Lu Mingzhe, as the male lead in the original book, once again fully embodies the dross of the author's writing style.
Ye Qiusuo was forced to read the entire book at the time and disliked the characters in it immensely. She doesn't read many novels of this type and lacks the vocabulary to describe it.
If someone who frequently reads romance novels were to say it, Lu Mingzhe is the classic, old-school flavor of an overbearing young master.
His family background is decent. As the second son, with his older brother holding things up, he is free to focus on having fun. Entering the entertainment industry was merely a whim. With his brother paving the way for him behind the scenes, his path has been smooth sailing, even to the point of completely stealing Xie Xi's thunder.
The author did not detail the incident of Lu Mingzhe making a phone call in the stairwell in the book, only mentioning in passing that while others were gathered in groups talking, he went to the stairwell to avoid too much interaction with the contestants, solely to portray his overbearing side and his act of doting on Wan Yurou.
Looking at it now, many things the author didn't elaborate on could also be said to mean that everyone has their own calculations, not as simple as depicted in the original text.
Ye Qiusuo walked back, finished her last sentence with the student, and hung up the phone. She stood in the corridor, glancing sideways at the closed door.
So this is the original male lead.
"Hey, Professor Ye, the program is about to start, you should hurry inside." A staff member specifically came out to find her.
Ye Qiusuo nodded and went in with the staff member.
The moment she entered, the recording studio fell silent for an instant before everyone pretended to converse nonchalantly.
This person had attracted everyone's attention.
"What is the Chinese name for MLCC? A. Composite Ceramic Camera B. Multilayer Ceramic Chip Capacitor..."
As soon as Ye Qiusuo sat down, the host said a few words of interlude and then began reading the question.
"What do our guests think about this question?"
"I think it's A. Its Chinese translation, when turned into an abbreviation, just happens to be MLCC," a guest raised their hand and said.
Only ten civilian guests remained on stage, so speaking had become much more casual than before. They could simply raise their hands, and the host would call on them.
Without a second thought, Ye Qiusuo pressed B.
Host: "... Our Professor Ye has already made her choice? Won't you reconsider?"
Ye Qiusuo nodded.
"Have any of our celebrity guests on stage started choosing?" The host turned to look at the five people on stage and noticed two had already made their selections. "Our Teacher Dong made his choice very quickly this time. Are you sure of the answer?"
The other person was Wan Yurou, but obviously, calling on her wouldn't generate as much buzz.
Dong Junjian chuckled and said, "How would I know what that abbreviation stands for? Following Professor Ye's choice is sure to be right."
Ye Qiusuo narrowed her eyes slightly. This was a plot point from the book appearing, only the target had been switched to her.
Sure enough, next, two more guests on stage chose the same answer as Ye Qiusuo.
Wan Yurou sat upright, a proper smile on her face, but inwardly she was feeling somewhat irritated. She had also chosen B, yet everyone seemed to be ignoring her.
"I'll choose the same answer as Yurou." Xia Zhoubing specifically stood up and peeked at the answer on Wan Yurou's screen beside him.
The host laughed, "Esteemed guests, this kind of freedom will end in the sixth episode. In the final championship round, none of you will be able to see each other's answers."
"Let's see the correct option quickly." Dong Junjian urged.
"The correct answer is... B."
"See, following Professor Ye never leads you wrong."
Even without a camera on Ye Qiusuo, someone was cueing her into the scene. Once this episode aired, it would be hard for Ye Qiusuo not to attract attention.
After the recording finished, even a staff member came over to ask if she needed a parking pass.
These passes were originally only given to celebrities, staff, and the like. Civilian guests didn't have this privilege of being able to drive directly into the TV station's underground parking lot.
Ye Qiusuo thought for a moment and accepted it.
"Professor Ye." Wan Yurou came over from the stage area, smiling brightly. "I didn't know you were also at Tianqiu Tech Company that day, so I didn't say hello. Would you like to go get some supper together tonight?"
