Rejecting Tsinghua and Peking Universities: I Will Lead Harbin Institute of Technology to World Lead

Morning light streamed through the gaps in the curtains and fell on Lin Feng's face.

He opened his eyes, picked up his phone from beside his pillow, and saw a new friend request on the screen.

The profile picture is a cartoonish little panda holding bamboo, looking adorable.

The verification message was concise and clear: "Junior Lin, I am Shen Moran."

Lin Feng paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

It was faster than he expected.

He had thought that after last night's rational, almost cruel, analysis and the agreement to postpone the meeting, Shen Moran would need at least some time to calm down and adjust.

She might even... stop contacting him.

After all, for a girl who mustered all her courage to confess her feelings but received such a response, keeping her distance might be the best way to protect her self-esteem.

It seems he underestimated the resilience and... insight of this girl from the mountain town.

Without much hesitation, Lin Feng clicked "Accept Verification".

Almost the instant the friendship was established.

My phone vibrated slightly.

A new message popped up next to the panda avatar.

"Good morning, junior! Are you awake?" followed by a playful sun emoji.

Her tone was relaxed and natural, as if the girl with tears in her eyes and a forced sense of strength from last night was just an illusion.

A hint of a smile flashed in Lin Feng's eyes.

This ability to quickly regain full health is quite in line with her gentle appearance and resilient inner character.

"Yes, I'm awake," he replied, as brief as ever.

"Great!" Shen Moran replied instantly, adding a happy emoji.

"Junior, I need to stay in Harbin for a few more days to take care of some personal matters. Didn't you just happen to be taking a break?"

"Since you're basically just killing time... could you be my free tour guide for a few days?"

"I'm completely unfamiliar with Harbin, and I don't even know when I'll be back. With you, the local expert, showing me around, I'm sure I'll have a much better time!"

The message was followed by a pitiful emoji with hands clasped together and eyes sparkling.

The reasons were sound, the attitude was natural, and there was even a touch of playfulness.

There was absolutely no awkwardness or embarrassment about what happened last night.

Lin Feng stared at the screen, lost in thought for a few seconds.

His original plan was to use this week of forced free time to go to the library to read some books in fringe fields, or to briefly plan the next steps for Longyuan's advancement.

Although I was asked to rest, I couldn't completely clear my mind.

However... Shen Moran's suggestion seems quite good?

Pure relaxation without any research purpose, and experiencing different people and lifestyles, is perhaps exactly what Principal Tang and the doctor hoped he would do.

Moreover, he found that he did not mind being with Shen Moran.

"Okay," he replied, still concisely.

"Yay! Long live junior!" Shen Moran sent a cheering emoji.

"I'll pack up now and head over to Harbin Institute of Technology to find you! Shall we meet at the school gate?"

"Okay, at the school gate," Lin Feng replied.

He put down his phone and got up to wash up.

The young man in the mirror had lost some of his usual somberness and gained a rare sense of ease.

Perhaps, this week really can be different.

……

The west gate of Harbin Institute of Technology.

Zhao Weiguo had already parked the car in an inconspicuous location.

Lin Feng had just arrived when a taxi sped up and came to a smooth stop.

The car door opened, and Shen Moran jumped out of the car with a nimble gait.

Today she wore a simple beige tracksuit, her long hair was tied into a neat high ponytail, and she wore light makeup, looking radiant.

Upon seeing Lin Feng, she immediately flashed a big, bright smile and strode over.

"Junior! Have you been waiting long?" The voice was clear and full of energy.

"Just arrived." Lin Feng glanced at her, nodded, and said, "You look good."

"Of course! Turn grief into appetite... oh no, I mean turn expectation into motivation!" Shen Moran winked playfully and opened the back door of the car.

"Junior, please! Starting today, I'll be your shadow!"

Lin Feng chuckled, shook his head, and sat down as well.

Zhao Weiguo glanced at the car in the rearview mirror, a slight smile playing on his lips, and smoothly started the car.

"Senior, you probably haven't had breakfast yet, right? Let's go try some authentic breakfast in Harbin first," Lin Feng said.

"Okay! We'll follow all of Tour Guide Lin's arrangements!" Shen Moran said enthusiastically, like a primary school student looking forward to a spring outing.

