The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

The opening ceremony was held in the school's largest auditorium, which was packed with people.

The air conditioning in the auditorium seemed to be ineffective; the stuffy air was mixed with the smells of shampoo, sweat, and a faint laundry detergent, making one feel drowsy.

Shen Qingyao and her roommates sat in the back.

Xu Huihui hadn't put down her phone from the beginning, her fingertips flying across the screen as she intently edited the photos she'd taken yesterday, occasionally giving a little smile to the screen.

Xiang Yu tilted her head and chatted enthusiastically with her friend whom she had met during her preparatory year. The conversation ranged from the food in the cafeteria to where they would go shopping on the weekend. Her voice was low, but she couldn't hide her excitement.

Lu Ying probably didn't sleep well last night. At this moment, she was resting her chin on one hand, her eyelids drooping from time to time, and her long eyelashes cast a small shadow under her eyes. She was obviously fighting against sleepiness.

Shen Qingyao sat in the middle, her back ramrod straight, her gaze fixed on the podium, yet somewhat vacant.

One speech after another was given on stage. First, an elderly professor wearing a Zhongshan suit spoke, his tone calm and his content mostly revolving around the "century-old school motto" and "academic heritage," which made the listeners' ears heavy.

Next came the teacher representative, whose tone was a bit more impassioned, but still revolved around the clichés of "cherishing time" and "living up to one's youth," speaking in a very official manner.

Then came the principal, whose speech lasted as long as a class, covering everything from the school's history to future plans and expectations for the new students, but it also made people increasingly unmotivated.

Whispers gradually rose from the surroundings. Some people took out books to read, some secretly put on headphones to listen to music, and some couples quietly held hands.

Shen Qingyao also found it a bit boring, and her fingers unconsciously fiddled with the buttons on her school uniform pants.

She had thought the opening ceremony would be different, but it turned out to be no different from the one in high school—all those inspiring speeches that she would forget afterward.

Xiang Yu, who was standing next to him, also stopped chatting, clapped her hands, and laughed, "Is it over?"

Xu Huihui looked up and asked curiously, "What happened? Why was everyone clapping so loudly just now?"

"No, it was a student representative who spoke, and what they said made a lot of sense," Shen Qingyao explained with a smile, her eyes sparkling.

Several more people went up and gave speeches in turn.

Lu Ying woke up, rubbed her eyes, and looked at the stage: "Is it over?"

"It'll be over soon. The host will just give a few concluding remarks at the end," Xiang Yu said.

Sure enough, the host quickly went on stage to summarize, affirming the speeches of the student and graduate representatives, and repeating a few words of encouragement.

After the opening ceremony, the crowd surged out of the auditorium like a tide.

Shen Qingyao followed her roommates outside. Sunlight streamed through the corridor windows, falling warmly on her face.

"Shall we go pick up the textbooks next?" Lu Ying asked.

"Let's go, let's go. We won't have much to do this afternoon after we get the textbooks." Xiang Yu pulled Xu Huihui's arm, her steps light and quick.

Shen Qingyao followed behind them, her steps becoming much lighter.

Unbeknownst to her, at that moment, Meng Jiangyu's car was slowly driving along the school's tree-lined path.

He had just finished attending a board meeting and saw the crowd of students pouring out of the auditorium through the car window.

In the crowd, he inadvertently caught sight of a familiar figure.

The girl walked with several classmates, a faint smile on her face. Sunlight fell on the tips of her hair, gilding them with a layer of gold.

Her steps were light, and her eyes held something he had never seen before, a sparkling light, like a ignited spark.

It's Shen Qingyao.

Meng Jiangyu's gaze lingered on her for a few seconds until the car turned the corner and the figure disappeared from sight.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, his fingertips tapping lightly on his knee.

"I'm free this afternoon, let's go shopping together!" Xiang Yu suggested.

Shen Qingyao happened to want to buy two new outfits, "Okay!"

Hsu Hui-hui, who always loves to have fun, exclaimed, "Great! We can even visit some tourist attractions!"

Lu Ying put down her phone. "I have something to do this afternoon, so I won't be going! I'll treat everyone to dinner tonight!"

"good!"

The afternoon sun warmed the stone pavement of the student street. Shen Qingyao held Xiang Yu's hand as Xu Huihui chattered on about the roadside food stalls.

