Two days later.
The sweltering heat at Peking University has finally subsided.
Several groups of people arrived at dormitory 302 one after another, including classmates, department members, and a few from neighboring dormitories.
They all wanted to see Cheng Che, who "went viral across the internet overnight".
But every time I came, I only saw Wang Zheng, Zhou Hao, and Li Yuan.
" Brother Che isn't here."
He moved out.
"You didn't know? He applied for accommodation outside the village."
People came and left disappointed, and after a few visits, no one came anymore.
302 fell silent again.
In the courtyard that Cheng Che rented, he was sitting on the sofa, listening to Qin Lie report on the endorsement calls he had received in the past few days.
Qin Lie held a densely written list in his hand and read it aloud item by item.
"Three food brands: snacks, beverages, and fast food. The highest offer was five million, but I rejected them all."
Cheng Che nodded.
"Why not?" Qin Lie turned to a page on the list. "Because if you accept a food endorsement, and any food safety issues arise, the spokesperson will be the first to take the blame. Your reputation is too clean right now; you can't take that risk."
"OK."
"Two clothing brands, one offering sportswear and the other casual menswear. The sportswear brand's prices are reasonable, but their brand positioning doesn't quite match your current image. The casual menswear brand's pricing is based on the standards of a second-tier celebrity."
Qin Lie's tone became tinged with dissatisfaction as he spoke.
"Second-tier celebrities. Do they even know how popular you are right now? You're the talk of the town online, number one on music charts, and your racket sales have increased tenfold. Which second-tier celebrity can achieve this?"
Cheng Che smiled and said, "That's why they offered that price."
"Yes." Qin Lie closed the list. "You're right not to accept endorsements now. Once this wave of hype has completely subsided, your value will rise again. We can talk again then, and the price will at least double."
"Okay, you handle it."
Qin Lie put the list away, leaned back on the sofa, and took a sip of his tea.
Cheng Che also picked up his cup and took a sip of tea.
The two of them were quiet for a while.
Cheng Che sipped his tea and glanced at his task:
[ Intelligence Trial - Phase Two: Cross-Disciplinary Brocade. Task Objective: Deeply integrate your major with any other subject area, produce demonstrable results, and gain recognition from professionals in that field.]
One person's plan is short-sighted, two people's plans are long-sighted. Why not ask Qin Lie? After all, he has more experience.
Then Cheng Che spoke up, " Old Qin, I have a question for you."
"Explain."
"I have something to do recently... no, I have an assignment." Cheng Che carefully chose his words. "I major in mathematics. I want to combine mathematics with another field and produce some results. This will also make it easier for me to ask the school leaders for leave in the future. What are your thoughts?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Lie put down his teacup and thought about it seriously.
Cheng Che time is extremely important to Cheng Che, as he still has to compete internationally later on.
If they don't give me leave, am I supposed to give up studying?
"Combining mathematics with another field?" he repeated. "You mean interdisciplinary?"
"Almost."
Qin Lie leaned back on the sofa, his gaze fixed on the ceiling.
"When I worked at a sports company, I met some people who worked in sports science. They used mathematical models to analyze athletes' performance. Pace, heart rate, energy distribution—these are all data."
Cheng Che's finger paused for a moment on the rim of the glass.
Pace, heart rate, and energy distribution.
A thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
Yes, I can do that.
running.
Running is easier to combine with mathematics than tennis.
Pace, interval duration, heart rate zones, energy expenditure—it's all data!
Every step can be quantified, modeled, and optimized.
" Old Qin, you're really something!"
He stood up and went straight into the bedroom.
Seeing his expression, Qin Lie scratched his head and started scrolling through his phone.
Cheng Che turned on his computer, sat down at the desk, and stared at the blank Word document.
He thought for a moment and typed a line in the title bar.
"Marathon full-marathon pacing strategy and energy allocation optimization based on piecewise function model".
He stared at the line of text for two seconds, then began to write.
The next day.
Cheng Che and Su Miaoyin arrived at Yan Ruanning's studio together.
In the second-floor corridor, Su Miaoyin walked beside Cheng Che, her blush never fading since she entered the room.
As for why he blushed, Cheng Che didn't know.
Yan Ruanning stood at the entrance of the recording studio waiting for them.
Today she wore a black turtleneck sweater, dark gray wide-leg pants, and a pair of stiletto ankle boots.
Her hair wasn't tied up; it was draped over her shoulders, with the ends slightly curled.
She was already tall, and with the high heels, she was almost half a head taller than Cheng Che when she stood there.
A ginkgo leaf pendant peeked out from under her high collar, swaying gently with her breath.
Cheng Che's lips twitched slightly when he saw the pendant.
Su Miaoyin saw it too.
Her gaze lingered on Yan Ruanning's neck for a moment before shifting away, her face flushing even more.
Yan Ruanning thought Su Miaoyin was red with anger.
She thought to herself:
This person probably felt they had lost, so they were so angry their face turned red.
She felt a little better, slightly raised her chin, and said to Cheng Che, "Congratulations."
What are you congratulating me on?
" Chasing the Wind," Yan Ruanning said, "Is number one on the hot song charts and is all over the internet. I've been in this industry for so many years and have seen many people become famous overnight, but I've never seen an 18-year-old newcomer's first song surpass those superstars."
Su Miaoyin chimed in, "Congratulations, Cheng Che."
Cheng Che smiled and nodded, "Thank you."
Su Miaoyin has been obsessed with how to impress Yan Ruanning and also wants to distance herself from Cheng Che, so she hasn't contacted him at all.
She felt a little guilty, but thinking of her own happiness, she refrained from sending the WeChat.
Now, we still need to talk about it.
Yan Ruanning walked to the piano, opened the music book on the music stand, and her tone returned to its usual tone:
"Before class begins, let's enjoy Cheng Che Che's recent work, ' Chasing the Wind,' which has recently surpassed many top singers."
As she spoke, she glanced at Cheng Che, a teasing smile playing on her lips.
Cheng Che looked helpless and sat down beside him.
Su Miaoyin sat next to him, unusually quiet.
She watched Yan Ruanning press the play button, but her mind was elsewhere.
The melody of " Chasing the Wind " flowed from the studio monitors.
Su Miaoyin had listened to it many times.
She had heard it on Douyin, on music platforms, and in Wilson's advertisements.
But now, in this soundproof recording studio, in front of Yan Ruanning, she listened to it again.
She listened to the sound, moving from low to high, like the wind passing through an empty field.
She suddenly sighed to herself.
That's a true genius.