The three of us inquired around the campus and easily located the Longteng University Library. Its scale was indeed impressive. We first consulted the main hall’s query machines, confirming the sheer volume of specialized texts—truly the best collection in Great Dragon Country, especially the foreign language books. It seemed we had come to the right place.

Chen Chao was studying Electronic Engineering, and Xu Hu was studying Civil Engineering. Having just graduated from high school, neither understood the professional volumes. Consequently, they were only interested in Wuxia, romance, and web novels. The trio split up to find their respective reading material.

I eagerly selected two books and returned to the reading room in the main hall to begin. It’s true what they say: knowledge is wealth. Only through extensive knowledge can one more smoothly accumulate money. Trying to earn money from foreigners while operating in the dark is simply impossible.

The reading room was utterly silent. Sometime later, I noticed Chen Chao and Xu Hu were also engrossed in several novels. The three of us were only startled from our reading when the sun began to dip in the west, awakened by a sudden commotion.

Looking up, I saw one student had accidentally stepped on another's foot. Unexpectedly, the victim was a hothead, and an apology was not accepted.

“I really didn’t mean to. How about I clean your leather shoes for you? If that doesn’t work, I’ll even give you a full massage, alright?” the student who stepped on the foot offered quietly.

The stepped-on hothead shouted back, “No! How about I step on you ten times and then give you ten full massages, does that work?!”

Students nearby reading lowered their voices. “Rude and unreasonable. These new students are too arrogant. This is just their first day, and they’re acting this way. What will they do in a few days? Rebel?”

Another male student chimed in, “Keep your voices down. I’m from the same province as him; his dad is the Provincial Governor there, so of course he’s so aggressive.”

An older student reminded everyone, “Quiet down, everyone. Li Qi is here.”

The somewhat chaotic reading room instantly fell silent upon hearing ‘Li Qi is here.’ I couldn't help but ask Chen Chao, “Who is this Li Qi? Everyone seems terrified of her.”

Chen Chao whispered back, “How should I know? Let’s all keep quiet and be careful not to invite trouble.”

The Governor’s son was still loudly complaining when a girl of otherworldly beauty, the kind that beggars description, walked into the reading room carrying a book. Her beauty wasn't the pure cuteness of Zhao Fen or Zhao Fang, nor the heroic spirit of Yi Xiaorou, nor the oriental delicacy of Zhang Xiaoya, nor the exquisite charm of Fang Yanmeng, nor the voluptuous allure of Cheng Susu, nor the youthful vibrancy of Xiao Chuchu. In short, her beauty was unlike any girl I had ever seen before. Although I couldn't articulate this beauty in words, I could deeply feel its breathtaking impact in my soul.

The girl, presumably Li Qi, also noticed the altercation ahead once she entered. She frowned slightly, then walked forward and asked, “What is going on? Why the noise in here?”

The Governor’s son was momentarily stunned by the girl before him. Truthfully, he had dated numerous women, but none had ever created such a striking visual impact as this young woman. For a moment, he forgot how to speak.

The student who had stepped on the foot didn't dare look up at Li Qi, murmuring, “I accidentally stepped on his foot.”

Li Qi asked, “Did you apologize?”

The student nodded. Li Qi then addressed both of them, “That’s fine then. It’s nothing major. Go back to what you were doing and don't disturb everyone else’s reading.”

Li Qi’s voice was unique. Besides the inherent softness of a female voice, there was a palpable pressure, like words spoken by a long-serving official.

The student who had stepped on the foot was about to leave, but the Governor’s son suddenly stopped him. Perhaps he wanted to display his authority in front of this stunningly beautiful girl.

“Don’t leave! Did I say you could go? What about my leather shoes? These are the absolute top brand, worth 8,888 yuan—a gift from a mayor friend before school started. You compensate me for half the cost of the shoes, huh!”

Before he could finish speaking, the Governor’s son suddenly shrieked. Everyone craned their necks to see: the beautiful Li Qi had stepped forward and violently stomped her high-heeled shoe down onto the Governor’s son’s footwear. Her heel was sharp and hard, piercing through the expensive 8,888-yuan leather and digging into the Governor’s son’s flesh. It was no wonder he screamed.

Smack! Li Qi then casually slapped the Governor’s son across the face as well, saying, “Shut up! Keep shouting and I’ll drag you out and beat you!”

The Governor’s son cried out in agony, “It hurts! I’ll find your mother! I’ll have my dad make sure you suffer a terrible end! You damn—"

Slap, slap, slap! The sound of rapid slaps followed. Li Qi seemed to enjoy it more, growing more excited with each blow. She lifted her high heel and stomped down hard on the Governor’s son’s other foot.

The Governor’s son was driven mad, flailing his arms indiscriminately. He accidentally brushed against Li Qi’s chest. Li Qi’s expression changed drastically. She made some sort of gesture, and two men who were otherwise unremarkable walked in. They roughly hauled the Governor’s son out. Then, the wall blocked everyone's view, except mine. The two men dragged the Governor’s son to a corner and beat him viciously, stopping only when the young man was nearly lifeless.

