Chapter 623: He Had a Daughter
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
There were looks of surprise on many people’s faces.
Everyone knew that Shen Zhijin had very high standards. Even if the annual Ph.D. quota was limited to the best students, they would still not be easily recruited.
Now, saying this in front of so many people was equivalent to giving Ning Li a promise in advance.
Xu Yin knew very well how much Shen Zhijin admired Ning Li. He immediately smiled and said, “Yes, it was Zhijin who helped to revise Ah Li’s paper.”
He had helped to revise the paper, added her to the research team, and brought her along with him to attend the seminar…
Indeed, he was treating Ning Li as his own student.
Everyone looked at Ning Li with even more respect.
Xu Yin was already powerful enough, but with Shen Zhijin as a backer now, this girl’s future was truly unimaginable.
A staff member walked over.
“professor Shen, the meeting is about to begin. Please take your seat.”
Shen Zhijin nodded and walked forward.
The seats in the entire venue had been divided into zones A and B.
Naturally, people like Shen Zhijin and Xu Yin were a.s.signed seats in Zone A, and they were in the first row.
As for Ning Li and Yan Qiu, they had been allocated seats in Zone B.
Fortunately, both of their seats were at the front, so they still had pretty good seats.
Ning Li found a sign with her name on it and sat down.
Yan Qiu sat next to her.
From where they were, they could see Xu Yin who was sitting at the front, and the rostrum that was in the middle.
At ten o’clock, the seminar officially began, and the venue fell silent.
Ning Li looked up at Shen Zhijin, who stepped up to the rostrum.
Shen Zhijin stood still, put down the report, and flipped it open.
In actual fact, he was capable of reciting the contents of the report fluently.
‘Whether it was lecturing or giving a report, he had always gone unscripted.
Bringing the script onto the stage was just a formality, and it was the same today.
He started smoothly, just like every time in the past. He was precise, smooth, and natural.
However, at a certain moment, he inadvertently raised his eyes and looked at the audience in front of him. Then, he spotted Ning Li.
She was sitting in her seat and looking his way.
He could see that she was listening very intently.
On her young and beautiful face, her peach blossom eyes seemed to glow with starlight. The corners of her lips were slightly pursed, and her dimples were faintly discernible.
He suddenly choked.
‘I didn’t expect Professor Shen’s daughter to be so beautiful.”
1
Without warning, that voice suddenly echoed in his ear again.
Like a sharp blade, it came swiftly, mercilessly cutting off all reason and thought.
Shen Zhijin suddenly stopped speaking, and in an instant, his mind went blank.
This pause was extremely sudden.
Through the microphone, the man’s clear voice suddenly stopped.
Inan instant, the venue had become so quiet that even the dropping of a pin could be heard.
Everyone was looking at Shen Zhijin.
He stood on the stage with squared shoulders, but he had suddenly gone silent.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
The crowd gradually became restless. Many people looked at each other.
Shen Zhijin seemed to be… distracted?!
On such an occasion?!
‘Whispers came from the back.
“What happened to Professor Shen?”
“I don’t know. Why did he suddenly stop talking?”
“He had clearly been talking nicely…”
Ning Li frowned slightly. She tilted her head and asked softly, “Senior Brother, what happened to Teacher Shen?”
Yan Qiu was also confused.
“L.. [don’t know either. The boss has never been like this before…”
Shen Zhijin had always been cautious in everything he did. He was always striving for perfection.
He had high expectations of others, but he was even harsher towards himself.
He would do his best for even the smallest things.
Furthermore, they were currently at a top-notch seminar!
Time seemed to be particularly difficult at this time. Every second that pa.s.sed made the situation even more awkward.
Xu Yin finally could not hold it in anymore. He frowned and gestured at Shen Zhij
“Zhijin!”
His position was right in front of Shen Zhijin, so Shen Zhijin could easily see him.
Finally, the blankness gradually disappeared, and the noisy voices in the venue were heard again.
Shen Zhijin finally came back to his senses.
He lowered his eyes, turned over a page of the report in his hand, and finally connected his thoughts again.
His voice remained clear and calm, as if the silent blank s.p.a.ce in the middle had never existed.
Many people heaved a sigh of relief, but at the same time, there were also some people who thought it was strange.
“What’s going on? Did Professor Shen forget his lines just now?”
“Impossible, that’s Shen Zhij
“T’ve seen many of his presentations, but it’s never been like this. He was silent for a whole minute just now!”
Ning Li leaned against the back of the chair, feeling puzzled.
How could something like forgetting his lines happen to Shen Zhijin?
No one knew why Shen Zhijin had suddenly fallen silent during that one minute.
No one knew what he had been thinking during that simultaneously short and long period of time.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly after that. Most people did not pay too much attention to this matter.
Only Xu Yin looked at Shen Zhijin and sighed in his heart.
‘When the morning meeting ended, it was time for the attendees to have their lunch break.
Ning Li and Yan Qiu left through the back door of the venue first.
Lunch would be served buffet-style on the first floor.
Xu Yin and Shen Zhijin still had some things to deal with and would be slightly delayed, so they did not ask the two of them to wait.
The two of them held their trays and chose their meals on the first floor.
There were quite a number of people there. Many of them recognized Ning Li and Yan Qiu and greeted them one after another.
Ning Li chose a seat by the window while Yan Qiu sat opposite her.
Halfway through the meal, she saw Xu Yin and Shen Zhijin coming over.
Ning Li thought of the one minute of silence that Shen Zhijin had given in the opening report. She hesitated for a moment, but did not go over.
Yan Qiu seemed to have the same thoughts as her. He looked over and withdrew his gaze.
After lunch, Ning Li and Shen Zhijin went to greet Xu Yin and Shen Zhijin before leaving.2
Shen Zhijin’s gaze lingered on Ning Li’s back for a moment.
“That’s enough, Shen Zhijin.
He could hear his voice echoing in his mind.
A clear and cold reminder.
In the next moment, he withdrew his gaze.
Xu Yin looked at him with a slight frown and a hesitant expression.
… Zhijin, you–”
As he spoke, he suddenly realized that he did not know how to continue speaking.
Shen Zhijin raised his head and said calmly, “Would you like the egg custard?”
Xu Yin sighed in his heart and shook his head.
The afternoon meeting would be starting at three o’clock.
This time, all the partic.i.p.ants had been a.s.signed rooms to rest in.
However, since Ning Li was staying at the school, it was convenient for her to come over. She only used the room during the lunch break.
Coincidentally, Xu Yin was staying on the same floor as her, and both rooms were very close to each other.
At half past two, Ning Li packed her things up and left the room. Coincidentally, she b.u.mped into Xu Yin.
Xu Yin waved at her.
Ning Li walked over.
“Teacher Xu.”
Xu Yin asked with a smile, “How did you find the meeting this morning?”
Ning Li said, “It was pretty good. I learned a lot.”
Xu Yin nodded as he pressed the elevator b.u.t.ton.
Ning Li looked at him. After hesitating for a moment, she said, “However, I don’t know if Teacher Shen… Could it have happened because of the incident that happened this morning?”
The smile on Xu Yin’s face faded.
“… You have always been smart.”
This was an affirmative answer.
Ning Li frowned slightly, but she found the reason even stranger.
“But that had just been a small misunderstandin;
Xu Yin was silent for a moment before looking over with a complicated expression.
“Shen Zhijin… had a daughter before..”1