179: Chapter 179 Along the Way

Listening to his watertight answer, a hint of tenderness only the two of them understood flickered in Su Wanqing's eyes. Maintaining her dignified and composed demeanor as a lecturing mentor, she gave a soft, playful reproach, "You certainly have a way with words."

Holding her lecture notes, she walked forward slowly, her gentle gaze sweeping over Lu Manqi.

Lu Manqi was a close personal friend of hers. Since Lu Manqi had specifically come to Jiang University to conduct research in the venture capital field, Su Wanqing naturally thought to offer some help.

She then looked at Jiang Chen and gave a casual reminder in the tone of a typical elder, light and natural: "Manqi is my friend. She's here at the university for research and isn't very familiar with the campus environment. Please help look after her later."

Jiang Chen understood her meaning slightly. On the surface, he remained impassive and gave a subtle nod without revealing any extra emotion.

Su Wanqing looked at his calm and obedient appearance, a faint smile spreading across her lips. She turned and walked toward the faculty office building.

Before leaving, she turned back to Lu Manqi and spoke in a gentle, casual tone.

"Manqi, if you come to audit classes or participate in roadshows in the future and have any venture capital-related questions, feel free to chat with me anytime. I have to go back and prepare for my next class, so I won't stay here to chat with you both."

As she turned to leave, she only gave Jiang Chen a calm glance, devoid of any hidden motives or deliberate testing.

Su Wanqing was naturally transparent and broad-minded; she was never one to be entangled or constrained. She didn't care if there were other women around Jiang Chen or if he had many female confidantes; she simply maintained her own sense of propriety, observing quietly, composed and at ease.

The evening breeze in the corridor brushed against the railing, carrying the warm and lazy afternoon atmosphere of the campus. Students passed by in small groups, laughing and chatting, which highlighted the quiet and subtle atmosphere between the two people standing side by side by the railing.

Lu Manqi watched Su Wanqing's receding back, feeling only warmth in her heart. She simply thought her senior and friend was being considerate, specifically asking an outstanding student on campus to look after her.

In her eyes, Su Wanqing was elegant and intellectual with exceptional professional skills, while Jiang Chen was low-profile and steady with outstanding financial intuition.

To her, the two were just a teacher and student with a good relationship who appreciated each other and got along well; she didn't think of any complex personal feelings at all.

She only wanted to use the campus venture capital research as a pretext to slowly and gently get closer to Jiang Chen, completely unaware that she had unintentionally stepped into a circle that others were already accustomed to.

Looking at the lush, green shaded path below, Lu Manqi took the initiative to break the silence.

Shedding her professional business-like distance, her tone took on a bit of natural, domestic gentleness.

"I didn't expect Teacher Su's teaching foundation to be so solid. Her logical deconstruction of the Science and Technology Innovation Valuation Model is even more thorough than many senior Investment Banking Analysts in our bank."

Jiang Chen leaned against the other side of the railing, one hand casually tucked into his pocket, his expression cold and indifferent.

He was naturally distant. When facing someone he wasn't well-acquainted with, he was always reserved and kept his distance. He simply replied calmly, "She has been deeply involved in the industry for years; her theoretical foundation is naturally solid."

"Indeed."

Lu Manqi nodded slightly and took the opportunity to find a natural and appropriate reason to speak.

"Speaking of which, I'll be coming to Jiang University often to audit venture capital roadshows. I often miss the course schedules, roadshow sessions, and classroom change notices. You're a student here, so your information is definitely better than mine."

She turned to look at Jiang Chen, her gaze gentle and clear, poised and graceful, neither deliberately pleasing nor brash.

"Is it convenient to add you on WeChat? If there are changes to the time or venue of the Financial Venture Capital Sessions later, I'd appreciate it if you could let me know. Just consider it a small favor for this off-campus researcher, if it's not too much trouble for a junior."

This explanation was perfectly measured. By using the research as a pretext, she avoided the awkwardness of a deliberate pickup line, while the term 'junior' cleverly leveled their status, narrowing the hierarchy between a Private Banking Manager and a student.

Jiang Chen's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked calmly at Lu Manqi, who had shed her professional sharpness, leaving only a gentle and quiet aura.

His temperament had always been clear-cut: he was cold and taciturn with strangers, carrying a natural aura of distance, and only showed a relaxed and easygoing side to those he knew well.

He could vaguely see that Lu Manqi was trying to get closer, but he didn't bother to expose it, nor would he deliberately cater to her or be proactive.

Since the two already had a business connection through private banking asset allocation, adding her on WeChat was reasonable and not a difficult request.

