Ye Qian excitedly grabbed Sang Ning's hand: "Ahhh! President He is here! President He is really here!"
Sang Ning winced at how tightly she was being gripped and gently held Ye Qian's hand to calm her: "Relax, he's not going anywhere."
As the crowd surged in with He Siyu at the center, the entire auditorium buzzed like boiling water, waves of excitement rippling through.
Sang Ning's gaze followed him as he was ushered onto the stage by the university officials. This man seemed born to command such attention.
Ye Qian eagerly pulled out her phone to take a picture but was quickly stopped by security: "No photography allowed in the auditorium, miss."
Ye Qian hastily put her phone away: "Right, President He doesn’t like public exposure. Any event he attends usually prohibits unauthorized photos."
"Why?"
Ye Qian lowered her voice, whispering into Sang Ning’s ear: "You don’t know? Back when Huiyao went public, that financial magazine did an interview with him. The issue sold out in less than a week. Countless people were swooning over President He—it caused quite a stir. After that, he rarely participates in public events, and when he does, photography isn’t allowed."
"That can’t be true, can it?"
"Of course it is! Not only is He Siyu young and wealthy, but more importantly—he’s ridiculously handsome!"
Sang Ning glanced at He Siyu’s bio on the screen—28 years old. Was that even considered young?
She turned away with a slightly critical look.
On stage, a university official took the microphone: "Today, as we celebrate Jing University’s centennial, we are honored to have President He join us."
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
He Siyu picked up the mic and delivered a brief address: "Hello everyone. It’s a pleasure to celebrate Jing University’s 100th anniversary with you all."
The applause grew even louder. Ye Qian clapped so hard her hands nearly went numb.
The host enthusiastically continued: "Since President He is usually quite private and rarely attends events, this is a rare opportunity for our students. Many of you arrived early to secure seats, so we’d like to offer a few of you the chance to ask him questions. How does that sound?"
"YES!" the crowd roared.
"Then, if you have a question, raise your hand!"
Ye Qian’s hand shot up with fervor. Though seated toward the back, her enthusiastic waving was impossible to ignore.
"Let’s start with this young lady."
A staff member passed the microphone over, with Sang Ning helping to relay it. Ye Qian clutched the mic, nearly breathless with excitement: "I’m so—so happy to see President He in person!"
She took a deep breath to steady herself before gripping the mic tightly and asking, "I’d like to ask President He—what kind of projects are you most interested in collaborating on?"
The host smiled. "That’s a great question. Huiyao, founded by President He, is now a leading force in the internet industry. Any project he selects would undoubtedly be a gold-standard benchmark, wouldn’t it?"
He Siyu’s tone remained casual: "Huiyao invests in projects across all industries—we don’t limit ourselves to any single field. What matters is that I see genuine value in the project. The founder’s vision, what sets them apart—they need to articulate their worth clearly and concisely."
Ye Qian squeezed the mic, beaming. "Thank you, President He!"
He Siyu’s gaze briefly flickered to the girl sitting beside Ye Qian. She wore a soft pink shirt-dress, her hair loose—the same well-behaved look as always. But now, she sat quietly, her eyes fixed on the stage yet distant, as if lost in thought.
A cold glint passed through He Siyu’s eyes.
Then, as if sensing his stare, she suddenly looked up—straight into his dark, unreadable gaze. Her breath hitched, a strange sensation of falling into an abyss flashing through her.
But it lasted only a second before he indifferently looked away.
By the time she regained her composure, he was already answering another student’s question.
She must have imagined it. He probably didn’t even recognize her.
Once seated again, Ye Qian was practically floating. She grabbed Sang Ning’s hand, gushing: "Oh my god, I just spoke to President He! That really happened, right?!"
"Yep. That was definitely him."
"Ahhh! I wish I could’ve taken a photo—you could’ve recorded it for me! I’d have sent it to my future kids!"
"..."
"Did I ask a good question?" Ye Qian pressed anxiously.
"Very good. Respectful and thoughtful. He gave you a real answer."
They had known about the Q&A session beforehand, and Sang Ning had helped Ye Qian refine her question.
