Math professor returns to routine

Chapter 518 My Husband is the World, Chapter 1

"Xiao Shu? Wake up, Xiao Shu, we're home!"

Lu Jingshu slowly opened her sleepy eyes as Lu You gently called and shook her. She looked around blankly.

"Is dinner ready?"

Lu You couldn't help but chuckle. He had just woken up and was already thinking about food, which was very typical of a child.

"Grandma and Auntie have already prepared the meal. You can eat after you wash your hands. Come on, let your brother carry you out of the car."

Lu You bent down and reached out to Lu Jingshu, but Lu Jingshu dodged her by tilting her head.

"No, I'll do it myself."

“Okay, you come here.” Lu You took a step back, making room for him.

Lu Jingshu moved to the edge, turned her back, gripped the seat firmly with her small hands, braced her left heel against the door frame, and stretched her right leg down.

Touch the pedal with your toes, slowly shift your weight to your right leg until you are stable, then put your left leg down.

Then repeat the process: first place your right foot on the ground for support and to stabilize your body, and finally lower your left foot.

The clumsy movements looked a little funny, but for Lu Jingshu, who was not yet four years old, this was the best and safest way to get off the car that she had figured out on her own.

"Come on, brother!" Lu Jingshu grabbed Lu You's two fingers and pointed to the house not far away, "Let's go home for dinner!"

Enter the house.

As soon as Lu Jingshu changed her shoes, she was led away by the aunt who was specifically looking after her.

"What do you mean?" Lu You lifted Tang Wan's sun hat and helped her comb her hair on both sides. "Do you want to go straight to the restaurant and wait for dinner, or go back to your room to change your clothes before coming down?"

Tang Wan peeked into the dining room and heard the sounds of adults talking and the aroma of food.

Do you think we can start eating within ten minutes?

"Should be... about right?"

"Then let's go back to the room." Tang Wan hooked her index finger around her collar and pulled it open, looking down into the room. "After a long day of work, I'm covered in sweat. My underwear keeps getting wet and then dry. I can't even imagine how smelly it must be."

"Really? Let me smell it."

Lu You leaned forward, but Tang Wan pushed her away.

"Get out of here, you pervert!"

Return to the room.

Tang Wan put on the casual clothes she wore to bed last night, pushed open the bathroom door, and asked a question before closing the door.

"Honey, I'm thinking of taking a shower, do you want to come with me?"

"No, I'll just change my clothes."

Women taking a bath are said to be able to eat people, and Lu You currently doesn't have the energy to deal with them.

"I knew you were a liar."

Lu You's face darkened, and before she could retaliate, the bathroom door slammed shut.

"A strike and escape, impressive skill!"

Lu You could tell that the door wasn't locked, and he had the option to rush into the bathroom and beat Tang Wan, but after weighing the situation rationally, Lu You didn't take any action.

Based on his understanding of Tang Wan, if she didn't lock the door when she took a shower, it was most likely a trap. If he rushed in rashly, it was hard to say who would beat whom.

Lu You changed into clean casual clothes, pulled out a chair, sat down at the desk, and took out her phone.

As soon as I turned on the screen, a missed call notification popped up, showing the contact name as Xiao Liang.

"Professor Xiao? What brings you to see me during your holiday?"

In his previous life, when Lu You was a professor supervising graduate and doctoral students, he was usually elusive during holidays. Students could contact him via WeChat, but whether he would reply depended on his mood.

Despite her doubts, out of courtesy, Lu You called back.

After the phone rang once, it was answered.

【Hello.】

"Good afternoon, Professor Xiao. Have you had lunch yet?"

In the first round, play the commonly used "eating" card, a standard Chinese-style starting move.

[Have you eaten?]

"Get ready to eat."

Why didn't you answer the phone earlier?

"I just got home after sweeping the tombs in the mountains."

Tomb sweeping? I'd almost forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it. Tomorrow's Qingming Festival, you know. People's awareness of holidays diminishes rapidly as they get older.

Lu You remained noncommittal.

When I was a child, I eagerly awaited holidays, counting down the days until they arrived, because holidays meant I could play without a care in the world.

