“Huh?” Xue Jiao was startled, coming back to her senses and looking blankly at everyone.

She had been lost in thought, to the extent that she now had no idea what they were talking about.

Zhang Han repeated, “What were you just thinking about?”

Her tone wasn’t harsh rebuke, just curious, and it seemed like she was expecting something.

The other three also looked at Xue Jiao in unison.

Xue Jiao: “…”

She thought for a moment, then said, “I was thinking about something Roberto Durola from the University of Padua in Italy once said, ‘Under the influence of a strong magnetic field, the properties of vacuum undergo tremendous changes.’ Could we consider this direction?”

Zhang Han frowned deeply and calmly replied, “Earth’s magnetic field can’t change the properties of a vacuum.”

Before Xue Jiao could say anything, Yang Zhan suddenly had a flash of inspiration, his eyes lighting up: “I understand what Junior Sister means! We shouldn’t focus on the problem that the force produced by Earth’s magnetic field is far less than gravity—we just need balance! Balance under the influence of a strong magnetic field!”

As he spoke, he became excited and quickly took out his notebook to begin calculations.

Xue Jiao and the others stood up, leaned on the table, and closely watched Yang Zhan’s every move.

“What do you think of this approach?”

“No problem! We can create a model first to simulate various situations.”

“Junior Sister Gu Xue Jiao, come help calculate, assuming that…”

…

This was probably what it meant to find a way out when all seemed lost. They had almost given up hope, but suddenly inspiration struck and they had a direction, changing what had been a desperate situation.

Xue Jiao held her pen and began calculating and making predictions with Zheng Jiakun according to their ideas. The laboratory became completely lively.

Everyone was serious and expectant.

—

Meanwhile, at Lin Corporation.

In the morning when Lin Zhihua came to work, he brought two photo frames and took out two recently printed photographs.

One was of him and Xue Jiao taken at the entrance of the cinema, and the other was of Xue Jiao eating, secretly photographed by Lin Zhihua.

With a smile on his lips, he placed the two photos in frames, putting one on the left side of his desk and one on the right.

Lin Zhihua reached out his hand and gently caressed the brightly smiling Xue Jiao.

At this moment, Chen Yan knocked on the door. He tilted the photo slightly, then quickly withdrew his hand, pretending to be calm as he said, “Come in.”

Chen Yan respectfully pushed open the door and entered with a document, “Boss, here’s the information you wanted. Manager Wen…”

His words stopped abruptly as he noticed the photos nearby, his gaze shifting toward them.

One of the photos was half-tilted, and from his angle, he could also see it. Even though the photo was taken at night, he could still recognize Gu Xue Jiao, who had just visited yesterday, and his boss’s face, which he saw every day.

Even though the man who usually had a cold expression was now smiling fondly, with an indulgent look in his eyes.

“What about Manager Wen?” Lin Zhihua raised an eyebrow.

Chen Yan quickly gathered his thoughts, “It’s like this: Manager Wen’s report yesterday was unsatisfactory. He worked overtime last night to redo it. Would you like him to come up now?”

Lin Zhihua nodded, “Have him come up.”

Chen Yan glanced at the photo again from the corner of his eye, his expression betraying his discomfort.

“Is there anything else?”

Chen Yan looked at the photo, took a deep breath, and said in a flat, emotionless tone, “You and Ms. Gu Xue Jiao are very well-suited.”

Lin Zhihua smiled again, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, but he quickly restrained himself, covering his mouth with his fist and calmly saying, “You have good taste.”

Chen Yan: “…”

After a moment, Lin Zhihua spoke again, “Chen Yan—”

“Yes,” Chen Yan immediately looked at Lin Zhihua, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

“You can consider your matters now. I’m not an unreasonable boss,” Lin Zhihua said with concern in his voice.

Chen Yan: “…”

When Lin Zhihua had chosen him years ago, he had said that he hoped Chen Yan would be available 24 hours a day, putting work first, with nothing more important than work…

He glanced at the photo nearby again from the corner of his eye, then replied wearily, “…Alright.”

Chen Yan walked away with tired steps, his eyes gradually becoming unfocused as he began to question life.

They had agreed to be workaholics together, so how had his boss gone off to fall in love?

The boss was richer than him, more capable than him, and now… had a partner too.

What kind of world was this?

