novelraw Chapter 709: Winter, Night, Outside the Car Window
Chapter 709: Winter, Night, Outside the Car Window
In the lounge of the CEO's office.
Lingling lay exhausted on the soft bedsheets, her fair back rising and falling slightly, strands of hair damp with sweat clinging to the side of her neck and cheeks.
An intense sense of satisfaction washed over Tang Song's heart.
Just then, several crisp system notification sounds suddenly rang in his ears:
"Ding! The durability of [Magical Little Raincoat] has reached 0."
"Ding! Little Raincoat has released a special mission [Nice Guy's Special Training]. Please proceed to the [Mission Center] to check."
Tang Song was slightly stunned.
He had indeed been using it very frequently recently, especially after returning to Yancheng—there were just too many "wings."
The durability was drained again.
He just didn't know what kind of bizarre mission this Little Raincoat would issue this time.After all, the previous two were pretty damn annoying.
One was the great chaos of the Qixi Festival, the other was the car crash involving the goofy trio.
Tang Song sat down beside Lingling and gently stroked the junior's reddened skin.
He opened the system interface.
Entered the [Mission Center] to check the special mission details.
[Special Mission: Nice Guy's Special Training]
[Mission Content: The Little Raincoat, having fought long and hard on the "front line," feels physically and mentally exhausted and hopes to receive more care, along with a little bit of fun.
Please complete the following two challenges:
Challenge ①, Forced Gentleness: Force your "sworn younger sister" Lele to stay overnight at Yanjing Tiancheng tonight, and you must ensure her "mentor" Jiang Pangpang personally comes to the door to "redeem" her after 3 PM the next day.
Challenge ②, Role Reversal: Reverse the mentor-student roles, making Lele become Pangpang's "mentor," leading Pangpang in a one-week "self-discipline weight loss special training." During this period, you and Lele must strictly supervise and discipline (verbally or physically allowed) Pangpang, not allowing her to slack off or sneak any desserts.]
[Mission Reward: Durability +30]
[Note 1: The more weight Pangpang loses, the higher the durability reward. Overfulfilling the mission will additionally reward "Stamina cap".]
[Note 2: According to the latest news Little Raincoat overheard from the little secretary (Jin Weixiao), Pangpang will become your third assistant. However, before officially joining, she still needs your training.]
[Note 3: Little Raincoat (2V≤)o is already laughing so hard she's rolling on the ground.]
......
Looking at this mission full of mischievous taste and the three characters "Jiang Pangpang," the corner of Tang Song's mouth twitched involuntarily.
Does this mean... Professor Jiang?
It can't be, right?
Little Raincoat, you dog! That's too mean!
She's just a bit fuller-figured, how did she end up with such an insulting nickname from you?
Jiang Pangpang... Jiang Pangpang...
"Pfft—"
Tang Song really couldn't hold back and laughed out loud.
"Senior..." Lingling turned her head beside him, her face blushing red as she complained, "You're so bad... still laughing... it's all because of you."
"Uh..." Tang Song quickly reined in his laughter, "I'm not laughing at you."
Yao Lingling reached out and patted him, then buried her head in the pillow.
Feeling the burning pain behind her, her mind was in chaos.
She didn't know who the senior learned this from, to be so bad...
Luckily her bottom was big and thick enough, otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to work the afternoon shift;
sitting down would definitely hurt.
After comforting the junior,
Tang Song shifted his attention back to the system light screen.
To be fair, [Magical Little Raincoat] was a very useful item, even one could say indispensable.
The mission definitely had to be completed.
What he didn't expect, though, was that Secretary Jin had actually arranged for Jiang Yourong to become his assistant.
In a flash of thought, he understood the deeper meaning.
It was probably to plant a technical "own person" for him within [Xuanji Optical World].
Although Jiang Yourong was laid-back and lazy, she was, after all, a genuine PhD and associate professor in computer science and artificial intelligence, with an extremely solid theoretical foundation.
Plus, she had previous work experience as an assistant at [Smile Holdings], so her overall quality and ability were beyond doubt.
She was quite an ideal candidate for a technical assistant.
He hadn't thought of it before purely because Jiang Yourong's identity as a university professor was too special.
Thinking of Jiang Yourong's soft body and plump face...
Tang Song felt a bit strange inside.
Indeed, Professor Jiang's figure fell into the standard "slightly plump" category. Combined with her indiscriminate eating habits, lack of exercise, and lazy nature, she would only get heavier in the future.
