Only Then Did the Professor Turn Around

In 2003, rural girl Yao Lexin fights tooth and nail for the chance to attend high school, becoming the poorest student at the county’s No. 1 High School. But her top-of-the-grade results catch the eye of Xie Sijie, the county’s third-place finisher in the high school entrance exam. Xie Sijie repeatedly shows his affection, and Yao Lexin is moved, but doesn’t dare act on it. She has the clear-headed resolve to make tough decisions: studying is her only chance to leave Jiangdong. Only by leaving this impoverished land can she truly take control of her own destiny. On the eve of the college entrance exam, an unexpected turn of events changes everything. In the end, Yao Lexin doesn’t choose to attend one of the top two universities with Xie Sijie. To save money, and because of her love of physics, she firmly chooses her favorite major at a top-three university, goes straight into a PhD program, and then heads abroad. From then on, she and Xie Sijie drift further apart. Sixteen years pass. From the county’s top student to a scholar returning from overseas, from a rural girl to a tenured full professor at a 985 university, Yao Lexin finally becomes someone who can decide what her tomorrow will look like. She believes she is now worthy of standing alongside Xie Sijie. But sixteen years is a long time. Will he still be waiting for her?