Morning.
As usual, Wang Hao went for his morning run and once again ran into Su Yingxue on the playground. Su Yingxue was still in her workout gear, only adding a short jacket this time. She slowly overtook him step by step, then greeted him with a wave, which Wang Hao interpreted as mockery.
Being overtaken by a woman, especially one as elegant and beautiful as Su Yingxue, triggered his damn pride, always reminding him that he was being laughed at.
But let them laugh!
"Take it slow, just keep going. As long as you persist, your stamina won't be surpassed by a woman," Wang Hao encouraged himself silently.
He didn't speak to Su Yingxue.
Because the school's open playground was the most suitable place for daily running exercises, they had crossed paths several times before. Except for the first time, they only exchanged greetings, much like strangers meeting on the street.
Two laps, three laps...
Five and a half laps.
Wang Hao persisted for over two thousand meters, feeling his legs becoming very heavy. He decided to stop running and walked out of the playground.
Su Yingxue jogged up to him. "Mr. Wang, wait."
Reluctantly, Wang Hao stopped. He didn't want to hear anything about "helping with data analysis" or anything similar.
"Would you mind treating me to breakfast?" Su Yingxue asked with a bright smile. It was a gentle, serene smile filled with youthful vigor.
Wang Hao was stunned for a moment, hesitating before agreeing. At the same time, he silently recited "Form is emptiness, emptiness is form," "Women are tigers, especially pretty ones," and most importantly, "She's up to no good."
The latter was crucial.
They went to the cafeteria together. Su Yingxue asked Wang Hao to treat her because she didn't have a school card to eat at the school cafeteria.
Breakfast at the cafeteria was simple. Wang Hao bought meals for two, spending just over ten yuan. They ate together and exchanged a few words.
The good news was that Su Yingxue didn't bring up the topic of the Nano Laboratory project again.
However, she seemed interested in Wang Hao's past and asked about what happened at Donggang University. If it had been someone else, they wouldn't have received a good reaction from Su Yingxue.
But Wang Hao didn't mind. The events at Donggang University were just memories to him, and he didn't bring any emotional baggage from them. He calmly explained, "The news didn't cover everything. I had only been working in the lab for three months when Ma Wenjun gave me the data to analyze and build mathematical models."
"The experiment was progressing smoothly, and we even said we were about to achieve results, making steel with high resistance to pressure and corrosion. But then, for some reason, they suddenly said the data was all wrong."
Curiously, Su Yingxue asked, "Such a big problem couldn't have been your responsibility alone. Why did they seem to put all the blame on you?"
"It wasn't just the lab; it was also the school." Wang Hao had already sorted out the details. "At first, they didn't blame anyone specifically, but then I received a termination notice."
"When I went to the lab, no one would talk to me, including Ma Wenjun and Zhou Xiaolong. I was kicked out of the project and couldn't access the experimental data anymore."
"Then, the news came out."
Wang Hao recounted the events in a calm tone. Su Yingxue could hear how much injustice he had suffered at the time, which aroused a sense of indignation and sympathy in her heart that she couldn't suppress.
Wang Hao shook his head and laughed. "It's all in the past. I don't care anymore."
"Now I understand. The school chose to protect Ma Wenjun, Zhou Xiaolong, or someone else. The price was abandoning me."
The last sentence was just a guess. Wang Hao wasn't sure who was at fault, but the school's attitude indicated that they chose to protect Ma Wenjun, Zhou Xiaolong, or others at the cost of abandoning him.
...
Wanghao and Su Yingxue chatted for a while, and Wang Hao's mood was slightly low. Even though it was just the experiences of his past self, he still carried the burden of his past. What his past self had gone through was equivalent to his own experiences.
After breakfast, Wang Hao went to the office in the comprehensive building, adjusted his mood, and looked over the lesson plan. He carefully reviewed the topics to be taught in class and the example questions in the lesson plan. When the time was right, he went to the classroom.
