Moreover, Qiu Mingli was carrying the keys just now. How did the keys end up with him? He suddenly recalled that when he called last night, he had spoken to the old administrator, but the man had been curt and dismissive. Could it be Qiu Mingli?

"Here, this is yours." Qiu Mingli, oblivious to what Xu Ke was thinking, searched for a moment before finally finding Xu Ke's name. He handed an envelope to him.

Xu Ke took it and stared at Qiu Mingli.

"What's wrong?" Qiu Mingli asked, taken aback.

"Teacher, did you become the administrator here?" Xu Ke asked slowly.

At his words, Qiu Mingli stiffened. He didn't answer directly. "What's wrong?"

"What happened?"

Xu Ke immediately understood. That was his former teacher's tacit admission. Something happened to Mr. Qiu.

Seeing Xu Ke's insistent look, Qiu Mingli gave a wry smile. "It's a long story. Let's not get into it..."

"Why not? Tell me. We students can all help you," Xu Ke said, clenching his teeth.

Qiu Mingli had been an excellent homeroom teacher and had managed the department well as an academic advisor. So why was he suddenly transferred to this dead-end job?

Just then, a shrill voice pierced the air from outside the door. "Qiu Mingli, what are you doing? The archives still haven't been sorted. Why aren't you getting to it?"

"Don't you know your work is now calculated by workload? Don't think we'll support a freeloader, you broke good-for-nothing!"

The voice belonged to a middle-aged woman. Qiu Mingli's expression changed instantly.

Xu Ke had clashed with this woman back during his time at Tianhai. Hearing her order his former teacher around so contemptuously, how could he not explode?

As expected, Xu Ke spun around to face the middle-aged woman, his expression dark. "Shan Lan, what did you just say?"

Shan Lan was a staff member in the university's finance department. Back when Xu Ke was class monitor, he was known for being warm-hearted and diligently helping his classmates. This was why Yang Qing had previously felt that he had become a different person.

In those days, Shan Lan often held up the students' money. Whether it was scholarship applications for his classmates or prize money Xu Ke had won from competitions, she would delay payments, once for as long as three months. Xu Ke had pressed her repeatedly, only to be brushed off with baseless excuses. Furious, Xu Ke had confronted her directly at the finance office. He then gathered evidence and reported her to the university leadership. The incident caused quite a stir for a week. But because Xu Ke was in the right and had meticulously preserved his evidence, Shan Lan was brought down. As a result, she developed a deep-seated grudge against Xu Ke, which extended to his entire class and even his homeroom teacher, Qiu Mingli.

Now, hearing the person with Qiu Mingli suddenly turn and snap at her, Shan Lan assumed it was just another student picking up a package. Three years ago, that brat Xu Ke had confronted me. Is there another one now?

But when she got a clear look at the person's face, her expression instantly darkened. It's Xu Ke?!

"Well, if it isn't Xu Ke," Shan Lan sneered. "What's this? Back at Tianhai University to hang out in the mailroom with your broke homeroom teacher? Got nothing better to do?"

"Shan Lan, are you tired of that filthy mouth of yours?" Xu Ke's expression remained grim as he spoke in an icy tone.

He didn't need to be a genius to figure out that with Qiu Mingli having fallen this far, plenty of people like her had taken the chance to kick him while he was down.

"What did you say?" Shan Lan erupted in fury. "Xu Ke, you graduated three years ago! Do you think you can still act like you used to? Believe it or not, I can have security throw you out right now!"

At the same time, a flicker of fear ran through her. Xu Ke's gaze was simply too cold. It was like the glint of a murderer's blade, sending a chill straight to her core.

"Ms. Shan, please, calm down," Qiu Mingli stepped forward with an apologetic smile. "Xu Ke just has some things to take care of; he'll be gone as soon as he's finished. Please don't be angry. I'll go sort out the archives right away."

"See that you do." Seeing Qiu Mingli back down so quickly, Shan Lan felt she had the upper hand, and a smug smirk spread across her face.

"Yes, I was just about to head over," Qiu Mingli said, bowing his head slightly. He was afraid Shan Lan would make things difficult for Xu Ke. If Xu Ke couldn't get his belongings, it would be a problem. Even if he could get them eventually, Shan Lan could easily delay things for a few days just to annoy him.

Xu Ke took a deep, shaky breath, his jaw tight.

Shan Lan, however, wasn't finished. "And you'd better remember that you owe a lot of money. The university was gracious enough to advance it for you."

"Now that they've given you this position, don't you dare be ungrateful."

Qiu Mingli nodded, the strained smile still plastered on his face. "Yes, of course. I won't forget."

A pang of sorrow shot through Xu Ke as he watched the scene. What on earth happened to him?

Though Shan Lan's eyes were on Qiu Mingli, her next words were clearly aimed at Xu Ke. "Don't think you can be like certain people who have a knack for living off women."

"That's not a skill you could ever learn, being a bootlicker," Shan Lan sneered.

Hearing this, the forced smile on Qiu Mingli's face instantly froze. In the next instant, rage flared in his eyes. She could insult him, and he would endure it. He could bow and apologize. But why did she have to relentlessly target his student?

But before Qiu Mingli could speak, Xu Ke stepped forward, fixing Shan Lan with a cold stare. "Shan Lan. It's been three years. Your nerve has certainly grown, hasn't it?"

"My nerve?" Shan Lan scoffed. "Having nerve is better than being shameless enough to be kept by a sugar mama ten years your senior."

"You've caused a city-wide scandal and you still don't feel any shame," she continued mercilessly, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "If people knew I was a gold-digger clinging to some rich woman's leg, I'd be so mortified I'd jump off a building."

Ever since she'd heard about Xu Ke's situation, she had been itching for a chance to meet him and rub salt in his wounds, finally getting revenge for what happened three years ago.

Xu Ke was about to retort, but Qiu Mingli couldn't take it anymore. He stood up straight and roared, "Shan Lan, haven't you gone too far?!"

His voice echoed, and the entire mailroom fell silent.

A moment later, Shan Lan's face contorted with rage. "Qiu Mingli, who gave you the damn nerve?! Are you trying to rebel?"

Qiu Mingli clenched his jaw. "Xu Ke is just here to pick up his things! Why do you have to be so relentless?"

"Me, relentless?" Shan Lan sneered, jabbing a finger toward Qiu Mingli's face. "You'd better get your head straight, Qiu Mingli. He's Wong Qifu's little toy boy now, not your student."

"You're defending him? What's he going to give you for it? Did you forget that I'm the one who arranged this administrator position for you? What are you trying to do now? Be an ungrateful bastard?"

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