As we grow up and become responsible individuals, we have responsibilities on our shoulders. Even during holidays, there are still many things to do, no different from going to work.

For some families with a poor atmosphere, holidays are even more painful than going to work.

"Professor, you called me, is it urgent?"

[The registration channels for Asai and Qiusai are now open. Have you registered yet?]

"I'll go check it out after I finish eating."

[Hurry up and register, or you might forget. These two competitions are highly prestigious, held only once a year. If you miss this year, you'll have to wait another year. Most students build their foundation in their first two years and participate in competitions in their third year. You're different; you already have the ability to win the top awards, so there's no need to delay. You should understand that in mathematics, the earlier talent manifests, the more valued it is.]

"I understand, Professor."

Lu You himself had been through it all, so how could he not understand the age worship that has long existed in the field of mathematics?

Young people are more active in their thinking, have less cognitive burden, are less bound by existing paradigms, and are more likely to break traditional frameworks and produce disruptive results.

As a transmigrator who regressed from a nearly thirty-year-old youth to a teenager, Lu You experienced this firsthand.

A body brimming with energy, a highly efficient mind, consistently high enthusiasm, and a powerful recovery ability comparable to being rejuvenated by a fountain.

The downside is that they are emotionally unstable and easily influenced by external factors, especially those close to them.

Alright, I won't say any more, lest you find me long-winded. One more thing: the journal has replied; your paper has passed the initial review and entered the subsequent review stage. The final result should be available around June or July this summer.

"Thank you, Professor. You've gone to so much trouble," Lu You said sincerely.

【Don't mention it! Focus on preparing for the competition, win all the awards you can, and make a name for yourself. Once the news of your paper's acceptance comes out, I'll talk to the dean immediately and try to get you into graduate school early so you can start research as soon as possible.】

"Then join your research team and work as a free laborer?"

[You're a savvy guy, hahaha!]

After laughing, Xiao Liang let out a long sigh, a sigh that was both helpless and distressed.

[You have no idea, the guys under me are all incredibly stupid! The papers they write, let alone compared to yours, are like the smell of dung in a cesspool! They're riddled with errors in writing style and logical fallacies, yet I can't just throw away this stinking pile of dog shit; I have to get close and smell it carefully, and even carve some fancy designs on it...]

Xiao Liang's rant lasted for five minutes before he calmed down, and Lu You could clearly sense the resentment in his heart.

The deeper the love, the deeper the hate!

[Alright, I'll stop here. Two of my students have passed blind review and are scheduled to defend their theses in May. I need to help them revise their papers.]

"Okay, Professor."

Hey, I've got it! Your papers are so good, how about...?

"My mom's calling me to eat. Goodbye."

Lu You was startled and immediately hung up the phone.

Just kidding, revising a paper once means losing a few days of his life, he wants to live a few more years.

Plug in his phone, relax and lean back in his chair, staring at the brightly lit, closed bathroom door as Lu You fell into deep thought.

Lu You's original plan was to accompany Tang Wan through four years of university, during which time he would organize his research findings from his previous life one by one. After graduating with his bachelor's degree and entering the master's and doctoral programs, he would gradually release his findings to the public, quickly improve his status, and establish himself in the domestic scientific research circle.

The main strategy is to remain invisible in the early game, develop steadily, and then rise to prominence in the late game, shining brightly on the field.

Unfortunately, the situation was misjudged, and the value of a first-year student independently completing a paper in a second-tier mathematics journal was underestimated.

"Fine, it's just that the four-year undergraduate degree has been reduced to a two-year undergraduate degree, which is a bit shorter and the time is tighter. The subsequent master's and doctoral programs and professional title evaluations remain unchanged."

At that moment, the bathroom door opened, and Tang Wan came out, her hair loose, looking refreshed and carrying the fragrance of lime shower gel.

"You showered so quickly?" Lu You raised an eyebrow. "I remember you usually take at least twenty minutes to shower, right?"

"Since I don't need to wash my hair, I just need to rinse my body, of course it's quick." As she spoke, Tang Wan walked up to Lu You and looked him over. "Are your clothes clean?"

