The observation elevator went straight down, and from the other side of the elevator door, one could see the snow-covered landscape outside.
There was still some snow on the road that hadn’t been cleared, suggesting that it must have snowed again during the night.
The snowman base in the back yard was covered with a snow barrier curtain to prevent new snow from accumulating and deforming the round base.
In addition, a path was carefully swept out, with decorations for the snowman’s nose and eyes placed next to the curtain.
In the teachers’ group chat, several @mentions had been made to all members.
It was rare to have an early visit today, so many people were pulled up early in the morning.
Qiu Shufeng posted in the dorm group chat: [I feel like we’ve already toured the lab, so why is there still an event today? study god, do you need any help with the experiment?]
The scope was too narrow; the first day was a thorough tour, the second was in personal labs, and the third couldn’t expand the scope. It felt like just repeating the previous visits.
Wang Zhan replied quietly: [I think I would be more meticulous as an assistant, since my grades are better than yours.]
Yu Luofan: [Ahem.]
Wang Zhan: […You’re not going to try to take this from me, are you!?]
Qiao Huaiyao saw the message but didn’t reply immediately. He only took out his phone to type once he was in the car.
[How do you know?]
He hadn’t mentioned anything about the experiment to anyone except Bai Jinyan.
The soundproofing should have been good in the compartment where he was speaking with Miao Wenxuan.
Qiu Shufeng: [Senior Miao Wenxuan mentioned it. He said he used this reason to ask the teacher for leave on your behalf, so you wouldn’t have to join the visit.]
Qiao Huaiyao: “…”
At the time, Miao Wenxuan had taken the initiative to offer to speak to the teacher for him. He thought he might find another reason, but he just went ahead and told the truth?
This leave request… seemed not much different if he had asked himself.
Qiu Shufeng: [Both teachers also support your participation in the experiment and told the other students to learn from you, asking if anyone else interested in this experiment would like to join.]
Everyone is from the Chemistry Department, so being able to visit the lab indicates a real interest.
Who wouldn’t be curious about such a novel, unseen experiment?
But… interest is one thing, and the ability to do it is another.
That solution, they had never even heard of it.
Seeing Miao Wenxuan’s exhaustion from staying up late to conduct experiments, one could guess the difficulty of the experiment. Therefore, no one volunteered to join.
Qiu Shufeng chuckled as he typed: [The teachers really think highly of us!]
Wang Zhan: [By the way, why didn’t you come to the assembly today? Aren’t you going to the international lab for the experiment, or is Senior Miao Wenxuan coming to pick you up later?]
Not just any car can enter the courtyard of the international laboratory. Without thorough registration, you could be redirected at least two blocks away, preventing you from getting close. Entering on your own is virtually impossible.
Qiao Huaiyao typed: [I have a lab here.]
Conducting an experiment requires experience, materials, and convenient equipment. Therefore, doing the experiment in his own lab would be better.
Wang Zhan: [??? Young Master—your humble servant wants to guard your lab.]
Qiu Shufeng: [Get lost! If you keep trying to take my spot, I’ll kick you out of the chat.]
Having a personal lab in New York, where space is at a premium, sounds fantastic. But for Qiao Huaiyao, it somehow makes perfect sense.
Qiu Shufeng thought, if one day Qiao Huaiyao bought an island in the Pacific Ocean solely for experiments, he wouldn’t feel even a hint of surprise.
Qiao Huaiyao: [Miao Wenxuan should be focused on the experiment today. You can watch and learn.]
Even a failed experiment process would be beneficial for Qiu Shufeng and the others at their current level.
Qiu Shufeng: [Okay! I’ll follow study god’s lead.]
Wang Zhan, having been muted by Qiu Shufeng, missed his chance to speak.
The butler in the front row said softly, “Young Master, we’ve arrived at the lab.”
Qiao Huaiyao responded calmly, “Mm.”
The butler got out of the car and opened the rear door, “Please, Young Master.”
Seeing the butler following him, Qiao Huaiyao said, “You can go ahead and attend to other matters. I can go to the lab myself.”
The butler smiled, “I have nothing urgent to attend to. The chairman specifically instructed me to take good care of you. You can focus on your experiment, and leave the other tasks to me.”
The chairman…?
Qiao Huaiyao pursed his lips. He had previously contacted the family butler, so it must be that his father had informed the butler here due to the recent incident on Weibo.
Given his assignment, insisting the butler leave would go against his father’s intentions.
So, Qiao Huaiyao didn’t say anything more.
The lab was on the top floor.
Since all four sides of the lab are sunlit, two sides were specifically renovated to be lightproof for conducting light-sensitive experiments.
Many pieces of equipment were purchased directly from the international laboratory and transported here. Being in New York makes it much easier than shipping equipment to China.
Essentially, this lab is a replica of the international lab, with nearly identical equipment.
The butler escorted Qiao Huaiyao upstairs and then left.
He had no understanding of experiments but had learned some basics to better care for the young master. This experiment was entirely unfamiliar to him, so he stood outside the disinfection area without going in further. After ensuring Qiao Huaiyao was settled, he planned to prepare for other tasks.
Before leaving, the butler said, “Young Master, I always have the intercom on my right side. If you need anything, just tap it twice, and I’ll know.”
After completing the disinfection process, Qiao Huaiyao entered the lab and replied casually, “Alright, I got it.”
The butler locked the door behind him. Maintaining privacy in the lab was crucial. Although few people knew about the lab, it was important to ensure the safety of the young master’s experimental data.