Ye Qian nodded happily. "Right?! He said eighty words! That’s more than anyone else got!"
"..."
Two more students asked their questions, each receiving succinct but insightful responses from He Siyu.
The host announced: "Alright, we have time for one last question. Who would like to ask?"
Hands shot up across the auditorium. The host selected a girl sitting closer to the front.
"Let’s hear from this student."
The mic was passed over, and the girl stood up, shyly smiling. "I’d like to ask President He—do you have a girlfriend?"
The room erupted in laughter.
Ye Qian gasped. "Damn, she went there!"
Sang Ning frowned slightly.
He Siyu’s expression didn’t change, but his voice turned icy: "Principal Zhang invited me today to offer guidance to Jing University’s students. If you waste this opportunity on frivolous questions, you’re not just disrespecting my time—you’re taking away a chance from someone who actually came to learn."
His cold tone silenced the entire auditorium. No one dared to make a sound.
The girl who had asked the question stood frozen, her face pale with humiliation.
After an awkward pause, the host scrambled to smooth things over: "This is a rare opportunity, so let’s make sure we ask meaningful questions, everyone."
Glancing nervously at He Siyu’s stony expression, the host added, "With that, we’ll conclude the Q&A session. Thank you, President He."
He Siyu gave a slight nod, handed back the mic, and left the stage.
"Next, let’s welcome Principal Zhang for his address!"
Ye Qian grumbled under her breath: "What the hell was that girl thinking? Now President He just left!"
Sang Ning glanced at the girl, now seated again, covering her face as she cried—clearly unprepared for such a public rebuke.
Zhang Liang sighed sympathetically. "President He could’ve been a little kinder."
Sang Ning wasn’t surprised. "Does he strike you as the accommodating type?"
"Well, he looks friendly enough. And so handsome."
"..."
From the first time she’d seen him, Sang Ning had known—this was not a man to be trifled with.
Ye Qian was fuming: "I was still hoping to find a chance to ask President He for his autograph, but now he’s clearly angry and left straight away. Great, now I won’t get my autograph either!"
Sang Ning thought to herself, what’s so great about a lousy autograph anyway? It’s not like you can sell it for money.
She tried to console her: "Forget it. At least you got to talk to President He."
"Fine." Ye Qian sighed in frustration.
Next came the school leadership’s speech, but no one was interested in listening, and many quietly slipped away.
Ye Qian and Sang Ning also left discreetly.
As soon as they stepped out of the venue, Ye Qian’s phone rang. She answered weakly, then hung up with a look of annoyance.
"Just my luck. Old Zheng says I messed up last month’s report and wants me to fix it now." Ye Qian was seething.
"You’d better hurry then. Teacher Zheng is the strictest—if you don’t correct it properly, he won’t let it pass."
Ye Qian shoved her magazine into Sang Ning’s hands. "I’ll go ahead then. Can you take this back for me?"
"Sure."
Ye Qian rushed off in a flurry.
Sang Ning decided to head straight back to class. The school anniversary didn’t really concern their MBI class—today’s lessons were still going on as usual.
She walked down a broad avenue lined with plane trees, heading straight for the teaching building.
Suddenly, voices drifted from ahead. Sang Ning looked up and once again caught sight of that familiar, tall figure.
Two administrators—one plump, one lean—were walking beside He Siyu, chatting amiably.
"President He, it’s an honor for Jing University that you could spare the time to visit today. The scholarship foundation you established has also been a tremendous help to our institution."
"You’re leaving so early today, President He? Won’t you stay for a simple meal?"
He Siyu replied indifferently, "No need. I have other commitments."
"Then let me see you off."
Just as the words were spoken, He Siyu glanced up and noticed Nan Sangning standing not far away. His brow lifted slightly.
The administrators immediately tensed, fearing another student trying to cozy up to him and risk upsetting He Siyu again.
They moved to intercept her first.
But He Siyu suddenly stepped forward, walking toward her with a leisurely stride.
"Waiting for me?"
Nan Sangning froze. "I—"
Before she could say, "Just passing by," he reached out and plucked the magazine from her arms.
His eyes skimmed over the cover, then lifted to meet hers, a knowing glint in his gaze.
