“Shen Ci, I may not know the details, but as your counselor, I truly believe you’re a good student.”
“But if the report is true, the school will have to suspend your subsidy.”
Shen Ci nodded calmly and thanked Director Li for his trust before replying earnestly:“The report is true, but I need to clarify something. The subsidy I receive is not a poverty grant, nor is it a scholarship.”
“You know this, Director Li. I was specially recruited by the university after my excellent college entrance exam results. The admissions office came to my hometown in Deep Harbor and offered me a special enrollment package. At the time, the school gave me 20—”
The word ‘thousand’ almost slipped, but Shen Ci caught herself and smoothly changed it:“—20 yuan as a special enrollment bonus, and promised that after admission I’d receive a monthly living allowance of 1.5 yuan. This was the condition of my recruitment—promised by the admissions office itself.”
“My family isn’t wealthy, but not poor enough to need a hardship subsidy. My allowance is entirely separate.”
Director Li nodded—he knew that was true. But he sighed:“Shen Ci, I understand. But now that there’s a report, you have to realize how this looks. You wear luxury goods while receiving subsidies. If word spreads, students in real need may feel resentment. Especially online—people won’t bother with the details, they’ll just attack you and the school. It’s unfair, but that’s reality. You could become a target.”
He spoke sincerely, and Shen Ci knew he was looking out for her. The Academic Affairs Office had likely already ordered him to handle this, and the outcome was inevitable.
She replied firmly:“Director Li, I don’t mind giving up the allowance. But it must be recorded as me voluntarily giving it up, not the school canceling it. That’s the point I want to make clear.”
The allowance no longer mattered to her. In the past, the monthly 1500 yuan helped her a lot. Now, a mere 1.5 yuan meant nothing to her—but to poor students, it could be crucial.
She would give it up, but on principle, it had to be her choice.
Director Li was relieved. “Good. I’ll take care of it.” But then he hesitated, worry flickering in his eyes. She was beautiful, and he feared she might be tempted down the wrong path.
Smart as she was, Shen Ci saw it. She smiled gently.“Don’t worry, Director Li. I won’t sell my dignity for money.”
Embarrassed, he chuckled, but her confidence reassured him. “Alright. Just remember—if anything happens, come to me immediately.”
She nodded, said goodbye, and left.
She didn’t need to guess who filed the report—it was clearly Yu Xinxin. But she didn’t care much. With her current wealth, she had no business still collecting that tiny allowance anyway. She would’ve given it up herself if she’d remembered earlier.
At noon, the cafeteria was packed.
Shen Ci searched until she spotted Qu Yang at the back. As she walked over, his friends immediately began to whistle and jeer, drawing curious glances from other students.
“Thanks. Here’s your umbrella.”
She handed it to him with a serene smile.
“It’s nothing, don’t mention it.” Qu Yang pretended calm, casually tossing the umbrella to Shao Yu.
“Woooo—”
His friends’ teasing grew louder. Qu Yang’s heart pounded, his cheeks heating, though his tanned skin hid it well. He frowned, scolding: “Cut it out. She’s—”
But the teasing only grew louder.
Instead of being embarrassed, Shen Ci simply laughed along. She was a top patroness—what was there to be shy about?
Plenty of students saw the scene. Most just glanced curiously; after all, few knew them personally.
But one pair of eyes burned cold and furious—Li Shao.
Sending carnivals to his roommate, laughing with him in public—she’s clearly doing this on purpose. Just to provoke me.
His anger threatened to boil over, but he forced himself to breathe. No. Lianxing was right. I mustn’t lose control. She’s provoking me because she still cares—because she still thinks of me.
He steadied himself, ready to step forward and apologize for last night’s outburst—
But suddenly, a slim figure bounced up and clung tightly to his arm.
“Brother Li Shao!”
He instinctively flinched back, but froze when he saw who it was.
“Qi… Qiqi?” he stammered.
Lin Biqi beamed, hugging his arm with joy. “Surprised?”
“You… what are you doing here at Ke Da?” He was stunned.
Lin Biqi was the granddaughter of his grandfather’s old friend. They’d known each other since childhood during his summer visits. But her family lived in Deep Harbor. How was she here?
“Hehe, I got in!” she declared proudly. “I’ve been enrolled a few days already, just didn’t tell you—wanted to surprise you. Ke Da’s so big I couldn’t find you, but today I finally did.”
“I’m in Astronomy too. From now on, you’re my senior!”
End of Chapter 19