After Chen Yan left, it wasn’t long before Manager Wen knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

As soon as he spoke, Manager Wen entered nervously with the report, “B-b-boss…”

“Let me see it,” Lin Zhihua reached out to take the report and gestured for Manager Wen to sit down.

As always, he showed no expression, his eyes naturally sharp as he slightly lowered his head and began to look through the report.

Manager Wen sat down anxiously, secretly observing his expression from the corner of his eye.

Lin Zhihua read through very carefully, page by page. Manager Wen didn’t dare speak and could only let his gaze wander, feeling quite nervous inside.

Manager Wen was a veteran; he had been there when Lin Changping was managing the company. Back then, the boss was easy to fool, and they normally didn’t have much to do.

After Lin Zhihua returned, the situation completely changed. While they no longer had to worry about the company going bankrupt, those without real ability were gradually pushed out of the company.

Manager Wen was still considered capable enough, so he stayed.

But Lin Zhihua was a workaholic, and he knew so much that he could immediately spot their problems; there was no way to deceive him.

His rewards and punishments were also clear-cut. If you did well, the bonuses were extremely high. As for doing poorly…

Then you’d have to be careful about being squeezed out by others.

Manager Wen was considered a high-level executive, but there was no way around it—competition was fierce these days, with new talents constantly emerging, so he had to be careful and do his job well.

Facing a boss who was much younger than himself, Manager Wen was quite nervous.

His gaze couldn’t help but shift, and he happened to see a photo. It wasn’t directly facing him, but he could still see it.

Was this the boss’s wife who had saved him yesterday? She was indeed beautiful, but… wasn’t she too young?

Manager Wen began to space out.

“What are you looking at?” Lin Zhihua suddenly asked.

Manager Wen almost instinctively replied, “The boss’s wife.”

The moment he said it, he felt as if he’d been struck by lightning, his face turning pale.

It’s over…

He was going to lose his job!

His wife and children would have no one to support them!

To his surprise, Lin Zhihua calmly nodded and replied, “Oh.”

He closed the report and added, “There are still some issues on page 16. Recalculate the budget and then submit it to Tan Qi.”

Manager Wen hurriedly took the report, “Y-yes, yes…”

He was still a bit dazed as he walked out of the office, his feet feeling light. He looked at the report in his hand, then turned to look at the closed door.

What… had he just passed?!

Manager Wen’s heart leaped with joy, and he clasped his hands together, silently saying in his heart—

Great thanks to the boss’s wife! Wen Yu is grateful here!

Then he stepped forward, walking away with a light step, and by the way, passed the news to the group chat—

The boss has photos of him and his wife on his desk!

It was from this point that the news about Lin Zhihua having a girlfriend who was likely to be the future Mrs. Lin spread.

First, it circulated within the company, then it began to spread outside. Anyone who knew or cared soon found out.

And the rumors about Lin Zhihua’s physical issues collapsed on their own.

A cover-up?

Even when the situation was so critical back then, Lin Zhihua hadn’t tried to cover anything up. Now that Lin Corporation was flourishing, how could it possibly be a cover-up?

The next day, Lin Zhihua went to negotiate a cooperation deal with an energy company, meeting at a club.

After he pushed open the door, he noticed that inside, apart from the other company’s boss and secretary, there was also a somewhat familiar-looking woman who should be a celebrity.

Before Lin Zhihua even entered the room, Chen Yan immediately whispered a reminder, “Che Xiaoxuan, a first- or second-tier actress.”

He frowned slightly but still walked in.

“Mr. Lin is here! Please, sit down, sit down!” A man with a large belly stood up to greet him from inside.

Lin Zhihua’s lips twitched slightly as he politely said, “Sorry to have kept you waiting, Mr. Xiao.”

“Oh, I just arrived early, it’s fine. Come, come, Che Xiaoxuan, pour some water for Mr. Lin,” Mr. Xiao raised an eyebrow at the other woman.

The woman quickly stood up and said with a smile, “I’ve long admired Mr. Lin’s reputation. Xiaoxuan will embarrass herself by brewing a cup of tea for Mr. Lin.”

As she was a celebrity, her looks were naturally not bad, especially since this one was famous for her beauty.

She calmly knelt to the side and began to brew tea. From her demeanor to her movements, it was obvious she had been trained.

Che Xiaoxuan’s eyes occasionally glanced at Lin Zhihua, with an enticing and lingering look, her intentions obvious.