His expression remained unchanged as he gave a simple nod: "Sure."

A faint smile flickered in Lu Manqi's eyes, bright and composed without showing any bashfulness or excitement. She took out her phone, pulled up her WeChat QR code, and handed it over.

As her fingertips lightly gripped the phone, although there was a slight flutter in her heart, she still maintained the poise of a professional woman.

She had always been steady and composed, never awkward or constrained. Being able to establish contact under the guise of work and as ordinary friends was already a very good start.

Jiang Chen took out his phone, scanned the code, and added her. His movements were clean and efficient, and his expression remained calm throughout, without any extra pleasantries or the slightest hint of perfunctoriness.

When the success notification popped up, Lu Manqi spoke softly, showing great tact by drawing a clear boundary so as not to give Jiang Chen any pressure of being pestered.

"I won't disturb you randomly. At most, I'll occasionally ask about the campus roadshows and course schedules. I definitely won't interfere with your classes or daily rest."

Just as the two had finished adding each other on WeChat and the atmosphere was becoming more relaxed, a faint rumble of thunder suddenly rolled across the sky.

The sky, which had been clear and bright just a moment ago, was instantly covered by layers of thick dark clouds, and raindrops began to fall without warning.

The rain intensified rapidly, turning into a downpour in an instant. The strong wind blew dense sheets of rain against the corridor railing, splashing fine droplets everywhere.

The shaded path below was instantly soaked, and puddles quickly formed on the road. Students preparing to leave the campus ducked into nearby teaching buildings; no one dared to rush out into the rain.

Lu Manqi looked toward her car parked in an open-air space outside the South Gate of Jiang University. Her brow furrowed slightly with a natural look of helplessness, but her mind was perfectly clear.

She had specifically checked the weather forecast before leaving. Knowing there would be thundershowers in the afternoon, she could have easily prepared a folding umbrella in her bag, but she had deliberately chosen not to bring one.

Coming to Jiang University today to audit the class was specifically to get closer to Jiang Chen. This sudden heavy rain was a godsend opportunity for them to be alone together.

She saw things clearly. Although Jiang Chen looked cold and distant, he had a gentlemanly upbringing ingrained in his bones. He treated people with proper decorum and would never watch someone get stranded in the rain without doing anything.

She would use this rain to bridge the gap of polite distance between them.

As the thought crossed her mind, Lu Manqi only showed a natural sense of helplessness. Looking at the torrential rain, her expression was calm and open, without any petty hesitation or awkwardness.

She turned to look at Jiang Chen gracefully, her eyes bright and soft, and her tone natural and light, without any hint of forced modesty.

"This rain came so suddenly. My car is parked in the open lot at the South Gate, so it's going to get soaked. Unfortunately, I didn't bring an umbrella today."

She was straightforward and open, bright and graceful.

Jiang Chen followed her gaze to the churning curtain of rain outside, a very faint look of realization flickering in his deep eyes.

He had seen the weather forecast this morning and knew there would be thundershowers in the afternoon.

He didn't live in the school dormitories, and his driver, Lu Zheng, would be arriving on time to pick him up. When he left home, he had casually brought a standard black long-handled umbrella.

Seeing Lu Manqi's open and composed manner now, he could easily tell that she had known it would rain and had deliberately not brought an umbrella, hoping to use the rainy day as an excuse to walk together for a while.

Jiang Chen's mind was as clear as a mirror; he saw through Lu Manqi's little scheme completely.

Yet he neither exposed her nor deliberately avoided her, let alone proactively responded with enthusiasm.

His expression remained unchanged, and his tone was still neither hot nor cold, flat and emotionless: "The rain is very heavy. It won't stop anytime soon."

Hearing this, Lu Manqi followed up on his words, her eyes curving into a natural smile. She asked openly and properly, without any shy evasion or hesitation.

"What about you? How are you planning to get back? Are you walking, or is someone coming to pick you up?"

Her tone was relaxed and casual, like friends chatting, open and natural without any awkwardness.

Jiang Chen replied calmly, "The driver will be here to pick me up shortly."

Lu Manqi's eyes lit up, and she smiled as she spoke, her tone easygoing and polite with perfect tact: "That's perfect then. Since you're heading toward the South Gate anyway, would it be convenient to give me a lift to where I parked?"

"Mhm," Jiang Chen responded flatly, without extra warmth or any hint of refusal.

Lu Manqi offered a polite smile, her tone natural and relaxed: "If it's not on your way, it's fine. I can just wait here for the rain to let up."

"Waiting here is just wasting time. It's on the way."