Chapter 54

The successful test run of Prime No.2 sent shockwaves through the industry. In no time, tech media at home and abroad were racing each other to cover the news.
Their rivals from the big Shenzhen race months ago flooded their inbox with congratulations. The U.S. AD team even asked to visit at the end of the year, Prime’s answer: absolutely, come on over.
Investors came knocking, eager and offering great terms, but they were already a step too late.
The Ministry of Science and the university were both all in.
The next day, the university held a press conference, officially announcing Prime’s breakthrough with the autonomous vehicle project, providing answers to the most pressing questions.
With most technical details under wraps, the media stuck to questions about the car itself and future plans. The school handled some; Jing Ming tackled the rest.
Reporter A: “In your opinion, what makes autonomous cars better than existing vehicles?”
Jing Ming: “It’s bigger than the car, it’s a whole new way of life. Fully autonomous driving will save society huge resources, lower labor and time costs, bringing travel that’s safer, more efficient, unified, and lightning-fast.”
Reporter B: “But under current traffic laws, self-driving cars can’t hit the road. So where’s your market?”
Jing Ming: “Private and controlled roads, like in residential communities, industrial parks, schools, tourist spots, amusement parks, public gardens. And it’ll revolutionize the logistics industry. Once the tech and infrastructure mature, the scope will widen, and that’ll take decades. But it’s the future, unstoppable.”
Reporter C: “Prime No.2’s test-drive video is blowing up online. There’s real buzz, and you’ve got a ton of fans. Anything you want to tell your new supporters?”
Jing Ming’s lips curled: “Good taste.”
The crowd burst out laughing, figured he was joking.
Off-stage, Du Ruo just grinned, rubbing her nose. They really didn’t know Jing Ming at all.
The press conference wrapped in a burst of good vibes. As Jing Ming stepped offstage through the paparazzi’s flash, he unexpectedly spotted Dong Cheng of Pengcheng Auto in the crowd.
Their eyes met; Dong Cheng strode over and offered his hand. “Congratulations.”
Jing Ming shook it briefly, polite. “Didn’t expect to see you here, Mr. Dong.”
“Just checking in on the Orbit kids. Heard about the press conference, thought I’d see for myself.”
“Oh,” Jing Ming nodded, “heard things are going well for Yi Kun’s team.”
“Not bad.” Dong Cheng grinned. “But we’re not quite catching up to you guys.”
Jing Ming’s smile was faint, no time for small talk.
After a few brief words, they broke up.
Outside the conference hall, Li Wei asked, “What did that guy want with you?”
“Nothing but filler,” Jing Ming replied.
“Alright, let’s head to the department. Deputy Director Yuan called a meeting.”
“Mm.”
Jing Ming stuffed his hands in his pockets, then turned to look at Du Ruo, noticing her cheeks glowing red. He smirked, “Why’s your face all pink?”
She touched her cheek. “Probably just stuffy, being inside too long.”
“More like someone got flustered watching the press conference.” Jing Ming shot a glance at Li Wei, already walking ahead, then leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Wasn’t your boyfriend just ridiculously good-looking up there?”
Du Ruo’s ears lit up instantly. She glared. “Could you try being a little less full of yourself?”
“Is it really that hard to tell the truth?” He dropped his voice even lower. “Come on, it’s not like praising your own boyfriend is doing anyone else a favor.”
She bit down her grin, cheeks burning, and determinedly said nothing.
He caught her gaze lingering on her flaming ears, way too adorable. So he bent closer and brushed a kiss over her ear.
She jumped, heart skipping a beat, panickedly glancing around, thank God, nobody saw. She shoved him, unsatisfied, and jabbed his waist with her finger.
He groaned, “Ow! …Didn’t hurt.”
Still teasing each other, they headed inside together.
The very Yuan Deputy Director who used to write Prime off was now switching sides, warmly inviting Mr. Liang Wenbang and several teachers and the whole Prime team to a little celebration. During the tea chat, he positively gushed: all smiles, full of compliments:
“I told Professor Liang ages ago, I had my eye on you from the start! Young, but gutsy. Smart, fast learners. All the brightest in our department are on Prime! Today’s achievement? I expected nothing less!”
