Principal Ma’s name was Ma Tengfei. At fifty years old, his list of titles and accomplishments was extensive.

Li Yuan read it carefully. Although he wasn’t familiar with most of the titles, he still knew the weight behind a few of them: Doctoral Supervisor, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences, and Recipient of National Special Allowances.

Ma Tengfei was the vice principal of Daxia University responsible for various duties, including student entrepreneurship, making him a true top-level figure at the institution.

In his past life, such a person would have been completely out of his reach; he would have only ever seen him on television.

Li Yuan felt a secret thrill, a sense of leisurely contentment washing over him. It was the first time he had truly entered the field of vision of such "big shots."

Someday, if I reach the level of the two Mas and one Liu, this university will have to consider me one of its greatest honors, right? Li Yuan muttered to himself, a sense of immense anticipation suddenly filling his heart.

The sense of accomplishment from building a business was completely different from the satisfaction of behind-the-scenes investments like the stock market.

In life, one pursues either fame or fortune. Unless you are a saint, there is no escaping it. He was just an ordinary man. In his previous life, he had been a corporate drone, beaten down by society, so he certainly hadn’t pursued fame or wealth then.

But in this life, I already have love. Chasing fame and wealth to fulfill the dreams of my past self doesn’t seem too excessive, does it?

Sitting shyly in Li Yuan’s lap, Xia Zhijin noticed the smile at the corners of his eyes. Although she didn’t know why he was happy, she couldn’t help but feel a contagious joy.

Her man is a true pillar of strength!

After reviewing Ma Tengfei’s profile for a moment, Li Yuan had a good idea why the vice principal wanted to see him. He turned to Xia Zhijin, who was still staring at him, and grinned.

"Zhijin, will you come back to school with me, or would you rather stay at the company?"

"Ah?" Xia Zhijin was taken aback. She seemed confused for a moment before quickly replying, "I’ll do whatever you want!"

Li Yuan smiled and pinched her cheek. "Then come back with me. The company is running according to plan, so we can just stop by tonight to check on the day’s results." He continued, "By the way, Zhijin, my class has a basketball game this afternoon. If there’s time after I meet with Principal Ma, I plan to play."

"Heh, if you’re bored, you can come to the court and cheer for me!"

Hearing this, Xia Zhijin’s eyes lit up. Her face bloomed into a radiant smile as she stared at Li Yuan and nodded vigorously.

"Okay!"

She cherished every second she spent with Li Yuan. Even though he would never be entirely hers, just having a place in his heart was enough. She felt utterly content.

Li Yuan checked the time. It was already past three-forty in the afternoon. The basketball game started at five, and he still had to meet Principal Ma first, so his schedule was tight.

He gently lifted Xia Zhijin off his lap, then stretched his arms and back with a grin. "Alright, Zhijin, let’s head back to school!"

Her legs were a bit numb from sitting for so long. She stood up and gently draped Li Yuan’s jacket over his shoulders, acting like a sweet, caring wife.

After arriving back at the university, Li Yuan dropped Xia Zhijin off at the women’s dormitory before driving to the administration building. He took some items from the trunk that he had bought at Longyu Mall on the way back from the company: West Lake Dragon Well tea, two bottles of Maotai, and a carton of premium cigarettes. He put the gifts into two black plastic bags, one in each hand, and prepared to meet Principal Ma.

But first, he headed to the Student Entrepreneurship Office to see Instructor Qi Siyu.

Arriving at Qi Siyu’s office, Li Yuan knocked on the door.

"Come in!" a woman’s unfamiliar voice called from inside.

Li Yuan raised an eyebrow. Is Qi Siyu not in?

As one of the university’s functional departments, the Entrepreneurship Office had more than just one person on staff. It was just a coincidence that Qi Siyu had been alone on his two previous visits.

Li Yuan pushed the door open and saw a short-haired woman in a form-fitting black skirt looking at him in surprise.

"And you are?"

Li Yuan didn’t recognize her. "I’m looking for Mrs. Qi," he said with a smile.

The short-haired woman scrutinized Li Yuan. He looked vaguely familiar, as if she’d seen him somewhere before, but she couldn’t quite place him.

"What do you need with her?"

Disappointed at not seeing the sexy, mature instructor, Li Yuan smiled faintly. "It’s nothing important. I just wanted to ask where Principal Ma’s office is."

The short-haired woman glanced at the two black plastic bags in Li Yuan’s hands, and a look of disdain flashed in her eyes. So young and already trying to get ahead by giving gifts!

Her voice also grew colder. "Principal Ma’s office is on the sixth floor, the last one on the west end. The door faces north."

Li Yuan said, "Thank you," and turned to leave.

Not even two minutes after Li Yuan left, Qi Siyu returned to the office, shaking water from her hands.

The woman in the black skirt casually remarked, "Siyu, someone was just here looking for you."

Qi Siyu asked without thinking, "Oh? Who?"

"A tall guy. He said he was looking for Principal Ma. He was carrying two black plastic bags and was dressed to the nines. Looked like another social climber trying to curry favor..."

As the woman was speaking, she noticed her best friend’s expression suddenly freeze, as if she’d been hit by a Freeze Spell.

"Siyu, Siyu, what’s wrong with you?"

Qi Siyu snapped out of it, a flash of deep regret in her captivating eyes. She gave her short-haired friend a weary look and let out a soft sigh.