Chapter 3192: Bitter Summer in Plane Tree Lane 35

Jin Chen still didn't wear that suit to attend the summit.

That suit was hung on the bedroom coat rack, serving another purpose; as the one enjoying that purpose, Chenshu bought another set of shirts for his boyfriend that were less eye‑catching but especially appropriate—simple and clean, not too conspicuous in a crowd.

On the day of the summit, Chenshu drove Jin Chen to the exhibition center.

On the day of the summit, Chenshu drove Jin Chen to the exhibition center. He also needed to visit an artist he had been in touch with at a nearby studio, so they set off together along the way. Light music played in the car, and the radio host chatted about recent weather, saying that Didu had entered autumn, with large day‑night temperature differences, reminding listeners to add clothing.

Jin Chen leaned against the passenger seat, watching the street scenery flash by outside, on high alert.

The car stopped at the exhibition center entrance; Chenshu didn't turn off the engine, leaned over and kissed Jin Chen's cheek, asking, "Are you still nervous?"

Jin Chen shook his head: "I'm fine."

To look formal, he didn't wear any earrings today, leaving his ears bare, making him appear much more obedient than usual. Chenshu fondly rubbed his ears, his fingertip stroking the soft earlobes with a hint of reluctance, saying, "I'll be done soon and will wait for you nearby."

Jin Chen responded, unfastened his seatbelt, then leaned in to kiss Chenshu's lip corner, drawing a bit of courage.

The autumn wind blew straight at him; Jin Chen stood by the flowerbed beside the exhibition center entrance, looked back at Chenshu in the car through the window glass, gave him an earnest nod, then turned and walked toward the main gate.

Chenshu only then shifted back into gear and slowly pulled away from the curb; a few moments later he chuckled, feeling as if he were sending a child off to school.

The exhibition hall was huge, with the air‑conditioning turned up high.

As Jin Chen entered, he saw Old Man Jin Feng already standing at the sign‑in desk chatting with a few acquaintances; upon spotting Jin Chen, he waved from afar, his gestures so large they resembled directing traffic.

Beside Jin Feng stood a tall, thin young man wearing a shirt that had been washed to a faint whiteness, his head lowered as he stared at the floor, seemingly counting the tiles—this was Bai Xue.

Jin Chen walked over, "Teacher," then turned to Bai Xue and nodded.

Bai Xue lifted his head, glanced at him, and quickly nodded, as if ready to flee at any moment.

Who would have thought that such a socially anxious youth had lashed out online the night before, ranting furiously that the summit didn't provide lunch?

After the summit officially began, Jin Chen realized that the amount of attention he was receiving far exceeded his expectations.

Professor Jin Feng's influence in academia is not to be underestimated, and as Jin Chen, a student recently taken in by Professor Jin Feng, and also the forum's mysterious problem‑solving ace, the combination of these two identities sparked strong interest in this young man among many.

Moreover, he is indeed twenty years old, and sitting among researchers and practitioners whose average age far surpasses his, he stands out conspicuously.

During the tea break, just as Jin Chen picked up a glass of water intending to relax his facial muscles, a foreign man in a suit approached and handed him a business card, speaking in Chinese that he was the head of an international algorithm club, hoping to invite Jin Chen to join their team with generous compensation, work location in Zurich, and visa processing available at any time.

What a strong accent—it made Jin Chen wonder what exactly he was mumbling.

Jin Feng also heard it nearby, and his face instantly darkened.

He hadn't even properly cherished this genius student yet—could a foreigner just swoop him away?!

But contrary to his expectations, Jin Chen hardly gave it any thought before refusing.

"I haven't passed the college entrance exam yet," Jin Chen said solemnly, "that's very important."

The club's representative froze for a moment, his expression somewhat subtle.

"You geniuses are really all so aloof!"

Yes, even if Jin Chen were to voice such a reason that might seem bizarre to outsiders, or even slightly embarrassing among this high‑IQ crowd, because he is Professor Jin Feng's student, and also has Bai Xue—the aloof genius—as a prior example, and because Jin Chen displayed astonishing problem‑solving ability in the discussion session, the elites of various clubs and research institutes still think……

This might just be the eccentricity of genius.

Only the socially anxious senior brother Bai Xue continues to suffer a huge impact.

He finally managed to find a moment when Jin Chen was alone, lowered his voice, and asked, "Are you really only twenty this year?"

…It turns out…there's still time to retake the exam…at this age…

Bai Xue was deeply struck.

Jin Chen pondered for a moment and voiced his confusion: "Why should I hide my age?"

Bai Xue: "……" He suddenly fell silent, furrowed his brow in thought for a long while, then quietly told Jin Chen, "I allow you to call me Bai Xue."

After reflecting painfully, he said, "I'm seven years older than you… Professor last year told me I was his youngest student ever… oh wait, I actually am no longer his most talented student."

Jin Chen thought everyone here were oddballs, himself included, but he adapted well, casually righting the knocked‑over physical model that Bai Xue had bumped and putting it back in its original spot.

Chenshu's side wrapped up quickly.

That artist wasn't particularly odd, and having already signaled willingness to cooperate in earlier emails, the conversation went very smoothly.

The other party was very interested in Chenshu's plan, agreeing to visit the studio site next week; this essentially settled the cooperation intent. Chenshu bade farewell to the studio partners, drove alone to the vicinity of the exhibition center hosting the summit, intending to find a café to wait for Jin Chen to finish.

This was Jin Chen's first time participating in such an important and formal event.

Whether Jin Chen himself was nervous is another matter, but Chenshu was still a little anxious for his boyfriend. He parked the car, walked a stretch along the street, picked a small‑fronted café, and sat by the window. From this angle he could clearly see the main gate of the exhibition center, with everyone coming and going fully visible.

He had just sat down when he received a message from his second sister, saying she had seen his Moments post, happened to be nearby viewing the exhibition, and wanted to meet up.

Chenshu looked at that message, tapped his fingers on the table a few times, and sent her his location.

Miss Xiang arrived quickly.

She sat opposite Chenshu, took off her sunglasses, revealing a somewhat weary expression, with obvious dark circles under her eyes, casually smoothed her hair, then propped her chin and gazed at Chenshu.

Chenshu was still gazing toward the left side of the exhibition center; Miss Xiang helplessly tapped the table with a finger, trying to draw her brother's attention: "Don't ignore me like this."

Chenshu gave her a once‑over, then pushed the latte he had ordered toward her.

"Looks like you two haven't been doing well lately."

Miss Xiang Youyou sighed, "Ever since Little Uncle took over as director, Father and Elder Brother have been going crazy all day."

She rubbed her forehead, saying rather helplessly, "Chenshu, you're right—compared to your niche sexual orientation and your frightening personality, Elder Brother and the others are truly the ones who are seriously ill."

Chenshu offered no comment on the second point, lowered his head to poke at his phone, and messaged Jin Chen: "Xiao Chen, I'm done. Waiting for you at Moonview Café—straight out of the exhibition hall you can see it."

After sending it, he didn't wait for a reply; Jin Chen was probably still busy, but Miss Xiang noticed his messaging action and suggested, "Since we're all nearby, why not invite your little boyfriend to join us for dinner?"

Chenshu shook his head and refused: "Jin Chen isn't used to it."