Xia Yaojin began to seriously contemplate a question: Has Zhu Yawen gone mad?
Or rather, had she been hurt so deeply by Gu Mingyuan that her psyche developed some kind of… cognitive bias?
Otherwise, how could one explain why a “vengeful goddess” returned from rebirth would suddenly develop an interest in a “study god” like her, whose eyes held nothing but exam questions and specialized topics?
Xia Yaojin knew exactly what kind of person she was. She could derive a simplified model of the Riemann Hypothesis in five minutes, yet she couldn’t distinguish whether someone’s kindness toward her was friendship or romance. She could memorize eighty percent of the vocabulary in the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, yet she couldn’t remember anyone’s birthday. She could write a flawless lab report, but she couldn’t pen a single decent line of sweet talk.
The term “lovestruck brain” was light-years away from the dictionary of her life.
However, Zhu Yawen seemed completely oblivious to this.
【Trending Post】 On Jinjin’s “Iron Wall Defense” vs. Wenwen’s “Persistent Offense”
OP (Psychology Dept. Observer): As a loyal fan of the “Wen Jin” CP and a graduate student in Psychology, I have decided to conduct an academic observation of this pairing.
After a week of tracking (academic observation, not stalking), I have reached the following conclusions:
Xia Yaojin possesses a typical “Academic Personality.” Her emotional response threshold is extremely high, she is almost entirely unresponsive to non-academic stimuli.
Zhu Yawen exhibits clear pursuit behavior patterns, but all these actions are interpreted by Xia as “academic mutual aid” or “friendly concern.”
Micro-expression analysis during interaction: When discussing studies, Xia’s facial muscle relaxation increases by +35%. When discussing personal topics, tension increases by +20%. When Zhu makes ambiguous hints… 0% change.
Conclusion: Jinjin’s Iron Wall defense is at MAX level. Wenwen’s offensive route may require adjustment.
1L (CP Fan Leader): So Jinjin really hasn’t “awakened” yet? It’s not an act?
2L (Physics Dept. Chen Mo): I can attest, Jinjin is for real. Last time I asked her what kind of gift she liked, she said “the latest edition of Five Years of Gaokao, Three Years of Mock Exams.”
3L (Chemistry Dept. Su Qing): I gave her hand cream, and she said, “The chemical composition of this is irritating to the skin. I recommend you use this lab formulated one instead.”
4L (Foreign Languages Dept. Li Ting): I asked her to a movie this weekend. She said, “I need to prepare for my assessment. Movies are a waste of time, but I recommend you watch this documentary; it’s helpful for understanding macroeconomics.”
5L (OP): So the current situation is: Wenwen is pursuing, but Jinjin isn’t receiving the signal at all. It’s like using the most advanced radar to detect an object that simply doesn’t reflect signals.
6L (CS Dept. Zhang Ming): In our professional terms: Zhu Yawen is sending TCP connection requests, but Xia Yaojin’s firewall is set to “Drop all non-academic connections.”
7L (Math Dept. Wang Zhe): Modeling analysis shows: Zhu Yawen’s affection function is f(x) = e^x (exponential growth), while Xia Yaojin’s reception function is g(x) = ln(1+x) (logarithmic growth). As x to infty, the ratio f(x)/g(x) to infty. The gap between their emotional development speeds is approaching infinity.
8L (Biology Dept. Zhao Mingyu): From a biological perspective, Xia might lack certain neurotransmitter receptors related to falling in love…
9L (Arts Dept. Fanfic Writer): Doesn’t that make it even better?! The icy study god x the fiery campus belle, the romance of breaching the iron wall! I’m already writing a new story: How to Wake Up a Study God: The Belle’s 100 Attempts!
10L (Forum Admin): Um… everyone please discuss rationally and try not to disturb the parties involved…
Xia Yaojin had no idea the forum had analyzed her down to the bone.
She was currently in the library, frowning at a problem. “I should use the Lagrange multiplier method here, but this constraint condition…” she muttered to herself.
“Need some help?”
Zhu Yawen’s voice came from above. She had sat down opposite her at some point, holding a copy of Functional Analysis.
Xia Yaojin looked up. “This optimization problem has a non-linear constraint. I’m considering whether to use KKT conditions.”
Zhu Yawen leaned in to look at the problem. “True, standard Lagrange might not be enough. But you could try the Augmented Lagrangian Method combined with a penalty function.”
