The day the SAT scores came out, I sent a message to my online crush. "I didn't get into Harvard. Goodbye." Then, I turned around, enrolled at MIT, and blocked him. Fast forward to my freshman year practical lab, the substitute T.A. called me out in front of everyone. "Come up here and solve this problem. I've taught you this before." Me: "..." Are you kidding me?! Why is the online crush who wanted me to go to Harvard standing in front of me at MIT?! 01 After choosing my academic track in high school, my grades plummeted drastically. I was terrified I wouldn't get into MIT. Out of desperation, I flirted with a guy online whose username was "Harvard Reject." I asked him to help me study. He was gentle, considerate, and understanding. "Don't worry. With me here, I guarantee you'll get into Harvard." I was flattered but slightly panicked. "No, no, no, not Harvard." Actually, I was thinking: MIT is perfectly fine. "Tsk, what kind of talk is that, little girl? You can doubt your own IQ, but you can't despise my abilities." Me: "..." Yes, yes, yes. I really didn't dare despise him. Because "Harvard Bro" really knew his stuff. Under his tutoring, my grades not only shot up quickly but also stayed consistently high. On my second mock exam, I scored an incredibly high 1560 on the SATs. I excitedly shared the news with him. Harvard Bro was very calm. "Yeah, that score should be enough for Harvard." It was definitely enough, but I didn't want to go to Harvard. I had always wanted to go to MIT. But during the year he tutored me, I clearly felt that Harvard Bro had a special obsession with Harvard. Otherwise, he wouldn't have kept the username "Harvard Reject" for over a year. If I didn't go to Harvard, would he be disappointed? Looking at the message he sent, I decided to test the waters. "What if I don't get into Harvard?" "Don't worry, you'll definitely get in." Hmm... He probably thought I was just nervous before the real exam and was comforting me. Just like that, I never mentioned my MIT dream to Harvard Bro. The day before the SATs, he sent a message telling me to do my best. He said he would be busy with his senior thesis for a while and asked me to message him once I got my scores. 02 The scores came out in late June. I got a 1580. Hmm... I could go to Harvard, and I could go to MIT. While I was agonizing over which one to choose, my mom got a call from the MIT admissions office at three in the morning. So, she decisively chose MIT for me... Goodbye, Harvard. Of course, I was happy to choose the school I had always wanted to go to. But whenever I thought of Harvard Bro, who had tutored me, I felt a bit anxious. He kept telling me to aim for Harvard, and now that I had chosen MIT... It felt like I had betrayed him. Just as I was agonizing over how to reply, his message came through first. "Scores are out, right? How did you do?" Look at this gentle greeting. The guilt in my heart deepened. I hardened my heart, gritted my teeth, and sent a message back. "I didn't do well. I can't go to Harvard." "..." He fell silent. Before he could send a second message, I sent another: "I'm sorry. Goodbye." Then, I decisively blocked him and went offline. 03 After that, I lost contact with Harvard Bro. Even though it was just a fleeting online connection, when I passed by the Harvard gates at the start of my freshman year... I couldn't help but stop. My friend, Chloe, asked me what was wrong. She saw a trace of regret and longing in my dazed eyes. I sighed: "Once, I was this close to going to Harvard." "..." She was speechless and dragged me toward the library to grab seats. "To be honest, every MIT student who passes by here says that. Hurry up, or there won't be any seats left." Me: "..." What an authentically refreshing, unpretentious humblebrag... Sure enough, there were no seats left in the library. Chloe let out a wail: "Are these people demons? They got into MIT and they're still grinding this hard?!" At a glance, every seat was taken. There were a few seats left in the discussion area. But after hearing a cacophony of different languages and voices... We decided the "silence is golden" reading area was far more precious. "Hey, I see a spot! Over there!" Chloe excitedly slapped my arm. She immediately ran over to negotiate with the people sitting there. A few seconds later, she waved at me. "Audrey, come quick! There's a spot here." I walked over just in time to hear their conversation: "No problem. You guys are freshmen?" "Yeah." Chloe smiled, her voice impossibly sweet. I quietly sat down and noticed the seat opposite me was empty, but there was a book on it. "You should