WWFILABR 71 to 80

 Chapter 71: Feng Nanshu’s Moment to Shine

TL: Etude

Having arranged to dine with Hong Yan yesterday, it felt necessary to inquire about her plans to change majors, both as a friend and out of obligation.

Additionally, the search for a permanent office location was still unresolved. Jiang Qin intended to stroll near the campus to see if there were any suitable shops for rent.

Located not too close to both the east campus of Linchuan University and the main campus, South Street was an ideal midpoint.

Aside from the pedestrian street, South Street was another commercial area, where all shops were available for lease. Finding an office space here would be convenient for both the technical team from the main campus and the content team from the east campus.

However, due to its proximity to the university town, the rent was steep, and few were willing to sublet, so luck would play a big part.

As dusk fell, the sky darkened.

Magnificent fire clouds stretched across the sky, seemingly burning through half of the horizon.

Feng Nanshu followed behind Jiang Qin, her black heeled shoes clacking on the pavement.

Her skin was so fair it seemed to outshine snow, her figure tall and slender. The black long skirt swayed with the wind, accentuated by a red belt, giving her an air of sophistication.

Yet, who would guess that she was actually fond of seeking Jiang Qin’s comfort and loved to eat, a cute and soft girl at heart?

“Sit here for a while; I’ll order. Don’t wander off.”

“Jiang Qin, I want to eat crayfish.”

“Why do you always like these colorful foods?”

Feng Nanshu slightly wrinkled her nose and straightened her skirt, sitting upright with a cool, distant look in her eyes, void of emotion.

Male students along the way couldn’t help but be drawn to her, yet her aloof demeanor deterred them from staring.

Her black attire conveyed solemnity, and the red accent added a glimpse of stunning beauty. Her expressionless, exquisite features created an overwhelming presence.

This demeanor resembled her high school days: indifferent and unapproachable, easily mistaken for a cold goddess.

Meanwhile, as Jiang Qin was ordering, Hong Yan had arrived at South Street from the east campus.

Dressed in a plaid skirt with white shoes, she exuded a youthful sweetness.

“Jiang Qin, I’m here.”

“I’m at Table 7 in Shiwei Tian.”

“Okay, I’m heading over.”

After putting away her phone, Hong Yan took a deep breath, steadied her nerves, and walked towards the brightly lit outdoor dining area.

Since her dramatic incident on South Street, Hong Yan knew she had been subtly rejected by Jiang Qin. They hadn’t been in contact since, not even exchanging goodnight messages for over a week.

So, when Jiang Qin messaged her yesterday inviting her to dinner, she was genuinely surprised but couldn’t resist accepting.

However, as Hong Yan approached Shiwei Tian, her heart skipped a beat.

The reason was simple: at Table 7 sat a beautiful girl, poised and expressionless, her aura commanding respect.

Despite the casual surroundings and noisy environment, she remained untouched by vulgarity.

Hong Yan, always confident in her own beauty, felt immense pressure in front of this girl. The girl’s cold gaze, attire, and demeanor were all forbidding, creating an unapproachable aura.

Hong Yan double-checked the table number, confirming it was correct, then nervously approached, sitting down under Feng Nanshu’s watchful gaze.

“Hello, I’m Hong Yan.”

“Feng Nanshu, Jiang Qin’s best friend, for life.”

Hong Yan felt suffocated, her lips involuntarily pressing together.

The girl’s presence was overpowering, especially her crisp, cold voice and emphatic tone.

Hong Yan, typically mature and elegant, felt she couldn’t match Feng Nanshu’s level. Just sitting there gracefully, Feng Nanshu made other girls feel inferior.

“Classmate Feng, are you also from the Finance Department?”

“Yes, I am.”

“We must be of the same age then. When is your birthday?”

“February 3rd.”

As Feng Nanshu spoke, she couldn’t help but mutter inwardly, thinking, ‘Jiang Qin, why aren’t you here yet? I’m running out of things to say.’

Socializing was indeed troublesome. If only everyone liked to play with their toes like you.

Meanwhile, Hong Yan, head bowed as if drinking water, couldn’t help but feel a bit envious. Truly confident people really do shine.

Just as they were conversing, Jiang Qin finished ordering and came out of Shiwei Tian. “Long time no see, Hong Yan.”

“It’s been a while. I thought you had made an appointment with the wrong person. I was a bit nervous coming here,” Hong Yan said with a light smile.

Jiang Qin sat down, pouring tea. “Actually, I invited you to talk about your plan to change majors.”

“How did you know?” Hong Yan was surprised.

“I ran into Si Huiying before. She told me. She’s worried about your decision but said she couldn’t persuade you, so she thought of asking me for help.”

“She really knows where my weakness lies.”

Jiang Qin took a sip of water. “I’m curious, why are you so set on changing majors?”

Hong Yan pursed her lips, “You once said college life is wonderful and having a harmonious dorm relationship is important. But I can’t get along with Chu Siqi anymore. I get angry every time I see her.”

“It doesn’t have to lead to a change in major, though.”

“It’s partly because of my family. My dad prefers me to study something related to trade.”

Jiang Qin looked at her. “Si Huiying said you really like law. Isn’t it a pity?”

Hong Yan chuckled and shook her head. “She’s mistaken. I didn’t choose law because I liked it; I learned to like it because I chose it. It wouldn’t make a difference if I switched to another major.”

“It’s not a spur-of-the-moment decision?”

“Definitely not.”

Feng Nanshu, who had been silent, suddenly remembered a quote from “The Magic Eyed Girl”: “Don’t change your choices based on others’ opinions. Do what you think is right.”

Hong Yan was taken aback, then looked at Feng Nanshu with a hint of admiration. “Feng, I wish I could be as confident as you.”

“??????”

Jiang Qin looked baffled at the two, thinking, ‘Is there a misunderstanding between you two? Feng Nanshu is less confident than a peanut. She doesn’t even dare to go out alone, always saying goodnight. Where’s her confidence?’

Then he looked at Feng Nanshu, whose face was cold, and thought, ‘Feng Nanshu, your summary is strangely on point. Are you acting again?’

“Hong Yan, I want to ask you something else. Can you tell me the answer?”

Feng Nanshu nodded confidently. “Go ahead.”

“If you really like someone, but they don’t like you back, what should you do?” Hong Yan asked, biting her lip.

Feng Nanshu’s expression turned cold. “The end of being lovers is likely to never cross paths again in life, and some even become enemies.”

“So, it’s like that…”

Hong Yan’s eyes dimmed. After a while, she smiled faintly, and when she looked up again, she saw Feng Nanshu’s figure shining in the evening twilight.

Jiang Qin chuckled, thinking, ‘You really are bold in teaching and learning.’Chapter 72: Philosophies of Life

TL: Etude

Hong Yan and Jiang Qin had met for dinner three times. The first time, they barely started eating before they ended up in a fight. The second time, they managed a few bites before again resorting to confrontation.

This was the only time they had a smooth meal, but the pressure Hong Yan felt was no less than the previous occasions.

Feng Nanshu was truly dazzling.

She sat there with poise, silent, her delicate fingers gently peeling shrimp. A casual glance from her, with those cool eyes, exerted an overwhelming presence. She was the type of person who couldn’t be ignored, even when she did nothing.

“Do you want some?” Feng Nanshu, holding a piece of shrimp tail, asked.

Hong Yan gently waved her hand, “I can peel it myself, thank you.”

At that moment, Jiang Qin wasn’t at the table but stood on the steps of the restaurant, ‘Shiwei Tian’, chatting leisurely with the owner, who was enjoying the cool evening air at the door.

Of course, Jiang Qin’s casual conversation had a purpose: firstly, to inquire about the rental prices in the street, and secondly, to understand the feeling of running a catering business.

“Sigh, catering is a tough business. I barely make any money all year. You students have it good, finding a job, sitting in an air-conditioned office all day. Unlike us, working from dawn till dusk.”

While speaking, the owner of ‘Shiwei Tian’ pulled out a BMW car key from his pocket, flipping it in his hand, then pressed it lightly, and the car lights across the street blinked in response.

“A 5-series? Not easy for a working-class person to afford.”

Jiang Qin recognized the car immediately.

“Not bad, bought it for my son. He finds it too cheap and doesn’t want to drive it. So, I had to use it myself. But actually, I prefer Audi.”

The owner of ‘Shiwei Tian’ said nonchalantly, reaching for a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes on the table, lighting one.

Jiang Qin’s mouth twisted in disbelief, thinking to himself that they were definitely on different wavelengths. He vowed to bring the Bentley keys from Uncle Gong tomorrow, and then they could have a proper chat.