Helping her "manage" her figure should also be considered good for her, right?
It's just that this mission... was too embarrassing!
It actually required Lele to help him "supervise" and "discipline" her highly respected mentor.
Little Raincoat! You are truly sinister!
This is absolutely not what I wanted to see! Absolutely not!
O(∩_∩)O Ha ha~
Tang Song picked up his phone, opened WeChat, and excitedly sent a message to Qian Lele: "Little sister, remember to let me know in advance when you leave school tonight."
...
Meanwhile, at Yancheng Normal University, in the laboratory.
Qian Lele sat before the computer equipped with the latest graphics card in the corner, wearing headphones, studying AI-related knowledge with intense focus.
Since officially joining Professor Jiang's team and starting to work on the preliminary data labeling for the "AI Intelligent Quality Control Laboratory" project under [Yuntong Zhicui], she had become completely fascinated by this new field full of infinite possibilities.
She used all her spare time to look up information and watch instructional videos.
Coupled with Professor Jiang's careful guidance.
From the basic syntax of Python, to the deep learning framework of TensorFlow, to the latest computer vision algorithms...
She was like a dry sponge, diligently absorbing every drop of knowledge's nectar.
"Buzz—"
Her phone's vibration interrupted her concentration.
Seeing the familiar avatar on the screen, the seriousness on her face instantly melted away, replaced by a brilliant, heartfelt smile.
[Brother: "Little sister, remember to let me know in advance when you leave school tonight."]
Qian Lele immediately replied: "Okay, I will leave on time."
Then, she checked the time.
Packed her things, shouldered her backpack, and quickly walked towards the teaching building.
She still had two important major courses this afternoon.
Now that she had the laboratory as a fixed "base," she didn't have to struggle to find study rooms everywhere like before.
That dedicated workstation had become her new home on campus, holding all her books and study supplies.
The bell for the end of the first class rang.
While discussing the homework problems the teacher had just assigned with the classmate beside her, Qian Lele picked up her phone
and noticed there was an unread WeChat message.
[Sister Xiao Jing: "Lele~ It's Friday today. I made an appointment with Qianqian to do SPA at the TC Club tonight. I heard they just got a new batch of body masks, and the effect is super good. Do you want to join us?"]
Seeing the message, Qian Lele quickly typed a reply: "Ah, I'm really sorry, Sister Xiao Jing. I have something very important to do tonight."
[Sister Xiao Jing: "Alright then, what a pity. I'll visit you at school next time;
you can't refuse then."]
Qian Lele: "Mm, okay, thank you for thinking of me, Sister Xiao Jing."
After replying, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
This Sister Xiao Jing was just too enthusiastic.
After they met, she often chatted with her, which made her feel a bit of psychological pressure.
After parting ways with her classmates,
Qian Lele returned to the quiet laboratory.
As soon as she pushed the door open, she saw Professor Jiang sitting at the innermost spot.
She was holding an extra-large cup of full-sugar bubble tea, and beside her hand were empty wrappers of "Chips Ahoy!" and "Oreo."
Qian Lele clearly remembered that yesterday, after finishing the afternoon tea she brought, Professor Jiang had very seriously "criticized" her.
Told her absolutely not to bring her any afternoon tea anymore, saying she wanted to seriously lose weight.
The stern tone had made Qian Lele, who had always respected teachers immensely since childhood, feel guilty for a long time.
This—
Qian Lele first quietly greeted the seniors in the laboratory, then tiptoed to the inner workstation.
"Good afternoon, Professor Jiang."
Seeing Qian Lele enter, a trace of embarrassment instantly flashed across Jiang Yourong's face. She subconsciously tried to hide the bubble tea cup.
Explained: "Ahem... These are snacks that Shanshan and the others bought for me. I didn't really want to eat them, but I was afraid of hurting their feelings, so... hehe..."
Looking at her mentor's adorable, "protesting too much" demeanor, Qian Lele suppressed her laughter with effort and nodded vigorously.
Praising with utmost sincerity: "I understand, Professor Jiang! You're just too soft-hearted and gentle, feeling embarrassed to refuse the students' kindness."
She was kind and simple, but her emotional intelligence and mental acuity were not low at all.
Naturally, she could understand her mentor's current situation and knew what words would sound the "nicest" at this moment.
This thoughtful "step down" brought a look of relief to Jiang Yourong's face.
