Chapter 9: Delete Each Other

Xu Qingzhou specializes in physics, and this time he preferred to start with mathematics, extending it to other disciplines, so that he could handle once-complex physics calculations by himself alone.

During high school, his focus wasn’t on publishing papers. First, papers require massive data to support them, with intricate derivation and calculation processes that consume enormous effort; second, it’s hard to find the most cutting-edge papers; third—and most importantly—he lacked equipment support.

For example, his Nobel Prize-winning experiment required special light to irradiate calcium atoms, emitting entangled photons, then using filters to measure photon polarization states, and further controlling the filters via signals from distant galaxies to ensure no mutual interference.

The cost to build such a laboratory typically runs into hundreds of millions.

However, he had never systematically studied mathematics and couldn’t yet form any clear ideas.

If he remembered correctly, classes were held on Saturdays and Sundays, but Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons were free—perfect for checking out the library.

Ding~ His phone buzzed with a message notification—it was Zhang Yuxin.

She had previously disapproved of Xu Qingzhou’s smoking and scheming, but his behavior last night had changed her perspective slightly, even making her think he was impressive.

Read! {

“Xu Qingzhou, Guo Ziyan, have you finished the math for your Mianyang Second Diagnostic?” Ding Jiahui addressed the two boys.

“Slow down.”

The dismissal bell rang, and Xu Qingzhou and Guo Ziyan walked out of the classroom.

After eating, Xu Qingzhou changed into clean clothes, grabbed his notebook, and said, “Dad, Mom, I’m meeting a classmate at the library.”

Xu Qingzhou didn’t bother replying.

Saturday.

Arrived at the cafeteria.

Ding ding~ “Why are you deleting your moments?!”

“Fatty, since when did you eat so elegantly?”

The message sent ended with an exclamation mark.

Song Yao noticed Xu Qingzhou was also there, so she took four small bowls.

“Xu Qingzhou, are you really going to cut ties?”

Song Yao spoke little, occasionally interjecting just a few words.

Students poured out of the classroom, dense and numerous, splitting below the teaching building—some heading toward the school gate, others rushing toward the cafeteria.

Classes ended; time to go home.

“There are still three days until the second mock exam—no rush,” Xu Qingzhou said indifferently; today he’d mostly just been reading textbooks to get a feel for them.

Xu Qingzhou shook his head and told the cafeteria lady his order: two meat dishes, one vegetable.

“I just finished the big problem,” Guo Ziyan scratched his head, grinning sheepishly, instantly deflating in front of the girls.

After getting his food, he and Guo Ziyan were about to find seats when they saw Ding Jiahui waving at them.

Dozens of messages flooded in.

“Empty.” “These problems are insane—I’ve lost all confidence.” Ding Jiahui complained, then turned to Xu Qingzhou, “What about you, Xu Qingzhou?”

When it came to Song Yao, Xu Qingzhou stood beside her and swiped her card.

“Oh,” Guo Ziyan nodded, wondering what had gotten into this guy lately—he actually drank soup with his meals.

Friday, final class meeting. Teacher Liu Ying didn’t show up; except for those assigned to clean, everyone else sat quietly studying.

“But Xu Qingzhou treats me well.”

Filled four bowls; each person carried two back to their seats.

“Xu Qingzhou, when did you study university-level courses?” Ding Jiahui had a naturally outgoing personality.

Zhang Yuxin gave Xu Qingzhou a cold glance, then walked away holding hands with a girl who was fairly pretty.

Xu Qingzhou set down his tray, didn’t sit, and patted Guo Ziyan. “I’m going to get soup.”

He thought Xu Qingzhou had come to return the card.

Xu Qingzhou was absorbing the campus atmosphere; when Ding Jiahui asked him, he shook his head and said, “I haven’t done it yet.”

“Xu Qingzhou, why are you eating with Song Yao?”

Song Yao said little, occasionally glancing at Xu Qingzhou, then quickly looking away. “Huh? Old Liao said this mock exam’s difficulty is just like this test paper? Haven’t you even looked at it yet?”