After a while, he turned back to the dining table, only to find Feng Nanshu and Hong Yan chatting while eating. The basin of crayfish was nearly empty, and there wasn’t much food left on the table.

“What are you two talking about?” Jiang Qin pulled up a stool and sat down.

Hong Yan looked up, “Feng Nanshu taught me many life philosophies. I found it incredibly enlightening.”

“?????”

Jiang Qin was baffled, wondering how these two ended up on the same wavelength. Just a few days ago, Feng Nanshu was happily shaking in a car. He was curious about what kind of life philosophies she could have shared.

Something like ‘the bigger the banana, the bigger its peel’?

“Jiang Qin, it’s getting late, I should head back. Regarding the major selection, I’ll make a careful choice. You don’t need to worry.”

Hong Yan stood up, smoothing her skirt, and picked up her handbag from the chair, earnestly assuring Jiang Qin.

Watching Hong Yan’s retreating figure, Jiang Qin couldn’t help but tilt his body, staring at her slender, fair legs under the skirt for a long time, his brows slightly furrowing.

Was she not swayed by the little rich girl’s life philosophies?

“Did you use grand truths from children’s fantasy adventure books to sway her?”

Feng Nanshu’s lips were red from the spiciness of the crayfish. She finally couldn’t help but stick out her slightly swollen tongue, “Jiang Qin, it’s so spicy, I need water!”

Jiang Qin hurriedly bought a bottle of water for her, watching her take a sip and then her eyes welling up with tears, clearly overwhelmed yet still indulging in the food.

“Feeling better?”

“Much better, just my lips are a bit numb.”

Meanwhile, Hong Yan returned to the East Campus dormitory. As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw Chu Siqi sitting at the study desk, looking at her with cold eyes, a hint of interrogation flashing in them.

Pretending not to notice, Hong Yan bypassed the desk, reached for her toiletries from the shelf over the writing table, but was stopped by Chu Siqi the next moment.

“Did you meet with Jiang Qin?”

“It’s none of your business.” Hong Yan replied indifferently, stepping into the bathroom.

Chu Siqi was infuriated and immediately followed her into the bathroom, “I told you, since we’re competing fairly, you should have informed me if you were going to see him!”

“I went to discuss serious matters with him,” Hong Yan said, squeezing toothpaste onto her toothbrush.

“Since it’s about serious matters, there’s no need to avoid others.”

“Chu Siqi, if you want to see Jiang Qin, you can go find him yourself. I’m not stopping you. Why are you always picking a fight with me?”

Chu Siqi’s eyes brimmed with tears, “But he deleted me from QQ, blocked my phone number. I tried calling him with Huiru’s phone, and that got blocked too!”

“It’s clear, isn’t it? He doesn’t want anything to do with you anymore.”

…

Chu Siqi sat on the bed, unable to hold back tears that wetted her eyelashes. By now, even with her confidence, she knew Jiang Qin was serious. It wasn’t a case of playing hard to get or acting on a whim; he genuinely didn’t like her anymore.

But she couldn’t understand why Jiang Qin’s affection for her could disappear so completely and cleanly, as if it never existed.

Just the day before the college entrance exams, he was talking about attending the same university as her. But as soon as the exams ended, he seemed like a different person.

She hadn’t had time to prepare, no time to react.

Now, he had easily walked away, leaving her in unbearable pain. For what reason?

After a while, Hong Yan finished washing up and returned to the dorm room, shaking her head at the disgruntled Chu Siqi.

What fair competition? It was just wishful thinking.

That aloof sister Feng was not someone who could be surpassed by any campus beauty. Even she was willing to revolve around Jiang Qin. And here Chu Siqi was, declaring her intention to test him, which was frankly laughable.

“Have you reached the dorm?”

“I have.”

“Think carefully about changing your major.”

“Okay.”

At this time, Jiang Qin had also sent Feng Nanshu back home. After receiving Hong Yan’s reply, he was walking back when he was suddenly stopped by Ren Ziqiang.

“Old Jiang, isn’t this website yours? Can you help me boost some positive comments to support Pan Xiu?”

“?”

Jiang Qin looked puzzled, “Support her for what?”

“I posted a topic this afternoon claiming Pan Xiu is the real campus beauty, and now it’s being heavily criticized!” Ren Ziqiang was visibly distressed, knowing it’s hard to fight against many.

Jiang Qin was speechless about Ren Ziqiang’s taste, “How many positive comments do you need?”

“As many as possible!”

Jiang Qin opened the backend post-bot and filled Ren Ziqiang’s topic with a plethora of flattering comments for Pan Xiu.

This bot was created by Su Nai to simulate activity on the website, but since real user traffic had increased, he had turned off this feature to avoid detection. Now, it was reactivated to support Pan Xiu.

Seeing the surge in positive comments on his post, Ren Ziqiang was overjoyed, “Thanks, Jiang. I’ll buy you breakfast tomorrow. Pick anything you want from the first floor of the cafeteria!”

“Ren, do you really think Pan Xiu has the looks to be a campus beauty?” Cao Guangyu couldn’t help but mock, puzzled by Ren Ziqiang’s logic.

Ren Ziqiang retorted, “She is the campus beauty in my heart.”

“Hopeless bootlicker!”

Cao Guangyu opened the forum, curious to see how Ren Ziqiang had promoted Pan Xiu as the campus beauty, but was surprised, “Huh? Why did Weiwei reply to your post? And she said it’s really good-looking?”

Jiang Qin’s heart skipped a beat, “Which Weiwei?”

“The same Weiwei who used to reply to my posts. She didn’t respond to my private messages, but why did she reply to Ren?”

…

“Isn’t it obvious? She deliberately ignored your private messages. What a player!” Jiang Qin was furious, “Cao, she even finds Pan Xiu attractive. Who knows what she’s like in real life. You better be careful!”

Cao Guangyu turned pale, “Damn, Jiang, you’ve just woken me up!”

“Ren, what the hell do you mean by that?” Ren Ziqiang was fuming.

“It’s nothing, nothing. Pan Xiu is definitely the campus beauty. Don’t worry, I’m fast with my hands, I’ll help you with some positive comments too.”

“That’s more like it.”

Chapter 73: Conflict

TL: Etude

In mid-September, the military training finally came to an end. All the freshmen of Linchuan University gathered at the school’s playground for the final review and drill.

The scene was a sea of people, bustling and enormous.

Among them, one-fifth participated in the review, while the other four-fifths acted as spectators in the stands. However, the audience was more interested in the contest for the campus belle than the military training review. They were all engrossed in their phones, murmuring to themselves.

Jiang Qin, the instigator of the campus belle contest, sat at the back of the spectator stands, being interrogated by Gao Wenhui.

“Why is Feng Nanshu a banned word on your forum?” she asked.

“I can’t help it. She’s too pretty, it’s almost against the rules,” Jiang Qin spread his hands.

Gao Wenhui’s jealousy was palpable. “Your way of complimenting people is flawless, no wonder Nanshu sticks to you all the time. But I protest, a contest without Feng Nanshu is unfair!”

“Big sister, the point of the campus belle theme was to stir up everyone’s enthusiasm for discussion. Controversy is necessary. Now, the goddesses from various faculties are evenly matched. Under these circumstances, no forum user accepts another’s superiority. It’s easy to get heated, keeping the buzz going. But if Feng Nanshu enters, it’s all over. Who would dare to overestimate themselves as the campus belle? That would just end the competition.”

“Are you using all these idioms to prepare for a postgraduate exam?” Gao Wenhui said, unconvinced.

This feeling is actually quite normal. I have a fairy-like roommate, but I can’t boast about it. That’s really frustrating.

Gao Wenhui’s face screamed, “I want to brag, I want to brag, I want to brag.”

“Xiao Gao, you’re not seeing the big picture. If the forum ultimately declares someone the number one campus belle, but she’s not as pretty as your roommate, wouldn’t you feel even more thrilled?”

Gao Wenhui thought about it and then frowned, “That’s a hidden thrill. It’s not satisfying if no one knows about it!”

At this moment, Fan Shuling suddenly turned around. “Jiang Qin, that top candidate for campus belle, Chu Siqi, is your ex-girlfriend, right?”

“Huh?”

“I saw her on South Street the other day, arguing with Hong Yan, who ranks third, over you. You were there too.”

Fan Shuling’s voice was a bit loud, or perhaps she did it on purpose. It drew the attention of the boys from the finance class who turned to look at Jiang Qin, making him feel a chill on his scalp and his molars grinding.

The most beautiful girl in the university sticks to him every day, and now the two most popular goddesses from the law faculty are also related to him?

What the hell is this guy doing? Is he playing some new kind of character collection game?

Why does he deserve this?

Ever since Feng Nanshu asked him to open a bottle cap, all the boys had been pondering this question.

