No business offered easy money.

Illegal dealings brought quick profits but meant risking one’s life. Liu Yong had nearly lost his life that way. Living in her ivory tower, Xia Zi Yu had neither such opportunities nor would she stoop to running a stall – it would compromise her dignity as a university student. Being a private tutor was respectable for students, putting knowledge to use. However individual vendors were generally looked down upon – a university student running a street stall would not be well-regarded.

The reputation that elevated Xia Zi Yu also constrained her.

She wanted to find an easy way to make big money, but she had no connections in Beijing.

If only Senior Liu didn’t have feelings for Jian Hua. Since she could find tutoring students for him through Professor Liu’s resources, Xia Zi Yu thought she could profit from running tutorial classes. Wang Jian Hua earned two hundred yuan monthly from just a few students – couldn’t she make ten times that by scaling up the tutoring business?

She could charge 10 yuan per student monthly. The class size couldn’t be too large, or students would prefer private tutors instead. Twenty students per class seemed right. With eight weekend days per month, she could schedule about 10 sessions, making it just 1 yuan per lesson – Xia Zi Yu considered this reasonable pricing.

A full class would bring in 200 yuan monthly.

She could hire university students as teachers, paying 5 yuan per lesson – 50 yuan for ten lessons.

One class would net 150 yuan profit.

While it didn’t sound like much, what if she ran ten or twenty classes? Finding teachers wouldn’t be difficult at a teachers’ college – plenty of students aspired to teach, especially with pay offered.

Xia Zi Yu wouldn’t teach herself – she’d just coordinate class schedules and secure a venue.

The more she considered it, the more feasible it seemed.

With monthly earnings of two or three thousand yuan, she might afford her own home in Beijing within two years.

That would secure her future, establishing herself in Beijing. She could seek work there after graduation, completely transforming from a rural Yunan Province girl into a city dweller – a capital resident!

“This plan is feasible – if a snack shop can succeed, this shouldn’t be too difficult.”

What would she need to invest?

Some initial promotional flyers are to be distributed at high schools.

A venue to serve as classrooms, set up as a tutoring center.

Several university students are skilled in various subjects for targeted exam preparation.

Printing flyers cost money, renting space cost money, but finding tutors would cost practically nothing.

Xia Zi Yu calculated that her two thousand yuan would more than suffice to start the tutoring center. Another motivation was that Wang Jian Hua was already an experienced tutor – if he helped at her center, he’d have less contact with Senior Liu.

The business would kill two birds with one stone, leaving Xia Zi Yu thoroughly satisfied.

Of course, she’d establish the center before telling Wang Jian Hua.

Xia Zi Yu felt energized, her recent gloom dispersing. The sky was blue, the air fresh – early May in Beijing had neither sandstorms nor snow, making everything seem perfect.

While the female university student schemed about becoming a boss, the successful proprietor Xia Xiao Lan was immersed in studies, aiming for China’s top university.

Free from the Fan family’s marriage pressure, Xia Xiao Lan devoted herself entirely to studying.

Her routine was simple – Li Dong Liang and Ge Jian had never earned easier money. Xia Xiao Lan covered their meals and lodging. They waited outside the Yu residence before 7 AM, and escorted her to the Commercial University library, with one person stationed at the entrance. She would lunch at the university cafeteria, then return to study until 6 PM.

Li Dong Liang and Ge Jian could take shifts morning and afternoon.

The Commercial University was already quite safe.

While they avoided drawing attention from university students, they couldn’t escape Officer Zhuo’s notice.

Zhuo Wei Ping had come with good intentions to tell Xia Xiao Lan that Fan Zhen Chuan from Hedong County had been arrested, eliminating the forced marriage threat.

Discovering Xia Xiao Lan’s two “followers,” Zhuo Wei Ping initially suspected Fan family persistence and nearly confronted Li Dong Liang and his partner. Xia Xiao Lan gratefully explained to the caring officer:

“Sister Zhuo, it’s a misunderstanding. These comrades are friends, people I know.”

Xia Xiao Lan couldn’t openly call them bodyguards.

When Zhuo Wei Ping seemed puzzled, Xia Xiao Lan elaborated:

“The Fan family situation worried Zhou Cheng, and with my college entrance exam approaching, he introduced these friends to help. We even have two dogs at home – it’s even more extreme.”

Zhuo Wei Ping had considered solutions herself, but Fan Zhen Chuan was quickly dealt with before she could act.

So it was Zhou Cheng again!

Zhuo Wei Ping still felt Zhou Cheng wasn’t simple, yet had to admit sometimes it took unusual people to handle villains. Regardless of why Fan Zhen Chuan was arrested, removing Hedong County’s major criminal benefited local citizens.

Xia Xiao Lan’s attribution of Li Dong Liang and Ge Jian to Zhou Cheng left Zhuo Wei Ping with mixed feelings: Beautiful girls like Comrade Xia Xiao Lan often attracted ill intentions. Though Zhou Cheng showed two faces, he cared deeply for Comrade Xia Xiao Lan. Police couldn’t protect everyone – they needed Zhou Cheng’s help.

Zhuo Wei Ping hadn’t even told Zhuo Na about Fan Zhen Chuan’s attempted forced marriage.

Zhuo Na had never heard of Fan Zhen Chuan from Hedong County. This incident had merely rippled through Xia Xiao Lan’s life, concluding with his arrest. Only those involved remembered, like the anxious Liang Bing An and Liu Fang.

After Zhou Cheng left, Xia Xiao Lan refocused. By early May, Lan Feng Huang’s spring collection was down to remnants, as people exchanged sweaters and windbreakers for long-sleeved shirts.

On May 7th, Xia Xiao Lan, accompanied by Li Dong Liang, went to Anqing County First Middle School to collect her preliminary exam admission ticket.

This time, even Principal Sun personally advised her.

Though not the college entrance exam, the preliminary exam was equally crucial.

Without passing it, the college entrance exam was meaningless. What use was scoring 689 out of 690 points if you couldn’t pass the preliminary? Without clearing this hurdle, you wouldn’t even enter the examination room!

“Xiao Lan’s preliminary exam must go perfectly. Old Wang, you’re responsible for safely escorting Xiao Lan to the exam site in Fengxian City… Book her a room at a guesthouse near the exam venue – the school will cover the costs!”