definitely call me a senior, but I'm quite a few years older than you. I'm a grad student now." "Wow, awesome!" While I was wondering if someone was sitting opposite me, Chloe had already exchanged numbers with the guy. After everyone settled down, it got quiet again. I looked down at my book. A little while later, the light in front of me dimmed. A figure pulled out the chair opposite me and sat down. Then came a quiet conversation: "The professor dragged you to the office again?" "Yeah, there was an error in the data, had to recalculate it." The first voice belonged to the senior who gave us the seats. The second voice was unfamiliar, but exceptionally nice to listen to. I sneakily looked up. A young man wearing glasses was sitting across from me. He had high cheekbones, deep and intense eyes, and long, thick eyelashes. His eyes were incredibly beautiful, almost like they were drawn in a comic book. He seemed to notice my gaze. He looked up. The moment our eyes met, I saw his face clearly. He was so good-looking that my breath caught. But this comic-book-perfect guy just gave me a flat glance. Then, upon seeing the textbook in front of me, he raised an eyebrow. He sounded surprised: "Polymer Materials and Engineering? Is that your major?" Huh? He actually spoke to me. I nodded. I took AP sciences in high school, and thanks to Harvard Bro, my grades were always good. So when I got to MIT, I chose this major directly. I don't know if it was my imagination, but the man opposite me curled the corner of his lips: "Not bad." I was puzzled when the senior next to him friendly added: "What a coincidence, that's our major too." Ah, that was a coincidence. A direct senior in my program. "Hi, nice to meet you." I greeted him politely. The man just gave an "Mhm," his attitude seemingly turning cold again. "Don't mind him, that's just how he is." I smiled and didn't take it to heart. 04 My major is a bit complicated. The homework is plentiful and difficult. It was another weekend. Chloe and I were stuck in our dorm room, getting a headache over a physical chemistry problem. Finally, Chloe let out a wail. "I really can't do this anymore. Just kill me! Why is it so hard?! No matter how many times I calculate it, it's wrong." Looking at the few hairs she had pulled out of her head, I felt a bit bad for her. But we were helpless. College coursework was more than just a little harder than high school. "Should we go ask someone else?" "Ask who?" Chloe's question stumped me. The professor... I was a bit too intimidated to ask. Classmates? Chloe, sitting right next to me, was the state science valedictorian. While I was agonizing over this, a person popped into my head. Harvard Bro. If Harvard Bro were here, this problem would probably be a piece of cake for him. But I had deleted him! If I had known that college homework would be this torturous, I wouldn't have acted so impulsively back then. Just then, Chloe, who was lying there like a corpse, suddenly sat bolt upright. "I thought of someone." "Who?" "The senior we met at the library last time. Didn't I get his number? He's in the same major, he definitely knows." Chloe was a woman of action. She grabbed her phone and sent a text. A minute later, she excitedly grabbed me and started heading for the door. "Let's go, let's go. He agreed. We're going to find him right now." 05 Chloe dragged me to the research lab building. "They're doing an experiment, we have to wait a bit." Not long after, several people trickled out of the lab. Then, the senior who gave us his number—the one who gave us his seat—also came out. His name was Ryan, and when he saw us, he invited us in. "Is it okay to go into the lab?" "The people doing the experiment are inside; out here is a meeting area, it's fine." Chloe nodded a few times and pulled me to sit in an empty seat. Ryan sat across from Chloe, and I listened from the side. A senior is a senior; his skills were no joke. It wasn't long before Chloe nodded in sudden realization. I was just about to ask something when the lab door was pushed open. The person who walked in stared at the three of us. "Hey, Liam, you're back?" The person who came in was exactly the handsome guy with glasses who sat opposite me at the library last time. So his name was Liam. Liam's gaze swept over Chloe and me. Ryan explained: "Oh, these are the freshmen we met at the library last time. They had a few questions they couldn't solve, so they came to ask." "Mhm." Still that cold, aloof attitude. Chloe and I exchanged a look. Chloe pulled me up. "Well, um, thank you so much, Ryan. We'll get going now." "No problem, anytime. Oh, by