Jiang Qin is indeed a bit handsome, but there are others more handsome than him. Why do these aloof beauties change their demeanor as soon as they see him?

At this time, Jiang Qin finally understood why Fan Shuling had a bad face and a lot of hostility when they had dinner that day.

“It was just a simple gathering of friends.”

“Playboy!”

While they were talking, a sudden commotion erupted from the right side of the stands. A mineral water bottle was thrown, hitting the protective board behind the stands with a loud bang.

Seeing this, everyone in the stands turned their heads to look. They saw four boys fighting, with a girl shouting nearby. The boys sitting next to them also seemed eager to join in.

The student union staff responsible for maintaining order were shouting “Stop!” while rushing over anxiously.

“What’s going on?”

“A guy from the design department took a seat in our department’s area, and there was a scuffle. A girl from our department hit too hard and scratched a guy from the design department.”

Jiang Qin stood up to leave, but Fan Shuling glanced at him. “Where are you going? We haven’t finished talking about earlier!”

“I’m going to the bathroom. You coming too?”

“Get lost!”

Jiang Qin grinned and walked along the aisle beside the stands towards the exit. The entrance to the bathroom was right behind the scene of the fight. He tried to squeeze through twice but couldn’t, so he had no choice but to wait on the side.

Meanwhile, a girl from the design department with a ponytail stood in the middle, furiously demanding an apology from the finance department. Zhu Feng and several student union members argued back, but their voices were not as loud as hers.

But clearly, neither the design department nor the finance department was willing to apologize.

It was a joke, after all. This was the review assembly, and all the freshmen were watching. If the student union cadres bowed to another department, what authority would they have left? How could they carry out student work in the future?

“You guys from your department came to ours to take seats first. You should apologize first!”

“Taking seats is wrong, but your department hit someone first. There’s no way we’re apologizing first!”

“Does the design department have any sense of reason?”

Just as the two sides were about to clash again, Jiang Qin couldn’t hold back any longer: “Enough, can you stop arguing? I’m about to pee my pants here. Is this petty issue really worth all this fuss?”

Hearing this voice, the two student union members turned to look at him.

“A grown man going to another department to take seats? Are you that big? Aren’t the seats in the Design Department enough for you? Show some dignity, you guys apologize first!”

Hearing this, the student cadres from the finance department all frowned. What Jiang Qin said made sense, but the other party was clearly clinging to the point of “who acted first” and was being unreasonably stubborn, so they definitely wouldn’t apologize first.

As expected, the scratched guy showed no intention of apologizing and even seemed ready to continue the argument.

Jiang Qin frowned and looked at the design department’s student cadre with a ponytail: “Xuemei, you have to admit fault when you’re wrong, whether it’s work or study.”

“Alright, since you’re the boss,” Lu Xuemei bit her lip and glanced at the guy beside her, “Apologize to them.”

“I…” The scratched guy gritted his teeth, clearly unwilling, but finally muttered an apology.

Jiang Qin looked towards the finance department: “The person who scratched should also apologize. Also, someone from the finance department should take him to the medical office to get a plaster or something, so as not to affect his dating prospects.”

“I’ll go then.”

Xu Junli, the head of PR of the finance department, recognized Jiang Qin as the young master with the Bentley from the other day. He had been looking for an opportunity to make friends with Jiang Qin, and this was a chance to give him face.

Seeing the finance department’s student cadre taking the initiative, Lu Xuemei’s anger dissipated a lot, and she didn’t say much more.

Just like that, a conflict that looked set to escalate abruptly came to an end. Jiang Qin quickly went to the bathroom, and when he came out, he looked much more relaxed.

“Isn’t that Feng Nanshu’s boyfriend?” Zhu Feng, the chair of the finance department union, was confused, “We argued for so long, and it wasn’t as effective as his single sentence?”

The vice-chair, Ma Jiangming, scratched his head, “Maybe it’s because what he said made more sense? The design department was persuaded?”

“Have you been drinking? Didn’t I say the same things? More than once!”

“Then I don’t know.” Ma Jiangming shook his head.

Zhu Feng was even more puzzled, “The design department is one thing. Why would Xu Junli, a cadre, listen to a freshman?”

“Then I know even less.”

“Who is the chairperson of our department?”

“Of course, it’s you, Sister Zhu.”

“Then what is Jiang Qin?”

“Just an ordinary freshman.”

“But why do I feel like I’m less of a chair than him?”

“It’s an illusion, all an illusion.”

Zhu Feng thought for a moment, “Ma Jiangming, go ask him later if he wants to join the student union.”

“He definitely will, I’ve never seen anyone who doesn’t want to join the student union.” Ma Jiangming patted his chest and assured.

Chapter 74: Entrepreneurship Center

TL: Etude

The inspection ceremony was actually quite interesting. Even if you didn’t want to watch the drill, it was still pleasing to the eye to see the beautiful women. However, when it came to the principal’s speech, the enthusiasm of the freshmen immediately waned. They looked listless, preferring to pick their noses rather than pay any more attention.

Jiang Qin was also bored and sleepy. But before he could fall asleep, he was awakened by the vibration of his phone.

The caller was Cao Xinyue from the Entrepreneurship Center, informing him that his application for entrepreneurship had been approved. She asked him to come and collect his registration card when he had time. He had also been granted an activity classroom, available for his use anytime.

“?”

Wasn’t it supposed to take at least a month, and isn’t the approval rate for freshmen very low?

I was even planning to rent a house outside the school, and now this unexpected surprise?

Jiang Qin lifted his head and glanced at the principal who was droning on the podium. He thought to himself that he needed to find a way to leave. Sitting here was just a waste of time; it would be better to visit the Entrepreneurship Center.

Before he could ponder further, Ma Jiangming hurried over from the side of the podium, gasping for breath.

“Junior, are you interested in joining our Student Union?”

“My political awareness isn’t high enough, and besides, I know about the Student Union. It has little power but a lot of trivial responsibilities,” Jiang Qin flatly refused.

Ma Jiangming disagreed with his view: “You can’t say that. The Student Union of our Finance Department actually has quite a lot of power.”

Jiang Qin thought for a moment: “Let me give you an example. Right now, I don’t want to listen to the principal’s speech. I want to leave. Do you have the power to let me go? Probably not, right?”

“Just that? You’re not just talking about a vice-chairman like me; even any department head could do it,” Ma Jiangming boasted arrogantly.

“That’s awesome, thanks, senior.”

“?????”

Jiang Qin quickly packed up his things and hurried down from the podium, disappearing behind the scenes, leaving Ma Jiangming still confused and unable to react in time.

Was I just tricked?

Did I just agree to let him go?

But he didn’t seem to have agreed to join the Student Union yet!

After leaving the main playground, Jiang Qin bought two cups of milk tea and headed to the university’s Entrepreneurship Center on College Second Road. He confidently pushed open the door of the main office.

Senior Cao Xinyue, known as ‘Star’, was organizing files. She immediately stood up upon seeing him, handing him a transparent file bag and a white-framed nameplate, along with two keys.

“Junior, you’re really lucky. Professor Yan thinks your project is excellent. He personally helped you with these applications. The activity classroom is on the second floor, room 208.”

“Professor Yan?”

Cao Xinyue nodded: “Yes, but Professor Yan isn’t here today. You probably won’t meet him, but that’s okay. We’re close by, so there will be a chance.”

“Alright, thank you, senior. Here, have a milk tea.”

Jiang Qin handed her one of the milk teas, then went over to a senior watching a TV drama.

Apparently still not over being spoiled last time, the senior panicked upon seeing Jiang Qin, quickly covering the screen with his hand, looking at him warily.

“What do you want?”

“Don’t be nervous, just offering you a milk tea.”

Jiang Qin, with an innocent expression, placed the milk tea down, glancing at the top left corner of the screen – ‘Soldier Assault’.

Well, realizing that ‘Silly Girl’ was no longer in the drama, the senior stopped watching. He was indeed a man of character.

Holding the plastic folder, he left the main office and climbed to the second floor. He found the activity classroom 208 provided by the school by checking the door numbers.

Upon entering the room, he saw several white tables and a bunch of linear charts on the walls. Perhaps due to the passage of time, the adhesive tape had fallen off, with some charts scattered on the floor.

Jiang Qin glanced around and realized that the previous project conducted in this classroom was likely a group-buying website. The last chart dated back five years, suggesting the project was now defunct.

Ten minutes later, Su Nai and Dong Wenhao, having received his call, rushed over. They looked around the room with eyes full of wonder.

“So, this classroom is ours now?”

“Wow, it’s even bigger than the Literature Club’s activity room.”

After a full tour, they immediately called their team members, instructing them to bring their computers over.

