Lecture by Father Wen
In the latter half of November, whether in academics or work, Zhou Kao was extremely busy, working late into the night. The two of them hadn’t seen each other for almost half a month, relying solely on phone communication. Sometimes, when Zhou Kao was too busy, they didn’t even have time for a phone call.
Wen Le also immersed herself in busy academic and club activities. Despite being no longer single, she realised that her life hadn’t changed much.
This was fine with her; she liked this kind of state.
However, there were moments when she missed Zhou Kao, whom she hadn’t seen for over twenty days.
Online posts about them were like shooting stars—ephemeral. There was always new gossip for netizens to discuss, as if the once explosive fight between the campus heartthrob and goddess had never happened. Netizens’ impressions of their relationship stubbornly stayed at the level of tense private relations and avoidance.
In reality, Wen Le and Zhou Kao gave off the impression of being in opposition. One was always striving to be first, a top student in the School of Economics and Finance, and winner of various awards. The other was proud and dominant, ranking first in the School of Law’s Constitutional, Legal, and Administrative Law Department, also a recipient of numerous awards.
One was seen as the most promising potential talent in the Student Union, and the other was the most promising talent in the Social Council.
Both had proud and dominant personalities, and with their intense and fierce fight in the parking lot, if one of them changed their gender, it could easily be scripted into a novel as a showdown between the male lead and the second male lead.
However, these misunderstandings fundamentally had no impact on the two of them. It just meant that fewer classmates dared to mention Zhou Kao in front of Wen Le.
Many times, Wen Le heard classmates from the Social Council gossiping about meeting Zhou Kao at the Student Union, but as soon as they saw Wen Le coming in, they immediately stopped the topic, greeted her with a smile, and changed the subject.
Wen Le felt somewhat helpless; she actually wanted to hear what happened when they met Zhou Kao in the Student Union…
Academic life remained hectic, and the four occupants of Room 307 resumed their lifestyle of coming and going early to late nights in the library. Sun Youmei seemed to have emerged from the shadow of her breakup. Perhaps losing her boyfriend’s financial support made her life simpler. She was no longer as arrogant, and her words were not as harsh.
However, something unexpected happened among the four roommates.
After Sun Youmei broke up, she left the dormitory after being upset for two days, claiming she needed to go home to recover from her bad mood. Since her home was in Beijing, no one thought much of it.
However, Sun Youmei stayed at home for over twenty days without attending classes. When the four roommates started suspecting if something had happened to her, Sun Youmei returned to the dormitory wearing a mask.
Initially, Dormitory 307 assumed Sun Youmei had caught a cold. However, when she took off her mask, they saw that she had undergone plastic surgery on her nose.
According to Sun Youmei, she had the nose job ten days ago, but her nose was still a bit swollen. Sun Youmei originally had a cute little flat nose that, when paired with her small, round face and large deer-like eyes, looked sweet and adorable.
Now, she had raised her nose, losing a bit of cuteness and gaining a touch of allure. It was undeniably beautiful, but…
It seemed like her nose was raised too high, making it a bit awkward from certain angles.
Sun Youmei, as if oblivious, coquettishly asked everyone if her new appearance looked good.
They all smiled and said, “It looks good.”
In their minds, maybe once the swelling went down, it would look better. Sun Youmei seemed happy on the surface, but in reality, her nerves were still fragile and couldn’t handle too much criticism.
The affair between Jin Lin and that internet celebrity had ultimately affected her.
It was strange, though. Sun Youmei’s parents were very conservative people. How could they allow her to take leave for plastic surgery? Sun Youmei’s parents didn’t even know that she was emotionally hurt because Sun Youmei never dared to tell them about her past relationship with Jin Lin.
Until one day, Cheng Hui secretly told Wen Le that she accidentally saw a message on Sun Youmei’s phone about a campus loan, suspecting that she hadn’t gone home at all but had gone to the hospital directly after borrowing money for plastic surgery.
Wen Le was surprised. “Can she repay the loan?”
Cheng Hui opened her phone, searching for something, and said, “It seems like she also realized that without a boyfriend, she might not be able to maintain the image of a rich beauty. So she decided to become an internet celebrity… maybe influenced by that internet celebrity who became the third wheel.”
“Anyway, she recorded her state during the plastic surgery and posted it on PenPoint. It attracted quite a few fans, and now she has tens of thousands of followers. She probably wants to earn money by becoming an internet celebrity. Actually, she’s quite suitable for it. In just a few days, she gained so many followers.”
“If she can find her own path and support herself through this breakup, it’s a kind of growth. Her boyfriend wasn’t reliable from the beginning.”
“But I’m a bit worried about her nose; her nostrils seem to be getting more prominent…”
While sighing, Wen Le thought that there was probably nothing in the dormitory that could be hidden from this human microscope. In her eyes, everything was transparent.
At the end of November, Zhou Kao finally had some free time. He called Wen Le, and the two of them chatted on the phone for an hour, making plans to go on a date on Friday.
