Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Gu Nianzhi had a face mask on and appeared like a paper figure, but these were all girls who knew what she was doing so nobody freaked out. She shook Yan Kehua’s hand with a smile then pointed to her face, “Please wait, I’ll go take it off.”
When Gu Nianzhi went back to her room to wash the mask off, Yan Kehua whispered to Miao Yunxiao in the living room, “Do you know about your new classmate’s background? I heard that she’s the only masters student accepted by the professor from America, He Zhichu. She’s not even from our school, but another university.” Miao Yunxiao and Yan Kehua both completed their undergraduate studies at B University then go admitted as post-grad students. Such students typically looked down on external transfers, but someone recruited personally by He Zhichu was another story.
Miao Yunxiao widened her eyes and asked nervously, “Really? She’s Professor He’s masters student?!” She heard that Professor He Zhichu from the Harvard Law School was going to be teaching at the B University of Law, but only recruited doctorate students. All the masters students who were about to graduate fought tooth and nail to be admitted as his doctoral students. Then he suddenly recruited for a single masters student last year and it was the undergrads’ turn to pit against each other. In the end, He Zhichu only admitted one student amidst all the applications, who wasn’t even a undergraduate student from Bu University, –Gu Nianzhi, the undergraduate student from C University’s Faculty of Law. B University’s Faculty of Law ranked first within the Huaxia Empire while C University was second place at best, so there were many angry students. Miao Yunxiao and Yan Kehua both applied as He Zhichu’s masters student at the time but didn’t get admitted, so they ended up masters students mentored by professors from the school.
Yan Kehua nodded seriously and whispered, “How can there be a mistake? I heard it from a professor in the faculty. Gu Nianzhi won’t even be taking the same classes as us because Professor He will arrange everything.”
“She won’t even be in the same classes as us? Who does she think she is?” Miao Yunxiao’s expression darkened, “Why is she making special arrangements? B University is not some run of the mill school, even the elites from the Imperial Capital would never dare act arrogantly to our dean? How can she flout school regulations?”
Yan Kehua was stunned and gave Miao Yunxiao a strange look, “What are you talking about? How is she flouting school regulations? We’re post-grad students! Not undergraduates, so our instructors can take full charge of our studies and the faculty has nothing to do with it. Everyone’s like that, why did you think we all fought so hard to become He Zhichu’s post-grad student?”
Miao Yunxiao pouted in anger for a while before replying, “Then what about the class meeting tonight? Is she not going?”
Yan Kehua giggled, “I came here to talk about that. One of Professor He’s students, Brother Huang asked me to pass the message that Gu Nianzhi would be attending their class’ meeting tonight. She’s not going with us.” Miao Yunxiao clawed at the sofa so hard she nearly tore holes in the fabric.
When Gu Nianzhi returned after washing her face, she still didn’t know that her admittance by He Zhichu was already the topic of gossip in the living room. Yan Kehua was about to continue when she heard the door open and looked up to see that Gu Nianzhi already came out. She bit her tongue and stood up sheepishly, “Classmate Gu, I’m Yan Kehua. I’m the class rep for Class 1 of the post-grad law students.
Class placement depended on time of enrollment, so Gu Nianzhi should also be part of Class 1. She nodded at Yan Kehua, “Hello, Classmate Yan. What can I help you with?
Yan Kehua replied immediately, “There’s something I wanted to tell you. Do you know Brother Huang, one of Professor He’s students?”
Gu Nianzhi froze for a second then remembered the Brother Huang she interned at the US Congress with last year. “Oh? Brother Huang? But isn’t he a doctoral student?” Gu Naiznhi was confused, “But I’m only a masters student…” Wouldn’t the others think she was dumb if she showed up to the doctoral students’ class meeting as a masters student?
“The thing is, because you are the only masters student admitted by Professor He, he is the one in charge of all your studies. That includes your course schedule, monthly graduate grants, social application, and theses and reports.” Yan Kehua explained enthusiastically, “You’ll go there tonight and brother Huang should be able to tell you more.”
