"Yes, that's right!"
Monica said this with a hint of guilt at first, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense, and gradually she became more confident.
Her willingness to be so forward for the first time wasn't because Chuck's looks and demeanor appealed to her, nor was it due to some weird, slightly twisted desire to bring out his wild side.
She simply wanted to use a genius like Chuck to understand personality traits, so she could better mentor and guide a brilliant young woman who hadn't gone off the rails yet!
And Paige could be the next Marie Curie. Think about what this means for humanity—she was doing something incredible!
What kind of noble mission was this?
Why should she have to endure such judgment and contempt from her brother?
No wonder her brother, despite having a PhD, was always looked down upon. There was both the academic snobbery against paleontology within the STEM hierarchy and the disdain from medical doctors who actually made money.
In the past, Monica only understood the latter. Now, seeing that her brother didn't grasp the importance of what she was doing and only viewed her actions superficially, Monica suddenly understood the former.
"What's with that look?!"
Ross was very sensitive to condescension and was livid.
You have zero modesty as a woman. You're flirting over there, embarrassing the Geller family name. When I call you out on it, not only are you not ashamed, but you're actually looking down on me!
"It's nothing."
Monica said this, but her expression and tone were completely different.
Ross wanted to argue with his sister, but Monica had already walked back over and continued chatting with Chuck, even turning around to give him a defiant look.
Ross, who had a short fuse, stood there glaring at his sister for a while. Finally, seeing Chuck standing next to his sister, he turned and walked away, thinking out of sight, out of mind.
"I have severe social anxiety disorder."
Seeing Monica's frequent attempts at flirting with giggles and compliments about his sense of humor, Chuck, who was excellent at reading body language, understood Monica's intentions. He knew that while she was trying hard to maintain her good-girl image, she absolutely couldn't make any real moves on the first day—she'd have to wait for an actual date—but it didn't seem to be going well. So he took the initiative to warn her.
"That's such a shame,"
Monica looked at Chuck with sympathy.
Chuck said nothing more.
He had given her fair warning. If Monica continued to channel her inner Penny from The Big Bang Theory with her aggressive approach... he was no Sheldon Cooper!
The next day,
Chuck woke up right on schedule, packed his gear, and drove to Princeton University.
"You again."
Young Sheldon, dressed in a small suit and tie, carrying a briefcase, walked across the university campus, occasionally dodging the rowdy, typical students. Then he spotted Chuck.
Chuck nodded.
"Are you actually here to study physics?"
Little Sheldon recalled the airport incident and frowned. "If so, then it means you have some interest in science. But why did you turn down Dr. Beverly Hofstadter's invitation?"
"Because I'm not a kid."
Chuck glanced at him.
"I'm not a kid either!"
Young Sheldon was extremely touchy about this, holding his head high as if to prove himself, "I'm already a proud Princeton physics student!"
Chuck responded by shifting his condescending gaze away and looking straight ahead, his eyes suddenly no longer focused on young Sheldon.
"..."
Young Sheldon felt the dismissal, his mouth twitching with irritation.
He could have started college even earlier, but he chose to stay in high school for an extra year. He even briefly refused to attend college because he was too young.
A major challenge in preparing for college was his age and the campus size.
Classes were scattered across different buildings, and getting from one class to the next on time usually required a brisk walk or even jogging.
This pace was standard for your average adult college student.
Young Sheldon, however, lacked that stride length, and he hated exercise and sweating, making it nearly impossible for him to get between classes on time.
His parents suggested getting a bike.
But he refused, arguing that any bike he could ride would need training wheels. If he did that, everyone would definitely think he was some kid on campus...
As Sheldon Cooper, with his absolute intellectual superiority that looked down on all the intellectually inferior people on Earth, he despised being treated like a child!
And that's exactly how Chuck was making him feel right now.
It was even worse than everyone else's treatment.
While others only saw him as physically childlike, Chuck's dismissal made him feel like he was a child both physically and intellectually.
It was infuriating!
Sheldon Cooper might be physically small, but intellectually, he was an absolute giant!
Unfortunately, Chuck ignored his changing expressions and simply walked away.
Little Sheldon watched Chuck's retreating figure, trying to keep up, but his steps were too short, and he refused to run, so he walked with an awkward, stilted gait. He watched helplessly as Chuck got further and further ahead, entering the academic building first. He could only end his pursuit with an frustrated huff.
The physics lecture hall.
After young Sheldon pushed the door open and walked in, his eyes immediately searched for Chuck. When he spotted Chuck in the back corner of the last row instead of competing for the front, he was slightly stunned.
Because he'd expected Chuck to fight him for the center seat in the first row.
That was the seat for the top students.
But now, though he didn't understand why Chuck sat back there, he claimed the center seat without hesitation. Then he pulled out his organized set of notebooks, pens, textbooks, etc. from his briefcase and arranged them methodically. Then he looked toward the podium with a satisfied expression, waiting for the professor to arrive and begin the lecture.
Adult college classmates filed in in small groups, and seeing him like this, they all stared with curiosity and amazement.
Young Sheldon turned around and glanced at Chuck, whose presence seemed to fade as the seats gradually filled up. He smiled with satisfaction and prepared to begin his first physics class with his head held high.
At that moment, an elegant woman walked in. She was tall with lustrous dark hair and a stunning face. Her light blue eyes surveyed the room until they finally settled on little Sheldon, a charming smile spreading across her lips.
"Hello everyone, I'm your theoretical physics professor, Alicia Harper,"
the professor said, writing her name on the whiteboard.
Chuck sat in the back corner, watching the professor from across the room. His gaze met her light blue eyes, and he felt a sense of calm and happiness, even more satisfying than the Barrett sniper rifle he'd handled yesterday.
(End of chapter)
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