Zhu Liheng found the user 'Zhujian Zhenheng', whose profile picture remained unchanged from yesterday's.
The Weibo post inquiring about the admission scores of A University's Physics Department was gone. Not only that, the little stories from two summers ago had also disappeared.
Zhu Liheng looked through one post after another, and through subtle details and photos, he could confirm...
This was Lin Jianzhi!
In that instant, Zhu Liheng had mixed emotions.
He carefully recalled, from their encounter at the sink when he returned to school, to the series of interactions that followed.
He suddenly realized!
So it was because of that cry...
This little girl had forcibly held it in, for two whole years?
Zhu Liheng frowned. Isn't it painful to hold it in like that?
Oh! It must have been so painful that she cried so badly!
He understood again. Just as he was about to follow 'Zhujian Zhenheng', he changed his mind and followed silently instead.
Then he leaned back in his chair to think.
Zhujian Zhenheng?
Zhu Jianzhi Liheng.
I see!
...
Upstairs in her room.
Lin Jianzhi tidied up her emotions and started on practice questions.
No matter how bitter her secret crush was, the college entrance exam was a hurdle she had to get over.
If she wanted to stand by Zhu Liheng's side, she had to be outstanding, outstanding and even more outstanding!
After furiously working through half a set of math papers.
Mother Lin knocked on the door, "Xiao Jian, dinner is ready!"
Lin Jianzhi: "Coming!"
Full of energy today, in good spirits, even her response was louder than usual.
At the dinner table, Father Lin spoke up, "Xiao Jian, should Dad help you find a math tutor?"
Lin Jianzhi thought about it. She seemed to really need one.
The school curriculum for three years had long been completed. Everyone was in the final review stage, with teachers using a question-and-answer approach.
But with so many students in a class, it was inevitable that some would be neglected, especially a math dunce like Lin Jianzhi.
Mother Lin advised at the side, "There's only a month left until the college entrance exam. Even if there are too many foundations to fill, we should cover what we can."
Lin Jianzhi nodded: "OK."
Father Lin: "Then it's settled. You'll go to the teacher's house for a few hours every day after school from now on."
After dinner, Lin Jianzhi returned to her room intending to continue with practice questions.
Who would have expected her phone to be bombarded with messages, blowing up nonstop!
When she took a look, why was everyone in the class WeChat group tagging her?
Lin Jianzhi casually scrolled up.
Boom!
Her mind went blank!
It was a photo, of herself and Zhu Liheng embracing each other by the roadside next to a parked Audi A6 with its hazard lights blinking.
The photo was so clear!!!
Lin Jianzhi's hands were almost shaking as she typed in the group chat.
'Lin Jianzhi: Delete it! Delete it! Delete it! I'm begging you!'
'Mu Yin: Can't delete it anymore, sis. It's spreading all over school already, you think we got it from where?'
'Lang Shu: His WeChat! WeChat! WeChat!'
'Jiang Jingyi: Still not admitting it until a photo got passed to our class from another.'
'Lang Shu: Shouldn't our class be the first to know and see this kind of photo? I don't buy it! Where's our team spirit? Our class soul?! Lin Jianzhi, quickly send a sweet selfie for me to circulate to smack them down!'
'Lin Jianzhi: You guys really misunderstood! Misunderstood! We aren't in that kind of relationship!'
'Quan Kaiji: On school hunk and my classmate hugging by the roadside...'
'Jiang Jingyi: On blatantly being the school hunk's girlfriend yet denying it!'
'... '
Lin Jianzhi felt her head explode!
What to do?
Would these rumors reach Zhu Liheng's ears?
What would he think!
【Jingyi No.1 Middle School High 3 Teachers Group】
'Luo Chunhua (Chinese Language): [photo] Have you guys seen this photo, posted publicly by a student?'
'Qiu Can (History): That's our school uniform. Is this girl in a premature romantic relationship? What's with that car? Which guy's car did this girl get into! Is it a scammer? Though this scammer looks quite handsome!'
'Ran Guanghui (Physics): What scammer, that's Zhu Liheng! Graduated from our school two years ago, scored perfect on the college entrance exam! Perfect scores in Math and Physics!!!'
'Qiu Can (History): No wonder this brat looks so outstanding!'
'Ran Guanghui (Physics): Get outta here! You don't even care about Physics! Zhu Liheng has already been taken by quantum mechanics master Xiong Pengtian as a top disciple. Professor Xiong would even put Zhu Liheng's name at the end of many of his papers!'
'Qiu Can (History): Why should I as a History teacher care about Physics? Zhu Liheng didn't even take History in the college entrance exam!'
'Luo Junliang (English): He's a science whiz, why would you make him take freaking History? I've no issues with these two dating, very well-matched! Lin Jianzhi also scored full marks for English on the last mock exam!'
'Hu Tan (Mathematics): She barely passed Math! I'm speechless, having such an outstanding science boyfriend yet her Math is so awful? Pisses me off!'
'Hu Tan (Mathematics): [Inhaling oxygen].jpg'
'Ran Guanghui (Physics): Thank goodness she doesn't take Physics, or I'd be the pissed off one. How extremely biased these electives are, biased all the way to grandma's house!'
'Luo Chunhua (Chinese Language): [Eating melon].jpg'
'... '
After reading academic papers late into the night, Zhu Liheng casually browsed his Moments feed, and discovered upon a quick scroll that the teachers from his year were all sharing a photo.
It captured the moment he gently patted Lin Jianzhi's back to comfort her, taken without their knowing.
The teachers' accompanying captions were diverse and eccentric.
Some were indignant, some madly relishing the gossip, and some even waving the shipping flag...
If even the teachers were spreading it, it must be circulating like wildfire among the students.
Zhu Liheng frowned, worried that the excessive information would cause the little girl's emotions to collapse.
She seemed to be easily affected by external factors, let alone something related to him...
He subconsciously glanced up at the ceiling. No sounds of crying causing wall resonance.
Still feeling uneasy, he walked out to the balcony and looked upstairs.
The lights were still on, she hadn't slept yet.
Definitely curled up in bed secretly crying.
Zhu Liheng sighed. Shouldn't have parked the car there.
Upstairs.
Lin Jianzhi cried till her eyes were swollen. Silently shedding tears while resolutely powering through math papers.
Tears drenched the papers, crumpling them up bit by bit.
She persevered, solving problems on the damp crinkled papers.
She had to test into A University!
After madly attempting two sets of math papers, Lin Jianzhi took a deep breath and checked the time.
It was already late into the night, but she still couldn't fall asleep.
She logged into Weibo again, browsing through Zhu Liheng's past.
She didn't have his contact, this was her only way to understand him.
He really was so outstanding. His friends were outstanding too, and his Physics digest collections were filled with things she didn't understand.
Although she didn't understand the content, she could comprehend the vast amount of glowing comments.
Lin Jianzhi had read many comments, and from the snippets she understood - at this time, Zhu Liheng was quite famous in Physics circles, even holding a certain standing.
And he was only 20, still studying in university!
So impressive!