Modern Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics Fundamentals—Theoretical and Experimental Study of Quantum Tunneling—In-Depth Analysis and Experimental Verification of Quantum Entanglement—Experimental Observation of Photon Wave-Particle Duality. Zhi ~ The door opened; Xu Shouyun glanced at Xu Qingzhou, saw him lost in thought, and quietly withdrew.

“Not eager to eat? There’s something wrong with your brain,” Guo Ziyan mocked.

“So chill,” Ding Jiahui muttered.

【Please add the other party as a friend first】

She called her best friend, upset: “Xiaoxiao, Xu Qingzhou deleted me.”

Guo Ziyan had never been surrounded by so many girls before; he felt light-headed. Hearing Xu Qingzhou’s teasing, he muttered a weak rebuttal, “L-Like I’ve always eaten this way!”

“Wait for Song Yao and the others—I borrowed Song Yao’s meal card yesterday, today I’m returning it.”

On the other end, Zhang Yuxin stared at Xu Qingzhou’s message, her eyes reddening; she typed a threat: “Xu Qingzhou, you’ll regret this!”

“This kid, with the Gaokao coming, still runs around outside all day,” Wang Xiaping muttered; if this kid went to the library, the sun would rise in the west.

“Nothing says only girls can line up at the window,” Xu Qingzhou said calmly, correcting his backward thinking.

“Yuxin, why are you upset over a guy like this? So many chase you. What’s so great about Xu Qingzhou? If it’s academics, can he match Zhang Yuquan? Or looks—is he handsomer than Qian Hongliu, who confessed to you last time?”

Xu Qingzhou didn’t care; when Song Yao and the other girl arrived, he and Guo Ziyan turned toward the cafeteria.

“So impressive.”

Guo Ziyan froze. The statement wasn’t wrong, but with girls all around him, he felt uneasy, convinced everyone was watching him.

“If you beg and cry to win him back, you’ve already lost.”

!.

Girls’ lines moved much faster than boys’.

“I’ll do it,” Xu Qingzhou took the spoon from Song Yao; the metal spoon was large, and the girl needed both hands to hold it.

Xu Qingzhou sketched a plan on his notebook—the path of his former physics research.

Xu Qingzhou brought Guo Ziyan and sat down in front of Ding Jiahui.

The soup line had three people; Xu Qingzhou stood right behind Song Yao.

Seeing Xu Qingzhou directly behind Song Yao, Guo Ziyan whispered weakly, “Are we joining the girls’ line?”

“Who I eat with is my freedom—are you the police of the Pacific? Mind your own business. Don’t bother me. Thanks. Let’s delete each other.”

He glanced again at Ding Jiahui across the table—she even wiped her chopsticks with paper before eating. So fussy.

“Highly skilled. Really high,” Guo Ziyan turned to look at Song Yao approaching them, full of admiration.

“Besides, didn’t you hear Xu Qingzhou is chasing Song Yao again? He’s just provoking you.”

Xu Qingzhou gave a casual excuse: “I studied some during my physics competition prep.”

“That’s because you treated him well. Guys like him are like this—once a girl is even slightly nice to them, they think they’ve got something going. So immature.”

Xu Qingzhou typed quickly, then deleted Zhang Yuxin.

“Thank you,” Song Yao expressed her gratitude.

Why? How dare he delete me! Zhang Yuxin was furious—she was always the one deleting others!

Inside the room, after deleting Zhang Yuxin, silence fell.

“So fast—I haven’t even finished the 15th and 16th fill-in-the-blank questions. Did you solve them?”

Ding Jiahui found Guo Ziyan’s nervousness amusing.

“Gaokao pressure is heavy; relaxing a bit now and then is fine,” Xu Shouyun said, watching TV.

“Now you’re playing the good guy,” Wang Xiaping threw the sleeve cover at Xu Shouyun, annoyed: “Go wash the dishes. All you do is eat for free.”

“Sigh~”

“Sigh what? Can’t even be happy to wash a few dishes?”

(End of Chapter)