They're already in university, and the primary school system is only just starting out?

Chen Lin realized that his current state was completely different from the God-like perspective and the feeling of having the answer in his heart when he used the title of "Little Mathematician" to solve problems.

This is a purer, more primal form of immersion.

He remembered that during his senior year of high school, he had had several similar experiences in order to prepare for the college entrance examination.

Back then, as soon as I sat down to do practice problems, the whole world seemed to quiet down, and the concept of time became blurred. Before I knew it, two or three hours had passed, and the test paper in front of me was already full of writing.

This is a state known as "flow".

Since it's an ability I already possess, rather than an overpowered cheat provided by the system, there's naturally nothing to worry about.

Chen Lin was completely relieved and focused all his attention on constructing the paper in front of him.

……

……

Time slips away quietly.

Half an hour later, Shen Yan let out a long breath and put down her pen.

It became.

Following the three clues given by Chen Lin, she deduced step by step and finally proved the problem that had troubled her for more than an hour.

That feeling of sudden enlightenment and exhilaration made her feel extremely comfortable.

She glanced at the time in the lower right corner of the computer screen—11:03 AM.

It's time for lunch.

She turned her head, preparing to call Chen Lin over and ask him what he wanted to eat for lunch.

But the words stuck in her throat, and she swallowed them back.

Chen Lin was sitting upright, his back ramrod straight, his eyes fixed on the laptop screen in front of him.

His hands hovered above the keyboard, his ten fingers flying across the keyboard so fast they almost left afterimages, the crisp sound of typing continuous.

He exuded a powerful aura that kept strangers at bay, as if an invisible barrier had been erected between him and the outside world.

Shen Yan was taken aback. As a top student, she recognized this situation.

This is the immersive state where countless researchers dream of, a state where inspiration strikes.

In this state, a person's thinking becomes exceptionally active and clear, and their work efficiency reaches an unbelievable level.

This state is rare and precious; once you enter it, it must not be easily interrupted.

Just like an artist who has captured a fleeting moment of inspiration, any external interference could extinguish that precious spark completely.

However, a slight sense of confusion arose in Shen Yan's heart.

Somewhat strange.

Previously, whether it was helping himself solve a modeling competition problem or cracking that problem in front of Academician Liang Tianshi at the competition, Chen Linming always appeared calm and composed, as if he were doing a primary school arithmetic problem, and had never entered such a state of complete concentration.

Why am I so engrossed in writing an undergraduate thesis today?

Shen Yan couldn't understand it, but she didn't delve into it.

The only thing she was certain of was that she absolutely could not disturb him right now.

So Shen Yan didn't say anything more, just sat there quietly, thinking that she would wait for him to come out of this state before they went to eat together.

Her gaze unconsciously fell on Chen Lin's profile.

The morning sunlight streamed softly through the library's huge floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a faint golden glow on his sharply defined face.

His brows were slightly furrowed, and his lips were tightly closed. His focused and serious expression had an indescribable charm.

As Shen Yan watched, she became somewhat lost in thought.

She only snapped out of her daze when she felt her cheeks begin to burn slightly, and like a startled fawn, she quickly looked away.

She pursed her lips in a bit of a panic and shook her head gently, as if trying to shake off all the jumbled thoughts in her mind.

Then, she took a deep breath, forced herself to refocus her attention on the computer screen in front of her, and continued studying the PDF on operator spectrum theory.

……

……

Time in the library slips away second by second amidst the crisp tapping of keyboards and the silent turning of pages.

The light outside the window gradually softened from its bright and glaring appearance.

The sun has already begun to set in the west.

"call--"

Chen Lin let out a long breath, typed the last punctuation mark, then leaned back in his chair and stretched out a long, satisfying stretch, feeling as if every bone in his body was cracking.

He glanced at the word count in the lower left corner of the document and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Total word count: 4837

Good guy!

I originally thought that writing a graduation thesis would be a very difficult task. Even with the two weeks I had given Professor Gu Ming, I still felt a little nervous.

But to my utter surprise, I only spent an afternoon immersing myself in writing, and I had already completed almost half of the article!

At this rate, let alone two weeks, it will take at most three more days to finish the first draft.

Chen Lin was secretly delighted and subconsciously turned his head, wanting to share his joy with Shen Yan.

When I turned my head, I met a pair of clear and serene eyes.

Shen Yan sat there quietly watching him.

