Rebirth in a Shura Field, but in an Abstract Version

062 Little Green Plum's Confusing Actions

Halfway through the barbecue, the atmosphere gradually became more lively.

The boys were still awkwardly trying to win her favor, while the girls began to relax, with cheerful laughter ringing out from time to time.

Wang Zhe remained focused on his baking pan.

After tackling the first batch of pork belly, he began to tackle the more challenging ingredients: potato slices and enoki mushrooms.

These two things are quite different: one is prone to burning and sticking to the pan, and the other is prone to being undercooked and getting stuck in your teeth. But in Wang Zhe's hands, the potato slices are baked to a crispy exterior and tender interior, and the enoki mushrooms, soaked in minced garlic and oil, exude an enticing aroma.

Su Xiaocheng, who was sitting opposite him, adopted a policy of eating but not talking from the moment she sat down.

She buried her head in her food, her cheeks bulging like a hamster hoarding food. When the boys tried to strike up a conversation, she would only nod politely or reply with a word or two before continuing to struggle with the chicken wings on her plate.

"Is it good?" Song Zhiyi asked with a smile, handing her a tissue.

Su Xiaocheng took the tissue, wiped her mouth, and nodded vigorously: "Delicious! Especially this pork belly. You grilled it really well, classmate."

As she spoke, she finally looked up at Wang Zhe. And this was the longest sentence she had spoken to the boy since she sat down.

But at this moment, Wang Zhe was more aloof than her.

He just smiled and didn't respond with a single word.

Song Zhiyi, standing nearby, remarked, "He's not just good at grilling meat; he's also a great cook."

"Are you two very close?" Su Xiaocheng asked curiously.

"We were high school classmates, we knew each other before college," Song Zhiyi said casually, changing the subject, "By the way, since you're in the oil painting department, what hobbies do you have besides painting?"

"Hobby?"

Su Xiaocheng thought for a moment, swallowed the meat in her mouth, and said, "Does reading count? I don't like going out. I prefer to stay in my dorm and read when I have nothing to do."

Song Zhiyi became interested: "Same as me! I also like reading. What kind of books do you usually like to read? Romance? Or classic literature?"

In Song Zhiyi's mind, a cute girl like Su Xiaocheng would most likely like to read sweet romance novels.

However, Su Xiaocheng shook her head.

"I don't watch those kinds of shows much, they're too cloying. My tastes... are probably a bit niche."

"How obscure is it?" Song Zhiyi asked, even more curious.

Su Xiaocheng hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I like reading science fiction, especially long-form hard science fiction."

"Science fiction?"

Song Zhiyi was taken aback. This answer was indeed unexpected.

Then, almost instinctively, she asked, "Have you read The Three-Body Problem?"

"You've seen it too?!"

Su Xiaocheng's voice instantly rose eight octaves, her previous social anxiety vanished, as if she had found a kindred spirit.

In 2012, while "The Three-Body Problem" had already achieved legendary status within a small circle of science fiction fans, it hadn't really broken into the mainstream. Especially among female university students, finding someone who had read "The Three-Body Problem" was as rare as winning the lottery.

Seeing her like this, Song Zhiyi couldn't help but smile and nod: "Yes, I've watched all three. I don't actually watch much science fiction, but this series is really interesting."

Su Xiaocheng asked naturally, "You don't usually read science fiction, so how do you know about this trilogy?"

Song Zhiyi's gaze fell on Wang Zhe again.

At this moment, Wang Zhe was focused on toasting bread slices, completely unaware of the hushed conversation taking place over there.

Song Zhiyi pointed to Wang Zhe: "I borrowed this set of books from him. He's a science fiction fan, not just of domestic authors, but foreign ones too, like Asimov and Clark. Uh, I'm not very familiar with them, did I pronounce those two names correctly?"

"That's right, but..." Su Xiaocheng looked in the direction Song Zhiyi was pointing.

That guy who was just said to be good at cooking?

"You wouldn't have guessed, would you?" Song Zhiyi seemed to have read her thoughts and laughed. "He seems quite casual, but his mind is actually quite eclectic, and he has a lot of interests. Just the things he did this summer, you probably wouldn't believe it."

Listening to Song Zhiyi's description, Su Xiaocheng looked at Wang Zhe with a hint of curiosity.

Looking at Su Xiaocheng's bright eyes, Song Zhiyi suddenly felt a strange sensation.

Logically speaking, as his childhood sweetheart who likes him, she should be wary of other girls showing interest in Wang Zhe, and should even try to nip the idea in the bud.

Even if it's not for their own sake, but for Jiang Di's sake, this kind of thing should be stopped.

but……

At this moment, Song Zhiyi had a distorted feeling, as if she was both repressed and happy, which was particularly strange.

Then she suddenly spoke up: "Hey, Wang Zhe."

Wang Zhe looked up: "What? The steamed bun slices aren't ready yet."

Song Zhiyi pointed to Su Xiaocheng beside her, a calm smile on her face: "It's not that I want to eat steamed buns, it's just that I want to live with you. This Su Xiaocheng is also a fan of 'The Three-Body Problem.' She also said that she especially likes long hard science fiction novels. In that case, you two can chat."

"what?"

Su Xiaocheng was a little confused. She didn't expect Song Zhiyi to push her out so directly, and she was somewhat bewildered for a moment.

Wang Zhe was also taken aback for a moment, then put down the brush, a genuine interest appearing in his eyes. He smoothly picked up the conversation: "Really? You've watched all three?"

Su Xiaocheng nodded: "Of course!"

Wang Zhe: Which of the trilogy do you think is the best?

Su Xiaocheng answered without hesitation: "The third part!"

Wang Zhe laughed: "I thought you were going to talk about the second part. Many people like the Dark Forest twist."

"The Dark Forest is just an idea," Su Xiaocheng said, her pace quickening. "But for the third book, there are several ideas on par with the Dark Forest! There are even more smaller ideas, which could easily expand into millions of words."

Wang Zhe nodded and said, "The result has all been condensed into one book. Liu Cixin has gone all in, which makes one wonder if he plans to write another book in the future."

Su Xiaocheng: "I will continue writing; there's no reason for me to stop just like that."

Wang Zhe: "That's hard to say. What if The Three-Body Problem becomes even more popular in the future, to the point that he can make a living off this trilogy? Then he probably won't have the motivation to continue writing it."

Su Xiaocheng: "You're right, writers shouldn't be too rich. A nation's misfortune is a poet's fortune. But this kind of long-form hard science fiction won't become popular."

Wang Zhe: "That's not necessarily true..."

Meanwhile, Song Zhiyi rested her chin on her hand, watching the two chatting animatedly across the table. Gradually, a playful smile appeared on the girl's lips.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.