Rejecting Tsinghua and Peking Universities: I Will Lead Harbin Institute of Technology to World Lead

The car drove away from the hospital and merged into the congested traffic of Beijing in the afternoon.

Lin Feng sat in the back seat, Shen Moran leaning on his shoulder. Neither of them spoke, their fingers intertwined, feeling the warmth of each other's palms.

Zhao Weiguo drove quietly, while Xiaoxiao sat in the passenger seat, occasionally glancing at him in the rearview mirror with a smile on her lips.

"Senior," Lin Feng broke the silence, "has everything been arranged at the coffee shop?"

Shen Moran looked up, her eyes still slightly red from crying, but her expression was completely relaxed: "Yes, everything's fine. I asked a friend in Shancheng to find a location in the commercial center of Jiangbei, right by the river, with a great view. The interior design is also finalized; it's a warm-toned industrial style with lots of greenery."

She paused, then continued, "Construction has already begun, and it should be completed in about a month. However..."

"But what?"

"Although the news of my retirement from the entertainment industry has been announced, the hype hasn't died down yet," Shen Moran said with a wry smile. "If I were to appear now to run a coffee shop, it would definitely attract a lot of media and fans, which would actually affect normal business operations. So I'm thinking of having Xiaoxiao manage the shop for a while. Once the public has forgotten about me a bit, I'll gradually take over."

Lin Feng nodded: "This arrangement is excellent."

"Besides," Shen Moran leaned back on his shoulder, her voice softening, "this illness really scared my parents. I plan to go back to Shancheng for a while and spend some quality time with them. I've been working hard away from home these past few years, and I can only come back a few times a year. They may not say it, but they must miss me terribly."

At this point, her tone became somewhat guilty.

Lin Feng squeezed her hand: "You should. Spend more time with your aunt and uncle; they were really frightened this time."

The car rounded a bend, and the airport expressway sign appeared ahead.

"I'll go back to Shancheng with you this time," Lin Feng suddenly said.

Shen Moran paused, then asked, "Do you... have time?"

"Yes," Lin Feng said confidently. "I've arranged my work in advance and can spare a few days. Perfect timing, I'll take you back to meet my parents, and also to your family to formally visit your aunt and uncle. And then..."

He paused for a moment: "Then I'll have to leave for a while."

Shen Moran's eyes reddened again, but this time she held back and simply nodded firmly: "Okay."

She had expected this.

From the moment she signed that top-secret confidentiality agreement, she knew that Lin Feng's work was not simple.

Since she chose him, she chose to accept everything.

"Senior," Lin Feng said softly, looking at her profile, "thank you."

Shen Moran turned her head, met his gaze, and smiled: "What are you thanking me for? There's no need for that between us."

She placed her hand on the back of his hand: "You have your career, and I have my life. We're together not to tie each other down, but to be each other's support. When you're tired, remember I'm waiting for you; when I miss you, I know you're doing something important—that's enough."

These simple words touched the softest spot in Lin Feng's heart.

He didn't say anything, he just hugged her tighter.

We've arrived at the airport.

Zhao Weiguo completed all the formalities, and the four of them boarded the plane directly through a special channel. Two hours later, the plane landed at Jiangbei Airport in Chongqing.

Shen Moran took a deep breath, a long-lost relaxed smile appearing on her face: "I'm home."

Her home wasn't in the main urban area, but in a small county town called Qingxi. It would take more than an hour to drive there. On the way, Shen Moran pointed out the scenery outside the window and introduced it to Lin Feng—this was where she went to high school, that was the noodle shop she often went to, and that was the bridge she used to run around on when she was little.

Lin Feng listened quietly, watching her animated expression, and a corner of his heart softened as well.

The car drove into the county town and turned into an old alley. The alley was narrow, with old-style residential buildings on both sides, clothes hanging on balconies, and scallions and garlic growing in flower pots. The car stopped in front of a six-story building.

"We're here." Shen Moran nervously tidied her hair. "My home is on the fourth floor."

Before I even got upstairs, I saw two people rushing down the hallway.

It's Shen's father and mother.

"Ranran!" Shen's mother hugged her daughter tightly, tears welling up in her eyes again. "You've lost weight, you've gotten so thin..."

"Mom, I'm perfectly fine." Shen Moran patted her mother's back, her voice choked with emotion.

Standing to the side, Mr. Shen's eyes were red. When he looked at Lin Feng, his face was full of gratitude: "Xiao Lin, hurry up, hurry upstairs."

The old house wasn't big, just two bedrooms and a living room, but it was kept very clean and tidy. The living room walls were covered with photos of Shen Moran—from her kindergarten graduation photo to her performance photos in college, and later, stills from award-winning plays. On the coffee table was a fruit platter with melon seeds, peanuts, and candy, clearly prepared with care.

"Uncle and Aunt, this is a small token of my appreciation." Lin Feng placed the gifts he brought in the corner—nothing valuable, just some nutritional supplements and tea.

"You're here, why bring anything?" Mother Shen said, but her face lit up with a smile.

Lunch was a feast, featuring all the specialties of Chongqing – spicy chicken, boiled fish, spicy blood curd, garlic pork belly… the table was laden with dishes. Shen's mother kept putting food on Lin Feng's plate, while Shen's father kept clinking glasses with him – drinking homemade bayberry wine.