Although the expression on her face remained aloof and indifferent.

But almost instantly, Chen Lin caught a faint hint of... grievance and resentment in the depths of Shen Yan's seemingly calm eyes.

Chen Lin suddenly felt a little strange.

Something's not right.

He carefully thought back in his mind, and it seemed that he hadn't done anything to offend her from morning until now.

The approach was presented in a very restrained manner, without directly providing proof steps, thus fully respecting her learning experience.

After sitting down, he remained completely silent, not even uttering a sound, so he probably didn't disturb her.

Where does this grievance and resentment come from?

Chen Lin frowned and pondered for a full few seconds. He suddenly looked up at the clock on the wall, where the hour hand was pointing steadily to four o'clock in the afternoon.

Chen Lin suddenly remembered something.

He looked at Shen Yan, tentatively asking in an uncertain tone:

"You haven't been waiting for me since lunchtime, have you?"

Shen Yan: "I originally wanted to wait for you to have lunch together, but before I knew it, lunchtime had passed."

She paused, then added very seriously, "I'm a little hungry now, let's have dinner early."

Chen Lin: "..."

Looking at Shen Yan's serious expression as she said "I'm a little hungry," he felt for a moment that she was a bit adorable.

"I'm so sorry, so sorry!" Chen Lin felt a little guilty and also a bit amused, and quickly apologized, "I got so engrossed in it that I lost track of time. You must be starving!"

In the past, Chen Lin would probably have asked something like, "Why don't you eat by yourself?"

However, Chen Lin has made some progress during this period.

He stood up, quickly packing his things as he said, "Come on, come on! What do you want to eat? It's on me!"

Seeing his apologetic look, Shen Yan wanted to laugh but held it in. After thinking for a moment, she said, "I know a really good Jianghu restaurant, just outside the east gate of the school, about a 15-minute walk away."

Chen Lin quickly nodded: "Okay, I'll do as you say."

Fifteen minutes later, the two arrived at a small restaurant with a small storefront but extremely popular business.

The red signboard boldly proclaims "Sichuan and Chongqing Flavors," and even before entering, a rich aroma of chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and various spices wafts through the air, instantly whetting one's appetite.

The popularity of the store suggests that the food must be pretty good.

It wasn't mealtime yet, but some guests had already gathered around the wooden square table. Laughter and the clinking of bowls and chopsticks filled the air, creating a warm and lively atmosphere.

"I've been to this restaurant a few times with Hanhan and the others, and the food is very authentic," Shen Yan said to Chen Lin as she easily found an empty seat in the corner.

Chen Lin sat down and looked at the list of dishes on the menu. He remembered that Yun Qing had mentioned that Shen Yan was from Sichuan Province.

As a native of Jiangsu Province, Chen Lin can eat some spicy food, but compared to the people from Sichuan Province who can really handle spicy food, his ability is negligible.

However, when a man is in front of a girl he likes, his competitive spirit can sometimes be quite inexplicable.

He pushed the menu in front of Shen Yan with a confident smile: "You order. Today we have to cater to your tastes; let's eat something authentic."

Shen Yan didn't stand on ceremony and ordered three signature dishes: Maoxuewang (a spicy Sichuan dish), fresh pepper fish, and fresh rabbit in a hot pot.

"Boss, all three dishes need to be authentically spicy," Chen Lin called out, peeking out from the distance to the busy proprietress.

Upon hearing this, the proprietress turned around and glanced at him in surprise, then looked at the quiet and pretty Shen Yan sitting opposite him, and kindly reminded him, "Young man, the authentic spiciness here is no joke, are you sure?"

"I'm sure!" Chen Lin patted his chest, looking very proud.

Seeing his expression, Shen Yan couldn't help but smile slightly, curving into a beautiful arc, but she didn't say anything to stop him.

Soon, the three dishes were served.

A variety of chili peppers covered the entire plate, the bright red chili oil glistening enticingly under the light, and the aroma filling the air becoming increasingly potent.

"Come on, have a taste." Chen Lin warmly invited, and then picked up a piece of tripe covered in red oil and put it in his mouth.

The moment it enters your mouth, the tripe is smooth, tender, and chewy, and the spicy and savory flavor explodes in your mouth.

good to eat!

Chen Lin's eyes lit up, and he was about to say a few more words of praise when a fierce and domineering spiciness spread like wildfire from the tip of his tongue all the way to his throat.