"Sit down, Lele. The question you asked me on WeChat earlier about 'the application of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) in image recognition' had a very good approach. While we have time now, let me explain it to you in more detail."
"Great, thank you, Professor Jiang."
Qian Lele's eyes instantly lit up. She immediately pulled up a chair like a diligent elementary school student and sat next to the teacher, listening with rapt attention.
......
After spending over half an hour in the laboratory and finishing her last class in the afternoon, Qian Lele, like a little bird returning to its nest, ran all the way back to her dormitory.
From the very back of her wardrobe, she pulled out the new set of clothes she had bought on sale last month after much deliberation.
A beige-colored duffle coat and a gray plaid pleated skirt.
She carefully applied a layer of tinted moisturizer on her face and put on the very flattering dusty rose lipstick that Qianqian had given her.
Looking at the transformed Cinderella in the mirror, her cheeks couldn't help but blush.
A glance at the time showed it was already past five.
Outside the window, it was already pitch black.
Qian Lele placed the carefully wrapped scarf into her canvas tote bag and walked quickly out of the dormitory building.
Her passionate heart charged into the biting cold wind of the winter night.
The hem of her skirt swayed slightly.
The streetlight fell on her face;
the touch of dusty rose lipstick made her look both nervous and bright.
She jogged all the way to the bus stop.
The wind was cold, her breath forming white mist.
Yet, her palms were slightly sweaty.
5:41 PM
The Bus No. 31, which she knew like the back of her hand, its warm lights on, approached from the darkness.
"Beep—"
She followed the rush hour crowd, swiped her card, and boarded the bus.
Because it was Friday evening, the bus was crowded, the air mixed with heater warmth and various smells.
She found a small corner to stand in, holding onto the cold overhead handrail.
She looked down and sent him a WeChat message: "Brother, I'm on the bus now."
She didn't get an immediate reply.
But she wasn't anxious, just pursed her lips into a smile, her eyes looking out the window.
Neon lights flowed on the glass, like a dream.
With every streetlight that flashed by, her heartbeat trembled along.
South Luming Road, South Tiyu Street... East Wanda Plaza...
One stop, then another...
Familiar stop names sounded in her ears, then gradually faded away.
She had looked up the name of every stop on the map countless times.
She had also ridden this route alone to the entrance of that residential complex several times, but never had the courage to actually go in.
The bus compartment was noisy.
The honking of cars, the laughter of young students, the low conversations of passengers, and the looping announcement...
Rising and falling, forming the most authentic background noise of the city night.
But in her world.
All this noise was automatically filtered out, leaving only a warm, cheerful background music.
Her heartbeat was fast, strong, full of anticipation.
Brother, will he like what I'm wearing today?
What should I say to him when we meet later?
Countless fragmented thoughts filled with a young girl's feelings flickered in her mind like stars in the sky.
Three stops before her destination, the crowd in the bus began to thin.
With every brake and start, she subtly moved a small distance closer to the back door through the gaps in the crowd,
Her movements gentle and polite,
Ensuring she wouldn't disturb those getting off.
The bus moved and stopped in the crowded city center on a winter night.
She lifted her head and looked out the window.
Skyscrapers stood like a forest, neon lights flowed.
Huge LED screens changed their lights, car headlights converged into a warm yet distant golden river.
"Next stop—Yanjing Tiancheng."
The familiar female voice sounded in the bus.
Qian Lele found herself already at the back door without realizing it.
Her clear, bright eyes reflected the familiar outline of the residential complex outside the window.
She leaned slightly, trying to see more clearly through the bus window glass.
Bus No. 31 turned on its indicator light and slowly moved away from the main road, approaching the bus stop by the roadside.
Qian Lele's gaze froze.
A tall, slender figure stood quietly in the relatively well-lit area under the bus stop just ahead.
The hazy yellow glow of the streetlight gently outlined his clear silhouette.
He wore a dark long coat, with what seemed to be a light-colored turtleneck sweater underneath.
His hands were casually tucked in his coat pockets, and he was slightly raising his head, calmly watching the approaching bus.
His demeanor was gentle and calm, forming a stark contrast with the hurried pedestrians and the noisy environment around him, as if he had his own soft-focus filter.
Time suddenly slowed down.
The world outside the window blurred into light and shadow.
Winter, night, outside the bus window, a bus stop in the howling cold wind.
He seemed to have seen her too, a clear smile appearing on his face.
His hand emerged from his pocket and waved vigorously in her direction.