362: Chapter 362: The Calm Before the Storm

11:10 PM.

The table lamp in the living room had gone out completely, leaving only the faint glow of the television screen.

Seven professors, plus Li Mo and Xiao Yu, were sprawled across the sofa in disarray.

The table was piled high with fried chicken bones, soda cans, barbecue skewers, and crumpled tissues.

The air was filled with the scent of cumin. Li Mo tossed and turned on the sofa, feeling too bloated to lie down properly.

"I can't do it, I can't do it anymore. I'm too stuffed. I need to open a window; the smell is too strong!"

Li Mo, sporting a five-month pregnant belly, got up to open the large living room window.

A cold gust of wind blew in from outside, dispersing some of the mixed aromas in the air, and the icy cold air quickly dissipated.

"That feels good!"

Xiao Yu sat cross-legged on the sofa, clutching half a grilled gluten skewer in her hand, her mouth glistening with oil.

She raised a greasy index finger and shook it lightly. "Brother Li, this is just the beginning. I was even planning on ordering a second round!"

"Don't, you absolutely must not." Ouyang Baili rolled over with difficulty, his belly under his silver pajamas quivering. "I have never been this stuffed on New Year's Eve in my life. And you're such a small person, how do you manage to eat so much without ever getting full?"

Feeling a bit too full, Professor Chen Runzhi stood up and paced back and forth in the living room. "Xiao Yu, I don't think I'll ever be able to eat fried chicken again until the day I die."

"It's the New Year, let's have some fun! I'll invite everyone again this time next year!"

Xiao Yu said to the old friends before her with a smile.

Guan Jingming revealed a nostalgic smile. "Let me tell you, the last time I ate like this was over thirty years ago in my college days. Days like this only come once a year. It's not just about New Year's Eve; it's about being able to lie here at Jiang Zhe's house eating fried chicken. After tonight, tomorrow night, we really have to go back and write our papers."

"Don't mention papers." Lao Wu closed his eyes in pain and took a deep breath of fresh air. "Let me escape for another half hour."

As he finished speaking, laughter filled the living room.

The home, which had originally been quiet, suddenly seemed lively and vibrant.

And Xiao Yu, watching this scene, hoped that every year from now on would be just like this!

The only pity was that her brother hadn't returned from his walk yet, or perhaps he had returned a while ago but was too tired and had gone to sleep early.

Soon, the phones of everyone present began to ring one after another.

First, Professor Chen Runzhi answered a call, and his son's voice came through. "Dad, why did you run off to Gusu to listen to Jiang Zhe's lecture? Are you on the road now? Are you back yet? It's almost New Year's, and Xiao Li and I were bringing the grandson to your place for New Year's Eve dinner, but we didn't get to have it. And you—the house is completely empty! I just found out that you, Professor Liu Guangyi, Professor Wang Shouren, and Qian Mingyi all ran off to Kyoto."

As he finished, Professor Liu Guangyi, Professor Wang Shouren, and Qian Mingyi leaned in to speak into the phone.

"Little Chen, Professor Wang Shouren wishes you a Happy New Year. We won't be going back for the New Year."

"That's right, that's right. Remember to be happy. Being at Jiang Zhe's place feels just like home; it's even more fun than spending New Year's with you all."

"Hahaha, next time we'll bring our own sons and daughters-in-law to Jiang Zhe's place for the New Year! His house is huge—it's that high-end, wealthy neighborhood you've always dreamed of. An old man like me has never lived in such a luxurious place in my entire life."

With that, lively and hearty laughter filled the room again.

On the other end, Professor Chen Runzhi's son sounded a bit resentful. "Dad, I rushed back from the Magic City with great difficulty... Sigh, and I didn't even get to see you for the New Year. Alright, alright, I get it. I hope you, Professor Wang Shouren, Professor Liu Guangyi, Qian Mingyi, and oh right, Professor Ouyang and the others have a good time."

Professor Chen Runzhi rolled his eyes and said to the phone, "Yes, yes, I know. You're just thinking about my pension. I'll send the kid's red envelope money to you later."

"Hehe, alright then. In that case, my wife and I will go eat at Xijude."

"Get lost, get lost, get lost!"