the way, our lab is short two assistants. Are you guys interested?" Ryan suddenly asked. Chloe and I both froze. Then I acutely sensed Liam frown. Obviously, this guy was not thrilled about the idea. I was just about to decline. But Chloe said: "Sure! Um, Audrey, go ahead, get his number, we'll be in touch." Wait, why did I have to get his number? Didn't she already have Ryan's? While I was wondering this, Chloe pushed me forward, winking furiously. I was riding a tiger and couldn't get off. I walked over to Ryan and Liam with a dry laugh. Ryan was straightforward and cheerfully exchanged numbers. Then it was Liam's turn. I could see he looked ready to refuse. Sure enough, when I stood in front of him, he glanced at me. The words of refusal were just about to leave his lips when he looked down at my profile QR code and froze. "This is your account?" He suddenly frowned and looked up at me. "Ah... yes. Is there a problem?" "What's your name?" "Audrey Miller." "..." As soon as I said it, Ryan next to him burst out laughing. Liam looked completely speechless. I felt a bit awkward: "You can just call me Audrey." "Where are you from?" "Hey, Liam, are you doing a background check?" Before I could answer, Ryan spoke up. And received a glare from Liam. Then Liam continued to stare at me: "Answer." "B-Boston." I shivered; I had to answer. But answering seemed to make things worse. Because after hearing my answer, the guy doing the "background check" suddenly let out a laugh. Then he looked me up and down. That look... how should I describe it? It was like looking at a captured prey. It made my hair stand on end. I felt like Liam was hostile toward me. Even though he had a smile on his face, it didn't reach his eyes. It was the kind of smile that was purely superficial. "Did pretty well on your SATs to get into MIT, huh." That sounded weird. I didn't quite process it at the moment and just nodded dumbly. "I-it was okay." Liam smiled again. As if out of anger. But this time he took out his phone and scanned my QR code. "Fine. Come to the lab tomorrow after class." Huh? Forget me, even Ryan was stunned. "Weren't you just... unwilling?" He was forced to swallow his words before he could finish. 06 Because we joined Liam's lab, Chloe and I didn't join any other clubs. Just one lab was exhausting enough. Ryan had applied to their advisor for Chloe and me to have assistant positions. Twice a week, two hours at a time. Every time it ended, Chloe would let out a groan of exhaustion. But I was even more pitiful. Before I could even agree with her, a message popped up on my phone. "Liam asked me to go back to the lab again. There's a calculation error in some data." I got up. Chloe looked at me with pity. "Audrey, did you do something to offend Liam?" "No, I only met him for the first time." "Then why is he working you to the bone every day?" When I entered the lab, I was assigned to shadow Liam. Chloe shadowed Ryan. After finishing our first day of experiments, Chloe expressed her condolences for my life as an assistant. "I heard from Ryan that Liam is an academic maniac. Audrey, you're so pitiful." During this time, I had a deep understanding of that statement. When Liam did experiments, he truly went without sleep or food. I went back to the lab building. Liam was the only one left in the lab. He was wearing a white lab coat and safety goggles. The whiteboard next to him was densely covered with calculated experimental data. "Liam." Liam didn't even look at me, just pointed to the whiteboard next to it. "The stuff I just sent you. Recalculate it." "Oh." The experimental data calculation was massive and repetitive. Once I started calculating, I lost track of time. "Done?" "Almost." I answered honestly. Liam glanced at the clock on the wall. "What part don't you understand?" "Here." I pointed to a spot. Liam walked over and took the whiteboard marker from my hand. "Watch." This immediate, no-nonsense tutoring style inexplicably reminded me of Harvard Bro. Liam put down the whiteboard marker. "Understand?" "I... I think so." "Okay, it's late, go back first. We'll continue tomorrow." Liam turned and said to me. "I'll recalculate it one more time before I leave." Liam, who was taking off his lab coat, paused. "Experiments are important, but your health is the most important. Go back and rest first, you'll have a clearer mind to learn tomorrow. We're done for today." He hung up his lab coat and added: "I'm the only one with a key. Are you going to make me stay here with you?" "Ah, no, it's fine." Only a few key personnel had keys to the lab. I didn't dare take a key, and