October 1st, National Day, was precisely the time when major tourist attractions were packed to the point of making one question life's choices.
Especially in the capital city.
Fortunately, Cheng Shuo had made arrangements throughout the journey. As soon as their plane landed, a car was ready to take them directly to the gates of Cheng Mingze's university.
By then, Cheng Mingze was already waiting at the entrance.
"Mingze!" Li Sitong called out excitedly.
Cheng Mingze immediately jogged over with a smile.
He first greeted Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong warmly. "Mom, Dad."
"Yes!" Li Sitong responded, her eyes crinkling into happy slits.
His gaze then shifted to the young girl who looked even lovelier than she had a month ago. He reached out and ruffled her hair.
"Jiao Jiao."
Xue Jiao gave him a soft smile. "Brother."
Cheng Mingze had changed too. Since starting university, his demeanor had taken on a slightly different quality.
He was still clean-cut and refreshing, but there was a new air about him.
The gentle refinement he'd always possessed was now complemented by a scholarly grace, and his smiles had grown more frequent, radiating the irrepressible vitality of youth.
"Hungry?" Cheng Mingze ruffled her hair again.
Xue Jiao shook her head, dislodging his hand.
"Not really."
"Come on, let's grab something to eat first." Cheng Mingze pointed in a direction.
Cheng Shuo didn't move, only asking, "Aren't you going to invite your roommates?"
"Not for lunch. I'll call them out for dinner later," Cheng Mingze replied with a shake of his head.
Cheng Shuo didn't press further.
It was rare for the whole family to reunite in another city, and all four of them were in high spirits.
"This is one of the more famous restaurants near campus—specializing in local capital cuisine," Cheng Mingze explained.
Knowing his family well, he had already arranged lunch in advance.
There were significant differences between southerners and northerners. Northern cuisine was famous for its wheat-based dishes, while southerners preferred sweeter flavors.
Combined with the disparities in climate and other factors, the meal was decent, though not as enjoyable as they'd imagined.
"Will we have to eat like this all the time if we move to the capital?" Li Sitong frowned slightly.
"Haha, of course we'll cook at home. You can make whatever you like," Cheng Shuo chuckled.
Li Sitong sighed. "It's also really dry here. I don't find it as comfortable as back home."
"Then maybe we shouldn't move?"
"No!" Li Sitong immediately objected.
"See? You're the one who wanted to move, and now you're the one complaining," Cheng Shuo said helplessly, spreading his hands.
"Of course we have to move. With Mingze and Jiao Jiao both here in the capital, what would we two old folks stay in the city for?"
Cheng Mingze smiled. "It was a bit hard to adjust at first, but after a while, it got better. The north isn't as hot as the south, and it's not as humid either—though the smog can get pretty bad."
Hearing his explanation, Li Sitong quickly reassured him, "It's fine, Mingze. Mom was just venting. I'll get used to it. I didn't mean I don't want to move."
Cheng Mingze smiled and didn't elaborate further.
Though he now called Li Sitong "Mom," the dynamic between a stepson and stepmother was still a far cry from that of a biological mother and son.
She was sensitive, and he didn't want to be too casual.
After lunch, Cheng Mingze took the three of them on a tour of the campus.
"It's National Day, so there are fewer people around than usual. That building over there is where we usually have classes, and that's—"
As they walked, Cheng Mingze pointed out landmarks to Xue Jiao and the others, who listened with rapt attention.This is one of China's best universities, with a century of history. It has nurtured countless outstanding students and produced batch after batch of talented individuals.
Xue Jiao gazed at this prestigious century-old institution with deep admiration in her heart.
Suddenly, a hand landed on her head and ruffled her hair. "I can't wait for you to take the college entrance exam already."
Xue Jiao shook her head vigorously. "No no, I'm not ready yet."
If she took it now, she wouldn't achieve the results she wanted.
Cheng Mingze didn't press further, and the three of them continued exploring every corner of the campus.
When they reached the foot of a building, an elderly man descended the steps.
Cheng Mingze's eyes lit up. He reached out, grabbed Xue Jiao's hand, and quickly advanced a few steps.
"Professor Tan!"
Xue Jiao was still startled by Cheng Mingze suddenly pulling her along when her eyes widened in recognition.
Professor Tan!
The professor who had invited her to the math competition!
Professor Tan was momentarily surprised before smiling. "Ah, Cheng Mingze! What brings you here? Aren't you supposed to be helping Old Tang with his project?"
