The exhibition hall's lunch break area is located on the rooftop terrace, where the transparent glass dome gently filters the sunlight down onto the long tables covered with white tablecloths.
Waiters moved about, the clinking of silver plates creating a tinkling sound that mingled with the faint sounds of traffic outside the window, weaving a picture of a lazy afternoon.
Yu Jiuyuan sat by the window, a medium-rare filet mignon in front of her, and she used her knife and fork elegantly and skillfully.
Her gaze seemed to be fixed on the snow scene outside the window, but her peripheral vision did not miss the undercurrent between Xie Zhecheng and Lin Yanran across the way.
Xie Zhecheng was cutting the steak with his head down, his movements as precise as if he were performing surgery, each cut made with perfect angle and force.
Lin Yanran, on the other hand, seemed somewhat restless, poking at his plate with his fork and glancing at Yu Jiuyuan every now and then before quickly looking away, like a boy with something on his mind.
"Professor Zhang just sent a message saying that he has contacted the academic committee and will re-examine the technical certification of Zhihe Technology," Xie Zhecheng suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. "I'm afraid we're going to have trouble with Su Mingyu."
"He brought it on himself." Lin Yanran snorted, finally forking up a piece of potato and stuffing it into her mouth. "He did some crooked things, so he deserved to be exposed."
“That’s true, but the Su family has a deep foundation in the business world, so they might not suffer this loss.” Xie Zhecheng raised his eyes and looked at Yu Jiuyuan. “They might take their anger out on… people related to us.”
His words were pointed, clearly indicating his concern that Su Mingyu would target Yu Jiuyuan.
Yu Jiuyuan paused in her cutting of steak, and when she looked up, a faint smile appeared on her face: "Young Master Xie is overthinking it. I'm just a student council president, not important enough for the Su family to target me specifically."
“You’re different.” Lin Yanran suddenly interjected, then realized it was inappropriate, her ears turning slightly red, and quickly added, “What I mean is, Saint Sakura Academy has partnerships with many top conglomerates, and the Su family won’t easily offend them.”
Yu Jiuyuan looked at his clumsy explanation, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes.
This proud little animal seems to be starting to express its care in its own way, though the way is still adorably awkward.
“Officer Lin is right.” She put down her knife and fork, picked up a napkin and wiped her lips. “No matter how arrogant the Su family is, they won’t target the people of Saint Sakura Academy. After all, they want to use the academy’s resources to expand their connections in the technology field.”
Her tone was calm and composed, as if everything was under her control.
Looking at her calm profile, Xie Zhecheng suddenly felt that this woman possessed a strange magic that always made people want to get closer and see more of her without them even realizing it.
“By the way,” Yu Jiuyuan said, as if suddenly remembering something, and looked at Lin Yanran, “Besides tempering your character, was there another reason why your father made you join the student council?”
Lin Yanran abruptly stopped, her eyes flickering: "No, what else could it be?"
"I heard that the Lin family is currently in talks with Zhihe Technology about a new energy cooperation project."
Xie Zhecheng spoke up at the opportune moment, his tone calm but precisely hitting the nail on the head, "Chairman Lin probably put you in the student council not only to keep you in check, but also to let you get to know more people in the industry and prepare you for taking over projects in the future, right?"
Lin Yanran's face flushed instantly, like a child whose secret had been exposed: "You investigated me?"
"It's hardly an investigation," Xie Zhecheng said, adjusting his glasses. "I just saw it in a business news article."
"So what?"
Lin Yanran, her neck stiff, spoke with a hint of despair, "What can I do about my father's decision? Am I really supposed to fawn over those old foxes?"
"It takes skill to put on a smiling face."
Yu Jiuyuan suddenly spoke, her tone serious, "Do you think doing business is all about temper? Lin Yanran, arrogance won't put food on the table."
Her words were like a slap in the face, leaving Lin Yanran stunned on the spot.
He opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found himself unable to say anything.
He always thought that Yu Jiuyuan was no different from those girls who fawned over him; she just relied on her family background and beauty to play some petty tricks.
But the clarity and sharpness in those words made him realize for the first time that this seemingly innocent and harmless student council president might be much more capable than he had imagined.
"I..." Lin Yanran's momentum weakened, and her eyes showed a complicated expression. "I understand."
Seeing his rare show of submission, Yu Jiuyuan's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.
With a favorability rating of 46, there is indeed a lot of room for improvement, but at least the little beast has begun to listen to her, which is a good sign.
Just then, Yu Jiuyuan's phone suddenly vibrated.
She picked it up and saw it was a message from an unknown number:
[President Yu, I'd like to discuss Lingxi AI with you privately. Su Mingyu.]
Yu Jiuyuan's eyes turned cold.
Su Mingyu was quite good at finding opportunities, knowing to ask her out alone at this time.
"What's wrong?" Xie Zhecheng noticed the change in her expression and asked with concern.
"It's nothing." Yu Jiuyuan put away her phone, her face returning to calm. "It was a harassing message from an insignificant person."
She didn't plan to tell them about Su Mingyu's invitation.
Some things are better handled by yourself.
"Have you finished eating?" Yu Jiuyuan picked up her handbag and stood up. "I've rested enough. There are still a few key exhibition areas to visit this afternoon."
Xie Zhecheng and Lin Yanran also stood up immediately. Lin Yanran looked at Yu Jiuyuan's back, hesitated for a moment, and still couldn't help but say, "Um... thank you for earlier."
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