Boss Teacher - Chapter 27: The Devil's Stepmother

"You're leaving already?" Xing Zhinan hurriedly called out to Shen Mingsu as he led Yan Chi towards the door. "What about us? Who will talk to me if you leave?"

Shen Mingsu: "Isn't Feng Yun still here? You can talk to him."

Xing Zhinan glared at Shen Mingsu, who was still holding Yan Chi's hand. "He's so quiet, what can I talk to him about? Parenting tips? Am I crazy or are you crazy?"

Feng Yun glanced at him but didn't say anything.

Yan Chi also felt it was inappropriate for them to leave Xing Zhinan and Feng Yun behind and go to sleep, so he suggested, "Why don't we just make do on the sofa tonight?"

"Don't believe him. They're on good terms. Besides, he can put on a great show even if he's just putting on a one-man show."

Shen Mingsu could easily see through Xing Zhinan's thoughts. "He's just jealous because he can't have a relationship like ours."

Xing Zhinan rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, yes, I'm just that mean. From now on, just call me Snow White's stepmother. Goodbye, Cinderella."

Yan Chi was taken aback. "Cinderella is Cinderella."

"Getting old, forgetting things." Xing Zhinan said with an old-fashioned air, waving his hand at Yan Chi, "Prince Chi, take your Cinderella and go."

Yan Chi couldn't help but chuckle; Xingluo's father's words were hilarious.

But just as Yan Chi and Shen Mingsu were about to leave hand in hand, Xing Zhinan called them back. He gave Shen Mingsu a meaningful look, "Old Shen, I advise you not to do anything you shouldn't. Be careful, or Teacher Chi's father might come back from the dead and beat you up."

Shen Mingsu narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to find a clue in Xing Zhinan's expression. Xing Zhinan's face remained unchanged, and he even smiled at him.

Yan Chi sensed the unspoken exchange between them, completely bewildered. Once outside, he turned to Shen Mingsu and asked, "What does Xingluo's father mean? My father can... come back from the dead?"

Previously, Yan Chi was a staunch materialist, but after experiencing this series of bizarre and supernatural events, he had begun to believe that his father could also come back from the dead.

Shen Mingsu stroked his chin. "Perhaps. Xing Zhinan always speaks in riddles; no one can guess the true meaning behind his words. Hmm… but I'm sure if your dad came back to life, the first thing he'd do would be to slap me."

Yan Chi's feelings were a little complicated. "My dad… would protect me?"

"Of course, he's your dad." Shen Mingsu said without hesitation.

Yan Chi used to think he could be indifferent to whether his father loved him, but now that the truth was in front of him, he still felt a pang of sadness. "But he abandoned me at the orphanage gate."

He lowered his head, staring at his toes.

Suddenly, he heard a very soft sigh from above, and a pair of large hands cupped his chin. Yan Chi looked up, and in Shen Mingsu's dark green eyes, he could even see his own reflection.

Shen Mingsu smiled, his lips brushing against Yan Chi's cheek, his voice low and tinged with amusement, "What are you afraid of? If he doesn't like you, then you don't like him either. Anyway, I'll like our Teacher Xiao Chi. Who needs his little bit of love?"

Yan Chi: "..."

Shen Mingsu kissed him on the lips, then acted like a mischievous child demanding an answer, "Teacher Xiao Chi, tell me quickly, isn't that right?"

"Yes, that's right." The gloom in Yan Chi's heart seemed to vanish without a trace, as if blown away by a gentle breeze. The small mole at the corner of his eye lifted slightly as he repeated his words, "I don't need his little bit of love."

The night was pitch black, the moon hidden behind thick clouds. The castle was silent, save for the soft rustling of snowflakes outside the window and the occasional light footsteps of servants in the corridor.

After a hot shower, Yan Chi put on the fluffy pajamas Miss Qiu had prepared for him and stepped out of the bathroom. His face was flushed from the steam, like a ripe peach bursting with sweetness.

"Go take a shower," Yan Chi said to Shen Mingsu. He flopped onto the soft bed; his mood had been volatile all day, and he was exhausted. Lying on the bed felt like his bones were melting.

He rolled around on the bed a couple of times, and Shen Mingsu, sitting beside him, eagerly followed.

Yan Chi: “…?”

His hair was a mess. He sat up. “What are you standing here for? Aren’t you going to take a shower?”

Shen Mingsu suddenly became reserved. He tried to negotiate, "Before I go take a shower, can I have a kiss? I'll give it to you if you want."

What’s wrong with him…? Yan Chi couldn’t help but chuckle. Seeing Shen Mingsu’s puppy-dog look, he hugged Shen Mingsu’s neck and quickly kissed him on the cheek. “Can you go shower now?”

Shen Mingsu couldn’t suppress his smile and finally went to the bathroom to shower.

In contrast to Yan Chi, Feng Wang was in a state of gloom.

Because he needed to observe the players closely, Feng Wang had Miss Qiu prepare three separate rooms for them: one for Feng Wang and Li Huai, one for Shen Chang Le and Xingluo, and one for Ahui alone.

Right now, the five of them were gathered in Feng Wang’s room, hunched over the table writing summaries of the players’ behavior.

Ten minutes passed, and the five blank sheets of paper remained pristine.

Feng Wang scratched his head haphazardly. "How am I supposed to write this? It's a hundred times harder than reciting ancient poems from memory!"

Li Huai hesitated, then placed his pen down, lingering on the paper for a moment before pursing his lips, withdrawing his hand, and sighing.

