The Academic God Becomes an Internet Sensation After Joining a Dating Show - Chapter 85 - Thinking of You

Qing Lin sat in silence. The screen on his desk displayed the painting of Shen Xuzhi he’d been working on, while his arms held a garment still carrying his scent.

Summer heat rose from the window, while the air conditioner’s cool air drifted down. His mood was complex as he listened to his own heartbeat beneath his lover’s whisper.

“Thinking of you.”

Qing Lin lowered his head, clutching the clothes tighter. With a face calm, detached, almost cold, he spoke the most passionate words in an even tone: “I was thinking of you.”

A soft velvety glow veiled his eyes as he buried half his face in the fabric, his ears flushing crimson.

“Mr. Shen, when will you return?” Qing Lin murmured. “Come back and hold me…”

Shen Xuzhi’s gaze darkened.

He realized that, for his whole life, he would always come up short against Qing Lin.

He couldn’t resist anything about him—a subtle expression, an unconscious gesture—each tugged at his mind, clouding his senses.

Shen Xuzhi: “Are you acting coquettishly?”

Qing Lin: “Mm.”

Shen Xuzhi couldn’t contain his laughter. It brimmed with love, flowing out as naturally as a river.

“Qing Lin,” Shen Xuzhi murmured softly into the phone, “I miss you too.”

“If you keep tempting me like this, I’ll fly back to see you right now.”

Qing Lin: “What about your work?”

“Oh right, work.” Shen Xuzhi chuckled lightly. “Then I’ll fly back to kiss you, then fly back to continue working.”

Qing Lin chuckled too. “You’re crazy.”

They chatted for a while longer. If Shen Xuzhi didn’t have an early morning shoot at five the next day, Qing Lin feared he might actually fly four hours round-trip just to kiss him before heading back to work.

The next morning, Qing Lin returned to campus but got stuck in the academic building after being recognized.

Zhejiang University happened to be hosting a volunteer event that day, drawing many outsiders. A girl spotted Qing Lin on the street and immediately chased after him, attracting a huge crowd.

Qing Lin had no choice but to stay in the study room, hoping the crowd would disperse soon.

Shen Xuzhi happened to be busy at the time and didn’t reply to any messages. Bored, Qing Lin started reviewing vocabulary, when suddenly he received a text.

This person was somewhat unexpected—it was Qi Youhuai, the president of Chengqi Group.

They had added each other on WeChat back in Argentina. The message was as rigidly formal as the man himself.

[Chengqi President Qi Youhuai: Hello.]

Qing Lin was somewhat baffled but replied politely.

[Lin: Hello, President Qi.]

[Chengqi President Qi Youhuai: Are you free tonight?]

Qing Lin: “?”

[Chengqi President Qi Youhuai: I’ve reserved a table at the Xilin Hui Sky Restaurant for 6:30 PM.]

[Chengqi President Qi Youhuai: Let’s have dinner together.]

To be honest, Qing Lin didn’t know how to respond.

Qi Youhuai was Shen Xuzhi’s longtime friend. When Shen and Qing Baihu were at odds, Qi had posted on Weibo in support of Shen. Though everyone called him cold-blooded and ruthless, Qing Lin found him quite approachable.

[Chengqi President Qi Youhuai: Need a ride?]

…This left absolutely no room for refusal.

Qing Lin pondered. After all, Qi Youhuai had assisted in the case involving Qing Baihu, and spending time with him generally felt comfortable.

Fine. He’d treat it as an opportunity to thank him.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Xilin Hui Sky Restaurant

Perched atop the Xilin Hui Tower, the restaurant’s gleaming glass windows offered panoramic views of Hangzhou’s nightscape.

The spacious, opulent dining area featured luxurious design. Soft, non-glaring lighting refracted into warm, elegant beams, while the gentle strains of a violin created an atmosphere of refined sophistication.

Arriving at the address Qi Youhuai had provided, Qing Lin was genuinely stunned by the extravagance.

Guests ascending from the lobby were all dressed in formal attire, while Qing Lin stood out in his simple T-shirt and pants, even carrying a backpack.

“This way, Mr. Qing,” the waiter guided him into the restaurant.

The space was quiet. The innermost section, reserved for the most exclusive guests, stood completely empty.

Qing Lin spotted Qi Youhuai seated by the window.

In the softly dimmed restaurant, the man sat before floor-to-ceiling glass windows, dressed in a sharp three-piece suit, poised and composed.

He lifted his amber eyes as Qing Lin approached.

Qing Lin walked to the seat opposite him. Qi Youhuai gestured for him to sit down without hesitation.

“Hello, Mr. Qi,” Qing Lin greeted him.

Qi Youhuai nodded. “Nice to see you again.”

Qing Lin sat down, set his backpack on the floor, then looked around the front area, pondering where to place it.

“Give it to me,” Qi Youhuai said.

Qing Lin felt a bit embarrassed and handed the backpack to Qi Youhuai.

Mr. Qi took it, placed it on a nearby rack, and thoughtfully covered it with a dust cloth.

His eyes were lowered, his features sharp and handsome. His suit was impeccably tailored, and his entire demeanor was mature, steady, and deliberate.

Qing Lin observed Qi Youhuai for a moment before speaking. “Thank you for inviting me to dinner, Mr. Qi. I had imagined there would be more people, but it turns out it’s just the two of us.”

“I only wished to see you,” Qi Youhuai replied.

The remark was slightly blunt. Qing Lin smiled but didn’t respond.

The table was set with exquisitely carved, gold-trimmed plates. The cutlery gleamed, polished to a mirror finish. At one end, flowers and a sheer scarf were arranged, creating an atmosphere of refined elegance.

Ha… Truly befitting a CEO.