Honestly, having a base for entrepreneurship makes a significant difference. Once you have a fixed location, a sense of belonging instantly develops.

“Should we put up a nameplate on the door?”

“Maybe add some streamers too; it looks a bit plain.”

“I think we can place a screen in the middle, with the content team on the south side and the tech team on the north!”

Both groups were visibly excited, chattering non-stop. They felt that they could finally end their nomadic lifestyle, no longer needing to lug equipment around and scrounge for classrooms.

“Boss, what else do you think we should add?”

Su Nai adjusted his glasses.

“I think we should start with a thorough cleaning.”

Jiang Qin smiled and tossed a pile of cleaning cloths onto the table.

The team members were expecting some inspiring words from their boss, but upon hearing they had work to do, they grumbled a bit. Nevertheless, they were happy because having a base made them feel more like a unified group.

During the cleaning, Jiang Qin led the way in tearing down the old reports from the walls and stuffing them into trash bags. The girls cleaned the tables and windows.

In the meantime, Jiang Qin, wiping off his sweat, called Shi Miaomiao over. She was a girl with a baby face and short, neat hair, looking quite pretty.

“Miaomiao, can you and a few girls go to the second floor of the cafeteria and order some food?”

“Sure, boss.”

Shi Miaomiao took the money from Jiang Qin and, along with Wen Jinrui and Dong Miaomiao from the tech team and Ding Yuzhen and Lü Yingying from the content team, left the Entrepreneurship Center for the cafeteria.

Half an hour later, the cleaning of the activity room was almost done, and Shi Miaomiao and the others had brought back the food. They spread some old newspapers on the tables and started to eat.

Truth be told, things like motivational speeches and incentives do boost team morale, but nothing beats the satisfaction of eating a hearty meal in your own space after hard work.

It was like the joy of a harvest meal eaten in the fields after busy farm work, filled with a heartfelt sense of fulfillment.

Of course, it was too early to talk about a harvest for the newly started website, but at least they were on the right track.

After the meal, those who had classes went to attend them, and the others went to fetch their computers to start working.

Wei Lanlan and Tan Qing from the external editorial team also arrived with good news. A local IELTS and TOEFL training class wanted to advertise on their website and had given a deposit of two thousand yuan.

According to the training class owner, they had advertised on the old forum every year but with little effect. They had initially decided not to advertise this year, but the sight of their new website, Zhihu, made them change their mind.

After all, the budget for advertising had already been allocated, and trying a new channel seemed like a worthwhile experiment.

Chapter 75: Come Walk Me

TL: Etude

Anyone capable of advertising on the old forum would certainly accept a newer forum with more traffic. This was a simple truth.

However, the old forum was officially operated. As a rising star, it wasn’t wise to directly poach clients in the early stages of entrepreneurship. But the advertisers had their own considerations; money that came to the door wasn’t to be sent back.

Two thousand yuan wasn’t much, but it was at least the first return on investment since the website’s inception.

Jiang Qin pondered for a moment, deciding to buy a water dispenser and an electric fan, with the remaining funds allocated for operational expenses.

Air conditioning was ruled out.

Summer was almost over, and buying an air conditioner would be a waste.

Moreover, installing an air conditioner would require drilling holes, and just going through the school’s procedures would take a long time.

Jiang Qin took out two bills and handed them to Wei Lanlan and Tan Qing.

These two were transferred from the part-time club, not regular team employees, so they didn’t receive a salary, only commissions.

This was a deliberate arrangement by Jiang Qin.

Because those running business and marketing needed motivation, a fixed salary wouldn’t suffice. A commission-based approach was more likely to inspire work effort, as a career with prospects would push people to strive harder.

In the blink of an eye, the afternoon arrived.

The members of both teams had already gathered in room 208. Half were typing away, and the other half were working on a voting system, with the clatter of keyboards filling the air.

During this time, Cao Xinyue came for a look. Seeing the room full of people typing, she couldn’t help but be slightly surprised, thinking to herself that they had only received the key at noon. Not only had they cleaned up, but they were also fully operational – such efficiency was astonishing.

“Junior, you’re serious about this? It’s only been an afternoon, and you’ve already started your operations?”

“Who wouldn’t be proactive about making money? It’s nuts not to be. Senior, why not quit dating and join us part-time here?”

Cao Xinyue pursed her lips: “I don’t believe you can make money.”

“The odds of me making money are much higher than transitioning from a school uniform to a wedding dress.” Jiang Qin pulled a chair over for her. “Want to sit for a while? Experience the vitality of our team.”

“Forget it, I won’t sit. I just came to say hi and see if you need anything.”

Jiang Qin’s eyes lit up instantly: “Do you have a blackboard, a printer, or even a couple of computers? And let’s install an air conditioner as well.”

“Junior, you really ask for the moon, don’t you? Why don’t you just bite me to death? I can apply for a blackboard and printer for you, but forget about the computers and air conditioner.”

After saying this, Cao Xinyue left, still not very optimistic about Jiang Qin’s project.

In those days, the internet was still quite an elusive concept for Cao Xinyue. Compared to it, she believed businesses like tea shops and supermarkets were more profitable.

As dusk fell, people from room 208 gradually left for dinner in the cafeteria, and Jiang Qin also left early, leaving the key with Su Nai.

“Don’t watch nonsense in this sacred office space.”

“I’m not watching!”

Su Nai, frustrated, typed on the keyboard with the rapidity of a machine gun.

Walking along the College Second Road in the evening breeze, Jiang Qin’s phone began to beep a few times, displaying an icon of a tabby cat.

“Jiang Qin, come walk me.”

Jiang Qin: “?”

Feng Nanshu: “That message was sent by Gao Wenhui.”

“????”

Feng Nanshu: “There’s a cat downstairs that can do backflips.”

Jiang Qin: “That’s amazing? Then I must see it. After that, I’ll take you to dinner in the cafeteria.”

“Okay.”

After reading Feng Nanshu’s QQ message, Jiang Qin stood up and headed towards the girls’ dormitory.

The the little rich lady was already waiting downstairs, dressed in a white skirt with a black bow tied at the neckline, exuding youthful vibrancy and a particularly lively gaze.

“Where’s the cat that can do backflips?”

“It ran away.”

Feng Nanshu gestured vaguely towards the back, innocence written all over her eyes.

Jiang Qin pursed his lips, thinking to himself that if she wanted to go out, she should just say so. Why blame the cat? The poor thing hadn’t bothered anyone.

Hmm? A cat…

Perhaps having a cat in room 208 could enhance the team’s cohesion and alleviate some of the monotony of work.

Rubbing his temples, Jiang Qin felt that this work-related thought seemed rather appealing.

On the walk from the girls’ dormitory to the cafeteria, Feng Nanshu strolled ahead, hands behind her back, treading lightly and lively, her bright eyes reflecting the glory of the dusk. However, upon reaching the cafeteria entrance, her steps slowed, and she turned to look quietly at Jiang Qin, waiting for him to catch up before continuing forward.

The cafeteria was bustling in the evening, mostly filled with entire dorm groups. The two entered one after the other, immediately spotting Gao Wenhui eating voraciously at a central table.

“Gao Wenhui, you’ve mastered instant transmission? Just now you were messaging from the dorm, and now you’re eating?”

“?”

Feng Nanshu nodded earnestly: “Wenhui sometimes moves as fast as flying.”

Gao Wenhui didn’t understand what they were talking about and pushed her plate forward: “Guess what I ordered?”

“Quail eggs stewed with potatoes,” Feng Nanshu said softly.

“I ordered braised pork, but the lady serving shook her hand, and I ended up with this. With such shaky hands, shouldn’t she go to a hospital instead of working here!” Gao Wenhui complained.

Jiang Qin laughed: “Eating less meat is okay, look at your waist, it’s even thicker than mine.”

“Ugh, you never say anything nice. I’m done eating, I won’t be your third wheel!” Gao Wenhui picked up her plate, quickly making room for them.

Feng Nanshu looked bewildered: “What’s a third wheel?”

“It’s a kind of light-emitting tool, twinkling and shining,” Jiang Qin provided a standard answer.

The the little rich lady thought Jiang Qin was fooling her, but she had no proof.

After a while, the two returned with their meals – one with a set of Mei Cai Kou Rou (pork with preserved vegetables), and the other with a greasy, juicy beef brisket noodle.

Feng Nanshu ate her Mei Cai Kou Rou, occasionally glancing at the lusciously marbled beef in Jiang Qin’s bowl, finally unable to stop her mouth from watering, her eyes adorably cute.

Jiang Qin picked up a piece of beef with his chopsticks and offered it to her. He intended to place it on her spoon, but the opposite red lips were already open, eagerly waiting.