Cheng Mingze smiled politely. "I took a day off. My family came to visit me. This is my father, my mother, and my younger sister, Gu Xue Jiao."
Only then did Professor Tan shift his gaze to them, nodding first at Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong. "Hello."
"Hello, hello!" Both Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong responded respectfully.
Professor Tan then looked at Xue Jiao and paused slightly in surprise.
After a moment, his expression cleared with realization. "Ah, it's you! Gu Xue Jiao!"
"Hello, Professor Tan!" Xue Jiao's voice trembled slightly with excitement as she stood on tiptoe nervously.
Professor Tan still remembered Xue Jiao—this girl had left a deep impression on him back then.
"So you're Cheng Mingze's sister?"
Xue Jiao nodded eagerly.
Professor Tan withdrew his surprised gaze and gave Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong a thumbs-up. "Impressive! You two really know how to raise children—having two such outstanding kids."
Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong beamed with joy but modestly replied, "Oh no, it's all their own hard work."
Professor Tan chuckled and shook his head before turning back to Xue Jiao. "Gu Xue Jiao, you're in your final year of high school now, right? How are your studies going?"
Xue Jiao scratched her head sheepishly. "Not bad..."
"You must keep working hard!" Professor Tan encouraged her.
Xue Jiao met his gaze firmly and nodded with determination. "I will! I definitely will!"
"Well then, I won't keep you. See you around."
"Goodbye, Professor Tan!"
Xue Jiao watched his retreating figure, momentarily lost in thought.
She would never forget what Professor Tan had said to her when presenting her award:
"I'll be waiting for you at Tsinghua."
"Hahaha, my son and daughter are so impressive—even the professor remembers you!" Cheng Shuo stepped forward and patted each of their heads.
Xue Jiao smiled bashfully. "Brother is the amazing one—he's already working on projects with professors."
Being able to participate in projects, especially in computer science, so soon after entering university spoke volumes about Cheng Mingze's excellence.
She looked up at him with admiration in her eyes.
Unable to resist, Cheng Mingze ruffled her hair again.
They spent the afternoon touring the entire campus before reserving a nearby restaurant to invite Cheng Mingze's roommates to dinner.
"Actually, there's no need for the trouble," Cheng Mingze said with a light laugh, shaking his head.
But Li Sitong disagreed. "Nonsense! You've never lived in a dorm before—what if you don't get along with your roommates?"
"I agree. Roommates are very important during university. Besides, we'd like to meet them," Cheng Shuo added with a nod.Xue Jiao lowered her head, suppressing a laugh. Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong were worried that Cheng Mingze might be bullied, but he was the male lead—who could possibly bully him?
Moreover, she truly didn’t think Cheng Mingze’s personality was the type to be easily bullied.
Of course, she wouldn’t say this to Li Sitong and Cheng Shuo, who were overflowing with parental concern.
The four of them didn’t have to wait long in the restaurant before Cheng Mingze’s three roommates arrived.
"Hello, Uncle, Auntie, and little sister!" A tall boy greeted them loudly as soon as he entered, clearly a cheerful and outgoing type. The other two—one seemed aloof, while the other wore black-framed glasses and looked shy.
"This is Jian Zinan, my bunkmate and classmate," Cheng Mingze introduced the aloof one first.
Then, pointing at the cheerful one, he said, "This is Zhan Yichen, also in the same program."
Finally, he hooked an arm around the shorter, bespectacled boy and grinned. "And this little guy across from me is Guan Lihan—he’s not even an adult yet!"
Zhan Yichen burst into laughter, while Guan Lihan scratched his head in embarrassment, wishing he could disappear into the wall.
"Mingze, I thought you were impressive enough, but turns out you’re the one dragging down your family’s looks!" Zhan Yichen teased heartily.
Cheng Mingze was undeniably handsome, but Zhan Yichen’s playful jab made Cheng Shuo, Li Sitong, and even Cheng Mingze chuckle.
"Looks aren’t the point," the aloof Jian Zinan suddenly interjected.
Zhan Yichen paused for a second before laughing again. "Mingze’s family is seriously impressive—his parents are amazing, and his little sister even won first place in the national math competition earlier this year, and she’s only in her third year of high school! Who knows, she might even become our junior here soon. Hey, little sister, work hard and get into our school! Then Mingze can take you under Professor Tang’s wing for projects!"
"She doesn’t have to study computer science," Jian Zinan frowned. "It depends on her interests."
