s eat.”
Across the street from the school gate was a hot pot restaurant.
Inside, Xie Dingyuan ordered smoothly, knowing exactly what she liked, and the whole meal he was practically feeding her, her plate never once ran out of meat.
Until finally—“…No more, I can’t eat another bite.”
Only then did Xie Dingyuan stop and start eating himself.
As he ate, Jiang Fuyue propped her chin on her hand, quietly watching him.
At first it was fine, but after a while, the man began to fidget. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Jiang Fuyue: “Because you’re nice to look at.”
Xie Dingyuan: “…” Straight man blushing, ears bright red.
After dinner, they paid and strolled down the street.
This area was surrounded by several universities, so even during summer break, plenty of students stayed behind. After dark, couples holding hands could be seen everywhere.
Blending into the crowd, Xie Dingyuan and Jiang Fuyue looked just like any other pair of lovers except they stood out for being too good-looking.
Especially surrounded by all the sugary, lovey-dovey atmosphere, they could’ve been mistaken for a pair of infatuated college students.
…
After leaving Ming University, Xu Kaiqing returned to Q University and stayed in the lab until nightfall before heading out.
It was worth noting that Zhou Zhengqi, on the way back, was unusually quiet, completely different from the grumbling, nagging man earlier that day.
Xu Kaiqing couldn’t even bother asking if his face still hurt; the answer was written all over his sour expression.
Stepping out of the campus gates, Xu planned to grab some food before heading home to a warm meal.
But suddenly, he froze mid-step, eyes widening as he stared ahead.
Not far away, Jiang Fuyue was walking hand in hand with a man, laughing and chatting, looking quite intimate.
And that man’s back looked… strangely familiar.
“Who could it be?” he muttered. “I’ve definitely seen him before…”
Just then, the couple stopped walking. The man turned slightly and brushed a leaf from the girl’s hair.
Others on the street paid no mind, couples showing affection were everywhere. But Xu Kaiqing stood rooted in place, stunned like he’d been nailed to the ground.
His mouth dropped open, eyes wide—
Xie Dingyuan?!
It was actually Xie Dingyuan!
Him and Jiang Fuyue?!
When did that happen? And why didn’t he know about it?!
Or maybe… his old eyes were deceiving him?
Xu shook his head hard, looked again—nope, he wasn’t mistaken.
To be absolutely sure, he even walked a few steps closer.
Suddenly—
“Professor Xu! Old Xu!” someone shouted loudly.
Not only did everyone nearby turn to look, but Jiang Fuyue and Xie Dingyuan also turned their heads instinctively.
The old man froze, nowhere to hide, and forced an awkward smile. “Ah! What a coincidence! Have you two eaten? My treat!”
Inside, though, he was furiously cursing the person who’d shouted his name.
Jiang Fuyue: “?”
Xie Dingyuan: “…”
They exchanged a look, released hands, and walked toward him.
When they got close, Xu Kaiqing suddenly straightened his face. “Why’d you let go? Keep holding hands! Go on!”
Jiang Fuyue’s mouth twitched.
Xie Dingyuan was speechless.
Xu Kaiqing: ?
Did I say something wrong?
“Ahem. You two…” His sharp eyes darted between them. “You’re together?”
Xie Dingyuan: “…Yeah.”
Though he’d suspected it earlier, hearing it confirmed still gave Xu Kaiqing a jolt.
His gaze toward Xie Dingyuan immediately turned critical.
He had once thought highly of this man—China’s new-generation scientific leader, the country’s most well-rounded researcher, a biochemical expert whose work directly affected national health. He’d even led a team to Africa to combat the Schankwo virus…
An outstanding young scientist, brilliant in every sense.
But why, why did it feel so wrong for him to be Jiang Fuyue’s boyfriend?!
In Xu Kaiqing’s eyes, “Yueyue” was like the moon in the sky: pure, radiant, untouchable. Ordinary men could only gaze upward in admiration, never reach for her.
He could only respect her from afar, quietly watch her brilliance.
And yet Xie Dingyuan… had caught the moon?
Though Xu refused to admit it, the truth was, he was completely unbalanced.
Utterly, painfully jealous.
Xie Dingyuan: ?
Why did Old Xu look at him like he wanted to eat him alive?
“I think… I need some air.” The old man muttered, then turned and strode off without looking back.
Jiang Fuyue frowned. “What’s wrong with him?”
Xie Dingyuan: “No idea.”
…
As night deepened, at ten o’clock Jiang Fuyue got a call from Han Shen—
“Yueyue, when are you coming home? Need me to pick you up?”
“No need. I drove here, I’ll be back soon.”
“Alright.”
After hanging up, she put away her phone. “I should go.”
The man caught her wrist, eyes full of reluctance. “Tonight… can’t you stay?”
A budget hotel stood just a few meters away. Combined with those words, the air immediately turned charged with ambiguity.
A couple passing by overheard and shared a knowing smile, kindred spirits.
Xie Dingyuan coughed. “I meant—you could stay at my place, not a hotel…”
Jiang Fuyue: “Is there a difference?”
“Of course! My place has lots of rooms.”
“Hotels do too.”
“…”
“I’ll drive you home, then.” His tone turned a bit heavy.
In the car, Jiang Fuyue held the bouquet of roses he’d given her, fingertips brushing the petals lightly again and again.
The man kept his eyes on the road, though his gaze drifted now and then toward the passenger seat. His Adam’s apple bobbed faintly.
“You came straight to Ming University after landing today?”
“Mm.”
No wonder he looked so travel-worn.
“The flowers are beautiful. I really liked the surprise.”
A small smile tugged at Xie Dingyuan’s lips; the gloom from earlier eased.
Still, he couldn’t quite shake the reluctance.
Thirty minutes later, the car stopped in front of the Han family villa.
Jiang Fuyue unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the door, only to be pulled back the next second and kissed fiercely.
“Mm!”
For an instant, only two words flashed through her mind—He’s insane!
Right here, in front of the Han family home! Her eldest uncle was still awake, waiting for her to come back—what if they were caught?!
