A striking poster was plastered inside the elevator: *Academic Report by Dr. Liang Juejun. June 1, 2012, 1:00 PM. Conference Room 307, Medical School Integrated Building. Biography of Dr. Liang Juejun...*
Xia Yinuo glanced at the poster wall and waited calmly for the elevator to ascend to the seventh floor. Academic reports like this happened almost every day at C University; naturally, she didn't pay it much mind.
Once this summer passed, she would become a fourth-year "senior" PhD student. Xia Yinuo was quite composed about it. At twenty-four, she had completed her undergraduate degree in Clinical Medicine at C University’s Medical School and moved directly into a PhD program for Basic Medicine at the same institution. If you asked her why she studied medicine, she would say she liked most university majors and simply picked the one her family preferred. If you asked why she didn't become a doctor after graduation but chose basic research instead, her answer was that she found herself better suited for the laboratory. Specializing in Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine under Professor Tang Shuliang, she—like most biomedical PhDs—spent the majority of her time soaked in the lab, weekends and holidays included. However, Xia Yinuo was never a particularly diligent person, adhering to the "Golden Mean" of neither striving to be first nor suffering the shame of being last.
Just as she stepped out of the elevator and turned into the lab, Tang Shuliang called out to her, "Xiao Xia, there’s a lecture this afternoon. Go listen if you have time; her animal experiments might be helpful to your work." Xia Yinuo agreed and prepared to start her day. In three years, she had completed two SCI papers with impact factors over ten, along with a few scattered contributions to her seniors' papers. It was enough to graduate and enough to command respect. Tang Shuliang was a good supervisor; as long as you performed well and had your own ideas and logic, you didn't have to clock in at the lab, provided the experimental progress was guaranteed. The lab had seen good results over the past few years, securing many grants and publishing numerous articles—a virtuous cycle of prosperity. Doing scientific research in China was not simple. First, one had to maintain scientific integrity and avoid being influenced by the dregs of the academic circle; second, one had to know how to navigate social relationships and find good partners, otherwise, there would be no funding. Xia Yinuo admired Tang Shuliang for this; he balanced those scales with great precision.
After lunch, remembering the afternoon report, Xia Yinuo didn't curl up in her little corner for a nap as she usually did. In truth, she rarely fell asleep; she just used the excuse of a nap to listen to music and relax. Zhang Jikang had asked her to celebrate Children's Day that evening; if not for his reminder, she would have forgotten such a thing even existed. As a legendary "female PhD," Xia Yinuo didn't have the face to celebrate Children's Day, but Zhang Jikang never minded and, in fact, delighted in it.
"I have a report to listen to this afternoon and dinner at home tonight. No time," she sent back a heartless text. To her surprise, as soon as she reached the entrance of the Medical School Integrated Building, she saw Zhang Jikang.
"Xiaobao! Xiaobao! Over here!" Ignoring the curious gazes around him, Zhang Jikang held a cardboard box and shouted Xia Yinuo’s nickname.
Her junior, Ke Dinghao, laughed beside her. "Senior Xia, your 'Twenty-four Filial Exemplars' has arrived."
While the crowd was still manageable, Xia Yinuo quickly pulled Zhang Jikang aside. "Big brother, could you shout any louder? The whole school can hear you!"
"What’s the big deal between us?" Zhang Jikang used his height advantage to affectionately pat Xia Yinuo on the head.
Many students and teachers at the medical school who knew them thought Xia Yinuo and Zhang Jikang were a couple. One was the only daughter of Dr. Li Qinglan from the affiliated hospital; the other was the son of Professor Zhang from the School of Chemical Engineering and Dr. Cai from the affiliated hospital. They had grown up in the same faculty housing, childhood sweethearts who had hardly been apart even through school. Like Xia Yinuo, Zhang Jikang had stayed at C University, majoring in Computer Science. The two were thick as thieves, more like siblings than anything else.
"Look, a limited edition Doraemon model. Old Qin specifically brought it back for me when he went to Japan. Pretty great, right?" Zhang Jikang waved the model triumphantly. "I’ve set aside Maimai’s share."
Xia Yinuo could tell it was a high-quality piece. "Thanks, Xiao Kangzi. This Emperor has court business to attend to now; you are dismissed! I won't go out tonight; I have to go to my dad’s place. The little brat at our house needs to celebrate the holiday."
"Xiao Kangzi" said obediently, "Alright, you get to work. We'll talk another day."
Xia Yinuo nodded with satisfaction. It was settled.
As Liang Juejun walked toward the conference room carrying her briefcase, she suddenly heard a young man’s voice behind her: "Xiaobao! Xiaobao!" Habitually, she turned to find the source of the sound, only to see a pair of young people happily huddled together looking at a toy model. She couldn't help but smile; as expected, there were so many people with the same nickname as her. The girl was fair-skinned and tall, with a clean, sunny look—a simple ponytail, T-shirt, jeans, and canvas shoes. The boy had a neat buzz cut, also tall and lean, looking healthy and bright. Standing together, they were like the early summer weather: cool and comfortable. *Probably an enviable campus couple,* Liang Juejun thought, pulling her thoughts back from that cry of "Xiaobao" before heading toward the elevator.
When Xia Yinuo arrived at the conference room, her timing was perfect. Ke Dinghao had already saved her a seat in the third row—not too far to see the screen, but not too close to the professors and leaders in the first row. A safe distance. Ke Dinghao’s mouth twitched when he saw the gift in Xia Yinuo’s hand.