The two leaned their heads together to discuss, completely oblivious to the circle of students “accidentally passing by” around them.
Ten minutes later, Xia Yaojin’s eyes lit up. “I get it! Thank you!”
“You’re welcome,” Zhu Yawen smiled. “By the way, what do you want for dinner? I know a new Japanese place, the salmon is very fresh.”
Xia Yaojin, still immersed in the joy of solving the problem, answered casually, “Anything is fine, you decide.”
A muffled sound of collective gasping rose from the surroundings.
Zhu Yawen’s smile widened. “Great. Then 6:30 PM, see you at the school gate.”
“Okay,” Xia Yaojin nodded, burying her head back into her calculations.
After Zhu Yawen left, several girls immediately swarmed her.
“Jinjin!” Li Ting asked excitedly. “Are you and Wenwen going on a date?!”
Xia Yaojin looked up blankly. “A date? What date?”
“Dinner! Japanese food! Candlelit dinner!”
“Oh, that,” Xia Yaojin realized. “She said we need to discuss some points regarding the assessment, and we’ll eat while we’re at it.”
Everyone: “…”
So, the “date” Zhu Yawen mentioned was automatically translated in Xia Yaojin’s mind as an “Academic Discussion Meeting with Supplemental Ingestion Phase”?
“Jinjin,” Zhou Xiaoyu asked cautiously, “how do you feel about Zhu Yawen… toward you?”
“She’s great,” Xia Yaojin said as if it were obvious. “She helps me a lot with my studies and life. She’s a very good friend.”
“Just a friend?”
“What else would she be?” Xia Yaojin looked at them strangely.
The group exchanged a look that said: As expected.
That night, the “date” proceeded as scheduled.
The Japanese restaurant had an elegant environment with excellent privacy. Zhu Yawen had booked a private room and ordered a table full of food.
“The ingredients here are flown in from Japan daily,” Zhu Yawen introduced. “Try this sea urchin, it’s very fresh and sweet.”
Xia Yaojin took a bite and nodded. “It is indeed good. However, from a nutritional perspective, sea urchin is high in cholesterol, it shouldn’t be consumed in excess.”
Zhu Yawen: “…Okay.”
“By the way,” Xia Yaojin remembered her purpose, “didn’t you say you wanted to discuss the assessment points?”
Zhu Yawen laughed helplessly. “No rush. Let’s eat first.”
“Oh.” Xia Yaojin ate obediently, her movements refined but highly efficient, a skill honed from long-term experience fighting for food in the cafeteria.
Zhu Yawen watched her, her gaze tender. “Xia Yaojin, have you never thought about dating?”
Xia Yaojin, who was mid-sushi-grab, paused. “…Why ask that suddenly?”
“Just curious.” Zhu Yawen rested her chin on her hand. “Someone as outstanding as you must have many people who like you, right?”
“People have said they liked me before,” Xia Yaojin said honestly. “But I didn’t feel anything. I think studying and living on my own is quite nice.”
“Don’t you ever feel lonely?”
“No,” Xia Yaojin shook her head. “The whole world is inside books.”
Zhu Yawen fell silent.
She looked at the Xia Yaojin before her, crisp white shirt, focused eyes, and a face that glowed whenever she mentioned her studies. Such a person was like a solitary, high snow mountain: beautiful, but difficult to approach.
“Xia Yaojin,” she said softly, “if I told you that I liked you, what would you think?”
Xia Yaojin put down her chopsticks. She looked at Zhu Yawen seriously and thought for a long time.
“Zhu Yawen, I’m not sure what ‘liking’ feels like,” she said slowly. “In my life, the only thing that has made my heart race is the moment I solve a difficult problem; the only thing that keeps me awake at night is pondering unsolved mysteries, the only thing that makes me feel happy is acquiring new knowledge.”
She paused. “So, if you ask me if I can respond to your feelings, my answer might be: I can’t. At least, not right now.”
The room fell silent.
Zhu Yawen’s expression remained unchanged, still radiating gentleness. “It’s okay. Like I said, I will respect any choice you make.”
“However,” Xia Yaojin continued, “if you are willing, we can be friends. Very good friends.”
Zhu Yawen smiled. “Alright, then let’s be friends.” She raised her teacup. “Using tea instead of wine, a toast to friendship.”
