Forced Me to Regress, Huh?

On Sunday, Cheng Zhu continued editing photos in the morning and went to his Keep Coming studio in the afternoon.

He had already paid out the salary at the beginning of the month.

It was often said that the timing of a company’s payday reflected its financial health.

If salaries were paid at the beginning of the month, it was a top-tier company. Before the 10th? A respectable company. Around the 15th? Just a regular business.

Of course, there were definitely terrible companies that delayed wages.

After the surge in orders, the customer service team had been overwhelmed, so Cheng Zhu had promised to give everyone a bonus, and he delivered.

After arriving at the office, the rhythmic clatter of keyboards greeted him, which he found pleasant to the ear.

Money wasn’t really the point. What mattered was that every item sold brought happiness to a pair of lovebirds.

I’m simply fulfilling my social responsibility, and along the way, I just happen to make a few hundred million.

As soon as the boss entered the office, the atmosphere changed noticeably.

It was hard to imagine that, despite being younger than everyone else, even much younger, the boss carried an undeniable air of authority.

Cheng Zhu looked at the fortune tree he was raising and was surprised to see that it was growing exceptionally well.

“Is someone taking care of it?” he asked.

Wang Haitao, who had recently been promoted to deputy manager of the customer service team, immediately replied, “CEO Cheng, I take care of all the plants in the office before I get off work every day.”

—It’s here again! Filthy adult office politics!

Wang Haitao didn’t say that he specially took care of this fortune tree but instead claimed to be caring for all the office plants.

Previously, Cheng Zhu had bought six potted plants to improve the air quality and make the workspace feel more lively and vibrant.

He didn’t know much about plants, and after buying them, he had heard from Wang Anquan that these particular ones were not easy to raise. His mother had killed similar ones before.

Now, as he surveyed the office, he was surprised to see that every plant was thriving.

By taking care of all the plants, Wang Haitao not only demonstrated his sense of responsibility but also skillfully took credit, all without appearing to be licking too deliberately.

Of course, what he really cared about was the boss’s fortune tree!

“Good job. I didn’t expect you to know about this.” Cheng Zhu nodded slightly. Half-joking, half-serious, he added, “When I buy a big villa, I’ll have you take care of the garden.”

“I work fast, and taking care of the plants doesn’t take much time. CEO Cheng, you will definitely buy a big villa with a big garden someday. I’ve never taken care of a large garden before,” Wang Haitao immediately said, sounding eager.

Cheng Zhu glanced at him. He hadn’t expected this kid to improve so quickly. Although his licking was still a bit stiff, it was noticeably better than before. Was he secretly taking one of those scammy EQ courses online?

Still, he found Wang Haitao quite interesting and decided to pay more attention to him in the future.

Later, when Cheng Zhu stepped outside to smoke, he called Wang Anquan to join him.

“You come here more often than I do. Have you noticed Wang Haitao taking care of the plants?” he asked.

“Nope. Every time I’m here, it’s during work hours. Maybe he really does do it after work,” Wang Anquan replied.

“He’s never mentioned it in front of you?” Cheng Zhu asked again.

“Never,” Wang Anquan confirmed after a moment’s thought.

“Okay, got it.”

At night, Cheng Zhu returned to Yunlai Restaurant for dinner before planning to return to Sci-Tech University.

On the way back, Dong Dong sent him a message in their group chat.

“Hurry back! Teacher Chen is doing a dorm inspection!” Dong Dong, the room leader, urged.

“Do you want to go back to high school?” Cheng Zhu asked.

Dong Dong: “???”

It’s only eight o’clock, bro. So what if the counselor is checking dorms? What’s the big deal if I’m not there?

Sometimes, counselors would drop by dorms out of boredom. It didn’t really matter whether someone was there or not.

Besides, with military training just finished and classes about to start, it was normal for counselors to pay a visit.

Don’t tell me you’re so worked up because you’re only wearing boxers in the dorm room?

Cheng Zhu leisurely strolled back to campus. On the way, he stopped by the fruit shop near the school gate to buy some fruits.

As the wealthiest guy in the dorm room, he still hadn’t treated everyone to a meal, but he had enjoyed a meal of crayfish from Young Master Dong.

But what he didn’t expect was that while he was leisurely walking back, Dong Dong sent him another message.

“Old Cheng, where are you? Teacher Chen is waiting for you downstairs.”

Cheng Zhu: “???”

Seriously? Is this refined, intellectual-looking woman with glasses really here for me?

He walked unhurriedly down the main road of campus, showing no signs of speeding up.

He had a hunch it wasn’t going to be anything good.