"That takoyaki place only tastes good with wasabi, and the ice jelly around the corner is absolutely amazing with fermented rice!"

"Let's look at clothes," Shen Qingyao said, pulling her into a small shop with floral dresses hanging on the walls.

The fans in the shop whirred slowly, causing the cotton and linen shirts hanging on the wall to sway gently in the breeze.

She picked out a light blue puff-sleeved dress, a green T-shirt with denim shorts, and a white shirt with dark blue wide-leg pants, gesturing in front of the mirror: "Are these enough outfits?"

Xiang Yu leaned over and straightened her skirt: "It looks good, but don't always wear flats. Try those white sneakers? They make you look taller."

"good!"

Xu Huihui ran over with two sundresses in her arms: "Qingyao, look at these! They look amazing on your collarbones!"

"Huihui, this isn't suitable for everyday wear. I want to buy some more casual clothes."

"I understand, but I've realized that none of the outfits we chose before are very versatile!"

"I don't need anything versatile; I prefer outfits that are already coordinated so I can just wear them directly!"

"Okay, these sets are indeed quite good!"

Xiang Yu put down the white sneakers she was holding. "I think these are nice, you should try them on!"

"good!"

"Just wear this blue dress and white sneakers! Leave the rest of your clothes with the boss; you can get them when you come back tonight!"

"good!"

The three of them laughed and joked as they left the store. The sunlight slanted down on them, casting long shadows.

"Let's go to Nanluoguxiang!" Xiang Yu waved the map in her hand. "Lu Ying said that a new restaurant specializing in old Beijing cuisine has opened there, and he insists on treating us to try the authentic Beijing flavors."

Nanluoguxiang is bustling with tourists. Red lanterns hang among the gray walls and black tiles, and the air is filled with the aroma of sugar paintings and braised dishes.

They squeezed through the crowd to watch the dough figurine maker create lifelike zodiac animals, and Xu Huihui even bought a dough figurine.

Lu Ying was already waiting at the entrance of the club, wearing a Chinese knotted jacket, smiling and waving: "You've finally arrived! I reserved a window seat with a view of the old locust tree in the alley."

The clubhouse had an octagonal table and black-and-white photos of old Beijing hanging on the walls.

Lu Ying ordered a table full of dishes: fried noodles with cucumber strips, bean sprouts and fried soybeans, tripe with thick sesame sauce, fried dough rings, fermented bean juice and glutinous rice cakes.

"Try this fried sauce noodles," Lu Ying said, mixing noodles for Shen Qingyao. "The owner is an old Beijinger; the sauce is made with yellow soybean paste and sweet bean sauce—it's so fragrant!"

Shen Qingyao took a bite of the noodles covered in sauce, which was savory with a hint of sweetness.

Xiang Yu and Xu Huihui were fighting over the last piece of fried dough, their laughter mingling with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares in the alley outside the window.

The setting sun outside the window dyed the rooftops of the alleyway golden red, and I could hear the sisters chattering and laughing.

Xiang Yu accompanied Lu Ying to the front desk to pay the bill, while Shen Qingyao accompanied Xu Huihui to the entrance to buy ice cream.

As Shen Qingyao and Xu Huihui were walking out, they bumped into Meng Jiangyu, who was pushing the door open and coming in.

The twilight in the alleyway seeped in through the threshold, half falling on him and half remaining in the shadows.

He was wearing a gray coat with the collar slightly open, probably having just gotten out of the car.

The two paused for a moment when their eyes met.

She subconsciously moved aside, wanting him to go first, but forgot that Xu Huihui was behind her. The three of them squeezed together at the doorway, making the situation even more cramped.

Meng Jiangyu's gaze lingered on her face for half a second before he stepped aside to make way for her.

Wearing casual clothes, Meng Jiangyu appeared less serious and more peaceful.

Shen Qingyao walked out with her head down. As she passed Meng Jiangyu, she smelled a faint scent of cedar on him, which mixed with the fragrance wafting from the shop, and strangely, they didn't clash.

Once they were a little further away, Xu Huihui nudged her arm: "Yaoyao, that guy who just came in was so handsome!"

"I think so too, I find it kind of cool and rebellious!"

Hsu Hui-hui disagreed, "I feel it's a mature and steady kind of handsome!"

Handsome guys you meet by chance always attract the attention of girls who are just beginning to experience romantic feelings.