It wasn’t that Lin Ran looked down on the Yu Ai family—it was just that he trusted Luo Yao too much.

If the prominent families in the Demon City weren’t up to par, did that mean the ones in the capital would be?

In their past lives, they had failed. Did they really think they could succeed in this one?

And even if, by some remote chance, Luo Yao failed, the two of them could still live out the rest of their days in comfort with her cold billions.

That was their confidence.

What Lin Ran and Luo Yao truly cared about was never status or wealth, but love and happiness.

Not to mention, there was still Airan Capital.

The fundamental difference between Luo Yao and those other families was that she fought under the banner of Luo Corporation while channeling all the profits into Airan Capital.

"Uncle Fu, prepare the car. I’m heading out."

Lin Ran wasn’t as flashy as he used to be. In the past, he’d always driven eye-catching supercars.

Now, he didn’t even drive himself.

He had a chauffeur, and he simply sat back.

And not just any car—a low-key Rolls-Royce.

There were only four people in the car: Lin Ran, Abu, Little Tong, and the driver, Wang Bao.

As for the rest of the bodyguards, they followed in separate vehicles.

Truthfully, Lin Ran didn’t think he needed so many bodyguards. Abu and a few others were enough.

It wasn’t like there’d be some massive riot—what was the point of having so many?

But Luo Yao disagreed. The whole reason she’d assembled such a formidable security team was for Lin Ran’s sake.

The understated limited-edition Rolls-Royce pulled out of the estate, and Lin Ran made his way to Jingda University.

The moment he stepped onto campus, students seemed to materialize out of thin air, as if drawn by his presence.

Lin Ran was far too famous now—his and Luo Yao’s fanbase spanned every corner of the country.

But when those students caught sight of Abu, his sharp gaze made them think twice about approaching.

Lin Ran didn’t mind the peace and quiet.

Before heading to the principal’s office, he stopped by the new library to check on things—and to see Old Wu.

That is, Wu Zhishang’s father.

"Uncle, I was too busy during the New Year to visit. Here’s a little something for you."

"Oh, Chairman Lin, you really shouldn’t have, haha!"

Wu's Father couldn’t hide his smugness as he glanced at the engineers nearby.

See that? The chairman himself brought me a gift and called me "Uncle." None of you get that kind of treatment.

After chatting for a while, Wu's Father suddenly pulled Lin Ran aside and lowered his voice.

"Xiao Ran—you don’t mind me calling you that, do you?"

"Uncle, what kind of person do you take me for? You’ve always called me that."

Wu's Father grinned from ear to ear.

"Xiao Ran, you’re a damn prophet! Remember my old workplace? It actually blew up—if I’d still been in that position, I’d have been thrown under the bus for sure."

"Enough said. Thank you for pulling me out of there. From now on, I’m your real uncle. Whatever you need, just say the word. If you tell me to go east, I won’t go west. If you tell me to beat a dog, I won’t kill a chicken."

Lin Ran was a little surprised. The scandal at Wu's Father’s former workplace had erupted much earlier than expected. The butterfly effect really was something else.

"Uncle, no need to stand on ceremony. You’re Wu Zhishang’s father, so of course you’re family. If I ever end up starving, I might have to knock on your door for a meal."

Wu's Father’s expression darkened. "Nonsense! You’ll always be at the top, never falling. I’m counting on you to make me rich!"

Lin Ran laughed. He loved Wu's Father’s straightforwardness. If Lin Tianba had been even a tenth as decent, he wouldn’t have ended up the way he did.

"I should go see the principal now. Let’s catch up another time."

"Sure, go ahead."

As Lin Ran waved goodbye, he couldn’t help feeling a little guilty. He’d offended Wu's Father more than once in the past.

After all, he’d played "daddy" to Wu Zhishang on more than a few occasions.

Jingda University, Principal’s Office.

Knock knock knock!

"Come in!"

Lin Ran stepped inside, and Principal Tang immediately rose to greet him.

"Lin Ran, what brings you here?"

Lin Ran smirked. "Cut the act. You’re the one who had someone call me back, aren’t you?"

At this point, who didn’t know Lin Ran was Luo Yao’s husband?

If higher-ups hadn’t given the green light, Lin Ran doubted anyone would dare order him around.

Principal Tang chuckled awkwardly, his face flushing.

"Lin Ran, no need to be so formal. You’re one of our biggest benefactors—why would I ever make things difficult for you?"

"The reason I asked you here is because there’s a small issue with the library. I wanted to discuss it with you."

Lin Ran spread his hands. "Let me guess—you need more money."

Principal Tang shook his head quickly. "No, no, the funding is settled. It’s just that you’ve donated the library, helped with admissions campaigns, and this year, we’ve had more inquiries from parents than ever before."

"The university wants to honor you by naming you ‘Person of the Year’ and adding you to the Hall of Fame. What do you think?"

Lin Ran: "Not interested."

Principal Tang blinked. "Huh?"

"First, I can’t be ‘hung on a wall.’ Second, I don’t care about empty titles. If you really want to do something, help the hardworking students instead."

"Also, I hope this is the last time I step into Jingda as a student. I’m here to tell you one thing today."

"Give. Me. My. Diploma!"

Damn it.

The only reason he was still bound to this place was because he was technically a student.

Once he had that diploma, no dean or principal would ever boss him around again.

If he felt like it, he’d show up for appearances. If not, he’d never set foot here again.

He was a chaebol’s husband now—being ordered around by a school? How embarrassing would that be for his wife?

So damn embarrassing.

Principal Tang’s face twisted into a pained expression.

"But you still have a few months until graduation, and… and…"

"Do I need to have my wife come here and explain it to you?"

Principal Tang straightened up instantly.

"Lin Ran, you’re an adult. You can make your own decisions—no need to involve family. But given your outstanding contributions to the university, an early graduation is perfectly reasonable."

"Still, I hope you’ll remember Jingda as your alma mater and lend a hand when you can in the future."

Lin Ran nodded. That much wasn’t an unreasonable request.

"Fine. Now, your old principal here has ambitions for a promotion. Think you could help with that?"

Ah. So this was what he’d been leading up to all along.