333-335

Chapter 333: Sheldon, Destined to Be Alone  

"Of course, no problem."  

Upon hearing Peggy’s request, Adam agreed without hesitation.  

After hanging up the phone, Adam fell into deep thought.  

Ever since Peggy and Sheldon started college, nearly seven years had passed without Adam seeing her.  

Although they were friends, Peggy was not Sheldon.  

So even though Peggy was studying right next door at Princeton University in New Jersey, Adam had never visited her.  

Because it would always remind him of Juno’s smiling face…  

That said, Adam still had Peggy’s address and phone number, and they had spoken a few times over the years—though most of their conversations were just Peggy complaining about Sheldon.  

Now, out of nowhere, Peggy had called him, invited him over, and asked for his help. It was a bit unusual, but of course, he couldn’t refuse.  

After all, Peggy had contributed quite a few wisdom points to him every year.  

On the Other End of the Line 

After hanging up, Peggy flashed a sly smile as memories from the past few years surfaced in her mind.  

Seven years ago, just like Sheldon, she had enrolled at Princeton University at the age of eleven, becoming one of the youngest college students ever.  

With an intellect surpassing even Sheldon’s, she chose mathematics—the crown jewel of the sciences—as her field of study. By the age of fourteen, she had earned her Ph.D. and was hired as a research fellow at Princeton.  

Her mother had been by her side since her parents' divorce.  

Scientific research requires an immense amount of dedication, and after earning her Ph.D., she set her sights on solving the Millennium Prize Problems.  

Besides occasional phone calls with Sheldon—whose intelligence and mathematical talent were on par with hers—she was wholly devoted to her research.  

But her mother was still only in her early forties, and the monotonous life of accompanying Peggy took its toll. As Peggy grew older and became increasingly absorbed in her studies, her mother’s desire for companionship and romance only grew stronger.  

Not long ago, her mother met a middle-aged man named David and fell head over heels in love.  

Back when Peggy’s parents divorced, the reason was that her mother had been too focused on raising her genius daughter—so much so that Peggy’s father had complained, saying she gave him no attention at all. The resulting tension eventually led to their divorce.  

At the time, Peggy blamed herself, believing that she was the reason her family had fallen apart. For a while, she even considered abandoning her genius status and living as an ordinary girl.  

After the divorce, her mother followed her to Princeton, supporting her studies for seven years—proof of just how much she loved her.  

Now, however, with David in the picture, her mother had essentially let go of her.  

The stark contrast between her mother’s past dedication and her newfound passion only emphasized the intensity of her current romance.  

Unlike Sheldon, Peggy had not only extraordinary intelligence but also exceptional emotional intelligence. She didn’t resent her mother’s new relationship, but after years of being her mother’s sole focus, the sudden change left her feeling a bit lost.  

Adding to that, she had recently hit a bottleneck in her research, and her emotions were becoming increasingly unstable.  

With only one and a half friends in the world, she started bothering Sheldon more and more.  

Sheldon, however, had no patience for it.  

"Why are you telling me this?"  

"I’ve read books. Missy told me about this. I know what it means! I have absolutely no interest in this filthy, primitive human desire for physical interaction."  

"Instead of wasting time on this nonsense, why don’t you focus more on solving mathematical problems?"  

"No wonder you’ve hit a bottleneck—your mind is being clouded by such base desires! I suggest you watch some anime or play some video games."  

"What? You’re not interested?"  

"Oh, boy!"  

"Girls really are troublesome! I thought only Missy was like this, but I can’t believe someone with intelligence close to mine would be as well!"  

"Then again, it makes sense. Historically, there haven’t been many outstanding female scientists. Newton, Einstein, Planck—they were all men. Now I think I understand why."  

"If you really can’t resist the call of your biological instincts, I suggest you find Adam."  

"Based on what my brother George often complains about, Adam seems to have unparalleled talent in that area."  

"Even Missy seems quite interested in him."  

