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墨書 Inktalez
In the corner, Tang Shangri-La Duo exclaimed, "Wow, this Boss—"
Summer Melody asked, "Sulianlin, what does that saying online go like?"
Sulianlin replied, "Cool and flashy."
Zhou Yao glanced at the Front Desk Girl, expressionless, and turned to go upstairs.
Tang Shangri-La Duo discussed the unique Boss as they returned to their room to pack their things.
Zhou Yao leaned against a window in the corridor, feeling the cool night breeze. In front of her were the rolling mountains and the night sky. The moonlight was bright, illuminating the distant snow-capped peaks.
A flickering light caught her attention. Zhou Yao turned to see a Young Man standing on a triangular ladder changing a light bulb. Noticing that the ladder was a bit wobbly, she went over to help steady it.
The Young Man looked down and smiled at her, "Thank you."
Zhou Yao replied, "It's nothing."
Remembering what had just happened, she asked, "Is that cleaning lady called Sister Gui?"
"Yes. A few years ago, her family was swept away by a flash flood; she was left all alone. It's really sad," he said as he stepped down from the ladder, smiling apologetically. "But did we disturb you just now?"
"No. That guest was quite unreasonable," Zhou Yao said.
"It's the service industry; there's no helping it. You encounter all sorts of people," the Young Man said. "Fortunately, our Boss is protective; otherwise, we'd be dealing with frustrations every day."
He carried the ladder downstairs.
Zhou Yao waited in the corridor for a while before the others gradually came out.
They took longer to get ready, and by the time they went to the restaurant, there were no other customers left. The seven of them ordered a table full of dishes and immediately began discussing their upcoming itinerary.
Although they all belonged to the Geology Department, their research directions and topics had subtle differences, and their focuses for this trip were not entirely the same. For example, Moyang studied environmental geology, focusing on the impact of climate and other factors on geology; Ji Yu leaned more towards geophysics. The remaining Lin Jinyan and four girls were currently researching topics related to minerals, but there were still differences in details.
The three boys and Tang Shangri-La Duo were all undergraduates from A University’s Geology Department, directly advancing to graduate or doctoral studies at the same school; Sulianlin and Summer Melody had fought their way into A University from an ordinary university.
As for Zhou Yao, her experience was even more unique. She had studied at the California Institute of Technology for her undergraduate degree but inexplicably returned to A University for her graduate studies.
Two years ago, one day during lunch, Summer Melody and Sulianlin returned to their dormitory and met Zhou Yao for the first time. She was squatting by her bed painting her toenails while wearing watermelon-red lingerie. When she looked up and smiled at them, she said, "Hi, I'm your roommate. My name is Zhou Yao."
As she spoke, she stood up and shook hands with them while only wearing lingerie.
Sulianlin exclaimed in surprise, "You actually have a defined waistline?!"
"I'm a surfing enthusiast," Zhou Yao replied with a bright smile that resembled California sunshine. Especially her eyes, which were large and clear like a sunny sky.
At first, Sulianlin and Summer Melody found Zhou Yao hard to understand. The California Institute of Technology was a research university; why would she return to A University for her graduate studies after completing her undergraduate degree there? Although A University was ranked first in the country, it still couldn't compare. Was it because her academic performance was poor and she couldn't continue there?
They asked Tang Shangri-La Duo about it, who said, "Do you know our department's honorary dean, Professor Zhou?"
Of course they knew; anyone studying geology knew him.
Professor Zhou was one of the top experts in geophysics in the country, with numerous achievements and international acclaim. In his early years, he worked at a research institute and made significant contributions to national geological exploration. He later moved to the United States to focus on research at the California Institute of Technology before returning to China as the honorary dean of A University's Geology Department, guiding doctoral students in their research.
Sulianlin suddenly understood: "So it was Professor Zhou's immense academic appeal that attracted Zhou Yao here."
"..." Tang Shangri-La Duo was speechless for a moment before saying, "Professor Zhou is her dad."
Professor Zhou returned to the country with a national-level large research project, in which Zhou Yao also participated as one of the key researchers.
Summer Melody was puzzled: “Isn’t Professor Zhou only supposed to supervise doctoral students?”
Tang Shangri-La Duo replied, “Zhou Yao is an exception.”
Summer Melody subtly raised an eyebrow.
