Chapter 761: Brothers, I'm Back

“It’s about time you went back to school. Even though you’re technically a big shot in the eyes of the regular employees at the company, you can’t forget you’re still a student. You have to fulfill the duties of your role, and in your teachers’ eyes, you might not be a very good student.”

“That’s true. Besides, I haven’t seen Wei Zhen and the guys in a long time.”

“You were classmates for only a few months before you sprouted wings and flew off. It’s nice that they still think of you.”

“Of course. We’re good brothers. Our bond is still strong even if we don’t see each other.”

As Chen Yuan spoke, he recalled his time in the dorm.

It was undeniably a uniquely pleasant experience. He had never lived in a dorm before. In middle school, he lived in the adjacent family housing, and in high school, he bought an electric scooter and commuted, since it wasn’t far.

Both Wei Zhen and Liu Nan had brought him a lot of joy. As for Quan Yafeng… he wasn’t a man of many words, but he had a great personality—a very warm person.

‘Has it really been that long already?’

Chen Yuan found it hard to believe.

He wondered if Quan Yafeng still liked Li Bing. Given Quan Yafeng’s persistent nature, it was hard to say.

The thought made Chen Yuan all the more eager to go back.

“When are you going? Should I go with you? If you’re going to Lanjing, you could bring back some of my essentials. That way I won’t have to buy everything all over again,” Jiangg Ning said after a moment’s thought.

“Ningning, don’t you have to study? I don’t want to take up your time. I’ll just go by myself. A quick round trip will only take a morning.”

“Okay, that works.”

“In that case, I’ll go tomorrow. Make a list for me. If it’s just a few things, I’ll bring them back in the trunk. If it’s too much, we’ll sort through it and have a moving company ship it back. I’ll have them prepare some extra boxes.”

“Good idea. I’ll make the list for you right now.”

Jiangg Ning moved quickly. She tore a sheet from a nearby notebook and began to write, her elegant script filling the page line by line.

“Pads (a whole box by the bed in the guest room), makeup (everything in front of the vanity mirror in the bedroom, bring back all the unopened ones), luxury bags…”

Chen Yuan stared at the list she was making and pondered for a moment.

“I think we’re definitely going to need a moving company.”

…

「The next morning.」

「In the office of the university’s leadership.」

Several administrators were gathered in a rare meeting. And the young man sitting on the sofa—who else could it be but Chen Yuan.

Before he could even see the principal’s face at the desk, a hearty laugh rang out.

“Haha, to think that another such outstanding student has emerged from Landa University! It’s truly gratifying for us. Landa has always placed great importance on energy and power engineering, but unfortunately, we lag behind the top-tier universities. The reason is none other than a lack of support.”

“That’s right. The school has long considered launching a special project in this area. Landa’s geology program is world-class, that’s widely recognized. Our astronomy and atmospheric sciences programs are also exceptionally rare, among the top research programs in Huaxia.”

“If you, Chen, could act as a bridge to your father, and we could reach a cooperation agreement—no matter in whose name—it would provide countless future Landa students with more opportunities. That would be a truly monumental contribution.”

The three most senior administrators in the university had all come.

The principal, vice-principals, and school heads were all gathered together.

“If we’re making a donation, it will certainly be in Mrs. Jiang’s name. In the future, Mrs. Jiang can also directly invite top talent from the labs in this collaborative project with Landa University, ensuring a complete and forward-looking cycle.”

“Nothing could be better!” A gleam appeared in Principal Dong’s eyes. Though in his sixties, he was still full of vigor. He said with satisfaction, “Don’t be fooled by Chen’s youth. Every word he says resonates deeply with me. It shows a maturity of thought far beyond his peers.”

“And the location?”

“We’ll need to hold a meeting to discuss that properly. It also depends on the funding. The best option would be to merge it with our Landa astronomy department. As it happens, we have an old research plot that hasn’t been renovated… I’m not clear on the specifics, I’ll have to ask Dean Li…”

By the time Chen Yuan and Pei Youwen walked out of the administration office, the matter of donating a laboratory and an academic building was basically settled.

The university also promised that once the buildings were completed and in use, they would definitely bestow upon Chen Yuan the honor of ‘Outstanding Alumnus,’ just like the many entrepreneurs and scientists who had graduated from Lanjing University before him.

Chen Yuan was so embarrassed he couldn’t stand it. He waved his hands in refusal, insisting they could talk about it later.