"Your question is interesting. Can I wear dirty clothes?"

"That's fine."

Tang Wan pressed the armrest, turned the chair so that Lu You was facing her, then turned her back and sat in his lap.

Normally, Lu You would have done it for Tang Wan on the spot, but today he was really tired and his little head didn't have enough energy to control his big head, so he could only hug her and slip his hand under her clothes to touch her little belly.

It's smooth, meaty, and has a strong elasticity; it's a high-quality piece of pork belly.

Tang Wan didn't mind Lu You's offense; on the contrary, she looked forward to Lu You's more radical and daring behavior.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Lu You's groping hands only lingered around her stomach area, showing no intention of climbing up or down further, leaving Tang Wan deeply disappointed.

"Honey, who were you talking to on the phone just now?"

Lu You's groping hand paused slightly. "You heard that?"

Tang Wan shook her head. "I only heard you talking to someone, but I couldn't hear what you were saying."

"It was Professor Xiao who called, reminding me not to forget to register for the competition."

"University competitions must be more difficult than the International Mathematical Olympiad, right?"

"Definitely, in terms of knowledge alone, the two are not on the same level."

Tang Wan seemed to have thought of something, shifted her position, and sat sideways on Lu You's lap, her eyes shining, "If you win a prize in the competition, will you get a cash reward?"

"Of course we'll pay. In the adult world, money is everything. If a competition doesn't pay out money, who would participate?"

How much?

Lu You recalled for a moment and said, "Judging from the competition prize pool and awards, it's probably between several thousand and tens of thousands of US dollars."

"Tens of thousands? Or US dollars?" Tang Wan's eyes widened, she straightened up, cupped Lu You's cheeks in her hands, and said solemnly, "Husband, your wife has never asked anyone for anything in her life, but now she wants to ask you for a favor."

Upon seeing Tang Wan's feigned serious expression, Lu You immediately guessed what she was thinking.

"Trying to steal my prize money?"

"What do you mean by 'take over'? That sounds awful!" Tang Wan pouted and patted Lu You's chest. "You can leave your money with me, I'll keep it safe for you. You can ask me for it anytime you want."

"Since I can withdraw the money anytime, why should I entrust it to you for safekeeping? It's more convenient for me to keep it myself, and you don't offer any interest."

"To prevent misuse! You boys spend money recklessly, spending thousands on in-game purchases, thousands on clothes and shoes, tens of thousands on a new computer. If you don't find someone to keep it safe, the money will be gone in no time!" Tang Wan said matter-of-factly.

Lu You narrowed her eyes, a half-smile on her face, and said, "But I don't trust you. If I give you the money in the morning, you might embezzle it by the afternoon."

"You're slandering me." Tang Wan straightened her face and adopted a serious posture. "I'm an accountant, I have professional ethics, and I would never do anything corrupt or illegal."

The two looked at each other, speechless for a moment.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Shen Yuyin's voice came in.

"You two, come downstairs for dinner!"

"Coming right away!" Lu You replied, then patted Tang Wan's belly, "Aren't you going to get off me?"

"No!" Tang Wan leaned down, pressed close to Lu You's chest, and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "You haven't agreed to deposit the bonus with me yet!"

"The competition has only just started accepting applications. I haven't even figured out the format or the question types yet, and you've already given me a loan to win an award? Do you really believe in my abilities that much?" Lu You said with amusement.

"Of course!" Tang Wan tilted her head back and quickly kissed Lu You's lips. "My husband is the best in the world, no one can beat him!"

Although Lu You knew that Tang Wan was just trying to curry favor by saying these words in order to get more gold coins, she still found them very appealing.

"Since you approve of me so much, I'll reluctantly agree."

"Great!"

Just as Tang Wan was about to cheer excitedly, Lu You poured cold water on her.

"The premise is that I actually win the award and receive the prize money. If I don't win the award, then disregard everything I said."

"Oh dear, how could you not win an award? If you can't even win an award in a competition, I can't imagine how much pressure you're under."

(End of this chapter)