The Little Brat's Sweet And Sassy Chapter 1243 - Side Story 22: Gu Tingyin!

1243 Side Story 22: Gu Tingyin!

When Shen Zhijin stepped into the lab, the entire research team looked visibly stunned to see him.

“Senior Brother, did you just come straight here after getting off the plane?”

“We were certain you would head home first today!”

“Exactly. Two weeks is a long time to be away on business. You really should be resting and adjusting to the jet lag.”

Shen Zhijin placed his stack of documents on the table with an unreadable expression.

“I will head home once I finish this task.”

Xu Zhe strode over, unable to stop himself from asking, “Boss, please give us a break, won't you?”

This genius was relentless. Was he trying to work himself into an early grave?

Shen Zhijin ignored him and ordered, “Hand over the observation data from the past two weeks.”

“Understood.”

As Shen Zhijin scanned through the experimental archives, he suddenly cast a sharp glance toward Kong Wenhan and the others.

The group felt a chill down their spines.

What could be wrong? They had been perfectly diligent lately! Not a single error had been made!

Eventually, Kong Wenhan had a flash of insight. He leaned in, lowered his voice, and whispered, “Senior Brother, don't worry. During the two weeks you were away, we didn't even... ahem... have a single meal with Junior Sister Gu!”

Shen Zhijin merely lifted his eyelids, his calm gaze revealing nothing.

Kong Wenhan felt a surge of triumph, thinking, ‘I knew it! My guess was spot on! That was definitely what Brother Zhijin was worried about!’

He added firmly, “It is the absolute truth! She hasn't set foot in here even once!”

She had skipped everything—no meals, no visits, nothing.

As soon as those words left his mouth, Kong Wenhan felt the temperature in the room plummet.

Shen Zhijin stared at him intensely.

“Not even once?”

“Not even once!”

He had rejected her directly, and she had ended up in the hospital shortly after that meal. His Senior Brother was just too stone-hearted, obsessing solely over research. Which girl could possibly handle that?

Shen Zhijin remained silent.

She had been discharged early the next morning, and he had left immediately after dropping her off at her dormitory. At the time, she had asked about his busy schedule, and he had told her he had a trip to Bai City that afternoon. Naturally, she knew he was returning today.

Shen Zhijin spoke again, “Deliver the summary of those previous research papers to me by tomorrow.”

Kong Wenhan stood there, speechless.

“Senior Brother, that is… that is incredibly sudden. Didn’t you say the deadline was Friday?”

Shen Zhijin replied, “I gathered you had plenty of spare time lately.”

“…”

“Well? Is there an issue?”

“No, I pledge to complete the task!” Kong Wenhan choked out, holding back his tears.

“Wait, why did I hear that Junior Sister Gu is actually here today?” Xu Zhe suddenly remarked.

Kong Wenhan looked shocked. “Impossible! How could we possibly miss her if she was coming?”

Given how recognizable she was, it would be impossible for her to visit the physics department’s territory without causing a stir!

Shen Zhijin turned his head to listen as well.

Xu Zhe continued, “Oh, you’re right, she’s in the vicinity, just not here. She’s over at the Astronomy Society gathering. I ran into Wei Cheng at noon, and he mentioned that their recruitment this year finally features more boys than girls.”

In the past, people only joined to catch a glimpse of Shen Zhijin. This time, however, the draw was clearly Gu Tingyin.

After all, while Shen Zhijin might avoid such gatherings, Gu Tingyin had officially joined the Astronomy Society. Their drawing power wasn't quite the same.

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Shen Zhijin closed the documents in his hands.

In the library.

Shen Zhijin handed a book to the staff member.

The librarian in charge smiled, saying, “So, you’re back from Bai City? Judging by your usual habits, I expected you to return these books two weeks ago. It’s a good thing they aren't overdue.”

Shen Zhijin gave a polite, minimal nod.

He had intended to return them that day, but Gu Tingyin’s allergic reaction had kept him at the hospital for the duration of the day, causing the task to slip his mind.

“You’re checking out these two titles now, is that right?”

