Chapter 365 288: I Want to Make Your Bed

'Qingbei's resources are certainly plentiful, but as a business owner, it's obviously more comfortable in Chang'an. How many companies go bankrupt just because they get stuck on a single procedural step?'

'A hundred million thrown into the Capital City probably wouldn't even make a splash, and you'd still face competition and pressure from numerous major corporations. But in Chang'an, you'd get many investment incentives. That's the biggest difference.'

Hearing that Xue Rui wanted to start a business at the university, Secretary Li said, "You can talk to your counselor about that later. For now, go take care of the paperwork. Teacher Wang will go with you."

Every year, plenty of students claimed they were going to start a business, but most of it was just small-scale dabbling. Few young people actually succeeded, so he didn't pay Xue Rui's words much mind.

Xue Rui could see Secretary Li's attitude, but he had only brought it up today to give him a heads-up in advance.

Lin Ruoxi raised her arm, just like a primary school student answering a question in class, and began, "Teacher, I..."

Xue Rui nudged Lin Ruoxi with his elbow and whispered, "Call him Secretary."

Secretary Li laughed. 'Most students don't know the proper forms of address; many just call everyone "Teacher" until graduation. And here's Xue Rui, a freshman, actually correcting Lin Ruoxi's form of address?'

He nodded in satisfaction. "Lin Ruoxi, what did you want to ask?"

"Um, Secretary Li, I wanted to ask if Xue Rui and I are in the same class?" Lin Ruoxi asked.

Xue Rui pinched the bridge of his nose. 'I thought the little girl was going to ask something important, but it turns out she only cares if she's in the same class as me?'

It wasn't just Xue Rui; the other teachers in the office were also speechless. Lin Ruoxi was too clingy.

"You're in the same class," Secretary Li said resignedly.

He had originally planned to ask if Lin Ruoxi wanted to change her major. He felt that for a genius of her caliber, studying software was a waste of talent. But seeing her like this, he decided the conversation would have to wait.

"Okay." Lin Ruoxi's face lit up with a smile. 'Now I can go to class with Xue Rui!'

Xue Rui spoke up. "Thank you, Secretary. We appreciate your consideration."

'It was normal for the administration to remember which class Lin Ruoxi was in; after all, she was a high-scoring student. But for them to remember his class? Clearly impossible. The subtext was that even if they hadn't been in the same class, he would have put them in one.'

However, Lin Ruoxi hadn't caught Secretary Li's implied meaning, so he had thanked him on her behalf.

Lin Ruoxi didn't know why Xue Rui was offering thanks, but she figured he must have his reasons. She followed his lead, calling out in a clear voice, "Thank you, Secretary Li."

"Alright, off you go. Come find me if you have any problems." After speaking, Secretary Li gave Xue Rui a meaningful look. He found Xue Rui to be very perceptive, much more so than some teachers who had been working for over a decade.

After bidding farewell to Secretary Li, Xue Rui collected his and Lin Ruoxi's registration materials from Teacher Wang. He glanced at the dormitory assignment. 'It's the same dorm as my previous life,' he thought. 'Even the room number hasn't changed.'

Returning to the open area in front of the registration point, he took Lin Ruoxi's forms, planning to walk her to her dorm.

By now it was afternoon. Teacher Wang had come out but didn't follow the two of them any further. After all, Lin Ruoxi's paperwork was complete, and what came next was no longer her responsibility.

Xue Rui took the forms from the little girl's hand and waved to Yu Minlan in the distance, signaling for her to follow with the car. He then said, "I'll take you to your dorm."

"Um, I want to take you to your dorm."

The two of them spoke at almost the exact same time.

Xue Rui looked surprised. "You'll take me to my dorm?"

"That's right, I'll take you," Lin Ruoxi said seriously. She wanted to make Xue Rui's bed for him, just like she always did at home.

"Girls aren't supposed to go into the boys' dorm," Xue Rui said, shaking his head.

"Um, then why can Rui go into the girls' dorm?" Lin Ruoxi retorted meekly, instinctively lowering her head.

Xue Rui was momentarily speechless. 'The little girl actually talked back to me?'

"You..."

Before Xue Rui could speak, Lin Ruoxi had already surrendered. She ducked her head and said, "Um, I was wrong. But I still want to make your bed for you..."

Looking at the little girl's pitiful, pleading eyes, Xue Rui found it impossible to refuse.

'I was planning to make a good first impression on my roommates. And now I'm supposed to show up with a beautiful girl to make my bed?'

'Won't that make that pack of desperately single guys cry with envy?'

'The key was that kid Qian Huabiao. He thinks Gu Muxue is my girlfriend. Is my image on the first day of school going to be a two-timing scumbag?'

'Well, it doesn't matter anyway. Qian Huabiao is obsessed with his reputation, and I've got so much dirt on him. I doubt he'd dare say a word.'

"Let's go, then."

The two of them talked as they walked toward the dormitory building. His luggage was light—just a backpack and a bedroll—so he didn't ask Yu Minlan to come up and help.

Due to the scorching heat, there was almost no one outside the men's dormitory building, just a few couples passing by under umbrellas.

As they entered the dormitory building, the dorm supervisor instinctively moved to stop Lin Ruoxi. However, Lin Ruoxi, who was carrying the thick bedroll, simply greeted her, "Hello, Ma'am."

Xue Rui pointed at Lin Ruoxi. "Ma'am, we're together."

"Young man, your sister is very pretty," the dorm supervisor said. 'A girl willing to help a boy carry his luggage must be a relative,' she figured.

"Here, sign in." She held out a clipboard for Xue Rui to fill in his check-in information.

Just then, a male student wearing black-framed glasses walked out of the supervisor's office. He had a popsicle dangling from his mouth and was carrying a plastic bag full of more. He was staring, transfixed, at Lin Ruoxi, a glistening droplet of drool hanging from the corner of his mouth...

Xue Rui's face filled with disgust. It was his roommate, Cai Huazhou. 'Was this kid really this pathetic back in his freshman year?'