The early October morning carried a faint chill. Meng Ting hadn’t seen Jiang Ren for almost a year, and when she saw him now, she was stunned.

Half a year ago, Jiang Ren had been smiling nonchalantly, toasting executives in Xiaogang City. Now, the man before her had short black hair and a meticulously knotted tie. He wore a perfectly tailored suit and drove a Bentley. His entire being exuded the aura of a successful businessman.

He pressed his lips together, watching her approach.

“What’s wrong? Don’t recognize me?”

She nodded, staring at him without blinking.

He wasn’t like the somewhat insecure young Jiang Ren she remembered. Instead, he resembled the unfamiliar, cold entrepreneur from her memories.

Cold and unsmiling, his every gesture carried a hint of ruthlessness.

For a moment, she almost didn’t dare to recognize him.

As if she had crossed a portal of time, Meng Ting witnessed his growth. Yet she remained in the passing years, unable to see through the layers of mist separating past and present lives.

Jiang Ren frowned.

His tension hadn’t dissipated, causing his face to remain expressionless. When he didn’t smile, he appeared distant and cold.

She tilted her head, glancing at his new car, thinking how quickly this man had grown.

He even wore an expensive watch.

Meng Ting didn’t dare to throw herself into his arms.

He stepped forward, embracing her soft, fragrant body through the slight chill of the morning air. “It’s only been a short while. Have you forgotten what I look like?”

One day, she would be the death of him.

She didn’t say he was handsome or impressive. She said she didn’t recognize him.

Resting his chin on her shoulder, he said softly, “I’m Jiang Ren, your man.”

Meng Ting blinked and whispered her true thoughts, “You don’t look approachable at all.”

“What does ‘approachable’ look like?” He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Like last year, covered in cement?”

Meng Ting didn’t answer, her cheeks flushing.

She felt his aura had strengthened considerably. Could becoming a big boss change someone so much?

Jiang Ren’s lips curved into a smile as he opened the passenger door for her. “Shall we get in the car and talk?”

“Okay.” After all, it was the girls’ dormitory, and his luxury car had caused quite a stir. Many girls without morning classes were peeking out in their pajamas.

Meng Ting didn’t like being the center of attention, and she needed time to process everything.

Jiang Ren leaned in to fasten her seatbelt, then drove off campus. As the morning mist gradually dispersed, Meng Ting asked curiously, “Have you made a lot of money?”

He couldn’t help but laugh, “Yes, a lot of money.”

For someone born with a silver spoon like Jiang Ren to say “a lot of money,” he must have truly become incredibly wealthy.

He couldn’t resist glancing at her expression.

Her big eyes were looking out the window, seemingly indifferent.

Jiang Ren stepped on the brakes on a small campus road.

He took out his phone from his pocket, tapped it a few times, then handed it to her. “Read this.”

Meng Ting lowered her gaze. It was a news feature, mainly about the “Lingting” real estate project in H City and its owner, Jiang Ren.

She bit her lip, controlling her smile. Looking at the man’s stern profile, Meng Ting read the flattering paragraph in a sweet voice: “Mr. Jiang, young and accomplished, with unique insight, has become a new nobility in the real estate industry in just a few years. With a net worth of hundreds of millions, in this year of rapidly rising house prices, he is undoubtedly the king.”

She looked at him. The man’s face was tense and expressionless, but he was paying attention to her reaction.

She wondered who wrote this report; it was so embarrassing.

She knew what Jiang Ren wanted to hear. Her saying she didn’t recognize him when they met had made him feel dejected.

After several seconds of silent eye contact, Meng Ting finally couldn’t help but smile. Her eyes were bright as she said, “Mr. Jiang is so impressive.”

Jiang Ren’s lips curved upward as he said softly, “Mm.”

She continued praising him: “Young and accomplished, handsome and dashing, stylish and generous, a new nobility in real estate.”

Jiang Ren leaned closer, his eyes filled with amusement. “Are you being serious or just teasing?”

