On the weekend, Shen Zhiyi drove Pei Xu to his psychological counseling session. She dropped him off at the door of the therapy room but didn’t go in with him.
“Pei Xu, I’ll go wander around the nearby mall.”
Shen Zhiyi knew there might be things Pei Xu didn’t want her to hear, so she gave him enough space.
“Alright. If I finish early, I’ll wait for you outside the therapy room.”
“There are seats in the hallway. Don’t stand while waiting.”
Shen Zhiyi held his arm and tapped the nearby public bench, helping Pei Xu remember the spot.
Only after he entered the room and sat across from the counselor did she turn and leave.
Shen Zhiyi didn’t actually have anything to buy; she just didn’t know how to pass the time if she stayed at the hospital.
She wandered aimlessly down the street and somehow ended up driving to the entrance of Nan University.
She remembered Pei Xu had graduated from Nan University. After Rongchuang took off, he had even returned to campus as an outstanding alumnus to participate in events.
Shen Zhiyi found a parking spot and left her car outside the campus.
It seemed there was some event at Nan University today, as many students were heading toward the auditorium.
Seeing this, Shen Zhiyi followed the crowd.
Outside the auditorium, she noticed a large display board with the title: “Artificial Intelligence: How to Embrace the AI Era,” featuring Professor Hu Jiyuan as the keynote speaker.
Although Shen Zhiyi had skimmed through parts of the novel’s plot, she remembered Professor Hu Jiyuan quite clearly.
He had originally been Pei Xu’s mentor and, after Pei Xu regained his sight, introduced him to many pioneers in the field of artificial intelligence.
It could be said that Pei Xu’s later success owed much to his mentor’s help.
Shen Zhiyi hoped to move this timeline forward a bit.
At the very least, to make Pei Xu’s period of blindness less difficult to endure.
Shen Zhiyi followed the crowd into the auditorium.
While passing through the hallway’s “Wall of Fame,” she even spotted Pei Xu’s photo among the displayed portraits.
The lecture drew a large crowd today, with the front rows packed tightly with people.
Shen Zhiyi had to take a seat toward the back and recorded the entire lecture on her phone.
She didn’t know much about artificial intelligence, and most of the lecture was filled with technical jargon, leaving Shen Zhiyi feeling lost.
But she forced herself to stay focused, listening carefully to Professor Hu’s presentation.
After the lecture ended, Shen Zhiyi stood up from her seat and made her way toward the stage.
Most students were heading out, so Shen Zhiyi had to slowly push her way forward through the crowd.
Fortunately, many students were gathered around the stage asking Professor Hu questions about artificial intelligence, so Shen Zhiyi wasn’t too late.
She stood quietly to the side, waiting until all the students had finished asking their questions before she spoke up to stop Professor Hu.
“Professor Hu, could I speak with you for a moment?”
“I noticed you earlier. You’ve been waiting for a while—do you have a question for me?”
Professor Hu unscrewed the lid of his thermos and took a sip of tea.
“Professor Hu, I’m not here to ask about professional knowledge…”
“I could tell. I’m also familiar with the industries derived from artificial intelligence.”
Seeing that the professor had misunderstood, Shen Zhiyi quickly explained.
“Professor Hu, do you remember Pei Xu?”
“Pei Xu… What is your relationship with him?”
Hearing Professor Hu’s question, Shen Zhiyi felt reassured.
“I’m his… his friend.”
“I heard about Pei Xu’s situation. His company has already gone bankrupt and is in liquidation. I heard it was due to an issue with an AI project. I tried contacting him, but his phone has been unreachable.”
Seeing that Professor Hu was unaware of Pei Xu’s blindness, Shen Zhiyi could only explain truthfully.
“Pei Xu lost his sight due to an accident.”
“What did you say? He’s blind…”
Both AI development and programming require the use of one’s eyes. If he can no longer see, wouldn’t that mean he has no chance at all in the future?
“Even though he can’t see now, he hasn’t given up on learning. He takes photos of research papers and listens to them using screen-reading software.”
“I want to know why you came to see me.”
Professor Hu was a straightforward person and knew Shen Zhiyi must have a purpose for seeking him out.
“I wanted to trouble you… Could you allow Pei Xu to attend your lectures? I know he’s no longer at Nanda University, and letting him return might not comply with the rules…”
“Why not? As long as he’s willing, he can come listen to my lectures anytime.”
Shen Zhiyi was taken aback. She had expected Professor Hu to refuse, but he agreed so easily.
“Professor Hu, there’s one more thing… Could you personally call Pei Xu and present it as your own idea? Pretend I never came to see you today.”
Seeing the serious expression on Professor Hu’s face, Shen Zhiyi felt her request might be asking too much.
“Fine. Since I’m already letting him attend my lectures, one more thing won’t make a difference.”
“Thank you, really, thank you so much.”
Shen Zhiyi expressed her gratitude sincerely to Professor Hu.
“Are you just Pei Xu’s friend? Just a simple friend?”
How could a friend care so deeply about Pei Xu’s situation?
“Not exactly just a simple friend…”
Seeing the awkward expression on her face, Professor Hu instantly understood.
“I see. Is Pei Xu’s phone number still the same as before?”
“Yes, he hasn’t changed it.”
By the time Shen Zhiyi left the auditorium, it was almost 3 p.m.
Pei Xu had finished his psychological counseling session at 2 p.m. Even if she teleported back to the hospital now, she probably wouldn’t make it in time.
Shen Zhiyi hurried out of Nanda University, barely catching her breath before driving toward the hospital.
When she reached the door of the consultation room, Pei Xu was nowhere to be seen in the hallway.
Panicking, she quickly dialed his number.
As soon as the call connected, she anxiously asked for his location.
“Pei Xu, where are you? I’m sorry I’m late.”
“I’m on the bench where I waited for you to pick up the medicine last time.”
“The bench outside the outpatient building?”
“Yes.”
Shen Zhiyi rushed downstairs. Seeing that the elevator would take too long, she took the stairs instead.
“Don’t hang up yet, I’ll be there soon…”
Listening to her hurried breathing over the phone, Pei Xu felt an inexplicable sense of comfort.
Shen Zhiyi ran out of the outpatient building and headed toward the bench by the roadside.
“I thought I had lost you.”
“Didn’t we agree? If we get separated, I’ll stay where I am and wait for you to come find me.”
“When I didn’t see anyone in the hallway, my legs went weak with fear. What if someone saw how handsome you are and took you home to be their husband?”
Pei Xu thought for a moment.
“Wouldn’t that make me guilty of bigamy?”
Shen Zhiyi playfully punched Pei Xu’s arm.
“You still have the mood to joke… but it really is my fault today, I was held up outside for too long.”
“Add a meal tonight, make fried spare ribs to compensate me.”
“Add it, I’ll allow you to choose the dishes tonight.”
“Pei Xu, tell me honestly, while you were waiting for me, were you scared?”
“No.”
Pei Xu had actually considered the possibility that she might not come to pick him up…
But fortunately, he waited until Shen Zhiyi came back.