Although Princeton's student apartments are low-cost, they are close to campus facilities and are safe and secure. Qin Yue remembered that the building where Xiaotong lived was a double apartment. Having a roommate would help him integrate into campus life more quickly.
"If she really doesn't want to say anything, don't force her."
After hearing this, Lu Zhou was silent for a while.
After briefly asking about Xiaotong's situation there, Lu Zhou put her matters aside for the time being and started chatting with his former student.
Sitting in the next room, Wang Peng, who had just shaved, was sitting on the edge of the bed, checking the equipment in the suitcase as usual.
At this moment, footsteps were faintly heard in the corridor outside the door.
Looking at the bartender's swaying hands like unicorn arms, Wang Peng had a vague premonition that Lu Zhou might drink a lot tonight, so after being silent for a while, he gave a reminder to the side.
"What's up?"
After hesitating for a moment, Qin Yue asked: "Can I ask you a question? I actually wanted to ask you something before, about-"
"ok, I know, thank you."
Lu Zhou: "I'm afraid this is not a category of mathematics, this is a category of metaphysics."
Qin Yue: "Are you planning to die?"
"Drunk? Me? Come on..."
"Your sister has arrived safely."
What he didn't expect was that Lu Zhou, who had always listened to others' advice, changed his mind this time.
Standing next to the floor-to-ceiling window, Lu Zhou received a call from across the Pacific Ocean.
The relationship between family members is inherently dependent on each other...
Beijing time is 9pm.
"How's it going? Are you still used to life there?"
He heard who it was from the footsteps. After throwing the equipment back into the suitcase, he stood up and walked to the entrance. As soon as there was almost a knock on the door, he grabbed the door handle and pulled it open.
"Have a whiskey shot."
"This is actually a good thing," Lu Zhou said with a smile, "Isn't this how our science progresses?"
Lu Zhou: "... If it's an academic question, just ask."
When Lu Zhou left Princeton and returned to China, he gave Qin Yue the keys to the small villa in a nearby town and the Ford Mustang, and asked him to pay the property tax for him every year.
After a pause, he continued.
"Want to drink? I'm treating you."
Qin Yue: "Maybe."
After all, houses get older and older as time goes by. If no one lives in them for a long time, they will no longer be inhabitable. Especially in northern states like New Jersey, if no one is left in the house in winter, it is easy for water pipes to freeze and burst and the roof to collapse.
"Vera, is she... okay?"
Although he probably won't have the chance to go back and see it, Lu Zhou still likes that house and the fireplace inside.
"The Hualin problem in additive number theory..." Speaking of this matter, Qin Yue couldn't help but sigh, "I get a big headache thinking about this thing every day! Sometimes I feel that there are few people studying this thing. It makes sense. Often when you encounter a problem that seems to be just a matter of stacking prime numbers, you will find out after in-depth study that it is an algebraic geometry problem. However, polarization is a method of algebraic geometry but cannot solve the problem. In the end, representation theory has to be introduced. , p-adic theory, etc... Of course, it also includes your group construction method."
After all, they are family.
On the one hand, she is very grateful that she has spread her wings to protect her from wind and rain since she was a child, and she relies on this feeling. But on the other hand, her character is very similar to her, the kind of person who does not want to cause trouble for others. The type who longs to live an independent life, longs to be able to one day no longer rely on herself, no longer be her little burden, or even help herself in turn...
After chatting for so long, Qin Yue always felt that Lu Zhou seemed to have something to say, but maybe because he didn't know how to say it, he kept going around in circles with him.
Standing at the door, Lu Zhou said casually.
Lu Zhou: "You are already a professor, and you still want to learn from me. It's time to think about it yourself. Speaking of which, what topic are you studying recently?"
Not surprised by this question, Qin Yue thought to himself, and then sighed and said.
Qin Yue smiled and said: "I didn't say that I didn't plan to live there anymore. You can rent such a big house for 3,000 US dollars a year. This kind of good thing can't be found in all of North America. I just said that if your sister needs it, I will find a house by myself. But it is true what you said, it is not convenient for a girl to live in such a remote place. "
By the time he came to his senses, it was already the next morning...
"What kind of escort?"
"Tomorrow is the unveiling ceremony. I suggest you drink less."
At this point in the conversation, there was a sudden silence.
Looking at Lu Zhou who turned around and walked towards the elevator, Wang Peng closed the door without saying anything, followed him into the elevator, and even reached out to press the button for the bar floor for him.
…
Seeing this, Lu Zhou glanced at him and said nothing.
"Don't worry."
Lu Zhou shook his head and said, "No need. I mentioned this to her during the Chinese New Year, but she refused without even thinking about it. I also thought about it later, it's not a downtown area, and she's a girl. I don’t feel comfortable living in such a big house. If you don’t plan to live in it, just ask Vera or other professors at Prince if they are interested.”
Qin Yue, who was interrupted, sighed softly and said: "Forget it, I'll stop asking..."
Qin Yue said helplessly: "That's true, but it's not very friendly to people who study these issues. Sometimes I can't help but think, if there is a method that can quickly obtain qualitative results Just figure out what method can be used to solve the problem we want to solve..."
Just when he was hesitating whether to take the initiative to point this out, Lu Zhou, who was silent, suddenly spoke a little abruptly.
"I asked for you, but I haven't found anything useful... She was not very willing to talk about her situation, and I don't know if she discovered something. She is deliberately avoiding me now. Later I tried to I asked Lecturer Molina who studied the Riemann Hypothesis with her, but she didn’t want to say too much.”
In fact, what Lu Zhou wanted to say was that he didn't mind being relied on by her, and he wouldn't regard this dependence as a burden.
Sheraton Hotel Presidential Suite.
The expression on Lu Zhou's face seemed to indicate something. After being silent for a few seconds, Wang Peng said, "You can only smoke and not drink during working hours, but if you want to drink, I can accompany you."
Qin Yue smiled and replied: "I've always been used to it. It's enough for me to have a place to concentrate on research. The only thing I'm not used to is that you are no longer around. I can't help you when I encounter problems. Learn from it here.”
"You're welcome," Qin Yue on the other end of the phone smiled, "By the way, she lives in a student apartment now... How about I give her your apartment? I also have plans to rent one near the school. A slightly smaller apartment.”
Lu Zhou took the cup from the bartender's hand and threw it away rudely. He didn't say another word and just drank one cup after another.
"Well, if nothing happens." Lu Zhou glanced at the clock on the wall and continued, "After all, it's getting late here."
"… thank you, I know now."
Lu Zhou chuckled and shook his head.
"Hold on."
Without saying a word along the way, Lu Zhou walked to the bar, sat on a high round stool, then looked at the bartender behind the bar and said.
In fact, Lu Zhou could feel Xiaotong's thoughts in his heart.
Wang Peng replied honestly: "Watch from the side and wait for you to get drunk and carry you back."
Lu Zhou couldn't remember exactly when he stopped.