After ninety-nine online romances, I finally met my ex in person when school started.

Push open the door to room 621.

"thump--"

The synchronized thud of knees hitting the ground was particularly loud in the quiet corridor.

Zhu Xunchuan closed the door behind him.

Lin Yuan, Lao Zhao, and Monkey were kneeling side by side on the tiled floor. All three of them clasped their hands together and raised them high above their heads.

"Godfather above! Please accept this bow from your unfilial son!" Lin Yuan shouted at the top of his lungs.

"From this day forward, you are the patriarch of our 621! We will brave mountains of knives and seas of fire, and die ten thousand times without hesitation!" Old Zhao the Monkey echoed in unison.

Zhu Xun Chuan didn't even lift his eyelids. He walked to his desk, pulled out his gaming chair, sat down, unscrewed his thermos, slowly blew on the few goji berries floating on top, and took a sip.

"What's with the wailing in the middle of the night?" Zhu Xun Chuan put down his cup and leaned back in his chair.

"Brother Chuan, no, Godfather!" Lin Yuan knelt and took two steps forward, his eyes filled with fanaticism. "The Ice Queen, Instructor Gu, personally drove you! That's Gu Qinghan! The dream girl of every male student at Peking University, a snow lotus that even a glance feels like a desecration! She actually brought you back in the middle of the night, and the smell in the car... I understand! I understand everything!"

Old Zhao swallowed hard. "And then there were those three top-tier rich women at the concert—one spent a billion, one drove a bulletproof military vehicle, and a big star practically snatched someone away in public. Brother Chuan, are your kidneys made of titanium alloy?"

"What rich woman?" Zhu Xun Chuan took out his phone and casually sent three 8888 yuan transfers to the dorm group chat. "That's love. Get it?"

"Understood! Whatever Godfather says goes!" The three of them were ecstatic when they saw the transfer record. They immediately jumped up from the ground, bowing and scraping.

"Keep your mouth shut. If even a single word of what happened tonight leaks out..." Zhu Xun Chuan lit a cigarette and exhaled a bluish-gray smoke ring.

"We're blind! And deaf!" Lin Yuan patted his chest and assured them.

After sending the three lively kids off to wash up and go to bed, the dormitory finally quieted down.

The night outside the window was deep, and moonlight shone through the glass onto Zhu Xunchuan's bed.

He put on his headphones and opened the eight-second unread voice message on WeChat.

"Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, there's a special exhibition of poetry and ancient paintings at the National Museum. I wonder if you, Zhu, would be interested in accompanying your teacher there?"

On the receiver, Fu Xinghe's voice was clear and gentle, carrying the composure of years gone by.

There was no hysterical jealousy, no questioning of the uproar caused by Su Mucheng's concert tonight. This daughter of a specially appointed professor at Peking University and the municipal party secretary, with an ultimate elegance that seemed to overlook the world from a high vantage point, extended an olive branch with hidden implications.

Zhu Xun Chuan automatically pictured the woman's appearance at that moment in his mind.

In the penthouse of the Star River Bay resort in the city center, she had probably just finished showering. She wore a wine-red silk robe, unbelted. Her long, slender, white legs were crossed on the sofa, the neckline slightly open, revealing a dazzling expanse of snow-white skin and a deep cleavage. She held a glass of red wine in her hand, her eyes languid and profound.

This kind of intellectual beauty, whose very being is etched with the aristocracy, absolutely cannot be dealt with using the same tactics as those used on young girls.

Throw money at them? The Fu family has had only one son per generation for generations, and they treat money like dirt.

Using words to coax her? She studies classical literature; what kind of sweet talk hasn't she heard?

Zhu Xun Chuan's lips curled into a smile. Instead of replying with the cliché "okay" or "go," he quickly accessed the system's ancient text library and typed two lines in the chat box.

"The painting reveals the face of spring, the jade pendant returns to the moonlit night. To be able to travel with Professor Fu is a great fortune in seeking the river."

send.

Put down your phone and close your eyes to rest.

……

At the same time, the Xinghewan Grand Flat.

Fu Xinghe was sitting at a large rosewood desk. She had indeed just taken a bath; her silk robe clung to her alluring curves, and her jade-like feet, like solidified cream, trod on the cashmere carpet, exuding an ethereal and aloof beauty.

The phone screen lights up.

She glanced at the reply. Her long, slender fingers paused.