So, he fed her directly, witnessing her eyes suddenly sparkle brilliantly, twinkling like stars.

“Is it good?”

Feng Nanshu nodded.

Jiang Qin took a bite of his noodles: “Eat up, and I’ll take you to Moonwatch Lake to see the carp after.”

Feng Nanshu panicked a bit, her feet instinctively retracting under the table: “No, Jiang Qin, I didn’t wash today.”

“Feng Nanshu, I warn you, treat me like a decent person!”

“Jiang Qin, what is a decent person?”

“A decent person means if we say we’re going to watch the carp, we watch the carp and nothing else!”

Chapter 76: Take a Break, Stop Touching

TL: Etude

Beneath the twilight, the lake brimmed with water.

Just as Jiang Qin sat down by a stone, Su Nai’s call came through. She informed him that the voting system was ready to go live. There were some minor bugs in the real-time ranking, but it was nothing major. Like the previous website launch, they could start using it and make improvements along the way.

Jiang Qin nodded as he listened to her report, when suddenly he heard Feng Nanshu hum softly.

Understanding her hint, he gently lessened the strength of his hand, shifting from pinching to a gentle hold. His palm moved slightly, feeling the softness and warmth, reminiscent of jade.

“Why aren’t you speaking, boss?” Su Nai’s voice came from the other end of the phone.

Jiang Qin snapped back to reality. “Oh, could you contact Lu Xuemei? Ask her if the banner for the redirection page is ready.”

“Sure,” Su Nai replied crisply.

“And one more thing, check with Wei Lanlan. Tongxing Driving School seems interested in sponsoring our event. Tell them to coordinate everything well. We should aim high for the sponsorship fee, don’t let poverty limit our imagination.”

“What if they don’t agree to a high fee?”

“If they don’t, we’ll find someone else. But we must not settle for less. If the sponsorship fee is too low, it sets a bad precedent for future advertising rates. They’ll argue, ‘You charged so little for the sponsorship, how can you ask for more for advertising?’ This can create resistance. But if the sponsorship fee is high and advertising rates are low, it appears as a bargain. Our worth is not determined by others, but by ourselves.”

“Is that so? I got it, boss.”

Su Nai, now familiar with Jiang Qin’s complex thought processes, ended the call to proceed with the tasks.

Meanwhile, Feng Nanshu sat sideways, her gaze soft as she looked at the lake, feeling a ticklish sensation on her feet, occasionally humming.

“Does your foot still hurt?” Jiang Qin suddenly asked.

Feng Nanshu was puzzled for a moment. “I didn’t say my foot hurts.”

“Nonsense. If your foot didn’t hurt, why would I be massaging it right now?” Jiang Qin replied, looking every bit the gentleman.

Feng Nanshu glanced at her petite leather shoes. “Jiang Qin, you took off my shoes and socks. I couldn’t even stop you.”

“I definitely wouldn’t do such a thing. You must have taken off your shoes and socks yourself while I was on the phone. Don’t you know there’s a study that says people subconsciously take things handed to them while they’re on the phone?”

“?”

Feng Nanshu looked confused and decided not to speak, simply enjoying the kneading of her toes, her eyes bright and clear.

Jiang Qin continued to massage, his mind still pondering over the sponsorship fee.

In the early stages of the forum, traffic was sufficient, but the conversion rate was uncertain. Under such circumstances, Tongxing Driving School would be reluctant to spend a lot on sponsorship, especially with everything still unclear.

This meant Wei Lanlan and Tan Qing would likely face difficulties.

However, there was no choice. The “ceiling” must be set high for future negotiations to be easier.

Besides, a “campus beauty” contest is a one-time event. If a school held it every term, its value would diminish greatly.

Therefore, this one opportunity must be used to secure room for future bargaining.

But the crucial question was the maximum amount Tongxing Driving School was willing to pay.

Their registration fee was 3,200 yuan, and after some calculations, Jiang Qin estimated that their upper limit should be around 60,000 yuan.

If it exceeded 60,000, Tongxing Driving School would likely give up the sponsorship.

But Jiang Qin wasn’t satisfied. He felt the price could be pushed higher. The problem was, apart from Tongxing Driving School, no other business had the capacity.

He knew he had to prepare for both possibilities, to avoid coming up empty-handed.

“Jiang Qin…”

“Yes?”

“Take a break, stop touching.”

Jiang Qin looked up and realized that his hand had unknowingly moved up to Feng Nanshu’s smooth and slender leg. The touch was delicate and sleek, firm yet evenly toned. The little rich lady was holding down her skirt with one hand, her gaze watery as she looked at him.

Witnessing this scene, Jiang Qin lifted his hand in disbelief.

Could it be…

Did his hand really have a mind of its own?

At 10:30 p.m., Feng Nanshu was escorted back to her dorm by Jiang Qin. As soon as she entered, she was hugged by Gao Wenhui, a single and gossip-loving girl, who was more excited about others being in love than being in love herself.

“Nanshu, you and Jiang Qin are back late from your lovey-dovey time?” Gao Wenhui teased.

Bending to change her shoes, Feng Nanshu replied, “Jiang Qin didn’t kiss me.”

Gao Wenhui explained, “She means intimate actions between lovers, like holding hands and kissing.”

Feng Nanshu shook her head again, “I know, but we didn’t do any of that.”

“You mean you and Jiang Qin never held hands or kissed?” Gao Wenhui exclaimed, as if she had stumbled upon juicy news.

“No.”

“Then what exactly do you do when you return so late every day?”

“Let him touch my feet.”

Gao Wenhui blurted out in shock, “No holding hands or kissing, just touching feet? Even I find that bizarre, and I’m the weird one!”

“Friends can only touch feet, holding hands and kissing are for lovers,” Feng Nanshu said softly, changing into her pajamas.

“Who taught you these principles?”

“I figured them out myself.”

Gao Wenhui was stunned, “You’ve really been shaped into his ideal type by Jiang Qin.”

“Not being lovers is good. Jiang Qin, that irresponsible jerk, doesn’t deserve Nanshu!” Fan Shuling, hearing Jiang Qin’s name, was inexplicably angry. She had previously known a jerk, who talked about being the best friend but ended up deeply hurting her. Therefore, she easily got irritated by such people.

Feng Nanshu hummed in dissatisfaction and decided not to talk to Fan Shuling for the night.

The next morning, sunlight spilled into the Linchuan University campus, shining through the window grilles onto the balcony in a golden glow. Jiang Qin was awoken by Wei Lanlan’s call before his alarm even went off.

“Hello? What’s up?”

“Boss, the deal fell through.”

Wei Lanlan had gone to Tongxing Driving School that morning for negotiations, asking for 70,000 yuan, but as expected, the talks collapsed.

Without accounting for labor costs, vehicle wear and tear, and fuel expenses, they would need to enroll twenty-five students just to break even. Considering the unknown conversion rate of the new forum, Tongxing Driving School was unwilling to be the first to take the risk.

Simply put, they didn’t believe Jiang Qin’s forum could bring them that many students, as the old forum had already provided a lesson.

Of course, they also made a counteroffer based on their budget – 20,000 yuan for full sponsorship.

Jiang Qin wasn’t surprised. He calmly accepted this and outright refused their offer.

But Tongxing Driving School was one of the few big players in Linchuan University. If they could only offer 20,000, there was no point in asking other businesses.

“Boss, what should we do now? Negotiate with other sponsors?”

“It’s too late. You go handle other things, I’ll figure this out.”

“?”

Jiang Qin didn’t explain further and sat up from his bed.

Chapter 77: Self-Promotion

TL: Etude

Climbing out of bed, Jiang Qin checked his class schedule and found that today there was only one public lecture titled “Introduction to College Education.”

So, he changed his clothes and headed straight to the square in front of the south side of the teaching building.

This square was the most concentrated mini-commercial area within Linchuan University, featuring a supermarket, milk tea shop, barber shop, fruit store, and tea bar.

Originally named Qinxue Square, it sounded too rustic, so everyone preferred to call it Front Square.

Jiang Qin found a spot where the sun didn’t reach and sat cross-legged for nearly an hour, closely observing the customer flow of the merchants in Front Square. Finally, he slapped the table and turned into the milk tea shop that had only three customers all morning.

“In this day and age, it’s really tough for individual proprietors like me to survive.”

“Do you know about the point exchange for milk tea at the college supermarket? Their milk tea is half the price of mine!”

“But they are not really in it for the profit; it’s more about boosting the sales of other items in their store.”

“Just like that, half a year into their promotion, my business died down. I only get students who feel it’s too far to go there and settle for a cup from my shop.”

“I didn’t want to continue, but there’s still a year left on my lease. Dropping out now means a total loss. Barely getting by makes me feel a bit better.”

