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Chapter 711: Chapter 302 Bidirectional Change_2
Then, the largest Tang Dynasty Hall in the hotel was vigorously cleaned out and divided into three multifunctional small halls, decorated like a dream, quietly awaiting Miss Gu’s arrival.
As for Gu, he received ample respect from outsiders and was in a much better mood.
Although the laughter and piano sounds from outside still caused his heart to swell, he thought positively. After all, wasn’t the pit he had dug for the puppy turning out not so bad?
"Hmph! We’ll see about that!"
...
Su Huai didn’t see much, but he had a great time.
He accompanied Gu in playing the piano, chatted, mooched a big meal, and then helped Gu "tutor" Quanquan. Though he wasn’t exactly surrounded by women on both sides, he was accompanied by a delicate fragrance and lived like an Emperor.
However, he didn’t stay long at the Gu Family’s house. Before 9 o’clock, he politely excused himself.
Gu Jiuyue wanted to keep him, but Gou Huai smiled mysteriously, "That won’t do, your gift is still at school. See you in class tomorrow!"
Gu immediately pushed him outward, "Then you should head back, see you tomorrow!"
Back in the dorm, the bros were very trusting and all asked, "Huai, what exactly is happening tomorrow? Did you plan any big spectacle?"
"There’s no spectacle, just going out for a meal."
Su Huai was tight-lipped, not revealing a thing, so the brothers instead asked, "Where are we going to eat? Can we come along?"
Su Huai thought about it and felt they wouldn’t disrupt the atmosphere, so he nodded.
"Alright, clean yourselves up tomorrow, and follow me after school."
"You can count on us, guaranteed!"
The brothers were instantly invigorated, and Chu Changkuo thumped his chest with fervor, "Mr. Su, what kind of gift should we prepare? Give us some advice!"
Su Huai found his enthusiasm odd.
"What, got money to burn? You don’t know what level of everyday items Gu uses?"
"Of course, I know..."
Suddenly, Sao Ji chimed in, "Bro, the rich young man is really flush now, he just got his last month’s salary!"
Oh, his first paycheck has arrived...
Chu Changkuo’s contract was custom-made, with a low percentage for gift commission but a high fixed salary and various allowances each month.
Normally it’s 12K+ social insurances and allowances, but since he was still studying, they simply gave him 20K in cash.
That made Chu Changkuo ecstatic.
It wasn’t about the money, but about feeling valued by the company and thinking he was really seen as a leader.
Su Huai laughed silently and waved his hand dismissively, "The fixed salary isn’t much, keep it for yourself, no need to buy a gift."
"That won’t do."
With the posture of a man from the Imperial Capital who doesn’t fret over trifles, Chu Changkuo solemnly declared, "Although the commission isn’t paid out yet, the patrons you introduced to me have come to show support, I’ve gotten a taste of the high life, made headlines several times – I’ve got to acknowledge that. I must make a gesture for Goddess Gu’s birthday!"
"Fine, then do as you see fit, just don’t trouble Xia Yu and Sao Ji."
Su Huai couldn’t be bothered to argue with him any further. People can’t be dissuaded when they’re on a high, and too much persuasion might even make them think you’re looking down on them.
"That won’t do. My gift only represents myself!"
Chu Changkuo puffed out his chest once more, and then Xia Yu sincerely suggested, "Huai, how about Sao Ji and I write a greeting card? Giving a tangible object is meaningless, it’s either thrown away or clutters space, and throwing it away feels wrong. Just adds to the mess, don’t you think it’s a good idea?"
"That’s an excellent idea; you’ve reminded me."
Su Huai was struck by a thought and immediately sent a message in the class group.
"Tomorrow is Miss Gu Jiuyue’s birthday. I’m treating everyone to a meal. Brothers and sisters, please refrain from buying any gifts. @Ding Yi, pick out a notebook for everyone to write a birthday wish. Put some thought into it; consider it our Data Science class’s collective gift. Roommates, please pass this message on."
The somewhat quiet group suddenly exploded into activity.
Ding Yi: "Received!"
Huang Mengting: "Oh my god, can we really get away with a collective gift?"
Chen Lan: "What do you know, the class leader lets us off easy, precisely to highlight his own thoughtfulness!"
Lu Yitian: "Exactly, exactly, Dog Class Leader is cunning, he’s not worried about us at all as long as it’s for his goddess!"
Gao: "You say that, but I’m the one who’ll suffer. Not even Luxiaojing can stop it!"
Luxiaojing: "I wouldn’t want to stop it. Go ahead and hammer it out, saves us from sticking together every day."
