IRWTBWY Chapter 3.1

 Qi Nian got onto the bus early in the morning to go to the biochemical department. 

What surprised Qi Nian was that this time, instead of Ji Yanxin, the lecturer was a friend of his. 

Liu Xia couldn’t help but murmur her disappointment over the phone, “Actually, I also want to listen to Professor Ji teach, but even when there’s a lecture scheduled, he won’t always be there since he is also the course coordinator of the department.”  After a pause, she said, “Mr. Ji has been teaching a lot of classes recently, and his voice hasn’t been doing well.” 

Qi Nian was currently taking her wallet out to buy some breakfast. “Then will Professor Ji be at the lecture hall today?” she asked.

Liu Xia paused for a moment and swallowed a shumai*. “Professor Ji is not only rigorous while teaching in class, but also during the weekends. If Li Yue and I were to arrive at the lab, he would most certainly be there, but as for you...” *[ed/n a pork, mutton, and mushroom dumpling.]

The phone call ended before she could finish. 

Liu Xia stared at the phone and angrily said, “How dare you hang up on me!”

Qi Nian hung up the phone with a guilty conscience and silently took the wallet that had fallen from the ground from Ji Yanxin’s hands. She was incredibly stiff and awkwardly gave it back as she looked at him, “Ji...Professor Ji.”

“Yeah.” Ji Yanxin squinted slightly, and his gaze shifted from her panicked face to the small memo pad in her hand. 

The writing wasn’t big, but he could see his name written on the line. 

Qi Nian immediately followed his gaze and hurriedly stuffed the memo pad into her pocket. 

“What did you write?” he asked. 

Qi Nian shook her head, “Nothing.”

After that, Qi Nian quickly changed her answer, “Accounting! Details of my accounts.”

Ji Yanxin didn’t continue asking, and instead turned around and ordered two plates of xiao long bao from the boss. [t/n: Also known as steamed buns or soup dumplings.]

Qi Nian stood by the window while waiting for her own order of xiao long bao to finish steaming. She watched the boss preparing the order as he asked, “Why didn’t your dog Qi Bao come?”

“It’s not convenient for him to come on rainy days.” Ji Yanxin took the food, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly, “So I decided to order and take it home.”

The boss laughed loudly, “Then go back quickly, otherwise, Qi Bao will be worried.” 

Ji Yanxin didn’t answer. When he picked up the umbrella to leave, he seemed to remember her presence. He glanced at her, nodded lightly, and turned away without saying a word. 

Qi Nian wanted to strike up a conversation with Ji Yanxin after hearing the name “Qi Bao” a moment ago. He treated her like a stranger, so she had to be the one to initiate and courageously speak up. 

She hesitated several times until a voice behind her called to her, “Your order is ready.”

All of Qi Nian’s courage instantly vanished. She turned around and took her order. When she turned back around, Ji Yanxin’s figure had already disappeared. 

Qi Nian retracted her gaze in frustration, staring at the order in her hand. 

When Qi Nian arrived at the lecture hall, Li Yue and Liu Xia were already there. 

Liu Xia was busy preparing a form for class and couldn’t bother settling the issue of Qi Nian hanging up on her. Shoving a pen into Qi Nian’s hands, she said, “Help me take attendance, I’ll go help Li Yue.”

Suddenly entrusted with a heavy responsibility, Qi Nian was caught off guard. Before she could resist, people began filling the room. 

Twirling the pen in her hand, Qi Nin started to record the people entering, all while keeping an eye out for Ji Yanxin. 

But even when the lecture had begun and the room was filled, Ji Yanxi still couldn’t be seen. 

“No way...how could he be so strict but still not come!”

She repeatedly whispered, poking the form with her pen to draw dots. 

Liu Xia came over to bring water to Qi Nian. Seeing her so absentminded, Liu Xia slapped her arm. “It’s just that my information was wrong, so why are you so downhearted?” 

Qi Nian took a small sip from the water. Before she swallowed, she said vaguely, “I met Professor Ji in the morning.” 

Liu Xia remembered the incident earlier this morning and looked at her, “So you hung up on me?”

Qi Nian nodded and sighed, “I have a feeling that Professor Ji has a bad impression of me.”

Liu Xia suddenly remembered the phrase she used to describe herself — a prodigal son. [t/n: Basically Liu Xia had acted that way before too. And now she finds it funny that someone like Ji Yanxin is described using this phrase. Keep in mind, he is her teacher, and tends to act in a more professional setting with his students.]

