The Mysterious Night of Beijing

"Which Meng Huizhou? It can't be the one I'm thinking of, can it?"

"That's him! The elusive head of the Meng family in Beijing's elite circles! I heard he donated an entire laboratory building to our school; he's the biggest research sponsor in our chemistry department!"

"Oh my god, why is he coming to our freshman orientation event?"

"Who knows? How can we possibly guess what's on the mind of such an important person? But I've heard he's incredibly handsome, even better looking than a movie star!"

Lin Chuxiu lay on the bed, wearing headphones, pretending not to hear their conversation.

Meng Huizhou.

The name, like a fine needle, gently pricked her.

She knew he would come; he had mentioned it before. But she hadn't expected him to hold such a public and significant position at Peking University.

She felt a little confused.

She deliberately fled to Yanjing, wanting to get away from him and to keep the agreement as just an agreement.

But now it seems he's everywhere.

The orientation meeting for new students was held in the school's auditorium in the afternoon.

Lin Chuxiu deliberately chose the most inconspicuous corner to sit down.

The department leaders took turns giving speeches, which were long and tedious.

Until the host announced that name in an unusually excited voice.

"Now, let's give a warm round of applause to welcome Mr. Meng Huizhou, our specially appointed advisor to the Department of Chemistry and also our largest investor in research projects, to the stage to deliver a speech!"

Thunderous applause erupted throughout the hall.

Lin Chuxiu raised her head and looked at the podium.

The man, dressed in a well-tailored dark gray suit, walked calmly onto the stage.

He didn't have a prepared speech; he just stood there, and all the light in the auditorium seemed to be focused on him alone.

His gaze swept lightly over everyone in the audience, finally pausing for less than half a second in the corner where Lin Chuxiu was.

Then, he looked away.

The two looked at each other from a great distance, then quickly looked away, as if they were just two strangers who had met by chance.

Lin Chuxiu's heart began to pound uncontrollably.

She forced herself to lower her head, looking at the meeting agenda in her hand, suppressing the strange flutter in her heart.

fraud.

He said he minored in chemistry in college.

Now it seems that what he called "minor" was not the same thing as what she understood at all.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Meng Huizhou's voice, transmitted clearly through the microphone, reached every corner of the auditorium.

Deep, melodious, and possessing a convincing power.

He didn't use any official jargon or platitudes; he simply talked about a few of the latest cutting-edge topics in the field of chemistry and their future development directions.

It is easy to understand and the logic is clear.

The students who were initially drowsy listened intently.

Lin Chuxiu was no exception. She discovered that this man's understanding of chemistry was even more profound than that of some of her professors.

What kind of person is he exactly?

After the meeting ended, the students left one after another.

Leaders from several departments escorted Meng Huizhou as he stepped down from the stage.

Lin Chuxiu mingled in the crowd, head down, wanting to leave this place as soon as possible.

However, just as she was about to reach the door, someone called her back.

"Lin Chuxiu, please wait a moment."

It is Professor Zhou Wenhai.

Lin Chuxiu stopped and turned around. "Professor Zhou."

Standing next to Zhou Wenhai was Meng Huizhou.

Students passing by couldn't help but cast curious glances in their direction.

"That's right," Zhou Wenhai said with a smile, "Mr. Meng is very interested in your previous paper on catalysts and would like to have a chat with you."

Lin Chuxiu's body froze instantly.

She raised her head and looked at Meng Huizhou.

The man was looking at her, his eyes no longer showing the aloofness he had displayed on stage, but instead carrying a familiar, profound inquiry.

"Hello, Lin." He extended his hand to her.

Lin Chuxiu hesitated for a moment, then reached out and shook hands with him.

His palms were large, dry, and slightly cool.

Instantly separate.

"I've read your paper," Meng Huizhou said. "It has a very novel perspective on the application of chiral catalysts in asymmetric synthesis."

"Thank you." Lin Chuxiu didn't know how to respond.

"Personally, I am also very interested in this field," Meng Huizhou continued. "If you have any academic questions in the future, you can come to me for discussion at any time."

His words were perfectly tactful.

To outsiders, it simply appears as a senior's appreciation and support for a promising junior.

But Lin Chuxiu sensed something else in it.

This was a way he had planned long ago to reasonably appear in her life.

In my capacity as an investor and an academic senior.

That way, no one will doubt their relationship.

This man is frighteningly meticulous.

"Okay, thank you, Mr. Meng," Lin Chuxiu said softly, her head bowed.

"Hmm." Meng Huizhou nodded, said nothing more, turned around and walked in another direction with Professor Zhou.

Lin Chuxiu only breathed a sigh of relief after their figures completely disappeared at the end of the corridor.

She felt a thin layer of sweat on her back.

Dealing with this man is exhausting.

She just wanted to focus on her research quietly and didn't want to get involved in any more complicated relationships.

It seems I need to stay further away from him from now on.

With that thought in mind, she quickly walked out of the auditorium.

Unbeknownst to her, not far away, in a black Bentley, Meng Huizhou was watching her hurried departure through the car window.

Bai Xin, who was driving, glanced at his boss in the rearview mirror and asked cautiously, "Sir, are we just going to let Miss Lin stay in the dormitory like this? Or should we...?"

"No need." Meng Huizhou withdrew his gaze, his voice indifferent. "She needs her own space."

He paused, then added.

"Please ask the school to take good care of her and make sure she doesn't suffer any injustice."

"Yes."

Bai Xin dared not ask any more questions.

He had been by his husband's side for so many years and had never seen his husband care so much about any other woman.

What kind of magic does this Miss Lin possess?

He couldn't figure it out.

But he knew that from now on, this Miss Lin would be the future mistress of the Meng family, someone they needed to protect with the highest standards.

Anyone who wants to mess with her should first consider whether they are worthy of it.

The Jiang family's old residence in Shanghai.

The study was filled with smoke.

Jiang Chiye irritably stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, which was already overflowing with cigarette butts.

He picked up his phone, tapped on that familiar WeChat profile picture, and the chat history was still on the few messages he had sent.

There was not a single reply.

That woman actually dared to read my message and not reply.

"Hold."

He muttered a curse under his breath and threw his phone on the table.

He's been having a really bad time these past few days.

Ever since Lin Chuxiu publicly broke off the engagement at the Jiang family banquet and was taken away by Meng Huizhou, the entire Jiang family has been shrouded in a low atmosphere.