Looking at the class paying attention to her, she continued, "Today we will discuss about archaeological excavation in Hampi – Southern part of ancient India"
She was very sincere and strict when it came to Archaeology and anyone taking it lightly was unacceptable for her. So, after knowing the reason for high attendance in her lecture today disappointed her.
She decided to teach these young lads a small lesson at the end of her session.
After like eternity for everyone, Prof. Pan Xue came to a halt. She said," So that's all for today".
Everyone released a sigh of relief which was noticed by Pan Xue.
With mischievous smile on her face, she said "Oh now as you can see, we have completed the session early, so we still have few minutes left remaining. Let's have a quick activity."
Taking a quick look at all the confused and blank faces, she smirked.
She then purposefully said, "So class, who is going to summarise what was explained today?"
Everyone present was in shock with mouth wide open.
'Summarise. Whole lecture?'
With scared faces, students started looking around in a hope that they won't be the random person who will have to answer to her question.
When none of them stood up to answer, she said, "Fine if you want it this way then so be it. I will ask random person amongst you now to answer my question."
Then she scanned the lecture hall to find a suitable person and her eyes locked on a girl who was sitting in right corner.
As she had her head bowed down in the book placed on her desk, her face was half hidden by her hanging hair. So, Prof. Pan Xue thought that she was trying to avoid her question.
Pointing towards Mo Hua, she gently said, "Hello dear, I want you to summarise my lecture today. Will you?"
Mo Hua stood up gracefully and gazed toward Prof. Pan Xue, with her sweet voice she said, "Uhm... Sure Prof. Pan."
Right after Mo Hua's voice came out, Yan Xuan lifted his head up as if he was struck by the lightning. He was not paying attention when his mother said she would ask random person to answer her question.
He kept quiet entire time by not interrupting her as he knew the reason why his mother was asking this question to everyone. She wanted to check how many really paid attention to her lecture and how many wasted her time.
She was ready to make them visit principal's office at the end of the day if they fail to answer today. He knew how much Archaeology mattered to her and that she disliked people who don't take her classes as seriously.
He saw a slight hesitation on Mo Hua's face and felt sorry for her as he knew she was asked on the spot. He knew she was smart and intelligent girl, and the beauty queen of University so if she fails to answer today, it is possible that people will make fun of her or even criticise her.
After lot of turmoil in his heart, he decided to interrupt his mother. Just as he was ready to stand up, he heard the same sweet voice again which was echoing in his head since their Introduction Day.
Mo Hua said, "Although Archaeology is not my main subject, but due to keen interest I had taken it as a vocational class. I had done a research on surveys and finding which you mentioned in today's class."
Entire class fell into deadly silence listening carefully to her with astonishing faces.
On other side Yan Xuan was grinning with his signature smile pasted on his face.
Initially he was surprised when Mo Hua started answering his mother's question but then he remembered the way she represented her class in recent University of Beijing – Programming Contest, which was considered very tough for average student to even compete.
Surprisingly her team was on 2nd place as his team was leading the competition and they were soon going to have a face off for 1st position.
He smirked slightly thinking, 'How amazing it will be when we will have a face off next week. Mo Hua, I am waiting eagerly to have our first interaction.'
Coming back to present, he heard her sweet voice was answering the question with every minute detail his mother had covered in today's lecture.
Mo Hua: ".... Hampi (India) was the sprawling capital of an empire that ruled most of southern India from the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries."
"During the 1984-85 excavation, officers of the Archaeological Survey of India stumbled upon a picturesque five-tiered tank, 22 metres wide, and 6.65 metres deep, where each tier comprised a few steps. Archaeologists have dated it to the 15th-centu..."
When she was talking about the pointers which Prof. Pan Xue had mentioned about Hampi today, her eyes were shining as bright as sun. She was completely lost in the world of Archaeology.
"In colonial period, Hampi evoked some curiosity among the western archaeologists. Robert Sewell's (1845-1925), seminal work aptly titled as A Forgotten Empire Vijayanagar was a major attempt to narrate the empire that was. In 1917 A.H. Longhurst's Hampi Ruins Described and Illustrated became the first travel guide for the visitors to Hampi. UNESCO's World Heritage Site was conferred to Hampi in 1986."
After hearing Mo Hua's answer and the way that she covered all the major points from her class, Prof. Pan Xue was in awe. She never in her years of experience had came across such a brilliant student with deep understanding of Archaeology. She was thoroughly impressed and very happy.
With excited face, she approached Mo Hua and said," Excellent Dear. I am very happy that I have a student like you in my class. What is your name?"
Mo Hua bowed down in front of Prof. Pan Xue and in humble voice she said, "I am Mo Hua, studying in Junior Year. Also thank you so much Professor for all the appreciation but I was only mentioning the points that you covered in today's lecture."
Prof. Pan Xue was even more delighted when she saw that Mo Hua not only had deep understanding of Archaeology but also was very kind and sweet.
She frowned when she recalled Mo Hua saying that Archaeology is not her major.
Wondering what must be her major, she asked, "It is still hard to keep all the details so very well sorted in your head especially when you are not studying it full time. Ahh! I forgot to ask what your major subject is Mo Hua?"
Mo Hua gently replied, "Computer Science."
It was another blow for Prof. Pan Xue. She was utterly shocked as she expected Mo Hua to say arts or literature or mythology as her major.
To confirm what she heard, Prof. Pan Xue again asked with little disbelief in her voice, "Did You say Computer Science?"
Mo Hua nodded her head in approval.
Seeing Mo Hua nodding her head, Prof. Pan Xue almost facepalmed herself but then stopped midway when she realised where she was.
Yan Xuan was amused by the conversation going on between his mother and Mo Hua. He laughed inwardly when he saw his mother almost slapping her forehead.
Just as Prof. Pan Xue was about to say something, the bell rang indicating end of the lecture. Entire class stood up and started to rush out from the narrow exit of the lecture hall fearing that another question might be bestowed on them.
Mo Hua also grabbed her things and started running towards exit when her friend XiXi shouted at her," Hey Mo Hua, didn't you promise me that you will accompany me for swimming contest?"
Recalling the promise, Mo Hua turned towards her friend to make an excuse and reject, but when she saw her friend was glaring at her in anger, she smiled and said, "Let's go."
XiXi squealed in joy and grabbed Mo Hua's hand. She then turned her face towards Li Mei and Xi Mian and asked them, "Are you two coming with us?"
Li Mei was the first one to reject saying, "Oh no, you girls carry on I need to volunteer at fundraiser held in Economics building"
Following that Xi Mian also said, "You girls have fun. I need to go with Sheng Tao to buy the stationery for upcoming worksh.."
Even before Xi Mian could complete here sentence, XiXi had started pulling Mo Hua towards the exit.
She yelled back at her friends, "Then we will see you back at the dorm later. We are getting late. Byeee."
Unknown to them, Yan Xuan and Rong Chi were listening to their entire conversation.
Rong Chi saw Yan Xuan in new light. The one emanating love and warmth along with tint of roguishness. He was dumbfounded again.
Yan Xuan chuckled slightly whispering, "Seems like we will have our first interaction way early than I expected."