Li Rong stared at the intricate golden tower design for a full minute. He didn’t open the drawer further to examine the papers, instead returning to the sofa, lounging lazily as he closed his eyes to rest.
He knew that even if he opened the drawer, he wouldn’t find anything meaningful—because this was all something Zhang Zhaohe had planned in advance.
Fetching water was an excuse, leaving the drawer slightly open was intentional, and letting him see the emblem was the true purpose.
Zhang Zhaohe hadn’t even used any complex tricks; it was a deliberate display. Even his loud, echoing footsteps as he walked away had been deliberate.
Li Rong could easily deduce that it was intentional—too coincidental to be otherwise.
And Zhang Zhaohe knew that Li Rong would realize this. If Li Rong had been slow-witted or incapable, Zhang Zhaohe wouldn’t have sought him out in the first place.
Not long after Li Rong closed his eyes, Zhang Zhaohe returned, holding his cup of steaming water.
The black thermos exuded thick steam, which merged into the not-so-cool air of the room.
Zhang Zhaohe sat down in his sunlit office, still dressed in his long-sleeved Zhongshan suit, without even turning on the air conditioning.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said courteously—far too courteous for a teacher addressing a student.
Li Rong opened his eyes and curled his lips into a faint smile.
The age gap between him and Zhang Zhaohe was significant, creating a chasm that often brought misunderstandings and disconnect. Yet Zhang Zhaohe showed him such respect and importance.
“What did you want to discuss with me?” Li Rong asked indifferently.
As Zhang Zhaohe sat down, his gaze flicked to the slightly ajar drawer. Noticing no signs that it had been moved, he shifted his eyes away.
“I was an old acquaintance of your father,” Zhang Zhaohe began, “so I can’t treat you as just another student. You’ve probably heard of my reputation—my classes aren’t exactly the best. I don’t want to hold you back. If you’d like, I could…”
He spoke slowly, his words clear and deliberate, with a steadiness that ensured understanding. Yet the lack of vocal inflection could easily lull students to sleep in a lecture.
“Transfer me to Class 1?” Li Rong interrupted.
Zhang Zhaohe didn’t deny it and nodded calmly. “If you’re willing, now’s the best time since the class assignments are still fresh and your name hasn’t drawn much attention. It’ll be harder to handle later.”
Li Rong lowered his gaze, his eyes resting on the polished floor. “Do you think it’s appropriate for a teacher to talk about favoritism and backdoor arrangements?”
Zhang Zhaohe countered, “Do you think such things wouldn’t happen just because I don’t mention them?”
Li Rong paused, then remarked meaningfully, “I didn’t expect you to be so straightforward.”
With a sigh, Zhang Zhaohe urged, “Don’t gamble with your future. If you’re serious about entering your parents’ field, you must commit fully. This field has a high threshold—it’s all or nothing. If it doesn’t interest you, you might be better off pursuing a more lucrative career.”
Li Rong spread his hand, staring at the fine lines in his palm. “My interest in biochemistry is mediocre, but someone told me I must choose this path.”
“Who?” Zhang Zhaohe asked.
Li Rong raised his head, his expression innocent. “Xu Wei. I believe that’s the name.”
Zhang Zhaohe was silent for a moment, then his smile deepened, and the lines at the corners of his eyes grew more pronounced. “There were plenty of rumors back then.”
Li Rong nodded in agreement, his face full of feigned remorse. “Yes, it’s my fault for being careless and causing trouble for him.”
Zhang Zhaohe didn’t dwell on the topic. “So, do you want to transfer classes?”
Li Rong looked puzzled. “Since you’re on good terms with my father, you’ll probably take care of me, right? Why would I need to transfer?”
“Child,” Zhang Zhaohe sighed, “I can only look out for you temporarily, not forever. I’m nearing retirement and will step down after this cohort. The rest of your journey will be up to you.”
Li Rong frowned, as if hesitating.
With another sigh, Zhang Zhaohe offered, “How about this? I’ll take you to visit the lab sometime so you can experience the atmosphere of the field. Then you can make a decision. If it doesn’t suit you, you can consider applying for an exchange program abroad in your second year.”
Finally, Li Rong relented. “Alright. Thank you.”
Zhang Zhaohe nodded. “You may leave for now.”
Li Rong stood, leaving the displaced sofa cushion as it was, and headed straight for the door.
Zhang Zhaohe watched him until he disappeared, then instinctively touched the pen hanging on his chest again.
