CHAPTER 558: 378. FAMILIAR NAMES

All living things are flourishing, brimming with life.

Spring is almost here.

The green plants in the office seem lush and vibrant, exuding an extraordinary vitality from adequate irrigation.

"Absolutely not!"

Upon witnessing Lu Jincheng’s excessive actions, Guo Minjie rejected him outright without hesitation.

But she couldn’t withstand the man’s sleight-of-hand tactics, advancing step by step.

A few minutes later, reluctantly, she stood up.

In the dimly lit student affairs office, there were still New Year’s stickers pasted by faculty on the door frame, carrying happiness and festivity.

In the corner in front of the work mirror, Guo Minjie was wearing a somewhat disheveled pencil skirt, along with a pair of purple high heels encrusted with diamonds, her hair adorned with several hairpins.

At this moment, her face was flushed, shyness and affection intertwined, and her exposed collarbone was covered with fine sweat, while her delicate hands lifted the hem of her skirt to her waist, her knuckles pale with tension.

Without any basic concealment, her slender and shapely legs were completely exposed in the mirror.

Even without stockings, they were still snow-white and exquisite as jade in the thin light.

Though Guo Minjie was wearing heels, she had adopted a pigeon-toed posture, making her not appear much taller than she would barefoot.

Looking at the compliant Guo Minjie reflected in the mirror, the man felt a surge of exuberance.

A pair of hands pressed onto her smooth and tender thighs, exerting force backward, helping her explore her limits even more cooperatively.

In a trance, Guo Minjie seemed to see the plants on the desk swaying leisurely, blocking out the sky, taking her along to fly towards the clouds’ other side.

...

"How do you feel...?"

The room fell into a peculiar silence.

After a brief pause, Lu Jincheng leaned slightly forward, smiling as he examined Guo Minjie.

The counselor, at this moment, appeared somewhat peculiar.

Her cheeks were crimson, her hair disheveled, with many strands sticking to the sides of her face. Her eyes were watery, as if she had been crying, yet her brows did not convey sorrow.

The delicate pencil skirt was now filled with wrinkles, with a strap fallen to her elbow, exposing a large portion of her fair skin.

"There absolutely won’t be a next time."

Facing the man’s concerned inquiry, along with her uncontrollable reactions just moments ago, Guo Minjie seemed a bit at a loss.

She awkwardly adjusted the dress strap hanging on her arm, her gaze flickering as she replied.

"You didn’t like it?"

"Mm, didn’t like it."

"Then why’s your face so red?"

"..."

Actually, it wasn’t just her face; at this moment, every inch of Guo Minjie’s skin was infused with a radiant pink, as if she had just been steaming in the bathroom.

Shoulders, neck, forearm, ankle...

The bare skin was also covered with fine sweat, while the dress seemed to adhere to her body in a new way.

"Oh, is it?"

Guo Minjie held her cheeks in her hands, feeling the heat from her palms, speaking softly with a twinge of guilt.

"The air conditioning and door weren’t closed, causing internal circulation..."

As she spoke, she observed Lu Jincheng, noticing that the man was smiling at her, his gaze resting on the disordered edge of her dress.

"Alright, alright, why did you come here anyway? Surely not just for this?"

When asked by her, the man indeed shifted his gaze from her wrinkled clothes, responding earnestly.

"It’s about the allocation of co-op housing, I need you to find a few people to help with the drawing of lots."

"Ah?"

Guo Minjie blinked in surprise at his words.

"We can’t let someone from our company handle it, right? Imagine a bunch of teachers lining up, and some young girls going over; how would that look?"

"We need to maintain appearances."

Through the mirror, Lu Jincheng casually pulled a tissue, checking his collar and wiping lipstick off his face, speaking slowly.

"Hm...alright."

Guo Minjie gently nodded.

A director of the student affairs office could easily handle such trivial matters.

"By the way, are you planning to move there when the time comes?"

As if something just occurred to him, Lu Jincheng continued asking.

"Haven’t decided yet."

"Even though your neighborhood is fully furnished and ready for move-in, don’t rush into it."

After thoroughly checking himself from head to toe for any visible flaws, Lu Jincheng quietly exhaled, seating himself back on the sofa.

"When the time comes, I’ll contact a professional formaldehyde removal company and go through the process for you and your housemates, for safety’s sake."

"Alright, I’ll heed your advice."

Guo Minjie glanced toward the corner where the trash can lay, crouching down to fetch a disposable bag to repack the garbage into her tote bag.

"By the way."

"Mm?"

Lu Jincheng leaned back against the sofa, meeting Guo Minjie’s gaze.

The counselor set the tote bag by the door, reopened the door, drew the curtains for ventilation, and returned to her work desk, gesturing to him.

"Come over here."

On the student affairs office director’s computer screen, there were two conspicuous Excel sheets.

Names, backgrounds, honors, all neatly laid out.

"The new semester is about to start, and here’s the list of recipients for poverty aid and the scholarship for this year’s Management College."

"Can you see if it’s okay?"

At this point, Guo Minjie’s tone had returned to normal, lacking the previous direct ups and downs.

The pitch was steady, her tone clear.

She sounded just like a spirited teacher assigning work.

Yet her wording seemed entirely out of place.

Whether it’s okay.

Whether it’s okay?

Almost as if these aids and scholarships were dependent on the man’s approval before being distributed to other students.

"But... why am I looking at this?"

With an amused chuckle, the man tightly grasped the mouse with his right hand, curiously clicking open the sheet to browse from top to bottom.

Concerning the poverty aid, Mr. Lu had no objections.

The unfamiliar names from Management Class Two were strangers he neither knew nor was acquainted with.

Yet, Lu Jincheng served as the class president for Management Class One, thoroughly aware of who within the class was truly in need versus the bourgeois group pretending to struggle.

Although he rarely managed class affairs, no one would tarnish their reputation over trivial gains for an emerging corporate star.

Without a single action, he indirectly promoted a wholesome class atmosphere.

That’s the subtle influence of a local bigwig.

"Lao Zhang got a spot too... Did you do this out of consideration that he’s my roommate?"

Seeing a familiar name, Lu Jincheng couldn’t help but lift his head.

"I think his current income in the company is also doing quite well."

"The school doesn’t really track students’ full-time or part-time work outside."

With a businesslike shrug, Guo Minjie replied.

"Considering Zhang Gaoqiang’s family income, learning attitude, public reputation, everything aligns perfectly with the requirements."

"Is that so?"

With a noncommittal smile, Lu Jincheng replied.

"Then... what about this one?"

Speaking, the man opened another spreadsheet.

The students’ first chance at real money — the scholarship.

At the top was yet another familiar name.