Halfway through the meal, Shen Moran put down her chopsticks and solemnly said, "Dad, Mom, Lin Feng and I... are together."

There was a moment of silence on the table.

Then Shen's mother's tears fell again, this time with joy: "Good, good... Xiaolin is a good child, Mom is not worried."

Mr. Shen didn't speak, but simply picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. After finishing, he looked at Lin Feng with a complicated expression: "Lin, my Ranran... I'm entrusting her to you from now on."

Lin Feng stood up and poured himself a full glass of wine: "Uncle, Aunt, don't worry. I will treat my senior well."

He drank the wine very slowly, but not a drop was left.

After dinner, Shen's father called Lin Feng to the balcony for a smoke. Several morning glories were blooming brightly on the old-fashioned security window.

"Xiao Lin," Mr. Shen took a drag of his cigarette, his voice low, "Her mother and I... both signed that agreement. Although we don't know what kind of work you do, we know your job... is unusual."

He turned to look at Lin Feng: "Ranran is a stubborn child; once she's made up her mind, she won't turn back. She's chosen this path, and as her parents, we can only support her. But..."

The old man paused, his eyes reddening again: "But this child has had a hard life. She was sickly as a child, and even as an adult, she's faced many setbacks in the entertainment industry. Now, things are finally finally getting better... We just hope that you can show her more love and care."

These words are a father's simplest request.

Lin Feng nodded solemnly: "Uncle, I promise you."

That night, Lin Feng stayed at a hotel in the county town. The next morning, he took Shen Moran back to his home.

The Lin family lived in an upscale residential area in the main urban area of ​​the mountain city. Su Wenqing—Lin Feng's mother—opened the door. She was wearing an apron, and her hands were still covered in flour, clearly preparing something delicious.

"Mom," Lin Feng called out.

Su Wenqing's eyes lit up immediately, but his gaze quickly fell on Shen Moran behind him, and his smile became even brighter: "This must be Moran, right? Come in, come in!"

Lin Guodong also came out of the study. This founder of Lin's Hot Pot, who usually exudes an imposing aura in front of his employees, was now smiling so broadly that his eyes narrowed into slits: "Welcome, welcome, come in, have a seat."

Lunch was another lavish feast.

Su Wenqing put all her skills into preparing more than a dozen dishes, half of which were local specialties from Chongqing, and the other half were her signature home-style dishes. During the meal, the two elders showed concern for Shen Moran, asking how her recovery was going, what she liked to eat, and what she was avoiding... Their enthusiasm made Shen Moran feel a little embarrassed.

When Shen Moran learned that Lin's Hot Pot, which has more than 300 branches nationwide, was a business owned by the Lin family, she looked at Lin Feng in shock.

"You... never said that."

Lin Feng smiled and said, "It's nothing serious."

"This isn't a big deal?" Shen Moran said, both amused and exasperated. "Lin's Hot Pot is valued at at least several billion..."

"Money isn't important." Lin Feng placed a piece of food on her plate. "What's important is that this restaurant is my father's life's work."

After the meal, Lin Guodong called the two to his study.

The study is large, with one wall covered in books and another wall covered in trophies and photos—from Lin Guodong's small shop in the early days of his business, to the opening of his first branch, and the various honors he received.

"Mo Ran," Lin Guodong said, looking at the girl in front of him with gentle eyes, "I heard from Xiao Feng that you've retired from the entertainment industry and opened a coffee shop. That's a good idea; coffee is very popular among young people these days."

He paused, then changed the subject: "However, now that you're with Xiaofeng, there are some things... you should know."

Shen Moran sat up straight.

"Xiaofeng's job is special, you should have realized that," Lin Guodong said tactfully. "He can't possibly manage the family business. And his mother and I are getting old, we'll have to hand over the reins sooner or later."

He took a document out of the drawer and pushed it in front of Shen Moran.

"This is the shareholding structure of Lin's Hot Pot. Wenqing and I own 60%, and Xiaofeng owns 40%. But Xiaofeng's share is tied up in a trust agreement, meaning he can only receive dividends and cannot participate in the management."

Shen Moran took the document, her fingers trembling slightly.

"So," Lin Guodong looked into her eyes, "if you're willing, I'm prepared to let you... come to the company to learn management. Start as a manager, get familiar with the work for a while, and once you're capable of handling things independently, this company will be handed over to you and Xiaofeng."

Shen Moran suddenly raised her head.

"Uncle, this...this is too sudden, I..."

"Mo Ran," Lin Feng, who had been silent until now, finally spoke, taking her hand in his. "This isn't charity, nor is it an exchange. It's a request—help me, and help my parents, to protect this family business."

He looked into her eyes: "You're a smart and capable person, I believe you can do well. And..."

He laughed: "Don't you own a coffee shop? Lin's Hot Pot has dozens of stores in locations that are perfect for a coffee + hot pot hybrid business. You could give it a try."

Shen Moran looked at Lin Feng, then at Lin Guodong, and then at the equity document.

After a long while, she took a deep breath and nodded.

"Okay. I'll learn."

One word, but it carries weight.

Lin Guodong smiled, and Su Wenqing also pushed open the door and came in, her face full of satisfaction.