Gu Jiuyue: "A collective gift is perfect, I don’t want to burden everyone, so let’s do it that way!"
Wen You: "Our Yueyue is really kind-hearted~~~"
The class group chat was buzzing with enthusiasm, with many genuinely agreeing with Su Huai’s suggestion.
Nowadays, college students have high aspirations but no income, which leads to various mismatches.
For instance, when a classmate has a birthday, it’s awkward not to buy a gift. People end up buying gifts reluctantly, which might only be glanced at on the birthday itself and are actually no better than a box of tissues.
It’s even more troublesome for the big data class. Both Su Huai and Gu Jiuyue are off the charts in terms of personal circumstances. When they treat others, they could spend hundreds of thousands or even millions—how can anyone reciprocate such gifts?
Therefore, Su Huai cleared the air in advance to avoid making things difficult for everyone.
As a professional flatterer, Er Gao spoke a fair word: "Huai really cares about us; last time it was his birthday, and this time again. Honestly, I’d be too embarrassed to invite both of you to my birthday..."
Why did she suddenly feel empathetic?
Su Huai immediately cut off that line of thought: "What’s there to be embarrassed about? College is just four years. Take the chance to mooch as much as you can until you drop, or you’ll regret it at the ten-year reunion—others made their first bucket of gold in college, while I was being stupid?"
The class group erupted into a sea of laughter.
They thought it was a joke, but in fact, Su Huai was giving them a hint.
As classmates, I don’t mind being taken advantage of; seize rare opportunities and boldly come forward; those who self-exile might deeply regret it ten years after graduation.
Certainly not many could understand immediately, but Su Huai’s attitude was out there, and eventually, the perceptive ones would catch on and seize the opportunities they had longed for.
Essentially, Su Huai wanted to give his classmates a leg up but didn’t want to sell himself too cheaply, so he reminded them to strive for it themselves.
Having a big heart doesn’t mean one should have no limits when helping others, nor does giving up on helping people mean one must always be a lone wolf.
Only by truly balancing the two can one achieve moderation.
The last sentence of the final Chapter of moderation: "The greatest virtue of heaven and earth is their capacity to nurture all things without seeking praise or attention—ultimate integrity!"
The Doctrine of the Mean isn’t about teaching people to compromise or weigh pros and cons; rather, its fundamental purpose is to build a system or order.
Within this order, everything under heaven achieves its optimal state, known as "all things find their place and nurture under heaven."
On a grand scale, it could be the human community with a shared future; on a small scale, it could be an equal standing of personalities in the big data class, everyone contributing their best.
Without establishing this system, Gu and Su Huai would be profoundly unbalanced within the class, which could lead to a series of issues.
Being exceptional unavoidably makes one a target, regardless of the reason.
Actually, if it were just Su Huai, he wouldn’t bother with all this and would just keep a low profile, but because of Gu Jiuyue’s presence, he gradually learned this truth while maintaining her wellbeing.
While most weren’t getting it, that didn’t prevent them from admiring and respecting Su Huai even more.
Song Yao: "I have nothing else to say, Huai really has the presence of a big brother!"
Instantly, the chat was flooded with messages saying Huai really has the presence of a big brother.
Calling someone Godfather doesn’t necessarily mean genuine feeling, but calling Huai surely means emotions are involved.
Holding her phone, Gu chuckled sweetly and then added the final sentence after much consideration.
She said, "Then it’s settled. I’ve wanted to say this for a long time—if everyone isn’t forthright, it only confuses me. Su Huai has spoken the words I’ve wanted to say.
I don’t need any gifts, just everyone’s blessings.
We all have different things to offer, so don’t judge the value of someone’s contribution by conventional thinking. Your care and affection for me mean a lot, it really is like that, thank you all, my dear classmates."
The class group exploded with activity, many feeling overwhelmed with surprise, crying out incessantly.
Huang Mengting, like a complete goofball, yelled through voice message: "Goddess, I’m really going to cry to death, wuu wuu wuu!"
Su Huai’s lips curled up, his gaze tender.
It seemed like the first time Gu had opened up her heart like this, but Su Huai knew she had always been a soft-hearted person who cherished past affections...
In his past life, even someone like Wu Tianyou had benefited from her nostalgic generosity—how could others who gave their sincerity fare any worse?
It’s just that few dared to touch that cold outer shell of hers.
After being reborn, Su Huai changed her, introducing her to a comfort she never experienced in her previous life, but in fact...
That selfish and extreme man also improved a lot because of you...
My vulnerable and beautiful classmate Gu, it’s a pleasure to know you.
*************