“I used to think that being near a university, any business would thrive. Now I realize that competition is fiercer where the crowd is.”

The owner of the milk tea shop was a young woman in her late twenties, with dyed yellow hair, her face full of complaints, as if she wanted to rush into the college supermarket and bite someone.

Losing money is not scary, but what’s terrifying is not being able to cut losses in time. This is the most torturous, as it not only leads to financial losses but also weakens one’s spirit.

Jiang Qin looked around the shop and asked, “Can’t you do something else?”

“This store is in a corner of this building, with such limited space, suitable only for selling milk tea. Besides, everyone knows my business is bad, I can’t even sell it off,” the young woman lamented.

“What if someone is willing to take over your lease?”

“Who would be that foolish?” the woman with the golden hair didn’t believe it.

Jiang Qin coughed, “Fools do exist, don’t they? Do I look like one?”

“If I could get my rent back, I’d hand it over immediately!”

Half an hour later, Feng Nanshu, wearing a butterfly-collared chiffon dress, arrived at Front Square, her steps light and eyes gentle. The bright sunshine made her, a young wealthy lady, look even more beautiful and fair, like the most beautiful scenery in the entire Front Square.

Jiang Qin waved at her from the entrance of the milk tea shop, then pulled her in and sat her on a high stool.

“We’ve been friends for so long, and I haven’t given you a gift. How about I give you this milk tea shop today?”

“Okay.”

Feng Nanshu didn’t care what kind of shop it was, as long as it was from Jiang Qin, she wanted it.

The woman with dyed yellow hair looked at Jiang Qin intently, thinking to herself that this must be some rich second-generation, using such an extravagant method to woo a girl. But the girl was indeed beautiful, almost perfect. If she were rich, she would definitely spend money on her.

Watching Feng Nanshu sign her name on the contract, Jiang Qin couldn’t help but feel a bit moved.

The little rich lady really trusted him so much. She would sign anything he asked, even if he sold her, she would happily help him count the money.

“The business license will not be changed for now. This afternoon, I’ll take her to the Entrepreneurship Center to get a self-employment certificate. By the way, do you have any staff in this shop?”

“Yes, but I’ve been losing money, so I was thinking of laying them off.”

“That’s perfect then. Don’t lay them off for now. Call them in, let’s meet them.”

The woman with the golden hair took out her phone and called the shop assistant, a girl named Fang Xiaoxuan. She was petite and slim but was known to be very efficient at work.

After a brief introduction, Jiang Qin called Su Nai, instructing her to find Wei Lanlan and issue an 80,000 yuan invoice in the name of the forum for the milk tea shop, named Xi Tian (Happy Sweet Milk Tea Shop).

Then, he asked Su Nai to bring over the naming rights agreement for Feng Nanshu to sign.

“Boss, what exactly are you doing?” Su Nai felt perplexed.

Jiang Qin sighed, “It’s simply the whims of the wealthy.”

“That’s impossible, I don’t believe it.”

“The logic is simple. We need to hype up the price of naming rights to increase advertising fees later. But Tongxing Driving School doesn’t trust us much and only offered 20,000 yuan. So, I had to buy a shop to create the hype myself.”

“Then… Isn’t this shop a waste?” Su Nai found this roundabout method of problem-solving quite convoluted.

“Not a waste. The shop was struggling and offered at a low price. Its continuous losses weren’t due to poor quality, but because it was overwhelmed by price wars, losing its customer base. However, the popularity of the campus beauty contest is still high. I plan to tie the contest and this milk tea shop together, launch a combination strategy, and create an attractive sales report for the shop to show other merchants.”

Su Nai thoughtfully responded, “So, it used to be losing money, but it’ll turn profitable after the naming?”

“That I can’t guarantee. Right now, it’s just speculation. We’ll have to see how it goes when the campus beauty contest starts. Monetizing initial website traffic is tough, so it’s also a bit of an experiment.”

After hearing this, Su Nai exclaimed, “Killing three birds with one stone? Where do you get these ideas?”

Jiang Qin looked at her disdainfully, “It’s the wisdom of our ancestors. Don’t you know how much business value ancient courtesan contests brought?”

“??????”

“Think about it more and stop watching those un-un-ungh-ah-ah videos all the time.”

Su Nai pursed her lips, then shifted her attention to Feng Nanshu. This was her first time seeing someone so beautiful, flawless from every angle – beautiful eyes, lips, nose, simply gorgeous everywhere.

“You’re really beautiful,” she blurted out her thoughts.

Feng Nanshu’s eyes sparkled, “You’re such a good person.”

“Alright, no more flattery. Su Nai, if you don’t have classes, go optimize the program. We still have a class this afternoon. Can’t be late for our first university lecture. We need to maintain some ceremonial sense.”

Jiang Qin interrupted their mutual compliments and led the little rich lady towards the teaching building.

Under the sunlight, the two with a height difference of ten centimeters – one in a shirt, the other in a dress – looked incredibly matched, like a scene straight out of a romance novel.

Huh?

The first university lecture?

Su Nai’s gaze momentarily froze.

Eh, eh, eh, wasn’t he supposed to be a senior student?

Chapter 78: Orientation Education

TL: Etude

After purchasing a milk tea shop, Jiang Qin took Feng Nanshu to the academic building, where they parted ways in the corridor.

Feng Nanshu hurried back to Class 4’s classroom, while Jiang Qin headed to Class 3’s. Upon entering, he found Cao Guangyu and Zhou Chao laughing so hard that their faces were wrinkled with joy.

Jiang Qin walked over and sat next to Ren Ziqiang, “What’s so funny? Share it with me?”

Cao and Zhou suddenly changed their expressions, “Nothing… just excited about studying, gets us a bit thrilled when class starts.”

“?,” Jiang Qin was puzzled.

Unable to hold back, Ren Ziqiang spit out, “Old Jiang, don’t listen to their nonsense. I’ll tell you, two new students joined our class today, a boy and a girl. The girl is incredibly beautiful, almost as much as Hong Yan.”

Cao Guangyu, realizing he couldn’t hide it anymore, immediately turned to Jiang Qin, “Old Jiang, be a decent guy, will you? Stop collecting stamps, leave this one for your brothers, please!”

“Get lost, when did I ever collect stamps?”

“You may not collect stamps, but you can’t help it when they stick themselves to you!”

Jiang Qin didn’t want to deal with them, thinking, ‘I said I wouldn’t date anyone, why does everyone think I’m a playboy? Even Dou E (search lmao) wasn’t as wronged as me.’

But why are there students joining after military training? What kind of trick is this?

The orientation education class is something all freshmen at Linchuan University must go through, usually taught by the head of the academic office. It’s not exactly boring, but it’s definitely pointless.

Ren Ziqiang, bored out of his mind, started passing notes to Pan Xiu, asking Jiang Qin to deliver them several times.

“Don’t you have a phone?” Jiang Qin finally lost patience after the fourth note.

Ren Ziqiang whispered, “She can’t see if I send it on QQ.”

“Bullshit, isn’t she sneakily playing with her phone right now?”

Jiang Qin pointed out that from this angle, it was clear to see Pan Xiu playing with her phone under the desk, her fingers typing swiftly.

Ren Ziqiang sulked, “She might not be chatting on QQ just because she’s on her phone. Why else wouldn’t she reply to me? It’s easier with notes; I can tell at a glance whether she’s seen them or not.”

“Damn bootlicker. She’s hammering that keyboard like there’s no tomorrow, and you think she’s not on QQ? Old Zhou, swap seats with me, I’m allergic to fucking dog hair.”

Jiang Qin swiftly changed seats with Zhou Chao while the academic head was writing on the board.

Old Zhou wasn’t as indulgent as Jiang Qin. He would sneak a peek at the notes before laughing and then passing them to Pan Xiu.

After a few repetitions, Ren Ziqiang felt awkward, especially since Pan Xiu didn’t reply to any notes. He eventually gave up and started to doze off on the desk.

Then, Cao Guangyu started passing notes too, again through Jiang Qin.

Jiang Qin was exasperated, “Who’s this for now?”

“Jian Chun.”

“Who?”

Cao Guangyu reluctantly pointed, “The new girl, I’m asking for her QQ number.”

Jiang Qin looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a girl with a melon-seed face and long, center-parted hair, dyed flaxen. She was quite attractive and fashionably dressed.

“Why don’t you add her from the group?”

“She just joined and hasn’t been added to the group yet. I have to act fast before Zhou Chao gets ahead.”

Jiang Qin, speechless, tossed the note over. It landed accurately, but the girl just glanced at it and swept it under the desk without turning her head.

Cao Guangyu felt hurt and also started to feign sleep.