Du Fu's poem "Ode to the Ancient Sites" is a timeless ode to Wang Zhaojun. Using it here subtly hints at the theme of tomorrow's "art exhibition," praises her stunning beauty ("spring breeze face"), and conveys a sense of understanding of her lofty and solitary soul.

The antithesis is perfect, and the artistic conception is extremely high.

A faint, gentle smile slowly spread across Fu Xinghe's perpetually icy face.

"Little one, quite the literary type." She murmured softly, picked up her glass of red wine, took a sip, and a hint of expectation appeared in her eyes that she herself did not realize.

……

In dormitory 621.

Zhu Xun Chuan didn't rush to sleep. He searched for information about tomorrow's "Special Exhibition of Poetry and Ancient Paintings" on his phone.

A few lines of brief introduction pop up on the page.

Zhu Xun Chuan narrowed his eyes slightly.

This special exhibition is not open to the public. It's a closed-door exhibition featuring only top-tier national treasures and unique calligraphy and paintings. Security is extremely high, and those invited are all key figures from Beijing's cultural and political circles.

Most importantly, the honorary chairman listed in the organizer's column has a name prominently displayed: Fu Xiuqi.

Fu Xinghe's grandfather was a towering figure in Beijing's cultural circles, representing the true essence of the Fu family's heritage.

Zhu Xun Chuan took a deep drag of his cigarette and stubbed it out in the ashtray.

This was no ordinary exhibition date. It was clearly Fu Xinghe using the guise of an exhibition to lead him directly into the heart of the Fu family's territory—a final test.

Going there, money and good looks alone aren't enough. If you lack even a drop of knowledge, or show the slightest stage fright when appreciating calligraphy and paintings, you'll be exposed as a complete laughingstock in front of those culture connoisseurs. At that point, forget about winning the heart of a beauty; Fu Xinghe will probably just blacklist you.

"System," Zhu Xun Chuan whispered in his mind.

【Host, please give your orders.】

"Open the shop. I want to redeem [Top-Tier Eye for Appreciating Traditional Chinese Culture] and [Master-Level Poetry Proficiency]."

[Ding! Target skill level detected is extremely high. 20,000 Reverence Points deducted. Exchange successful.]

A golden light, imperceptible to the naked eye, flowed into Zhu Xun Chuan's crown.

In just a few seconds, a vast collection of calligraphy works by famous masters throughout history, the brushstrokes and details of rare ancient paintings, and five thousand years of poetry and prose were deeply imprinted into his memory and visual nerves, like branding marks.

Zhu Xunchuan opened his eyes.

His once sharp and deep eyes now held a weighty, restrained sense of age. His demeanor instantly transformed from that of a tycoon's son, who was always eager to show off his talents, into that of a learned and refined young master from a distinguished family.

"Professor Fu, see you tomorrow." Zhu Xun Chuan pulled up the covers and fell asleep peacefully.

The next morning. 8:30.

The autumn sun was shining brightly. Many students were already rushing to their 8 AM classes on the Kyoto University campus.

A commotion suddenly broke out outside the balcony of dormitory room 621.

Zhu Xun Chuan changed into an exquisitely tailored, handmade haute couture casual suit. He didn't wear a tie, the collar was slightly open, and he wore the Patek Philippe Nautilus watch worth tens of millions on his wrist. He then pushed open the door and went downstairs.

He stopped in his tracks as soon as he stepped out of the dormitory.

The area was surrounded by students pointing and whispering, and several girls even covered their mouths and gasped.

Right next to the tree-lined path below the dormitory building, there was a long-wheelbase Audi A8L parked steadily.

All black, with sleek and imposing lines. Most striking are the prominent "Horch" crown emblem on the C-pillar, the six horizontal and twelve vertical lines on the hood, and the red "京A" license plate!

It is low-key, yet exudes a terrifying power that can crush a person's bones.

The rear windows slowly rolled down halfway.

Fu Xinghe sat in the car. She wasn't wearing business attire today, but instead an extremely elegant, moon-white, modernized cheongsam. The cheongsam was made of the finest brocade, tightly hugging her alluring and voluptuous figure. Beneath the high collar and knotted buttons was a slender swan neck. At the slit in the skirt, her smooth, jade-like calves were faintly visible.

She turned her head, her gaze sweeping over the crowd and landing precisely on Zhu Xun Chuan. Her red lips parted slightly, uttering two words.

"Get in the car."