Li Qi glanced over the assembled crowd. “You were disturbed from your reading. This kind of incident will not happen again.”

Xu Hu was mesmerized. He whispered, “What’s this female student’s background? How can she be so ruthless? Even I, a man from the Northeast, feel outdone.”

An unfamiliar male student nearby cautioned, “Don’t talk nonsense. Get back to your books. She is the Student Union President of Longteng University. Even our Principal consults her on matters. She especially enjoys beating male students. You absolutely must not provoke her.”

Damn, a real mafia boss—this guy is incredibly arrogant. Her background must be extraordinary, otherwise, she wouldn't dare beat a high-ranking official's son to near death.

Li Qi, holding her book, surveyed the room. Logically, she had played the role of the hero just moments ago, but for some reason, everyone was terrified of her—even more so than they were of the Governor’s son moments before. Some students who had been planning to stay got up and left. Even those who intended to stay departed.

Chen Chao and Xu Hu tugged at me. “Let’s go. It’s getting late, and we need to plan dinner,” they urged.

I told them, “I’m not eating or sleeping here tonight. You two go back first; I’ll stay and read a little longer.”

Chen Chao and Xu Hu grabbed their books and hurried away. I ignored Li Qi and continued reading. I usually dislike dry theoretical knowledge, but after a recent financial battle, I had become particularly interested in economics. As Peach said, I’d gone mad earning money. This ‘Economic Theory’ book was quite good, perfect for beginners in economics. With only a dozen pages left, I planned to head home and enjoy time with my family.

So focused on reading, I didn't notice my surroundings until a waft of fragrance reached me. I looked up to find that the entire reading room was empty except for Li Qi and me, and she was sitting directly across from me.

Perhaps the initial shock of first sight had worn off, but the electrifying feeling I once had was gone. Although her beauty was dazzling, in my eyes, the smiles and glances of the wives at home held an incomparable warmth. A small external superiority in appearance no longer held much sway.

I glanced at her briefly, then returned my gaze to my book, ignoring the surroundings. If others feared Li Qi, I had no reason to. She could read her book, and I could read mine; we wouldn't interfere with each other.

When I finished reading the hefty volume on economic theory, a profound sense of satisfaction washed over me. I let out an involuntary, long sigh of relief, stretching contentedly. Reviewing the content, I felt I had gained a great deal—knowledge that would be invaluable in managing the massive enterprises in the US later on.

“Are you really reading that?” Li Qi opposite me suddenly spoke. Her voice seemed even colder than Cheng Susu’s, though she lacked Cheng Susu’s outwardly cold demeanor. Perhaps, given time, she might become colder than Cheng Susu.

I stacked the two books together. “Is there any doubt about that? If I weren’t reading, why would I be sitting here all afternoon?”

“You are different from the others,” Li Qi continued.

I picked up my books, preparing to leave. “We’re all human; there’s no difference. Perhaps I’m older, which makes me cherish this learning opportunity more. You only realize how much you need a book when you need to use it. I suppose that’s my philosophy.”

“Can you stay a little longer? Since there are no other students here, just chat with me for a bit.” To my surprise, there was a trace of pleading in Li Qi’s voice. This was completely unexpected. Now, even if I wanted to leave, it felt awkward, so I sat back down.

Seeing me sit, a flicker of joy crossed Li Qi’s face. She addressed me, “You’re a freshman, right? This Economic Theory should be incredibly dull. Few boys would pick it up; I doubt even the girls in the Economics or Finance departments bother with it. Yet, I watched you without moving for over half an hour.”

I corrected her. “No, it was the entire afternoon. I’ll read the other book tomorrow.”

“Did you genuinely understand it? Or were you just putting on an act?”

I grew slightly displeased. “Excuse me, what are you implying, classmate? Even if I were pretending, it has nothing to do with you. Besides, why would I be sick enough to waste an entire afternoon at the library? Who would I be putting on an act for?”

“I apologize; I misjudged you,” Li Qi actually apologized.

I felt a bit awkward too. “Forget it. I’ll be back tomorrow to continue my performance anyway. You’re welcome to come watch again.”

Li Qi suddenly let out a soft laugh. A girl smiling is infinitely better than one maintaining a stern face. “Fine, I’ll be back tomorrow. If you can keep up the pretense, then keep pretending. My name is Li Qi. Welcome to Longteng University.”

I gently shook the tip of Li Qi’s finger. “Zhao Qian. Zhao from Zhao Qian Sun Li, Qian from Zhao Qian Sun Li. I like the library here.”

After the introductions, I no longer paid any attention to Li Qi’s subsequent discussion about the various academic departments.

(16K Novel Network Mobile, PC Synchronized Reading. You can also download e-books in TXT, CHM, UMD, JAR formats)