The engineering whizzes at the table weren’t exactly social butterflies; all they managed was forced smiles and awkward thank-yous.
Jing Ming, for one, couldn’t be bothered to humor him. He gave the seat beside Yuan to Li Wei, then shifted over to sit next to Liang Wenbang, and focused entirely on peeling peanuts and sunflower seeds. He pulled Du Ruo to sit beside him, too.
Mr. Liang himself could barely contain his own happiness. Normally so composed and talkative, today he barely said a word, just sipped his tea, smiled, nodded, glanced fondly at his kids, drank again, then sighed contentedly.
After a handful of sighs, Jing Ming finally caved. “Sir, could you put your cup down and stop that melodramatic sighing?”
Liang Wenbang: “Melodramatic? I’m not sighing, just feeling emotional! You kids have made us so proud! But don’t get slack. Push harder, strive for better and better… I’m just too happy, words fail me.”
“Then save your words.” Jing Ming slid a plate of freshly shelled peanuts in front of him.
Then, as if absent-minded, he nudged a small dish of shelled sunflower seeds toward Du Ruo as well.
Warmth bloomed in Du Ruo’s heart. She happily munched on the seeds, until she glanced up to see Tu Zhiyuan and Zhu Tao across the table watching her and giggling behind their hands, and her confidence wavered a little.
Beside her, He Wang reached into her dish and snatched up a handful, chucking them into his mouth.
“….” Du Ruo stared at her half-empty dish, torn up but unable to complain, so she guarded it silently.
Across her shoulder, Jing Ming fixed He Wang with a glare and mouthed: Are you trying to die?
He Wang made a face right back.
Mr. Liang, eyes crinkling with laughter as he munched, turned to Jing Ming. “By the way, the university’s taking 20% stake in this project.”
“Of course. We made that deal, we’re honoring it,” Jing Ming said. “Consider it a thank you to our school. No objections from anyone on the team.”
Mr. Liang nodded approvingly.
Jing Ming carefully shelled out more seeds, then suddenly asked, “Any word from Professor Zhen?”
“The professor is thrilled, naturally. He always knew you’d make it work. What delights him most is that you’re young, full of energy and spark, and bring a real sense of flair and visibility to science. This was great promo for making tech popular.”
He was right. The test drive had set off a tech craze among university kids and young professionals all over. Bookstores had sold out of related titles; young parents were calling in, desperate for tips on nurturing their children’s interest in STEM.
It made Mr. Liang deeply happy.
Because only by making science mainstream, by getting both kids and parents excited, could the next generations keep producing top-tier talent. The future of the country depended on this growing pool.
He joked, “You know, a decade or two from now, we’ll probably have a flood of genius kids all saying, ‘I started this path because I watched your Prime No.1 and No.2.’ You might end up being a legend.”
Jing Ming deadpanned, “Thanks, I guess.”
Mr. Liang cracked up. “So, what’s next?”
“Road-testing on a closed track next month. We’re aiming for higher speed and smarter AI autonomy.” Jing Ming leaned in. “If we nail it, we’ll apply for patents and set up a real company.”
“Excellent.” Mr. Liang nodded. “Go for it.”
Listening in on him and Mr. Liang, Du Ruo’s earlier nerves about Jing Ming’s proposal were gone now that the teachers were on board.
Jing Ming glanced over at Du Ruo, saw her empty seed dish, and quietly slid her another, freshly shelled. “Guard it this time,” he whispered.
Du Ruo nodded earnestly. “Got it.” She circled her arm protectively around the dish.
Jing Ming stifled a laugh. Just then, Deputy Director Yuan cut in, “Jing Ming, about your project, I know a few good investors…”
Jing Ming: “We’ve already got one, thanks.”
Yuan froze. Li Wei stepped in to explain about Yan Yuyu. At the mention of the name, Yuan backed off a little but still said, “Doesn’t hurt to have a few more, right?”
Jing Ming: “Could work, but I’ll have to breach my contract first.”
Now Deputy Director Yuan could hardly argue, so he switched gears and started rambling on about how much the department valued and supported them.
Jing Ming was tuning out, so he glanced over at Du Ruo, she was intently munching on sunflower seeds, the hint of a dimple emerging whenever she pursed her lips. It made his heart itch in the worst, best way.