"Come on, Jiao Jiao knows what she wants—she loves math," Cheng Mingze said, refilling their glasses.
"Damn!" Zhan Yichen’s eyes widened. "Our junior’s a real prodigy, actually liking math. I know a professor in the math department pretty well—if you end up there, you’ll have someone looking out for you. These days, having a mentor really helps you achieve great things, just like your brother. Here, junior, let’s add each other as friends!"
He winked. He was good-looking, with a bright smile, his eyes fixed intently on Xue Jiao’s face.
Xue Jiao frowned slightly.
She was used to Lin Zhihua’s striking features, and even Yi Tianyu, who had the same sunny demeanor, was better-looking than this guy.
"My phone’s dead, and I barely use it anyway since I’m in my last year of high school," Xue Jiao replied softly.
Zhan Yichen didn’t push further, withdrawing his gaze with a smile. "Your family’s really something."
Xue Jiao frowned again. For some reason, she didn’t like this guy.
He was sunny and handsome, and he was doing his best to liven up the atmosphere, but she just couldn’t bring herself to like him.
"His mom and I aren’t much, so Mingze’s had to rely on his own hard work. Hahaha! Come on, kids, dig in! Mingze’s never lived in a dorm before, so please be patient with him. Let me toast you all!" Cheng Shuo raised his glass.
"Uncle, you’re too humble! Our dorm’s really tight-knit!" Zhan Yichen raised his glass as well, grinning.
The two clinked glasses."Ha, that's good, then I can rest easy." Cheng Shuo's eyes crinkled with laughter.
"I still have to accompany my parents to the hotel tonight, so I'll be staying out." Cheng Mingze said to Zhan Yichen and the others while eating.
Jian Zinan responded with a simple "Mm."
"Wow, Mingze is so lucky. Why not stay a few more days since your parents rarely visit?" Zhan Yichen blinked.
Cheng Mingze placed a piece of fish in Xue Jiao's bowl and said calmly, "It's not very convenient. Professor Tang can't manage without me there."
"That's alright. I heard freshmen aren't very useful during projects anyway. Professor Tang wouldn't refuse your leave. If necessary, I can cover for you." Zhan Yichen patted his chest.
Cheng Mingze didn't reply immediately. He first took a sip of tea before saying, "The task Professor Tang assigned me is quite challenging. I've already completed most of it, and others can't take over."
Zhan Yichen's smile froze.
"Haha, no need to worry about our boy, Zhan. He's tough—a little exhaustion won't hurt him. We're just here to see him, and that's enough. Come, let's have a drink." Cheng Shuo stood up to pour Zhan Yichen some alcohol.
"Ha, thank you, Uncle." Zhan Yichen forced a smile.
Cheng Shuo patted him. "You're quite impressive, truly living up to being from the north. Your alcohol tolerance is much better than ours."
"Not bad, not bad."
Throughout the meal, Cheng Shuo and Zhan Yichen drank competitively, becoming so friendly they almost ignored Cheng Mingze.
But when it was time to leave, Cheng Shuo said,
"Jian, you're from the south too, right? Remember to visit Mingze when you go home for the New Year."
Jian Zinan replied with his usual brevity, "Okay."
Zhan Yichen was already drunk. Though he had good alcohol tolerance, he was no match for the battle-hardened Cheng Shuo.
Cheng Mingze went back to the hotel with Xue Jiao. She returned to her room to do homework, while Cheng Shuo and Cheng Mingze talked for a long time in their room.
Xue Jiao didn't know what they discussed.
Early the next morning, when Xue Jiao woke up, Cheng Mingze was already up.
"You're up so early?" Xue Jiao was slightly surprised.
"Yeah, I need to return to school for the project. I fell behind a bit yesterday and have to make up for it today." Cheng Mingze put on his shoes and washed his hands in the bathroom.
When he came out, he ruffled Xue Jiao's hair.
"Study hard. Every moment counts, whether it's math or other subjects. Everything you learn now will be useful in the future."
"Mm."
Cheng Mingze bent down, bringing his face close to hers. Their eyes met. "Jiao Jiao, do your best."
Seeing his earnest expression, Xue Jiao gave a faint smile. "Okay."
Cheng Mingze really was a good older brother.
Perhaps Gu Xue Jiao's biggest mistake was falling for someone she shouldn't have. If she had treated him like a brother, as she did now, maybe her life would have been different.
"I'm leaving." Cheng Mingze turned to go.
"Wait, Brother!" Xue Jiao grabbed him.