I certainly didn't dare make Liam stay with me. 07 We left the lab building. He said he would walk me directly back to my dorm. Unable to refuse, I followed silently. The whole walk was incredibly awkward. I felt I should find a topic to break the silence. "Um, thank you." "It was nothing." "..." There was no way to continue this conversation. I tried a few other topics, but Liam shut them all down. I think Chloe was right. Liam probably only had experiments in his brain. When I got back to the dorm, I complained to Chloe. Chloe considered it for a moment and said: "Could it be that you're just bad at finding topics to talk about?" "Really? I thought the topics I picked were pretty good." "But your conversation was so awkward. Are you like this with other guys too?" Other guys? I thought back. Besides my high school classmates, The only other guy was Harvard Bro. Even though we only talked online and never met in person, Our conversations flowed very smoothly. Especially Harvard Bro, he never let a conversation die. Comparing them, I suddenly missed Harvard Bro even more. I sighed. I wonder how Harvard Bro is doing now? I had originally planned to meet up with him and thank him in person after the SATs. If I added him back now... Once the thought popped up, it grew wildly like weeds. I agonized over it for days. Finally, I convinced myself: Logically and emotionally, I owed him an apology and a thank you. So, I unhesitatingly clicked on that familiar profile, And sent a friend request. 08 But after waiting for half the day, there was no acceptance. I felt deflated. He was probably still angry and didn't want to accept my friend request. In a bad mood, I slouched through the entire morning. But just after classes ended in the afternoon, I actually had a new message in my notifications. "The other party has accepted your friend request." Harvard Bro! I sat up straight in excitement and couldn't wait to send the first message. "Harvard Bro! Long time no see!" "..." Looking at those ellipses, it felt so familiar. I was just about to type a long paragraph expressing my gratitude and how much I missed him, When a message from him popped up. "Why did you delete me?" "..." Oh man, I was planning to gradually lead into this topic, I didn't expect him to cut straight to the chase. Fortunately, there was a screen between us, so he couldn't see my embarrassment. I guiltily typed out a few words: "I was too embarrassed to face you." "You got into MIT and you're too embarrassed to face me?" "You knew about that?" "..." He fell silent again. I remembered I had posted a picture of my MIT freshman orientation on Instagram. He probably saw it. At this point, I could only apologize with the utmost sincerity. I explained my guilt and regret over the past few months. And casually mentioned that I had always wanted to go to MIT. It's just that he kept motivating me with "Harvard, Harvard." I was afraid of disappointing him, which was why I lied about not doing well on the test at the very beginning. I sent a flurry of messages. He didn't reply again. I thought he was angry again. Ten minutes later, his message came through. "I was doing an experiment." "Yeah, MIT is pretty good too." Oh, so Harvard Bro wasn't angry. The tension in my heart instantly lifted. It seemed I had found the relaxed feeling of chatting with him again. "Doing an experiment? Harvard Bro, are you still in school?" "Yeah, doing a joint Master's/Ph.D. program." "Wow! That's awesome, what's your major?" "Materials Engineering." Huh?! Isn't that the same major as me?! I was instantly thrilled. My eyes lit up: "That's my major too! Harvard Bro, we really have a connection." "..." He stopped talking again. But it didn't matter. The rock that had been weighing on my heart was finally lifted. 09 After making up with Harvard Bro, my mood improved significantly. Even when Liam dragged me to do experiments until nine at night, I didn't complain. Chloe was shocked and wondered if I had been assimilated by Liam. And ever since I found out Harvard Bro and I were in the same major, I asked him immediately whenever I didn't understand something. It felt like being back to when he was tutoring me for my senior year. That night, I was chatting with Harvard Bro as usual. There was a step in today's experimental data that I didn't understand. I could only write it down and ask Harvard Bro when I got back. After Harvard Bro answered my questions, he asked me, puzzled: "Why didn't you say something while you were doing the experiment earlier?" Me: "I was afraid the senior mentoring me would think I'm stupid." "..." Once I started, I