Lin Zhihua ignored her and only looked at Mr. Xiao, “Mr. Xiao, I believe that cooperation between Lin Corporation and your company would be mutually beneficial. Do you have any thoughts on the cooperation?”

“Being able to cooperate with Lin Corporation is naturally a very good thing!” Mr. Xiao laughed cheerfully.

Lin Zhihua looked at him, his attitude natural, “Then let’s finalize the contract.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking!” Mr. Xiao smiled.

He sat across from Lin Zhihua, and his attitude also seemed natural, except that his gaze kept shifting to the actress beside him, suggesting something.

“Does Mr. Xiao have any other objections?”

“Well…”

Beside them, Che Xiaoxuan moved closer to Lin Zhihua, handing him the cup, “Mr. Lin, Xiaoxuan has embarrassed herself. Please try Xiaoxuan’s handiwork.”

Mr. Xiao had originally planned to create a good atmosphere before discussing further, but with Lin Zhihua pressing him, he decided to state his goal upfront.

“It’s like this… the direction of cooperation will of course follow Lin Corporation’s lead, and I will cooperate well with Mr. Lin. It’s just that… could I have one more share in the distribution? This 70-30 ratio is somewhat…”

Lin Zhihua interrupted him, “I remember saying before that it would be at most 30 percent.”

Mr. Xiao’s facial expression froze.

Beside them, Che Xiaoxuan said flirtatiously, “Mr. Lin, you haven’t tried Xiaoxuan’s handiwork yet, have you?”

As she spoke, her body was almost pressing against Lin Zhihua.

Lin Zhihua stood up abruptly, looked down at her coldly, and slowly opened his mouth—

“Since you know it’s embarrassing, why display it?”

He turned and walked away, “Since your company is not sincere, let’s forget about the cooperation.”

As Lin Zhihua walked, he said softly, “Chen Yan, help me arrange a meeting with Mr. Wang.”

Mr. Wang was the boss of another energy company and happened to be Mr. Xiao’s rival.

“Hey— Mr. Lin, wait, let’s talk more, please wait—” Mr. Xiao rushed out, his voice anxious.

Lin Zhihua, with an expression of great anger, left directly with Chen Yan.

Seeing that he couldn’t catch up, Mr. Xiao turned back, kicked over the table, and said with a dark face, “Wasn’t it said that Lin Zhihua didn’t have physical issues?! What’s going on?!”

Previously, rumors suggested that Lin Zhihua didn’t like women, and using beauty to entice him would only offend him.

Therefore, no one had dared to so blatantly slap him in the face before, but recently, hadn’t there been constant rumors that Lin Zhihua was normal?

There were even photos of him holding hands with someone. What could be the problem?!

That reaction today…

The secretary beside him spoke fearfully, “Perhaps… he doesn’t like this type?”

“Mr. Xiao…” Che Xiaoxuan said timidly.

Mr. Xiao glared at her, “Useless thing!”

It was rare to get Lin Zhihua to come out for a meeting, and he had shown his full “sincerity,” naturally hoping to secure full benefits. Who would have thought…

He still felt a vague fear inside. If Lin Zhihua still couldn’t interact with women, then his behavior today was a clear slap in the face…

What cooperation could they talk about now? They had made a mortal enemy!

“Arrange another meeting with Lin Zhihua for me! Help me apologize properly. We can’t let the cooperation go to Wang, and we can’t offend Lin!”

—

Meanwhile, Lin Zhihua got into the car.

Chen Yan respectfully asked, “Boss, when should we schedule the meeting with Mr. Wang?”

“Don’t schedule it.”

“Huh?” Chen Yan was stunned.

Lin Zhihua looked out the window and laughed coldly, “Now that I’ve broken off with Xiao, Wang will definitely open his mouth wide like a lion, asking for no less than 40 percent to close the deal. Let’s keep Xiao waiting for two days. When he gets anxious, he’ll lower his share by half a percentage, and then we’ll sign the contract.”

Chen Yan was slightly dazed. This way… from the original 70, it would become 75, an increase of 5 percent, which meant several tens of millions in benefits…

He looked up at Lin Zhihua beside him, feeling a wave of admiration. Making tens of millions with just a few words!

It seemed that from the moment he entered the door and saw Che Xiaoxuan, Lin Zhihua had already planned how to handle it.

No wonder when Che Xiaoxuan said she would brew tea for him, Lin Zhihua had no reaction. In the past, he would have shown a cold face right away.