She sensed his stare and shot him a puzzled look.
He grinned, stood up, and excused himself to the restroom before slipping out.
Du Ruo sat there quietly, watching him leave. She wanted to follow but was too shy, what if someone noticed? She stalled, nibbling on an orange segment, when her phone buzzed in her pocket.
Jing Ming's text: “Are you coming or what?!”
She tucked her phone away, trying to look casual. As soon as she stood up, the guys at the table burst into rowdy laughter. Deputy Director Yuan looked baffled.
Du Ruo wasn't sure what they were laughing at, blushing furiously, she dashed out to the stairwell. Just as she pushed open the emergency door, Jing Ming yanked her aside and pressed her up against the wall.
She knew it was him, but still jumped in surprise.
“What were you dawdling for, huh?” He dipped his head and brushed her lips in a quick peck.
She whispered, “I was afraid someone would see us.”
He snorted with laughter. “Are you an idiot?”
“Hm?”
He shot her a look. “Everyone on the team already knows, you know.”
She gaped at him. “What?”
“The way I treat you, it’s obvious! They’re just going along with our act, that’s all. No one's calling us out.”
No wonder!
She kicked his shin and buried her head in his chest. “Great, now I’m too embarrassed to ever face them again.”
“What, like everyone’s not allowed to date?” He tilted her face up, his thumb stroking her cheek. He looked at her, really looked, a silent warmth deep in his eyes. Suddenly he sighed softly, “Tsk…”
“What?” She stared at him, confused.
“Du Ruo…”
“Yeah?”
“It’s seriously getting out of hand how much I like you.” His voice was low as he kissed her, slow, savoring her lips, rubbing their mouths together in a lazy, lingering way.
She went as red as a cherry tomato, mumbling, “For real?”
“For real.” He chuckled against her and nuzzled her lips again.
She squirmed, shoulders hunched with ticklish laughter as she turned her face away.
He laughed too, dipping his head to chase after her, planting feather-light kisses at the corner of her mouth, one, then another.
His playfulness made her giggle helplessly.
He stared at the tiny dimple on her cheek, utterly bewitched, wanted to kiss it, wanted it to last. But just as he leaned in, she’d stopped laughing and the dimple had faded.
Unhappy at the loss, he kept peppering her face with little kisses, mumbling in a muffled voice, “C’mon, smile. Quick.”
He was obsessed with her dimples, he just wanted to kiss them senseless.
She wriggled. “Why should I smile?”
“Because I said so.”
“Stop it already.”
“Stop what? I’m being serious, now smile.” He breathed against her ear, then traced her cheek with the tip of his tongue, she jolted in his arms, dissolving into more laughter, wriggling away as he held her tighter.
He pressed his lips right into the little dimple, leaving a deep, lingering kiss.
Their flirting was getting seriously out of hand when footsteps echoed from upstairs.
Both of them froze, trading a panicked glance before springing apart.
She turned away, fussing with her hair in a rush. He covered his mouth with a closed fist, faking a cough or two.
A student hurried past, eyeing them curiously before dashing down the stairs.
Once the footsteps faded, they both peeked back, caught each other's gaze… then burst out laughing, immediately huddling together again in a hug.
…
When Yi Kun walked into the lab, Dong Cheng and his assistant were already waiting.
Except for Wu Zhengbo, the rest of the team had gone out for lunch.
Yi Kun asked, “What brings you here today, Mr. Dong?”
Dong Cheng looked grim. “Prime just dropped their new car and stole the spotlight. They announced at the launch that they’ll formalize their company after next month’s road test. I want our partnership car out before then.”
Yi Kun wasn’t moved. “Strictly speaking, we’re not partners, this is just a business transaction.” He added, “Orbit’s only responsible for the braking system. As for making the whole car run smoothly, that’s not something we can control. Our system is ready to go, it’s the sensor team and control team you hired that are falling behind, not us. That’s their problem, not mine.”
Wu Zhengbo chimed in, “What Mr. Dong means is, can we help speed up the other two teams? Or maybe see if the school has any better talent…”
“If we don’t work with them for the long-term, how can we rush their progress?” Yi Kun countered. “And honestly, all the real talent is already in Prime. Mr. Dong, you’re welcome to try headhunting, but good luck prying them loose.”
