Chapter 12: You Like Nanzhi, Don’t You? 

At the same time. 

The top floor of the Tiancheng Group headquarters. 

After concluding his routine meeting, Jiang Jinnian returned to his office. Zhou Lin followed behind him, dutifully reporting the upcoming schedule and planned engagements. 

Once Zhou Lin finished his briefing, Jiang Jinnian did not comment on any of the scheduled activities. Instead, he simply sat behind his desk and asked, 

“Have you completed the background check on Chi Zheng?” 

Zhou Lin hesitated for a moment before quickly regaining composure. 

From the stack of documents he was holding, he retrieved a file folder and respectfully placed it in front of Jiang Jinnian. 

“It has been thoroughly investigated, President Jiang. This contains all available information on Chi Zheng. Additionally, I have reached out to the overseas research institutions as per your instructions.” 

Jiang Jinnian accepted the folder, giving a brief acknowledgment. Then, he motioned for Zhou Lin to leave. 

Chi Zheng’s background was anything but simple.

Personal details occupied only a small portion of the file. The majority of it consisted of research projects and academic papers Chi Zheng had participated in over the years. 

Jiang Jinnian had little interest in his achievements as a student. He flipped to the last page, found the contact number, and dialed. 

The call was answered quickly. 

After just two rings, the other end picked up. 

“Hello, may I ask who this is?” 

Jiang Jinnian closed the file in his hand, his voice calm and steady. “Hello, this is Jiang Jinnian.” 

… 

Two hours later. 

Chi Zheng, feeling uneasy, took a taxi to Tiancheng Group headquarters. 

Stepping out of the cab, he stood at the base of the towering skyscraper, gazing up at the building that exuded power and wealth at every corner. The nameless tension in his chest surged to its peak. 

Unconsciously, he glanced down at his inexpensive shirt and black trousers. With a mix of apprehension and anxiety, he stepped inside the very building that—even with all his efforts after graduation—he might never have had the chance to enter. 

Zhou Lin had been waiting at the reception desk. 

As soon as he spotted Chi Zheng walking in, he immediately got up and approached him. 

“Chi Zheng, correct? Please follow me.”

Zhou Lin led him into the elevator, guiding him all the way to the quiet and solemn executive office. 

Stepping forward, Zhou Lin knocked on the door. After receiving permission, he pushed it open and gestured for Chi Zheng to enter. 

Chi Zheng felt his nerves tighten further. 

Someone of Jiang Jinnian’s status was a figure he had only ever observed from afar—through financial magazines or business news channels. 

Coming to Tiancheng Group in person to meet such a high-ranking individual, someone far beyond his social class, was a first for him. 

Zhou Lin did not enter. Once Chi Zheng stepped inside, he quietly closed the door and returned to his own workstation. 

Jiang Jinnian set down his pen and looked across the expansive desk at Chi Zheng, who was visibly uneasy. 

His expression remained neutral, showing no discernible emotion. On the contrary, he exuded an air of aloofness, though deceptively approachable. 

“No need to be nervous. I called you here because there’s something I’d like to discuss with you.” 

“President Jiang, please go ahead.” 

Ever since he had answered Jiang Jinnian’s call and throughout his journey to Tiancheng Group, Chi Zheng had been pondering—why would someone of Jiang Jinnian’s stature personally summon an ordinary man like him, someone from an entirely different social class?

At this moment, there was no longer the hazy barrier of a car window at night, no longer the distance of a financial news broadcast screen. Now, facing the legendary ruler of the Jiang family up close, a guess surfaced in Chi Zheng’s mind. 

And Jiang Jinnian’s next words confirmed it. 

“I heard that you and Nanzhi have been getting quite close lately?” 

Chi Zheng subconsciously clenched his hands. 

He had already considered this possibility, so he wasn’t entirely surprised. 

“I…” 

He hesitated, unsure of how to respond. 

Before he could speak, Jiang Jinnian lifted his gaze, looking straight at him. Though phrased like a question, his words were more of a statement. 

“You like Nanzhi, don’t you?” 

Jiang Jinnian’s expression remained calm and unreadable. 

Yet, under that gaze, Chi Zheng felt an inexplicable sharpness, as if it could effortlessly pierce through and see straight into his heart.

The words he initially wanted to deny were forcibly suppressed under Jiang Jinnian’s gaze. In the end, he followed his heart and nodded in acknowledgment. 

“…I do like Nanzhi. I ask for your permission, Jiang, to give me a chance. I will prove to you that my feelings for her are genuine.” 

“Prove?” 

Jiang Jinnian’s lips curved into a faint arc. He tossed the pen in his hand onto the desk, the light sound carrying an undeniable weight. 

“How do you plan to prove it?” 

“Nanzhi is the Jiang family’s most cherished treasure. If you want to be with her, what sincerity can you offer?” 

Jiang Jinnian’s words were not overtly aggressive. 

Yet they still drained the color from Chi Zheng’s face. 

His fists clenched tightly. No matter how unwilling he was— 

He had to admit it. 

Between him and Shen Nanzhi, there was a gap in social class. 

Just like between him and Jiang Jinnian, there was an insurmountable chasm, a divide that no amount of effort could ever bridge.

What he had struggled to fight for, what he had exhausted himself trying to grasp, was something that, at unreachable heights, some people were simply born with. 

“This is an invitation for direct admission into a doctoral program at an overseas university.” 

Jiang Jinnian pushed an envelope across the desk. 

His words were succinct and direct: 

“A fully sponsored overseas doctorate or Nanzhi—choose one.” 

Chi Zheng’s fingers trembled. 

He lowered his gaze to the envelope. 

The name of a prestigious foreign university was printed on it. 

He was already in his senior year. Pursuing a master’s degree and further academic advancement was his most pressing goal. 

He had researched this university before. Given his abilities, his chances of being admitted were slim to none—let alone being offered a fully funded doctoral position. 

Yet now, an opportunity lay right in front of him. 

Chi Zheng stared at the university’s name on the envelope. His hands, hanging at his sides, clenched and loosened, loosened and clenched again.

In the end, his trembling hands reached out and took the envelope. 

Jiang Jinnian wasn’t surprised by his choice. 

On the contrary, it was entirely within his expectations. 

“Since you’ve made your decision,” he reminded, “I hope you will never appear before Nanzhi again.” 

Chi Zheng’s face remained pale. 

Clutching the envelope tightly, he gave his promise: 

“I will honor my word. You can rest assured, Mr. Jiang.” 

— 

 
The news of Chi Zheng’s acceptance into an overseas university spread quickly throughout Huaihai University. 

Listening to the envious chatter around her, Gu Qinghe was first surprised, then puzzled. 

She turned to look at Shen Nanzhi, who was standing by the corridor window, replying to a message.