Lin Zhihua gazed out the window, lost in thought. He missed Jiaojiao.

Was she working on her project? Had she eaten?

As if their minds were connected, Lin Zhihua’s phone vibrated with Xue Jiao’s special ringtone.

The corners of his mouth lifted as he opened it—

[Finishing at 6 PM today!]

Lin Zhihua’s eyes lit up, and he immediately turned to Chen Yan, “Reschedule all evening appointments to the afternoon. Everything must be finished by 6 PM.”

“Yes, boss,” Chen Yan nodded.

—

At 6 PM, Xue Jiao packed her things.

“Junior Sister is leaving?” Chu Sheng raised an eyebrow.

Previously, he had called her by name, but with Yang Zhan constantly calling her “Junior Sister,” all of them had started calling her that.

Even Chu Sheng had begun calling her Junior Sister.

“Yes, you all continue. I’ll take these calculations home with me,” Xue Jiao packed up her backpack.

“Is Junior Sister going on a date?” Chu Sheng had a meaningful smile.

Xue Jiao pressed her lips into a smile, then nodded frankly, “Yes, so I’m leaving first. Bye-bye.”

She left the laboratory with her backpack.

As a woman with a boyfriend, it was natural to arrange her work and love life reasonably.

Work should take up most of her time, but she couldn’t neglect to allocate time for her love life.

Now their project was in the advancement stage, and Xue Jiao planned to finish work at 6 PM every two days, then go on a date with Lin Zhihua.

When she reached the school gate, Lin Zhihua’s car had just arrived.

Xue Jiao opened the car door, sat down, and hugged her bag to her chest.

Lin Zhihua’s lips curled upward, “Shall we go eat? Then watch a movie?”

“Sure.”

“What would you like to eat?”

Xue Jiao’s slender finger touched her chin as she said, “Let’s have Western food today.”

“Alright,” Lin Zhihua nodded and turned the car around.

He drove carefully but asked curiously, “Why did you finish work so early today?”

Xue Jiao smiled and turned to look at him, “Because I wanted to go on a date with you.”

Lin Zhihua’s hand trembled slightly, and he coughed once, “Oh.”

After a moment, he added, “I wanted to as well.”

Xue Jiao covered her mouth and laughed.

—

After dinner, the two held hands and went to the cinema to watch a foreign animated sci-fi film that portrayed a fascinating vision of the future.

Lin Zhihua watched with 3D glasses on, and Xue Jiao turned her head to whisper in his ear—

“Lin Zhihua, I believe that one day flying cars will definitely become a reality, no matter how many years it takes or which country they appear in. I believe their theoretical foundation will come from our country. My partners and I will work hard to be stepping stones for our technological progress.”

She would work hard, and Zhang Han, Yang Zhan, Zheng Jiakun, Chu Sheng… all these young people were working hard too.

Chu Sheng had said that even if it took a lifetime of research, he would prove the feasibility of “flying cars.”

This generation had both impetuous people and steadfast ones.

Lin Zhihua watched as the protagonist in the movie jumped onto a spacecraft with English writing on it, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, “Mmm, I believe it.”

After the movie, Lin Zhihua held Xue Jiao’s hand as they walked slowly along the road.

“Handsome, buy a bouquet of flowers for your girlfriend!” A woman jumped out, holding various colored roses.

Xue Jiao blushed and looked away.

Lin Zhihua glanced at her, then smiled, but shook his head and didn’t buy anything.

Xue Jiao was a bit surprised but didn’t mind.

The woman pouted and said in a low voice, “People nowadays, whether they have money or not, why are they all so stingy? He’s not even willing to buy a rose for such a beautiful girlfriend! What a waste of that face!”

The square was very lively, especially so late at night, with all sorts of things for sale.

Lin Zhihua walked a few steps, then stopped.

“Is this for sale?”

It was a small stall displaying various items, with a pile of stuffed toys.

“Yes! Twenty yuan.”

Xue Jiao was led by Lin Zhihua’s hand and watched as he took out the wallet she had given him, then bought a fox and handed it to her.

“Jiaojiao, this is for you.”

Xue Jiao was stunned, looking at the fox in front of her.

She remembered what Lin Zhihua had said a year ago, that the Little Prince should have fallen in love with the fox, not the rose…

Xue Jiao reached out and slowly took the fox.