The call ended.

Before anyone else could speak, Ouyang Baili, Guan Jingming, and Lao Wu's phones rang one after another.

Unsurprisingly, it was their children calling.

Xiao Yu curiously pricked up her ears to listen for a while and found that they were all instructing their elders to be happy and to chat with Jiang Zhe more. Professor Ouyang's daughter even directly asked if her brother had a girlfriend.

Xiao Yu's eyes lit up, and she quickly leaned in. "Sister Ouyang, my brother doesn't have a girlfriend. But if you want to pursue my brother, you have to crush him academically—I reckon that's the only way he'll be convinced!"

Once these words were spoken, the air in the room suddenly turned cold. On the other end of the line, Ouyang Baili's eldest daughter fell silent.

"Little Sister Xiao Yu, you really love to joke. How could I compare to your brother? While I am at a graduate student level at school, even my fat old dad is at your place listening to your brother's lectures. If you want to reject me, just say so; I know I'm not worthy of your brother anyway."

"Hehe, you are worthy, you are worthy. Sooner or later, you will be."

Xiao Yu smiled and didn't continue to disturb their family chatter.

Ouyang Baili's eyes darted around, and he suddenly slapped his forehead. "That's right! Why didn't I think of that? Since I can't be a brother to Jiang Zhe, I'll be Jiang Zhe's father—oh no, wait, father-in-law. That actually doesn't seem bad."

As he finished speaking, Professor Guan, Lao Wu, Professor Chen Runzhi, and the others all showed looks of disdain.

"Tch—"

"Would he even look at you? It would really be Jiang Zhe's bad luck."

"Go away, go away, don't talk nonsense on New Year's."

"..."

Shortly after, the New Year's greetings over the phone ended with the instructions from the old and young alike.

By this time, the Spring Festival Gala on TV had switched to a song and dance program. A female singer in a red dress was spinning on stage, her voice drifting out through the speakers. No one was listening closely, but no one turned it off either.

The sound of fireworks outside came in bursts. Occasionally, there were particularly loud ones, and one could even hear the sound of gongs and drums coming from the direction of the skyline.

Xiao Yu, having seen little of the world, listened to the sound of gongs and drums on this New Year's and couldn't help but ask, "What is that sound? The rhythm sounds a bit festive."

Ouyang Baili glanced out the floor-to-ceiling window and listened. "A 'happy funeral.' Some elderly people can't make it to the New Year. When they are old, their children will play gongs and drums to send them off."

Professor Guan took over. "That's right. This matter is very mysterious. The elderly who don't make it to the New Year are usually in good health on ordinary days. A 'happy funeral' basically involves rapid organ failure and death in the first two days of the year, with not a single sign beforehand. This can't help but remind me of the fate your brother mentioned in his live stream—everyone's fate is predetermined, and they pass away rapidly at specific time nodes."

As he finished, Professor Liu Guangyi, Professor Wang Shouren, and the others chimed in.

"This happens a lot; it's not uncommon."

"Yes, I just hope that I can reach old age in peace."

Listening to the professors, who were usually high and mighty, now explaining things to her, a seventeen-year-old steel-hearted girl, Xiao Yu suddenly felt a bit floaty. "Oh—so that's how it is."

"By the way, Xiao Yu, let me ask you something serious."

"Hmm? What is it, Brother Ouyang?" Xiao Yu looked at Ouyang Baili.

"What is your ideal? I mean, what do you want to do in the future?"

The living room went quiet for a moment. The others looked at Xiao Yu with eyes full of curiosity and seriousness.

What kind of words would Jiang Zhe's sister say?

Xiao Yu put down the grilled gluten, wiped her hands with a tissue, and said, "Before, I planned to just drift through life and wait for death, but now, after being 'brutalized' by my brother for a few months, I plan to lead Xia Country's technology to its peak."

She said this very calmly, without the slightest fluctuation in her tone.

The living room went quiet again for a bit.

Then, Ouyang Baili gave a thumbs up with a look of admiration.

"That's bold." Professor Ouyang looked at Xiao Yu with a serious face. "If someone else said that, I would only think to myself that they have high ambitions but low ability. But you are Jiang Zhe's sister; perhaps you really can do it."