“It rained on the way,” Qi Youhuai remarked, noticing the damp corner of Qing Lin’s clothes. “Drink this ginger tea first. Don’t catch a cold.”

“Ah, thank you, President Qi,” Qing Lin replied promptly, accepting the cup.

Truthfully, he disliked such concoctions—too bitter and astringent—but since it came from President Qi, refusal felt impolite.

Qing Lin took a deep breath, steeled himself, and sipped. To his surprise, the bitterness wasn’t overwhelming—the brown sugar’s sweetness masked the ginger’s astringency.

He looked up at Qi Youhuai.

“No need to be so formal. Let’s just chat like last time. I think we get along well,” Qi Youhuai said.

Qing Lin still felt a bit uneasy.

Qi Youhuai reassured him, “Don’t worry. I’ve reserved the entire place. No outsiders will be here.”

Qing Lin had a favorable impression of the man before him—steady, considerate, and a friend of Shen Xuzhi. This eased his mind slightly. “Thank you for speaking up for me on Weibo back then, Mr. Qi. Honestly, I should be the one treating you to this meal. I never intended for you to go to such expense.”

“It was the least I could do,” Qi Youhuai replied. “How’s the case progressing?”

“It’s almost closed,” Qing Lin said. “Shen Laoshi found me an excellent lawyer and helped gather incriminating evidence. The online public opinion has also been favorable. We’re just waiting for the sentencing verdict.”

“That’s good to hear.” Qi Youhuai paused briefly before adding, “Though I never imagined you were adopted, Qing Lin.”

“Yes,” Qing Lin replied softly. “I spent some time in an orphanage before being adopted by Qing Baihu.”

Qi Youhuai picked up a champagne glass and swirled it. “It must have been difficult, all those years.”

After speaking, Qi Youhuai tilted his head back to drink the champagne. The tightly buttoned suit collar pressed against his Adam’s apple, revealing the slender line of his neck. Under the hazy, dreamlike lighting of the private room, he exuded an air of restrained elegance.

Qing Lin had actually researched this CEO’s background thoroughly.

Qi Youhuai, current CEO of Chengqi Group, was a prodigy who seized control of the conglomerate at twenty. While steering the company, he simultaneously completed his academic pursuits with distinction, earning admission to a combined master’s-PhD program and finishing his doctorate by age twenty-three.

He was practically a character straight out of a novel.

Yet Chengqi Group’s most sensational scandals centered on a fatal car accident involving the chairman’s family fifteen years prior and a major executive shakeup six years ago.

Fifteen years ago, a family of four was involved in a car accident. News reports described heavy casualties, with Qi Youhuai as the sole survivor.

But ten years later, at just 20, Qi Youhuai identified his own uncle—the current head of the company—as the culprit. He reopened the old case, which was determined to have been a deliberately orchestrated car accident murder.

He personally had the uncle who murdered his family sent to prison, reclaimed control of the group that was rightfully his, and took full command. This set the foundation for Chengqi Group’s current success.

It was nothing short of legendary.

Qing Lin held deep admiration for Qi Youhuai.

Noticing Qing Lin watching him, Qi Youhuai spoke up: “You’ve likely read most of the news about me by now.”

Qing Lin’s heart skipped a beat, and he lowered his eyes guiltily.

Qi Youhuai continued calmly: “I never had a happy childhood either. My parents passed away early, and with so many eyes on the company, no one allowed me a moment’s respite. My parents were framed in a car accident. I survived by chance, but my younger brother was with them that day.”

He paused briefly before continuing, “They all said he died. But I believe he didn’t.”

“Back then, I was just an ordinary child, utterly powerless to find my brother. But I believed he was still alive, so I searched for him for many, many years.”

He gazed at him with those amber-hued eyes.

“Qing Lin, you believe he’s still alive, right?”

Qing Lin met Qi Youhuai’s eyes, and a sudden, indescribable ache welled up in his heart.

Something churned within him—a sensation he couldn’t quite name, a weight pressing down on his chest.

But Qi Youhuai quickly spoke up. “Sorry for telling you all this.”

“It’s fine, Mr. Qi,” Qing Lin snapped back to reality and replied promptly. “If you ever want to talk, you can always tell me.”

Qi Youhuai seemed to smile, but didn’t elaborate. Instead, he steered the conversation elsewhere.

Qing Lin found his chats with Qi Youhuai genuinely pleasant and relaxed. He’d expected feeling pressured around such a strikingly talented yet tragic figure, but surprisingly, he didn’t.

Qi Youhuai’s thoughts and perspectives aligned remarkably well with Qing Lin’s, and his manner of speaking gave him a strong sense of familiarity.

“I recall you’re going to Beijing for your graduate studies, right?” Qi Youhuai said.

Qing Lin: “Yes.”

Qi Youhuai: “Graduate school takes three years. I’ll buy you an apartment near the university. That way, if you ever need to leave, it’ll be more convenient.”

Qing Lin was startled and quickly replied, “No need, no need, Mr. Qi. It’s still early. You really don’t have to go to such lengths.”

“Alright, I’ll take your word for it,” Qi Youhuai said.

Qing Lin couldn’t fathom why Qi Youhuai was being so generous. Could it be that the CEO treated all his friends with such extravagant generosity?

Qi Youhuai continued with a question. “Speaking of which, do you have a place to stay these days? I haven’t seen you living on campus either.”

Qing Lin hesitated slightly when asked this question.

But upon reflection, as Shen Xuzhi’s old friend, even the contract boyfriend arrangement was something they knew about—these details would likely come out eventually anyway.

So Qing Lin stirred his salad, his ears flushing red as he murmured shyly, “I’m staying at Shen Laoshi’s place now.”

Hearing this, Qi Youhuai paused with his fork mid-air.