53: Teacher's private meeting

That's right, it was that beautiful woman handling loan business at the Bank whom I saw earlier—Shen Qing.

She stood on the podium with a faint smile on her lips, exuding an air of reserved confidence.

This charm did not come from deliberate dressing, but from the perfect combination of bookishness and intellect that flowed naturally from within.

"Hello students, I am your new teaching assistant."

"My name is Shen Qing, and this semester I will be assisting Professor Wang in completing the teaching work for this course."

After Shen Qing finished her self-introduction, her gaze naturally swept across the entire classroom.

When her line of sight swept over the first few rows, it suddenly froze on a familiar figure—it was him!

Her heartbeat involuntarily skipped a beat, and her breathing hitched along with it.

She clearly remembered the scene she saw at the Bank that day—Chen Li was personally accompanied by the Bank president, with several executives surrounding him as they walked into the VIP area.

While she herself was sitting in front of a regular loan window, frantically preparing loan materials for her boyfriend's business turnover.

This made her instantly lose her composure, her fingertips tightening unconsciously as she gripped the edge of her lesson plan.

That day she was wearing her most appropriate professional attire, yet it still couldn't hide her awkwardness in front of the loan window.

And now, this Young Man who might have witnessed her awkward side was actually sitting upright in her classroom, having become her student.

Her gaze hurriedly swept past Chen Li, fearing that lingering for even one more second would reveal her inner panic.

Her cheeks started to burn uncontrollably, as if the entire class could see through her secret.

What if he found out... This thought circled repeatedly in her mind.

What prestige would a teacher who needs to take out a loan at the Bank have in front of students?

She took a deep breath, using the action of tidying up the podium to hide her inner turmoil.

She must remain calm, at least not show any flaws on the surface, but that unease kept surging like a tide.

"Now let's begin class." She cleared her throat, trying hard to keep her voice steady.

Chen Li took in the subtle change on the podium in an instant, and when Shen Qing's gaze swept over him,

that brief but obvious pause, as well as the flash of astonishment in her eyes, were all keenly captured by him.

He could be almost certain that this new teaching assistant did indeed remember him—and it was precisely from that encounter at the Bank.

That day, when he was surrounded by Bank President Luo and his entourage as they walked into the VIP room, everywhere he passed attracted everyone's gaze.

If Shen Qing was waiting in the loan area at that time, it would be hard not to notice the Young Man who was surrounded by Bank executives like stars around the moon.

The undisguised astonishment on her face at this moment, precisely confirmed this point.

Chen Li calmly twirled the pen in his hand, a faint, almost imperceptible smile crossing his lips...

However, looking at her panicked appearance just now, she seemed very concerned about being recognized by him.

He shook his head, cast these distracting thoughts to the back of his mind, and began to focus on the lecture.

Shen Qing's class indeed had a special charm.

When she stood on the podium, her whole person radiated an intellectual and composed aura.

Her voice was clear and pleasant, and even the most boring theories became vivid after her explanation.

The entire classroom was surprisingly quiet, and even the few students who usually loved to whisper were completely focused.

The girls in the front row were taking notes seriously, and the boys were even more wide-eyed, clearly deeply attracted by this young teacher.

The moment the bell for the break rang, a group of students gathered in front of the podium.

Several boys scrambled to ask questions; some were indeed asking for advice, while others were clearly just wanting to talk to the teacher a bit more.

"Teacher Shen, I still don't quite understand that theorem from just now..."

"Teacher Shen, could you explain this economic anchor point?"

...

Zhang Yixi and Guo Zihong were the most active, asking this question one moment and that question the next, running back and forth twice.

Every time they lingered in front of the podium for a long time, and when they returned to their seats, they still winked at Chen Li, not having had enough, and whispered:

"She's even prettier up close, and her voice is just too pleasant to listen to."

Watching this group of youthful boys revolving around Shen Qing, Chen Li couldn't help but find it funny.

This scene was precisely captured by Shen Qing, who had been paying attention to him from time to time, and her heart sank suddenly—

What was he laughing at? Was it disdain? Or did he think she was ridiculous?

Instantly, countless thoughts surged in her mind, and the more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt, her fingers gripping the lesson plan tightening unconsciously.

No, she must find him after class and ask him clearly.

She would also take this opportunity to confirm whether he had actually recognized her at the Bank that day.

In case he really saw something, she would still have to find a way to make him keep it a secret.

In her eyes, Chen Li was just that typical kind of playboy—arrogant just because his family had some money.

That smile just now was clearly the best proof, and that contemptuous attitude made her feel repulsed from the bottom of her heart.

So what if he was born well, what was there to be proud of.

Soon the bell rang for the end of class, and just as Chen Li and the others were preparing to rush back to the Dormitory to play games, they were suddenly called by Shen Qing.

"This student, please come with me for a moment." Shen Qing maintained a professional smile and pointed at Chen Li.

Not only was Chen Li stunned, but Guo Zihong and the surrounding students also looked surprised.

A burst of whispers erupted in the classroom, and many people were guessing why Teacher Shen would look for Chen Li alone.

"Not bad, A Li, you've been noticed by Teacher Shen on the very first class?" Zhang Yixi teased, winking and making faces.

"Go, go quickly, don't keep the teacher waiting for too long." Guo Zihong also gave him a push from behind.

Chen Li followed Shen Qing out of the classroom, but discovered that she was not heading towards the office, but instead led him into a relatively quiet corner behind the teaching building.

Few people usually passed by here, with only a few old banyan trees casting dappled shadows in the morning light.

After Shen Qing confirmed that no one was around, the smile on her face instantly vanished.

She turned around, crossed her arms over her chest, and asked in a stiff tone: "Student, what is your name? You saw me at the Bank that day, didn't you?"

Her words were so direct they were almost prickly, and the look she gave Chen Li showed clear displeasure.

In her heart, she had long classified Chen Li as that kind of playboy who looked down on people because of his family background.

The meaningful smile he had in class just now only made her more firm in this judgment.

"Teacher Shen, my name is Chen Li." Chen Li replied calmly, although he did not understand why this teacher was full of hostility towards him,

he still maintained his politeness: "Yes, I did indeed see you at the Bank that day."

"Then please do not tell anyone about seeing me at the Bank."

"Alright, I won't say anything."

Chen Li nodded, "Teacher, if there is nothing else, I will head back first."

He answered crisply, sincerely, and without any hesitation, while maintaining basic etiquette.

This attitude surprised Shen Qing—she had assumed that this kind of rich second-generation, when summoned privately by a teacher, would definitely be arrogant and rude, relying on his family background.

Watching Chen Li's retreating figure as he turned to leave, Shen Qing frowned slightly; this was completely different from the script she had imagined.