Mu Chenchuan noticed something off about Cen Zhinning. He cast a meaningful glance at her retreating figure, the corners of his lips sinking slightly as confusion flashed across his face.
What a strange woman. Just now she’d been so arrogant—now she was running away pretty fast.
Shrugging, he strode toward Jiang Jingmian.
“Ajian, why are you so late? I’ve been waiting forever.”
Jiang Jingmian looked slightly irritated by the onlookers around them. He gently soothed the little dog in his arms.
“Had to wait for Xiaobao to finish his bath before coming.”
Mu Chenchuan glanced at the dog with distaste.
“It’s the first day of school. Why bring it?”
“It’s not used to the climate yet. I feel better keeping it with me.”
“Tsk. You treat it like an ancestor.”
With a mischievous grin, Mu Chenchuan reached out to tease Xiaobao’s chin.
“Come on, call me Dad.”
Xiaobao disliked strangers getting close. It bared its teeth and barked sharply at him.
Mu Chenchuan quickly withdrew his hand.
“Tsk, such a temper. Still trying to bite me after all this time.”
Jiang Jingmian chuckled, patting Xiaobao’s head.
“It doesn’t like being close to people. Don’t tease it.”
“Whatever. Let’s go. I’ll show you around.”
The crowd gradually dispersed.
Bai Xiaorou remained where she was, still surrounded by whispering students.
“Who is she? She actually dared to insult Second Young Master Mu.”
“No idea. Playing hero. Acting like some good person.”
“I think she’s a special admissions student. Looks poor as hell and still dared to challenge him. Isn’t she afraid of offending the Disciplinary Committee?”
“How does a special admissions student get that bold? Maybe she’s trying a different route to get his attention?”
“You know what—that actually makes sense. Scheming special admissions student.”
“Her name’s Bai Xiaorou, Class Three of the Business School. I saw her serving dishes at a restaurant last time.”
“Haha, that explains the poor vibe.”
The whispers poured into Bai Xiaorou’s ears. Embarrassed, she lowered her head and instinctively looked at her roommate Zhou Zhou.
Zhou Zhou felt humiliated. She hadn’t even been able to stop her earlier and felt utterly disgraced. Turning her head as if she didn’t know her, she walked away.
Bai Xiaorou called out softly,
“Zhou…”
Zhou Zhou turned back and glared at her, the meaning obvious—she didn’t want to be associated with her anymore.
Bai Xiaorou lowered her head, dejected. She just wanted to escape. As she was about to leave, Qin Haotian—one of Mu Chenchuan’s followers—blocked her path.
With a lazy swing of his arm, he stopped her.
“Bai Xiaorou from Class Three, Business School?”
She bit her lip.
“That’s me.”
Qin Haotian laughed flippantly.
“So we’re in the same class. If you hadn’t caused such a scene today, you’d have stayed invisible. Weren’t you pretty capable just now? You know the price of offending Second Young Master Mu, right?”
Mu Chenchuan was among the highest tier of the academy, a core member of the Disciplinary Committee. He practically stood above all rules.
Anyone who offended them was usually pressured into voluntarily transferring or dropping out.
She had already foreseen that her days ahead wouldn’t be easy.
Qin Haotian suddenly rammed into her shoulder.
“Be smart. Drop out early, special! admissions! student!”
With that, he and the group swaggered off.
The surrounding whispers continued. Some students had already begun taking pictures of her. She could feel the malice in their gazes.
If they managed to drive her out of the academy, they would receive rewards and commendations from the Disciplinary Committee. They would definitely find ways to force her out.
Bai Xiaorou’s heart sank to the bottom.
This academy was legendary. Graduates either went into business or politics—top elites in their fields. It was her best chance to climb the social ladder.
Her younger brother suffered from a rare disease, requiring extremely expensive targeted drugs and specialized treatment. She needed enormous funds—and access to top-tier medical resources only available to the upper class.
So she had to endure for two more years. Graduation was close. She couldn’t give up now.
As soon as Cen Zhinning stepped through the academy gates, she was surprised to see that Qi Yanheng hadn’t left. Instead, he was leaning against a marble pillar at the grand entrance, waiting for her.
His expression was calm, star-like eyes and sharp brows, striking features locked onto her figure.
When she approached, he raised a brow and straightened.
“Was it fun?”
She glanced at him, unsure how long he had been watching.
She lifted her chin slightly.
“It was alright.”
“I told you. Mu Chenchuan isn’t interested in arranged marriages. He hates being restrained.”
He had assumed that after seeing Mu Chenchuan’s violent, irritable side, she would retreat. Cen Zhinning had never liked men full of thorns.
But she didn’t seem particularly repulsed.
“I know,” she replied casually.
His gaze burned.
“Why did you suddenly decide to agree to the arranged marriage?”
She blinked.
“To help the company, of course.”
Not wanting to dwell on the topic, she changed the subject.
“Why didn’t you leave first?”
“Uncle Cen told me to take you to register.”
She curled her lips slightly. She didn’t believe for a second that he was being so kind-hearted.
“Let’s go then.”
Qi Yanheng reached out and took her backpack into his own hand.
“Let’s go to the chairman’s office first. By the way, this academy is different from your school overseas. If you run into any trouble, you can come to me.”
She shrugged.
“What trouble could I possibly have?”
He didn’t reply.
The two of them walked through campus to the academic affairs office to complete her enrollment procedures.
Along the way, many students stared curiously.
“Look, it’s President Qi!”
“Who’s the girl next to him? She’s so pretty.”
“I’ve never seen President Qi so close to any girl before—he’s even carrying her bag.”
“What’s their relationship? Girlfriend?”
Speculation buzzed endlessly around them. In less than half a day, Cen Zhinning had already become a hot topic at Silan Noble Academy.
The noise irritated her. She frowned slightly.
Qi Yanheng noticed her mood.
His expression cooled faintly. He cast a sideways glance at the surrounding students. Instantly, the whispering stopped and the crowd scattered.
Only then did he speak slowly.
“Think about what I said.”
She looked at him, puzzled.
“Think about what?”
His tone was casual.
“My new company just launched. It needs a nominal Creative Director. The title sounds good, not much work, dividends included.”
She blinked.
“And?”
He lifted his eyelids slightly, his gaze deep.
“You can hold the title. Consider it compensation for the years my aunt deducted from your living expenses. From now on, buy whatever you want—use the dividends.”
Her eyes widened.
There was such a good deal?
His newly founded AI company was the hottest thing on the market. Its valuation was already in the tens of billions. The annual dividends would easily amount to tens of millions.
This was clearly financial temptation—a disguised form of compensation and control. Only a fool would refuse.
Still, she maintained a bit of restraint.
“Purely compensation?”
He nodded.
“Mm. So… reconcile?”