Professor Liu Guangyi also nodded along. "Your brother alone is enough to be revolutionary. With you added to the mix, the scientific community will have to change its surname to Jiang."

"That's not necessarily true," Professor Wang Shouren said with a smile. "Maybe in the future, just 'Xiao Yu' will be enough, without even needing to mention the surname."

Xiao Yu was a bit embarrassed by the praise, and her little hands subconsciously shrank under the table.

"I was just saying it casually, don't take it seriously."

"Just saying it casually?" Lao Wu rolled his eyes at her. "Your 'casual' statement is leading Xia Country's technology to its peak. If you were to say it seriously, what would it be? Leading the entire Earth to rush out of the Milky Way?"

Several people laughed again.

After the laughter slowly subsided, the conversation began to drift again.

Some talked about their New Year's Eves when they were young, some talked about the research projects they planned to apply for next year, and some talked about an interesting paper they had recently read.

No one was discussing the hypotheses Jiang Zhe had talked about today.

It wasn't that they didn't want to, but the string in their brains had been taut all day, and now it had finally relaxed quite a bit.

They just wanted to talk about something light, something that had nothing to do with the universe.

After a long while, Li Mo yawned and looked at his watch. "Hey, it's almost 11:30."

"So fast?" Professor Chen Runzhi sat up straight. "I thought it was only ten o'clock."

Qian Mingyi stretched. "That's New Year's for you; time flies."

They chatted for a few more minutes, and the conversation slowly wound down.

Ouyang Baili was the first to stand up. He walked to the table, picked up his large black cotton-padded jacket, and pulled a red envelope from the inner pocket—this was something he had prepared since he decided to stay at Jiang Zhe's house.

"Xiao Yu, Happy New Year." He handed the red envelope over and patted Xiao Yu's shoulder. "It's not much, just for good luck."

The moment his hand landed, a flash of surprise crossed Ouyang Baili's eyes. How could Xiao Yu's shoulder be as hard as steel, as if it were warm steel?

Xiao Yu was stunned. "Professor Ouyang, this..."

"Take it." Ouyang Baili stuffed the red envelope into her hand. "We'll give your brother's later. This is for you for now."

Guan Jingming was the second to stand up. He pulled a red envelope from his suit pocket that was thinner than Ouyang's, but he adjusted his glasses and said earnestly, "I have less money, only ten thousand, but my intention is heavy."

Ouyang Baili looked at Guan Jingming with surprise, his fat face full of shock.

He had only put in eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight, and Guan Jingming gave ten thousand?

Without another word, he pulled another small red envelope from his cotton jacket pocket and added it next to Guan Jingming's red envelope. "No, no, I'll add another one, making it a round ten thousand!"

Shortly after, Lao Wu, Professor Chen Runzhi, Qian Mingyi, Professor Wang Shouren, and Professor Liu Guangyi also stood up one after another, each holding a red envelope.

Li Mo was the last. He pulled a crumpled but very thick red envelope from his pocket and scratched his head embarrassedly. "I didn't pack much, twenty thousand. Please don't mind."

The other seven professors looked at the thickness of the red envelope in Li Mo's hand and lowered their heads with worried expressions.

Young people these days are truly competitive.

Xiao Yu's hands were soon filled with nine red envelopes.

She opened her mouth to say thank you, but as the words reached her lips, her eyes turned red first.

She blinked hard to maintain her "steel" persona, but she bowed deeply to everyone.

"Thank you, old brothers! I love you all!"

Hearty laughter filled the room.

Xiao Yu carefully put the red envelopes into her pocket and looked down at her phone—11:28 PM.

"Oh no, it's almost 11:30!" She looked up toward the second floor. "I have to go call my brother downstairs; we need to get ready to set off firecrackers at the door in a bit!"

"Right, right, right, the New Year countdown!" Li Mo was the first to jump off the sofa. "I'll go see if there are any firecrackers for sale at the villa entrance."

"No need to look. I bought plenty earlier, enough for us to set off." Xiao Yu said, pointing to the shoe cabinet on the right side of the main entrance. "I put them in the shoe cabinet by the door."