Meng Ting’s eyes crinkled into crescents. “Are you overjoyed?”

“Meng Ting,” he chuckled, “next time you praise someone, don’t ask that question.”

He knew the answer.

She was obedient and didn’t ask. The car was warm, so she lowered the window slightly for some air. “How long are you staying in B City this time? When are you going back to H City?”

“I’m not going back. I’m here to take care of you.”

Meng Ting’s eyes widened. “Take… take care of me?”

She hadn’t taken him seriously before, but now, seeing Jiang Ren’s demeanor, she realized he was truly intent on being her boyfriend. She was a bit dazed.

Last year, that young man would only naturally walk with her on B University’s campus at night when no one could see them. He was so afraid that rumors might make her university life unpleasant.

Now, his attitude of wanting to announce to the whole world “I’m her man” made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

Jiang Ren smiled and said, “You dare say no without trying?”

His fingertips touched her soft cheek. “I’m sorry I’m a bit late.”

Jiang Ren drove to an apartment building off-campus. Houses near B University were expensive, but for the current Jiang Ren, it was just pocket change.

In H City, he was now just waiting for the subsequent crazy profits. The housing market was red-hot, and he had no worries about money at all.

When Jiang Ren gave her the key, Meng Ting opened the door.

The two to three-hundred-square-meter apartment left her stunned.

Jiang Ren had connected an entire floor to make her a new home.

Money can make anything happen. The house was already beautifully decorated, even featuring a spiral staircase. Under the crystal chandelier was an aquarium wall with several beautiful goldfish swimming inside.

The sofa looked cozy.

Jiang Ren hugged her from behind. “Do you like it?”

Meng Ting was scared.

Although she knew Jiang Ren was generous, the wealthy Jiang Ren was terrifying. His spending his last twelve yuan to treat her to a meal was different from giving her a luxury house.

A favor received should be remembered for a thousand years. She felt she was too used to being poor and suddenly felt very afraid.

Meng Ting said softly, “I don’t want this. You’re scary.”

He tightened his arms around her slender waist, curved his lips, and said firmly, “You must accept it.”

Rumors spread quickly. The news of a Bentley driving into the school that morning had spread throughout the entire campus. The students weren’t stupid; combining this with the welcoming red text on the school bulletin board, they guessed his identity.

That impressive new real estate tycoon — Mr. Jiang.

Mr. Jiang drove to the school, forgetting about the principal and dean.

He came to pick up Meng Ting, the beauty of the law department.

Not to mention those who didn’t understand the situation, even Song Huanhuan felt like she hadn’t woken up. She pulled the equally confused Mi Lei and asked, “Wasn’t Meng Ting’s boyfriend a construction worker?”

Mi Lei was dumbfounded. “The construction worker thing was just a rumor you guys spread. How would I know?”

“If he wasn’t a construction worker, why was he covered in cement?”

Mi Lei was silent for a moment. “He could have been a startup boss.”

“…”

Song Huanhuan asked, “Are you saying this super cool guy is Meng Ting’s new love interest after she came to her senses?”

“Just look up Mr. Jiang online and you’ll know.”

“Okay.” Heaven knows her hands were shaking.

Song Huanhuan opened a web page and typed in the keywords “Lingting Real Estate Mr. Jiang.”

A flood of news popped up, and not only that but there were also related results about the Junyang Jiang family.

Song Huanhuan numbly closed the web page, unable to process it for a while. That big shot was called Jiang Ren.

Once the crown prince of Junyang, now everyone recognized him more for his other identity: the big boss of the new enterprise, Xiting.

If the former made Jiang a rich second generation, the latter meant he represented a wealthy family in his own right.

Either way, it was shocking.

Just before 8:35 this morning, everyone at B University thought Meng Ting’s boyfriend was a construction worker. After 8:35, that “construction worker” drove a Bentley, wore a suit and leather shoes, and entered the campus as an honored guest of the principal.

Those who had previously joked about the law department beauty’s boyfriend now felt their faces burning with embarrassment.

