Chapter 35: Professor Jiang Yixue

The classroom erupted into chaos in an instant.

The male students craned their necks, their gazes burning as they stared fixedly at the podium. Guo Wanwan, Meng Nanxi, and the "quite good girl from Economics Class 1" that Chen Xiaobei had mentioned—who had previously been the centers of attention—were now completely forgotten. Most young men harbored infinite fantasies about mature, sophisticated women, let alone a woman who possessed both such striking beauty and an elegant temperament.

*Tap, tap, tap...*

Amidst the crisp sound of chalk striking the blackboard, the poised woman gracefully wrote three elegant characters: "Jiang Yixue."

Wang Can’s eyes widened instantly. This was the author of *Practical Recommender Systems*. What a coincidence!

"Hello, everyone." Jiang Yixue turned to face the classroom, a faint, subtle smile playing on her lips. "I am Jiang Yixue, an associate professor from the School of Applied Mathematics at Shenhai University. I will be in charge of your Advanced Mathematics course this semester."

Her voice was as smooth as silk, brimming with a blend of charm and gentleness.

"My god, an associate professor?"
"She’s way too young, isn't she? I thought all professors were bald middle-aged men!"
"Heavens, she is my ideal type!"
"Damn, forget about this star or that star—Professor Jiang is the true goddess!"
"I can't imagine what kind of man would be worthy of a woman like her."
"I'm laying it out here today: I will get a perfect score in Advanced Math this semester."

Amidst the chorus of exclamations, several hormone-driven boys grew red-faced with excitement, fidgeting restlessly in their seats. The more unattainable a beauty was, the more she ignited the male instinct for conquest.

"Alright, everyone, settle down." Jiang Yixue flicked her slender wrist gently before opening the attendance roster. "I’ll take roll call first to get to know everyone."

"Chen Chen."
"Here!"
"Huang Chusheng."
"Here!"

The boys answered with full-throated vigor, shouting even louder than they had during military training. The girls were equally excited, responding enthusiastically.

Not all girls despise women who are better-looking than themselves; on the contrary, they are often even more obsessed with aesthetics than men. Much like the fanbases of popular actresses, the number of female fans often far exceeds the male ones. The emotion of jealousy usually only exists between people of comparable strength. When the gap is so wide that one can only look up, it is replaced by pure admiration.

Jiang Yixue moved through the roll call quickly, yet every time she read a name, she would lift her head slightly, peering at the student with smiling eyes and giving a gentle nod. This perfectly measured politeness highlighted her impeccable upbringing.

Soon, the roster reached the page for Economics Class 2.

"Chen... Xiaobei." Jiang Yixue’s voice paused subtly.

"Here!" Chen Xiaobei immediately raised his arm high, shaking it excitedly like a wagging husky.

Jiang Yixue’s gaze lingered on him for a few extra seconds, and the smile on her lips deepened. This brief attention made Chen Xiaobei’s heart race. He lowered his voice, triumphantly whispering, "Did you see that? Professor Jiang looked at me longer than anyone else. She must be smitten with me!"

"Ha."
"Pfft."
"Ugh."

The three roommates in Dorm 404 expressed their disdain without mercy.

"You guys are just jealous," Chen Xiaobei muttered, dismissing them.

"Wang Can!"
"Here."

This time, Jiang Yixue’s gaze lingered even more noticeably. It lasted so long that even the students secretly snapping photos noticed the anomaly, turning their eyes toward Wang Can.

Wang Can, suddenly the focus of the entire class, looked blank. Although he was drawn to this beautiful professor, they had never met; he didn't think he was handsome enough to make a woman of her stature fall for him at first sight.

Just as everyone was wondering, Jiang Yixue suddenly spoke: "Are you the student Wang Can who sang an original song during the military training the other day?"

"Yes, that's me." Wang Can nodded, surprised that his song had reached the faculty.

"The song was very good," Jiang Yixue praised before withdrawing her gaze to continue the roll call.

A wave of realization rippled through the classroom. So Professor Jiang had also seen the video of the military training performance; no wonder she had taken an extra look at Wang Can.

Many boys retracted their hostile glares; after all, that song had indeed sparked a craze across campus. For the past two days, whenever the boys were watching adult films and reached a moment of climax, they were often forced to suppress their impulses because their roommates were present. In such moments, they couldn't help but hum the line: "What use is this iron rod of mine?"

Meng Nanxi leaned slightly toward Shi Qing, curious, "What song?" Because she had missed the military training, she knew nothing about it. Seeing the knowing expressions of the surrounding students, she felt puzzled.

Shi Qing whispered an explanation: "This Wang Can sang an original song during the military training performance. Honestly, it was pretty good and went viral on Renren. I guess he thinks you’ll like him because of that."

Meng Nanxi chuckled and shook her head. This boy was far too confident.

The rest of the roll call proceeded without incident, leaving only the sound of Jiang Yixue’s clear, melodic voice and the students' responses.

"Since everyone is here, let’s begin the lecture." Jiang Yixue swept her gaze across the classroom, pausing briefly on a few students holding up their phones, then smiled helplessly. "Just a reminder: please do not take photos during class."

The students in question turned bright red, scrambling to shove their phones back into their pockets.

"Can we take them after class then?" Chen Xiaobei raised his hand high.

"I don't encourage it," Jiang Yixue said with a light tone, "but I don't oppose it."

The classroom erupted into cheers, with several boys shouting "Goddess," prompting others to join in the commotion. Jiang Yixue gave a soft cough, and as the noise died down, she turned to write "Advanced Mathematics" on the blackboard.

"Mathematics is a subject I’m sure none of you are strangers to." She turned around, resting her hands on the podium. "Whether you are a liberal arts student, a science student, or an art student, you cannot escape its 'clutches.' Advanced Mathematics, which we usually call 'Advanced Math,' is a foundational course for all university students."

"According to incomplete statistics, the failure rate for Advanced Math at Shen University has consistently hovered around 50 percent, and there are plenty of students who fail to pass even after three remedial exams."

Many had heard that Advanced Math was difficult, but they were still terrified by the statistic; a collective gasp echoed through the room.

"So," Jiang Yixue suddenly winked playfully, "some students have given it a nickname, calling it the 'High Tree.' They say there is a tree on campus called 'Advanced Math,' and it is covered in students who have failed their exams." Mimicking the students' tone, she continued vividly, "Others complain that they just looked down to pick up a pen, and when they looked back up, it was like reading a heavenly script."

A roar of laughter erupted in the classroom, and several girls laughed until they were bent double.

Once the laughter subsided, Jiang Yixue scanned the class and smiled. "Therefore, I hope everyone takes this course seriously. After all, a girlfriend may leave you, and a brother may betray you, but math will not. Math won't, because it just won't."