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“Probably Suzhou or Hangzhou,” Liu Feng agreed. “I had a college roommate from there, and Lin Xian’s accent is similar. But why would he travel all the way to Shanxi? Do you think he came looking for you?”

“Definitely not,” Liu Feng chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m no renowned scientist. My research has been disproved over the years. I appreciate Lin Xian’s gesture, but I can’t accept his help. It’s not right to take funding for something that’s incorrect.”

“Besides, as Professor Qi Yan used to say, even if my Universal Constant theory was correct, what good would it do? It has no practical application, not here and not even on a cosmic level.”

“Professor Qi used to joke that my work was too futuristic, advising that humans shouldn’t worry about the Universal Constant until we can venture beyond the Milky Way.”

“I still hope you’ll keep working on the Universal Constant,” Li Qi Qi murmured, watching Liu Feng devour his meal. “It’s such a beautiful theory; it can’t be wrong. Maybe you just need a little more time to prove it.”

Liu Feng sighed deeply. “Math isn’t a marathon. Stubbornness won’t make a wrong calculation correct. In mathematics, if something is proven wrong, then it simply is.”

“Let’s drop this topic,” Liu Feng said, setting his utensils down and smiling. He took Li Qi Qi’s hand. “I saw the latest forecast from the observatory. There’s going to be a Geminid meteor shower on December 14th, with up to 150 meteors an hour! And it’ll be dark enough without much moonlight to spoil the view.”

“It won’t be as dazzling as you might hope, but it’ll be the most significant meteor shower in years. Just take care, and we’ll go somewhere high up to watch it!”

Li Qi Qi smiled weakly. “December 14th… that’s so close to the year’s end. The doctors said I might not last till then…”

“Don’t listen to them,” Liu Feng cut in, gently wiping her tears. “You can make it. This meteor shower could be just for you. Don’t give up, Qi Qi.”

“Okay,” she whispered, squeezing his hand tightly.

The next morning, Liu Feng dressed in his clean uniform, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and started his motorcycle to head to his tutoring job.

“Hey, good morning.”

He looked up to see Lin Xian leaning casually against the wall near the gate.

“Lin Xian.” As Liu Feng approached the tall figure, he asked, “Do you live around here?”

“No,” Lin Xian shook his head. “I came here just to find you.”

“Are you planning on visiting me three times?”

“Don’t think like that,” Lin Xian laughed. “Maybe I’ll succeed in just two tries.”

“I appreciate your recognition, but I need to be honest,” Liu Feng looked up earnestly. “The Universal Constant theory is flawed. It’s fundamentally wrong, like saying 1+1 equals 3. It can’t ever be proven correct.”

“I get that you want to help, and I’d love to continue my math research. But with everything going on, I can’t in good conscience accept your support.”

“Besides, Qi Qi doesn’t need much now that she’s back home from the hospital. You know what that means. We need stability more than anything else.”

“You’re mistaken, Liu Feng,” Lin Xian stated firmly. “1+1 can indeed equal 3 in many contexts.”

“Are you kidding?” Liu Feng looked puzzled.

“Not at all. For instance, mix one kilogram of water with one pound of water—how many pounds is that? Or think about endpoints when you add one line segment to another.”

“There are plenty of examples. I’m not trying to argue but to show that things aren’t always black or white. Sometimes, a wrong-looking approach may be right from another angle.”

“You clearly don’t understand math. I don’t want to argue,” Liu Feng said, turning to put on his helmet.

“What if the Universal Constant isn’t just a math problem?” Lin Xian suggested, placing his hand on Liu Feng’s shoulder.

“Then what is it? A philosophical one?” Liu Feng shot back.

“Possibly,” Lin Xian met his gaze. “Did you ever figure out what the Universal Constant should be?”

“No.”

“What do you think it is?”

Pausing, Liu Feng replied softly, “Einstein thought it should be a very small, almost non-existent number, consistent across the universe.”

“And your view?” Lin Xian pressed.

“Einstein later dismissed it, but I continued the research. Perhaps I see something he didn’t.”

Lin Xian was ready for this. “Is the Universal Constant important to you? Despite everyone, even Einstein, denying it, why do you believe in it?”

“Because I know the answer,” Lin Xian smiled. “I know what the Universal Constant is.”

“That’s the biggest joke I’ve heard,” Liu Feng scoffed, turning away. “Why come to me if you know the answer?”

“You’ll see why soon. For now, trust me, I wouldn’t travel this far for a joke.”

“I know you’re worried about Qi Qi, but think about what she really wants.”

Lin Xian stepped closer. “You two are like the couple in O. Henry’s ‘The Gift of the Magi,’ focusing on the wrong things.”

“She wants to see you thrive, return to your research.”

“You say that easily,” Liu Feng bristled, revving his bike. “What else can I do? Cure her? Make the meteors fall sooner? You know what the doctors said.”

“It’s not Qi Qi asking me to research. It’s you. If research could conjure meteors, I’d never stop. But right now, what use is math? What can you offer but words?”

Lin Xian sighed. “Why does Qi Qi want to see the meteors?”

“Because she’s loved them since she was a child. It’s her dream.”

“And?”

“What more is there?” Liu Feng glared.

Lin Xian was silent, knowing something Liu Feng didn’t: Li Qi Qi wanted to see the meteors to make a final wish for him before her time ran out.

“Fine, it’s just a meteor shower.”

Then, Lin Xian lifted the delivery box on Liu Feng’s bike and dropped a heavy bag filled with cash inside.

“What are you doing?” Liu Feng tried to remove the money.

“Just stay home with Qi Qi,” Lin Xian insisted, pressing down on the box. “Forget tutoring and deliveries for now. Wait for my call.”

“Wait for what?”

“Wait for me to give Qi Qi a real meteor shower,” Lin Xian said, pointing upwards with a hopeful smile.