The first-year graduate classes were also held in a large lecture hall. There were several dozen students sparsely seated in the classroom, with most of them arriving relatively early and some reading books to preview the material.
Graduate students were different from undergraduates. They didn't need to be reminded to study. "Differential Equations" was a very important course for mathematics and physics majors. They needed to establish a solid foundation to fully engage in scientific research and prepare for thesis writing.
Many students sat scattered around the classroom. Gu Youyou and Li Qian sat on the left aisle. The two of them attracted a lot of attention in the classroom, or rather, Gu Youyou attracted a lot of attention.
Many male students couldn't help but glance at her a few more times. The number of female students majoring in mathematics, physics, and other disciplines was small, and pretty girls were even rarer. Gu Youyou had long been accustomed to the gazes of male students. She sat calmly in her seat and suddenly turned to Li Qian, saying, "Do you think he will still know about our homework this time?"
Although no names were mentioned, Li Qian knew she was referring to Wang Hao from next door.
"He probably won't," Li Qian replied.
"Yeah," Gu Youyou began her analysis again. "He knows Teacher Zheng, but he definitely doesn't know the substitute teacher. We don't even know who the substitute teacher is."
"Right," Li Qian replied listlessly.
"But I think he might use other methods. He doesn't necessarily have to know the teacher. Maybe there are other ways..." Gu Youyou continued to ponder.
This time, Li Qian didn't even respond. She only liked to gossip when she was in good spirits and interested because it had nothing to do with her. Although she had a tiny bit of hope deep down for a miracle to happen, she knew that the boy next door liked Gu Youyou. She had long been accustomed to it.
It was just like how girls liked handsome, wealthy, witty, and loyal boys. Wasn't it natural for boys to like pretty girls?
And she, short, chubby, and with a big face..
"Sigh," Li Qian sighed deeply as she looked down at herself, realizing she could see her waist directly. There was no advantage at all!
As the class approached, someone entered the classroom. Li Qian raised her eyes, and her spirits immediately lifted. She shook Gu Youyou's arm vigorously. "Look, look! Just came in... that's..."
"Wang Hao," Gu Youyou's eyes widened suddenly, and her thoughts blurted out, "So that's it. I was just thinking about how he could know about our homework. Yes, as long as he comes to class, it doesn't matter if he knows the teacher or not..."
She stopped halfway through her sentence.
Wang Hao walked into the classroom, glanced around, and then went straight to the platform. Under many surprised gazes, he spoke up, "Quiet down!"
"Everyone, quiet down!"
"I'm Wang Hao. You can call me Teacher Wang. Teacher Zheng is away on a business trip, so I'm helping with this week's class."
"This is my first time teaching the first-year graduate class, so I'm a bit nervous." Wang Hao smiled. "If I make any mistakes during the lecture, please help correct me."
Many students laughed in surprise.
"Two more minutes. Take a break, everyone. I'll study the equipment first. It's my first time here in this classroom..."
Wang Hao opened the computer on the platform.
Many students in the classroom began to discuss. Some of them had read about Donggang in the news and knew about Wang Hao. Some were surprised by Wang Hao's age.
They didn't expect the substitute teacher to be so young, even younger than many of them. Then Wang Hao's information gradually spread...
PhD from Donggang, research mishap...
Poor guy!
Listening to what the classmates nearby were saying, Li Qian suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment. "I knew it! The name Wang Hao sounded so familiar to me. I've always felt familiar with it, but I never thought... it was him!"
"Youyou!"
Li Qian looked at Gu Youyou earnestly and even gave her a thumbs-up. "You were right just now. He really found out about our homework using other methods."
"But... the analysis you just made..."
"Ha!"
"Heh heh heh heh heh..." Gu Youyou couldn't keep her expression serious anymore and burst into laughter, clutching her stomach as she laughed like a pig.
Gu Youyou's face was almost dripping with blood. At first, she covered her face with her hands, as if she couldn't face the world, but then she simply buried her face in the desk.
"This time, I've really embarrassed myself."
Fortunately.
He didn't know...