Over the next few days, the autumn scenery of Harbin unfolded slowly before the two of them.

They went to Central Street, walking on the century-old cobblestones and experiencing the exotic architectural corridor.

Shen Moran was full of curiosity about the history of each building, so Lin Feng, with his photographic memory, acted as a temporary guide.

They went to the Hagia Sophia and fed pigeons in the square.

Shen Moran tried to get the pigeon to land on her hand, but she kept failing. She stomped her feet in frustration, and her childish appearance made Lin Feng smile.

They went to the banks of the Songhua River and took a boat tour.

The river breeze was slightly cool, and Shen Moran wrapped his coat tighter around himself, but insisted on standing at the bow of the boat to admire the scenery.

Her hair was tousled by the wind, but her smile was brighter than the sun.

They went to the Ice and Snow World.

In the dreamlike ice lantern maze, Shen Moran deliberately took the wrong path, then waited smugly for Lin Feng to find her.

Of course, there's also plenty of delicious food.

Authentic sweet and sour pork, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside fried popsicles, generous portions of Northeastern barbecue, and piping hot iron pot stew...

Shen Moran always eats with great relish, without any airs of a female celebrity, praising the food as she eats.

Occasionally, it gets burned or scalded, and it sticks out its tongue to fan itself, looking both funny and cute.

Lin Feng found that time flew by when he was with her.

It's also very... relaxing.

There's no need to think about complicated formulas or deduce profound theories.

All you need to do is walk around, look around, taste the food, and listen to her tell stories about the fun times she had while filming, or embarrassing moments from her high school days.

She is cheerful, straightforward, and sometimes a little absent-minded, but she has a pure heart and knows how to take care of other people's feelings.

It's very comfortable being with her.

This is a kind of pure, ordinary comfort and warmth that Lin Feng has rarely experienced in his past and present lives.

He could even feel that his habitual, cold protective shell was being quietly melted away by this warmth over the past few days.

Shen Moran was equally happy.

She carefully followed the agreement Lin Feng had made, no longer mentioning feelings, and simply interacted with him like a true friend or a curious tourist.

But she could sense that Lin Feng no longer treated her with the polite yet distant attitude of a fellow alumnus.

He smiled more often, and although he still didn't talk much, he listened attentively to her and would occasionally crack a harmless little joke.

Those deep eyes, which always gazed into the distance, would take on a touch of warmth when they fell upon her.

This is enough.

For her, this was already a huge step forward.

Happy times are always fleeting.

The week-long holiday has come to an end in the blink of an eye.

Shen Moran has also finished dealing with her private matters in Bingcheng.

She should return to the capital to continue her unfinished studies and the work that was already scheduled.

The airport departure hall was bustling with people.

"Have a safe trip, senior." Lin Feng handed her his boarding pass.

"Okay!" Shen Moran took it, looked up at him, her eyes full of reluctance, but without sadness.

"Thank you for these past few days, junior. I had a lot of fun, really."

"I'm very happy too," Lin Feng said honestly.

"So... we've got it settled?" Shen Moran held up her little finger, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"When we all go back to Chongqing, I'll treat you to hot pot! The spiciest kind!"

Lin Feng smiled at her childish behavior and gently hooked his little finger with hers.

"Okay, it's a deal. See you in the mountain city."

See you in the mountain city!

Shen Moran hooked his finger tightly, then let go and turned to walk towards the security checkpoint.

After taking a few steps, she suddenly turned around, waved vigorously at Lin Feng, and shouted loudly:

"Junior! Remember to eat on time and get enough rest! Don't push yourself too hard!"

The sound was crisp and clear, remaining distinct even in the noisy hall.

Lin Feng stood still and waved to her.

Until her figure completely disappeared around the corner of the security checkpoint.

A faint sense of reluctance arose in my heart.

It's very light, yet very real.

"Mr. Lin, shall we go back?" Zhao Weiguo's voice rang out from the side.

Lin Feng withdrew his gaze, the softness in his eyes quickly fading away, replaced by calmness and determination.

"Yeah, back to school."

On the bus, Lin Feng gazed at the scenery rushing past the window.

My seven days in Harbin were like a short but beautiful dream.

The dream is over, but the journey continues.