couldn't help but complain. Being Liam's assistant wasn't bad, per se. After all, I was indeed learning a lot. But one thing was... his brain just worked too fast. Before I could even figure out how the previous step formed, he had already jumped to the conclusion. Maybe to him, those steps were simple and could be skipped. But to me... I honestly couldn't keep up. "I suspect his brain is a computer. He doesn't even have to think; his head is just full of programming." I sent the message. Harvard Bro didn't reply again. He was probably doing an experiment again. The next day I went to the lab. I arrived early; the lab wasn't open yet. I waited for a bit and saw Liam arriving late. "Hi, Liam." I greeted him. He glanced at me and gave an "Mhm." When the experiment was over and I was packing my things, Liam suddenly called out to me: "Audrey." "What?" "Is there anything you didn't understand about today's experiment?" Huh? I looked at Liam in surprise. He was wearing a white lab coat, his safety goggles resting over his own glasses. Seeing me look at him, Liam actually coughed. His expression seemed a bit unnatural. "I said, is there anything you didn't understand about today's experiment?" "Oh, yeah, yeah, I do." I immediately pulled out my little notebook, ready to be a diligent student. Liam answered my questions one by one. In the end, he actually said: "If you don't understand anything in the future, just come directly to me." "Okay, sure. Thank you." Liam gave an "Mhm" and left the lab. When I got back to the dorm, I couldn't wait to message Harvard Bro. "Harvard Bro, the sun must have risen in the west today! The senior I shadow for experiments actually asked me if there was anything I didn't understand after we finished." "And?" "Harvard Bro, you are truly my lucky star." I sent several emojis in a row. No reply from his end. But I was used to it. 10 The following days were busy and fulfilling. As Chloe and I spent more time as assistants, we got familiar with the seniors in the lab. Occasionally, we would all go out for meals together. "Audrey, Chloe, are you free tonight? Everyone's getting together for dinner." "Sure!" "Okay." I only realized after I agreed that Liam was still beside me calculating data. Come to think of it, In the two months I've been his assistant, I rarely see Liam eat with everyone else. "Liam, are you going to the dinner tonight?" Liam looked up at me. His eyes were truly beautiful. It's a pity they were too cold when he looked at people. I never really dared to talk to him. If his attitude hadn't changed recently, I really wouldn't have dared to ask that. Just when I thought Liam wouldn't agree, He actually took off his safety goggles. "Sure." He agreed?! I was surprised and shocked. Everyone chatted happily at the dinner that night. I took out my phone and habitually sent a message to Harvard Bro. "Harvard Bro, I'm out at a dinner with the seniors from the lab today." After sending the message, I waited for his reply. I looked up and saw Liam sitting across from me. Even though we were all here for dinner, he was quietly sitting there like an outsider. Liam had his head down, seemingly playing with his phone. I don't know why, but he actually looked up at me. That sudden glance... Made my heart race in panic. Fortunately, my phone chimed. Harvard Bro replied. He asked: "And then?" "No 'and then,' just letting you know." "..." Hmm... This conversation topic was a bit boring. I was just preparing to find a new topic. When someone at the table called my name. "Audrey, don't just play on your phone, join the conversation." "Huh? Oh, okay." I looked up blankly. Liam had also put down his phone when I was called out. But he looked like he was in a better mood than before. There was actually a faint smile on his face. I was puzzled. Playing on his phone made him that happy? I was forced to join the conversation. Someone asked me: "Hey, Audrey, do you have a boyfriend?" Huh? As soon as those words were spoken, the whole table looked at me. Being suddenly stared at, I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. How should I answer? Was someone trying to set me up? My heart only had room for studying, not love! Suddenly, a flash of inspiration hit me, And I blurted out: "I do." As soon as the words fell, the table went quiet. Chloe stared at me wide-eyed. "When did you get a boyfriend? How did I not know?" I gave a dry laugh: "Hahaha, I like to keep a low profile." I suddenly felt a sharp gaze land on me. I looked up, And it was actually Liam. Why was he glaring at me?
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