"Hiss—ha—"

Caught off guard, he gasped for breath from the spiciness, his tongue went numb instantly, and fine beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead.

He suppressed the urge to stick out his tongue, picked up the tea beside him and took a big gulp, trying to suppress the burning sensation, but the effect was minimal.

Sitting opposite him, Shen Yan watched his comical appearance—trying to act nonchalant but actually having his eyes red and tears welling up from the spiciness—and finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Did you come to the library to study every day for a while after that?" Chen Lin asked, wiping his sweat with a tissue as he tried to change the subject and distract himself from the spiciness by chatting.

Shen Yan picked up a piece of fish with bell peppers and ate it without changing her expression. Only when she heard his question did she shake her head.

"No," she put down her chopsticks and looked at Chen Lin, "I'm leaving Tianjin the day after tomorrow to travel to the Northwest with my parents."

She paused, then added, "I need to pack my things at home tomorrow, so I came here today specifically to talk to you about this in person. I probably won't be able to come back for another two or three weeks."

"Oh? I see..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Lin felt a slight pang of regret.

I originally thought that I would have a great opportunity to meet at the library every day, which would naturally help us get to know each other better.

Unexpectedly, we're going to separate before this even begins.

Moreover, by the time she returns from her trip, my company's affairs will likely be officially launched, and I'll be extremely busy, so we'll have even less time to meet.

However, these thoughts only flashed through his mind for a moment.

He quickly adjusted his mindset and put on a sincere smile: "That's great. I'll go out with my parents to relax and have some fun."

"Um."

Shen Yan nodded, and seeing Chen Lin gasping for breath from the spiciness, she pushed the unopened bottle of soy milk in front of her over.

"Drink this, it will relieve the spiciness."

"Thanks." Chen Lin felt like he had been granted a pardon, and quickly unscrewed the bottle cap, gulping down more than half of the bottle.

The cool, sweet soy milk slid down my throat, finally calming down the burning sensation a bit.

"Should I... bring you back a gift?" Shen Yan asked him.

Chen Lin's heart skipped a beat. Looking at her eyes, which shone brightly under the light, he smiled and shook his head: "There's no need to buy me a gift. It's too much trouble."

He changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat expectant: "But if you see anything you like, please bring one back for me too."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yan was slightly taken aback, and then a smile appeared in her clear eyes. She nodded with a smile.

"it is good."

……

……

August 1st, 8:8 AM.

A ray of golden sunlight pierced through the windowpane and glass, casting a bright spot on the desk.

A gentle breeze rustled the curtains, and the sharp, drawn-out chirping of cicadas outside the window heralded the arrival of another hot summer day.

Chen Lin, who was lying on the table, twitched his eyelashes and slowly opened his heavy eyelids.

"what……"

He let out a satisfied groan, lifted his head from the table, and felt a slight soreness in all his muscles, especially his neck.

However, this minor issue is nothing to worry about for a body enhanced by the "Little Champion" title.

He stood up, stretched his limbs, and moved his cervical spine. Accompanied by a series of cracking sounds from his bones, the soreness quickly disappeared.

For the past week or so, since Shen Yan wasn't at school, Chen Lin hadn't bothered going to the overcrowded library anymore.

He randomly found a study room in the teaching building that was specifically designated for postgraduate entrance exam takers, and worked feverishly on his graduation thesis every day.

Unfortunately, for some reason, ever since that day in the library, he has never been able to enter that highly efficient "flow" state again.

This caused his thesis progress to fall far short of initial expectations, which made Chen Lin feel a little irritable.

Unexpectedly, just last night, after he finished dinner and returned to the classroom, he had barely sat down when that familiar feeling returned unexpectedly.

He immediately held his breath and focused all his attention on it, his thoughts flowing freely, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

This outburst lasted until the wee hours of the morning.

He couldn't even remember when he fell asleep. He only remembered that he was so sleepy that he could barely keep his eyelids open. Just as he was about to take out his phone to check the time, his head slumped and hit the table, and he lost consciousness.

These postgraduate entrance exam classrooms have uninterrupted power at night, and since it was the beginning of summer vacation and school management was relatively lax, no one came to patrol and wake him up. So he slept in the classroom until dawn.

Speaking of which, what time is it now?

Chen Lin pulled out his phone from his pocket, which was low on battery, frowned, and decided to go home, take a shower, and charge his phone.