"Hmm?"
Xue Jiao ran back to her room and returned with a loaf of bread. She looked at Cheng Mingze seriously. "I know you don't have time to go downstairs for breakfast. Take this to eat on the way. Don't go hungry."
Cheng Mingze was stunned for a moment before smiling.
He reached out and affectionately ruffled the girl's hair. "Got it."
With that, Cheng Mingze unwrapped the bread as he walked out.
By 8:30 a.m., after Xue Jiao had finished a Chinese test paper, Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong finally got up.Vacation seems to make people lazy, and the two of them were quite tired as well. Xue Jiao, a high school senior, would wake up at whatever time, and they would follow suit.
To ensure Xue Jiao could have breakfast, Li Sitong and Auntie had to get up a bit earlier than her.
"Jiao Jiao, you're still waking up so early even on vacation?" Li Sitong asked while yawning.
"Mm-hmm," Xue Jiao nodded, pausing her writing.
"Your dad and I are going to the Great Wall today and might not be back for lunch. We'll drop you off at the library after breakfast since the hotel isn’t the best place for studying," Li Sitong reminded her.
"Okay."
Just then, Cheng Shuo finished getting ready. "Jiao Jiao, have you eaten?"
"Mm-hmm, I went down to eat as soon as I woke up," Xue Jiao replied with a smile.
"Alright, wait for us then."
With that, Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong headed downstairs to eat.
By the time Xue Jiao had finished half of her math test paper, Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong returned. They first dropped Xue Jiao off at the nearest library before heading to the Great Wall together.
Dressed in matching sporty outfits and sneakers, the couple happily walked off hand in hand.
Almost as soon as they left, Xue Jiao took out her phone. Before she could send a message, her phone vibrated.
Lin Zhihua looked up.
Xue Jiao was startled and instinctively raised her head.
At the table in front of her sat a man in casual clothes.
His bangs fell just above his eyebrows, framing a strikingly handsome face.
Xue Jiao froze as the man stood up and walked toward her.
"You’re already here?" Xue Jiao whispered.
Lin Zhihua chuckled softly, replying in an equally low voice, "Just got here too."
With that, he sat down beside her.
"Aren’t you busy lately?" Xue Jiao asked, surprised that the CEO of Lin Corporation could be so free.
Lin Zhihua raised an eyebrow, his eyes sparkling with amusement, making him look even more radiant.
"I’ve already finished my busy period. Besides, isn’t hiring so many people meant to free up my time?"
"Pfft—"
Xue Jiao couldn’t help but laugh and shook her head. "You’re the first CEO I’ve met like this."
Lin Zhihua rested one hand on the back of her chair and the other against his forehead.
"Oh? Then how are the CEOs you’ve met usually like?"
"Very busy," Xue Jiao blinked.
"Silly," Lin Zhihua couldn’t resist ruffling her hair.
Xue Jiao ducked her head slightly, embarrassed. After a moment, she asked,
"By the way, what’s the method you mentioned?" Her eyes widened curiously.
Lin Zhihua tapped the table lightly with his fingers, leaning closer to whisper, "Take out all your homework."
His breath brushed against her earlobe, making her ear tingle.
"Oh, okay." She hurriedly pulled out her assignments.
Lin Zhihua first picked up a completed math test paper and carefully reviewed it at a measured pace. After setting it aside, he took the five blank papers.
Picking up a pencil, he began marking certain questions—two multiple-choice questions, three fill-in-the-blanks, and only the last problem in the free-response section.
Then he handed them back to her with a smile. "Do these."
"Huh?" Xue Jiao was baffled.
Lin Zhihua leaned in again, murmuring by her ear, "Just do the questions I marked."
His nose twitched slightly, and he couldn’t help but smile. "I’ll handle the rest."
"Wait—you’re going to do them for me?" Xue Jiao was stunned.
"You want me to help you with your homework?"
Xue Jiao instinctively wanted to say that wasn’t right—"Jiao Jiao, you're a student who listens well to teachers and behaves obediently. Copying homework and having others do it for you are things you consider very wrong, right?"
Xue Jiao nodded blankly.
"But only the questions I've marked on this test paper are somewhat innovative and worth doing. At your level, you don’t need to waste more time on problems you can solve with 100% accuracy."
"But—"
"You want to say that doing more is always better, don’t you?"
Xue Jiao suddenly glared at him. How could this person guess everything she was thinking?
In front of him, it was as if she had no secrets at all.
