12: Chapter 12 Private WeChat

"Doing well?"

She smiled, a hint of helplessness in her expression. "You think I don't know? I've heard about your family situation. You attend classes during the day and deliver food at night. The dark circles under your eyes are almost down to your chin."

Jiang Chen remained silent.

Su Wanqing sighed, stood up, walked to the water dispenser, and poured him a glass of water.

As she bent over, the neckline of her knitted cardigan opened slightly, revealing a patch of fair skin.

Then she placed the water glass in front of him. Instead of returning behind her desk, she walked around it and sat in the chair next to him.

The distance between them suddenly closed.

It was close enough for him to see the curve of her eyelashes and the faint lipstick on her lips.

"I know you have a strong sense of self-respect."

Her voice was very soft, carrying a hint of tenderness.

"But don't push yourself too hard. If anything happens, you can talk to me. I don't want you to neglect your studies."

Jiang Chen looked up at her.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the blinds, casting fragmented shadows across her face.

Her eyes were bright, like a pool of spring water, as she stared intently at him.

Her legs were slightly tilted to the side, and the hem of her pencil skirt had slid up a bit, revealing a section of her fair thighs.

This caused Jiang Chen's gaze to shift involuntarily.

"Thank you, Teacher Su."

He said, "But I'm really okay."

Su Wanqing stared at him for a few seconds, a hint of heartache in her eyes.

"You don't have to force yourself."

She said softly, "The department has some assistance policies. I can help you apply."

Jiang Chen was silent for a few seconds.

Then he looked up at her.

"Teacher Su, there's something I want to tell you."

Su Wanqing was stunned for a moment. "What is it?"

"I'm not short on money."

Jiang Chen said, "I'm not forcing myself; I really don't lack it. This assistance policy should be left for students who truly need it."

Su Wanqing looked at him, a flash of surprise in her eyes.

"Are you sure?"

Jiang Chen nodded.

"Recently... I've been doing some investing."

He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Gold Futures. I've made some money."

Su Wanqing's eyes widened slightly.

"Gold Futures?"

She repeated, her tone carrying quite a bit of surprise. "You're doing it yourself?"

"Yeah."

"How much did you make?"

Jiang Chen thought for a moment and gave a conservative figure. "A few tens of thousands."

Su Wanqing stared at him for a few seconds, then slowly smiled.

That smile contained surprise, admiration, and a hint of something indefinable.

"So now, you're not short on money?"

"Yeah."

Su Wanqing leaned back in her chair, arms crossed over her chest. This posture made the curves of her figure even more prominent.

"Then I was indeed overthinking things."

She smiled. "But being able to make money on your own shows that you didn't learn your major courses in vain."

Jiang Chen didn't speak.

Su Wanqing looked at him, her gaze becoming more scrutinizing.

"Gold Futures are very risky."

She said, "Was your ability to make money due to luck or skill?"

"A bit of both," Jiang Chen said.

Su Wanqing nodded and didn't press further.

"However, I have a question for you."

"Please, go ahead."

"How did you think of doing Gold Futures?" She leaned against the edge of the desk, looking at him. "A freshman with family difficulties... most people wouldn't think of touching that."

Jiang Chen was silent for a second.

"I just... wanted to try."

Su Wanqing stared at him for a few seconds, then laughed.

There was a hint of playfulness in her smile.

"Alright, that's a very sincere answer."

She stood up, walked over to him, and handed him a business card.

"This is my private WeChat. If you have any financial questions in the future, you can ask me. Free consultation."

As she approached, the scent of jasmine wafted over, mixed with her body heat. She was excessively close.

The moment Jiang Chen's fingers touched the card, the fragrance became even stronger.

He suddenly felt his ears burning.

This is unbearable!

A mature Big Sister is truly the GOAT.

He lowered his eyes, staring at the card in his hand, not daring to look up.

There was only a name and a string of numbers on it.

"Thank you, Teacher Su," he said, his voice a bit lower than before.

Su Wanqing nodded but didn't straighten up immediately.

She remained bent over, very close to him—so close he could hear her faint breathing.

"But I have to remind you."

Her voice was very soft. "In the financial market, you earn quickly, but you lose even faster. Don't be too overconfident."

Jiang Chen looked up and met her gaze.

Her eyes were right in front of him, reflecting his shadow.

"I know."

Su Wanqing stared at him for a few seconds, then slowly straightened up.

"Alright, you can go now."

She turned toward the door. "I support your decision to leave the department's assistance quota for students who truly need it."

...

When Jiang Chen came out of the office, the sunlight was slanting across the corridor.

As he walked, he took out his phone and searched for the WeChat ID using the number on the card.

The profile picture was a selfie of her, and the WeChat name was "Wanwan Lei Qing."

He tapped to add her as a friend, with the note: Jiang Chen.

Just as he reached the stairwell, his phone vibrated.

Verification passed.

Jiang Chen casually clicked into her Moments, but it was set to "only visible for the last three days" and was completely blank.

Before he could think more about it, the phone vibrated again.

A message from Su Wanqing: [Do you have classes this afternoon?]

Jiang Chen stopped at the corner of the stairs and typed: [Yes, an elective course.]

Su Wanqing: [Listen carefully in class. Talk to you later.]

Jiang Chen stared at the screen for two seconds and replied with an [Okay].

He put his phone back in his pocket and continued walking down.

...

The afternoon classes were quite dull.

After they ended, he had dinner with Wang Hao in the evening.

By the time Jiang Chen returned to his rented room, it was already 9:40 PM.

He took a shower.

The mirror was covered in a thin layer of mist. He wiped a streak away with his palm, revealing his face.

High brow bones, deep eye sockets, a straight bridge of the nose, and sharp lines.

His thin lips were slightly pursed; when he didn't speak, he naturally looked a bit cold and aloof.

Broad shoulders and a narrow waist, with smooth muscle lines—the kind of lean physique built from running around.

Even so, it was a pity he didn't have even a thousandth of the good looks of the readers behind the screen.

He draped a towel over his shoulder and stared at the mirror for a few seconds.

The dark circles really were almost down to his chin.

He turned off the bathroom light and sat down on the edge of the bed.

He aimlessly flipped through his phone.

Very soon.

New wealth intelligence had been updated.

[Today's Intelligence: The young boyfriend of a female executive at a certain company in the Xizi Garden Community in the west of the city was caught cheating with a female influencer. In a fit of rage, the female executive threw the Huawei Mate X6 Collector's Edition foldable screen phone (16GB+1TB, official price 17,999 RMB) given by the boyfriend from the second floor. Location: Under Building 8, by the large osmanthus tree at the eastern wall. The screen is intact, with only slight scratches on the frame. The janitor will clean the green belt at 6:30 AM today. Pick it up before then to face zero risk. Estimated profit: 12,000-13,000 RMB.]