Lin Zhihua whispered in her ear, “Jiaojiao, do you prefer roses or foxes?”

Xue Jiao looked up at him.

At this moment, Lin Zhihua’s eyes were very serious, but also filled with apprehension and caution.

Xue Jiao pressed her lips into a smile and raised an eyebrow, “I won’t tell you!”

Lin Zhihua: “…”

He was choked at first, then smiled helplessly, “Alright, if you won’t say it, you won’t say it. There’s a lake ahead; shall we go for a walk?”

Xue Jiao nodded, “Sure.”

She still felt reluctant to part with Lin Zhihua, reluctant to leave now.

The two walked over on foot. It was already dark, and the path was faintly visible as they walked along a wooden corridor.

Xue Jiao had one hand held by Lin Zhihua and the other holding the fox stuffed toy, chattering away with him.

They walked around to the other side of the lake, where the street lamps were farther away and the light was dimmer.

“Ouch—” Xue Jiao didn’t see a step and missed her footing.

Lin Zhihua immediately crouched down anxiously, his voice urgent, “What happened? Are you alright?”

Xue Jiao moved her foot and felt no pain, so she shook her head, “I’m fine, just got scared for a moment.”

But Lin Zhihua crouched down in front of her and said softly, “Let me carry you on my back.”

“No need, I don’t—”

“I’ll carry you, Jiaojiao. I want to carry you,” Lin Zhihua’s voice was firm.

Xue Jiao was stunned, her lips curling upward as she climbed onto his back.

The moment she was on his back, Xue Jiao felt very warm and secure.

He had that kind of strength—it seemed that whenever she couldn’t walk any further, he could carry her and continue on.

A year ago, Lin Zhihua had carried her through her adolescent “cold.”

A year later, in the dim light, he carried her through the darkness.

There were other people taking walks by the lake, and the sounds of insects calling. As they passed this section of the path, the light gradually brightened.

Lin Zhihua was still lecturing her, “You must be careful when walking. Fortunately, nothing happened just now, but what if that step had been too high? In the future, you should…”

Xue Jiao, lying on Lin Zhihua’s back, smiled and interrupted him, “What if? Sometimes I feel like you’re my elder, with a whole set of ways to educate me.”

Lin Zhihua gave her a light tap and said with a hint of annoyance, “You’re still teasing me!”

Xue Jiao leaned up and pressed her face against his, “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore, Uncle.”

Lin Zhihua: “…”

He gave her another light tap, but then couldn’t help but smile, “Naughty.”

Xue Jiao waved the fox in front of him and suddenly said, “I don’t know if I like roses or foxes, but I know that—I like you.”

Lin Zhihua’s feet stopped, and his hand trembled slightly.

In those eyes that Xue Jiao couldn’t see, wild joy and restraint surged, finally all turning into thick ink that hadn’t dispersed.

After a moment, Lin Zhihua still hadn’t spoken, but he tightened his hold on Xue Jiao and continued walking straight ahead.

Xue Jiao was a bit surprised. He was…

“It’s not the first time I’ve said I like you. Why are you shy now?”

Lin Zhihua’s voice was a bit hoarse, sexy and pleasant to hear, “Jiaojiao, no matter how many times you say it, I’ll always be very happy.”

Xue Jiao smiled, “I like you!”

Lin Zhihua’s lips curved upward.

“I like you!”

“I like you!”

“I like you—”

Lin Zhihua took a deep breath, and it was a long time before he seemed to say from deep in his throat, “I like you too.”

Xue Jiao buried her face, and it seemed that—no matter how many times she heard it, she was still very happy.

“Jiaojiao.”

“Hmm?”

“Let me take you back.”

“Okay.”

“Shall we go on a date the day after tomorrow?”

“Yes!”

“Then let’s cook and eat at home.”

“Yes, yes!” Xue Jiao licked her lips, thinking of Lin Zhihua’s cooking skills.

“Jiaojiao.”

“Hmm?”

“Will you marry me when you graduate from university?”

“…What kind of proposal is that?”

“Then I’ll propose properly when the time comes!” Lin Zhihua’s voice trembled slightly.

“Will you always be this good to me?”

“Yes, I’ll be good to you for a lifetime.”

“Then I’ll think about it.”

“Good, think about it carefully.”

Xue Jiao snorted, “What if I consider it and don’t agree to marry you?”

“Then you’ll reconsider…”