There was a definite edge of mockery in his tone.
Dong Cheng’s assistant bristled, why were both Prime and Orbit’s top dogs such pains? He shoved a contract over, full of swagger: “At least read the terms we’re offering.”
Yi Kun barely glanced at it, not even flipping a page. “Mr. Dong, I get what you want. But my team just handles the autonomous control system. That’s it. Whether your car succeeds on the market is none of our business. To put it bluntly, we’re a supplier. There’s plenty of buyers; you’re not the only customer. Now Prime’s new release has you panicking, grasping at straws, pinning all your hopes on us. It won’t work.”
Dong Cheng’s face darkened. But Yi Kun continued, “If that’s all, my lab’s busy.”
Dong Cheng and his assistant stood up quickly. Wu Zhengbo tried to get them to stay, but it was no use.
He turned to Yi Kun. “Come on, at least think about it. It’s a great chance to make money.”
Yi Kun’s response was ice-cold. “He doesn’t do real tech, so he wouldn’t understand. You know this, right? Launching a car, getting a team to mesh, how long does that take? His ragtag group barely has a foundation. Sure, they can manage the easy stuff, but to really make a car you need ten months or more modeling and crunching data. How do they expect to catch up?”
Wu Zhengbo grumbled, “Maybe not, but hey, money's money.”
“God, you’re clueless,” Yi Kun shot back. “Let’s do our own tiny slice perfectly, really aim for excellence. If we stay pure system suppliers, the future’s wide open. If we keep spreading ourselves thin, chasing quick cash on the side, we’re just asking for trouble in the long run.”
Wu Zhengbo said, frustrated, “I get it. But still, watching Prime get all the glory makes me want Orbit to do something big, too.”
“We’ve got time,” Yi Kun said, and walked out.
…
After a packed day, Du Ruo returned to her dorm. The moment she opened the door, all her roommates were staring at her, smirking, up to no good.
She got goosebumps. “Why are you guys looking at me like that?”
He Huanhuan cocked an eyebrow and gave her a hard pinch. “You little brat, hiding a relationship from us!”
Du Ruo’s mind blanked instantly. “You all…” Her thoughts chased each other in panic. He Huanhuan shouted, “Look at her face! She’s not even trying to deny it!” Then thrust a phone at her. “Just look!”
On the BBS: several sharp photos of her and Jing Ming cuddled up and kissing in a campus stairwell.
Du Ruo’s face flared crimson. She snatched the phone. “Who took these?!”
As she scrolled through, her hands started to shake.
Prime No.1’s successful test drive had already blown up the forum. Now, with Jing Ming’s love life exposed, it was like someone dropped oil into a volcano, utter chaos. The post’s comments just kept climbing, the thread burning up the whole campus.
The guys mostly posted congratulations and best wishes.
The girls, meanwhile, were reeling:
[Let go of that boy!!!]
[Oh my god, what’s so special about this girl? I can’t believe it.]
[She’s cute and all, but I just don’t think she’s on the same level as my God Jing.]
[My dream guy has a girlfriend now? Noooooo!!!”
[Isn’t that the girl from when he trashed the Orbit lab? So it was for love!]
[Wow, boyfriend energy off the charts. I want one like that, sob sob.]
[I’m so jealous.]
[Seriously though, she’s a mystery, how did she nab Jing Ming? Curiosity at max!]
[Nah, I’m pretty sure I could get Jing God too. *smirk.jpg*]
The replies were endless; she couldn’t even scroll to the bottom.
He Huanhuan snatched the phone back. “That’s not the point, don’t look at those!”
Du Ruo, hands trembling, willed herself not to care about all those comments.
Qiu Yuchen tugged her down to sit, patting her shivering hand. “Don’t overthink the internet trolls, people are just impulsive online. Your love life is yours. None of theirs’ damn business.”
Du Ruo nodded, still shaking. “I know.”
“Exactly. Everyone’s just surprised and hyped up, you can’t blame them,” He Huanhuan added. “Seriously, even your own roommates are totally shocked.”
Xia Nan said mildly, “Talk about keeping secrets.”
Du Ruo, sheepishly: “I really didn’t mean to…”
Qiu Yuchen muttered, “Li Wei’s just as bad. He knew all along and didn’t tell me.”