"No need." Ye Qiusuo declined. She preferred to go back.
Xia Zhoubing walked over, his eyes sweeping between Ye Qiusuo and Wan Yurou before saying, "Professor Ye, we're all young people, and we've recorded five episodes together now. Let's have supper and get to know each other."
"I already know who you are." Ye Qiusuo remained unmoved.
"We just want to befriend Professor Ye, that's all." Xia Zhoubing's expression turned somewhat ugly. He wasn't used to being rejected by young women and felt he was losing face.
Wan Yurou tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, breaking the awkward silence gently. "It's getting late. Professor Ye probably needs to go back and rest. We won't disturb you then. Let's get together next time we have the chance."
One doesn't hit a smiling face. Ye Qiusuo also had no intention of getting entangled with them. She nodded as a polite response and then turned to leave.
"This Professor Ye is way too arrogant." Xia Zhoubing felt rather annoyed inside.
Senior Dong Junjian, who was passing by, glanced at him, thinking to himself that refusing to have supper with them was considered arrogant? This kid, young as he is, has sure picked up the bad habits of the industry quickly.
...
News of Ye Qiusuo recording the show, spread by who knows which meddlesome students, reached the office. People greeted her all the way, and even the dean and her colleagues found out.
"Xiao Ye, you must win glory for our university." The dean said with great seriousness, "I will definitely watch the show every week."
Ye Qiusuo: "..."
The dean pulled Ye Qiusuo aside and whispered, "The president specifically called yesterday to ask about you."
In the later subtitles, every time Ye Qiusuo appeared, the introduction given was "Project Lead at Tianqiu Tech Company," never mentioning Huajing University. The president found it rather distressing.
Huajing University has had a tough time in recent years, often labeled a 'declining 985'. It's not that they lack top-tier programs, but the names of those programs don't sound impressive or lofty, so students aren't aware.
"During the next recording, I'll ask if the introduction can be changed." Ye Qiusuo understood the dean's meaning.
The dean immediately beamed with joy. "Our faculty will have to rely on you from now on, Xiao Ye."
If the president is happy, applying for project funding will be easier in the future.
Ye Qiusuo entered her office. Not long after she sat down, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Ye Qiusuo looked up towards the door and saw it was one of the students she supervised. "What is it?"
"Professor Ye, I... I want to change advisors." The student came in and hesitated for a moment before speaking.
The pen Ye Qiusuo was holding paused on the page of the book. She put down the pen and leaned back slightly. "Have a seat first."
The student gauged her expression, felt that Ye Qiusuo wasn't as angry as imagined, and relaxed a bit as they sat down.
"Can you tell me the reason?" This was the first time Ye Qiusuo was supervising students, and in less than three months, one already wanted to change advisors.
Changing advisors isn't extremely difficult, but it's not a simple matter either.
This student was a high-scoring student assigned initially, partly because the faculty wanted to support Ye Qiusuo as a new advisor.
"I don't really adapt well to your teaching style, so..." the student said awkwardly.
"Which advisor would you like to follow? I can speak to them for you." Ye Qiusuo understood perfectly well that the student was making excuses. It had only been a few months; some advisors hadn't even begun teaching their students yet, so how could teaching style be an issue?
The student was taken aback, clearly not expecting Ye Qiusuo to be so accommodating, and grew bolder.
"I'd like to follow Professor Ye Qiusu. I originally thought I would be assigned to her, but I ended up with you instead." The student had pondered this for a long time, always feeling that Ye Qiusuo was too young and was just a gimmick for university recruitment. He wanted to follow Professor Ye Qiusu, work on more projects, and secure a better future.
"Go back and wait for news. I'll communicate with Professor Ye." Since the student wanted to leave, Ye Qiusuo did not try to persuade him to stay. As for the projects she had been planning to assign to them, she would naturally put those on hold for now.
The student left in high spirits, completely unaware of what he had just missed.
He could never have imagined just how much he would come to regret it in the future.