‘What kind of ‘Outstanding Alumnus’ has to take makeup exams? Or even faces the risk of failing a class?’ The ease with which he was getting this title made him feel a little guilty, even though in the eyes of the university leaders, failing a class was completely insignificant compared to donating an academic building.

“Please, don’t see me out,” Chen Yuan said, bowing to the three administrators who had risen to escort him to the door. “Once the professors have finished their discussion, you can call me anytime, or contact my office secretary. We’ll have someone handle the handover then and discuss it further.”

“Chen, Landa University is honored to have a student like you,” Principal Dong said, his face all smiles.

And just like that, Chen Yuan used his ‘cash’ ability to solve the problem of his long-term absence from campus. Since he was now a future ‘Outstanding Alumnus,’ he naturally had to make his due contribution to society. His academic performance was now a trivial matter.

He was confident that, with a nod from the university leaders, his major-specific professors would no longer fail him.

「Walking on campus.」

Chen Yuan had worn a more formal white shirt for his meeting with the administrators.

He stood out conspicuously among the crowd of students wearing T-shirts.

Somehow, as Chen Yuan walked down the tree-lined avenue, stepping on the sparse patches of light, he felt as if he were in another world… He had been detached from his student identity for so long that the campus now felt unfamiliar.

He didn’t recognize so many of the faces of the students passing by. It had been a long time since he’d experienced this bright, sunny atmosphere, so full of youthful abandon.

A university is an ivory tower. Its main theme isn’t oppressive. Compared to the vast, cruel reality of society, the profound sense of ease here was something you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the world.

Girls in short skirts often walked by in groups, books cradled in their arms, their long legs drawing particular attention.

“School is still the best,” Pei Youwen remarked with a sigh. “Just being here makes me feel younger.”

The wind rushed toward him, brushing over every part of his body.

He wasn’t normally an emotional person, but as he walked on the same tree-lined avenue he had traversed every day for his 8 a.m. classes, a myriad of emotions welled up inside him, momentarily overwhelming him.

‘When will I be back here again?’

‘Maybe by then, he’d be married to the two sisters and would return to this school with Ningning by his side. Or maybe, in the busyness of life, he would have long forgotten this place, returning weathered by the world, no longer a youth.’

“You can wait in the car. I’m going to make a trip to my dorm,” Chen Yuan said to Pei Youwen.

“Alright.”

“I’ll be about an hour.”

Chen Yuan then set off on the path to his dorm.

He had been away for a long time, but the facilities all looked the same.

He walked past the cafeteria. Next to it were some fitness machines. Even on such a hot day, people were still playing on the courts, their clothes soaked with sweat.

The wisteria covering the school’s long corridor was in bloom, blossoming in lush clusters. The clivia lilies placed behind the air conditioning units of the staff building were also thriving, already sprouting pale white shoots.

He reached the men’s dormitory and looked at the familiar room number.

Before Chen Yuan even opened the door, he could hear Liu Nan shouting inside.

He pressed his lips together, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind.

CREAK. He pushed the door open.

Chen Yuan stood in the doorway. The first thing he saw were three faces turning toward him at the same time, followed by their shocked expressions.

Quan Yafeng and Liu Nan were both shirtless. Only Wei Zhen was sitting cross-legged on his bed, fully clothed.

“Brothers… I’m back,” he said lightly, trying hard to keep his lips from smiling.

After a few seconds of silence, it began.

“Old Third!!”

“Yuan, what are you doing back!?”

“You didn’t even tell us you were coming back! I missed you like crazy, Yuan! How’d you get even more handsome, you dog!”

The three of them swarmed him, nearly knocking him over.

In an instant, Quan Yafeng scooped him up and carried him over to a bed. Then, the three of them started roughhousing with him, peppering him with questions without a hint of awkwardness.

Chen Yuan couldn’t take the tickling and clutched his stomach, begging for mercy.

They horsed around for a long time, showing no signs of stopping.

“Didn’t Professor Jiangg Ning come back with you?”

“Didn’t I tell you yesterday? She’s been really busy lately, and Yaoyao’s abroad. She won’t be back for a while, so I came by myself.”

“You punk, fess up. Professor Jiangg Ning or Jiangg Yao, which one did you choose?”

“Is it possible…” Chen Yuan couldn’t help but show off, “that I could marry both?”

The three of them stared at each other.

“You damn scoundrel!!!”

“You actually became a winner at life! I’m so pissed…”

Instantly, the dorm room was filled with howls of mock anguish.