In addition to school registration, there were other things required for B University students, like applying for grants cards were the funds were to be directly deposited, as well as student IDs, library cards and other identification. Yin Shixiong had only helped Gu Nianzhi with completing her school registration so she still had to apply for cards herself. But the application required documentation from the faculty and now that Yan Kehua mentioned He Zhichu funding all the grants, she must talk to Brother Huang about applying. Gu Nianzhi laughed, “Thank you Classmate Yan, you told me just in time. Otherwise I wouldn’t even know how to pay for food tomorrow.” The school cafeteria only accepted school issued cards, so anyone without one couldn’t dine there. Instead, they would have to go to restaurants on campus that were exorbitantly more expensive. The same food at the cafeteria would only cost 20% of the full price of the same thing at the restaurants. Although Gu Nianzhi didn’t lack money, she didn’t want to stand out from other students. She also should be eating in the cafeteria in the first place, so why pay the restaurants more money for nothing? It was all the same food and even the owner was the same person.
“Oh? You didn’t get your card yet?” Yan Kehua was besides herself in envy, “I heard that Professor He gives the best grants. The faculty only gives us 500 RMB monthly and any extra amount depends on the instructor since helping them with work earns us extra subsidies. Professor He gives the highest grants.”
“Really?” Miao Yunxiaao listened intently, “Who did you hear this from?”
“Brother Huang and his friends.” Yan Kehua sounded very knowledgeable, “I go the Graduate Students Association meetings with Brother Huang so they always talk about it. Every time we go for food as an Association and have no funding, Professor He’s doctoral students end up paying the bill. They are so well off. I heard that Professor He pays up to 10 000 when you help with cases.”
“That much?!” Even Gu Nianzhi was shocked, “And that’s not by working, but only as part-time?” She was a bit excited to try it out. Even though Huo Shaoheng was very kind and generous to her, Gu Nianzhi still wanted to use her own abilities to work and earn money for her peace of mind. Also she was only dating Huo Shaoheng and they weren’t a family yet, it wouldn’t’ do for him to spend too much on her. Gu Nianzhi was passionate about finding a good job so she can can climb the ranks and earn more. Her goal was to become partner in five years, then marry Huo Shaoheng and arrive at the highest point of her life! Then nobody would say that she wasn’t worthy of Huo Shaoheng… In the deepest recesses of Gu Nianzhi’s heart, she still worried about others not approving her relationship with Huo Shaoheng. So she didn’t want to drag him back–he was her pride and she wanted to be his pride too.
“Ah, that’s not really considered part-time?” Yan Kehua looked at Gu Nianzhi’s glittering eyes and grew very interested as she asked, “Hmm? You want to work part-time? Do you need money or something?”
Gu Nianzhi nodded with a smile, “Yeah, I really need money so I want to start working early. Right, Classmate Yan. Do you know anything about graduating early? Does our school have rules on that?”
“I think so, you can just check on our faculty’s website. I saw it before.” Yan Kehua replied casually then glanced at Gu Nianzhi to study her appearance. She wore an unbranded cashmere sweater in an unassuming style, but the quality and cut was obviously good, so it certainly wasn’t from the bargain bin. Her pants were well-fitted charcoal grey wool trousers that elongated her legs. Also her skin and hair didn’t look as if she was particularly strapped for cash…
Miao Yunxiao asked suddenly, “Gu Nianzhi, can I see your watch?”
Gu Nianzhi glanced at her, “You want to know the time?” She raised her wrist to look, “It’s almost 4:30pm.”
Miao Yunxiao studied her again and replied, “What brand is your watch? The style looks very familiar.”
“…It should be Bvlgari, I think.”
Huo Shaoheng has custom ordered a women’s watch from Bvlgari for her, a couple’s style that matched with Huo Shaoheng’s. It was the only one of its kind in the world.
“I think my uncle has a watch like that oo, but… it looks a little different from yours.” Miao Yunxiao remarked snidely, “So I wanted to a take a look, but it’s fine if you don’t want to show me.”
Gu Nianzhi removed her hand with a smile, “I can show my things to whoever I please. What is the meaning of Classmate Miao’s tone here?”