On the verge of laughing, she saw Qi Nian’s depressed look and held it back. Comforting her, she said, “Our Professor Ji has never chased any girls, so don’t take it too seriously.”

Qi Nian glanced at her bitterly, and suddenly heard the pleasant and depressing conversations around her. 

She looked up. 

There was a shadowy figure outside the glass door. He was tall, and his back was facing the classroom. Talking in a low voice with another person by the door, his back was slightly bent down to the height of the other person. 

Soon, everyone in the lecture hall became aware of his arrival. 

With deliberately suppressed whispers and unconcealed excitement, the whole lecture hall was filled with commotion during the lecture. In the end, the lecturer could not help but look over. 

The lecturer didn’t know that when he walked in, but he took a seat by the corner of the podium in a discreet position and was wearing a plain white shirt, yet he was more eye-catching than anyone else. 

It seemed like he hadn’t noticed the commotion following his arrival, and didn’t even turn his head. He just quietly looked at the manuscript on his desktop.

No words, no expressions, and no movement. 

The original silent atmosphere became warm and lively upon his arrival.

Liu Xia laughed, bumping Qi Nian’s arm, she asked, “How is it? Do you feel threatened by all of his admirers?”

Qi Nian bit her pen and nodded, her eyes lingering on the podium, reluctant to move away. “More than just threatened...”

Liu Xia shook her head, grabbing her, “Hey, Li Yue hasn’t delivered water to the lecturer and host yet, do you want to help him send the bottles?”

Qi Nian’s eyes suddenly brightened. Looking at Liu Xia, she could almost see the words “God Assist” on her face. [t/n: Just for further clarification, Qi Nian is stating that Liu Xia is like an angel sent from above at that moment.]

Ji Yanxin noticed that someone was walking up on the stage and glanced up. 

Holding several water bottles in her hand, Qi Nian distributed them one by one. 

His eyes fell, and he continued to read the manuscript.  

When Qi Nian handed the water bottle to Ji Yanxin, he grunted in acknowledgment and lifted his chin slightly to signal for her to put the water on the podium. 

As she approached him, especially as they were in front of all his admirers, Qi Nian’s ears felt hot. 

 

The lecturer's voice seemed to be far away at the moment. She lowered her head, held the water bottle and put it next to her left hand. When she leaned over, her sleeves accidentally touched his fingers on the armrest. 

Ji Yanxin retracted his hand and turned to the second page of his manuscript. His hand continued to hold the manuscript and did not let go. 

When Qi Nian walked back down, she realized that her face was burning up. 

She quietly covered her face with the back of her hand, which was a bit cold. She didn’t want to think about how her face was probably as red as a monkey’s butt. 

Liu Xia watched her come back and raised her eyebrows playfully. “You just delivered water. Why’s your face so red?”

Qi Nian glared at her, “I’m thin-skinned!” [t/n: idk if it makes sense, but basically means people with “thin skin” tend to be shyer and people with “thick skin” are more brave and shameless.]

“Okay, sure.” Liu Xia turned around and pulled out a chair, “Come, sit here and listen for a while.”

Qi Nian sat down with her, but whatever she was listening to, she couldn’t remember.

The only thing she cared about was when he was going to drink the water— the water she gave him. 

However, even as her eyes turned sore, the water was left where she put it, untouched. 

“Xiao Ji.” Professor Shen, who was sitting next to Ji Yanxin, leaned over, “Where did you find this lecturer?” 

“He isn't a professional lecturer.” Ji Yanxin glanced sideways at the speaker's seat. “He was one of my classmates from college.” 

“No wonder.” Professor Shen sighed, then asked, “After this, can we go out to dinner so that you can introduce me to some of them?”

Professor Shen, who was also part of the biochemical department, loved to make friends with talented people. He’d had this habit for most of his life.” 

After Ji Yanxin thought about it for a moment, he nodded and replied, “No problem.”

Professor Shen sat back with a smile. 

Ji Yanxin also sat up straight, picked up the water bottle, and took a sip. 

Compared to bottled water, Ji Yanxin preferred to drink tea. The fragrance of tea, combined with the bitter yet sweet taste filling his throat was refreshing to him. 

After taking one sip, he put the lid back on.

Qi Nian, who was only a dozen steps away, had let her elbow slip, and knocked her chin heavily against the desk. Despite the pain forming tears in her eyes, she still managed to grin. 

Liu Xia was startled, “What are you doing?”

“Drank!” Qi Nian rubbed her chin, emotional to the point that she almost cried. 

Liu Xia looked confused, “What drank?”