"Since you’re both girls, I assume the experience would be about the same."  

"Besides, Adam is just over in New York, right next to New Jersey. He’s much closer than I am, and finding him would be far more productive than repeatedly harassing me over the phone."  

"Am I sure? How many times do I have to say it? Of course, I’m sure!"  

"If you keep calling me about topics I have no interest in, rather than actual academic discussions, I won’t answer your calls anymore."  

"Last time, some guy had the audacity to argue with me about plot holes in The Flash! Like you, he was too distracted by primitive desires to even grasp the basic storyline."  

"If he had dedicated as much time as I do to reading comics, such an embarrassing mistake would never have happened!"  

"Today is comic book day, and a new issue of The Flash is out. I’m going to buy it and enjoy it. That’s it!"  

With that, Sheldon immediately hung up the phone.  

Hearing the dial tone, Peggy gritted her teeth in frustration.  

Girls mature faster than boys—especially a genius girl like her.  

Sheldon was an intelligent and good-looking boy her age, and years ago, she had subtly tried to bring up these topics with him.  

But Sheldon was completely oblivious, showing zero interest. To him, Peggy’s flirtations were nothing more than annoying distractions.  

After years of failed attempts, Sheldon had grown utterly exasperated with her "harassment." If it weren’t for the fact that he had no other friends of comparable intelligence and age, he would have blocked her long ago.  

In his mind, science and trains were his true loves, his mother and grandmother were his anchors, and comics and video games were his sources of relaxation.  

What more could he possibly need?  

After years of trial and error, Peggy had come to the conclusion that Sheldon might genuinely be asexual. Delayed development could only explain so much.  

If she had known his future, she would have understood everything.  

In the original timeline, Sheldon didn’t start dating Amy until he was around twenty-eight. Even then, Amy—frustrated by his complete lack of interest—had to use every trick in the book for five or six years before he finally gave in and offered himself as her birthday present.  

Even after they got married, their marital intimacy (or lack thereof) became an ongoing joke among everyone who knew them.  

If he weren’t truly uninterested, how else could that happen?  

Penny constantly speculated about Sheldon’s sexuality.  

Was he into women? Men? Something else entirely?  

When Sheldon announced that he was "giving himself to Amy for her birthday," everyone was so shocked it was as if they had seen God.  

Even his mother—the person who loved him most and knew him best—admitted at his wedding that she had never expected this day to come.  

She had truly believed her "Shelly" would be alone forever.  

If grown-up Sheldon was like this, then what could be expected of the childlike Sheldon of today?  

He genuinely found Peggy’s advances unbearable.  

And at last, Peggy gave up—shifting her attention to that "half-friend" she had left…  

Chapter 334: A Familiar Face Below the Apartment  

1998  

August 23rd  

Sunday  

Auspicious for renovations, business openings, construction, bed placement, transactions, and groundbreaking ceremonies.  

Adam drove to Princeton University.  

As a renowned young mathematical prodigy, Peggy was provided with an independent apartment on the Princeton University campus to facilitate her studies and daily life.  

Outside the Apartment  

"Adam! What are you doing here? Did you come to see me?"  

As soon as Adam stepped out of the car, an excited figure rushed toward him.  

"Leonard?"  

Adam was momentarily stunned. "What are you doing here?"  

"I..."  

Leonard's face flushed red. Trying to change the subject, he asked, "You’re not here to see me?"  

"No."  

Adam apologized, "You know how busy I am with work. I finally got a day off, and a friend asked me to come over for some help. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even have had the time to come."  

"Apart from me, you have other friends at Princeton?"  

Leonard's eyes lit up in surprise. "Who? Why haven’t you introduced them to me before?"  

"A high school friend," Adam said with a smile. "She was younger back then, and her mother always accompanied her while she studied here. So, I rarely kept in touch, and I never mentioned her."  

"She was young and had her mother accompany her?"  

