Going home for the Chinese New Year with a year-end bonus of 100 million

At 8:30 p.m., Yang Fan walked back to the hot pot restaurant.

The second floor is closed; only the lights on the first floor are still on.

Xiaoya and Lin Xiaoyu were tidying up the tables and chairs when they saw Yang Fan return. Xiaoya immediately came over, her eyes sparkling.

"Brother, you're back! How was your meeting with the principal?"

Yang Fan asked, "How did you know?"

Xiaoya pouted, "Zhou Jin told me!"

"You deadbeat simp!" Yang Fan cursed, never expecting that Zhou Jin could be so easily manipulated by his own sister.

"Brother! Tell me quickly, how did the conversation go?"

Yang Fan said, "It went very smoothly. The school is going to hold an entrepreneurship competition, and we can cooperate in the future."

"Really?" Xiaoya exclaimed excitedly.

"Will there be more projects you can apply for in the future? And will schools help you screen them?"

"Hmm." Yang Fan nodded, glancing at Lin Xiaoyu who was wiping the table.

"How's business today?"

"Still packed!" Xiaoya blurted out.

"Sister Xiaoyu is now our shop's star attraction; several regular customers specifically request her service."

Lin Xiaoyu blushed slightly:

"Xiaoya, don't talk nonsense... I'm just doing my job."

Looking at her gentle profile, Yang Fan suddenly thought of Lin Qingyue's intelligent yet distant eyes.

Two women, two completely different kinds of beauty.

"You've worked hard," he said to Lin Xiaoyu. "Get some rest."

"Yeah, you too, bro."

Lin Xiaoyu responded softly, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment before quickly looking away.

……

Back in his room, Yang Fan took a shower, but couldn't fall asleep while lying in bed.

He opened his phone and saw an unread message on WeChat, sent by Lin Qingyue half an hour earlier.

[Qingyue]: "I'm home. It was a very pleasant chat today. I look forward to future collaborations."

It was a very simple sentence, but Yang Fan noticed that she used "home" instead of "school" or "office".

He thought for a moment and replied: "I just got back too. Thank you for today, the plan was very professional."

Messages are replied to almost instantly.

[Qingyue]: "Still not asleep?"

Yang Fan: "Yeah, I'm thinking about some things."

[Qingyue]: "Thinking about cooperation?"

Yang Fan smiled slightly and typed: "Thinking about you, Principal, you're more approachable than I imagined."

This statement is somewhat ambiguous, but it doesn't cross any lines.

The dialog box displayed "The other party is typing..." for more than ten seconds before the message was sent.

[Qingyue]: "Yang Fan, are you always this direct?"

[Yang Fan]: "It depends on the person. I like to be honest with people who deserve respect."

[Qingyue]: "Then I am honored."

Then, she sent another message:

I'll have my secretary refine the entrepreneurship competition proposal and send it to you tomorrow. If you have time, you can come to the school to see the venue we've prepared.

Yang Fan: "Okay. When is a convenient time for you?"

[Qingyue]: "Wednesday afternoon, I'll be free after 3 pm."

Yang Fan: "Then I'll come to the school to find you at 3 PM on Wednesday."

[Qingyue]: "Okay. Message me when you arrive, and I'll have my secretary come down to meet you."

Yang Fan: "No need to trouble the secretary. Just tell me the location, and I'll go up myself."

[Qingyue]: "Alright then. My office is on the fifth floor of the administration building. Turn right after you exit the elevator, and it's at the very back."

Yang Fan: "I've got it."

The conversation should have ended there. But Lin Qingyue sent another message:

[Qingyue]: "By the way, there's a coffee shop near the west gate of the school; their hand-drip coffee is pretty good."

"If you're not in a hurry, you can try it after you finish your business."

This was said naturally, yet it carried a clear sense of personal invitation.

Yang Fan smiled: "Okay. See you Wednesday."

[Qingyue]: See you on Wednesday.

Putting down his phone, Yang Fan leaned against the headboard, a subtle feeling stirring within him.

Lin Qingyue is indeed a very interesting woman.

She knows how to maintain distance, yet also knows when to extend kindness.

That mature woman's sense of propriety makes people feel very comfortable.

……

At 2:50 p.m. on Wednesday, Yang Fan appeared on time downstairs at the administration building of the Industrial University.

He was wearing a light blue shirt and dark casual pants today, a look that was neither too formal nor too casual. His phone vibrated as soon as he parked the car.

[Qingyue]: "Have we arrived?"

Yang Fan: "Downstairs."

[Qingyue]: "Come on up, my office door is open."

Yang Fan put away his phone and walked into the building. The administration building was very quiet; the corridors were covered with thick carpets, which absorbed the sound of footsteps.

Fifth floor, turn right, the innermost office.

The door was ajar, and Yang Fan knocked gently.

"Please come in," Lin Qingyue's voice came.

Pushing open the door, the office was largely unchanged from the last time I visited, except that the sunlight was even brighter today, bathing the entire room in warm yellow light.

Lin Qingyue didn't wear a suit skirt today, but instead changed into a beige knitted sweater with wide-leg pants in the same color scheme. Her hair was loosely draped over her shoulders, making her look less dignified and more gentle than last time.

She was standing at her desk organizing documents when she heard the noise, looked up, and her eyes lit up slightly when she saw Yang Fan.

"You're right on time," she said with a smile. "Have a seat."

Yang Fan sat down on the sofa opposite her:

"Not busy today?"

"I specifically set aside this afternoon." Lin Qingyue walked over and sat down on the single sofa next to him.

"What would you like to drink? Tea or coffee?"

"Anything is fine."

"Then let's have some tea. I just brewed a pot of Longjing tea, the same kind as last time at the teahouse." She got up to pour the tea, her movements elegant and natural.

Watching her busy figure, Yang Fan suddenly spoke:

You look better dressed like this today than in a suit.

Lin Qingyue paused, turned to look at him, and smiled.

"Yang Fan, what you're saying is... a bit frivolous."

"To be honest," Yang Fan said frankly, meeting her gaze.

"Wearing a suit makes you look like Principal Lin, while this makes you look like Lin Qingyue. I prefer the latter."

These words were quite blunt, and Lin Qingyue's cheeks flushed slightly, but she wasn't angry.

She placed the teacup in front of Yang Fan and sat down again: "You certainly know how to talk."

"Just because I don't lie." Yang Fan picked up his teacup, smelled the aroma of the tea, and asked, "Is the plan detailed yet?"

"Hmm." Lin Qingyue picked up a folder from the table.

"Take a look. The main changes are the addition of schedule details and budget breakdowns."