Before long, the moderator, Vice Dean Wang of the School of Basic Medicine, took the stage. He gave a brief introduction of Liang Juejun, which was largely the same as the resume on the elevator poster, though peppered with many superlatives like "young and promising" and "future star."
"Now, let us welcome Dr. Liang with warm applause to introduce her research findings!"
Finally, the words came.
A person stood up from the far-right seat in the first row. Her long hair draped over her shoulders, and she wore a pure white long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her forearms. Below were chestnut-colored casual trousers, the hem of the shirt neatly tucked into the waistband along with her belt. High heels, straight legs—estimated height between 165 and 168 cm. From the back, she could be described in one word: professional. When she walked onto the podium with poise and turned to stand still, Xia Yinuo was stunned.
Someone who had achieved so much at such a young age was usually expected to be like most workaholics in this field: irregular meals, fiercely competitive, and unkempt. She hadn't expected the person on stage to be so bright-eyed, elegant, and intellectual.
Whispers broke out among the audience.
After standing still, Liang Juejun looked up, politely scanned the audience, and nodded in greeting. Ke Dinghao excitedly grabbed Xia Yinuo’s arm. "Skin like cream, refined and ethereal... she is exactly the 'Immortal Sister' I've kept hidden in my heart for years!"
Xia Yinuo disdainfully shook off Ke Dinghao’s claws. From a woman's perspective, the person on stage was indeed easy on the eyes.
"Dean Wang, you flatter me. I will now briefly introduce the work I have done in recent years. If you don't mind, please allow me to give the report in English."
*Her voice is so beautiful too,* Ke Dinghao thought, grabbing Xia Yinuo again in excitement. An academic beauty of this caliber—tsk tsk.
On stage, Liang Juejun spoke English more fluently than a native speaker. Xia Yinuo didn't focus much, catching the general gist and automatically planning to search for Ms. Liang’s articles on PubMed after the meeting to fill in the blanks.
An hour passed quickly. After Liang Juejun finished her final slide and gave her acknowledgments, the conference room erupted in thunderous applause. Clear logic, reasonable design, bold and open experiments, and undeniable results—even the timing was perfectly controlled. Such a presentation deserved such applause.
Then came the customary Q&A session. Asking questions is a matter of skill. Most of those present were teachers and students from the school, ranging from powerful "big bosses" to undergraduate students seeing the world for the first time. Often, the questions were a mixed bag—some high-level and piercing, others laughable farces. Academic reports are about exchange; no one minds what question you ask.
Dean Wang immediately posed a question, and the two went back and forth in English for nearly ten minutes of discussion. When it ended, the appreciative and delighted smile on Dean Wang’s face did not fade. Then, several professors asked rather tricky and in-depth questions, all of which Liang Juejun answered one by one. Being considerate of the majority of the students, Liang Juejun thoughtfully added, "You may ask questions in Chinese; I can answer in Chinese."
Consequently, the questions became even more enthusiastic. Students boldly asked about parts they didn't understand, why she chose certain methods, how she originally conceived the experimental logic, and someone even asked, "Dr. Liang, why did you choose research? What prompted you to embark on a scientific career?" The atmosphere was lively yet professional. Liang Juejun patiently answered each question. When she encountered professional terms she didn't know how to express in Chinese, she used English words; the rest she answered in Chinese. As time was running out, Dean Wang signaled for the final question. From the back, some brat shouted, "Dr. Leung, do you have a boyfriend?"
Liang Juejun looked up, startled. Xia Yinuo, sitting in the third row, even saw her eyebrows arch before she smiled faintly and said, "No."
The room buzzed with a "whoosh"—the powerful force of gossip. Dean Wang timely announced the end of the report, and Liang Juejun lowered her head to organize her laptop and USB drive. Xia Yinuo saw Ke Dinghao still sitting dazed in his seat, unwilling to leave. She tapped him, and the two walked out of the conference room to head back to the lab.
"Senior, what did you think?" Ke Dinghao asked Xia Yinuo, still wanting more.
"What do you mean 'what did I think'? She's incredible. Someone who publishes in CNS journals at such a young age... her academics are great, and her presentation was great too."
"Oh, I'm not talking about that. I mean, Dr. Liang is a real babe, right?"
"Idiot!"
"And she doesn't have a boyfriend..."
"Keep dreaming."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
夏奕诺 | Xia Yinuo | Protagonist; PhD student.
梁觉筠 | Liang Juejun | Guest speaker; Dr. Liang.
唐树良 | Tang Shuliang | Xia Yinuo's PhD supervisor.
张季康 | Zhang Jikang | Xia Yinuo's childhood friend.
柯定豪 | Ke Dinghao | Xia Yinuo's junior (shidi) in the lab.
小宝 | Xiaobao | "Little Treasure"; nickname for Xia Yinuo (and Dr. Liang).
直博 | Direct-entry PhD | A program where students go straight from undergrad to PhD.
老博 | Senior PhD | Slang for a PhD student in their later years.
二十四孝 | Twenty-four Filial Exemplars | Here used sarcastically to describe a very devoted male friend/suitor.
小康子 | Xiao Kangzi | A playful, servant-like nickname for Zhang Jikang.
CNS | CNS | Abbreviation for the top-tier journals: Cell, Nature, and Science.
