Chapter 17: Chapter 16: Playful Girl
Boston's summer is perfect for a vacation. Even at its hottest, the average temperature is only about 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius). It feels more like a warm spring than summer. It's the end of August, and the morning temperature is only 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Wearing a short-sleeved shirt still feels a bit chilly. Being close to the sea, the wind is strong in the morning and evening, so people always carry a coat in their backpacks.
Boston is built along the Charles River. Across the river, in the Back Bay area, is the city of Cambridge, known for producing 130 Nobel Prize winners. There are only about 700 Nobel Prize winners in the world, and this small town accounts for one-sixth of them. This astonishing number is due to the presence of two of the world's top schools, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
This small town of only 100,000 people differs from Boston across the river. The pace of life here is much slower, and the air is filled with a leisurely and comfortable scholarly scent. The quiet, small-town atmosphere makes time seem to stand still. Walking the streets, the shadows of ancient buildings make you feel like you're traveling through history.
MIT, recognized as the best science and engineering university in the world, is a leader in global high-tech and advanced research. Its outstanding academic achievements are recognized worldwide. It has surpassed famous institutions such as Cambridge University and Oxford University and is often ranked among the top universities in the world.
Teddy Bell looked honest and was often considered to have a strong physique but a simple mind. His fighting personality as a child gave Catherine Bell a headache. However, Teddy excelled in his studies. He received school scholarships when he was young and got admission letters from both MIT and Stanford University at 18. He chose MIT and became a student in the Sloan School of Management, one of its most prestigious colleges. He also chose economics as his second major.
Teddy Bell was somewhat interested in languages and wanted to learn another foreign language. He speaks English and Chinese, although his Chinese is only at the beginning level. The academic workload at MIT is heavy. Apart from studying, it's all about time management. If you see someone reading on a treadmill, they're not exercising but actually studying. "I hate this damn place" is a common saying among MIT students, and Teddy Bell says it every day.
Before the new semester of junior year began, Teddy was buried under countless papers, and he had economics courses to take, which added to the pressure. He wouldn't have much time to leave school. Compared to Teddy Bell, Evan Bell at Harvard University was much happier.
The two Bell brothers entered college in the same year, one at MIT and the other at Harvard. They were a topic of conversation among neighbors at that time.
Although Evan is two years younger than Teddy, his learning pace is much faster. At 16, Evan received admission letters from Harvard University, Columbia University, and Yale University. But, in the end, he chose Harvard. The two brothers applied for college in the same year and both ended up in Cambridge, a tacit understanding. Despite being neighbors, the two rarely saw each other due to Teddy's busy schedule and Evan's vibrant life.
Harvard University was founded 140 years before the United States and is the oldest university in the country. Today, it is recognized as one of the world's top universities. Harvard is famous for its business school, and its MBA program is rated the best globally. Harvard's School of Design, Law School, Medical School, and School of Humanities are also among the best in the United States.
Evan Bell is a junior at Harvard Medical School. The medical school covers a wide range of subjects, not just internal medicine and surgery. Evan's major is psychology under the medical school, which includes courses like social psychology, organizational behavior, and clinical science. It's a fascinating major.
Evan is also a student of the Department of Architecture at the School of Design. Although he studied architecture due to family expectations in his previous life, he eventually grew to love it. This time, studying architecture at Harvard, Evan felt completely at ease, perhaps because of his previous experience or his laid-back attitude.
Psychology and Architecture are Evan's majors, but he also takes courses in music and journalism out of interest. This leaves him with little free time in his university life.
Harvard's dormitories have a clear sense of history. Every brick and corner has the smell of time. The floor is wooden, and the environment is nice. Evan shares a two-bedroom, one-living-room unit with three other students. After a road trip, he took a shower in the dormitory. By the time he went out again, it was almost eleven o'clock. He skipped breakfast and went straight to lunch.
Evan bought two hamburgers and headed to the library. Harvard University's library is the fourth-largest in the world, with over 15 million books. It's also the largest university library globally. Although, the books aren't all in one building; Harvard has over 90 libraries, most on campus, with some branches in other cities which are categorized by department.
Evan was now heading to the Widener Library, the largest social science and humanities research library at Harvard. The main building contained a card catalog of all Harvard libraries. Evan came to check this catalog for books needed for his new semester classes.
The entrance to Widener Library is an ancient Roman-style columned gallery, with over 20 steps leading up. The solemnity makes you feel like you've undergone a spiritual baptism before even entering the library. Inside, the temperature drops by a degree or two, calming all irritability and fatigue. All you hear is the sound of footsteps and occasionally the sound of heavy books colliding with bookshelves. The interior of the library is full of a Middle Ages flavor, with brown and beige colors everywhere.
Evan walked towards the bookshelf with the catalog. Although school hadn't started yet, many were already preparing for the new semester. A beautiful woman with long brown hair came towards him. Her wheat-colored skin shone with a healthy luster as if she had spent a lot of time at the beach. Evan glanced at her casually.
The girl walked up to Evan and asked quietly, "Excuse me, where are the literature documents?"
Only then did Evan look at the girl closely. She was pretty, with a healthy, athletic aura. The literature documents were on the second floor, and there were nearly a hundred staff members in the library to assist her but she chose to ask him. Evan's eyes met hers, and he smiled politely, gesturing for her to follow. They walked side by side. The girl raised her head and looked at Evan's handsome profile, a hint of pride in her eyes.
When they reached the corner, Evan Bell stretched out his right hand in a flash and grabbed the girl's arm, pulling her inwards, and then held the girl against his chest with both hands. When Evan Bell lowered his head, he saw the girl's eyes was full of excitement.
The girl looked at Evan's eyes, feeling dizzy. His breath was warm on her face. Her heartbeat quickened, and she licked her lips subconsciously. The gesture was inviting. Just as the girl thought Evan would kiss her, he brushed past her cheek, his breath hot and soft against her skin.
"My name is Evan Bell, and I'm from the music department. What about you?" Evan's voice was low and lazy, sending shivers down her spine.
The girl felt her ears burn from his warm breath. "Heidi, Heidi Montgomery, a freshman in the literature department."
Evan felt her soft breath on his ear. A petite girl walked past them, pausing briefly. She clearly saw the two, her eyes flashing in surprise before she quickly left.
That look seemed to be one of contempt. That was how Evan interpreted it, but he didn't care.
Although Heidi seemed soft-spoken and easily flustered, Evan knew she was experienced. He smiled and said, "You looked so sporty, yet you're studying literature. Interesting." He then pulled away, letting the cold air rush in, making them shiver.
Heidi took out a small note from her pocket and stuffed it into Evan's shirt pocket, pinching his chest playfully before leaving with a smile.
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