The librarian flipped through the pages to log them.

Shen Zhijin was about to nod when he caught two unfamiliar male voices coming from behind him.

“Was that really Gu Tingyin sitting by the window over there?”

“It’s her! She is stunning, who else could it be?”

“When I first heard people talking about how pretty she was, I was skeptical. Tsk, my face hurts from eating my words! Hey, do you see what she's reading? Why don’t we go and ask her?”

“Don’t bother. Isn't she chasing after Senior Shen?”

“That’s true, but Senior Shen isn’t interested. I heard he shut her down right to her face. Since they aren't together, there’s no reason for us not to pursue her.”

The two boys were so engrossed in their chatter that they never noticed the man they were discussing standing right in front of them.

Shen Zhijin suddenly spoke up. “Teacher Zhang, I just remembered, I need to pick up one more book.”

Teacher Zhang gave a quick wave of his hand. “Fine, go ahead.”

The sixth floor of the library contained mostly natural science volumes.

Cosmic astrophysics took up a considerable portion of the shelves.

Shen Zhijin knew this area like the back of his hand.

Soon enough, he spotted the girl sitting by the window.

The long wooden desks were neatly arranged. She had claimed a quiet corner, sitting there in a relaxed posture while reading a book with her head bowed.

The afternoon sun washed over her, making her waist-length hair glow with a golden hue.

She held a pen, seemingly taking notes with great concentration.

Usually, the floor was fairly empty, but today it was noticeably busier. Most of the occupants were young men, turning their heads her way whenever they had a chance.

Finally, one boy walked over with a book, gesturing to see if the seat by her was free.

The library seats were public; she glanced up and shook her head.

The boy looked thrilled and immediately moved to sit.

However, at that exact moment, Gu Tingyin’s eyes brightened, and she stood up.

The boy froze, turning to see what she was looking at.

It was Shen Zhijin.

The next second, Gu Tingyin hurried over.

“Shen Zhijin, what brings you to the library?”

She spoke in a gentle, melodic voice, her face lighting up with genuine surprise.

“I thought you would head straight home since you just got back today!”

Shen Zhijin replied simply, “I came to return a book.”

“Oh, I see!”

Gu Tingyin noticed the book in his hand. She felt it was destiny that they had crossed paths on his very first day back!

“T-then…”

She racked her brain, desperate not to let him leave so soon.

“I’m reading “The New Solar System” right now. I’m having trouble understanding a few parts. Would you mind taking a look for me?”

Shen Zhijin’s gaze shifted to her table.

Beside the book lay a notebook, where she had been studying diligently.

He gave a small nod.

Overjoyed, Gu Tingyin turned toward the other boy.

“I’m sorry, but this seat is now taken!”

“…”

Though the boy seemed reluctant, he had no choice but to depart. Gu Tingyin tugged at Shen Zhijin’s sleeve gently.

“Quickly, sit down!”

And so, under the jealous gazes of everyone nearby, Gu Tingyin pulled Shen Zhijin into the seat next to her. The mental sound of breaking hearts seemed deafening.

“Shen Zhijin, look here. I don’t quite understand this section about the shifting position of Venus…”

Gu Tingyin pushed the book over, pointing to the passage.

Shen Zhijin frowned slightly.

The book was the original English edition. While that wasn't the main issue—Gu Tingyin had studied abroad, so she could read it—the text was dense with highly technical astrophysics terminology.

It was no wonder she couldn't grasp it, given her lack of foundation.

“This book isn't suitable for you yet. You should switch to a different one,” he advised.

The library held many general science titles that would be much better suited to her level.

But to Gu Tingyin, his words stung.

Her eyes widened slightly.

“Shen Zhijin, even you think I’m incapable of understanding these things?”

Shen Zhijin struggled for words.

Did that really need to be answered?

Looking directly into her eyes, he said calmly, “Tell me then, what is the primary difference between the positional shift of Venus and that of the Moon?”

Gu Tingyin was silent; she didn't know the answer.

Her earlier flare of pride instantly withered.

