The next day.
Monday morning only had one class during the second period, and it was an elective that could be skipped.
At nine o'clock sharp, Su Bai arrived at the cafeteria to meet Xia Lin.
From a distance, Su Bai spotted Xia Lin in sportswear. Though she was standing in an inconspicuous corner of the cafeteria, she still stood out among the students.
As a graduate student senior, she had a few more years of development behind her and a naturally good foundation. She also knew how to dress.
The fitted athletic top and yoga pants, in dark colors, showed off Xia Lin's toned, fitness-oriented figure to perfection.
With fresh, natural light makeup on her face, she was an exceptionally eye-catching sporty beauty.
"Director Xia, you look beautiful today."
As soon as Su Bai came over carrying his breakfast tray, he casually complimented her.
A hint of unease flashed across Xia Lin's face, but she acted nonchalant. "Really? I feel like I look pretty much the same every day."
"That just means Director Xia's makeup skills are good, so your image stays consistent every day." Su Bai openly looked her over. "This no-makeup makeup look is very skillful."
"Heh, kid, you even know about no-makeup makeup?"
"Is that strange?"
"Not many guys know about that. Quite a few people used to think I went barefaced." Xia Lin smiled.
As a counselor who also handled some Youth League Committee work, it was inconvenient for Xia Lin to wear overly heavy makeup.
But girls loved looking pretty, after all, so she preferred fresh, everyday makeup.
Sometimes, when she was busy or feeling lazy, she simply did not wear any makeup.
That was, provided she did not need to meet someone she cared about.
Today, she was going with Su Bai to look at apartments. For some inexplicable reason, Xia Lin had gotten up early and spent nearly an hour carefully getting herself ready.
The reason for it was something Xia Lin understood perfectly well.
At her age, just past twenty, she was no longer an innocent little girl fresh out of high school.
Xia Lin's parents had also been constantly searching for suitable men for her.
But she had not been satisfied with any of the ones they found.
Either they were too old, or there was something wrong with their personalities. More often, though, it was their basic qualifications that Xia Lin found hard to accept.
Looks were fine, but physique was the main issue. Rich young masters often lived indulgent lives, and too few of them managed to stay in good shape.
Su Bai happened to hit every point Xia Lin cared about most.
Those tall, broad shoulders, those abs... Just thinking about them made Xia Lin feel heat rise through her body.
Better still, Su Bai's other qualities were also excellent.
Judging by his spending habits in particular, he was the same as Xia Lin: the low-key rich type.
He did not care much for showing off, but he was willing to spend on material comforts.
That was actually the most crucial point. For a long-term relationship, matching financial circumstances came first.
In River City, there were far too few men who could keep up with Xia Lin's level of spending.
Add in the requirements for physique and age, and they were practically as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns. Someone like Su Bai was absolutely a scarce resource.
Xia Lin intended to seize this opportunity and see whether she could win Su Bai's favor.
She could not let such a good young man get away.
Hearing Su Bai praise her makeup, Xia Lin could not help feeling pleased with herself.
She picked up a sesame ball from her tray and held it to Su Bai's mouth.
"Try this. It's new at the breakfast counter, taro-flavored."
Su Bai froze for a moment.
Xia Lin was not using chopsticks. She was pinching the sesame ball between her thumb and index finger, feeding it directly to him.
Su Bai immediately understood. His expression did not change as he opened his mouth and ate it.
And took the chance to sample Director Xia's fingertips as well.
"How does it taste?"
"Good."
"Such a good boy~"
Xia Lin felt the touch of Su Bai's lips and teeth against her fingers, but unlike a young girl, she did not blush. She merely narrowed her eyes in satisfaction and smiled warmly.
She had a bright, dignified kind of beauty, the sort of woman who would look perfectly matched as a successful man's wife.
Commonly known as a face that brought prosperity to her husband.
When she smiled, the corners of her eyes curved beautifully, and her eyebrows were especially lovely.
This woman would be suitable as the principal wife, Su Bai silently concluded.
The two chatted as they finished breakfast, then headed together to the school parking lot.
"Student Su, are you taking my car?"
"No need. I'll drive. If I decide to live there, I can conveniently use the car to move some things later."
"Okay."
When Xia Lin saw Su Bai take out his key and unlock the Mercedes-Benz GLE, she was not surprised at all. She even found it perfectly natural.
Xia Lin had seen plenty of luxury cars worth hundreds of thousands or even millions.
She herself drove an Audi Q7.
Naturally, Su Bai had no intention of showing off. Once Xia Lin was seated, he set off.
The trip was not far. They arrived in just over ten minutes.
On the way, Xia Lin briefly introduced the Serviced Apartment to Su Bai.
"Ascott is considered a relatively established high-end apartment brand in the country. Of course, the one we're going to see was a new branch built three years ago, so there's no renovation smell, the facilities aren't outdated, and it's right at its peak."
"That sounds great. I'm pretty lucky." Su Bai said, then corrected himself. "No, I shouldn't say I'm lucky. I have Director Xia to thank for making the connection."
"It's nothing. As a counselor, it's only right that I look after my students."
Soon, the two arrived at Ascott Apartments, River City University District.
As they entered the apartment lobby, Su Bai saw several residents coming and going, including some foreigners.
They all looked like members of the social elite.
According to Xia Lin, some scholars who came to Jiangcheng University from abroad for exchanges and visits liked staying at Ascott.
After all, they could get reimbursed.
With a professional smile, the young woman at the front desk bowed to the two visitors. "Welcome to Ascott. Are you two here for a short-term stay, or to discuss a long-term lease?"
Xia Lin said, "A long-term lease, possibly for quite a while. We also have high requirements for the unit type and services. Is your marketing and sales manager available?"
"Yes. This way, please."
The receptionist led them into an office deeper inside the first floor of the apartment building.
The manager had only been at work for a short while. Hearing that someone had come to discuss a long-term lease, he immediately perked up.
"How should I address you two?"
"My surname is Xia, and his is Su. He's the one renting the apartment. I'm here to help him take a look."
"Alright, you... You look familiar. Are you Miss Xia Lin from Jiang University?"
"Yes, that's me."
"Haha, I knew you looked familiar. I remember you came to look at apartments last year too." The manager spoke enthusiastically. Clearly, he knew something about Xia Lin's background.
Xia Lin politely replied, "I was actually very satisfied with the apartments here at the time. I just thought it would be too large and empty for one person, a bit wasteful. In the end, I chose to stay in the graduate dormitory instead. It was livelier living with my close friends."
"I see. Then, does Mr. Su plan to live alone?"
The manager turned to Su Bai.
"More or less, but I'll be bringing female companions back most of the time."
Su Bai cleared his throat and stated his requirements. "I want the largest and most luxurious unit available, with the best possible benefits and services. I don't care about the price. Anything under one million a month is fine."
The manager: "..."
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