(fourteen)

Hearing that Lin Tingfeng was outside, Ye Wenyu couldn't help but feel timid. In her mind, she pictured a middle-aged man with balding hair, an oily face, and a big belly. He was the president of the Lin Group and Lin Tingyue's brother. But she couldn't avoid seeing him, after all, he had paid her tuition for four years and was right outside at this moment.

Thinking of this, Ye Wenyu mustered her courage and walked outside. Her palms and back were sweating profusely. No matter what, regardless of the reason why the other party paid her tuition for four years, the fact remained that the tuition had been paid in full, and she should thank them.

As Ye Wenyu walked towards the principal's office, the principal walked ahead of her and smiled, saying, "Student Ye, let me see you out."

As a freshman, Ye Wenyu was overwhelmed by such fiery enthusiasm. It was said that many college students studied at the university for four years, only to see the president once at the graduation ceremony. Although the president was a balding middle-aged man, he was not someone to behold easily. Unexpectedly, Ye Wenyu was so lucky to receive such favor. Not only did she meet the president on the first day of freshman registration, but she was also warmly received by the old president. Now that she was leaving, he was also warmly seeing her off.

Ye Wenyu was flattered and immediately waved her hand, saying, "No need, no need."

The principal, however, remained adamant and walked briskly ahead of Ye Wenyu, waiting for her in the shadows by the door. Ye Wenyu then realized that the principal wasn't just warmly seeing her off; he was trying to secure a second chance to appear before President Lin! Just who was this Lin Tingfeng? How wealthy and powerful was he that he could make the renowned Q University principal so enthusiastic?

Ye Wenyu had a lot of questions in her mind. She thought that she would have to stay at Q University for another four years, and she couldn't afford to offend the principal. So she had no choice but to agree and cooperate with the principal. She walked to the door, and the principal followed behind her. The two of them went out together to see President Lin.

As she stepped out the door, the bright sunlight stung her eyes. She squinted and looked up, her vision blurred, and saw a tall, imposing figure in black standing with his hands behind his back on one side of the tree-lined avenue. Next to him was a black Rolls-Royce.

Ye Wenyu was stunned for a moment. She felt that the figure in the distance was very familiar. He was dressed in a formal suit and his back was as straight as a plumb line. She felt like she had seen him somewhere before. He was dressed in black, and even just his back looked very handsome and extraordinary. This was completely different from the President Lin Tingfeng in her mind.

Ye Wenyu stopped in his tracks, not daring to move forward. At that moment, the principal had already gone to greet him. He bowed slightly and quickly walked up to the man in black, saying respectfully, "President Lin, I've seen Ye out."

The man in black nodded slightly, and slowly turned around, having been admiring the campus scenery.

It was him?!

The person she had seen in the Lin family garden?! Ye Wenyu was so frightened, as if she had seen a ghost in broad daylight, that she dared not move.

She once sat with him in the garden, pouring out her heart. She once laughed with him, mocking the Lin family's garden for its tastelessness, a hodgepodge of Chinese and Western styles. She once jokingly called Lin Tingfeng a rich but tasteless nouveau riche.

How could it be him? He is Lin Tingfeng. That means she laughed and scolded Lin Tingfeng in front of his face, calling him tasteless and a nouveau riche. Good heavens, she wouldn't dare to do that even if she had twelve lives.

Didn't the principal say that it was President Lin Tingfeng who paid her tuition? Isn't this man in black the disappointed guest at the Lin family banquet that night, just like her, a disappointed guest?

Ye Wenyu stared at the man in black in shock. Caught off guard, she didn't move forward; instead, she took a step back. Her face turned deathly pale with fright.

No, no, the tall, handsome man in front of her was definitely not Lin Tingfeng. The principal must be seeing things and had mistaken her for someone else. Ye Wenyu began to turn her head, her big eyes darting around, hoping to find a Mr. Lin who resembled the one in her mind—a balding, pot-bellied, fat, and oily-faced middle-aged man. But there was none.

At this moment, the man in black calmly gazed at her from a certain distance. Seeing her shocked, surprised, and panicked appearance, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.

She must have recognized him. Recalling their last meeting, a warm feeling welled up in his heart. In middle age, such romantic and lovely encounters are becoming increasingly rare.

The principal respectfully called out again, "President Lin—"

Lin Tingfeng didn't want the principal to stand in front of him and Ye Wenyu, blocking his view and embarrassing the young girl, so he waved his hand and slowly said, "Thank you, there's nothing more for you here."

"Okay, then I'll be going. Welcome Mr. Lin to visit and give me guidance again next time." The principal was probably too enthusiastic and respectful to Mr. Lin, and without realizing it, he started using official honorifics while nodding and bowing.

Lin Tingfeng glanced at him. The principal probably knew that if he stayed any longer, he would be like an ugly, giant light bulb, which would annoy people. He immediately nodded and, like a gust of wind, quickly slipped back to his office.

At this moment, only Lin Tingfeng and Ye Wenyu remained outside the principal's office. Lin Tingfeng's driver, being very perceptive, quietly drove away after receiving a look from Lin Tingfeng.

In that instant, Ye Wenyu was absolutely certain that the man in black standing not far away was the same disheartened guest she had unintentionally encountered outside the Lin family banquet that night. She nearly went crazy!

She imagined herself standing in front of him, loudly mocking the Lin family garden for its lack of taste, and cursing Lin Tingfeng as a nouveau riche. She felt like going crazy. She lowered her head and stared at the ground, her face burning. She wished the floor would crack open in an instant so she could crawl into it.

But a long time passed, and the floor did not crack open as she wished. So Ye Wenyu still stood there dumbfounded, the July sun shining down on her head as if it were melting her. Her heart was pounding wildly, her ears were ringing, and she was experiencing alternating chills and fever, shivering uncontrollably. All of this was because of the embarrassing incident when she met him before.

Lin Tingfeng spoke, slowly saying to her, "Come here." He used a commanding tone, but his voice was gentle.

Ye Wenyu felt as if she were being drawn by a magic power. She couldn't help but walk towards him. She stopped quietly in front of him, her head bowed obediently. His height of nearly 1.85 meters blocked the strong July sun, like the shade of a camphor tree, bringing her a cool respite.