One week later, a post on the campus forum of Beijing’s prestigious University A quietly went viral.
[Title: Serious question, what’s the background of Xia Yaojin from the Economics and Management Department?]
[Content: I’m from the Physics Department. Today, while checking the registration list for the Joint Academic Competition, I noticed that Xia Yaojin from Econ-Man has registered for all categories across six different disciplines?! Am I seeing things, or is this a system bug?]
1st Floor: You’re not seeing things. I saw it too. Registered for all six… did she misclick?
2nd Floor: Xia Yaojin? That name sounds familiar…
3rd Floor: Isn’t she that impoverished student who’s always winning the top-tier scholarships? Her major grades are excellent, but crossing into six different disciplines is just overkill.
4th Floor: Maybe she’s just casting a wide net. Registration is free, anyway.
5th Floor: +1 to the person above. Probably just testing her luck to see if she can snag at least one award.
6th Floor: But this is ridiculous. Does she think she’s omnipotent?
7th Floor: Waiting for the reality check to hit her.
Xia Yaojin was completely unaware of the forum discussions.
She was busy fine tuning her study plan. She couldn’t let the original host’s coursework slip, as she needed to maintain her GPA to keep her scholarships, all while preparing for the six discipline competition.
Fortunately, her greatest strengths were time management and efficient learning.
She restructured her daily routine:
06:00: Wake up and jog for half an hour, physical health is the foundation of success.
07:00 – 12:00: Classes.
Afternoon: Any time without classes was dedicated to competition prep (two hours per discipline).
19:00 – 22:00: Review major-specific coursework.
23:00: Strict bedtime.
Regarding her diet, she used her remaining savings to improve her meals. Though she still stuck to the cheapest sets in the canteen, she ensured a steady intake of protein and vegetables.
Two weeks later, the tone of the campus forum began to shift.
[Title: That Xia Yaojin who registered for six disciplines just crushed the Math Department’s “Department Grass” today.]
[Content: During today’s Math Competition tutorial, the professor gave an advanced problem that even the second-year grad students couldn’t solve. Xia Yaojin raised her hand and wrote out three different solutions in five minutes, one of which used logic from the Physics Department. The Math Department heartthrob’s face turned green on the spot.]
1st Floor: I was there. I’m the second-year grad student. I can testify.
2nd Floor: Is she really just from Econ-Man?
3rd Floor: I heard that last week in the Physics lab, she casually helped a PhD student adjust some parameters and solved a problem that had been stalling them for a week.
4th Floor: What kind of “Hexagon Warrior” (all rounder) is this?
5th Floor: I’m starting to question my existence.
Another week passed.
[Title: I beg the Econ-Man Department to take your “King of Involuted Students” back! Stop expanding her territory!]
[Content: Chemistry major here. During today’s departmental mock exam, the professor used Xia Yaojin’s paper as a model example. A perfect score! Why is someone from Econ-Man getting a perfect score in Chemistry?! Give the rest of us a chance to live!]
1st Floor: Biology major checking in. She took first place in last week’s Experimental Design Competition.
2nd Floor: Computer Science here. The code she writes is more concise and efficient than our juniors.
3rd Floor: So, can the people who said she was “testing her luck” please step out for a chat?
4th Floor: I now believe that some people truly are all around geniuses.
5th Floor: Xia Yaojin: “I’m not targeting anyone in particular, I’m just saying everyone here is…”
Xia Yaojin remained oblivious to the chatter. She methodically followed her routine: study, exercise, eat, sleep.
Occasionally, she encountered students from other departments casting complex glances her way in the library. She would simply nod politely and continue reading.
She enjoyed this simple life. No complicated interpersonal relationships, no schemes, only knowledge and challenges. It reminded her of the happiest times in her previous life, the moment of solving a difficult problem and the pure sense of achievement that followed.
The preliminary rounds of the competition were held two months later. Unsurprisingly, Xia Yaojin passed every discipline in first place.
A week before the semi-finals, she finally encountered a character from the novel.
That afternoon, she was on the rooftop terrace of the library, memorizing chemistry formulas. The spot was secluded and rarely visited. Xia Yaojin loved the silence and the sunlight here.
Just as she finished a page, she heard footsteps from the stairs, accompanied by suppressed sobbing.
A girl in a white dress walked up. She had long hair draped over her shoulders and exquisite features, though her eyes were red and swollen. Even in her disheveled state of grief, her startling beauty was undeniable.
With her exceptional memory, Xia Yaojin recognized her instantly as the novel’s female lead. Zhu Yawen.
According to the plot, Zhu Yawen should have just been misunderstood by the male lead, Gu Mingyuan. After a heated argument, Gu Mingyuan would have stormed off, leaving her heartbroken.
Xia Yaojin intended to leave quietly, but Zhu Yawen had already spotted her. Their eyes met.
“S-Sorry, I didn’t know someone was here,” Zhu Yawen said, hurriedly wiping her tears, her voice trembling.
“It’s fine,” Xia Yaojin said calmly. “There’s plenty of space here. Feel free.”
She packed her books, preparing to depart. She had no desire to get involved with the main cast, especially not in a melodramatic romance plot.
“Please, wait,” Zhu Yawen suddenly spoke. “Do you… do you have a tissue?”
Xia Yaojin took a pack of tissues from her bag and handed them over.
“Thank you.” Zhu Yawen took them and asked softly, “Which department are you from? I feel like I’ve seen you before.”
“Economics and Management, Xia Yaojin,” she replied briefly.
“I’m Zhu Yawen, from the Arts Department.” Zhu Yawen managed a weak smile. “Thank you.”
Xia Yaojin nodded and turned to leave.
She didn’t notice that the moment she turned her back, the sadness in Zhu Yawen’s eyes vanished instantly, replaced by an indecipherable, deep look.
Even less did she notice that in the shadow of the terrace corner, a miniature camera was blinking with a faint red light.