The next day, the national scholarship was announced, and Wen Le was summoned to the counsellor’s office to fill out some paperwork.
In the office, there were only the counsellor and Wen Le. They chatted like friends. The counsellor was young and had a good relationship with the students. During their conversation, Wen Le suddenly remembered the incident when she was called to the office last time.
Wen Le hesitated for a moment. “Teacher, the person who reported me last time was Ai Fei, right? Because in our dormitory, only Ai Fei didn’t know that I have never used that bag since I bought it.”
The counsellor paused at the words, looked at Wen Le with a clear and calm gaze, neither confirming nor denying, just smiling and saying, “I’ve been a counsellor for a few years now. Every time there’s something related to interests, lawsuits are inevitable. Whether it’s for the national scholarship, outstanding student awards, or postgraduate recommendation quotas, such things happen quite often. Universities are a microcosm of society, and there’s no need to be overly surprised. And the truth of the matter, teachers are well aware.”
“But when doing something, people always need to think clearly about what’s more important, immediate benefits or inner principles. We can’t force others, but we can always control ourselves, don’t you think?”
The counsellor never explicitly stated whether Ai Fei did it, but the teacher’s attitude indicated that it was indeed Ai Fei. If Wen Le had accused Ai Fei wrongly, the counsellor would have at least said something to make Wen Le stop overthinking, but the counsellor didn’t. Instead, the counsellor advised her to understand what was most important.
Wen Le smiled and nodded, “Teacher, you’re right. I still believe that inner principles are more important.”
These words seemed like a commitment to the counsellor. The counsellor smiled satisfactorily, looking at Wen Le with appreciative eyes.
Wen Le recalled the previous misunderstanding and felt the need to explain it thoroughly. She added, “Also, about my bag…”
The counsellor shook her head with a smile, giving Wen Le face, “Le Le, the teacher knows you’re a good kid. The matter of the bag is not something the teacher cares about. Honestly, it’s normal for girls of your age to buy luxury bags.”
She even winked understandingly at Wen Le.
Wen Le was amused and said, “Teacher, that’s not what I wanted to talk about. Actually, I wanted to say that, due to my household registration and address, many people assume my family is less well-off. The university even thought about giving me financial assistance. I didn’t reject it because of pride; it’s just that, in reality, our family conditions are quite good.”
The counsellor patiently listened to Wen Le.
Wen Le seemed unsure how to explain it properly. After hesitating for a moment, she bit her lip and continued, “Teacher, you may have seen the emergency contact information I filled out. My dad’s name is Wen Tianqi…”
The counsellor nodded naturally, saying, “I know. Your dad is also named Wen Tianqi, the same as the CEO of Tianyin Group.”
Wen Le shook her head with a smile, “No, Teacher, you misunderstood. It’s not the same name; my dad is Wen Tianqi, the CEO of Tianyin Group.”
The counsellor said, “Alright, not the same name…”
“Wait a minute! What did you say? Your dad is the CEO of Tianyin Group?”
The counsellor looked Wen Le up and down, ensuring she couldn’t find any traces of lying on Wen Le’s face. The teacher’s voice was somewhat stuttering, “But your household registration is not…”
Wen Le said, “That’s correct. I lived in seclusion in the mountains with my grandparents. But indeed, my dad is Wen Tianqi.”
The teacher was shocked beyond words, never expecting that Wen Le, who was considered a poor girl from the mountainous area, fitting the image with her clothing and lifestyle, would turn out to be the young lady of the Tianyin Group!
Tian Yin Group, also known as an old and prestigious super-rich family!
My goodness! So, this is the low-key style of old money?
The counsellor was somewhat bewildered and mumbled, “Rich people live in the suburbs, and super-rich people live in the mountains? It turns out that wealthy people really yearn for nature…”
TN: HAHAHAHAHA I’m loving all the reactions of the people around Wen Le when they find out her true identity hehehe
After a moment, the counsellor suddenly realized and took out a stack of promotional materials from the desk. After a quick glance, she suddenly understood, “No wonder Mr. Wen Tianqi agreed to give a lecture at our college this Friday. The dean was puzzled before, wondering why Mr. Wen Tianqi, who is an alumnus of the nearby Beijing University, has never given a lecture there but chose to come directly to our university. It turns out that it’s because you’re here!”
Wen Le’s expression was even more shocked than the counsellor’s. “Teacher, what are you saying? Is my dad coming to give a lecture at the school?”
The counsellor was puzzled, “Didn’t your dad tell you?”
Wen Le quickly took out her phone and checked, making sure there were no messages from her dad, Uncle Jiang, or Xiao Yang. She slowly shook her head.
The counsellor said, “Maybe your dad wants to give you a surprise.”
Wen Le asked, “Teacher, can you tell me what time my dad is coming on Friday?”
The counsellor replied, “Friday afternoon, and it’s mandatory for everyone in our department to attend.”
