Qiu Qiu was a person who meticulously planned his time, especially during critical moments like final exams. He had his schedule laid out well in advance. From waking up at eight in the morning to going to bed at eleven at night, everything was clearly allocated. He was determined to dedicate all his time, aside from cooking, cleaning, and vocal practice, to diligent studying.
Originally, Fu Ruien wanted to hire someone to handle the chores, but Qiu Qiu felt too guilty about living in such a luxurious house without paying a cent for rent. So, he insisted on doing the household tasks himself. The workload wasn't actually heavy. After all, a high-rise apartment didn't require daily floor mopping, and Fu Ruien wasn't always home for meals. Qiu Qiu only needed to spend a little over an hour each day on chores, treating it as a form of light exercise.
Moreover, with his slender waist and long legs, the plain apron cinched around his small waist, as he bustled about with a mop here and a duster there, was truly a pleasing sight. Every morning, as Fu Ruien sat at the dining table enjoying breakfast, watching Qiu Qiu's busy figure moving around, he sometimes felt like he had raised a warm-hearted eldest son, and other times like he had a considerate little wife.
The fire at the school's male dormitory building No. 4 was, for Qiu Qiu, merely a change of location for his studies. He could buy new textbooks, he had photocopies of his notes, and the new computer his godfather bought him was fast and lightweight... Unaffected by the external disruption, he methodically followed his own revision schedule.
Consequently, while other students were just barely settling down to start their final term papers, Qiu Qiu had already revised his two course papers three times each.
On this day, he went to the university to submit his papers and also return some library books.
After finishing these errands, he dawdled on the spot for a while before hesitantly heading towards the vice dean's office.
Vice Dean Professor Wang was an old friend of his father's; they were roommates back in the day and were known as the talented duo of University A. In the blink of an eye, over thirty years had passed. When the two stood together now, they were no longer University A's talented duo, but University A's portly duo.
Because of their close relationship, Qiu Qiu had grown up playing in front of Professor Wang. Now that they were teacher and student, Qiu Qiu, to "avoid any appearance of favoritism," never called him Uncle Wang anymore. Whenever they met on campus, he addressed him properly as 'Professor'.
The course Professor Wang taught them this semester was a major-specific one, worth 4 credits, with a notoriously high failure rate that had made many seniors cry and wail over the strict grading. While reviewing, Qiu Qiu had encountered many questions, filling an entire sheet of paper. Today, he mustered the courage to ask Professor Wang for clarification.
Professor Wang glanced at his list of questions, set it aside casually, took a sip of water to moisten his throat, and then asked, "These are quite good questions. But the review session is this weekend evening. Why come knocking on my door today?"
Qiu Qiu felt rather embarrassed. After a long pause, he finally spoke in a soft voice, "I... I wanted to ask for leave from the review session this weekend... I have something to do. Please don't tell my parents."
"A date?"
"No, no, it's for that singing competition I'm in... there's a rehearsal." As he spoke, his face felt burning hot. But he wasn't good at lying, so he could only tell the truth.
He immediately regretted it. He was planning to apply for Professor Wang's graduate program. What if the professor thought he was an unserious student and didn't want him?
He braced himself for a scolding. To his surprise, just as he was shrinking into his shoulders, Professor Wang agreed cheerfully, "Go ahead, no need for formal leave. The review session is for those who need it anyway. Rehearsals for the show are important too. Sing well. If you need help getting votes, tell Old Shang to let us know."
"..." Huh? That easy?
His stunned expression betrayed his thoughts; his eyes were wide open, his contact lenses almost popping out.
Seeing him dumbfounded, Professor Wang offered some advice, "You're a good kid in every way, but sometimes you're more 'outdated' than someone my age over fifty. If you want to pursue academia, I'll definitely support you. But if you want to explore other directions, that's fine too."
