He fiercely criticized the Manchu scholar clique and the twelve emperors of the Qing Dynasty.

The Starbucks opposite the main gate of the University of Tokyo is filled with the rich, bitter aroma of roasted coffee beans and a slight white noise. From the corner near the floor-to-ceiling windows, you can take in the iconic old gate of the University of Tokyo.

The afternoon sunlight pierced through the glass, cutting out golden spots of light on the wooden tabletop.

Zhao Shuyao leaned back in the sofa booth, his left hand casually resting on the table, his fingertips idly twirling a Starbucks tissue.

A glass of iced Americano sat in front of him, with a fine layer of water droplets condensing on the glass. Gu Nanxi sat opposite him.

Today she wore a beige trench coat over a simple light blue shirt, her hair casually pulled back, exuding the gentle and scholarly air unique to girls from Jiangnan. In front of her was a steaming cup of matcha latte.

Gu Nanxi stretched out her hands, her fingertips gently touching the warm rim of the paper cup. Her gaze lingered for two seconds on the black liquid with large chunks of ice floating in front of Zhao Shuyao, before the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.

"I really didn't expect this." A faint smile appeared in Gu Nanxi's eyes. Her voice was low, just enough to penetrate the surrounding white noise. "Our talented Zhao, who can leave old scholars speechless online, actually likes to drink this kind of stuff."

Zhao Shuyao followed her gaze to his cup, somewhat puzzled. It was a plastic cup, and the ice cubes made a crisp "crack" sound as they hit the plastic cup. He took a sip, and the bitter coolness slid down his throat, instantly dispelling his spring drowsiness.

"Is there a problem with this?" Zhao Shuyao put down his cup and asked suspiciously, "What, do you think I'm being pretentious by ordering this?"

"You said it yourself, I didn't say it." Gu Nanxi didn't stand on ceremony and nodded directly, her smile deepening. "Isn't that how people online summarize it now? People who only order iced Americanos at coffee shops usually fall into two categories."

She held up a slender white finger: "The first type is those workplace elites who hold several reports in their hands and talk about projects worth hundreds of millions, trying to stay clear-headed and swindle others."

Then, raising a second finger, he continued: "The second type is the artsy youth who deliberately create a 'I'm very self-disciplined and aloof' persona just to take photos and post them on WeChat Moments. Zhao, which category do you consider yourself to belong to?"

After listening, Zhao Shuyao laughed helplessly. This girl was not only observant, but she also always managed to hit the funny bone of young people.

"I understand now. In this day and age, you can be expelled from the ranks of ordinary people just for drinking a cup of coffee." Zhao Shuyao leaned back in his chair and spread his hands. "It's really not my fault. I'm from northern Jiangsu, and my taste is more salty and savory. I've never been able to eat anything too sweet since I was a child."

"Just now at the bar, I looked at the syrup of that caramel macchiato and it made my teeth hurt. I ordered this iced water mix purely because it's only bitter and has no lingering taste."

He paused, then added, "If I really wanted to act like a cultured person, I should have just asked the clerk for a glass, then pulled out a small packet of goji berries and Tieguanyin tea from my pocket and brewed them right there. That would have been more in line with my current identity as a history blogger."

Gu Nanxi chuckled at his vividly descriptive comment, took a small sip of her matcha latte, and elegantly wiped away a bit of green milk foam from her lips with a tissue, nodding in understanding.

The atmosphere reached a point of extreme relaxation at this moment. There was no academic rigor, nor the tension of the internet, only the relaxed daily life of two young people passing the time.

But after Gu Nanxi put down the paper cup, the smile on her face slowly faded a bit. She glanced out the window, then looked back at Zhao Shuyao's face.

"Let's get down to business." Gu Nanxi leaned forward slightly, her tone becoming serious. "You specifically scheduled this for three o'clock today. There are still ten minutes left. Do you know who's looking for you? When they arrive, will it be convenient for me to be here?"

Zhao Shuyao met her gaze and didn't miss the subtle movement of her hands tightening their grip on the paper cup again. He knew very well that this was a subconscious reaction when someone felt uneasy and worried.

"What's inconvenient about it?" Zhao Shuyao's tone remained calm, even carrying a hint of casual reassurance. "I'm not doing any illegal business here. It's just normal conversation under the sun, anyone can hear me. As for who's looking for me, I really don't know whether it's Zhang San or Li Si."

Seeing Gu Nanxi's still slightly furrowed brows, he added with a smile, "What they're talking about is even less clear, but don't worry, once they arrive and start talking, everything will be clear, right? Anyway, I'm not in a hurry at all."

Zhao Shuyao's words seemed casual, but he deliberately slowed down the pace to convey a message to Gu Nanxi: the situation is completely under my control.

But Gu Nanxi didn't relax immediately.

Zhao Shuyao keenly noticed this, leaned forward, rested his elbows on the table, closing the physical distance between them, stared into Gu Nanxi's eyes, and softened his voice.

"Do you have any concerns? If you find this setting too dull, or don't want to listen to those sultry conversations, you can go sit at that long table inside for a while. I'll come find you after I've finished dealing with this."

"No." Gu Nanxi shook her head, refusing decisively, and looked directly at Zhao Shuyao. "I don't care about these things. I'm perfectly fine sitting here."