Wen Le lamented internally. She had plans with Zhou Kao on Friday, but if she didn’t attend her dad’s lecture, her dad would surely ask about it.
The counsellor explained, “Because the information was confirmed at the last minute, the promotional materials have just been printed. You coming here is perfect…”
The counsellor counted out a stack and handed it to Wen Le, saying, “When you go back to the dormitory, distribute these to every female dorm, and of course, there will be notifications in the group. Basically, attendance is required for our department, and these promotional materials are also for other departments to see.”
Wen Le took the poster, and the counsellor, looking at the handsome and elegant face of Wen Tianqi on the promotional page, then at Wen Le, smiled and said, “If you hadn’t told me I wouldn’t have noticed, but now that you mention it, I realise you and your dad really look alike, as if carved from the same mould. Indeed, daughters resemble their fathers.”
–
Wen Le returned to the dormitory, following the counsellor’s instructions, and delivered the promotional materials to every dorm. While closing the door, she could hear other female students in the dormitory expressing amazement at the promotional pages.
Holding the promotional materials, Wen Le returned to the dormitory. Inside, Sun Youmei was lying on her bed, pulling the curtains open with the lights on, doing something.
Cheng Hui, Bao Xiaofan, and Man Qingxuan were at the table watching dramas as they ate.
Wen Le placed the promotional materials on the table and said, “The counsellor said there’s a promotional lecture on Friday.”
Hearing this, Man Qingxuan sighed in disappointment, “Why another lecture? Who is it this time? Ah, ah, ah, I was planning to go out and have fun on Friday afternoon! Ah, ah, ah, ah!”
Bao Xiaofan, picking up two promotional pages and handing one to Man Qingxuan while looking at the promotional page, said, “Wen Tianqi, the person in charge of Tian Yin Group?”
Bao Xiaofan put down the promotional page and thought for a moment, “Strange, what does Tianyin Group do? The name sounds familiar, but I can’t remember.”
However, Man Qingxuan screamed, “Ah, ah, ah, this uncle is too handsome!”
At these words, Bao Xiaofan immediately digressed, “Oh my god! He’s really freaking handsome!”
Cheng Hui snorted and said, “I don’t know about Tian Yin Group, or if it’s from our department. It’s probably like a domestic version of the Rothschild family, but not quite. They are involved in everything, and it’s quite formidable. The real power is not in the group itself, but in the family behind Tian Yin Group.”
“The Wen family! I mean, flip through the family tree of this family, and many are familiar names from history. A truly ancient and powerful family. But they say that in recent years, they are no longer active in China, maybe operating in coastal areas and abroad. I don’t know how the school managed to invite them.”
Man Qingxuan was shocked, “Oh my god, so powerful? Does their family have the richest person in the world?
Cheng Hui said, “I don’t know, it seems like many of their family’s industries are overseas, anyway, it’s super awesome.”
“But…” Cheng Hui muttered quietly, “Why does this person feel a bit like…”
As Cheng Hui spoke, she looked at Wen Le, who had been silent since earlier, suddenly widening her eyes.
Wen Le looked at Cheng Hui, thinking, what in the world can still be hidden from this human microscope? She then nodded slowly.
“Bang!”
Cheng Hui fell directly from her chair. Even though it happened this way, she still seemed oblivious to the pain and stared at Wen Le as if her soul had left her body.
Bao Xiaofan and Man Qingxuan hurriedly went over to help Cheng Hui.
Wen Le also walked over and whispered, “Doesn’t your bottom hurt?”
Cheng Hui, exasperated, said, “My brain hurts.”
TN: HAHAHHAHAAH Cheng Hui is my favourite character in the novel~
Discovering that her roommate in the dormitory had suddenly become the daughter of an ancient and powerful super-rich family, and just now she was boasting about how powerful her family was in front of her – Cheng Hui didn’t feel embarrassed; she just found it magical and shocking.
Cheng Hui, supported by the two, couldn’t come to terms with the situation. “I need to go lie down. This world is too magical.”
After finishing their meal, Man Qingxuan and Bao Xiaofan went down together to throw away the trash. Cheng Hui, still in a state of confusion, grabbed Wen Le and whispered, “I knew your family was wealthy; I just thought you were from an ordinary business family. I didn’t expect… Fuck, your family is so amazing.”
Wen Le comfortingly patted Cheng Hui’s shoulder without saying anything.
Seeing Wen Le’s troubled expression from earlier, Cheng Hui couldn’t help but ask, “What are you thinking?”
Wen Le sighed, “I have plans with Zhou Kao on Friday afternoon, but my dad is giving a lecture at that time. If I’m not there, I’m afraid my dad will ask. But I don’t want to waste the time to meet Zhou Kao because he might be busy over the weekend.”
Cheng Hui said, “What’s the big deal? Just bring your boyfriend to listen to your dad’s lecture!”
TN: Is this the first meet-the-parent session!!!