Xia Yaojin raised her cup as well. “To friendship.”
The two looked at each other and smiled. The atmosphere lightened significantly.
“But,” Zhu Yawen said with a wink, “since we’re friends, it’s only natural for friends to help each other out, right?”
“Hmm?”
“For example, friends can go for morning runs together every day.”
“…I suppose so.”
“Friends can eat meals together.”
“…That’s true.”
“Friends can go to the library together.”
“…They can.”
“And friends can show up whenever the other person needs them.”
Looking at Zhu Yawen’s sly smile, Xia Yaojin suddenly realized… had she been played? Yet, she didn’t dislike the feeling. Perhaps having a close friend really was a good thing.
After dinner, Zhu Yawen walked Xia Yaojin back to her dormitory. As they neared the building, Xia Yaojin suddenly spoke up: “Zhu Yawen, thank you.”
“For what?”
“Thank you for understanding me,” Xia Yaojin said earnestly. “And thank you… for not giving up.”
Zhu Yawen stunned for a moment, then laughed. “I won’t give up. But I’ll take it slow, in a way that makes you feel comfortable.” She reached out and gently patted Xia Yaojin on the head. “Go on up now, get some rest.”
“Okay, goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Xia Yaojin turned and headed upstairs, her steps feeling a bit lighter than usual. Perhaps she really didn’t need to overthink it. Just let nature take its course and be herself.
The next day, the “Wen Jin” CP fans entered a new state of frenzy.
【HOT】 The Iron Wall has cracked! Jinjin personally admits she and Wenwen are “Very Good Friends”!
OP (Frontline Reporter): Breaking news! Last night at the Japanese restaurant date (though Jinjin thinks it was an academic discussion), a server overheard their conversation!
Jinjin said: “We can be friends. Very good friends.” Wenwen said: “Alright, then let’s be friends.”
Then they clinked glasses! Clinked! Glasses! Going from “Ordinary Classmates” to “Very Good Friends” is a qualitative leap! Sisters! Victory is in sight!
1L (CP Fan Ecstasy): Ahhh! Friendship is the beginning of romance! I officially declare the “Wen Jin” ship has entered the ambiguity phase!
2L (Fanfic Writer): Already writing: From Friends to Lovers: The Campus Belle’s “Warm Water Frog” Plan!
3L (Psychology Dept. Observer): From a behavioral psychology standpoint, Xia’s willingness to accept a closer interpersonal relationship is a positive signal. It’s still far from romance, but at least the firewall setting has changed from “Deny All” to “Allow Specific IP.”
4L (CS Dept. Zhang Ming): To be precise, it went from deny all to allow 192.168.1.1 (Zhu Yawen’s IP).
5L (Math Dept. Wang Zhe): Mathematical model: Let “Ordinary Classmate” be 1, “Good Friend” be 2, and “Lover” be 3. The relationship value grew from 1 to 2, a 100% growth rate. At this speed, reaching 3 should… theoretically take the same amount of time, but emotional growth is actually non-linear…
6L (Foreign Languages Dept. Li Ting): So what do we do now? Keep cheering them on?
7L (OP): Of course! We must be their strongest support system! After discussion with department reps, we’ve decided:Form the “Wen Jin Protection Alliance” to ensure no interference (specifically Gu Mingyuan).
Create a “Wen Jin Friendship Witness” commemorative album of all their photos together.
Organize school wide support activities for Jinjin’s upcoming assessment.
Continue fanworks, but maintain boundaries, don’t disturb the actual people.
8L (All CP Fans): Understood!
Xia Yaojin knew nothing of this. She was busy preparing for the final assessment. Her desk was piled with materials, and a countdown was taped to the wall: 3 Days.
Her phone vibrated; it was a message from Zhu Yawen: “Don’t stay up too late, get some rest. See you at the morning run tomorrow.”
Xia Yaojin replied: “Okay.”
She set her phone down and looked out the window. In the night, the teaching buildings in the distance were brightly lit. Her exam hall was there, her future was there. And there, too… were people who cared about her. Including that friend who said she would “take it slow.”
The corners of Xia Yaojin’s mouth curved up slightly. Perhaps life after transmigrating into this book really wasn’t bad. She picked up her pen and continued her problems. Outside, the stars twinkled.
Meanwhile, for the CP fans, the carnival had only just begun.