"Senior Brother Luo, where is Senior Sister Qiu?"
"Finding your senior sister is easy, she's either working on her thesis or in the library; you'll always find her there." Luo An said casually, looking at Zhao Xingling.
"But why are you looking for her?"
"She seems to be busy finishing her thesis lately, so she might really not have much time."
"Is that so..." Zhao Xingling nodded blankly.
"Recently, the professor started having me and Chen Mingyu learn how to substitute teach for him, and told us to ask Senior Sister if we had any questions..."
"This matter... then you really need to find her!" Luo An shook his head helplessly.
Although he had also substituted before, he was unfortunately a bit clumsy at it, and never quite got the hang of it. He rarely substituted afterwards. If they came to him for advice, he would probably only be able to talk about lesson planning...
"Perhaps you should go look for her again."
For the past few months, Qiu Xi had been acting as if she had been spurred on by something, or perhaps she truly had nothing else to do. She had become a thesis-writing robot. Others wrote one thesis in half a year or even a year, but she could complete one in a month or two. If her writings weren't so good, it would be one thing, but they were all brilliant, earning the admiration of even the professor. It made people envious. Fortunately, he knew his place. After the initial competitiveness, he gradually came to understand his own limitations and would only do his best.
"Alright, I'm troubling Senior Brother."
"It's nothing! Go ahead." Luo An nodded gently.
He hoped this junior sister wouldn't be discouraged by Senior Sister Qiu. However, she might have already been discouraged... after all, they had meetings together from time to time.
...
Qiu Xi, who had been dubbed the "thesis-writing robot" for her months of hard work, was currently engrossed in writing at her usual spot in the library. Zhao Xingling had only come to try her luck, never expecting to actually find Qiu Xi there. If Professor Qi hadn't been in such a hurry, she wouldn't have dared to disturb her senior sister so "unceremoniously." Truly, if she didn't start soon, the consequences would be dire... And Chen Mingyu, neither of them wanted to be publicly reprimanded by Professor Qi. They were adults, and they valued their reputation. Thus, they could only turn to their senior sister.
Seeing Qiu Xi intently focused on the screen, Zhao Xingling didn't rush to speak. Instead, she quietly pulled up a chair beside her and sat down. At first, she just sat there blankly. Gradually, Zhao Xingling felt it wasn't right to just sit there doing nothing, so she opened her own notebook and started writing and sketching.
About ten to twenty minutes later, Qiu Xi looked up and noticed Zhao Xingling beside her.
"Xingling, did you need something?" Qiu Xi asked softly.
In recent months, she had been either holed up in her office or spending time in the library. She was quite accustomed to such things. But there was no other way; perhaps after this period, things would no longer be like this.
Zhao Xingling nodded, "Senior Sister, I do have something to ask you."
"Alright, wait for me for a moment, and we'll talk over there."
Zhao Xingling nodded, "Okay." She was familiar with this routine. It wasn't convenient to speak loudly here, but it would be fine over there. Senior Sister's intention was that she could help solve her problems.
"Alright, you can tell me what it is here," Qiu Xi said, looking at Zhao Xingling opposite her.
"Senior Sister, it's like this."
"Professor Qi is planning to have me and Chen Mingyu start learning about substituting for him, and we were told to ask you for advice."
"Oh, this, alright!" Qiu Xi nodded understandingly. "If you have time, I'll explain it to you here. It shouldn't take too long."
"I have time!" Zhao Xingling immediately nodded. "Senior Sister, I have time, please just tell me."
"Well, then let's begin."
"Okay."
Since this was Zhao Xingling's first time dealing with the matter of substituting for a professor, Qiu Xi asked which subject it was and then explained it in detail to her. She could only offer advice specific to that subject for now; for others, she would need feedback from them before she could continue teaching. Of course, some people might just not be suited for it, like Luo An. She truly couldn't help him! As for these two junior siblings, it would depend on the situation.
After meticulously explaining for nearly an hour, Qiu Xi stopped. Picking up her water cup, Qiu Xi looked at Zhao Xingling opposite her. "How is it, do you think it's okay?"
Zhao Xingling was diligently taking notes, feeling that her brain capacity was insufficient... After finishing her notes, she heard her senior sister's question.
"Senior Sister, there was a lot of information, but I've written it all down. I'll discuss it with Chen Mingyu later, and it should be fine."
"Mmm, if you have any more questions, just send me a message. I usually make time to reply in the evening."
"Okay, Senior Sister."
"Then I've troubled you today, Senior Sister. I'll be going to review it now."
"Mmm, go ahead."
"Good luck!"
"Mmm! Thank you, Senior Sister."
With that, Zhao Xingling grabbed her things and hurried out of the library. As soon as she was out, she immediately messaged Chen Mingyu. They arranged to meet in the office.
...
After Zhao Xingling left, Qiu Xi returned to her usual spot with her belongings. Her current thesis still had a concluding part that needed proper summarization, and she didn't want to drag it out any longer. Besides her thesis, she also had several translation tasks she had taken on, covering various fields. These weren't for money, but for gaining experience. She had to thank Professor Jin Qiong for introducing her to Professor Xie Qin last time. Since the "Enterprise Translation Conference" ended, she had gained a lot. As her master said, each phase is different, and once you break through, you'll realize there's still so much to learn. So, she began to slowly engage and slowly immerse herself. Indeed, after engaging more, she had discovered many things she had never noticed before. It was precisely because of this that she earned nicknames like "thesis-writing robot," "learning expert," "reckless graduate student," and "involution genius." She had heard quite a few, and her advisor had also spoken with her privately about it. However, they were all just casual remarks. Others might not know, but she herself was very clear! She had simply seized an opportunity and was working hard to grow in a new phase.
...