"Knock, knock, knock!"
"Come in."
As soon as Qi Xizhi gave the order, two people walked in through the door.
Qiu Xi and Luo An also looked up.
A man and a woman. Since their mentor had a slight preference for good looks, both of them appeared to be quite attractive.
"You two are here. Come and sit over here."
Seeing his two newly recruited students, Qi Xizhi smiled kindly and gestured for them to come forward.
"Yes, thank you, teacher..."
It was their first formal meeting with their mentor in private. Perhaps due to nervousness, both of them seemed a little awkward.
After sitting down, they placed their hands obediently, their backs remarkably straight. However, their gazes were hesitant to meet his directly, and they would naturally lower their eyes after a brief glance.
Qi Xizhi was accustomed to this.
Among the students he had taken in over the past two years, Qiu Xi was the only one who had been so forthright when meeting him and their fellow disciples in the office for the first time. He still remembered her composed demeanor and excellent etiquette when they first met.
"You two don't need to be nervous. Today is just to get you acquainted."
Actually, he had a little ulterior motive for calling them in so early this year. It would be even better if these two could start working during the summer...
"Mhm." The two nodded gently. wap.kanshuwu.net
"Come, let me introduce you to your senior postgraduate students, the second-year ones."
"This is Qiu Xi, and next to her is Luo An."
"Qiu Xi, Luo An, these are your junior disciples, Zhao Xingling and Chen Mingyu."
"Hello, I'm Qiu Xi."
As soon as Qiu Xi finished speaking, Zhao Xingling, sitting one seat away from her, immediately turned to greet her.
"Hello, senior. I'm Zhao Xingling."
Her tone carried an undisguised hint of joy.
"???" Qiu Xi was a little confused. She didn't seem to know this junior disciple.
"What? Do you know each other?"
Qiu Xi shook her head slightly, "No, this is my first time meeting junior."
Zhao Xingling, on the other hand, was a little excited. "Teacher Qi is joking. Senior probably doesn't know me."
"But I know senior!"
"Senior Qiu Xi is quite famous in our department. Many people should recognize her."
"Senior Qiu Xi, I've watched a lot of your competition footage. You're amazing!"
As Zhao Xingling spoke, she seemed to forget she was in an office. All her earlier apprehension and unease vanished, replaced by an overwhelming focus on Qiu Xi.
"..." Luo An was a bit perplexed.
Was this a fan meeting a celebrity?
"Ahem!"
"It seems Senior Qiu Xi's influence is quite significant. She must be popular in the school too?" Qi Xizhi smiled and joined in the jest.
"Teacher, you might not know this, but Senior Qiu Xi is very popular among our cohort and the two below us," Chen Mingyu chimed in.
"Oh? Is Mingyu one of them?"
"Teacher, you're joking. Senior is so outstanding, who wouldn't like her!"
"Mingyu is naturally a fan too."
"Hahahaha~"
"Qiu Xi, you've really... how does it feel to suddenly meet two little fans?"
Qiu Xi felt a bit stifled. The situation felt rather strange.
"Ahem..." Qiu Xi feigned a cough to cover up, "It feels... alright, but my junior and junior disciples are just being overly kind. Their words make me a bit embarrassed."
"If it were me, I'd be incredibly thick-skinned."
Luo An, who was already familiar with their teacher, saw Qiu Xi's slight awkwardness and joined in with a jest.
"Senior Luo An, you're joking. Everyone also really likes your violin playing."
"Ahem!" Luo An was so startled that he began to choke on his saliva.
"No way, how does anyone know about this..."
He thought he was done for after graduation...
"Oh~ I didn't expect Luo An to have a story too!"
"Come on, tell the teacher how it all happened."
"..." Now Luo An was the one left speechless.
Because their teacher looked particularly gossipy at that moment.
"This... they call him a gentleman, a prince. Everyone has very high praise for him..."
Zhao Xingling casually mentioned a few things. It wasn't that she didn't want to say more, but some of her friends' comments were a bit too explicit. If those everyday gossips were actually spoken aloud, it would be social death.
"Hahahaha~"
"That's quite interesting."
"In the future, when you have time, you can all chat about it more. The teacher enjoys listening to these things."
"...Okay." Zhao Xingling nodded mechanically. She seemed to have said too much.
"Ahem!" Qiu Xi, seeing this, quietly leaned closer to Teacher Qi and whispered.
"Teacher, have you... gone off-topic?"
"..."
"This... the topic has strayed too far." Qi Xizhi suppressed his excessive smile.
"Are you two preparing to leave the school soon?" Unlike Qiu Xi last year, he had called these two into his office after everything was settled. Back then, he felt they were ready when Qiu Xi was preparing for her postgraduate recommendation. Therefore, at this time, it should be the period after graduation defenses were finished and graduates were preparing to leave.
The two nodded in unison, "Yes, we just finished our graduation matters. In a few more days, after everything is sorted, we will be leaving."
"I see..." Qi Xizhi pondered for a moment, "Then, if I asked you to join the project this summer, would you be willing?"
"Willing!"
"No problem!"
At this moment, no matter what their personal thoughts might be, they couldn't express them. So, as soon as Qi Xizhi finished speaking, and after quickly considering their options, both of them nodded immediately. Having finally reached safe harbor, they feared that if they refused, they might be cast back out to sea the next second. Although unlikely, they were still afraid!
"Alright!" Qi Xizhi nodded with satisfaction. Although it was a bit "cruel," following him as a teacher meant genuine gains.
"Xiao Xi, please add them both later and create a group chat. Pull all of us in."
"Okay, Teacher." Qiu Xi nodded.
After speaking, Qi Xizhi chatted with them for a few more moments before slowly standing up and leaving the office. It was already late; if they didn't go eat soon, they'd only find cold food.
As soon as Teacher Qi left, the two new students relaxed their postures, their previously straight shoulders slumping considerably.
Seeing them like this, Qiu Xi smiled gently, "You two don't need to be so nervous. Teacher Qi might seem a bit fierce, but he's actually a very good person, especially to his students."
"Mhm... Senior, we haven't quite adjusted yet." After all, they had a fixed impression, and it would take time to adapt.
"It's alright, take your time. Everything will be fine."
"Mhm!"
"Come on, I'll scan you. Let's add each other as friends first."
"Okay... Okay." The thought of immediately becoming one of Senior's contacts made Zhao Xingling a little excited.
"Senior, here."
"Okay."
After adding both of them, Qiu Xi quickly created a group chat.
"You are now prospective first-year postgraduates. Under Teacher Qi, excluding the senior who just graduated, there are only the two of you as second-year postgraduates, and one third-year postgraduate, Senior Mo Yaya."
"All of us, including Teacher Qi, are in the group chat."
"After you join, please update your information," Qiu Xi murmured to the two as she operated her phone.
"Okay, Senior."
Once the group chat was created, Qiu Xi was the first to send a message, greeting the teacher and briefly introducing the two to Mo Yaya. Thus, Qiu Xi had now, in a way, stepped into her second year of postgraduate studies.
...