Su Xiaotian listened to the lecture with great focus, her attention unwavering. While this might not be difficult for an adult, it was a remarkable feat for a child brimming with curiosity.
The elderly professor was unaware that Su Xiaotian was a child, yet not entirely a child in the conventional sense.
Throughout the entire class, Su Xiaotian's mind was racing, leaving no room for idle thoughts. She had encountered some of the knowledge Professor Xu shared in books before, while other theoretical concepts were entirely new to her. Some of the knowledge from books and the live lecture were interconnected, while others were diametrically opposed.
Su Xiaotian was diligently trying to integrate the knowledge she had previously acquired with what she was hearing today. She worried that if she didn't grasp and digest the content immediately, it would accumulate, eventually hindering her studies.
As a direct result of Su Xiaotian's approach, when the old professor posed a question, her answer exceeded the scope of the lesson. She not only addressed the material Professor Xu had covered but also incorporated her own thoughts, questions, and differing perspectives.
"Have you heard about this before?" Professor Xu asked, quite surprised.
This was the first lecture, and concerned that the newly admitted university students might struggle with the complex subject matter, Professor Xu had chosen to cover relatively elementary topics. Logically, a young girl shouldn't possess such profound understanding.
Su Xiaotian slowly shook her head. "No, I was just thinking while you were lecturing and felt this was the correct way to answer. I've included my own thoughts, and I'm not sure if my answer is correct!"
Hearing Su Xiaotian's response, Professor Xu was even more astonished. She was thinking while listening, which was far superior to many students who only knew how to memorize. It was important to remember that many students, transitioning from high school to university, still primarily understood learning as rote memorization.
"Are you Su Xiaotian? The student admitted to Peking University from the gifted class?" Professor Xu wondered if he had misjudged, if the young girl who had answered his question with such logic and evidence was actually an adult with a youthful appearance.
Although Su Xiaotian was puzzled as to why Professor Xu was asking this specific question, she felt compelled to answer when a teacher inquired. She nodded slightly. "Yes, Professor Xu, my name is Su Xiaotian, and I am a student from the gifted class at No. 7 Middle School. I am very fortunate to be able to attend your lecture."
Could it be that this old professor wasn't asking her question incidentally, but had specifically sought her out? However, she didn't recall ever meeting this Professor Xu. Or perhaps Professor Xu knew Grandpa Chi, which was why he was paying her extra attention? Su Xiaotian's mind raced, considering all possible explanations.
"Good, very good, you are very good!" Professor Xu praised her with three consecutive "goods," his gaze filled with immense approval. At that moment, the old professor suddenly felt that the gifted class might simply be a way to identify exceptionally intelligent students early on, rather than forcing their development. Some students might indeed mature early; after all, fingers are not all the same length, and each child is unique. If all students in the gifted class were as outstanding as Su Xiaotian, then continuing the program long-term would be entirely justifiable.
"Thank you for your praise, Professor Xu. I have many things I don't understand and need to study diligently!" Su Xiaotian's remark, which was merely a polite statement, was taken to heart by Professor Xu. "If you have any questions in the future, you can come to me, not just about my course."
Uh... Su Xiaotian didn't know what to say, so she could only thank him respectfully. After all, having a seasoned, experienced professor willing to wholeheartedly guide her was a fortunate opportunity. Meanwhile, her classmates looked at Su Xiaotian with envy. Although this classmate was young, her abilities were truly impressive. At the very least, they couldn't compare to her. It felt as though they had wasted years of eating.
Professor Xu, in a very good mood after saying this, completely ignored the other students, packed up his books, and slowly walked out of the classroom. The students exchanged bewildered glances. Was he just leaving? It felt as though Professor Xu only acknowledged Su Xiaotian as his student. Su Xiaotian was undoubtedly excellent, and to perform so brilliantly on the very first class was truly rare. It didn't seem unreasonable for her to receive preferential treatment from the teacher.
University classes were large, each lasting one hundred minutes. There were two classes in the morning, with a twenty-minute break in between. The second class followed immediately, which was Marxist Philosophy. This was a general education course. While Zhao Hongmei was still wondering if the teacher would be young or old, handsome or ugly, the teacher strode in. This teacher was a woman, around fifty years old, her hair neatly and meticulously styled, wearing a blue outfit that was equally neat and sharp. Such a teacher appeared serious and difficult to approach. Subconsciously, Su Xiaotian felt that this teacher might not be easy to deal with.
It had to be said that Su Xiaotian's premonitions were quite accurate. The methodical teacher's first act in class was to introduce herself. "Hello, everyone. My name is Xie Nan, and I will be teaching you Marxist Philosophy."
"To better remember all of you, we will now begin taking attendance."
Attendance? Su Xiaotian was momentarily stunned, then remembered that attendance was indeed taken. University classes didn't have fixed seating, so it was impossible to tell at a glance if someone was missing. Teacher Xie Nan called out names one by one and soon reached Yin Ruyun. Su Xiaotian then realized that Yin Ruyun was not present in class. What was going on? Even if she couldn't make it to the first class in the morning, it was already the second class, so why wasn't she here yet? Although Yin Ruyun wasn't a particularly ambitious student, she shouldn't be someone who skipped class, right?
At this moment, Teacher Xie Nan was calling Yin Ruyun's name for the second time!
"Yin Ruyun!" The classroom was silent, with no response. Teacher Xie Nan scanned the classroom, confirming no one answered.
"Yin Ruyun!" Teacher Xie Nan called for the third time, her expression now frosty, as if she could freeze everyone. To skip class on the very first day, were students already this terrible? Wasn't it rumored that the Chinese Language and Literature class had performed very well? Was this the class that performed so well? The students in the classroom suddenly felt as though they were experiencing a chilling wind on a crisp autumn day. Teacher Xie Nan's intention was clear: the prelude to anger. Su Xiaotian also clearly felt the atmosphere was amiss.
"Is student Yin Ruyun absent? Where is the class monitor?"