Chapter 225 - 223: The Place Where Dreams Begin

Chapter 225: Chapter 223: The Place Where Dreams Begin

After dinner, the four girls had grown a bit closer.

Jiang Xia could finally relax. They were all considerate of one another, which meant their characters were at least decent. The odds of one of them being some arrogant, manipulative girl had dropped significantly.

As the group walked down Xinmin Road, they saw students in twos and threes cycling toward the academic buildings. They were probably upperclassmen. But many more were walking, just like them—likely freshmen, all hurrying to meet their advisors.

About half an hour later, they parted ways in front of the School of Economics and Management Building. Jiang Xia and Lin Yanwan agreed that whoever finished first would wait for the other downstairs.

"Yanwan, that guy next to your boyfriend just now was his roommate, right? He’s so handsome!" Cui Jiaying nudged Si Si with her elbow. "Si Si, don’t you think?"

Si Si nodded gently. "Tall, handsome, and quiet with those gold-rimmed glasses. He has this sort of refined, untouchable air. A shame he’s not my type."

"Hehe. Yanwan, what’s his name? You should have your boyfriend introduce us," Cui Jiaying added, winking.

Lin Yanwan sighed. "I don’t really know much. I just know his name is Su Qing, and he’s in Jiang Xia’s class in the art program. Why? You’ve taken a liking to him?"

"Not exactly. I’m just a sucker for good looks," Cui Jiaying admitted frankly with a nod. "He’s exactly my type."

"Well... good luck with that. But a guy like that is bound to have a lot of admirers. You’d better be careful."

"Speaking of which, your boyfriend is really handsome too. Are all art students this good-looking? Hahaha. Oh, back in high school, who pursued who? Did he go after you, or did you go after him?" Cui Jiaying asked with a laugh.

Lin Yanwan’s mind drifted for a moment. In their past life, the two of them had met during a thunderstorm. She wasn’t sure who had pursued whom. They had just kept talking and gradually developed feelings for each other. Then, he’d meticulously planned a confession, she had accepted, and they’d been a couple ever since.

"I don’t remember," she said with a faint smile.

The evening breeze lifted the hair from her ears. She turned to look at Jiang Xia’s retreating figure, and as if they shared a telepathic connection, he turned to look back at her at that exact moment.

They exchanged a smile, and the feeling of being in love blossomed in their chests.

"Tsk, tsk. Look at you two, flaunting your love again."

◇

The School of Art Building was unlike the other academic buildings. It was suffused with a modern, artistic atmosphere. Reliefs, paintings, various art exhibitions, and craft creations were everywhere, a feast for the eyes.

Jiang Xia checked the time. They still had about half an hour before the meeting, so he dragged Su Qing along to wander around. They checked out the art exhibitions, the live pottery-making demonstrations, and the models on the runway with their stereotypical ’fox eyes’...

’Nope, not looking at that. It’s an eyesore.’

Ignoring the whole "preparatory program for studying in America" thing, the Tsinghua School of Fine Arts truly lived up to its reputation as a top-tier institution in the country in every other respect.

Overall, the Tsinghua School of Fine Arts was like a fertile ground. It provided students with the best possible resources and experiences, allowing them to absorb everything they could, and offering encouragement and support for any path they wished to pursue.

The two of them wandered for twenty minutes, but the School of Art Building was so enormous and maze-like that they almost got lost.

It was divided into three sections—A, B, and C—with two large exhibition halls, one in Section A and one in Section B. Section A contained the art studios and library; Section B had large lecture halls and smaller classrooms; Section C housed the various departments’ labs and faculty offices.

In the end, they had to ask an upperclassman for directions and finally found the classroom their advisor had designated just before seven.

There were already seven people in the small classroom. With Jiang Xia and Su Qing, that made nine in total—six men and three women. As a group, they were remarkably attractive.

’During registration this morning, it seemed like there were tons of people,’ Jiang Xia thought. ’I can’t believe the classes are this small.’

’No wonder I’m in a mixed-major dorm. It all makes sense now.’

’It made sense when you thought about it. Tsinghua was a comprehensive university with a huge number of applicants each year, but Qingmei itself only accepted a little over two hundred students annually. Once those were divided among the various majors, the class sizes became pitifully small.’

The students in the classroom were all sitting in self-conscious silence. After about five more minutes, a chubby guy, drenched in sweat, rushed in from outside, bringing the total to an even ten.

"PHEW... This is B304, right?" he asked, panting.

A few of the other students nodded.

"Oh, good."

He found a random empty seat and plopped down. Thankfully, the classroom was air-conditioned, so he started to cool down quickly.

A short while later, a man in his forties walked in. Perhaps it was a professional hazard of the design field, but his short hair was noticeably thinning. His face, however, was kind.

"Hello, everyone. I’m the counselor for Animation Class 2, which makes me your advisor. My surname is Zeng, and my name is Yixing. It comes from the ’Preface to the Prince of Teng’s Pavilion’—the line about ’joyous spirits flying free.’ I’m sure you’re all quite familiar with it."

That one line was enough to make all the students laugh. After all, the college entrance exams weren’t long behind them, and as art students from the liberal arts track, they knew the ’Preface to the Prince of Teng’s Pavilion’ backwards and forwards.

"Over the next four years, I’ll be honored to study and grow with all of you. And I want to emphasize one thing: our Qingmei doesn’t cultivate ordinary artisans, but rather, the future leaders of the industry."

Zeng Yixing continued with a smile, "So, don’t be fooled by our small class size. We have plenty of professors. There are 25 faculty members for your major, and a full 20 of them are full professors. One-on-one instruction is absolutely on the table. As long as you have the drive, you can learn the signature techniques of every single one of them."

"Of course, if any of you are facing financial difficulties, don’t worry. Just come talk to me. We’ll go through a simple process for tuition waivers and living stipends. In short, the school will not allow any of its outstanding students to fall behind because of money."

Amid a chorus of amazed whispers, the classroom erupted in thunderous applause.

Only a university with the resources and prestige of Tsinghua could be so generous.

"Qingmei is a place where dreams are built. Here, you have the chance to soar. Every year, the school pours countless resources—real money—into supporting any student who has ideas and the down-to-earth courage to pursue them."

"Class, Qingmei is like a giant honey pot. We’re tossing you in for four years. How much you manage to scoop out is all up to you."

You had to hand it to him—Zeng Yixing was a born counselor. In just a few sentences, he had fired up everyone’s enthusiasm. In a place so full of treasures, who wouldn’t want to make their mark on the world in a spectacular way?

To put it more cynically, the classmates and friends they were making now could all become major figures in their respective fields one day. That was the hidden advantage of attending a top-tier university.

Zeng Yixing looked out at his students, taking in all their excited expressions.

"Alright, that’s all I have to say for today. Next, let’s turn the time over to you all. How about a simple self-introduction? Who wants to go first?"

Jiang Xia glanced at the eager students around him. Every one of them was a bright young talent. He just couldn’t help but wonder, after four years here, how many of them would actually stay in the country to contribute to its future?

His thoughts had taken an unexpected turn. He let out a soft sigh. ’That preparatory program for studying in America... It’s ironic, really. The country invests so much effort into cultivating this talent, and for what?’