Chapter 21

In the first month of business, they had a great start, with the store generating a monthly income exceeding 20,000 yuan. Qian Youlai and Wang Li not only received a 50 yuan salary but also received a 100 yuan bonus, bringing great joy to both of them.

During the first month of the business, Tian Yuxi went to Beijing University to find Song Haowen twice. However, as Song Haowen usually stayed at home on weekends and Sundays, she couldn’t meet him and was unsure about what he was busy with.

Not only did Tian Yuxi find it strange, but even Song Haowen’s classmates also found it incomprehensible. They felt like he had changed; he was always busy, rushing in and out, avoiding all team activities. Later, he even took leave from Professor Jin, the counselor, and didn’t stay on campus at night.

After two classes in the afternoon, Song Haowen, as usual, picked up his backpack and headed out of the classroom. Zhu Hongyu immediately stopped him, saying she needed to talk to him. Although he felt a bit reluctant inside, he didn’t show it on his face. After all, he respected this class leader who was a few years older than him and always treated her like an elder sister.

“Have you been hiding something from everyone lately?” Zhu Hongyu asked with concern when they reached the lawn outside the building.

“No, not at all,” Song Haowen immediately denied with a smile.

Zhu Hongyu was puzzled. “Then why haven’t you been participating in our group activities recently? And I heard you’ve been living off-campus.”

Song Haowen thought for a moment and felt that he couldn’t reveal everything at the moment. However, to reduce everyone’s suspicion, he could reveal a little.

“Class leader, can I call you sister in private?”

Zhu Hongyu’s face immediately turned slightly red. She scolded, “I could have been your sister from the beginning. If you want to call me sister, just do it.”

Song Haowen smiled happily and said, “Sister, it’s great to have a sister to take care of me in this unfamiliar city.”

Zhu Hongyu pretended to be angry. “Don’t sweet-talk me. Since you admit I’m your sister, you have to tell your sister the truth.”

Staring into her beautiful eyes, Song Haowen said, “I hope, sister, you can keep this matter a secret between the two of us.”

Zhu Hongyu frowned and asked, “What’s so mysterious about it?”

“I rented a place off-campus,” Song Haowen said cautiously. He didn’t dare to mention that he had bought the house; that would be a bombshell.

Zhu Hongyu was completely confused. “Huh? The school provides free dorms, and living with classmates is good, isn’t it? Why are you renting a place? And is your family very wealthy?”

Song Haowen explained, “I partnered with a friend to start a business and made some money.”

Zhu Hongyu was a bit angry and said, “You are a university student now; you should focus on your studies and not disappoint everyone’s expectations. Even if you don’t consider contributing to the country after graduation, wasting your life like this is not acceptable.”

Shaking his head, Song Haowen said, “I don’t want to be a scientist. That’s not my aspiration.”

Hearing this, Zhu Hongyu became even more upset and said, “What are you even thinking! Your academic talent is one of the best in the class. You could achieve a lot in the field of science. But instead, you want to be a businessman! If you knew that, you should have studied economics or management, finance, or accounting. Why did you come to the physics department now?”

Song Haowen defended himself, “Not everyone who studies physics becomes a scientist. Many end up becoming physics teachers or engineers. Besides, going to university is just an experience in life. There’s no need for everyone to settle down for life just because of it.”

Due to his past life experiences, Song Haowen viewed university majors with a detached perspective. However, Zhu Hongyu didn’t have such experiences and had a more straightforward mindset, living with passion.

Zhu Hongyu, feeling frustrated, advised, “Think about it carefully when you go back. Don’t remain stubborn.”

Understanding the limitations of people in this era, Song Haowen softened his tone and said, “Sister, you’ll understand in time. If you have time, I’ll take you to see the house I rented. Maybe it will give you some new perspective.”

Zhu Hongyu sighed and said, “You are the youngest in our class. I hope you won’t go astray. Listen to your sister, focus on your studies, and don’t think about making money.”

Not wanting to disappoint her, Song Haowen reluctantly agreed, “Okay, sister, I’ll listen to you. I’ll study hard and strive to be an excellent student this semester.”

Feeling somewhat relieved, Zhu Hongyu said, “As an experienced person, sister is nine years older than you. Listen to sister, and you won’t go wrong.”

Song Haowen nodded without saying much. In his previous life, he was a computer science master from Zhejiang University and a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence from Cambridge. He was a top authority in semiconductor chips. It’s not that he didn’t love science and technology; he just wanted a different way of life.

Despite his disagreement with Zhu Hongyu’s ideas, Song Haowen was genuinely grateful for her sincerity and concern.

After parting ways with Zhu Hongyu, Song Haowen didn’t go back to the dormitory; he went straight home. There were many tasks waiting for him to complete.

Tian Yuxi came to find Song Haowen again. This time, it was during the afternoon break, and she took leave to catch him. This time, Song Haowen didn’t disappoint her this time and met her outside the University building.

Seeing Song Haowen, Tian Yuxi was both happy and a bit angry. Biting her lip, she refused to speak.

Feeling a bit guilty, Song Haowen apologized continuously. While doing so, he briefly reported his recent situation to her.