The next morning, campus felt different.
It wasn't that the buildings had changed, or that the autumn breeze had turned sharper overnight. No—it was the stares. Wherever Liang Chen walked, eyes followed. Whispers trailed behind him like shadows, some filled with awe, others with disbelief.
"Is that really him? The owner of the Twin Pagoda?""Impossible… he's been in our classes all this time.""Didn't he usually sit in the back row, quiet as a ghost?""But I heard the manager of Twin Pagoda himself called him Chairman!"
Liang Chen strolled through the courtyard as if none of it mattered. His hands were tucked casually into his pockets, his pace unhurried. If not for the weight of so many gazes, one would think he was simply another student on his way to lecture.
But to everyone else, he was no longer "just another student."
The first to approach were the bold ones.
A pair of girls who had barely spared him a glance in the past suddenly appeared at his side, their voices honey-sweet.
"Liang Chen, good morning! You're headed to class, right? We were just going there too." One of them twirled a strand of hair between her fingers, flashing him her brightest smile. "You know, I never realized you had such… presence before. Last night was amazing."
Another leaned closer, lowering her voice just enough to sound intimate. "If you ever need someone to help you review notes, I'd be happy to."
Liang chuckled lightly. "That's kind of you. But I think I'll manage."
The girls giggled as though he'd said something charming instead of politely brushing them off. They clung to his pace all the way to the lecture hall, laughing a little too loudly at their own jokes, their eyes sparkling with the kind of admiration that had nothing to do with academics.
Behind them, more whispers.
"Look at them, shameless…"
"Can you blame them? He's loaded."
"I bet they don't even know his middle name, but suddenly they want to 'review notes'?"
Liang heard it all. He smiled faintly, neither pleased nor offended.
So this is what it feels like to stand in the spotlight, he thought. Entertaining, but empty.
Not everyone was so quick to admire him.
In the row behind, a group of guys exchanged dark looks. One of them—Xu Jian, known for being loud-mouthed and flashy in his own right—snorted under his breath.
"Tch, what's the big deal? He owns a building, so what? At the end of the day, it's just a restaurant."
Another chimed in, "Exactly. My uncle owns a chain of car dealerships. You don't see me bragging about it."
A third leaned back in his chair, smirking. "These girls are too naïve. He waves a little wealth in front of them and suddenly they're falling at his feet."
Their voices weren't quiet. They wanted Liang to hear.
He did.
But instead of rising to the bait, Liang calmly took out his notebook, flipping it open with unshaken composure. His silence only seemed to irritate them further, as if his lack of reaction robbed them of the satisfaction they sought.
Halfway through class, something unexpected happened.
Professor Zhang, a stern man who rarely praised anyone, paused mid-discussion. His eyes swept the room, then landed on Liang.
"By the way," the professor said, "I read the news this morning. Congratulations, Liang Chen. Your Twin Pagoda is making waves even in the business section. The city council praised its contribution to the local economy."
The room froze.
The professor was not known for casual compliments. If he spoke highly of someone, it carried weight.
"Thank you, Professor," Liang replied evenly.
And just like that, the whispers resumed, louder than before.
"Did you hear that? Even the professor knows about him!" "So it wasn't just a rumor." "Contributing to the city's economy… that sounds bigger than just a restaurant."
The guys who had mocked him earlier shifted uncomfortably, their expressions darkening. Xu Jian clenched his pen until it snapped.
By lunchtime, things had escalated further.
As Liang made his way toward the cafeteria, he was intercepted again—this time by Mei Ling, one of the most popular girls on campus. Known for her beauty and sharp wit, she rarely wasted her time on anyone who couldn't match her standards.
But now she leaned against the doorway, her smile dazzling.
"Chairman Liang," she teased, drawing out the title like silk, "surely someone of your status doesn't still eat campus food?"
Her words turned heads instantly. A few students nearby gasped, others whispered excitedly.
Liang raised a brow, amusement flickering in his eyes. "And where would you suggest I eat, then?"
Mei Ling stepped closer, lowering her voice so that only he—and everyone straining to eavesdrop—could hear.
"There's a new fusion place downtown. Private booths, excellent wine. I could show you sometime."
The implication was clear.
Liang studied her for a moment, then smiled lightly. "Perhaps another time. For now, I'm in the mood for something simple."
He walked past her, leaving her momentarily stunned. The students around them buzzed with excitement.
"Did you see that? Mei Ling actually flirted with him!" "And he turned her down?" "Unbelievable…"
But admiration wasn't the only thing brewing.
By the end of the day, new rumors had spread like wildfire.
"Liang Chen only got lucky. His family must've handed him the Twin Pagoda." "Yeah, he didn't build anything himself. He's just another spoiled young master pretending to be low-key." "Think about it—who our age could possibly achieve something like that without connections?"
The irony was bitter, for most of those dismissing him were the same people who had cheered him the night before.
Liang overheard snippets here and there. Each time, he smiled faintly, as if the noise of gossip was no more than the rustle of wind through leaves.
Let them think what they want, he mused. In time, the truth will drown out their voices.
That evening, as Liang walked out of campus, his phone buzzed. A message from Professor Zhang popped up.
"About the commotion in class. Don't let it bother you. People have mouths to talk. The higher you rise, the louder the noise becomes."
Liang stared at the screen for a long moment, then typed back:
"It doesn't bother me. If anything, it's amusing. But… it's also a reminder. I need to make sure my foundation is strong enough that no rumor can shake it."
He slid his phone back into his pocket, his gaze lifting toward the skyline. The Twin Pagoda gleamed in the distance, its twin spires piercing the night.
Admiration, envy, dismissal—all of it was just the surface.
What mattered was the storm he could feel gathering beyond the horizon.
And Liang Chen was more than ready.