As the night breeze swept through the campus, the counselor’s appearance and temperament appeared in Cheng Zhu’s mind. Suddenly, a thought struck him. She actually seems quite suitable to be a lingerie model.

That intellectual vibe, those gold-rimmed glasses, and that slightly serious expression… Tsk, tsk, tsk.

But he quickly shook his head, feeling he had been too immersed in his business lately. Damn it, I can’t keep seeing everyone as potential lingerie models.

When he reached the dormitory, he glanced up from a distance and found several boys on the balconies, sneaking peeks at Chen Jieyu standing under the street light.

She had the refined, mature charm of a sophisticated city woman—something college girls lacked. For boys at this age, this unique allure held a special kind of appeal.

Dong Dong, this horndog, was secretly observing. Seeing Cheng Zhu strolling leisurely, he waved at him frantically, like an anxious eunuch serving a calm emperor, signaling him not to keep Teacher Chen waiting too long!

Cheng Zhu ignored him. He dragged the expensive suitcase that Jiang Wanzhou had given him for his birthday last year, continuing at his usual pace.

Tonight, Chen Jieyu wore a white silk blouse, paired with a knee-length black pencil skirt. From the side, the curve of her full hips was clearly visible.

Under her skirt, she wore a pair of stockings and black shoes with a 3 cm heel.

Overall, she had a faint office lady vibe.

At this moment, Chen Jieyu caught a glimpse of Cheng Zhu from the corner of her eye, so she turned around slightly and looked at him.

“Hello, Teacher Chen,” Cheng Zhu greeted.

She nodded slightly and took a few steps towards the middle of the road, clearly signaling her intent to have a chat.

Chen Jieyu glanced at the suitcase Cheng Zhu was dragging. A Rimowa suitcase… His family must be well-off.

In her opinion, a guy with a decent family background might be willing to spend money on clothes and shoes, but he wouldn’t spend so much on a suitcase.

At this moment, a gust of night wind blew by, and her silk shirt immediately clung to her body, outlining her figure clearly.

Chen Jieyu brushed her long, dark brown hair, which the wind had slightly tousled, but then she heard Cheng Zhu ask, “Teacher Chen, did you change your hair color?”

This made her pause for a moment, but she still nodded. Instinctively, she lowered the hand she had used to brush her hair and cleared her throat.

“I came to talk to you today about the class committee election.” She looked at Cheng Zhu. “I want to ask if you’re interested in running for any position.”

Previously, when she messaged Cheng Zhu on WeChat and mentioned the temporary leader position for military training, it was already a subtle hint.

It was essentially telling him that a spot on the class committee was reserved for him.

Cheng Zhu replied directly, “No, I’m not interested in running for the class committee.”

“Why not?” Chen Jieyu looked at him in confusion.

In her mind, some students shied away from class committee members because they were intimidated, felt unqualified, didn’t want to stand out and take on responsibilities, or were afraid of socializing.

But this boy in front of her was clearly not like this. He communicated with her so casually.

Moreover, his attitude towards his classmate Li Xianqiang was still vivid in her mind.

This person could suppress others, but other students couldn’t suppress him.

Chen Jieyu added straightforwardly, “Being on the class committee in college is different from middle school and high school. There are many hidden benefits, and it’s a great way to build skills, which will help when stepping into society in the future.”

“Because I’m not interested. Besides, I don’t have time,” Cheng Zhu answered directly.

“Are you that busy?” Chen Jieyu frowned.

“Yeah, I’m planning to open a shop off-campus, so I’ll be very busy. I definitely won’t have time for the class committee, and I feel like you want me to be the class monitor.” He placed his hand on the handle of his suitcase and looked straight at the woman in front of him.

“Class monitor? That’s not the case,” she replied immediately.

Alright, sure! Now I know why you’re not very well-liked in the faculty circle. You’re too straightforward, and all your emotions are written on your face.

—Cheng Zhu froze awkwardly for… 0.1 second.

Chen Jieyu continued to persuade, “I still hope you’ll reconsider. You’ve just started your first year, so there’s no need to rush into opening a shop off-campus. Also, our university offers support for student entrepreneurship.”

Hearing this, Cheng Zhu nodded. “Oh, I’ll apply for that in the future.”

What do you mean? You’re not just planning to open a shop by the school gate?

Chen Jieyu looked up at the boy, who was half a head taller than her. “And you’re studying computer science. It’s the information age now, and both the school and the city and provincial governments actually place a lot of importance on encouraging students to start online businesses.”

“Oh, the money I’m using to open the shop is from what I earned online during the summer,” nonchalantly said Cheng—suspected to be the richest first-year student—Zhu.

Under the streetlight, Chen Jieyu was stunned. “Huh?”