Professor Wang continued, "I was just reading the newspaper. There's a lot of data now showing that the gap between what you study as an undergraduate and what you end up doing is getting wider. And times are different from when we were young. Back then, top graduates like me becoming teachers was good, or like your dad going into publishing, that was good too. But you guys now have more and more choices. Among the students I taught last year, five were online writers, three were microblogging influencers, and one male student became a live-streamer."
"A gaming streamer?"
"No, a beauty streamer."
"...???"
Professor Wang said with a mix of exasperation and hope, "You're being too narrow-minded. Your senior is a beauty blogger, not necessarily a 'beautiful woman' blogger."
Qiu Qiu, duly chastised, quickly agreed.
Professor Wang added, "Even forty-year-olds can have a dream-chasing heart. You're only twenty-one; it's good to try different paths. You've been too well-behaved since you were little, lacking a bit of that boyish 'wildness' and 'mischief'. Now that you've finally found something you like, go for it. If you really become a star, your dad will have something to boast about at class reunions. If it doesn't work out, that's okay too. You're smart and can focus. I'll always consider you my student."
Qiu Qiu didn't know how to describe his feelings at that moment. Professor Wang's words were like a torrent, carrying courage and strength, rushing into his heart and causing waves of emotion.
He had always followed in his parents' footsteps. Other kids had some rebellious phase during adolescence, but he never did... He wasn't trying to deny his smooth-sailing life up to that point, but he had to admit that his story was indeed lacking some excitement, some twists and turns, some things "outside the plan".
He should have tried spreading his wings long ago, attempting to fly in new directions.
After all, everyone's path is walked step by step. Fu Ruien had once told him about the hardships of starting his own business. Back then, he too faced an unknown ocean, not knowing which way to steer, yet he had still carved out his own world.
And... his godfather had already invested thirty million into this program just so he could participate. If he still approached it with a casual, just-participating attitude, wouldn't that waste his godfather's sincere efforts?
Qiu Qiu finally figured everything out. Initially, he joined the talent show because he was pushed from behind, taking one step at a time, hesitantly, not knowing how to balance studies and his interest. But he loved singing so much; there was no need to feel ashamed or forced about it.
Of course, adjusting his mindset towards the competition didn't mean he would abandon his studies. He had already completed all his senior-year courses ahead of schedule this semester. Now, he needed to focus on preparing for his exams, and after they were over, concentrate seriously on the upcoming regional finals.
When his godfather came to watch the competition, he had to perform well, to let Fu Ruien know that his sweet son was worthy of being his pride.
When he successfully advanced to the next round, Fu Ruien, sitting in the audience, would surely feel proud, wouldn't he? Thinking of this, Qiu Qiu smiled, both shyly and expectantly.
Afterwards, the teacher and student carefully discussed the list of questions Qiu Qiu had written, going through them point by point. Qiu Qiu filled three full pages of notes, diligent and earnest, not the least bit flighty. He had always been steady; even though he was determined to try his luck in the entertainment industry, he never let his focus waver when it was time to study.
Among all the children the professors had watched grow up, Professor Wang liked him the most, feeling that young people as grounded and focused on the task at hand as him were rare—a trait he shared with Old Qiu. Back when Qiu Qiu was in elementary school, Old Qiu had won the lottery jackpot, yet he still went to work as usual, compiling dictionaries without batting an eye, and it never disrupted his life. If this kid really entered the entertainment world in the future, he would probably be an extraordinary and unorthodox force.
Professor Wang couldn't help but reach out and ruffle Qiu Qiu's fluffy head. It really was like a little lamb's, quite pleasant to the touch.
...In the future, Qiu Qiu was going to be a big star; he absolutely must not go bald like Old Qiu.
Before Qiu Qiu shouldered his backpack to say goodbye, Professor Wang stopped him.
"What else is it, teacher?"
"Oh, Qiu Qiu, let me give you a little tip—all the uncles and aunties you know are placing bets on which of you 'academic second-generation' kids will be the first to have a Baidu Baike page."
"...???"
"Qiu Qiu, Principal Zhang, Dean Huang, Director Li, Professor Yang, and I are all waiting for you to become a big star, you know! 0w<~☆"
