Chapter 10: Chapter 9 See you at the school gate at 6 o'clock
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Just like the first light of dawn breaking through the sky, thank you for knocking on the door of my heart as dawn approaches. —Wei Yan
A University academic lecture hall.
Dressed in a black suit, Gao Chuan takes the folder in his hand and methodically walks onto the stage, while thunderous applause erupts below, and the giant screen scrolls with the words: "A warm welcome to the clinical doctor Gao Chuan from XX Hospital for his lecture."
The venue is already packed. Gao Chuan walks onto the stage with composure, begins the lecture from the prepared script, and the audience below buzzes with activity. Jiang An sits among the crowd, listening to the high praises from classmates beside him for Gao Chuan, and looking up at that familiar yet unfamiliar face, a warmth surges in his heart.
"Oh my, what divine looks!"
"Goodness, and he's such an expert, make sure to ask more questions later."
The sister by his side is already smitten, while the silent Jiang An listens intently to Gao Chuan speaking eloquently on stage, graceful yet steady.
"Jiang An, wasn't Dr. Gao your mother's primary physician before?" A sudden question from a friend next to him pulls Jiang An out of the lecture.
"Then you must be quite familiar with Dr. Gao, could you help me get an autograph?" someone suggests.
Aware of Jiang An's mother's passing, classmates by his side notice Jiang An's mood plummeting and hastily smooth things over, as Jiang An quietly lowers his head amidst the noisy atmosphere, a trace of awkwardness sprouting within.
Jiang An thinks that Dr. Gao shouldn't be the window for venting her emotions; it's time for her to move on, indeed, time to truly move on.
"Sure." Jiang An responds with a smile, expressing her acceptance.
On stage, Gao Chuan's eyes scan the lecture hall, and while the dim yellow light isn't enough to illuminate every student's face, he still recognizes the person sitting in the middle position right from the start.
A pink jacket, long hair scattered over her shoulders, head slightly lifted, and then in a moment, the girl's head suddenly bows, avoiding eye contact just a second before their gaze could meet.
Like an ostrich, Gao Chuan evaluates Jiang An.
Isn't there someone, from the moment you meet her, you've already imagined how the story should end?
The one-and-a-half-hour lecture finally ends amid overwhelming applause. Gao Chuan, who had never accepted speaking engagements before, naturally declined the post-lecture Q&A session, and even the final photo opportunity with students was canceled, completely deflating a group of girls smitten by his looks. Jiang An helplessly glances back at the classmate who entrusted her to get an autograph, signaling she's out of options too.
In the noisy academic lecture hall, Gao Chuan, among the first to leave, exits surrounded by a group of staff, while Jiang An, still standing in the audience, turns to look. Under the blinding flashes, his finely chiseled profile, and his steady steps seem to make him stand out wherever he goes—always in the spotlight.
"Jiang An, Jiang An, what are you daydreaming about? Professor Chen is calling you." The engrossed girl is interrupted by her roommate, who snaps her out of her reverie, and she then reluctantly leaves.
Having spoken continuously for one and a half hours, Gao Chuan is parched and exhausted. He's not one to enjoy the flattery of school leaders and directly informs the staff that he will be absent from the evening gathering organized by the school. The wearied man then avoids the staff and finds his mentor's office by memory.
"Well, look at you. You finally remember to come see me," Chen Minhan says with a bright smile, teasing with his mouth, but his face couldn't be happier to see Gao Chuan standing at the door.
Gao Chuan looks at his mentor, whose head is now full of white hair, and internally sighs at how time flies. The two exchange words about Gao Chuan's work experience over the recent years. Despite being advanced in years, Gao Chuan still enjoys seeking the old man's advice whenever he encounters difficulties in his academic work.
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While they were deep in conversation, there was a knock at the door. Gao Chuan slightly turned his body, and Jiang An, who stood at the door looking dazed, looked over as well. When their eyes met, his curved eyes seemed to reveal a hint of a smile.
"Ah, Jiang An, come here," Professor Chen recognized Jiang An at the door and beckoned her to come in.
"Come here, let me introduce you to my current student, Jiang An. This girl is quite formidable; her papers are no less impressive than yours were at the time," Professor Chen naturally began introducing his proud protégé to Gao Chuan, his own face glowing with pride.
Jiang An thought to herself that Professor Chen probably didn't know that they had already met, and on impulse, she greeted him, "Hello, Senior Brother."
Gao Chuan was momentarily startled when he heard the young girl's title for him, feigning regret and said: "The younger generation is to be feared indeed."
Then, Professor Chen instructed Jiang An to run an errand, and Gao Chuan, standing aside, watched as Jiang An nodded and agreed, behaving like an obedient little cat.
A slight curve at the corner of his lips, his thoughts quietly stirring.
Jiang An ran downstairs to take care of the errand. Just as she was about to go down, her phone in her pocket vibrated a few times. She sorted out the books in her arms, took out her phone to check, and saw a message that had just come in—from Dr. Gao.
"Meet at the school gate at six o'clock."
Her cheeks heated up and her heartbeat quickened, wrapping her in anticipation. She kept checking the message as if the cold chat window had suddenly warmed up.
After catching up with his mentor, Gao Chuan headed downstairs to his appointment. As six o'clock approached, the sky began to darken, and there was a steady stream of people at the school gate. Gao Chuan scanned the area and truly saw Jiang An standing under a pine tree waiting.
The girl was looking around as well, with numerous passersby walking through, yet his gaze could always perfectly capture her—as if she were the only one left in the world for him.
She occupied his entire world.
A few seconds later, Gao Chuan saw the girl across the street waving at him and walked over with long strides, drawing the glance of passersby.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of traffic, he was such a dazzling presence.
"Sorry, I got held up because I was chatting too much with Old Chen," Gao Chuan approached the girl and noticed that today she was wearing a light purple dress, her long hair lightly coiled, exuding a mature and elegant aura.
"It's fine, did you want to see me for something, Dr. Gao?"
Vehicles constantly passed by, horns sounded from time to time, but Jiang An's voice was not entirely drowned out. She pricked up her ears to listen to the answer from the man in front of her: "Join me for dinner."
"I haven't wandered around the school area for a long time; it's changed quite a bit," Gao Chuan surveyed the various shops around the school gate and remarked.
"Sure, what would you like to eat, Dr. Gao?" Jiang An, surprised by Gao Chuan's invitation, still tried to keep her emotions in check and asked.
The streetlights at the school gate lit up, and the two of them stood under the silvery white light, their elongated shadows cast on the ground, assuming a hugging posture due to the misalignment.
"Anything's fine; take me to whatever you usually like to eat."