“No way, this is that same boyfriend? You guys must have seen it wrong. Her boyfriend is Mr. Jiang?” Wasn’t he supposed to be poor and down on his luck from working construction?

“So many people saw him this morning. How could it be fake?”

“It feels like a dream.”

Thinking back to the previous mockery, comparing Meng Ting’s boyfriend to Zhu Jing’s boyfriend.

Back then, they thought Zhu Jing’s boyfriend was refined, from a good family, and romantic, buying Zhu Jing new clothes and having candlelit dinners.

Meng Ting’s boyfriend treating her to small wonton soup seemed laughable in comparison.

But now, the man who was once ridiculed as uncultured had casually donated a large sum to the school, came from an incredibly good family, and was unbelievably rich.

In a year when owning one house could make you comfortably well-off,

His completed major project instantly made him an extremely dazzling figure.

Mr. Jiang, this mature and incredibly impressive big shot, made Zhu Jing’s boyfriend look like an immature little boy in comparison.

This rumor spread quickly, but because it was so unbelievable, most people expressed disbelief. Some even suspected that Meng Ting had simply come to her senses and found a new boyfriend.

While the two factions were arguing, Jiang Ren was taking Meng Ting shopping for a meal.

In the past, when he took her to the supermarket, he only had a measly 400 yuan on him.

In the mall, Meng Ting found her hand held firmly as he insisted on buying things for her.

Meng Ting said, “No more, let’s go home first.”

“Last year, when I came back to B City that night, I walked from your school back to the apartment until 4 AM. When I saw the beautiful clothes in the shop windows, I thought they should be yours,” he said softly.

All the beautiful things in the world should be hers.

Meng Ting felt touched and amused. “Can we take it slow? Aren’t you afraid I’ll be more interested in your money?”

Jiang Ren’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “It’s more useful to be interested in me. As long as I’m here, I’ll earn money for you to spend for a lifetime.”

Her cheeks burned.

She couldn’t accept this so quickly, and Jiang Ren didn’t push her. He took her to finish their meal and then showed her some documents.

On an early autumn afternoon, in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows.

He stroked her hair. “You’re a sophomore this year.”

Meng Ting looked at the share transfer agreement. He held her hand and put a pen in it.

“If you won’t let me buy things for you, then sign this.”

Meng Ting’s heart raced. It was a share transfer. Had Jiang Ren gone mad?

Jiang Ren calmly instructed her, “Sign here.”

He pointed at the blank space and kissed the corner of her mouth.

He was both gentle and domineering.

The cost of Jiang Ren keeping a woman was so high, that his father would be furious if he knew. Meng Ting pushed his face away. “I won’t sign. You’re too excited right now, not thinking clearly. When you’re calm, we’ll talk properly.”

This was billions of yuan, not just a few sheets of draft paper.

“I’m very clear-headed,” he said. “I’ll give you everything. Do you love me?”

She stared at him wide-eyed, and after a long while, she stuffed the papers back into his hands.

The transfer agreement wasn’t prepared today, so how long had he been planning this?

She felt he had gone crazy thinking about her. If the woman he’d gone crazy for wasn’t her, she might have found it amusing, but now she couldn’t laugh at all.

Meng Ting looked at him seriously. “Let’s take it slow.”

A phone rang.

After a long silence, Jiang Ren curved his lips. “Alright.”

The call was from Sun Yi.

Jiang Ren chatted with him for a few sentences, then said “Okay” with a smile.

After hanging up, Jiang Ren didn’t mention his earlier impulsiveness at all. He looked at Meng Ting and said, “Do you know what I was supposed to do today?”

“I don’t know.”

“I was supposed to discuss a speech.”

Meng Ting had a frightening guess. “A speech at our school?”

He chuckled, teasing her. “Yes, a high school graduate giving an inspirational speech to prestigious university students. Wouldn’t that be fun?”

The expressions of the liberal arts students would probably be quite spectacular.