Seeing her somewhat stubborn expression, Zhao Shuyao made up his mind. This girl was very clever. She wasn't afraid of being bored; she knew that today's meeting would definitely not be a simple tea chat.

The other party seemed to have ill intentions, but she insisted on staying because she didn't want to face the unknown pressures alone. Even if she couldn't offer any real help, just sitting there was a gesture of goodwill.

Zhao Shuyao felt a surge of warmth in his heart. In an era where everyone is trying to protect themselves for graduation and future prospects, it is extremely rare to find someone willing to sit on the "bullseye" with you simply because of friendship.

Zhao Shuyao decided to test her judgment. He swirled the iced Americano in his hand, his gaze fixed on the ice cubes in the glass, and slowly spoke.

"Since you're not leaving, let's use these ten minutes to play a simple deduction game. What kind of person do you think would come looking for me today? What's their purpose in going to such lengths to invite me out?"

When Gu Nanxi heard the question, she did not panic. She lowered her head slightly and thought for about ten seconds. During those ten seconds, her brain quickly sorted out the online trends and Zhao Shuyao's movements over the past few days.

"I'm not absolutely certain." Gu Nanxi raised her head, her eyes regaining the clarity of a science student. "But the scope should be very narrow. You've been making too many moves online these past few days, threatening other people's base. So, the people who came today are just two groups."

He reached out and tapped lightly on the table: "First, there are the representatives of those old-school scholars in the field of history. You've torn their rules to shreds, so they might send someone to pressure you, using your academic future or network of connections to negotiate with you and try to shut you up."

He moved his finger and tapped the table a second time: "Secondly, there's the capital behind the entertainment industry. That diva just made some harsh remarks, and you didn't respond at all. People like them are used to using money and power to crush dissenting voices. They're probably here to set a price privately, or to use some industry-wide underhand methods to warn you."

Gu Nanxi looked at Zhao Shuyao and said with certainty, "Besides these two parties, I can't think of anyone else who would ask you out at this time in such a condescending manner. After all, in real life, you are just a law-abiding third-year graduate student."

After listening, Zhao Shuyao couldn't help but smile. His analysis was flawless, logically clear, and devoid of any blind emotion.

"A very brilliant deduction." Zhao Shuyao didn't hold back his praise, raising his iced Americano to her. "Gu Nanxi, if you don't do copywriting and planners in the future, and switch to due diligence, you'll definitely be at the top of the industry."

Gu Nanxi was a little embarrassed by his straightforward praise. She turned her head away, her ears slightly red. "I'm just stating the facts. Don't flatter me. Since you know the other party doesn't have good intentions, what are you planning to do later?"

"When soldiers come, we'll meet them head-on; when water comes, we'll dam it." Zhao Shuyao put down his cup. "If they're here to reason with me, I'll reason with them; if they're here to throw money at me..."

Zhao Shuyao paused for a moment, a sharp glint of extreme humor flashing in his eyes, "Then I can only teach them how to be a proper person according to the rules of us common folk."

The tense atmosphere eased easily, and Zhao Shuyao naturally changed the subject, not wanting the tension to linger for the remaining minutes.

"Let's not talk about those spoilsport people." Zhao Shuyao glanced at the time, 2:55. "Let's talk about the movie we're going to see at 5 o'clock, 'The Revenant.' I heard that Leonardo DiCaprio risked his life to make this movie. I've seen the trailer, and the scene where he gets devoured alive by a bear in the freezing cold is extremely visually impactful."

Gu Nanxi's attention was immediately diverted. A hint of interest flashed in her eyes, and she sat up straight: "Yes, I decided to buy tickets after watching that short clip online. I heard that in order to pursue that absolutely realistic sensory stimulation, the director used natural light throughout the entire film, without using any artificial lighting, and also..."

Before she could finish speaking, the golden sunlight that had been streaming onto the wooden table was suddenly blocked off by something.

The sudden disappearance of the light cast a shadow on the table.

Zhao Shuyao and Gu Nanxi stopped talking almost simultaneously, looked up, and gazed upwards past the coffee cups on the table.

Two people were standing in front of their booth.

At the front was a middle-aged man, around forty years old, wearing a well-tailored dark gray overcoat with a snow-white shirt underneath. He wasn't wearing a tie, and the collar was slightly open, exuding a sense of composure and arrogance from someone who had long held a high position.

Behind and to the side of the middle-aged man stood a woman.

She was probably around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. A burgundy silk trench coat accentuated her figure, and her long, wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders. Her face was adorned with exquisite makeup, especially her eyes, which had slightly upturned corners, exuding a captivating and undisguised charm. A subtle fragrance of high-end perfume mixed with woody notes wafted through the air.

The three of them standing together exuded an extremely strong aura of being "outsiders," instantly isolating this student-filled coffee corner.

The middle-aged man's gaze swept over Gu Nanxi's face, and he frowned slightly. Then he lowered his head and stared directly at Zhao Shuyao, who was sitting in the booth, with a smile on his lips.

"Mr. Zhao Shuyao, is that right?" The man's voice was deep, with a condescending politeness. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm the one who called you yesterday. My surname is Li."