With the butler gone, the large lab fell silent. Qiao Huaiyao gathered some equipment he would need shortly and placed it in the sterilization chamber. The solution that Miao Wenxuan had sent was stored in the temperature-controlled cabinet.
Qiao Huaiyao adjusted the edges of his gloves, opened the cabinet, and took out a bottle of the solution. He glanced at the clock on the table.
Qiao Huaiyao said softly, “It is now eight o’clock in the morning, New York time. The experiment to decompose and extract the solid component from the Xd-bcz3 solution begins.”
Throughout the experiment, the lab remained extremely quiet, with not even the sound of glass clinking.
Time passed minute by minute, and the solution in Qiao Huaiyao’s hands went through several color changes.
Fully immersed in the experiment, he paid no attention to anything else around him.
The phone on the side kept vibrating with repeated incoming messages, causing the screen to light up intermittently.
During the waiting period for the solution to cool down, Qiao Huaiyao picked up the phone and glanced at it.
He thought it might be a message from Bai Jinyan, but it wasn’t.
Zhao Jiamei: [The latest episode of the variety show is out! It’s exploded! Xiao Qiao! You have to watch it—! I’m so excited, this episode has hit several trending topics, it’s really hot! A phenomenal show, absolutely!]
Following that were numerous messages containing related Weibo tags and some video clips, which were likely promotional clips for the show.
Qiao Huaiyao glanced at the solution that had not yet cooled to the right temperature and opened Weibo.
The variety show <Together with My Dearest Ones> had briefly gone silent, but the latest episode quickly dominated half of the entertainment trending list as soon as it was released.
Almost every guest became a trending topic.
Aside from the show itself, the top trending topic was #StarrySkyProjector#, not in the home decor trending list, but in the entertainment trending list.
Many unaware users clicked on it, thinking it was a promotion for a starry sky lamp brand.
The hottest post was from the official Weibo account of the variety show, with a video attached.
While other guests were exhausted from climbing the mountain and trying to negotiate with the production team for a few points, Qiao Huaiyao and Bai Jinyan had already set up their tent. This footage wasn’t included in the main episode but was in the solo camera shots, which fans had clipped and compared with other guests.
The comment section was filled with discussions about the starry sky lamp: [You can see that Qiao Qiao just mentioned it would be nice, and Bai Jinyan remembered it!]
[I’m tired of praising Bai Jinyan’s attention to detail.]
[I was wondering why there was a random shot of Bai Jinyan checking the weather forecast at noon during the variety show. Turns out it was setting up for later!]
[Sigh… I read the comments and then watched the replay. I was so looking forward to the scene of them watching the starry sky in the tent on a rainy day. But the production team just put up a message: [We didn’t dare to go in and film, so here are a few photos for everyone to make do with and imagine.] It drove me up the wall.]
[Someone, please show us what was inside the tent!]
[I’d be grateful. If you two aren’t together, it’s really hard to make sense of this.]
…
The topic attracted a large audience, and with Qiao Huaiyao’s current popularity, many people were making jokes within the discussion.
The solution was cooling down slowly; it seemed it wouldn’t be ready for a few hours. Using the thermal box for rapid cooling wasn’t an option.
Qiao Huaiyao closed Weibo and messaged Bai Jinyan: [Brother, a lot of people are asking what brand the starry sky projector is.]
The photos he had posted were very clear, but the projected starry sky couldn’t be fully appreciated through pictures. The dynamic starry sky was much more beautiful.
Bai Jinyan: [Are you done?]
Qiao Huaiyao: [Not yet, still waiting for the solution to cool down.]
The experiment was progressing even more smoothly than expected. Once the solution cooled, the next steps would quickly yield results. Whether they could crystallize the solid component depended on both the experimental process and the solution itself.
The signal in the lab wasn’t very stable, so Qiao Huaiyao walked out to the nearby lounge area to chat with Bai Jinyan.
Through the large glass window in the middle, the lights on the machines operating inside the lab blinked repeatedly.
Qiao Huaiyao ate a strawberry candy, typing: [I plan to work late today.]
Staying up a bit might yield results tonight.
Bai Jinyan: [Is it urgent?]
The experiment itself isn’t urgent, but the follow-up after the results come out is a bit pressing.
As they spoke, Bai Jinyan initiated a video call.
Qiao Huaiyao answered but didn’t see him on the screen, “Brother?”
“Yeah,” Bai Jinyan replied, only picking up his phone after returning to the break room. “Not coming back tonight?”
Qiao Huaiyao hesitated, “I might not make it tonight, maybe around midnight.”
Bai Jinyan nodded, “I’ll come find you after I finish.”
Qiao Huaiyao paused, about to suggest he rest at the hotel instead of waiting. But then he remembered how they always tried to be there for each other. Thinking of this, he didn’t refuse, “That works. There’s a break room here too.”
The facilities were almost like a hotel’s, just varying in size.
Bai Jinyan only had time to say a few words before diving back into work, “I have to get back to it. Take care of yourself and rest if you’re tired. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
Qiao Huaiyao nodded, agreeing completely, “Then shouldn’t you lead by example, brother?”
When it came to work, Bai Jinyan was the one who rarely rested.
Bai Jinyan paused, then gently coaxed, “Be good. I’m hanging up now, baby.”
Qiao Huaiyao: “???”
“Brother!” Qiao Huaiyao protested before he could hang up, grumbling, “Don’t pretend you didn’t hear that.”
Bai Jinyan chuckled softly, responding tenderly, “Alright, I heard you.”