Tracing her fingers along the book, she muttered softly, “I… I’m going to Yun Hill to observe the stars… I need to be prepared, don’t I?”

Shen Zhijin hadn't realized that.

“The Astronomy Society trip?”

“How did you know?” Gu Tingyin asked, looking up in surprise.

“Well, this month is perfect for stargazing. You’re going to watch the Venus-Moon conjunction, aren't you?”

While Shen Zhijin didn't usually pay attention to hobbyist events, it hadn't been hard to guess.

Gu Tingyin nodded excitedly, her doubts forgotten.

“Yes! That’s exactly it! I’m worried I won’t even be able to identify it when I’m out there…”

She really did lack the basics. For a novice like her to go stargazing without guidance was basically just looking up at the sky in confusion.

Shen Zhijin fell silent for a moment.

Gu Tingyin handed him her notebook to show her genuine effort.

“Look! I even took notes!”

Shen Zhijin’s gaze fell onto the page, and he suddenly froze.

Noting his awkward expression, Gu Tingyin felt uneasy.

“What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with my notes—”

She followed his eyes, and her voice cut off abruptly.

The handwriting was elegant and lovely. The content was, frankly, secondary to the “illustration” in the bottom right corner.

It depicted a girl in a flowing dress dashing forward, her hair and skirt caught in the wind. In her left hand, she was brandishing a plane, and tucked under her right arm was a small boy in a white shirt.

“…”

“…”

Gu Tingyin silently withdrew her hand, trying to hide it under the table. If she could, she would have vanished into thin air!

She hadn't understood the text, and boredom had led her to doodle her dream of hijacking a plane, kidnapping Shen Zhijin, and running off together. Who could have known he would see it?!

After a long silence, Shen Zhijin asked, “Do you still wish to read this volume?”

Gu Tingyin didn't dare lift her head.

“No, I’m done with it!”

“Then I will return it,” he said, rising from his chair.

Gu Tingyin scrambled to shift the focus. “By the way, the stargazing trip is this Saturday. Will you be attending?”

She couldn't grasp the books, but she still had to pass the assessment. It would definitely be easier with his help, wouldn't it?

Shen Zhijin hesitated.

“I have an experiment scheduled that day.”

“Oh… I see.”

Gu Tingyin slumped, face-down on the table, turning away from him.

Right. He was always busy. Even after seeing that embarrassing drawing, he wasn't willing to offer any help.

The sound of his retreating footsteps grew faint.

However, after a short while, Shen Zhijin returned. Gu Tingyin sat bolt upright. She said with forced gravity, “I’ve realized that since I don’t have a background in this, reading these advanced books is a mistake. However, a crash course should work, right? Can you teach me how to find my target quickly?”

It was a somewhat abstract request. Shen Zhijin contemplated making a star map for her so she could learn the ropes.

He flipped to a clean page in her notebook.

“The Venus-Moon conjunction is quite spectacular, you…”

The pen hovering over the paper did not move.

On the very next page, there was yet another doodle.

She must have just sketched it.

In this one, the girl had tossed the plane aside, grabbed the collar of the recalcitrant boy who refused to help, and was dragging him into a dark room as if she were about to ravage him.

“…”

“…”

Gu Tingyin felt completely numb.

She had felt so frustrated and embarrassed a moment ago that she had vented her feelings in the margins. Who could have guessed he would come back and open the notebook to draw a map?

If the first doodle could be explained away as boredom, what on earth were they going to do about this one?

Gu Tingyin felt like burying her head in the floor.

The silence stretched, cold and suffocating.

After what felt like an eternity, Shen Zhijin finally set the pen down. It was a soft sound, yet it echoed like thunder in her ears.

She looked up with an expression of pure misery.

“T-that... I can explain…”

Shen Zhijin’s expression remained perfectly neutral, as if to say, ‘Go ahead, I am listening.’

“…”

Gu Tingyin felt her soul leave her body. There was literally nothing left to say.

After battling the urge to simply die of shame, she finally managed one last, quiet request.

“…Can you still give me that crash course?”

Shen Zhijin squeezed his eyes shut.

“Gu Tingyin!”