Tang Shangri-La Duo continued, “Don’t be unconvinced. I secretly looked into this new roommate of ours; her research achievements are impressive. She has published papers in journals like Nature, PNAS, EPSL, and Geology… she’s definitely not just here for a diploma. The paper you really liked, ‘The Adsorption of Arsenic During the Transformation of Rhomboclase to Siderite,’ was written by her when she was still a sophomore.
She’s also particularly skilled at identifying treasures. Those papers on gemology and mineralogy that you like to read? They were all written by her. But now she’s focusing on remote sensing for mineral exploration.”
Sulianlin browsed through Zhou Yao’s academic research online, her jaw dropping: “So many? Does she even have time to surf the internet?!”
Later, however, the roommates discovered that not only did she have time to surf the internet, but she also had time to play tennis, play the drums, play Dota, play volleyball, play table tennis, and even play whack-a-mole…
And she had time for romance; in fact, she seemed to have plenty of time for it.
As an “international transfer student,” she was already a prominent figure at the school, and her boyfriends were mostly tall and handsome—class heartthrobs—leaving a deep impression on everyone.
After several changes in partners, whispers began circulating around. The other three in the dorm were often asked about her and finally confronted Zhou Yao:
“Zhou Yao, there’s been quite a bit of gossip about you lately.”
“I haven’t heard anything.”
“Students won’t say it to your face; they always come to us indirectly.”
“What are they saying?”
“They say you’re part of the ‘Beauty Association’ and that you’ve captured all the handsome guys at school.”
Zhou Yao shrugged and openly admitted, “I am indeed a visual person; I like good-looking men with great bodies.”
Summer Melody said, "That's not good. Changing boyfriends too often, people will inevitably say you're collecting stamps."
"You only know if it's suitable after spending time together. If it's not suitable, of course you have to break up."
Zhou Yao didn't think there was anything wrong. It's just dating; if you develop feelings, you go out, and if you find that your interests and values don't match, you stop in time. It's that simple.
Besides, love is a part of life. Enjoying life and making yourself happy—what's wrong with that?
"You break up and then change again after a while."
"Why is it charming for guys to change girlfriends, but when girls change boyfriends, it's considered promiscuous? Can't girls have new relationships after a breakup?" Zhou Yao asked. "Have you ever searched for minerals in the wild?"
The three fell silent for a moment and nodded.
"Dating is like searching for minerals. Sometimes we see unique rock patterns on the surface and know there must be treasures underground. So we settle down and try every means to dig deep. But many times, there's nothing underground; we were looking in the wrong place, or it quickly runs dry, far worse than we expected. And then? Don't you go looking ahead? But I still want to continue."
Tang Shangri-La Duo said, "That's different; that's work. It's not the same as dating."
"For me, it's the same principle. I enjoy my work and research," Zhou Yao said. "I also enjoy dating. I relish the happiness it brings me. Since I like it, I'll seek it out; I won't stop because of setbacks or feel disappointed by failures. I like this thing; I enjoy it—that's enough."
Tang Shangri-La Duo said, "But don't you think your breakups and reconciliations are too easy? You don't seem to care about the outcome?"
"Even if I'm just enjoying the relationship itself, so what? Why must it come with various constraints? Can't I simply enjoy this happiness?"
The three were unconvinced but found themselves speechless.
After a while, Sulianlin weakly said, "You've been corrupted by the West."
Zhou Yao chuckled and shook his head, saying, "I've been like this since I was young. Just like how I love stones and surfing, dating makes me happy; it's an indispensable part of my life. For me, enjoying it well is enough."
In the end, although neither side managed to convince the other,
Tang Shangri-La Duo said, "Yao Yao, perhaps our views on love are still not quite aligned, but we respect and accept your thoughts."
Sulianlin added, "We're friends after all. Since we've cleared things up, if anyone says anything like that about you in front of us again, we'll just tell them two words: get lost."
Later on, Summer Melody sometimes reflected on their conversations and felt that Zhou Yao had a point, but they also believed it was not replicable. Her carefree and unrestrained approach to life was inseparable from her relaxed and privileged upbringing as well as her own excellent external conditions.
She sailed smoothly through life, having everything and fearing nothing. Of course, she dared to take risks and could withstand the challenges. Others, lacking her resources, naturally had to be cautious and think twice.
Ultimately, everyone chooses their own suitable way of doing things.
Thinking of this, Summer Melody glanced at Zhou Yao across the table; she was chatting and laughing with three senior brothers. The one closest to them was Zhou Yao.