Hearing this, Leonard quickly grabbed his asthma inhaler, took a few puffs, and finally managed to suppress his rapid heartbeat and breathlessness. He asked in shock, "Your friend isn't Dr. Peggy Adler, is she?"  

"You know Peggy?"  

Adam nodded with a smile. "Of course. A prodigy like her would be famous even at Princeton. It’s no surprise you’ve heard of her."  

"You mean the genius beauty!"  

Leonard took a deep breath and excitedly added, "There's never been a scientist in history with her level of brilliance and looks! The only one who might barely compare is Dr. Elizabeth Prington from the Physics Department.  

But Dr. Prington is six years older than Dr. Adler, got her doctorate eight years later, and isn’t nearly as attractive. Dr. Adler is widely recognized as the most beautiful woman in the scientific community..."  

Once he started talking about this, Leonard’s eyes sparkled as he spoke endlessly, not even his asthma stopping him.  

Adam looked at him with a strange expression.  

"What?"  

Leonard finally realized he had been rambling and gave an embarrassed chuckle.  

"This is Peggy's apartment building," Adam said playfully. "Don't tell me you live here too or just happened to be passing by?"  

"Uh..."  

Leonard's face turned red, and he was at a loss for words.  

"Heh."  

Adam couldn't help but laugh.  

You never know how small the world can be.  

In this life, the indirect connection between Sheldon and Leonard wasn't just through Adam—now Peggy was also involved.  

Even more interesting, Peggy liked Sheldon, and Leonard had a crush on Peggy.  

Oh, and there was also Dr. Elizabeth Prington. If Adam remembered correctly, she was that wild scientist.  

Leonard had a one-night stand with her... well, actually, a night and a morning. And let’s not forget the delivery guy, Howard, and the landlord, Rajesh...  

"I’ll catch up with you later. I’m heading up now."  

Adam patted Leonard’s shoulder and was about to enter the building.  

"Can I come with you?"  

Leonard asked eagerly, "I've always wanted to meet Dr. Adler."  

"Well..."  

Adam hesitated, then shook his head. "I’m not sure if it’s appropriate."  

Seeing Leonard’s puppy-dog eyes, Adam sighed and smiled helplessly. "I’ll check with Peggy first. If it’s fine, then sure—we’re all friends, after all."  

"Awesome!"  

Leonard nearly jumped in excitement, but his poor athleticism kept him grounded.  

"I’ll wait here for your good news."  

"Alright."  

Adam nodded and walked toward the apartment entrance.  

"I’ll be waiting!"  

Leonard called out again.  

"Got it."  

Without turning around, Adam waved a hand behind him.  

"I’ll be here!"  

Just as Adam stepped into the elevator, Leonard’s excited voice echoed once more.  

Adam couldn’t even be bothered to respond this time.  

Without looking back, he could already picture Leonard standing there, fidgeting with his hands while grinning like an idiot.  

Ding!  

Apartment 3A  

Adam pressed the doorbell.  

Inside, he heard light footsteps approaching.  

As they got closer, Adam’s heartbeat suddenly sped up for no apparent reason.  

Peggy had been both beautiful and adorable as a child, with a unique aura about her.  

It had been seven years since they last met. What did she look like now?  

Please don’t look like Captain Marvel. 

Please don’t look like Captain Marvel. 

Please don’t look like Captain Marvel.  

Some things are worth saying three times.  

But judging from Leonard’s fanboy behavior and the title "most beautiful genius scientist in history," it seemed unlikely that Peggy had aged poorly.  

Maybe she had become even more stunning?  

And why had she suddenly asked him to come over?  

If he had known, he would’ve called Sheldon first to ask.  

After all, his connection to Peggy was entirely through Sheldon.  

In seven years, they had only spoken on the phone a few times—all because of Sheldon.  

Adam knew that Peggy only truly considered Sheldon a friend.  

His system stats never lied.  

