Fortunately, the girl was smart and quick on her feet. She remembered everything after Wen Qian explained it just once. She didn't make a single mistake taking orders or carrying plates later on, so Wen Qian finally gave the manager an "OK" sign.
When her shift ended, the boss readily paid Wen Qian and even grabbed a few dining vouchers from a drawer. The vouchers had no minimum spending requirement; going by their face value, it was basically a free meal for one person.
Wen Qian beamed, her eyes curving into crescents. In this internet age, you could barely find any businesses in the entire city that still used paper coupons. Holding them now felt like clutching a handful of cash.
After thanking the boss, Wen Qian grabbed her bag and walked out of the restaurant.
It was already three in the afternoon.
The sun was completely hidden behind the clouds, and without the harsh glare, the air actually felt more pleasant.
Wen Qian had been planning to go home and check on Yin Zhi, but just as she reached the bus stop, she got a call from Fan Lin. Over the phone, Fan Lin apologized profusely, explaining that she had left in such a hurry that she'd forgotten Wen Qian's notebook on the lectern. By the time she went back to look for it, the notebook was already gone.
Wen Qian rubbed the bridge of her nose. That notebook contained all the key points from her classes, from sophomore year until now. It really stung to lose it just like that.
"Qianqian, how about this? I'll pay you back for it. Just name a price..." Fan Lin's voice was rushed, obviously afraid that Wen Qian would get angry.
Hearing her say that, Wen Qian actually felt a bit embarrassed. "It's fine. The classroom has security cameras. I'll go ask the staff in the security office to take a look."
It was hard to put a price on something like notes. Besides, Wen Qian had already committed most of the key concepts to memory; the notebook only served as a backup. Losing it was a shame, but it wasn't something worth demanding payment for.
Fan Lin let out a sigh of relief. "Qianqian, you're the best..."
This time, Fan Lin was being sincere. Wen Qian wasn't well-off, and Fan Lin had assumed she would be the type of person to seize the opportunity to squeeze her for money. Fan Lin had met plenty of people like that, so much so that she now only dared to befriend those from similar family backgrounds.
After hanging up, Wen Qian checked her watch and headed straight back to campus.
The security office closed in two hours, so she would make it just in time if she went now.
The staff member in the security office was a middle-aged man with a large beard. Wen Qian had seen him a few times; even in uniform, he gave off a lazy vibe.
Wen Qian explained why she was there and stood aside to wait. The university had a rule that students weren't allowed to view security footage themselves.
"Around ten o'clock, right...?" the bearded man mumbled, slouched in his chair. Then, before Wen Qian could reply, he gasped. "Whoa! Is there a celebrity meet-and-greet on campus or something? Look at all these people!"
Wen Qian chuckled at his exaggerated tone. 'I never realized this guy was so interesting,' she thought.
"Hey, take a look. Is this it?" the bearded man called out to Wen Qian, quickly pressing pause.
Wen Qian leaned in and recognized the notebook on the desk in a single glance. "That's it!"
The bearded man didn't hide the screen from her this time. He resumed the video. "Looks like one of your professors took it," he said, his voice crisp.
Wen Qian leaned even closer and, sure enough, saw Gu Mian on the screen. He picked up the notebook from the desk, flipped through a few pages, and left with it.
With no other choice, Wen Qian took out her phone to find Gu Mian on WeChat. He'd had her add him when he first started teaching. He had picked her to be the class representative, responsible for informing the class about schedule changes and other matters.
It was the first time Wen Qian had ever seen someone so handsome in real life, so she had added him in a daze.
But in the year since they'd added each other, they had never exchanged a single message aside from New Year's greetings. If Gu Mian hadn't accidentally picked up her notebook, they probably wouldn't have spoken again until the next New Year.
At that thought, Wen Qian felt a pang of guilt. Her New Year's greeting had been a generic, mass-sent message, but Gu Mian's reply had been very thoughtful. He had even sent her a large red envelope right as the clock struck midnight.
She had never met someone so handsome and so kind before.
Wen Qian immediately gave Gu Mian a new label in her mind: 'Nicest Guy at University A'.
Wen Qian: Professor Gu, do you happen to have my notebook?
Wen Qian considered her wording before sending Gu Mian the message.
Wen Qian: It's the pink one, with an orange cat on the cover.
Gu Mian replied almost instantly.
Gu Mian: I do.
Gu Mian: I left it in the lab.
University A had its own lab building, divided into many different sections. The equipment was said to be state-of-the-art. Wen Qian had been there twice, both times escorted by a professor for a class, and the interior was as impressive as something out of a movie.
Wen Qian: Would it be okay for me to come get it?
You weren't allowed to enter the labs without prior approval or an escort from authorized personnel.
Gu Mian: I'm still busy.
Gu Mian: I'll leave an access card at the security office at seven. You can use it to come up.
Wen Qian: Okay.
It wasn't long until seven o'clock. While taking a walk on the athletic field, Wen Qian saw the two big orange cats again. And just like that morning, they started to tremble the moment she approached.
Wen Qian felt a little frustrated. 'Where did I go wrong?' she wondered. 'How can these two cats act like they don't even know me after only a week?'
She wasn't in the mood to linger. Wen Qian went to the cafeteria early, and after eating, she headed for the lab building. She figured if she got there early, she might run into Professor Gu. The building was huge, and going up with him would at least ensure she didn't get lost.
But unexpectedly, Gu Mian had been even earlier. By the time she arrived, the card was already lying on the security desk. The guard told her that Professor Gu had come down before five, left instructions, and immediately gone back up to his lab.
The sky had gradually darkened, and the last remnants of twilight were fading. Wen Qian swiped the card to enter, then sent Gu Mian a message.
Wen Qian: I've arrived, Professor.
Wen Qian: Where are you?
This time, Gu Mian didn't reply right away. About three minutes passed before Wen Qian received a message.
Gu Mian: 6th floor, 609.
Wen Qian blinked. When her advisor had brought her here before, the highest they'd ever gone was the third floor.
DING—
The light of the elevator's "up" button flashed.
As Wen Qian stepped into the elevator, she again pulled the access card Gu Mian had left her from her pocket. The elevators and lab entrances all used a dual system: facial recognition and card scanners.
That was why Gu Mian could still get in and out of the lab building even after leaving the card for Wen Qian.
The sixth floor of the lab building was even larger than Wen Qian had imagined.
There was a spacious corridor lined with one semi-transparent room after another. The rooms didn't have numbers, only short names on the doors. Wen Qian looked around curiously, surprised to find there was even a café and a lounge...
The university's professors and students generally worked on the third and fourth floors of the lab building; few people ever even went up to the fifth. 'I really hit the jackpot today,' Wen Qian thought.
A giddy expression appeared on her face, and a spring came to her step.