Love Affairs in Melbourne-Chapter 47 - 45 Not Saying Goodbye

On the way to the airport, Qi Yi said he wanted to give Yan Yan a gift and then he wrote down an equation in a notebook he was carrying—17·x^2-16|x|y+17y^2=225.

"It’s been a while since we solved problems together, I’m gifting you this simple equation. When I’m not in Melbourne, solve it if you’re feeling bored," Qi Yi said as he tore the page with the equation from his notebook.

"Okay~ but, it’s been so long since I even knew what math was. I feel like even if math still recognized me, I no longer recognize math. I’ll give it a try," Yan Yan smiled as she took the paper from Qi Yi.

"Bao Bao, do you think those two have something wrong with their brains? Who gifts a mathematical formula? And what’s more, someone’s actually happy receiving it," Shen Xi thought the two in the backseat were odd.

"Take a look at it when you’re free later, maybe those two, after eating ’P’, might want to gift ’farts’," Bao Bao suddenly became curious about the equation Qi Yi wrote.

"Bao Bao, have you turned into an alien like them? I don’t even understand what you’re saying anymore," Shen Xi was slightly frustrated, as Bao Bao seemed interested in a mathematical formula now.

"Hey, Bao Bao, were you a science student before? How do you even know about ’farts’?" Yan Yan remembered that in Xiamen University’s School of Journalism and Communication, only her own major was interdisciplinary, and Bao Bao’s major in journalism didn’t accept science students.

"No, I used to really like the phrase ’I think, therefore I am’, so I was fond of the philosopher Descartes.

Then one day I heard our math teacher say, Descartes was the father of analytical geometry.

Our teacher went on to tell a story about Descartes and a Swedish princess’s romantic affair.

It didn’t take long for me to find out that the touching love story was fake.

Not only was the story fake, but also the ’Descartes’ heart curve’, which he said forms a heart shape, turned out to be a peculiar shape resembling a butt.

I felt so speechless after seeing it; if that story were true, gifting a ’fart’ to someone could hardly have ended well," Bao Bao explained about his mention of ’fart’.

If Qi Yi truly gifted a "fart" to Yan Yan, he would definitely be scorned by Bao Bao.

"Unfortunately, you might be disappointed, I still remember Descartes’ equation ρ=a(1-sinθ), and it doesn’t resemble the one Qi Yi just wrote at all. If you’re interested in equations, solve it with me when you get home," Yan Yan straightforwardly addressed Bao Bao’s curiosity.

"Do you all know about Descartes’ heart curve?" Now it was Qi Yi’s turn to feel surprised.

"Do you have philosophy classes in university?" Qi Yi asked Yan Yan.

"No, I remember that I read Descartes’ ’Meditations on First Philosophy’. Later, when I attended a class on analytical geometry, the teacher said it was based on Descartes’ Cartesian coordinate system. Then I happened across his equation of love, but I never saw the heart-shaped diagram that looks like a butt," Yan Yan answered.

"Descartes was a philosopher first, and a mathematician afterwards.

He wanted to turn every mathematical problem into an algebra problem, and reduce algebra problems to solving an equation.

Seems like visionaries of that era were all-rounders; Descartes was also a theologian," Qi Yi immediately followed up with an explanation of Descartes’ geometrical ideas.

"Can you guys even, even speak in human language anymore! Believe it or not, I will kick you all out of the car," Shen Xi felt she could no longer stay in this discussion, not even for one more minute.

"You just drank more than a bottle of wine; are you sure you can still safely drive us all home to Eureka by yourself?" Yan Yan especially liked seeing Shen Xi freak out occasionally.

"I’d rather be incapacitated!" Shen Xi said with a displeased face. freewebnσvel.cøm

"Well, that won’t do; if you’re incapacitated, Bao Bao and I would end up taking care of you, and I have no interest in helping Bao Bao look after someone who can’t fend for themselves," Yan Yan replied with an expression of disgust.

"Xiao Yan, are you asking for it, saying who can’t take care of themselves?" Shen Xi’s expression had turned from displeased to angry.

"Who would be so mean as to say you can’t take care of yourself? I don’t remember who said it, I just had a little doubt about your driving." Yan Yan wouldn’t admit it.

Throughout the journey, Bao Bao hardly spoke again.

Whether Yan Yan and Qi Yi should be together was something they needed to face themselves, and as a friend, she had advised them and said what needed to be said, that was enough.

"You’re really not getting out to see off your ’school hunk’?" After arriving at the airport, Bao Bao finally spoke to Yan Yan.

"Yeah, I won’t go. Better to avoid Qi Yi crying later, and then I’d have to buy tissues. Tissues are made from wood, wood needs trees to be cut, cutting trees leads to global warming, so to not overly burden the Earth, I’m staying in the car." Yan Yan liked to spin some weird logic, especially when things got too emotional.

It seemed that the more she rationalized, the less poignant the sadness became.

"On behalf of the United Nations Environment Programme, I express my sincere gratitude to you," Qi Yi laughed as he answered Yan Yan, then prepared to get out of the car to grab his luggage from the trunk.

"Are you really not even stepping out of the car?" Shen Xi found it hard to believe.

"Nope, why should I? It’s late at night, and I, being such a beauty, should not get out as it’s not safe," Yan Yan casually remarked.

"Xiao Yan, do you have no shame, no shame at all?" Shen Xi felt the urge to rush to the back seat and scratch Yan Yan.

"Faces are for looking, not asking, food is for eating, only someone special like you would ask for faces and then food," Yan Yan made it her mission to tease Shen Xi.

"When did I ever ask for food?" Shen Xi asked through gritted teeth.

"Just now, didn’t you ask the chef’s wife for a bowl of rice?" Yan Yan pretended to be unsure as she asked Shen Xi.

Shen Xi got out of the front seat, planning to move to the back to tackle Yan Yan.

As Shen Xi was about to get in, Qi Yi, who had just taken his luggage, walked to the door of the back seat and amicably stopped Shen Xi.

"Don’t stoop to Xiao Yan’s level, she eats a lot more than you when she’s asking for food," Qi Yi comforted Shen Xi to prevent Yan Yan from suffering the moment he left.

Qi Yi opened the passenger door, waited for Shen Xi to get back in, then turned to find Yan Yan still sitting in the back seat.

"Remember to solve the equation, solve it well, and I’ll give you something more interesting," Qi Yi said, showing no intention of saying goodbye directly.

"Okay," Yan Yan handed over the desserts she had packed from Brunetti that morning to Qi Yi.

Yan Yan watched Qi Yi, not saying anything else.

What lay in Yan Yan’s eyes now was the deepest memory in Qi Yi’s mind, that comforting look.

In an unexpected, unprepared quiet moment, without saying a word of goodbye, a tacit understanding had already been reached between Yan Yan and Qi Yi about their silent parting.

There are many ways to part ways, Yan Yan and Qi Yi chose the one that was least painful for each other.

No goodbyes, no farewells.