Evening—
The day's sharing session concluded, and attendees gradually dispersed.
Qiu Xi followed her two teachers to find Elder Xing.
They had agreed during lunch to have dinner together in the evening and attend the exchange meeting tomorrow.
"Xiao Xi, how did you find the afternoon?"
Elder Xing Jingtian asked with a smile as the three walked in.
Qiu Xi nodded, "Mmm, it seemed a bit more exciting than the morning."
"Hahaha~"
"You're quite honest, child!"
Elder Xing Jingtian greatly appreciated this trait of hers—saying what she truly thought.
"Come, chat with this old man and tell me what new and interesting things you've found."
"Alright, I do have some interesting things."
With that, Qiu Xi moved closer, and the two began a most delightful conversation.
...
"This... Elder Xing and this young girl can chat so much?"
Mmm... and so harmoniously!
Xu Lailai watched the scene before her, a little surprised.
Qin Yu was also full of questions, "Don't ask me, I'm still bewildered!"
They hadn't spent much time with Elder Xing this morning, and already they were this familiar...
And Elder Xing, it was rare to see him laugh so heartily.
This young girl was truly a "remarkable" person!
"Hmm? Don't just look at the two of us!" Ding Yujing waved his hand as he noticed the scrutinizing gazes.
They had only joined in the fun that morning; as for how this elder and youth could converse so well, they were also quite surprised.
Even when the dishes arrived, the two still seemed to have more to say...
Elder Xing Jingtian felt that Qiu Xi's talent was indeed excellent, so he naturally talked more.
As for Qiu Xi, Elder Xing could add something to whatever she said, making the conversation even more engaging.
"Grandpa Xing, perhaps we should start eating? We can continue our discussion at the exchange meeting tomorrow." The dishes had arrived; they couldn't keep chatting.
Elder Xing Jingtian smiled and nodded, "Alright, let's eat then."
On the way back after the meal, Ding Yujing asked Qiu Xi, "Xiao Xi, what do you think of Elder Xing? You two seemed to be chatting very happily."
Qiu Xi thought for a moment, "Grandpa Xing is indeed a very good person, and it was very smooth to chat with him about those topics."
Grandpa Xing was about twenty years older than her master. He spoke a bit slower, but every word was precise and insightful.
Undeniably, the elder still had many tricks up his sleeve.
Although older, his knowledge reserve was many times greater.
Grandpa Xing was not rigid either; as they chatted, she also gained a lot.
"Mmm, that's true. Elder Xing's decades of experience are not something ordinary people can possess."
It was like practicing martial arts; decades of internal martial arts cultivation couldn't just appear out of nowhere; it relied on the accumulation of time.
"You must seize the opportunity at tomorrow's exchange meeting. Every bit you can learn is valuable."
Tomorrow would truly be a scene of blooming flowers and competing brilliance!
Thinking of them interacting, like a debate, she felt the excitement even now, before tomorrow.
"Teacher Ding, please rest assured. I will watch and learn as much as I can. I won't speak unnecessarily, and I won't be silent about what I know. You can relax."
She felt nervous just watching Teacher Ding's highly focused demeanor these past two days.
"Exactly, don't you know this child Xiao Xi? You should get some good sleep yourself first," Yan Xingming also said with a light laugh.
Old Ding was too worried. He couldn't help but mention it whenever he had free time.
He was also worried, but he managed it well, unlike this old fellow... He was worried just looking at him!
What if the child handled things perfectly, but her teacher couldn't keep up...
"..."
Ding Yujing was taken aback by their back-and-forth reactions.
Were they both so... worried about him these past two days?
"Then... I don't need to worry?" he asked, a hint of hesitation in his voice.
Qiu Xi nodded, "Yes!"
"Mmm, you just watch with peace of mind," Yan Xingming chimed in.
This child Xiao Xi, after just one day here, was chatting happily with Elder Xing. How could anyone worry about her?
As for him, he should rest well and enjoy the show!
"..."
"Alright, since you two both say so, I'll just recline and watch, not worrying anymore."
"Worrying tires me out..."
Qiu Xi, "..."
So you actually know you get tired?!!
"Alright, let's go back and wash up and sleep!"
Since he had nothing else to do, resting early was the way to go.
Qiu Xi happily replied, "Okay, I'll listen to you, teacher. Let's go back and wash up and sleep."
With that, the three of them headed back to the hotel.
...
Meanwhile, at a hotel not far from the exchange meeting venue.
Zhen Zhu and her teacher had just arrived at the hotel and sat in the waiting lounge downstairs, discussing the topics they had talked about with Qiu Xi that afternoon.
After a long while...
Cheng Pei cast a complex look at the child opposite him.
After chatting for so long, he finally realized what it meant to say this child was only suited for competitions...
Obsessed with the model of rote learning, and detached from her teacher's guidance, this child had narrowed her path.
The influence of family education was also undeniable. The Zhen family was not a prominent wealthy clan; Zhen Zhu's father had become rich suddenly, accumulating some savings in recent years.
Perhaps because of this, they paid even more attention to so-called connections.
This girl saw it clearly too; her own family had been introduced through Little Wang's information, which then led to him taking her as a disciple.
What he hadn't expected, however, was that this would make her even more convinced of this approach...
"Child, that girl was right, your path... is too narrow!"
"You don't lack money. You think Qiu Xi could get ahead through connections because she had such good teachers—but have you ever considered that the child herself possesses considerable ability!"
"Not to mention distant things, let's talk about what happened today. Even if you had the opportunity to interact with Elder Xing, what would you say? What would you talk about to strike up a conversation with Elder Xing?"
Looking at the silent child, Cheng Pei continued, "You wouldn't. After greeting him, you'd talk about what you're good at—coaxing the elderly. You and the elder have nothing in common, no shared topics."
"But Qiu Xi is different. As you yourself asked, she only attended a sharing session, and she could discuss the things she recorded. Do you understand?"
"But I..." have money...
Zhen Zhu couldn't utter those last two words. Even without her teacher saying it, she felt they were too hot to speak.
"Alright, go back and think carefully."
"After this exchange meeting is over, you'll come to the laboratory here earlier."
If a problem was identified, it was better to solve it sooner rather than later.
Zhen Zhu nodded blankly, "Okay."
"Mmm, go back and get some rest early."
With that, Cheng Pei sighed and turned to leave.
Zhen Zhu, following behind, watched for a good while before walking towards her hotel room.