As soon as Li Rong exited the physics and chemistry building, he dialed Cen Xiao’s number.
“Where are you?”
Cen Xiao: “Done talking?”
Li Rong glanced at his phone to check the time. He had spoken with Zhang Zhaohe for less than half an hour.
Li Rong: “Yeah, done. I’ve got something to tell you. I’ll come find you.”
Cen Xiao: “I’m near the Science and Chemistry building. I’ll head over now. Wait for me at the main entrance.”
Li Rong raised an eyebrow slightly. “Alright.”
He almost forgot that Cen Xiao was as familiar with A University’s campus as he was.
In less than five minutes, Cen Xiao arrived, carrying a bag of food.
Li Rong peered into the bag and found a box of freshly made baojiang tofu.
The residential area for A University’s staff and their families had many small food stalls. Most of these vendors were retired professors or their spouses, who found idleness unbearable.
Besides, many of them came from regions with authentic culinary traditions.
Students loved buying food there, with baojiang tofu being a particularly popular item. It was so successful that some students calculated the vendors’ annual earnings were several times the salary of an actual professor.
Li Rong, without hesitation, reached into the bag, forked a piece of tofu, and popped it into his mouth.
He hadn’t had breakfast yet, and he was indeed hungry.
“What do you think of Zhang Zhaohe?” Cen Xiao tilted the box to make it easier for Li Rong to eat.
Li Rong blinked and furrowed his brows slightly. “Strange. He deliberately showed me a logo of a golden conical tower on a stack of documents. I’ve never seen it before.”
Cen Xiao murmured softly, “A golden conical tower?”
Li Rong: “Do you know it?”
Cen Xiao slowly shook his head. “No. But organizations usually design unique symbols for themselves. The meaning of the symbol often aligns with the organization’s philosophy. For example, both the Blue Pivot United Commerce Association and the Hongsuo Research Institute have their own logos. Even the eight divisions under Blue Pivot each have different ones. When you saw that tower, did it remind you of anything?”
Li Rong chuckled lightly. “Praying to gods or worshiping? Nothing else comes to mind.”
Cen Xiao: “Don’t worry. If he’s willing to show it to you, there’ll come a time when he lets you in on the details.”
As Li Rong slowly chewed the soft, savory tofu, his gaze drifted to a distant poplar tree. He seemed lost in thought. “Also, I mentioned Xu Wei’s name to him and pinned some rumors on him, but Zhang Zhaohe didn’t seem to believe me. Either he has a good relationship with Xu Wei, who may have confided in him, or…”
Cen Xiao: “Xu Wei is important and likely knows a lot of inside information. But for now, we can’t approach him lightly. He’s staying overseas to avoid trouble and protect himself. He has a conscience but is extremely fearful. Right now, he wouldn’t say anything to us. Whoever wins, he’ll side with them.”
Li Rong agreed with Cen Xiao’s assessment, which was why they were waiting and watching.
After hesitating briefly, he added with some uncertainty, “There’s one more thing. Zhang Zhaohe encouraged me to join a better class and take this major seriously. When he said those things, I could genuinely feel that he wanted the best for me.”
Cen Xiao was slightly surprised. “Really? I… never paid much attention to him. He’s too unremarkable.”
Li Rong understood what Cen Xiao meant by “never paid attention”—he was referring to after Li Rong had been poisoned and died.
Compared to someone like Du Mingli, the head of the Ghost Eye Group, a low-ranking lecturer in A University’s biochemistry department truly didn’t stand out.
Li Rong sighed softly. “Let’s take it slow. It’s only the beginning of the semester.”
As he spoke, he forked another piece of tofu and brought it to Cen Xiao’s mouth.
Cen Xiao lowered his gaze, accepted the tofu, and muttered indistinctly, “Enough for me. You eat.”
Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh at this. “We really seem like… a regular couple right now.”
Given Cen Xiao’s wealth, buying out all the baojiang tofu wouldn’t even make a dent in his finances. But buying just one portion purely for Li Rong, and then casually offering to share it, created a sense of shared simplicity.
It made Li Rong feel as though they were simply college students with tight budgets, indulging in a single treat and sharing it willingly.
That illusion of a shared struggle felt unexpectedly sweet. So, on a whim, Li Rong leaned in and kissed Cen Xiao on the lips.
His eyelashes fluttered lightly, and the strands of his hair danced in the warm breeze. In the radiant sunlight, his slightly curved brows and eyes seemed to carry warmth.
“Today’s kiss tastes like pepper and salt.”