Du Ruo jumped in, “He was just being a good friend, don’t blame him.”
“I won’t, as long as he buys us dinner.”
Du Ruo admitted in a whisper, “I just didn’t want everyone to react like this. So I kept it quiet.”
“Makes sense.” Suddenly Qiu Yuchen had a lightbulb moment. “Wait a sec! No wonder he joined the debate team, took you out to eat, trashed the lab for you, he’s crazy about you!”
Du Ruo froze, cheeks burning even hotter, yet at the same time, she felt… happy?
He Huanhuan pounced on the gossip. “Enough about all that, spill! What’s it like?”
“What’s what like?”
“Dating the campus legend, how does it feel?”
Du Ruo mumbled, “...It’s pretty great, actually.”
“What’s so great?”
“Everything… I guess.” She fiddled with her fingers, head ducked.
He Huanhuan squealed, “Come on, doesn’t he make your heart race?”
“...Yeah.” Du Ruo’s face glowed, her heart pounding. She squeaked, “...He’s handsome when he talks, handsome when he’s quiet, handsome when he smiles, handsome when he doesn’t smile…”
Qiu Yuchen couldn’t take it anymore: “Damn, turns out you’re the number one lovesick fool in our dorm!”
Du Ruo was blushing so hard she was nearly see-through, sputtering, “But you guys were the ones who asked me to talk!”
“Yuchen, don’t interrupt!” He Huanhuan gazed at Du Ruo dreamily. “So what’s it like kissing a guy that hot?”
“It’s… really nice.”
Xia Nan chimed in, “How long have you two been together?”
“Almost three months now.”
“No way! You kept that under wraps!” squealed Yuchen.
Huanhuan was still fixated on the details: “Does he kiss you every day?”
“…Uh huh.”
“Knew it! You’re totally in the honeymoon phase!” Huanhuan bounced on her heels in excitement. “So... have you two, you know…?”
“Have we what?”
“That!”
“What that?”
“Have you slept together?”
Du Ruo’s whole face went up in flames. “No!”
He Huanhuan shook her head in mock disappointment and poked Du Ruo’s forehead: “You’re hopeless! If I were you, I’d have jumped him by now.”
Du Ruo fanned herself with her collar, sweating buckets despite it being autumn. The rapid-fire questions were too much.
Her phone buzzed, Jing Ming. Huanhuan saw the name and started wailing like a banshee.
Du Ruo grabbed her phone and bolted to the balcony. “Hello?”
Jing Ming had a brief pause, then asked directly, “You saw it too?”
“Yeah.”
“I just saw it myself. You okay?” His voice was tense.
Her heart melted. “I’m fine, really.”
“Stay off the forums, they’re full of idiots,” he snapped, irritation bleeding through. “Who the hell do they think they are, running their mouths? Nonsense!”
Her heart went so soft, she spoke gently: “I know, okay? I’m really fine. Don’t be mad.”
Just then, her roommates started whooping inside: “Awwww, the lovebirds are killing us over here!”
Du Ruo turned, cupping the phone, but Jing Ming had already heard. “You’re on the balcony?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Go inside. Put me on speaker.”
“What for?” she whispered, nervous. “They’re just teasing.”
“Just do it.”
She caved, braced herself, and went back inside, switching to speaker.
“To Du Ruo’s three roommates: I got you girls some gifts, they’ll be delivered to the dorm in two days,” he declared, “so be nice to my girlfriend, got it?”
Du Ruo froze, mortified. She yanked off speaker and bolted back to the balcony, shutting her roommates’ cackling behind her. “You, ”
“Come down,” he said softly now. “I’m downstairs.”
She blinked, ran to the window, and there he was.
In a rush of warmth, she raced down the stairs and out of the dorm. Golden autumn dusk, Jing Ming stood beneath a ginkgo tree turning from green to gold, his red jacket gleaming. He waited with the faintest of smiles.
She didn’t hesitate, dashed across the street and flung herself straight into his arms, hugging him tight around the waist. She hit him so hard he staggered back a step before regaining his balance.
Classmates passing by all did a double-take, but she couldn’t care less.
He chuckled, wrapped her in his arms, and pressed a gentle kiss into her hair.