“Mr. Ji drank the water that I passed out, so my elbow slipped.”

Liu Xia, “...” 

‘Crazy.’ She thought. 

There were interactive sessions in the lecture, which included questions for about 20 minutes. 

The lecture was rigorous and solemn. Although the girls didn’t immediately jump into asking about Ji Yanxin’s personal life, they would still start to question him by pointing their fingers at him, waiting for him to answer. 

Ji Yanxin’s response was always, “Today is not my stage, let the lecturer answer the question.”

When Qi Nian heard all of this, she couldn’t help but ask, “On Professor Ji’s first day here, were there so many girls molesting him?”

Liu Xia expressed distaste over the word “molesting”. “They wouldn’t dare! I had that idea too, but when Mr. Ji lectured, he would force us to clean the classroom too!”

Qi Nian didn’t completely understand, but she grasped the fact that Ji Yanxin seemed very powerful. 

After all, she had seen the way he raised Qi Bao. Back then, after stealing the dog food from her bag, Qi Bao had turned to him to ask for praise. However, when Qi Bao was told to return it, he dropped his head and obediently returned the dog food. While grieving, he had used his paws to push the dog food back to her. 

‘Uh...this reference doesn’t seem to be appropriate.’

 

~~~

 

At the end of the lecture, people began to slowly leave. 

It was lunchtime and the biochemical department was rather quiet. Usually, it would’ve been extremely noisy at this time. 

Ji Yanxin introduced Shao Zui, the lecturer, to Professor Shen. Hearing the two of them getting along well, he turned to look at the door. 

Li Yue, Liu Xia, and Qi Nian were cleaning up the lecture hall and moving the tables and chairs. 

Professor Shen turned his head to follow Ji Yanxin’s gaze. Patting him on the shoulder, he said, “It’s already noon— why don’t you ask your students to join us for lunch, since they worked so hard?”

“Okay.”

 

~~~

 

Qi Nian was confused as to why she was eating at the same table as Professor Ji again.

Liu Xia intentionally stopped Li Yue from sitting next to Shao Zui in order to leave the seat beside Ji Yanxin to Qi Nian.  

After returning from the bathroom, Qi Nian was dumbfounded. 

Was this to make her life easier? 

When she was hesitating whether to sit there, Professor Shen asked, “Xiao Ji, is she your student?”

Ji Yanxin took a sip of coconut juice. Hearing the words, he looked sideways, his eyes staying on Qi Nian’s face, and answered, “No, she is not my student.”

Professor Shen touched his chin and smiled, “No wonder, I have never seen her before.”

Qi Nian wished she was dead at that moment, and under everyone’s gaze, she could only bite the bullet and sit in the empty seat. After pouring the coconut juice in a cup, she stood up and spoke, “Professor Shen, I am a student in the ancient literature department, and my name is Qi Nian.”

Professor Shen said, “Oh,” and clinked his cup with hers. “Ancient literature major?”

Qi Nian nodded in embarrassment. It was amazing that an ancient literature major student was able to attend lunch with the biochemical department. 

Afraid that Qi Nian would become even more embarrassed, Li Xia hurriedly came to the rescue and said, “Professor Shen, Qi Nian is my friend. She is very interested in the biochemical department, so she came to visit.”

Professor Shen immediately became happy, his eyes wandered around from the slightly red-eared Qi Nian to the cold and distant Ji Yanxin. He asked, “Did you visit any of the well-known places in the department?”

Everyone heard this as a joke, but Qi Nian replied seriously, “The biochemical department is a lot better than ours...”

“It has been renovated.” Professor Shen laughed and commented, “I haven’t visited it carefully enough. You have to visit the pillars in our courtyard.”

When he finished speaking, his eyes fell on Ji Yanxin, his gaze cheerfully moving away, with no guilt in joking with a junior. 

Professor Shen and Ji Yanxin’s fathers were colleagues a long time ago. Even though Professor Ji went overseas for business, their relationship was still very good. 

Even through the decades, their friendship had only ever become closer and more stable.

Ji Yanxin had been teased by Professor Shen since he was a child, and had long grown immune to it.  

Unaware of the situation, Qi Nian didn’t know Professor Shen was joking, leading to her earnest and serious answer. She then sat down, making a note to ask Liu Xia what the biochemical department’s pillars are later. 

Therefore, she didn’t see Ji Yanxin lifting the soup handle and giving her a meaningful glance. 

Only Li Yue, the outsider, almost suffered from internal injuries.

 

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Translator: Coral
Editor: Alam
Proofreader: Diya