novelraw Chapter 121 A New Semester Bestowed with Change
Chapter 121 A New Semester Bestowed with Change
[September 1, 2025, Weather: Scorching sun]
[The mission has finally begun.]
I have made all the preparations and arrived at Donghai University.
Donghai University…
Heh.
I never imagined that my former wish would be fulfilled in such a way.
Well.
No matter what, I’ve made it here in the end.
To spend the final moments of my life here… perhaps that is a kind of mercy granted to me by fate.
I hope…you won’t blame me.
It’s not that I wanted to stain this place.
I simply have no other way, no other choice.
I’m sorry.
To make up for my regrets…
this is the only thing I can do.]
On the first day of the new semester, in Room 314 of the graduate dormitory, sunlight poured over the two young men, carrying a strange sense of inevitability.
Jiang Ran looked at Fang Ze and nodded.
“Hello. Nice to meet you.”
He quickly extended his hand and shook hands with this senior disciple named Fang Ze.
It was a small hand—slightly cool, impossibly delicate. At a glance, it was obvious this was someone who had never done a day of hard work in his life, a rich young master through and through.
For some reason…
Jiang Ran smiled.
Not at Fang Ze.
But at himself.
Only now did he finally understand why, during that phone call with Professor Zhang Yang a few days ago, the other party had found him unreasonable and arrogant—while he himself had found Donghai University absurd and chaotic.
So it turned out…
he and Professor Zhang Yang had been talking past each other the entire time, completely misunderstanding one another.
Thinking back on that intense exchange, it was honestly a bit ridiculous.
Back then, when Professor Zhang Yang called Jiang Ran and said a new exchange student had joined his group, he had never been referring to Cheng Mengxue at all! He had meant this beautiful young man standing right in front of him—Fang Ze!
It was entirely Jiang Ran’s fault for jumping to conclusions, immediately assuming it was Cheng Mengxue and stubbornly talking at cross purposes with Zhang Yang.
No wonder Zhang Yang had said their lives shouldn’t intersect…
No wonder he had said it was perfectly reasonable for them to share a dorm room…
That was beyond reasonable!
Two male students sharing a male dormitory—what could be more natural?
All he could say was… what a coincidence.
This semester, two exchange students had coincidentally chosen Professor Zhang Yang at the same time, which had led to the misunderstanding from a few days ago.
This Fang Ze came from Harvard University. Like Cheng Mengxue, he was also here as a one-year exchange student at Donghai University.
The difference was that his procedures had clearly been completed earlier, allowing him to arrive in Dragon Country sooner, choose an advisor sooner, and meet Professor Zhang Yang sooner. The day Zhang Yang had called Jiang Ran was likely the very day he met Fang Ze—so naturally, he had immediately called Jiang Ran to share his excitement. For a “sect” that had previously consisted of just a lone commander, this was an enormous surprise. After all, even though it was just one additional member, the total number of disciples had doubled—a terrifying increase of 100%.
And.
There was even better news.
News that Professor Zhang Yang still didn’t know yet.
That was—Cheng Mengxue, the exchange student from the University of Pennsylvania who would be arriving at Donghai University today, would also choose Professor Zhang Yang as her advisor after completing registration.
What an honor.
A professor who had only obtained graduate advisor qualifications less than half a year ago—who didn’t even have official student recruitment rights this year…
was about to welcome three prodigies in a single semester: one from Harvard, one from the University of Pennsylvania, and Jiang Ran himself—the “solver of Goldbach’s Conjecture (dark form)” and “personally recommended by the Director of the Dragon Country Academy of Sciences (light form).”
When the three of them reported to the lab this afternoon, Professor Zhang Yang’s face would surely be blooming with joy.
This would undoubtedly be the most brilliant moment of his entire life—one that would never be surpassed.
Because…
a year later, the two elite students from top American universities would leave.
And only Jiang Ran, this “academic idiot pig,” would remain, scheming and competing with his advisor, playing games and coasting through academic exchanges. The decline of the “sect” would only be a matter of time.
When prosperity reaches its peak, it must decline. When things reach an extreme, they reverse. That was the principle.
“Have you finished unpacking?”
Jiang Ran turned his head and looked at the neatly made bed by the window, along with the various daily necessities stacked nearby.
“Yes. I arrived early.”
Fang Ze pointed at the bed.
“You don’t mind if I take the one by the window, right?”
“No problem, no problem.”
Jiang Ran waved his hand.
“I actually prefer the one by the door. It’s more convenient—I go out quite often, so sleeping here won’t disturb you.”
