I first interviewed Kate Wenqi Zhu in April 2022, while I was finishing my journalism degree at the University of Sheffield. I had been following Kate, a Chinese student who had topped in mathematical modeling at Oxford and became the subject of online attacks.

Several influential media outlets had already interviewed her. Unlike other interviewers, I had no significant credentials beyond a small personal webpage. I still emailed her at her Oxford profile address. I was surprised when she replied that very night.

Kate agreed to an in-person interview at Oxford. We stayed in light contact until our schedules aligned, and she asked me to come to Oxford in May for the interview and join her for a formal dinner at her college the night before.

I arrived early that day, wondering what we would talk about. Kate, 28, arrived in a black suit and matching trousers with her hair in a neat bun.

"People online judge me a lot for what I wear," she said. "So tonight, I'm just going with a full suit."

She seemed small and confident in person, even younger than in images. She introduced me to two of her friends. I was surprised how effortlessly the conversation flowed. I am usually reserved in social gatherings, but Kate had a natural knack for making people feel comfortable. I sometimes forgot I was sitting next to Oxford's math star.

We discussed daily life, academics, and amusing moments from our days as students. I was drawn to her confidence, intelligence, and joy that night, which had made her the target of vicious Internet attacks.

She gave us a tour of her college after dinner. I strolled through Oxford's darkness with the other two girls, secretly considering applying for a master's degree.

The following morning, we met at a brunch café for the interview. I brought her a box of chocolates, which she later shared on Weibo. Even when I asked her questions that she had undoubtedly answered countless times before, she remained patient. She told me about her experience working in Hong Kong, where she organized a feminist event called "Pink Day." Because of her youthful appearance, she was frequently overlooked in professional situations.

"A woman can make a group of men uncomfortable if she excels in both math and finance – and being wealthy while doing it," she said.

Occasionally, she would pause mid-conversation to re-record something she'd just said, bits she found interesting or memorable, for her social media. The online abuse had been intense, even invasive. But she never let it silence her.

Later, while writing the article, I sometimes messaged her for clarification. She always responded that same day. After it was published, I sent her the link to the article immediately.

"Thank you," she wrote back. "The English version reads differently. Kind of fun."

I've only followed her on social media posts and WeChat Moments. I didn't dare to like her posts because I feared she would question why someone as nondescript as me was still in her feed, or worse, that she might delete me for having been forgotten.

Three years later, she received the Leslie Fox Prize for Numerical Analysis. I reached out again, nervous yet hopeful. She instantly responded, saying, "I'd like to chat with you again. I enjoyed our Oxford interview three years ago."

Regardless of the 7-hour time difference, Kate always responded promptly. After winning the reward, she got busier, balancing her job and multiple speaking engagements, yet she still made time to film several video responses just for me.

When Wei Dongyi, a Chinese mathematics genius, started his Douyin account, his modest and understated nature garnered millions of followers. His academic accomplishments were overlooked in favor of a story of quiet genius. I remembered Kate's 2022 Weibo post – "Today I graduated top of my class from Oxford in Math Modeling" – and the backlash she received for posting glamorous photos alongside it. Tens of thousands of misogynistic comments followed.

It turns out that not all geniuses are treated equally. People appear to only accept a version of brilliance that fits their stereotype of difficulty and humility.

"I am merely a chattering monkey next to Wei Dongyi. Please don't compare me to him," Kate said. But beneath her wit lurks a genuine admiration for every brilliant mind. Math, she claims, remains her source of healing.

Although online opinions change with the wind, she is demonstrating to the world that the image of a scholar does not have to be one-dimensional.