Although Peggy had provided him with intelligence points over the years, she had never given him strength points—an undeniable sign that their friendship wasn’t that deep.  

If anything, he barely qualified as her friend. At most, he was half a friend.  

He still vividly remembered the soul-deep coldness Peggy once showed him.  

Thinking about it, he subconsciously checked his system panel, focusing on his intelligence stat.  

Intelligence: 177.75 (Normal: 100, Excellent: 120, Genius: 140, Super Genius: 180)  

Just under three points away from being a super genius.  

At this moment, Adam couldn’t help but blame Christina a little.  

For someone who earned dual PhDs at such a young age, she was undoubtedly just as much a genius as Leonard.  

If she had seen him as a true friend and given him over three intelligence points, he would have already reached the super genius level—on par with Sheldon and Peggy.  

Creak.  

As Adam’s mind raced, the door opened, revealing a face that made his heart skip a beat.  

"Not Captain Marvel!"  

Adam cheered inwardly. "She didn't age badly at all!"  

"You made it~"  

Peggy’s lips curled into a smirk, her smile wickedly charming.  

Chapter 335: Aggressive Approach  

"Hey, Peggy, long time no see."  

Although Adam was stunned by how Peggy had grown even more beautiful instead of losing her charm, he was no longer the high schooler he once was. He quickly regained his composure and greeted her with a smile.  

"It really has been a long time. Come in."  

Peggy stepped aside, her tall and well-proportioned figure making way for him.  

As Adam walked in, his eyes were immediately drawn to a whiteboard—just like the one Sheldon used—covered in complex mathematical formulas. On the desk by the window, there was a thick stack of calculation papers, filled from top to bottom with handwritten equations.  

A vivid image formed in his mind: a beautiful young woman, working tirelessly under the glow of a lamp.  

"Where’s your mom?"  

Adam casually asked while glancing around the apartment.  

"Why do you ask?"  

Peggy smirked. "The first thing you do when you step in is ask about my mom? Do you have a thing for her?"  

"Heh."  

Adam chuckled. "Peggy, you’ve become much more humorous and outgoing since we were kids."  

"If it’s not my mom you’re interested in, then… could it be me?"  

Peggy locked eyes with Adam, a sparkle in her gaze making his heartbeat stutter.  

No way…  

A bold thought crossed Adam's mind, but the habit of associating Peggy with Juno’s smiling face made him suppress it immediately.  

"Ahem. Don’t joke around. We’re just friends."  

"If we’re friends, then why have you never come to visit me in the past seven years? You’ve been living right next door in New York."  

Peggy’s tone became slightly aggressive.  

"Sheldon is still your best friend. Has he ever visited you?"  

Adam countered with a smile.  

Peggy’s confidence wavered for a moment.  

Although she had high emotional intelligence, her deeply ingrained arrogance was difficult to suppress. Very few people ever caught her attention—maybe just one and a half individuals.  

Adam was that “half,” and most of that credit belonged to Sheldon. The rest was because Adam had once gone to great lengths to snap her out of a foolish decision with endless motivational speeches.  

That’s right.  

Looking back, Peggy felt nothing but embarrassment about her past self.  

She couldn’t understand why she had been so fragile back then.  

Marriage?  

It was just two people teaming up to get through life.  

Divorce was no big deal.  

Why waste time obsessing over love and relationships when uncovering the deepest mysteries of the universe was far more interesting?  

Had it not been for Adam, she likely would have spent years lost in emotional turmoil before coming to this realization. Even then, she was confident her intelligence would have allowed her to start over.  

But Adam had saved her years of wasted time—time she could now use to peel back more layers of the universe and achieve even greater accomplishments.  

So, even though his intelligence didn’t quite meet her standards, she still acknowledged him as a friend. Not on Sheldon’s level, of course, but half a friend was enough to grant him access to her world.  

"You’ve changed."  

Peggy studied Adam with great interest. "The old you wasn’t this confident."  

