Chapter 635: Chapter 632 Beating the Snake with a Stick Chapter 635: Chapter 632 Beating the Snake with a Stick The windows of Lantingxuan faced directly toward Pearl Glow Pavilion, allowing those inside to have a clear view of the situation in the corridor.

The door of the private room at Pearl Glow Pavilion was forcefully pushed open, and as two girls emerged, those on the Lantingxuan side could see everything quite clearly.

Why is she here? After catching a clear view of the diners’ faces across the room, Qin Shaoyou couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows in surprise.

Over there, Hu Yongyuan, hearing the commotion, also blankly lifted his head and looked toward the newcomers.

“Huo Sining?”

Hearing someone call her name, Huo Sining was taken aback for a moment, then lifted her head and saw several acquaintances sitting on the Lantingxuan side.

“Is that really you? Are you also dining here?” Hu Yongyuan asked with some surprise, quickly standing up and smiling at Huo Sining.

“Mr. Hu, hello,” Huo Sining nodded and then turned her head to see Qin Shaoyou and Tian Yuan. She was a bit surprised, “Teacher Qin, Boss Tian, you’re here too? What a coincidence.”

Qin Shaoyou nodded slightly, glanced at Huo Sining and then at Luo Jinzhi, “Have you finished eating?”

Huo Sining shook her head, “No, we encountered a nuisance, so we left early. Teacher Qin, enjoy your meal, we’ll be on our way now.”

Seeing Huo Sining about to leave, Tian Yuan quickly spoke up, “Since you haven’t eaten, why not sit down and join us? Let’s eat together.”

Hearing Tian Yuan’s suggestion, Huo Sining felt somewhat embarrassed, “There’s no need, please continue with your meal; we wouldn’t want to disturb…”

“No need to be so polite, we’re just adding a couple more chopsticks,” Hu Yongyuan called out as Qin Shaoyou had already pulled Huo Sining into the room, with Luo Jinzhi hesitating for a moment before also entering the private room.

Except for Zhao Guotian, Huo Sining indeed knew everyone in the room, particularly Yan Xuesong, the College of Biology’s elderly professor. Although he did not teach her major in bioengineering, Huo Sining had seen this old man’s picture in the school’s bulletin boards.

This professor specialized in plant breeding projects, and many of his projects had won major awards at home and abroad. Some even predicted that if he continued on this trajectory, he could possibly become the next Yuan Longping.

So even though Yan Xuesong was not Huo Sining’s instructor, she had heard of this elderly professor. Now seeing Yan Xuesong sitting in front of her, she hurriedly greeted him with respect, “Hello, Professor Yan.”

Yan Xuesong looked at Huo Sining with curiosity and asked, “Why does this young lady look so familiar? Xiao Qin, is she your girlfriend?”

Upon hearing this, Qin Shaoyou instantly showed an embarrassed expression, while Tian Yuan next to him couldn’t help but snicker and laugh, “Professor Yan, there seems to be a mix-up. This young lady is a freshman of the College of Biology, in the class taught by Qin Shaoyou.”

Yan Xuesong nodded, “So she’s one of Xiao Qin’s students. But why do I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before?”

Hu Yongyuan chuckled, “Was it the welcome party? Last year, this young lady performed a magic trick at the welcome party that became the talk of the entire school, even causing quite a stir on Weibo.”

Upon hearing Hu Yongyuan’s words, Yan Xuesong suddenly realized, “Right, right, right, it was her. I knew I’d seen her somewhere, just couldn’t recall where. Now that you mention it, it all fits together. The young lady’s surname wouldn’t happen to be Huo, would it? My partner also loves watching her magic shows.”

Huo Sining smiled modestly, her gaze subtly shifting toward Hu Yongyuan.

Huo Sining had previously encountered Hu Yongyuan at a flower market while buying The Droplet Guanyin. Now, seeing him dining with Qin Shaoyou and Yan Xuesong, she grew curious about Hu Yongyuan’s identity.

“Do you know each other?” Qin Shaoyou raised an eyebrow, not forgetting that he had just seen Huo Sining outside the door, but it was Hu Yongyuan who spoke first.

Huo Sining nodded, “We’ve met once before.”

Qin Shaoyou nodded, “This guy is a visiting lecturer in botany at the College of Biology; he used to share a dorm with me and Tian Yuan.”

To her surprise, Huo Sining hadn’t expected that a casual acquaintance would have such a deep connection with Qin Shaoyou. The circles in S City were truly small, she couldn’t help but muse.

After the meal, Huo Sining had gained a certain understanding of these people’s identities. The presence of Hu Yongyuan and Yan Xuesong was one thing, but the other middle-aged man, Zhao Guotian, turned out to be the owner of the Guose Tianxiang private restaurant.

True to his business acumen, Zhao Guotian realized that Huo Sining, despite her young age, not only owned an ornamental fish store, but also managed to secure a five percent share in a major research institute project. This made him aware that the girl was either of an extraordinary background or exceptionally capable.

Either way, it prompted Zhao Guotian to consider befriending Huo Sining, so after the meal, he presented her with a Platinum VIP membership card for Guose Tianxiang.

With this Platinum Membership Card, it was rumored one could get a fifty percent discount at Guose Tianxiang.

Not one to receive undeserved rewards, Huo Sining was not the type to covet minor advantages, so she politely refused, “Boss Zhao, you’re too kind, but I can’t accept this card. Our meeting is but a passing encounter; I can’t let you spend so much.”

Zhao Guotian was persistent and immediately replied with a smile, “How can this be considered spending too much? Since you are a friend of Xiao Hu and the others, then you are also a friend of Old Zhao.”

There it was, the progression to friendship level. Huo Sining felt a headache coming on with a wave of frustration but before she could refuse again, Hu Yongyuan, unable to bear it any longer, snatched the card from Zhao Guotian’s hand and stuffed it into Huo Sining’s.

“It’s just a card. You can frequent his place and spend a few more times; he’d probably be overjoyed. No one loses out!”

With no other choice, Huo Sining reluctantly accepted the card. As the dinner ended and the group stepped out of the restaurant, they saw two staff members moving something outside.

Out of curiosity, Huo Sining couldn’t help but take a few extra glances in that direction.

While Huo Sining wasn’t knowledgeable about flowers, she had begun to consider growing some using the Spirit of Azure Pearl due to Huang Hongying’s upcoming birthday.

Therefore, she had been amassing a wealth of information on flowers recently, not only acquiring books on flora but also frequenting various flower forums.

However, as those two masters carried a potted bonsai out, she couldn’t help but take several more looks.

The bonsai had buds blooming at the top and emanated a fragrant scent. Although she couldn’t determine the specific variety, Huo Sining recognized that it was undoubtedly a top-quality Golden Osmanthus.

Huo Sining wasn’t particularly schooled in this area, knowing only the basics, but it just so happened that she saw a discussion about cultivating Golden Osmanthus on a forum yesterday.

Drawing upon the advice shared in that forum post, Huo Sining found herself instinctively evaluating this potted plant, comparing the descriptions of Golden Osmanthus from the post with the one in front of her eyes.

This Golden Osmanthus had roots that resembled dragon claws and a trunk that seemed ancient. By appearances alone, it was clear that this Golden Osmanthus was already a rare and fine specimen.

Furthermore, with the main trunk of the Golden Osmanthus dividing into three branches at the top, and each of those branches splitting into three again, and a trunk thickness of eight to nine centimeters, such a Golden Osmanthus bonsai would fetch at least fifty thousand on the market. If it found an enthusiast, the price could easily increase by another ten thousand or so.