October 22nd.
Today marked the grand opening of the first chain store of Yuyuefang. Liu Yutong couldn’t attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony due to her daytime classes, so she sent Yun Cheng in her place.
Before the first afternoon class, her advisor Lu Hong called her into the office.
When Liu Yutong arrived, Lu Hong was sorting through documents. She looked up as Liu Yutong entered.
"Yutong, your class’s performance for the event has already been submitted. The students have been rehearsing diligently, and you’ve done well in organizing that. But how are things going with the sponsorships?"
Liu Yutong paused slightly. "Professor Lu, the class committee is handling sponsorships, and I even assigned Ling Yan to assist. Has there been no progress?"
Lu Hong sighed. "The class committee just reported back. They’ve approached many businesses, but none agreed. Only one or two were willing to sponsor small things like bottled water—far from enough."
Liu Yutong immediately understood Lu Hong’s implication.
"Professor Lu, are you asking me to secure sponsorships?"
"Of course, as class president, it’s my responsibility to help. But the fact that the class committee came to you without informing me first seems a bit inappropriate. Some might think I’m deliberately avoiding my duties."
A flicker of discomfort crossed Lu Hong’s face. "That’s not the case. I reached out to them first for updates. With the event approaching, I wanted to discuss this with you.
By the way, this event will be attended by several distinguished alumni and high-ranking officials..."
"To be honest, whether I get promoted this year partly depends on our class’s performance."
Liu Yutong’s interest was piqued. She hadn’t expected her advisor to be so candid.
If she could help, Lu Hong would owe her a favor.
Of course, the advisor’s gratitude wasn’t her main concern.
What mattered more were the influential alumni and officials Lu Hong had mentioned.
Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, Liu Yutong asked, "Professor Lu, could you tell me which alumni will be attending?"
"From what I know, Cheng Yong, chairman of Tiancheng Investment, and Lin Ke, deputy president of China Merchants Bank..."
Lu Hong listed four or five names—all prominent figures, including high-ranking officials.
Though their university wasn’t a top-tier institution like the 211 or 985 schools, as a provincial key university, it had produced many influential figures in politics and business.
Lu Hong shared this with Liu Yutong precisely because of her family background.
Students from business families tended to value such connections, whereas ordinary students wouldn’t even be told.
Liu Yutong’s lifestyle—chauffeur-driven luxury cars worth millions—spoke volumes about her background.
Lu Hong had seen her student records, but the registered address meant little. Many millionaires and billionaires still listed their ancestral homes on their IDs.
Wealth made origins irrelevant.
It never crossed Lu Hong’s mind that Liu Yutong might have built this fortune herself. While student startups weren’t rare, most began during internships in their junior or senior years.
If Liu Yutong had truly amassed such wealth on her own, wouldn’t that mean she started in high school?
And achieved remarkable success?
That seemed impossible.
High school was demanding enough—how could anyone balance studies and entrepreneurship?
If she had truly started from scratch back then, she’d be nothing short of a prodigy.
Liu Yutong listened carefully to the names, recognizing most. But only one stood out: Lin Ke, the deputy president.
The surname "Lin" suddenly reminded her of that annoying Lin Muyang.
Lately, he’d been waiting at the school gates every day, clutching extravagant bouquets. The wasted flowers alone must have cost tens of thousands.
His persistence was relentless—like a stubborn shadow, refusing to leave unless Liu Yutong acknowledged him.
Before, she hadn’t known who Lin Muyang really was. But hearing Lin Ke’s name now triggered a memory.
In her past life, she’d heard of Lin Ke—a renowned figure in finance, the "Iron Lady" who became deputy president at just 38.
Yet her downfall had been equally dramatic.
At the peak of her career, a financial investment scandal forced her resignation.
The details were hazy, but Liu Yutong had a bold suspicion.
First, though, she needed to confirm whether Lin Muyang and Lin Ke were connected.
"Professor Lu," she said, "could I volunteer for the event’s outreach team?"
Lu Hong smiled. "Of course. I’ll inform the coordinator right away."
"Thank you," Liu Yutong replied.
When she returned to class, Li Xiaohui waved eagerly. "Yutong-jie! Over here!"
As Liu Yutong approached, Li Xiaohui pulled a heart-shaped letter from her textbook and handed it over, grinning mischievously. "Lin Muyang came again. This time, he sent a love letter. Want to read it?"
Li Xiaohui’s tone had shifted entirely—now addressing Liu Yutong with the affectionate "jie," like an eager sidekick.
To some, like Ling Yan, this seemed like shameless flattery, just currying favor with the rich girl.
Liu Yutong took the letter and tossed it into the trash. "Don’t bring me these things again. Just throw them away."
Li Xiaohui pouted. "Alright... But he’s been so persistent—almost half a month of gifts. Yutong-jie, aren’t you even a little moved?"
Liu Yutong deadpanned, "Keep talking, and you’re fired."
Li Xiaohui immediately backtracked. "Nooo, Yutong-jie, I’m sorry! Next time I see him, I’ll chase him off myself!"
Liu Yutong shook her head. "Xiaohui, don’t judge by appearances. We’ve never even met. What do you think he’s after?"
Li Xiaohui gasped dramatically. "Ohhh! He’s after your body! What a scumbag!"
"..."
Liu Yutong sighed. "No one asked for your commentary."
Li Xiaohui mimed zipping her lips and obediently returned to her phone.
Liu Yutong then turned to Ling Yan, who stiffened noticeably at her approach.
"How's the sponsorship going?"
"It's... still under discussion..."
Seeing Ling Yan's hesitant demeanor, Liu Yutong instantly understood—she must have said something to the class committee, prompting them to go straight to the advisor.
They had been working on securing sponsors together all this time, and with no updates for so long, Liu Yutong had assumed they'd succeeded. That's why she hadn't asked.
Turns out, not only had they failed to secure any sponsors, but they'd also resorted to sneaky maneuvers behind her back.
Liu Yutong gave Ling Yan a long look but said nothing more, only stating calmly, "I'll handle the sponsorship."
With that, she turned and returned to her seat.
