Chapter 97: Encounter
Both of their hands petted Daju at the same time, occasionally brushing against each other. PURRR. This big orange cat could be considered half a matchmaker for him and Xia Xiqing. From their first meeting to getting to know and understand each other, it had played a crucial role in every step. Barring any accidents, the cat was set for the rest of its life.
“Senior Sister Xia, you like Daju so much. Have you ever considered taking it home to keep as a pet?”
The faint smile Xia Xiqing had shown while petting the cat vanished without a trace. “My mother is allergic to cat hair.”
This was the second time Zhang Yan had heard Xia Xiqing mention her mother. Generally speaking, by the time someone started university at the latest, even if their family lived locally, they would move into a dorm or get their own place to start an independent life. Not to mention, Xia Xiqing probably wasn’t a local. Zhang Yan speculated that Xia Xiqing’s family must have moved to Meng City after she started university. If her parents truly felt at ease letting her live alone, she could have just chosen a local university. Why travel all the way across the country to Meng City? Although Provincial University was an excellent school, its strong suits clearly did not include arts majors.
“Senior Sister Xia, you’re not from the Northeast, right? Did your parents accompany you to settle down here?”
Faced with Zhang Yan’s question, Xia Xiqing thought of something, her lips pressing tightly together. After a long silence, she replied, “I don’t have a father, and I don’t want to talk about my mother.”
“No father? Did he pass away? Is her mother treating her poorly as well?” Zhang Yan wondered. Her brief response provided too little information for him to deduce the truth. Besides, judging by her expression, it was already quite difficult for her to tell him this much. The only sliver of information he could glean was that the last time she mentioned her mother, Xia Xiqing hadn’t been as resistant as she was now. It seemed something else had happened recently.
Just as Zhang Yan was racking his brain for a joke to lighten the mood, the omnipotent Daju saved the day once again. Seemingly sensing its female owner’s foul mood, Daju rolled over, stood up, and continuously rubbed its chubby face against Xia Xiqing’s hand, MEOWING non-stop. Xia Xiqing’s slightly cold expression melted away visibly as she affectionately scratched under its chin.
“Good job!” Zhang Yan gave Daju a mental thumbs-up and promised a reward of dried fish, even though he already owed it several bags. At present, he was somewhat unsure of where Xia Xiqing’s boundaries lay. Not wanting to ruin the rapport he had painstakingly built, he refrained from actively bringing up new topics.
After petting the cat for a little while longer, Zhang Yan prepared to take his leave. “What time should I pick you up tonight?”
“How about six o’clock? East Gate of Cuiquan Spring.”
Tonight’s banquet was scheduled to begin at seven. Xia Xiqing’s residence was only about a twenty-minute drive from the venue, though factoring in traffic, they would probably only arrive a dozen minutes early.
“Alright, see you tonight.”
Provincial Library.
For his cognitive enhancement mission, there were two unread books left at this stage: *A Brief History of Time* and *Being and Time*. Although *A Brief History of Time* was written in straightforward language, its contents involved physics, relativity, and quantum mechanics, demanding a high level of scientific logic. Even though Zhang Yan had a STEM background and the buff of the Concentration Potion, he had absolutely no confidence in whether he could actually understand the book. The other book, *Being and Time*, was even more difficult. It was filled with philosophical terminology and complex, abstract sentence structures, requiring familiarity with phenomenology and formalism to comprehend.
Fortunately, AI had developed to a certain level nowadays. As long as he skillfully used auxiliary tools, it wasn’t impossible to read—just slower. Both books were exceptionally difficult to digest. If it weren’t for the lure of potentially generous rewards, Zhang Yan truly wouldn’t have bothered to grind through them.
Reluctantly, Zhang Yan opened the second most difficult book, *A Brief History of Time*. As for the hardest one, he decided to leave it to the wisdom of his future self; he would procrastinate on that for as long as he could. Adjusting his state of mind and drinking the potion, Zhang Yan braced himself as if facing a formidable enemy and opened the first page.
The origin and evolution of the universe, the mysteries of time and relativity, black holes and singularities, the ultimate goal of physics, the enlightenment of philosophy of science…
He had expected it to be a terribly dull book, but perhaps due to being in the Absolute Focus State, Zhang Yan actually found it quite interesting—full of shock and awe, enlightenment and contemplation. Within an hour, Zhang Yan had read the entire book twice, although his progress remained at the [Understood] stage. Lofty science and ordinary life did not seem entirely disconnected; together, they formed the real world.
Just as he was focused on ruminating over the profound mysteries in the book, a very pleasant and elegant voice suddenly rang out beside him.
“If the universe has no boundaries but is self-contained, then it has neither a beginning nor an end.”
Since he had failed to encounter the legendary beauty on multiple occasions, Zhang Yan’s sense of anticipation had gradually worn away. Today, right after finding his book, he had immediately entered the Absolute Focus State, completely missing her arrival. She had been sitting beside him, observing him for a long time.
Initially, an inexplicable sense of familiarity had prompted her to take a few extra glances at him, resulting in her appraisal that he was somewhat handsome. Then, she remembered that Zhang Yan was that rather decent guy who had made a gentleman’s agreement with a smitten high school girl last time. Afterward, she was astonished by the speed at which he was reading that highly difficult masterpiece. Naturally, she concluded that he was just putting on an exaggerated act simply to grab her attention. She had seen this kind of thing far too many times.
However, as time passed, the intense focus on his face never faded; he just kept rapidly turning the pages of the obscure and difficult book in his hands. She was certain that for a whole hour, Zhang Yan hadn’t spared her a single glance. This made her curious. Wanting to know if Zhang Yan was genuinely reading the book, she spoke those words.
Zhang Yan was still in the lingering effects of the Concentration Aura. Hearing that fresh and familiar quote, he subconsciously replied, “It would simply be.”
Only after speaking did he notice the profound, refreshing fragrance beside him and turn to look.
*(The reference illustration features an internet celebrity, so I won’t post it publicly. I’ll drop it in the comment replies later—remind me if I forget.)*
This was a girl of exceptionally striking appearance. Her exquisite facial features bore a touch of exotic flair, giving her the beauty of mixed heritage. Her slightly curly hair was tied up casually, looking fluffy and natural. A ribbon at the tips added a touch of gentleness and elegance, while a cartoon hairpin on the side of her head made her look cute and playful. Around her neck was a uniquely designed white scarf that was quite fashionable and carried a premium feel. Paired with a green knit cardigan and a white undershirt, her overall look felt incredibly fresh and natural.
Staring at this breathtaking face, Zhang Yan couldn’t shake the feeling that he had seen her somewhere before. He had to clarify: it absolutely wasn’t because he felt familiar with every girl who had a god-tier appearance.