In her memory, Adam used to try his hardest to impress her—but awkwardly so. A single comment or look from her could send him retreating. Now, though, he carried himself with ease and could even fire back at her instantly.  

"People change."  

Adam smiled.  

Back then, his useless system couldn’t help him at all, and he was constantly surrounded by terrifyingly intelligent, emotionally sharp, ruthless, and decisive individuals who completely outclassed him. Confidence was a luxury he simply couldn’t afford.  

On top of that, he used to crave the wisdom points that came with being Peggy’s friend.  

When you need something from someone, you naturally humble yourself.  

But now? He didn’t need anything from her. That changed everything.  

"So tell me, what made you so confident?"  

Peggy leaned forward with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Is it because you became a billionaire from writing books? Or because you hold a scalpel and decide people’s fates as a doctor? Or maybe… it’s all the beautiful women who’ve boosted your confidence as a man?"  

"…"  

Adam wasn’t used to this level of bluntness.  

"Looks like it’s all three."  

Peggy smirked. The way she looked at him made Adam sigh internally—it was too similar to Juno’s uncanny ability to read people like an open book.  

If Juno’s intuition was a natural gift, then Peggy’s insight was a result of her extreme intelligence and high emotional awareness.  

If she wanted to, she could unravel the secrets of the universe. So how could she not see through a person’s thoughts?  

She wasn’t a Trisolaran sophon, after all.  

"My mom went on a trip abroad with her boyfriend."  

Peggy abruptly changed the subject.  

"Really?"  

Adam was momentarily caught off guard by the sudden shift, letting out an awkward laugh. "So… why did you call me over? Do you need my help with something?"  

"No rush."  

Peggy blinked playfully. "I have faith in you."  

Adam forced a smile, but his mind had already started generating scenarios…  

"So, how are things with Juno?"  

Peggy asked with a smirk.  

"Uh."  

Adam hesitated but eventually said, "We’re great. We’ve always been best friends."  

"Just friends?"  

Peggy’s smirk deepened. "I don’t believe you."  

"A lot of people don’t."  

Adam chuckled. "But we really are just best friends—nothing more, nothing less."  

"Is it because you’re not interested in her, or she’s not interested in you?"  

Peggy pressed. "Sheldon and I are best friends too, but I am interested in him. Unfortunately, he’s basically asexual and has zero interest in me."  

"…"  

Adam was momentarily speechless. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "I think it’s mutual. Juno has Karen, and I’m not in the mindset for romance at all."  

"Adam Duncan, the legendary playboy—who doesn’t know?"  

Peggy teased. "Sheldon once told me his brother, George Jr., used to curse your name all the time."  

"Heh."  

Adam smirked but didn’t respond.  

George Jr. had every right to be mad. After all, Adam had shared some secrets with Veronica.  

If he were in George Jr.'s shoes, he’d be cursing himself too.  

"Do you know why I called you here?"  

Peggy suddenly asked.  

"Why?"  

Adam’s heartbeat picked up again.  

"Sheldon told me to."  

Peggy’s lips curled into a devilish smile. "I’ve always wanted to conduct a practical biology experiment with him, but he’s forever a child—completely uninterested and downright repulsed by the idea. I’m one step away from being blocked."  

Adam’s heartbeat pounded in his ears.  

That wicked smirk made Peggy’s beautiful face exude an entirely new level of temptation.  

Even Akina Speed Star Adam had never encountered something like this before.  

Not even Heather—his favorite, breathtakingly beautiful yet terrifyingly ruthless ex—had given him this kind of feeling.  

This wasn’t about looks or body shape.  

It was an entirely different kind of spiritual impact.  

For a moment, Adam genuinely felt like he couldn’t handle it.  

"Ahem. That’s… very Sheldon."  

Adam instinctively tried to break the increasingly intimate atmosphere—but the words caught in his throat.  

Because Peggy had already leaned in…  

And silenced him completely.  

(End of Chapter)