Jiang Qin thought to himself, ‘I might as well sleep too. This class is useless, not even worth a compulsory or elective course. It’s like the preface of a novel, irrelevant whether you read it or not.’

“Jiang Qin is sleeping, he’s so cool,” Song Qingqing remarked, looking up to him.

Jiang Tian felt somewhat uneasy, realizing she was the first to notice Jiang Qin’s qualities: “Didn’t you dislike Jiang Qin? Why are you staring at him all the time now?”

“Dislike him? I really like him a lot!”

“Passing notes to a girl during class, what a frivolous guy,” Jian Chun, the new girl, couldn’t help but mutter.

Song Qingqing was momentarily taken aback, then glanced at Jian Chun, “Why do I feel like I’m looking in a mirror?”

As time passed, it was soon four in the afternoon.

The difference between university and high school was that teachers rarely dragged on their classes. As soon as the bell rang, the class would end, whether the lecture was finished or not. However, Jiang Qin was unlucky this time. The teacher, Mr. Wang, was particularly long-winded, probably because he usually focused on school discipline and rarely taught, so he got a bit carried away when he did.

But the classes next door didn’t drag on.

As soon as the bell rang, students from Class 4 started to stream out of their classroom.

Feng Nanshu wanted to wait for Jiang Qin, but she was swiftly pulled away by Fan Shuling, accompanied by Gao Wenhui and another boy named Zhang Xinyu.

Zhang Xinyu was considered the most handsome boy in Class 4. Judging by his attire, his family seemed quite affluent. Like Jiang Qin, he was a hot topic in the girls’ dormitory conversations at the start of school.

Zhang Xinyu, like most boys in Class 4, was attracted to Feng Nanshu from the start.

In his view, being close to the water tower first gets the moon, and he believed he would eventually win Feng Nanshu’s heart. However, the bottle cap incident during military training shattered his illusions.

Yet, a girl like Feng Nanshu was too hard to resist pursuing.

Therefore, Zhang Xinyu always tried to make contact with Feng Nanshu’s roommate, seizing opportunities to talk to her.

Unfortunately, Feng Nanshu immediately became cold and distant without Jiang Qin around, barely even opening her mouth.

“Let me treat you to milk tea,” Zhang Xinyu offered.

Knowing they would probably head back to the dormitory after leaving the academic building, making it difficult to invite them out again, he used the milk tea invitation as an excuse to keep them around.

“Sure, let’s not go too far. How about the shop in Front Square?” Fan Shuling suggested.

Actually, Fan Shuling knew Zhang Xinyu’s intentions and was willing to facilitate them. She deeply disliked Jiang Qin, the playboy, and always thought about helping Feng Nanshu escape from him.

Thus, the group of four headed to Front Square, found a shaded spot to sit, and Zhang Xinyu, being quite the gentleman, asked for everyone’s preferences before going to order.

“I think Zhang Xinyu is not bad. He’s about as tall as Jiang Qin, and I heard his family is in business,” Fan Shuling subtly promoted him.

Gao Wenhui glanced at Fan Shuling, “If Jiang Qin finds out, he’ll strangle you.”

“Am I afraid of him?” Fan Shuling rolled her eyes, “I despise that kind of playboy the most.”

“How can you be so sure he’s a playboy?”

“I’ve seen it with my own eyes. All that talk about ‘just friends’ is nonsense. I’ve seen too many men like him, always eyeing the next option while eating from their bowl.”

Gao Wenhui disagreed with her view. If Jiang Qin were really a playboy, Feng Nanshu would have been completely taken advantage of by now, not merely satisfied with foot touches.

He obviously restrained himself for some reasons.

Gao Wenhui imagined herself in Jiang Qin’s shoes, thinking that if she were him, Feng Nanshu’s rosy lips would be kissed red hundreds of times a day. This made her more convinced of her theory.

Chapter 79: Does Your Family Buy a Store When Dating?

TL: Etude

Three minutes later, Zhang Xinyu, who had gone inside the store to place an order, returned to the table and began a harmonious Q&A session with Fan Shuling.

“Zhang Xinyu, how many points did you score in the college entrance exam?”

“I lost some points in math, only scoring 655,” Zhang Xinyu said with a slight smile.

Fan Shuling couldn’t help but sound a bit sarcastic: “Losing points and still scoring 655, that’s even two points higher than Jiang Qin.”

“Two points aren’t much,” Gao Wenhui said, pursing her lips.

“That’s not necessarily true, a miss is as good as a mile,” Fan Shuling said, clearly playing favorites, “By the way, Zhang Xinyu, I remember you scored full marks in your essay during the college entrance exam?”

Zhang Xinyu nodded: “I usually like making friends, and the essay topic just happened to be something I’m good at.”

“Our Nanshu is the worst at making friends. You should interact more with her.”

“That’s definitely not a problem.”

Fan Shuling continued to stir the pot: “Are you planning to find a partner in college?”

Zhang Xinyu smiled slightly: “If I find someone suitable, of course. Dating is also a part of college life. I really look forward to the transition from school uniforms to wedding attire.”

“Did you hear that? This is the right attitude towards dating!”

Gao Wenhui couldn’t help but frown: “What do you mean by the right attitude towards dating?”

“Enjoying the beauty of it, being unwavering, with marriage as the goal,” Fan Shuling laid out her ideal standards for a marriage.

“That’s too vague. Can you be more specific?”

“You should often go out together, watch movies, shop, drink bubble tea. Oh right, Nanshu, has Jiang Qin ever bought you bubble tea?”

Feng Nanshu glanced at Fan Shuling with a wary look and pursed her lips, not saying a word.

“Not even buying bubble tea, what kind of sweet romance is that!”

Fan Shuling huffed, her opinion of Jiang Qin worsening. Of course, she deliberately mentioned bubble tea to raise Zhang Xinyu’s appeal, as he was treating them to bubble tea.

“I’ve never heard that buying a few cups of bubble tea counts as dating. Shuling, your view of love is too superficial,” Gao Wenhui couldn’t help but retort.

“I’m not saying bubble tea represents love, but if he doesn’t even buy bubble tea, what’s the point of such a relationship, right?”

While they were talking, Fang Xiaoxuan had already brought over four cups of bubble tea. When she saw Feng Nanshu, she was momentarily startled and then crisply called her “boss.” She knew Feng Nanshu was a college student and thought she must have brought her classmates to support her family’s business.

Fan Shuling’s voice abruptly stopped, a hint of confusion flickering in her eyes, her mind not quite catching up.

Boss?

What an old-fashioned title.

“Why does she call you boss?” Gao Wenhui asked in surprise.

Feng Nanshu spoke coldly: “Jiang Qin bought it for me.”

“???”

Zhang Xinyu felt awkward but still maintained a smiling face: “Feng classmate, I bought the bubble tea. Didn’t you see me when I went to order?”

“The bubble tea store was bought by Jiang Qin for me.” Feng Nanshu sat upright, aloof, and cold.

“…”

“Which bubble tea store?”

“This one.”

Fan Shuling and Gao Wenhui exchanged glances, then looked at Zhang Xinyu. Their three pairs of eyes widened simultaneously. The realization of the meaning behind that sentence took them five seconds, and their minds became even more muddled, feeling as if Feng Nanshu’s statement was like sleep talking.

Bubble tea, bubble tea store – just one additional word, but the meaning was worlds apart.

“This bubble tea store was bought by Jiang Qin for you? You’re the owner of this store now?” Gao Wenhui’s eyes lit up with excitement.

Feng Nanshu nodded expressionlessly: “It’s the best gift from a best friend.”

“Has your romance escalated to this level? Instead of giving bubble tea, he gave you a bubble tea store? Damn!”

“Nanshu, are you talking about this entire store?” Fan Shuling still found it hard to believe.

Gao Wenhui frowned involuntarily: “Didn’t you hear the employee just now calling her boss? It’s obvious, isn’t it? Speaking of which, if Nanshu is the boss, then what does that make Jiang Qin?”

Feng Nanshu continued emotionlessly: “Then he can only be the ‘lady boss.'”

“…”

Zhang Xinyu shifted uncomfortably, feeling out of place.

Strange, why do I suddenly feel like leaving?

He had always hoped for an opportunity to talk with Feng Nanshu and let her appreciate his merits. Now that he finally got the chance to sit with her, why did he suddenly feel like leaving?

Oh, it must be because it’s too hot. The sun has heated the seat. Black absorbs heat, especially in this kind of summer. I didn’t notice it at first, but now, sitting down, my buttocks feel uncomfortably warm.

Zhang Xinyu moistened his dry lips and, with his mind in a muddle, sipped his bubble tea, falling silent.

Of course, Fan Shuling also fell silent.

She looked at the Xixian store across from her, her expression growing increasingly complex.