Fang Ze blinked and looked Jiang Ran up and down.
“You like sports?”
“Not exactly sports…”
Jiang Ran scratched his head.
“I just like club activities more. I probably won’t be staying in the dorm very often.”
“Oh.”
Fang Ze nodded in understanding.
“Compared to you, I’m more of a homebody.”
He smiled—clear and clean—then turned around and picked up the book he had just set down.
“I usually like reading. All kinds of books.”
Jiang Ran glanced at the cover.
It was an English edition.
But the book was famous enough that he recognized it immediately.
“The Narrow Gate.”
He spoke softly.
“A work by the French author André Gide. It even won the Nobel Prize in Literature.”
Fang Ze looked at Jiang Ran in surprise.
“You’ve read it?”
“No.”
Jiang Ran answered honestly.
“Although it’s a love story, it’s overly pretentious and self-tormenting. And by today’s standards, its values are pretty questionable. There are plenty of videos online criticizing it—I happened to come across some… and was quite shocked.”
Then, suddenly realizing it might be inappropriate to criticize the book his roommate was currently reading, he quickly added:
“Ah, but in terms of literary merit, it’s probably excellent. After all, it’s a Nobel Prize-winning work.”
“Every era has its own cultural style. You shouldn’t judge the past by today’s standards, nor should you blindly revere the past and belittle the present.”
Fang Ze casually flipped through the book and smiled.
Then he looked up at Jiang Ran.
“Just as Professor Zhang Yang said—you’re a very interesting and knowledgeable person. He also said you’re a super genius, extraordinarily intelligent, with a perspective unlike ordinary people… to be honest, I’m looking forward to it.”
“Ah, hahaha…”
Jiang Ran gave an awkward laugh and changed the subject.
It seemed Zhang Yang had already bragged about his “senior disciple.”
Probably trying to use him to intimidate this Harvard elite?
Forget it.
For some reason, Jiang Ran felt that Professor Zhang Yang was getting closer and closer to complete ruin…
“I’ll help you unpack,” Fang Ze offered.
“No need, no need.”
Jiang Ran waved his hand.
“I can handle it myself. No need to trouble you.”
“You only have this little stuff?”
Fang Ze looked puzzled.
“I don’t see bedding or toiletries…”
“Oh, those are at Professor Zhang Yang’s apartment.”
Jiang Ran explained that he had moved his belongings there before the summer break.
Fang Ze, though somewhat slender and delicate in appearance—almost like a pampered pretty boy—was actually very enthusiastic. He insisted on going with Jiang Ran to move the things. Unfortunately, Jiang Ran didn’t have the key at the moment.
To retrieve his belongings, they would have to wait until the afternoon, after reporting to Zhang Yang in the lab, get the apartment key, and then go.
Ding-dong.
A WeChat notification sounded.
Jiang Ran picked up his phone. It was a message from Cheng Mengxue—she said she would arrive at the entrance of Donghai University in twenty minutes.
He typed a reply, saying he would go pick her up.
“Fang Ze, I’ll head out for a bit.”
Jiang Ran pulled open the door.
“I’m going to the school gate to pick up a friend. She just returned from abroad and isn’t familiar with Donghai University, so I’ll help her with registration and paperwork. Anyway, see you this afternoon. There’s an opening class—we’ll talk then.”
“Alright.”
Fang Ze waved goodbye.
Bang.
The door closed, and the double dorm room fell silent.
Fang Ze closed the book in his hands.
He stood up and walked to the window, looking outside. Dozens of seconds later, Jiang Ran’s figure appeared—carrying a bag as he exited the dorm building and headed toward the school gate.
“Jiang… Ran…”
Fang Ze narrowed his eyes, watching the departing figure, a faint smile on his lips.
“An interesting person.”
After helping Cheng Mengxue complete all the enrollment procedures and delivering her luggage to the dorm, the two strolled through the campus.
“Jiang Ran, how are you so skilled at this?!”
Cheng Mengxue was astonished the entire way.
“Isn’t this your first day too? Yet you’re so familiar with everything at Donghai University… it’s like you’ve been here for years!”
“Heh.”
Jiang Ran chuckled.
“Universities in our country are pretty similar. Once you’ve been to one, the rest come naturally.”
Unable to explain his familiarity with Donghai University, he could only exploit Cheng Mengxue’s blind spot in knowledge. After all, on this worldline, she had no idea what domestic universities were like.
“This campus is so beautiful.”
