Chapter 7: Long Nights and Short Words

**Six.**

Because I joined Mo's lab, Ethan and I didn't join any clubs. Just working in the lab was exhausting enough.

Kate helped us apply for assistant positions with their advisor—twice a week, two hours each time.

After every session, Ethan would sigh. I was even worse off. Before I could even echo him, I'd get a message from Mo telling me to go back to the lab—there was an error in some data.

I got up, and Ethan looked at me with pity.

"Alex, did you offend Senior Mo?"

"No, I just met her for the first time."

"Then why does she work you so hard every day?"

In the lab, I was assigned to follow Mo, while Ethan followed Kate.

After the first day, Ethan mourned for my assistant career.

"I heard from Kate that Senior Mo is beautiful, but she's an academic maniac. Alex, your tough days are just beginning."

I've really come to feel that lately. Mo does experiments as if she doesn't eat or sleep, forgetting everything else.

I went back to the lab building. Only Mo was there, wearing a white lab coat, safety goggles, her shiny dark hair tied back. The whiteboard beside her was filled with dense calculations.

"Senior."

Mo didn't even look up, just pointed at the whiteboard. "The one I just sent you—recalculate it."

Her voice was clipped, but I caught the tiniest edge of impatience—like she expected more from me.

"Oh."

Experimental data calculations are huge, and you have to do them over and over. Once I started, I lost track of time.

"Done?"

"Almost," I answered honestly.

Mo glanced at the clock. "Where are you stuck?"

"Here." I pointed to the spot.

She came over and took the marker from my hand. "Watch."

Her no-nonsense teaching style suddenly reminded me of the HarvardReject upperclassman.

Mo put down the marker. "Understand?"

"Yes... yes."

"Okay, it's late. Go back for today. Continue tomorrow."

Mo turned to leave. "I'll recalculate once more and then head out."

As she was taking off her lab coat, she paused. For a second, she seemed about to say something else, but just tightened her ponytail and looked away. "Experiments are important, but health comes first. Rest, so you can think more clearly tomorrow. That's it for today."

She hung up her lab coat and added, "Only I have the key. Do you want me to stay here with you?"

"Ah, no, no need!"

Only a few people have the lab key. I didn't dare take it, let alone have Mo stay with me.

I watched as she locked up, her silhouette framed by the hallway's pale fluorescent lights. For a split second, she glanced back over her shoulder, her face unreadable. The emptiness of the late-night lab made every sound echo, and as I hurried to pack my things, I felt oddly grateful—maybe for her concern, maybe just for the sense that someone, somewhere, was looking out for me in this maze of code and chemical glassware.