Chapter 170: She is going to climb to the peak

The two of them were not far apart in age, so there was no real generation gap.

With Cheng Si connecting them, even without his reminder, Lin Xi would still look after Nange.

Cheng Si had said, "This girl looks quite sharp, but she is actually a dunderhead. You must make sure she stays close to you; she probably couldn't tell east from west if she went out alone."

"How can you praise someone like that?" Lin Xi was speechless. "She is an adult in her twenties, after all."

Cheng Si sounded utterly helpless. "You have no idea how much she's cherished by my cousin's family. Oh right, and her husband too—they took turns calling me, terrified I would lose her. It's driving me crazy."

"I don't have time to go over there, so this heavy responsibility falls on you. I'll treat you to a meal when I get back."

"Of course, she is a very obedient girl. Just say whatever you need to her directly. You don't need to spare my feelings."

"Got it." Lin Xi already knew how much Cheng Si doted on his little niece, so his words were just talk.

In reality, he spoiled her rotten.

Upon returning to the hotel, Lin Xi discovered that she and Nange were sharing a room.

However, it was a suite, so they weren't exactly living in the same space.

This also accommodated Lin Xi's insomnia, preventing any issues with sharing a bed with others.

"I sleep very deeply at night and won't run around," Nange promised the moment they stepped inside.

"What did your uncle tell you?" Lin Xi closed the door and asked with a smile.

She had thought Cheng Si only called her, but it seemed he had given just as many instructions to Nange's end.

Whatever Lin Xi asked, Nange repeated. "He just said that you, Sister, don't like too much noise, and told me to speak less. Also, that you have a light sleep, so I shouldn't disturb you. And on the plane, since you get uncomfortable during takeoff and landing, I should talk to you more."

She counted them off one by one. "Oh, and something about an auction? He told me to accompany you."

Just as expected.

It was all very much in line with Lin Xi's thoughts.

"No need. I'll go to the auction by myself; you can just rest at the hotel."

"That wouldn't be good, right? Can I just follow you and stay quiet?" Nange worried she was being considered a chatterbox.

"It's not about that; I just don't think it's necessary."

Pausing, Lin Xi thought of something. "You won't run around, will you?"

Nange blinked, smiling innocently. "That's hard to say."

"..."

That sounded almost like a threat.

Lin Xi thought it over and compromised. "Then come with me. I don't mind, I'm just worried you'll be too tired at night after being busy all day."

"Not at all, not at all! I'm full of energy!"

Lin Xi murmured in acknowledgment. "I'm going to take a shower first. Wait for me a moment, and we'll head down together."

"Okay!"

Lin Xi pushed her luggage into the bedroom, then retreated with some hesitation, her gaze lingering on the figure huddled on the floor.

Nange was squatting on the floor rummaging through her suitcase. Hearing the sound, she looked up and called out a dazed "Sister."

Calling her sister felt a bit off in terms of seniority, but given their age difference, Nange felt she might get beaten up if she called her anything else.

"Wait until I come out. You are not allowed to leave this room before I do."

"..." With Lin Xi wearing such a serious expression, Nange thought she was about to impart some vital matter.

As it turned out, it was just this?

She scratched her head and finally couldn't help whispering a reminder, "Sister, I'm already in graduate school."

With her youthful appearance, she was afraid Lin Xi still viewed her as a child.

"I heard," Lin Xi said. "Your uncle told me to keep a close eye on you and not let you go out. It's not safe here at night."

"Oh... okay."

Lin Xi felt as though she had brought a child along on a trip, washing up while constantly worrying that Nange might slip away.

That evening, everyone had dinner at the hotel, reviewed the schedule for the following day, and then took Engineer Li, Engineer Wang, and the others upstairs to test the equipment.

Though Engineer Wang was somewhat arrogant, he was not the least bit sloppy when it came to serious business.

Naturally, he didn't like taking orders from Lin Xi, but since higher-ups had already settled the matter, outside they represented Feiyun, and on a larger scale, their country.

He still possessed a sense of proportion and didn't want to drop the ball or drag the team down because of himself.

Nange followed Lin Xi almost every step of the way.

Seeing that the others were still busy testing equipment and Lin Xi wasn't occupied, she couldn't resist gossiping. "Sister..."

"You can just call me Engineer Lin."

Lin Xi lowered her head to look at the data on her tablet and replied in a low voice.

Nange gave an "oh" and said, "Alright, Engineer Lin."

"Mmm." Lin Xi signaled for her to speak her mind.

"Did you go to college right around here? The same school where our exhibition is tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Wow, you're amazing!"

Lin Xi replied, "You're very capable too."

Nange shook her head. "I'm still far behind compared to you. Why did Engineer Lin choose this industry? When I was studying, I was totally clueless, and I didn't have any goals before this."

"Did you decide to study this major very early on and plan to do this job in the future?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but Engineer Wang and the others nearby still overheard. Though their hands never stopped moving, their ears were perked up to eavesdrop.

"Pretty much around high school," Lin Xi said. "Actually, at the very beginning, my family really wanted me to be a doctor."

"My maternal grandparents are practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine, my parents used to work in medical devices, and now my uncle does too. Later on, I accidentally saw a news report and realized our country had a very obvious disadvantage in this field, so I chose this industry."

"I never thought about making a massive contribution or changing the world. I just wanted to do what I could, even if it was only a little bit."

"Plus, I have a strong aversion to hospitals. Once that idea took root, it never wavered."

"Besides, my older brother supported me."

"I see."

"I heard your family has a military background. I actually thought your family would have made you choose that path instead," Nange remarked.

Lin Xi offered a faint smile. "Quite the opposite. They were strongly against it. Since I was little, they made me abandon that thought."

Whether it was her elders or Lin Chen, both had made it explicitly clear that they did not want her to enlist. She had once thought about taking the police academy exams, but Lin Chen wouldn't approve of that either.

Later, when her grandfather suggested she study medicine, Lin Chen thought it would be too grueling, though his reaction wasn't as intense as the previous two options. So she had considered it briefly.

Then, when she mentioned wanting to study electronic engineering, Lin Chen agreed without missing a beat. Once they reached a consensus, she never changed her goal again.

At first, she hadn't planned on studying abroad.

Yet aside from the change of institution, everything else went according to plan.

And she hadn't let Lin Chen down.

"Were your grades always this good?"

"They were all right."

"You really are incredible!" Nange exclaimed, noting that Lin Xi was an MIT graduate.

"It's one thing to have talent, but you work so hard too."

Lin Xi smiled. "Because I wanted to walk a little faster."

If she stayed forever midway up the mountain, Lin Chen wouldn't be able to see her.

She had to climb to the summit.