She knew Feng Nanshu’s family was wealthy, but Jiang Qin…

She felt as though she had been splashed in the face, struggling to breathe.

You think love is about buying a cup of bubble tea, sweet and simple, but their love is about buying a whole bubble tea store. You boast about boys buying girls bubble tea, but in the end, the store itself belongs to them. That’s a lethal blow.

Fan Shuling suddenly realized that some things were really not within her purview to interfere.

If you’re not on that level, but you try to judge with your narrow view, the result you come to, apart from convincing yourself, might seem like a joke to others.

However, fortunately, the silence didn’t last long. Zhang Xinyu received a phone call, breaking the awkwardness.

“Uh… something suddenly came up in my dorm, and I need to go back. I’m the dorm head, and they can’t handle some things without me.”

“Hey, you haven’t finished your bubble tea!”

Zhang Xinyu, as if not hearing, picked up his phone and headed out, only to run into Jiang Qin, who had just finished class. He stiffened for a moment, then quickened his pace.

Jiang Qin touched his chin, thinking to himself that Zhang’s expression looked familiar.

Oh right, Cao Guangyu had the same expression when he was splashed in the face.

Gao Wenhui also saw Jiang Qin and waved her hand vigorously: “Jiang Qin, your Feng Nanshu is here!”

“Oh, came for bubble tea? Enjoy it, I won’t come over to show off. I’ve been showing off too much recently, it’s getting tiring. I’ve got something else to do over there, I’ll be going now.”

Jiang Qin waved in response but, preoccupied with monitoring the online launch of the school beauty contest, didn’t come over and headed to the Entrepreneurship Center on College Second Road.

Gao Wenhui frowned: “He’s always in such a rush, what is he doing all the time?”

“Earning money.” Feng Nanshu’s eyelashes quivered slightly.

“Earning money to support the family? But Nanshu, you’re a little rich girl. Does your family really need him to support it?”

Gao Wenhui, with her romantic notions, added “support the family” to earning money, then got carried away in her imagination, thinking that a real good man never shows weakness in front of a woman. Fan Shuling, you are still too young.

“Wenhui.”

“What is it?”

“You speak so nicely.”

Feng Nanshu sipped her bubble tea, squinting and smiling like a silly cat basking in the sun, her eyelashes tinted a soft golden hue by the brilliant sunlight.

Chapter 80: The Boss’s Heart Is Really Dirty

TL: Etude

After leaving the town square, Jiang Qin arrived at room 208 of the Entrepreneurship Center.

Lu Xuemei and Pang Hai had already arrived earlier. They had prepared banners and promotional images, and were adding the Xi Tian logo on the site, ready to go live after coordinating with Su Nai.

The long white table was cluttered with computers, plugs strewn about haphazardly, creating a vibrant sense of wild grass growing unrestrained.

Seeing that the time was right, Jiang Qin called a meeting to announce the next phase of work.

The content team was to continuously supply articles, keeping the topics fresh and fueling the competition.

The tech department was to continue optimizing and to develop a real-time ranking system, as the lack of it diminished the competitive aspect.

Pang Hai’s focus shifted temporarily from the website to designing Xi Tian’s offline promotional materials, seamlessly connecting offline promotional activities with the online contest.

“Pang, communicate with Shengshi Advertising and use their channels to customize a limited edition series of milk tea cups, featuring Xi Tian and the school beauties’ names on them,” Jiang Qin instructed.

“Su Nai, keep an eye on the data. As soon as a candidate gets two thousand flowers, Xi Tian will launch a limited edition School Beauty Milk Tea. Each cup contributes two flowers to a chosen goddess, and reaching two hundred sales will make it a permanent packaging.”

“Wen Hao, take your team to interview the most popular school beauty candidates in the coming days and write a short biography for each, ideally matching a milk tea flavor. Like Hong Yan from the Law Department, with her subtle and elegant scent, reminiscent of succulent grapes.”

“Wei Lanlan, continue negotiating with advertisers, and subtly hint that Xi Tian spent a hundred thousand on the naming rights.”

Wei Lanlan was slightly taken aback and asked in confusion, “Wasn’t it eighty thousand?”

Jiang Qin paused, “If you say a hundred thousand, they won’t believe it. They’ll secretly inquire and then find out it’s actually eighty thousand. They’ll believe it more because rumors are unreliable, but what they find out themselves feels more authentic.”

“The boss’s heart is really dirty. It’s just moving money from one pocket to the other, and still exaggerating by twenty thousand,” Tan Qing muttered under his breath.

Wei Lanlan lowered her voice, “Qing Qing, you need to learn. Business is all about bluffing.”

…

In the following period, the tech, content, design, and external editorial teams began systematically executing the plan set by Jiang Qin.

The focus was to shift a portion of the website’s attention to Xi Tian’s offline milk tea stores.

The website’s traffic targeted college students as users, while Xi Tian’s milk tea stores catered to merchants around the college town.

Two different types of public opinion guided two distinct groups, achieving a cohesive effect.

“Have you heard? That milk tea store invested a hundred thousand in advertising on that new forum.”

“Don’t believe that nonsense. I asked around yesterday; it was eighty thousand.”

“The girl who came to advertise told me personally, it’s a hundred thousand.”

“Old Zhang, you’ve been in business for so long and still can’t spot a bluff? They’re trying to collect advertising fees, of course, they’d inflate the number. Trust me, it’s eighty thousand.”

“Eighty thousand is still a lot. Has Liu gone mad?”

“She’s being cornered by the College Supermarket; probably a last-ditch effort!”

“The College Supermarket is indeed unscrupulous, always engaging in price wars. It’s unbearable, relying on their big business.”

“Well, they can’t be blamed, everyone in business wants to make money.”

“But still, eighty thousand is too much. Isn’t Liu overdoing it?”

“I guess it’s her last shot. If it works, great; if not, she might have to sell at a low price.”

“Little Liu is too young and unwise. There are many people on that forum, but how many are willing to look at ads? Most of that money will likely go down the drain!”

A group of business owners from the previous square gathered to discuss the rumors intentionally spread by Wei Lanlan.

Of course, most of them were skeptical about the effectiveness of the event sponsorship, thinking it was likely a loss-making venture.

“A single advertisement bringing a nearly dead milk tea shop back to life? Impossible!” they joked.

“If business were that easy, we’d all have nationwide chains by now!” And as business owners, especially those nearby, there was a certain reluctance to see others succeed.

This mindset persisted until Wednesday morning when a white truck arrived, unloading a large amount of promotional material. That’s when the nearby merchants realized things were getting serious.

“Could you guys help us set up these boards facing the direction of the teaching building?” they asked the workers.

“And hang that banner between the streetlamp and the pole by the door.”

“As for the standing signs, just place them randomly along the college road. Put Xi Tian’s and Zhihu’s at the front, no other requirements.”

Pang Hai, getting off the truck, directed the workers from Shengshi Advertising to start the installation.

The first item unloaded was a two-meter-tall PVC ranking board for the school beauties, with cartoonish pink lettering and the logos of Xi Tian and Zhihu prominently displayed in the top right corner, immediately visible from the teaching building.

The workers, skillful and efficient, erected the board and fixed the supports.

Besides this, various customized standing signs and banners were hung up.

The transformation of the entrance created an instant atmosphere.

However, this scene attracted not just the nearby merchants but also the security guards patrolling the campus on motorcycles.

“What are you doing here?” a guard asked.

“We’re organizing an event.”

“Do you have the proper documentation? You can’t just set up without it!”

Pang Hai pulled out a self-entrepreneurship book from Zhihu and a registration form, showing them to the guards. Jiang Qin had anticipated this and instructed him to keep these documents handy, proving useful now.

In that moment, Pang Hai realized the boss’s foresight, having considered every detail.

Of course, the guards didn’t scrutinize the documents too closely; seeing the school’s official stamp was enough for them.

Still, following Jiang Qin’s earlier instruction, Pang Hai handed each guard a pack of cigarettes. Maintaining good relations with the campus security was crucial for future events—local influence often trumped official authority.

Once all the promotional materials were in place, the bell for the end of class rang.

Students poured out of three teaching buildings, their minds on what to eat at the cafeteria, but they were stopped in their tracks at the sight of the square.

The School Beauty Contest had been the talk of the week, so naturally, Xi Tian’s doorstep soon drew a large crowd, all craning their necks to view the massive ranking board.

Although the peak of summer had passed, the lingering heat drove the curious students into the shop for milk tea.

This pattern repeated, and before the advertising effect fully kicked in, the shop had already sold dozens of cups of milk tea.

Fang Xiaoxuan, overwhelmed by the sudden influx of customers, scrambled to keep up with the pace.