Qiao Ying raised her eyes and looked at him, apparently not wanting to repeat herself.
Zhang Chengyong stared with widened eyes, the needle on his head shaking unsteadily, incredulous: “Classmate Qiao, you’re not kidding with this old man, are you?”
Qiao Ying replied: “I’m not Qiao Lingling.”
Xu Zhiyi took a deep breath, trying to digest this response, but couldn’t calm himself down no matter what. The moment he asked the question, based on his genius reputation since childhood, he imagined the shortest time would be one month – that was something he could accept and endure.
However...
Ten or twenty minutes? That was something he didn’t even dare imagine.
Xu Zhiyi couldn’t help but look at Qiao Ying’s head, as if examining what exactly her head was made of and what was inside it.
If it was before, Xu Zhiyi would never have believed it no matter what was said.
But he had seen with his own eyes how Qiao Ying easily and leisurely wrote out the four blackboards of solution steps.
“See anything?” Xu Zhilǐ asked his brother foolishly.
He was just average at math and had no interest in it, but since young he knew how incredible his brother and grandpa were, so naturally he also knew how difficult the problem on the forum was.
Xu Zhiyi regained his senses, shifting his gaze down slightly from Qiao Ying’s head: “You said math isn’t your strong suit?”
Qiao Ying looked at him without speaking, her meaning very clear.
Xu Zhiyi didn’t say anything more.
Zhang Chengyong looked at Qiao Ying. After getting over his shock, he suddenly shook his head with a sigh, full of chagrin and distress.
Xu Zhilǐ was puzzled and asked: “Grandpa, you were fine just now, why are you sighing and shaking your head?”
Zhang Chengyong glared at him: “I’m annoyed that you’re useless.”
Truly a pity that I can’t get Qiao Ying to go to the math department, or even take her as my grandson’s daughter-in-law into the Zhang family; not a chance was given!
Xu Zhiyi: “Can I ask you a few questions to exchange some ideas? No – I mean consult with you.” Xu Zhiyi was very humble.
Qiao Ying: “Go ahead, I’ll listen.”
As long as it wasn’t idle talk, meaningless drivel, Qiao Ying was quite willing to entertain people and chat.
After consulting for a while, Xu Zhiyi was completely speechless.
Zhang Chengyong at the side listened just as attentively, not even bothering to greet the hospital director who had arrived, leaving him hanging to the side.
After the meal,
Qiao Ying left, with Xu Zhiyi walking along.
Xu Zhilǐ also wanted to follow them, but was called to a stop by Zhang Chengyong.
“Little Li, do you like classmate Qiao?”
Xu Zhilǐ immediately blushed, stuttering: “Classmate Qiao is outstanding, and warm-hearted too. She even helped me on the first day of school... No one wouldn’t like her.”
Zhang Chengyong: “I’m not trying to discourage you as your grandpa, but try to think of more realistic possibilities. Your brother might still have a chance.”
After all, they could still find some common ground in mathematics for conversation.
It was late October,
The sultry weather persisted,
Qiao Ying sat in the school café passing time.
Huo Chengdong came over, entering boisterously: “Sis Ying, I’m gonna be screwed, save me...”
Without even lifting her head from the keyboard, Qiao Ying said: “Then be screwed.”
Huo Chengdong: “We have friendship from gambling our dignity to peel off foreign brats’ pants together, you can’t just ignore whether I live or die!”
Qiao Ying: “None of my damn business.”
Huo Chengdong: “Sis Ying, how can you suddenly be so cold? Just a few days ago you were still helping me clear all levels of my games.”
Qiao Ying: “That was because I wanted to play them myself.”
Huo Chengdong: “......”
Huo Chengdong chattered and whined noisily, pestering Qiao Ying for over ten minutes. Qiao Ying looked at the blazing sun outside, then turned to the dying Huo Chengdong facing grave danger and catastrophe.
Barely holding in her temper: “Talk business.”
Huo Chengdong: “I pissed off the precious foreign gold medal lecturer my sister finally brought over, now she’s roaming the campus with a knife looking for me. Save me!”
“So let her stab you a couple times, it’s not gonna kill you,” said Qiao Ying, unusually merciful. “When she’s done come over and I’ll stitch you up.”
Huo Chengdong: “......”
“Give me a feasible idea, if you can save my dog life this time, your little bro’s life will be yours from now on.”
Qiao Ying thought he would be a nuisance.
Qiao Ying: “Can’t you just throw more money to hire him back?”
“He’s already on the plane home and too prideful to take money. If I’d known I would've beaten him up and dragged him back.”
“Easier said than done to find another.”
“......”
Huo Chengdong: “Sis don’t ignore me, say something!”
Qiao Ying heaved a sigh: “What department are you in?”
Huo Chengdong: “Law.”
Qiao Ying’s typing hands stilled, then she lifted her eyes to look at Huo Chengdong. This guy was in the law department?
Huo Chengdong: “Don’t I look like someone who knows and understands the law?”
Qiao Ying: “Law department: illegal street racing, gambling, mass brawling, still thinking of intentionally inflicting harm and threatening kidnapping.”
You tell me.
Huo Chengdong: “Anyway I won’t be doing this stuff in the future.”
Qiao Ying looked at him.
Huo Chengdong was even more speechless: “If I could get Cheng Jinyan to come, would I have come looking for you?”
“If I could invite Cheng Jinyan over, why would my sister go through so much effort to find some foreign crap lecturer?”
“But I gotta say Sis Ying, I’m surprised you even know about Cheng Jinyan.”
Qiao Ying: “Is it that hard to get him to give a lecture?”
Although Cheng Jinyan put on airs, if he was in a good mood, there was still room for discussion; he might still give the Huo family this bit of face.
“Oh? That tone, as if you could get him to come. A country bumpkin will always be a country bumpkin, ignorant and overreaching, dare to make such bold claims?” Su Qingyu walked over in small heels.
Qiao Ying gave her a look, coldly saying: “Watch that mouth of yours.”
Su Qingyu: “You are a country bumpkin to begin with, did I say anything wrong?”
Huo Chengdong: “Why are you everywhere being a pain in the ass? Got nothing better to do? Butting into other people’s conversation, what gives?”
Su Qingyu: “You—”
Huo Chengdong: “You, you, fuck your you, fuck off.”
Huo Chengdong was already pissed off, yet Su Qingyu kept barging in looking to get thrashed.
Su Qingyu choked with anger but didn’t dare retaliate. Last time she dared to confront Huo Chengdong was relying on her cousin about to get engaged to Qin San Ye, but who knew in just these few days, the engagement was called off.
At first, it was Qin Hanyue’s mother who hinted at their intentions. Although she didn’t outright say it, they knew perfectly well the Qins wanted to arrange a marriage.
Yet her cousin didn’t even get to meet Qin Hanyue before things fell through without explanation. Qin Hanyue’s mother stopped bringing it up too.
Now her cousin cried at home every day.
If Huo Chengdong knew, there was no telling how he would mock her.
Su Qingyu clenched her teeth and secretly glared at Huo Chengdong. “I won’t argue with you.”
She turned back to Qiao Ying, continuing to make trouble: “What’s wrong, can’t keep pretending? Out of depth pretending to be worldly wise huh, getting Cheng Jinyan to give a lecture is easy? I wanna see you try, just a country bumpkin like you, probably only heard of his name, do you even know his status?”
Qiao Ying's beautiful brows slightly creased.
Just as Huo Chengdong was about to curse,
Qiao Ying said: "What if I can get him to come?"
