Chapter 364 288: I Want to Make Your Bed for You

Teacher Wang's smile froze on her face. She suspiciously opened the large file folder and glanced inside. It contained Xue Rui's acceptance letter and various identification documents...

'Xue Rui is a new student at our school too?'

Teacher Wang's expression was a mix of laughter and tears. She really didn't know what to say. Xue Rui was even younger than Lin Ruoxi—what kind of guardian was this?

She turned to look at Lin Ruoxi again. Seeing that look of trust and dependence in her eyes now, she figured they were probably a couple.

Xue Rui, looking both humble and serious, was still saying, "The tuition fee doesn't need to be waived."

Gritting her teeth, she opened the administrative portal on her phone to check. Xue Rui's score wasn't low, but it was still a far cry from qualifying for a tuition waiver.

"It's not easy for the university either," Xue Rui said earnestly. "Public universities are all subsidized by the state. If one can afford it, it's better not to get a waiver."

Teacher Wang opened her mouth to speak, then stopped.

'With a score like yours, who's going to waive your tuition? And he says it with such a straight face.'

Another teacher nearby exclaimed in surprise, "To understand so much at such a young age! And to have such a sense of responsibility—you truly are a boy genius."

Hearing Xue Rui say he didn't need a tuition waiver, she had subconsciously assumed he was a high-scoring student as well.

Teacher Wang was about to call Xue Rui's bluff, but then she saw Lin Ruoxi looking at her with such anticipation. It was the pure, innocent look of a child excited about something wonderful. She couldn't bring herself to spoil it and could only squeeze the word "Okay" through her teeth.

"Teacher Wang, are you alright? Your voice sounds strange," a passing upperclassman asked with concern.

"It's nothing. Just a toothache from some inflammation. Can you handle the registration for these two students? Lin Ruoxi's tuition is waived; her department will complete the paperwork later. Also..."

"Yes, yes, of course."

The new students and parents waiting in line couldn't help but stare. Their line snaked around the hall, and some were so tired they were squatting on the floor. Yet, not only did these two get to skip the line, but one of them even had her tuition waived?

One parent walked over, confused, and asked, "Excuse me, Teacher, what are the conditions for a tuition waiver? I'd like to see if my child qualifies."

He had some connections back home and could get his hands on most of the required paperwork. If such a policy existed, it would save him a lot of money over the next few years.

Teacher Wang smiled politely. "Hello. Lin Ruoxi received the waiver due to her high score."

"So, what kind of score are we talking about?" someone asked curiously.

Teacher Wang replied out of habit, "The policy changes every year, and the requirements for each region..."

As soon as she gave this evasive, bureaucratic answer, everyone tuned out. One parent turned directly to Lin Ruoxi, hoping to get a benchmark.

"Hey, what was your score?"

Xue Rui thought it was best not to be too high-profile. 'If someone bothered to look into it, they'd definitely find the news reports from after the entrance exams. The girl might end up with an unwanted halo of attention, and she's so shy around strangers.' He answered casually, "A little over seven hundred."

Usually, when you say that, people assume you mean somewhere in the low seven hundreds, not the highest possible score.

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then stared at Lin Ruoxi in amazement and began to chatter amongst themselves.

"Isn't seven hundred enough to get into Qingbei?"

"Depends on the region..."

"It should be enough for any region, shouldn't it?"

...

The conversation topics among new students were always the same few: "What was your score?" "Where are you from?"...

He glanced at the girl but didn't dare reach out to pinch her cheek, not with so many people staring at her. The two teachers were watching her like a hawk, as if they were afraid Lin Ruoxi would have second thoughts and bolt.

While the two were waiting for the paperwork to be processed, Secretary Li from the School of Computer Science rushed over and ushered them into his office.

In the office, Xue Rui and Lin Ruoxi sat on a standard-issue administrative sofa, done in a brown and black color scheme. 'Offices all over the country probably look just like this,' Xue Rui thought.

Of course, he was now sitting perfectly straight. When facing department leadership, he had to maintain the attitude of a model student. This could affect whether he received preferential treatment later on.

"Lin Ruoxi, with a score like yours, why did you choose our university?" Secretary Li asked with a smile, voicing the question that had been on his mind. He hadn't actually expected Lin Ruoxi to show up and register. It was a pleasant surprise.

Lin Ruoxi looked at Xue Rui and said, "Sir, Rui wanted to come here, so I came too."

The two female teachers looked astonished. The answer was rather unexpected, but Secretary Li, on the other hand, just laughed heartily.

'Lin Ruoxi seems a little... simple, maybe? But I'm very satisfied with her answer. On the way over, I'd noticed the way she looked at Xue Rui. She followed him around like a devoted wife, never leaving his side for a second.'

Young people made impulsive, life-altering decisions for love. But as long as their relationship was solid, it meant the university had essentially acquired another top talent. It was a total steal.

He turned his gaze to Xue Rui without a word, waiting expectantly for his answer.

Xue Rui began, "To be honest, I've admired Changyou University since I was a child. It's one of the best for telecommunications and information technology. The future is the information age, and information security is more important than ever..."

Secretary Li's eye twitched. 'This kid is a smooth operator.' The moment he opened his mouth, it was all boilerplate praise for the university. He took a sip of his tea and waved a hand, cutting him off. "Spare me the empty pleasantries."

Xue Rui leaned forward slightly. "Secretary Li, I want to start a business in Chang'an. I'm bullish on this city's development potential..."

He decided to tell the truth. Any business venture depends on policy support, and in the future, Chang'an was set to become one of the few "new first-tier" cities in the north. That was its biggest advantage.

Compared to the region where the Qingbei universities were located, Chang'an offered better value for both land and human resources. As a city with more room to grow, it provided more support for new enterprises, and the bureaucracy was easier to navigate...