Chapter 20 — The Director's Little Weakness

Besides, for someone of Gu Mengyao's status, good grades no longer mattered all that much. She would go to university no matter what; even if she failed the entrance exam, Gu Pengzhan's connections could secure her a place at one of the top universities.

"You noticed that too?" Uncle Qing asked, somewhat taken aback that Wei Zhao had already thought through these problems so quickly.

"So it really is like that?" Wei Zhao asked.

"Actually, I don't understand Mr. Gu's intentions either," Uncle Qing said with a sigh. "Although I'm the person closest to Mr. Gu, some of his deeper meanings are not something I can see through."

Wei Zhao rolled his eyes at Uncle Qing's vapid explanation.

"But Mr. Gu did instruct me to tell you: take good care of the young lady, and don't think too much." Uncle Qing repeated Gu Pengzhan's parting words for Wei Zhao. "Give her as much love as you can... This child has been starved of love since she was little..."

Wei Zhao was speechless. What in the world was this family up to? Starved for love? And he was supposed to give it to her? What an absurd joke. Yesterday, before he had actually seen Gu Mengyao, he had been rather unimpressed by Gu Pengzhan's scheme, which came close to picking a son-in-law; but later, once he saw the youthful, pretty Gu Mengyao, he found the job wasn't so detestable after all... The only question was, would Gu Mengyao ever take a fancy to him? She'd probably be too busy loathing him to bother.

But Wei Zhao said no more to Uncle Qing. He just nodded and got out of the car.

"Did you find out who that laborer who kicked me yesterday is?" Zhong Yongliang asked with a frown, touching his still-swollen backside. The man had made him unable to lie flat all night, forcing him to sleep with his rear sticking up the whole time.

"No, we didn't. Last night Zhang Naipao and I checked several construction sites, but we didn't see him," Gao Xiaofu said, shaking his head. "Brother Liang, maybe he hasn't even gone to a site to look for work yet?"

"No matter what, I have to find him. Damn it, he dared to kick me—I won't let him off," Zhong Yongliang said viciously.

"Yes, Brother Liang," Gao Xiaofu hastened to promise.

Wei Zhao entered the school with his schoolbag over his shoulder. The feeling was wonderful, filling him with boundless delight. This was campus life, after all—the legendary birthplace of first love.

Wei Zhao's schoolbag was the plain black single-strap bag the school had issued, terribly dowdy. Most students had swapped theirs for their own stylish little bags, Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu among them. Only the poorer students dressed the way Wei Zhao did: in school uniform, carrying the school's free-issue bag.

How sharp Wei Zhao's eyes were! No sooner had he stepped through the school gate than he spotted Zhong Yongliang and his crew. Wasn't that the pest who had been pestering Gu Mengyao yesterday? But since the man hadn't come looking for trouble with him, Wei Zhao had no interest in paying him any attention, and walked straight past the group.

"Brother Liang, why did that kid look so familiar?" Zhang Naipao said, watching Wei Zhao's back.

"We're talking business here! Why should you care whether he looks familiar or not?" Zhong Yongliang frowned impatiently.

"Brother Liang, I think he looks familiar too... It's like, like..." Gao Xiaofu scratched the back of his head, with a look of profound thought.

"Like what? Just spit it out if you've got something to say!" Zhong Yongliang cursed.

"It's like he's that laborer who kicked you yesterday," Zhang Naipao suddenly shouted. "That's right, Brother Liang, it's that kid—I remember now!"

"Really?" The moment he heard it was the one who had kicked him yesterday, Zhong Yongliang perked up. "What are you standing around for? Chase him!"

"After him!" Gao Xiaofu and Zhang Naipao immediately dashed off in the direction Wei Zhao had disappeared.

Wei Zhao took his records to the school's academic affairs office. All of this had been arranged by Gu Pengzhan in advance; he only needed to report in.

Wei Zhao knocked at the door of the academic affairs office, but no one came to open it. He checked his watch: it was quarter to eight. School officially started at eight; perhaps he had come a little early.

With that thought, Wei Zhao leaned against the door of the academic affairs office and quietly waited for the director of academic affairs to arrive.

"Mmm... ah..." A faint moan drifted into Wei Zhao's ears. Ever since he had begun practicing the Xuanyuan Dragon-Taming Art, his hearing had grown extraordinarily keen — not quite the fabled ears that catch a whisper on the wind, but at the very least he could hear many sounds others could not.

Lin Yin's brows knitted at once, for the sound was coming from inside the Academic Affairs Office. Wasn't that room supposed to be empty? Yet in the next instant Wei Zhao seemed to understand something, and a faint smile touched his lips.

At eight o'clock sharp, the door of the Academic Affairs Office opened, and a woman in her thirties, full of mature charm, cautiously poked her head out. Catching sight of Wei Zhao at the door, she gave a violent start. "You... what are you doing here?"

Wei Zhao found it rather amusing. Go ahead and do it, then — but did you have to be so obvious about it? It would be a wonder if nobody got suspicious.

"I've come to see Director Wang of the Academic Affairs Office," Wei Zhao said mildly, too lazy to call her out.

"Oh, Director Wang is inside." The woman did her utmost to compose herself, then said to Wei Zhao, "Go on in."

Wei Zhao nodded and stepped into the office. A balding, middle-aged man sat at the desk, every inch the stern old pedant, and the sight struck Wei Zhao as somewhat funny.

"You... what is it you want?" Wang Zhifeng had not expected a student to come looking for him the moment his mistress stepped out, and he nearly jumped out of his skin.

"I'm Wei Zhao. I've come to enroll." Wei Zhao produced his file and handed it to Wang Zhifeng.

"Ah, Wei Zhao. I know of you." Wang Zhifeng nodded. This student had been placed here by the board of directors in person — how could he fail to remember? He took the file and began processing Wei Zhao's paperwork.

The stamps were soon affixed, and Wang Zhifeng rose to his feet. "I'll take you to your class."

"Sorry to trouble you, Director Wang," Wei Zhao said politely. He knew well enough that the director of academic affairs wielded great power within the school; if he wanted an easier time of it from now on, he could not afford to offend the man.

"Ha ha, it's my duty." Wang Zhifeng did not dare put on airs either — this student, after all, had been arranged by the board. Walking shoulder to shoulder with Wei Zhao out of the office, he ventured tentatively, "You just got here?"

"I've been here a while." Wei Zhao saw no need to lie about such things; the school corridors were all under surveillance, and if Wang Zhifeng wanted to check, he could simply look at the footage.

"Then you..." Wang Zhifeng hesitated, at a loss for how to put it. It was all his own doing — that one moment of impulse, insisting on doing that thing first thing in the morning. And now look; if this went wrong, someone would have him by the short hairs.

"Rest easy, Director Wang. I didn't see anything, and I didn't hear anything either," Wei Zhao said, a wicked little smile playing at the corner of his mouth as his mind turned.

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