Chapter 283 The Academician Conferment Ceremony is About to Begin

Liu Ruyan changed into her slippers, walked to the living room, and poured herself a glass of water. Her tone was very casual: "It's alright, just like that. First meeting, well... he's quite interesting, not annoying. I'll see how it goes when we interact more later."

She walked over to the sofa and sat down, picking up a throw pillow to hold in her arms. She tried hard to maintain a calm expression, even affecting a deliberate sense of indifference.

She glanced at her grandfather, her face showing no particular expression, as if it had just been an ordinary meeting.

If Elder Liu hadn't been operating the binoculars himself today and witnessed with his own eyes the way his granddaughter had blossomed with smiles in front of Jiang Jing, he really would have been fooled by the girl's superb acting skills.

The old man knew exactly what was going on, secretly laughing at his granddaughter for trying to play tricks on him.

On the surface, however, he remained calm, simply nodding in realization and letting out a long, drawn-out "Oh—", then truly stopped asking further questions.

He picked up his newspaper again, adopting an attitude of "Suit yourself."

Now, it was Liu Ruyan's turn to be surprised.

Given her grandfather's usual personality, he should have been digging for details, carefully inquiring about the specifics of the conversation and the other person's attitude.

Why did he feel so casual today, as if he were—indifferent?

That's not right; hadn't her grandfather been trying his best to set her and Jiang Jing up before?

How strange...

She curiously glanced at her grandfather a few times. Seeing that the old man really had no intention of continuing to ask, she felt a bit puzzled, but was also relieved.

She stood up and said, "Grandfather, I'm going back to my room to rest," then headed upstairs with a light step.

Watching his granddaughter's back disappear at the top of the stairs, Elder Liu couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth from curling upward, revealing a sly smile that said, "Everything is under control."

...

Over the next few days, Jiang Jing's itinerary was packed full by Liu Ruyan.

Under the guidance of Miss Liu, Jiang Jing visited all the famous historical sites in the capital.

Of course, one of the highlights of the itinerary was climbing the world-famous Great Wall.

"He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man!"

Standing at the foot of the Great Wall, looking up at the giant dragon winding its way along the mountain peaks, Jiang Jing smiled and said to Liu Ruyan, "Today, let's be true men, too."

Liu Ruyan was wearing a light sportswear outfit today, lacking some of her usual refinement, but gaining a bit more youthful vitality.

She raised her fist, full of confidence: "No problem! I won't hold you back!"

The climb was a test of physical stamina.

The long flight of stairs seemed endless, and especially on some of the steeper sections, it required quite a bit of effort.

Although Liu Ruyan had spoken lightly, she began to pant after climbing less than a third of the way, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her smooth forehead.

However, what surprised and impressed Jiang Jing was that this seemingly pampered Miss Liu had a stubborn, unyielding streak deep down.

She gritted her teeth, remaining silent, and insisted on climbing step by step. A few times when Jiang Jing suggested taking a break, she shook her head and said, "I can still keep going."

On the other hand, Jiang Jing was neither flushed nor out of breath, walking as easily as if he were strolling on flat ground.

With his enhanced physical fitness, handling this level of exercise was truly a piece of cake for him.

Finally, they successfully reached the designated peak.

Looking out into the distance, the mountains rolled and the Great Wall looked like a dragon; the magnificent scenery was all in view, and a sense of pride welled up in his heart.

Liu Ruyan leaned against the wall, breathing slightly, her chest heaving, and her cheeks flushed with a healthy glow from the exercise.

She took the water Jiang Jing handed her and took a sip, then, as if she had discovered something incredible, widened her beautiful eyes and looked Jiang Jing up and down.

"My God... Jiang Jing, are you even human?" Liu Ruyan's tone was filled with disbelief.

"I'm almost exhausted, how come you... how come you haven't even broken a sweat? Your stamina is just too abnormal!"

She had gritted her teeth to finish the climb, and her calves were aching now.

In contrast, Jiang Jing's breathing was steady, his demeanor composed, as if he had just taken a stroll.

Zhou Wanqin and Lin Hong, who were following a bit behind, heard this and exchanged a glance, a barely perceptible curve forming at the corners of their mouths.

They had long since experienced Jiang Jing's superhuman stamina, and hearing Liu Ruyan's exclamation now, they felt a subtle sense of "finally, someone else understands how we feel."

Jiang Jing looked at Liu Ruyan's stunned yet slightly adoring expression and felt quite pleased.

He mimicked Liu Ruyan's earlier tsundere manner, slightly raising his chin and brushing back the non-existent bangs on his forehead, smugly saying:

"Well, just average, third in the world."

"It's mainly because I exercise a lot, but I will reluctantly accept Miss Liu's praise."

Exercise, my foot. He spent all day either scrolling on his phone or hanging around women...

Jiang Jing's goofy demeanor instantly amused Liu Ruyan.

She covered her mouth and laughed. As she laughed, suddenly not knowing what she thought of, two clouds of red appeared on her cheeks, and her eyes flickered as she avoided Jiang Jing's gaze.

She lowered her head, pretending to adjust the hem of her sportswear, while a shy smile lingered at the corner of her mouth.

Jiang Jing took in her subtle reaction, understanding in his heart, and couldn't help but laugh to himself: This girl, I'm afraid she's thinking of something indecent.

As the sun set, the group returned, having thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Back at the hotel, Jiang Jing took a comfortable hot shower. Just as he opened his phone to browse, a call came in; the caller ID was none other than Commander Zhao Tieshan.

"Hello, Commander Zhao?" Jiang Jing answered the phone.

"Jiang Jing!" Commander Zhao Tieshan's voice was loud and clear. "I'm not disturbing you, am I?"

"I have good news for you. Your Academician conferment ceremony has been fully approved by the authorities, and all preparations are ready!"

"Oh? So fast?" Jiang Jing was a bit surprised; the efficiency was indeed quite high.

"Of course, your matters are handled as special cases." Commander Zhao Tieshan said with certainty. "The time is set for 10:00 AM tomorrow, and the location is at XXXX."

"This ceremony is of a very high standard, and there will be a live broadcast by official media."

"Live broadcast?" Jiang Jing raised an eyebrow.

"Yes! This is the intention from above." Commander Zhao Tieshan explained. "The contributions you have made to the country deserve to be known by the people of the whole nation!"

"This is also to set an example. Prepare yourself; there will be a special car to pick you up tomorrow."

Feeling the importance and expectation in Commander Zhao Tieshan's words, Jiang Jing also put away his casual attitude and said seriously: "Alright, Commander Zhao, I understand. I will be ready tomorrow."

Hanging up the phone, Jiang Jing looked at the dazzling night view of the capital outside the window, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

Academician, huh?

It sounds... quite good.

Tomorrow might not be a quiet day...