"Pfft—" Lin Zhihua couldn’t help but laugh.
His face rarely broke into such a bright smile, and in that instant, the sharpness and authority he usually carried vanished completely.
Some people were just too smart—and way too good-looking on top of it.
"Alright, alright. Doing extra problems is for when you have spare time to practice and refine your skills, but the amount of homework you have this holiday doesn’t seem to leave you with any extra time." Lin Zhihua’s voice was laced with amusement, yet his words once again challenged Xue Jiao’s understanding. "So, personally, I think you can rest and play once you’ve finished the necessary exercises."
Xue Jiao: "..."
For a well-behaved student like her, this was still quite a challenge.
"Trust me. If you don’t believe it, try another set. You’ll see that the questions I didn’t mark are all straightforward and easy, right?" Lin Zhihua smiled confidently, his brow slightly raised.
Xue Jiao took the test paper he had marked and began working on it.
Lin Zhihua watched her solve the problems, a faint smile on his lips, unable to look away.
Only after she finished the fill-in-the-blank section did he pick up another paper and start marking it seriously.
The moment he finished, Xue Jiao handed him a completed math paper—only the multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank sections were done, with just the last major problem attempted.
Lin Zhihua raised an eyebrow, looking at her with an almost teasing gaze.
Xue Jiao averted her eyes awkwardly, then blinked and said,
"You said you’d write the rest..."
Her tone was fierce, yet it lacked conviction.
Lin Zhihua couldn’t hold back anymore. He laughed and ruffled her hair again—this time with a bit more force, leaving it slightly messy.
What should he do? He wanted to tuck her right into his heart.
"Homework, homework!" Xue Jiao reached out, covering his ink-black eyes with her hand.
"Alright." Lin Zhihua chuckled, his lips curling high.
Xue Jiao withdrew her hand, and Lin Zhihua picked up his pen.
"Wait—what about our handwriting...?"
Lin Zhihua turned his head and lightly tapped the cap of his pen against the tip of her nose.
"Don’t worry about that. Leave it to me."
She touched her nose, a little embarrassed.
Then, Xue Jiao started working on the marked questions while Lin Zhihua tackled the unmarked ones. The room was soon filled with nothing but the soft scratching of pens on paper.
Elsewhere in the city.
"Secretary Chen, where did the boss go? Why did he take two days off?" Tan Qi grumbled while sorting through documents.
Tasks the boss could finish in an hour took Chen Yan at least three, and Tan Qi half a day!
"Personal matters." Chen Yan’s voice remained icy.
Tan Qi gasped. "Another date?"
"Swish—" Chen Yan suddenly looked up at him.
His gaze was strange—as if saying:
You know too much.
Tan Qi: "..." He was afraid he might be silenced.
By half past midnight, Lin Zhihua finally set down his pen.
"That’s enough. Let’s go eat first."
Xue Jiao rubbed her stiff neck and looked up—only to freeze in shock.She took all the test papers in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"You finished all the math homework I wrote?!"
Lin Zhihua nodded.
Xue Jiao's eyes grew even wider.
For one math test paper, she had only solved a few of the more complex problems—yet Lin Zhihua had finished all the remaining questions in the same amount of time she took!
Shocking.
"You... you..." Do you have the answers?
Then she saw handwriting almost identical to her own. Xue Jiao's voice turned hoarse as she asked,
"Are you... are you a god?"
"I'm a river snail," Lin Zhihua replied softly, standing up while gathering his things.
Xue Jiao was so stunned she couldn’t speak.
After packing up, Lin Zhihua held her wrist with one hand and carried her backpack with the other, leading the dazed Xue Jiao out of the library like a father guiding his beloved daughter.
Walking along the bustling street, Xue Jiao swallowed hard and asked, "Lin Zhihua, what was your college entrance exam score?"
"686."
"Huh?"
No way...
Lin Zhihua was far more capable than her.
"The essay topic was too annoying, so I didn’t write it," Lin Zhihua added before striding ahead.
Xue Jiao froze in place, trying to recall how many points the essay was worth.
Holy crap.
Holy freaking crap.
The man ahead turned back and waved.
"Jiao Jiao, hurry up."
He stood on the lively street, dressed casually, his long legs and strikingly handsome face drawing attention.
But his eyes were only on the girl still standing there in a daze, a smile playing on his lips.
As if his world revolved solely around her.
"Coming, coming!" Xue Jiao caught up and immediately bombarded him with questions.
"Lin Zhihua, where did you go to school?"
