“Come back when you have detailed plans. I’m not good at specific business matters. Since Xia Xiaolan gave you this idea, she can’t abandon it halfway. Discuss the details with her.”

As Kang Lianming spoke, Kang Wei made a face.

Just moments ago, his uncle criticized him for being led by Sister-in-law Xiaolan, but now wasn’t he telling him to clean his nose and let her lead him obediently?

Kang Wei didn’t want to argue with his second uncle – he needed money to start the furniture factory.

His second uncle certainly couldn’t provide funds, but with his reputation, surely getting a small loan would be possible?

As Kang Wei was about to leave, Kang Lianming called out:

“Wait, how did you get here?”

“By bus, how else could I come!”

“Alright, you can go now.”

Kang Wei rubbed his head.

While lying in the hospital bed after surgery, he’d cursed Du Zhaohui endlessly for causing his head injury and all the family restrictions that followed. Leaving Kang Lianming’s office, Kang Wei felt his eyes sting.

Blessings in disguise – sometimes bad events don’t lead to entirely bad outcomes.

Without the accident, he might have resented his second uncle forever.

The family’s concern stopped him from driving again, and Kang Wei didn’t argue.

If he couldn’t drive, so be it. Though the modified Jeep 212 would surely feel amazing to drive, Kang Wei could restrain himself.

“When I make money from the factory, I’ll hire a driver.”

Would Factory Director Kang have no face?

How could a factory director always take the bus?

Kang Wei muttered to himself, feeling his ambitions were grand.

He hadn’t returned to Beijing recently. Besides missing his mother and grandparents, during meals, he kept thinking about visiting Huaqing University.

Grandmother Kang hesitated: “Xiaowei, you’re close with Zhou Cheng, you can’t make such mistakes…”

Kang Wei was puzzled.

His mother Xie Yun quickly interrupted her mother-in-law, “Xiaowei surely knows his boundaries. He must have business matters to discuss with Zhou Cheng’s partner, right?”

Grandmother Kang was half-skeptical.

They said Zhou Cheng’s partner was outstanding. Young people were passionate – what if Kang Wei also took a fancy to her? He was getting too close.

Kang Wei belatedly blushed bright red:

“No, I’m going to Huaqing University to see someone else! You’re all thinking too much!”

He wanted to discuss the furniture factory with Xia Xiaolan in person, but the person he wanted to see was Senior Shan! After exchanging so many letters with Senior Shan, never meeting in person would mean insufficient presence in her eyes. Kang Wei wasn’t that foolish.

Wasn’t Senior Shan interested in Special Economic Zone matters?

He could tell her about it in person!

Every Beijing man could talk eloquently – Kang Wei believed his in-person narration would be more exciting than his letters.

Making up for their lack of writing talent with speech, Kang Wei left his surprised elders behind.

Grandmother Kang looked confused: “What does he mean?”

Xie Yun pondered, “Besides Zhou Cheng’s partner, who else does he know at Huaqing University? Could it be that from frequently visiting Zhou Cheng’s partner, Kang Wei has found someone he likes at Huaqing?”

That would be heaven-sent!

The girl’s family background didn’t matter much – intelligence was key.

And good character, someone who wouldn’t deceive Kang Wei.

…

Kang Wei ran to Huaqing University, dressed properly.

After spending the summer in Pengcheng, running around daily had tanned everyone.

His shaved hair had grown back, mostly covering the surgery scar. He was quite a spirited young man – not embarrassing to meet Shan Yujun.

Shan Yujun hadn’t expected Kang Wei to appear suddenly.

They’d corresponded for so long. Kang Wei mostly discussed serious matters to match her interests, without writing sweet nothings, but if Shan Yujun couldn’t see through Kang Wei’s intentions, she’d be too dull to have entered Huaqing University.

Shan Yujun wasn’t dull at all – she was graceful in appearance and sensitive in thought.

Seeing Kang Wei suddenly appear, she was surprised but not flustered.

“You’re back.”

Though Kang Wei was initially nervous, seeing Shan Yujun’s composure, he, as a grown man, didn’t want to lose face.

What was there to be nervous about? After exchanging so many letters, if they weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend, they were still closer than ordinary friends.

“Yes, I wanted to see you, so I just came. Am I interrupting your classes?”

Shan Yujun shook her head. Kang Wei had brought her something. He knew she wasn’t the type of girl who obsessed over clothes or food and drink. He had bought a camera earlier, and while traveling around for the building materials business, he’d been to many places beyond Pengcheng.

He’d taken many photos and made them into an album for Shan Yujun.

The gift wasn’t particularly expensive or cheap – one or two hundred photos, with film and development costs adding up.

But the gift’s value wasn’t in its price, but in the thought behind it.

He took several photos at each place, mostly landscapes, with occasional solo shots of himself trying to look serious. Looking through them with Shan Yujun was like reviewing all his recent experiences.

For each photo, Kang Wei had a story to tell – with nearly two hundred photos, he had plenty to talk about!

Shan Yujun flipped through the album, watching Kang Wei’s animated storytelling, feeling something stirring in her heart.

Kang Wei wasn’t the first to pursue her.

Even in high school, male classmates had shown interest in her.

Former classmates still remembered her, with some writing letters for two or three years.

Naturally, there were admirers at Huaqing University too!

Among these people, some discussed dreams, literature, and poetry. Those persistently pursuing her were at least undergraduates. Though not all from famous schools – Huaqing’s threshold wasn’t low – old classmates who hadn’t entered university didn’t dare pursue Shan Yujun.

Xia Xiaolan was too beautiful, admirers could only admire them from afar, few daring to pursue her.

Shan Yujun had an approachable temperament, the type male classmates considered ideal for a girlfriend. Even graduate student seniors had shown interest… Honestly, Kang Wei had the lowest education among all her pursuers.

Initially, Shan Yujun hadn’t considered Kang Wei. It wasn’t about education levels – she thought they wouldn’t have common ground.

But Kang Wei’s not reading classics or writing poetry, not packaging himself as a literary youth, didn’t mean he lacked charm.

He was too practical!

And in Shan Yujun’s view, very ambitious.

He’d given up such a good work unit without hesitation. Kang Wei had his interests and didn’t cling to Beijing’s comfortable life. This was more interesting than just talking about grand ideals – Kang Wei didn’t just talk, he was already taking action.

As darkness fell, Kang Wei and Shan Yujun drew closer, until she suddenly looked up, their heads nearly colliding.

Kang Wei blushed deeply, searching for words:

“It’s autumn now, getting dark so early.”

Shan Yujun shook her head, “It’s not getting dark early, you’ve just been talking too long.”

Kang Wei grinned sheepishly. Shan Yujun put the album in her bag and stood up:

“Aren’t you hungry? We can’t finish today’s stories. Can you come back tomorrow to continue?”