With global currency devaluation, I'll wear these back and take my whole family flying!

"Shen Ci, although I don't know the specifics of what happened, I still believe from the bottom of my heart that you are a good student."

"But if the allegations are true, the school will stop providing you with your student aid."

Upon hearing this, Shen Ci nodded in understanding and said to Li Jianguo, "Thank you for your trust, Director Li."

Then Shen Ci looked at Li Jianguo seriously and said, "The content of the report is indeed true, but I want to correct one point. The school subsidy I received was neither a special hardship subsidy nor a scholarship."

"Director Li, you should know that the school recruited me to HKUST because of my excellent college entrance exam scores. The admissions office went to my hometown in Shenzhen and Hong Kong to specially recruit me. At that time, the school gave me 20..."

Shen Ci almost blurted out the word "ten thousand," but quickly stopped herself and corrected herself: "They gave me 20 yuan as a special admissions bonus and promised me a monthly living allowance of 15 cents after enrollment. This allowance was a condition for my admission as a special admissions student, and it was promised to me by the USTC Admissions Office."

“Although my family is not well-off, we are not so poor that we need to apply for special hardship subsidies. My subsidies and special hardship subsidies are two different things.”

Director Li nodded upon hearing this; he was naturally aware of these matters.

only……

“Shen Ci, the teacher definitely understands what you're saying. But now someone has reported you, and you yourself said the report is true. Think about it, you're using luxury goods and receiving school subsidies. If this gets out, it will definitely cause stress among those poor students, especially online. People online won't investigate the details; they'll just attack you and the school for no reason. Isn't this an unwarranted disaster?”

He sighed again as he spoke: "The teacher is also thinking of you. There are many students in financial difficulty at USTC, and the number of places for financial aid is limited. Many people are waiting in line and can't even get a place. If you can still receive aid at this time, you will become the target of everyone's criticism at school."

Director Li spoke earnestly and sincerely, and Shen Ci could tell that he was thinking of her.

Moreover, the Academic Affairs Office must have given Director Li an order for this matter. Even if he was unwilling, it was probably already a done deal.

"Director Li, I can do without the subsidy, but it must be something I voluntarily give up, not something the school cancels. That's what I'm trying to say."

Shen Ci didn't care about the subsidy. She used to receive a monthly living allowance of 1500 yuan, which made her life during college much better.

But things are different now. Fifteen cents a month means nothing to her now, but it can greatly alleviate the financial burden for students from impoverished families.

Therefore, she can voluntarily give up this subsidy, but she must make it clear on matters of principle.

Upon hearing that Shen Ci agreed to forgo the subsidy, Director Li no longer cared whether she had voluntarily given it up or the school had canceled it; it was merely a matter of procedure. He quickly nodded, "Okay, I'll handle it. But Shen Ci, you..."

He looked at Shen Ci, seemingly wanting to ask but afraid that his words might mislead her.

She just mentioned that her family isn't wealthy, and she even admitted to the fact that she wore luxury goods.

She was beautiful, and as her counselor, Li Jianguo was afraid that she would succumb to the temptations of society and go astray.

At this moment, he really didn't know how to start the conversation.

As intelligent as Shen Ci was, she naturally understood Director Li's concerns. She smiled slightly and said calmly, "Director Li, don't overthink it. I won't ruin myself for money."

Li Jianguo smiled awkwardly upon hearing this, but for some reason he believed Shen Ci's words: "Okay, I won't ask any more questions. Just like I said, you must tell me immediately if anything happens."

Shen Ci nodded, said goodbye to Li Jianguo, and left.

She knew without a doubt that Yu Xinxin was the one who reported her, but she didn't really care.

Thinking about it carefully, it doesn't look good if someone with her current net worth is still accepting a monthly stipend of 15 cents from the school. It's a good thing she hadn't thought about it when she first came back; otherwise, she would definitely have voluntarily given up the stipend so that it could be used for someone who needs it more.

At noon, the school cafeteria was packed with people.

Shen Ci searched around with her umbrella before finally finding Qu Yang at the very back.

As Shen Ci walked over, the surrounding boys immediately burst into a commotion, drawing frequent glances from other students who were puzzled.

"Thank you, here's your umbrella back."

Approaching, Shen Ci reached out and handed the umbrella to Qu Yang, a serene smile on her face.

"It's alright, don't be so polite." Qu Yang remained calm as he took the umbrella and tossed it to Shao Yu.

“Woo——”

Another round of meaningful teasing ensued. Qu Yang's cheeks flushed and his heart pounded as his companions amused him. If it weren't for his naturally tanned complexion, his face would have been completely red by now.

He frowned, feigning anger: "Stop yelling, she's a girl..."

The jeers only grew louder.

If it were any other girl, she would probably have blushed and run away after being teased like that, but Shen Ci didn't. Instead, she laughed along with them.

She's the top fan, so there's nothing to be embarrassed about.

Many people witnessed this scene, but there are countless students at the University of Science and Technology of China, and not everyone knows them, so they just took a few more curious glances.

Only one person had a gloomy face, and the chill emanating from him seemed to freeze the surroundings three feet deep.

He sent his roommate a carnival gift and is now chatting and laughing with him. This is clearly something he did on purpose to show him.

She's deliberately trying to provoke me!

Li Xiao slowly exhaled two breaths, trying to calm himself down. Lianxing was right; he couldn't act impulsively anymore.

Moreover, the reason Shen Ci is provoking him like this must be because she still has feelings for him and cares about him!

Just as he composed himself and was about to apologize to Shen Ci for his words and actions last night, a figure suddenly pounced on him, roughly and affectionately hooking his thick arm around his shoulder.

A voice, tinged with excitement and playful reproach, followed immediately.

"Brother Li Xiao!"

Li Xiao subconsciously took half a step back, but when he saw the other person, he was stunned for a moment, and then said with a surprised look, "Qi...Qiqi?"

Lin Biqi, beaming with excitement, clung to Li Xiao's arm and jumped up and down, exclaiming, "Aren't you surprised?"

"You... how did you end up at USTC?" Li Xiao was somewhat surprised.

Lin Biqi is the granddaughter of his maternal grandfather's old friend. He used to visit his maternal grandfather's house often during winter and summer vacations, so he and Lin Biqi have known each other since childhood.

But her maternal grandfather and the Lin family are both in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, so how could she be at HKUST?

"Hehe, I got in through the entrance exam!" Lin Biqi said proudly. "I've been in school for several days now, and I didn't tell you because I wanted to surprise you. But USTC is so big, I haven't seen you at all. I didn't expect to run into you today."

"I'm also in the astronomy department, so you'll be my senior from now on!"