Although Zhou Yao lived a colorful life, she wasn't overly familiar with others. She wasn't introverted but neither was she extroverted.
Like most researchers, she preferred to stay within her small circle and wasn't fond of making broad connections without standards. However, she had a great rapport with others and built strong relationships, largely because most people in her circle were simple and genuine.
"Ah, I'm so hungry."
"Zhou Yao, how about a couple of drinks?" Ji Yu teased her deliberately.
"Take it easy. Can you show some respect for the plateau?" Zhou Yao replied, rolling her eyes playfully, "—let me adapt to the environment first."
"Haha," Ji Yu laughed and asked everyone, "Should we take a day off tomorrow?"
The wind blew outside.
"Damn, it's so cold." Zhou Yao curled up in her seat, rubbing her arms continuously. She was already wearing a windbreaker, but the temperature difference between day and night here was significant.
Sulianlin said, "The daytime temperature isn't high. It doesn't feel like August at all; it's scorching hot everywhere else in the country."
Tang Shangri-La Duo warned, "Be careful; in high-altitude areas, the weather may not be hot but the UV rays are strong. If you're not careful, you'll end up sunburned."
Sulianlin screamed, "What should I do? I forgot to bring sunscreen."
Tang Shangri-La Duo replied in disbelief, "Is this your first time going out for an inspection?"
"I just forgot this time. Oh no, I've already tanned a bit today."
Zhou Yao said blankly, "I actually want to tan to a wheat color, but I can't seem to get dark. — I thought we were discussing the itinerary, how did we end up talking about sunscreen?"
Ji Yu glared fiercely, "It's still your fault!"
Zhou Yao shrugged, looking confused, what did I do?
Once the topic of sunscreen shifted to face masks, the girls found it hard to stop their skincare discussion.
The food hadn't arrived yet, and Zhou Yao felt really cold. "I can't take it anymore; I'm going back to get a jacket."
She crossed the courtyard and quickly ran over to the opposite side. In the Common Area, many guests were drinking tea and chatting, but she didn't see Luo Yi. There was no one at the front desk either.
Zhou Yao went upstairs to her room, put on a thin sweater, and came back down. She saw the front desk girl secretly holding hands with the Young Man who was changing light bulbs behind the counter.
So she and the inn's Boss weren't a couple after all. She had misjudged that.
Feeling great, Zhou Yao hurried down the stairs. As she reached the door, what a coincidence! Just as she thought of him, Luo Yi appeared, stepping through the threshold.
With a big smile on her face, Zhou Yao brightly waved at him, "Hi!"
He was clearly unprepared for her sudden enthusiasm and looked startled and confused. His mouth moved a few times as if trying to choose an appropriate expression to respond with, but his reaction couldn't keep up with his thoughts. In the end, he managed a slightly awkward smile before moving on.
They brushed past each other.
Zhou Yao felt very happy as she skipped over the threshold and jogged into the courtyard. After running a few steps, she felt a bit out of breath and stopped to pat her chest: "High altitude, high altitude, calm down, calm down."
Back at the restaurant, the food was already served.
Tang Shangri-La Duo questioned, "What happy event have you encountered? You look so cheerful."
"Nothing," Zhou Yao replied, picking up food with her chopsticks, unaware that a smile lingered at the corners of her lips.
"What are you smiling about?" Sulianlin kicked her playfully.
"I just saw the moon in the sky; it's big and round," Zhou Yao said.
After finishing their meal, they finally remembered to discuss their itinerary.
Lin Jinyan suggested that although everyone had rich experience in field exploration and had traveled to high-altitude areas before, altitude sickness is not something that can be taken lightly just because you've been to the plateau. Considering that some team members had varying degrees of reactions on the way from Chengdu, and since there were more girls in the group, it would be wise to rest for a day or two, take a walk around Small Kora, and then proceed to the Great Kora and various glacier valleys. As for the Luo Ke Line and its extended routes, they could discuss that later.
Tang Shangri-La Duo was the first to voice dissent, believing that the girls were currently in good condition and did not need special care. The other three girls agreed. As a result, they decided to set off the next day and then dispersed to their rooms.
Walking in the courtyard, Sulianlin looked up and loudly asked, "Zhou Yao, are you nearsighted? The moon is missing such a big chunk."
Zhou Yao replied, "Sulianlin, you're so annoying."
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