"Were you really diligent?"
"Is your IQ like 200?"
"Why didn’t you write the essay?"
"You—"
Lin Zhihua drove her from the library to Wuliu Alley.
The beautiful older sister had already prepared the meal and called out as soon as they entered,
"Xiao Yu, serve the dishes!"
"Got it!" a woman’s voice answered. Soon, several people brought out dishes one by one.
Xue Jiao and Lin Zhihua sat facing each other.
"You reserved this in advance?"
"Yeah, to avoid waiting," Lin Zhihua explained while ladling soup for her.
"Thanks," Xue Jiao accepted it and asked, "Why is there no one else here today?"
"They don’t open for lunch," Lin Zhihua replied, picking out a piece of fish for her other bowl.
Xue Jiao quickly finished her soup and sighed, "Honestly, your cooking is almost as good as this place’s."
Lin Zhihua gave her an amused look. "No need to flatter me. I still need to practice—hopefully, by next year, I’ll match their skill."
"Why next year?" Xue Jiao blinked.
"Because..." Lin Zhihua smirked. "Because my cat will arrive next year."
"Huh? Don’t you already have a cat?"
"Yeah, but it hasn’t come home yet."
"Ohhh, okay." Xue Jiao nodded, pretending to understand.
In truth, she had no idea why Lin Zhihua’s cat wouldn’t be home until next year.
Unable to figure it out, she picked up her chopsticks and served him food.
"Here, here. You eat too!"
Lin Zhihua chuckled, took a bite, then raised an eyebrow.
"Alright, why the sudden kindness?"
"Well... I have a question I want to ask you," Xue Jiao admitted sheepishly, scratching her head.
Lin Zhihua served her more food. "Eat while you talk."
"Ohhh, okay."
After a couple of bites, she said, "I’ve been thinking about something. Yesterday, I had dinner with my brother and his roommate..."
She recounted everything that had happened and then asked, "I feel like the atmosphere in my brother’s dorm is weird. My dad’s acting strange too."
Her brows furrowed in confusion.
"Silly girl," Lin Zhihua laughed, picking out another piece of fish. After checking for bones, he placed it in her bowl.
"Hmm?""Your dad was checking on your brother's dorm situation. Your brother showed the specifics and made it clear he wouldn't be bullied."
"Ah..." Xue Jiao was stunned.
How had she missed all these issues?
"Your brother started working on a professor's project right after entering school. As a freshman, he can't leave the project unattended, not even during National Day holidays. This means the project is essential, and his presence is mandatory."
Lin Zhihua continued explaining, "For a freshman who just finished military training and immediately joined a project—too busy to leave even during holidays—the situation is clearly complicated."
"Ah..." Xue Jiao half-understood.
Lin Zhihua kept serving her food. "Eat while I talk, or I won't say another word."
"Okay, okay! Go on!" Xue Jiao immediately started eating but pressed for answers.
Lin Zhihua smiled and shook his head. "Your dad's visit wasn't just for fun—he wanted to assess the situation. Last night's dinner revealed everything, and your brother assured he could handle it."
"Ah? How did I miss that?" Xue Jiao was dumbfounded.
Lin Zhihua pointed at her bowl, and she obediently resumed eating, though her eyes remained fixed on him.
"Your brother's dorm is generally friendly. Jian Zinan gets along well with him, Guan Lihan keeps his distance but leaves a good impression, while Zhan Yichen epitomizes the problem your brother faces. He envies Cheng Mingze and is scheming to overthrow him and take his place—aggressively so."
"But this is one of the top universities! How could—"
Students who worked hard to get in have countless opportunities and the ability to achieve success elsewhere. Why target Cheng Mingze?
"Why not?" Lin Zhihua raised an eyebrow. "Sure, many are diligent scholars, but a small fraction are highly intelligent and competitive—they want the most efficient path, stepping onto roads others have paved. Convenient and effective, don’t you think?"
He smirked. "It's simple logic. In business, why climb another uncertain tree when you can effortlessly pluck someone else’s fruit?"
"No way..." Xue Jiao was speechless.
"Jin Yong once wrote: Where there are people, there are conflicts; where there are conflicts, there is rivalry. People are the rivalry itself."
Xue Jiao still found it hard to believe.
"All the hustle is for profit; all the rush is for gain." Lin Zhihua kept picking dishes for her.
"But how did you figure all this out?" Xue Jiao remained puzzled.
How could she have been at that dinner yet noticed nothing?
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