Cheng Mengxue looked around, dazzled by the scenery, full of praise.
“Much prettier than universities in the U.S.”
She truly looked like a freshman who had just enrolled…
Which made Jiang Ran think of Worldline 0, when he, Qin Feng, and Cheng Mengxue had first stepped onto this campus—they had been just as stunned.
First by its sheer size.
Then by its beauty.
As expected of a top-three university in the country. Although… there was a joke: Tsinghua was TOP1, Peking University was TOP2, and there were seven or eight schools all claiming TOP3…
“Jiang Ran, what is Professor Zhang Yang like?”
Cheng Mengxue asked curiously.
“What kind of person is he?”
“He’s pretty decent, just a bit goofy.”
Thinking of Zhang Yang’s lesser-known side, Jiang Ran sighed.
“Of course, he’s only goofy in private. In class, he’s very serious.”
“Don’t worry—if you choose him as your advisor, he’ll definitely be very happy. After all… how should I put it… due to certain circumstances, his group is rather… sparse.”
After speaking, Jiang Ran checked his watch.
“I’ll take you to the cafeteria for a meal. Then you can go back and unpack. In the afternoon, we’ll go to the lab together to report to Professor Zhang Yang. According to the schedule, the first class is an opening session—he’ll probably have something to tell us.”
He took out his phone and opened WeChat, checking his chat with Professor Zhang Yang.
Still no reply.
Strange.
From yesterday until now, Zhang Yang hadn’t responded at all.
Was he just busy because the semester was about to start?
No idea.
Jiang Ran shook his head.
It didn’t matter. They would definitely see him during the afternoon class. Zhang Yang took teaching very seriously—he had never missed a class, nor allowed students to skip.
That afternoon.
Jiang Ran, Fang Ze, and Cheng Mengxue arrived at the lab together, waiting for Zhang Yang.
As fellow disciples, they quickly warmed up to each other. Fang Ze and Cheng Mengxue, both exchange students from the U.S., naturally had many common topics and chatted happily.
Through their conversation, Jiang Ran learned that Fang Ze had grown up abroad—first in the UK, then in Germany, and in several other countries before finally attending Harvard.
A complicated background.
Clearly not from an ordinary family.
That much was evident from his temperament alone.
An ordinary family could never cultivate such a refined, almost manga-like beauty. That kind of aura was built with money.
“Hm? Why isn’t Professor Zhang Yang here yet?”
Cheng Mengxue took out her phone and showed them the time.
“Look—it’s already been 20 minutes since class started.”
“That’s strange…”
Jiang Ran opened his chat with Zhang Yang again.
Still no reply.
On Worldline 0, when the three of them had taken Zhang Yang’s general-education class with Qin Feng, he had never been late once. He always arrived early and left last. His teaching attitude was extremely serious.
So what was going on today?
Not only late, but also not replying on WeChat.
Could something have happened?
Thud.
Thud-thud.
Thud-thud-thud.
Outside the door, the sound of leather shoes approached—steady and rhythmic.
“Professor Zhang is here,” Fang Ze reminded.
The three of them immediately sat up straight and looked toward the classroom door.
Then—
A young, handsome man with a middle-parted hairstyle and gold-rimmed glasses strode in confidently!
He said nothing, his cold gaze sweeping across the three of them before walking straight to the lectern.
Jiang Ran froze.
Who is this?
This was definitely not Professor Zhang Yang!
What was he doing here?
Wrong classroom?
“Your Professor Zhang Yang was in a car accident. He won’t be able to teach.”
Leaning on the lectern, the man with gold-rimmed glasses spoke sharply.
“So for the time being, I will temporarily replace Zhang Yang as your advisor.”
Bang!
Jiang Ran shot to his feet.
A car accident?
In an instant, the footage of Cheng Mengxue being struck by a vehicle flashed through his mind—the horrifying image of bodies crushed into pulp.
He hurriedly pulled out his phone, about to call Zhang Yang—
“Jiang Ran.”
The man’s gaze sharpened.
“The teacher is speaking. Don’t be so ill-mannered. Sit down properly.”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried overwhelming pressure.
Thud-thud-thud, thud-thud-thud.
The man picked up a piece of chalk and forcefully wrote three large characters on the blackboard:
[Yan Chonghan]
“That is my name.”
With a flick of his finger, the chalk traced a parabola and landed in the chalk box.
“You can call me Professor Yan. As the name suggests, I am very strict.”
“Now, enough nonsense.”
He straightened his posture and looked down at the three of them.
“We will now…”
“begin class.”