Chapter 8 — Melting Glacier

8 "After you left, I went home. In my father's study, I saw this block of rock. Dad said, this is a relic of my grandfather, in the past he was also a geologist." His voice was very light, as if telling an ancient story. "Looking at it, I thought of you. You are like this blue mineral pillar - it looks resilient, brilliant, but in fact... inside is more fragile than anyone, needing to be cherished every little bit. one." "Lin Nhien, I was wrong before. I always thought that giving you the most accurate data and the most solid theory was to treat you well. But I don't know, what you want... is not those things." "I put all my attention into the ice, into research, thinking that it was my whole world, until you left, I realized that the world without you... is just a frozen land barren, without coordinates." He looked at me deeply, his eyes filled with ice and snow that now seemed to have melted, forming a gentle river. "So, I spent three months studying and grinding this stone. I thought, when it's finished, I'll go find you. I'll give it to you." "I want to tell you, Lam Nhien, my world... can be given to you in half. No, this whole world... is for you." "Give it to you, data for you, and this stone... also for you." He held my hand tightly, wrapping the blue mineral crystal in my palm. "I... give it to you too." "So, Lam Nhien..." He bowed his head, his forehead touching mine, there was a slight tremble in his voice that was barely noticeable, "Are you... still willing to accept this stupid, cold, and 'wild' man?" My tears fell again, this time not because of self-pity or anger. It's... because I've been waiting for this sentence for so long. I've been waiting for this clumsy scientist, using his own method, to solve the problem called "love"... for so long. I snorted, deliberately making a cold face. "You want to bribe me with just a silly stone? You don't even have a ring." He paused, then awkwardly explained: "I... I don't know what style you like, so I wanted to take you with me to choose..." Looking at his frantic hands and feet, I finally couldn't help it, "puff" and laugh out loud. I leaned forward and placed a deep kiss on his cold lips. "The deal was successful." "According to Newton's third law, which of us is subject to the greater force now?" "Turn!" Tham Duc Chi and I reunited in a way no one could have imagined. Moreover... it's secret love in the dark. Anyway, the shocking incident in the simulation compartment made both of them feel guilty. To avoid Director Vuong's suspicions, we decided that until the project ended, we would maintain the image of "normal cooperative relationship" and "enthusiastic professor with female photographer had a plateau reaction". But that didn't stop Professor Tham, once behind the door, from pouring out all the lava that had been pent up under the ice mountain for so long. He seemed to understand some strange circuit. During the day, he is Professor Tham on the podium, calm and respected by students. At night, he is... the person who can make me almost unable to crawl out of bed the next morning. He began to learn how to say love, even though he still seemed clumsy and full of academic smell. For example, he would hug me and softly say in my ear: "Lam Nhien, your appearance is the most beautiful tectonic plate collision in my geological career." Or, when the two of us were harmonizing in the "symphony of life", he suddenly stopped and seriously asked me the silly question just now. He also began to learn how to create romance. One time, we were both working overtime in the office, I was processing photos, he was writing a thesis. In the middle of the night, he suddenly said: "Come on, I'll take you to see the stars." I thought you were going to take me out to the yard or up a hill

there. The result... he dragged me back to that damn simulation compartment. He turned off all the lights, leaving only the aurora simulation mode. Strips of blue, purple, and green light drifted overhead, as beautiful as a dream. He wrapped his arms around me from behind, placing his chin on my shoulder. "Lin Nhien, this is the brightest star I can give you." At that moment, I admit, I was struck by his natural folk-science romance. Even the next second, he started explaining the principle of interaction between the solar wind and the magnetosphere in my ear. The photography project at A Dai progressed very smoothly. As for my secret love affair with Tham Duc Chi... it also progressed in a stimulating way. We will kiss behind empty shelves in the library, we will "study body mechanics" right on the expensive desk in his office.