Chapter 131: Bao Bao Was Watched by Others
"Of course it matters. As an alumnus, there's nothing odd about returning to give back to one's alma mater, right?" said Lu Yunque.
His words made sense, but Yun Zijin still felt something was off. "So, you've already agreed to the donation?" She knew that with the Lu family's wealth, even if just a bit of their money leaked out, it would be enough to build a new school building.
"We'd planned to have dinner together, but the school suddenly scheduled a meeting, and I got stood up. Since you're an active student of Dijing University, shouldn't you compensate me with a meal, Zijin?" Lu Yunque spoke in a half-joking, half-serious tone.
Zijin went quiet a moment, then sighed. "It's not mealtime at all right now—breakfast's done and it's too early for lunch." Plus, she had plans with Qin Sitong to study in the library.
"Fine, we won't eat a meal, then," he said. "What do you want to do? My treat."
Zijin frowned slightly, feeling a disruption in her schedule. "I already promised my classmate I'd go to the library. How about another day? I'll treat you next time." She didn't want to break her appointment with Qin Sitong.
Sensing her insistence, he exhaled, conceding. "Alright, guess we won't manage lunch today. Your 'another day'—it won't be far in the future, right?" He knew if they didn't set a specific time, it might never happen.
Zijin mulled it over. "Let's do tomorrow. I don't have class tomorrow afternoon. Pick a place and send me the address. Oh—and maybe invite others, too? If it's just the two of us, someone might gossip."
She recalled the rumor that'd circulated when she merely changed a few cars—some drama about her having multiple relationships. She still hadn't figured out who the poster was. They were being very secretive, and Meilin hadn't found them yet.
"…Alright, I'll ask them, but no promises they'll be free." In truth, he felt a tad annoyed: it was his own plan to see her, but now he might have to juggle a bunch of friends as well. He definitely felt cheated.
"Okay, I'm at the library now. Reserve a table, send me the info. See you," Zijin said, ending the call.
Putting his phone away, Lu Yunque let out a silent sigh: the road ahead is long…
At the library, Qin Sitong eyed Zijin. "Who were you talking to for so long?"
"Oh, just someone I'm meeting tomorrow for dinner."
"You agreed?" Sitong's eyes lit with curiosity.
"Yeah, it's just a meal with a friend. I won't be having dinner on campus tomorrow—sort out your own food," Zijin said as they walked.
"I know, I know. I'll eat with some friends in the neighboring dorm." Qin Sitong was sociable enough, so Zijin wasn't concerned.
They entered the library, first leaving their bags on two adjacent seats. Then each went off to find books. By the time Zijin returned, arms full of titles, she noticed several strangers standing around her seat, where she'd placed her bag.
She frowned. In the library, leaving a bag or pencil case on a chair to reserve it was normal, so she hadn't done anything unusual. "Excuse me, could you move aside?" she asked politely.
"Oh, you in line behind us, can't you see we're taking photos?" someone inside the group said impatiently.
"I said, this seat is mine. If you want to read, go find somewhere else," Zijin retorted. The library was a quiet place, yet these people had gathered around her seat, chatting loudly. Others were annoyed but said nothing.
A hush fell briefly as they all turned to look at Zijin. One of them stared, then her eyes widened in recognition of the brand items Zijin wore—Vacheron Constantin watch, Cartier bracelet, De Beers earrings, and, most strikingly, an Hermès platinum bag with a diamond buckle. None of that was ordinary.
"So…this bag's yours?" The one who spoke sounded more cautious now. "Sorry. We were just excited to see it. We only snapped a few pictures. Didn't touch your stuff."
They might've wanted to do more, but faced with such a high-end bag, they dared not. The onlookers who hadn't managed to get photos felt disappointed, but they still moved away from her seat.
One girl, the one who'd been snapping pictures from inside the circle, lingered. She opened her mouth as if to speak.
Zijin gave her a pointed look. "This is a library. Please keep it down."
If others felt embarrassed to say such a thing, Zijin didn't. She refused to indulge anyone who annoyed her.
"I…I only wanted to ask if you plan to rent out this bag?" the girl asked.
Zijin paused. Rent out…her bag? "Excuse me?" She didn't know what to say. "No. I'm here to read. Stop disturbing me."
"I'm serious," the girl insisted. "I'd pay you a thousand above market price. What do you think?"
Zijin's expression turned cold. "Do you think a thousand yuan is anything to me? And I don't want my bag showing up on any website or social media. If I find out it does, my lawyer will hold you legally responsible. Don't even consider it."
With that, Zijin gave them no further attention. Meanwhile, Ling Er, alerted by her glance, stepped forward. He stopped the girls who'd taken photos, ordering them to delete all images of the bag from their phones. Some of them were reluctant, longing to post these rare pictures online for likes. But Ling Er's stern and resolute look made them comply. Resentfully, they all wiped out their newly taken pictures.
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