Shen Chang Le didn't even pick up his pen, staring blankly at the blank paper. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Xingluo and Ahui had each written a paragraph, and he leaned over to look.

Ahui's title was "The Complete Guide to Bad Player Behaviors," which read: "Constantly asking vegetarians if they want to eat meat, very bad."

Xingluo's title was "The Complete Guide to Good Player Behaviors," which read: "Enthusiastically asking those around me if they've eaten enough, a good player."

Shen Chang Le: "...Are you two writing about the same person?"

Ahui and Xingluo glanced at each other's answers, their gazes clashing in mid-air, a tense silence rising. Finally, they both turned their heads away simultaneously, ignoring each other, clearly convinced their own answers were correct.

“How am I supposed to write this?” Feng Wang leaned back in his chair, his breath practically floating out of his mouth. “I can’t squeeze out a single word.”

Seeing Shen Chang Le silently stand up and open the door, he hurriedly asked, “What are you going to do?”

“To observe the players,” Shen Chang Le said. “You definitely can’t write anything sitting in your room.”

The other four agreed and followed him.

The players were staying in the rooms next to theirs. Upon seeing Shen Chang Le and the other five, they immediately retreated back into their rooms and locked the door.

The five students, desperately needing case studies: “…”

Although Miss Qiu had informed them that the curfew was at 10 PM, the players, valuing their lives, were already holed up in their rooms, afraid to move. Shen Chang Le and his group encountered very few players along their way.

The few they did bump into had their heads down and hurriedly ran past them.

Feng Wang was annoyed. "We didn't do anything to them, why are they so afraid of us?"

"Why don't we go back to playing cards? These days, the players act like they've seen a ghost when they see us." Xingluo stretched listlessly. "Let's play for tonight, we can do our homework tomorrow."

Shen Chang Le: "The principal said the word count requirement is two thousand."

Xingluo: "...Why don't you call him uncle anymore?"

Shen Chang Le: "I'll wait until I finish my homework before I do."

I'm really not in the mood right now.

After walking for a while, Feng Wang saw a player squatting outside a closed room, seemingly talking to someone inside.

Feng Wang thought the player looked familiar. "Ahui, isn't this the one who sat next to you at dinner?"

Ahui glanced at the player. "Yes, it's him."

Xingluo seemed to like this player. He took a few steps forward and patted Lu Yuanming on the shoulder.

Lu Yuanming was chatting with the player inside. He had searched for a long time before finding someone willing to talk to him. Xingluo's pat made him feel disheartened. "I...I...I was wrong, I'll go back to my room right away," he stammered.

He thought it was Miss Qiu, but when he turned around, he saw Xingluo and the others. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness, at least these young masters and ladies wouldn't slap him.

Xingluo looked him up and down. "What are you doing?"

Although Lu Yuanming had eaten with them before, he was still somewhat intimidated. "I...I'm just chatting with someone, is that not allowed?"

Chatting can be taboo?!

"Sure." Xingluo looked at Lu Yuanming, then suddenly had an idea. "Come here, I want to ask you something."

Lu Yuanming hesitated and moved closer. "Please...please go ahead."

"What do you think are the characteristics of good players and bad players?"

"Huh?" Lu Yuanming's eyes widened suddenly, and he backed away, pointing at Xingluo. "You...you...you know we're players?"

"Yes, I know, so tell me quickly, and we'll let you go." Xingluo seemed very understanding and easy to talk to. He turned to Feng Wang and winked, then turned back with a smile.

Feng Wang immediately understood Xingluo's meaning and smashed the vase next to Lu Yuanming with his fist.

Lu Yuanming nearly collapsed to his knees, stammering, "I...I'll tell you, I'll tell you everything."

"Wait a minute," Xingluo called after him, returning to his room to retrieve paper and pen. "Just write it down for me."

Lu Yuanming: "Huh?"

Xingluo laughed again. "Hmm? You don't want to?"

"Yes, yes!" Lu Yuanming snatched the paper and pen from his hand, sprawled on the floor, and began writing furiously.

Xingluo, demonstrating a strong sense of teamwork, made a demand of Lu Yuanming, the contractor: "Can you write 10,000 words? I'll give you five sheets of paper; each sheet must have at least 2,000 words, and no repetitions."

Lu Yuanming's hands trembled. "Huh? Huh?"

In the third-floor "viewing room," Feng Yun turned, looking at Xing Zhinan speechlessly. "Your son."

"I know, so smart." Xing Zhinan wasn't ashamed but rather proud, but business had to be done. He took out his notebook and noted Xingluo's violation. "Sigh, sorry son, Dad has to uphold justice."

This notebook will appear before Yan Chi tomorrow.

On the other side, Feng Wang gave Xingluo an appreciative look. Why hadn't he thought of having players write their summary? The people who understand players best are naturally the players themselves.

Seeing Lu Yuanming dawdling, Feng Wang urged, "Can you do it or not? Give me a straight answer."

Lu Yuanming almost cried. "I squeezed out 800 words for my college entrance exam essay, 10,000 words... you might as well just kill me!"

He genuinely couldn't write anything!

Xingluo had also experienced the pain of writing essays, so they didn't push him too hard. "Fine, write as much as you can."

An hour slowly passed. The five members of Xingluo went from standing and watching Lu Yuanming write to eventually squatting in a row against the wall, staring blankly into space.

Curfew was approaching. No players dared to wander out in the corridor; it was eerily quiet, with only the intermittent scratching of pens on paper.

Unable to contain his loneliness, Lu Yuanming tentatively tried to strike up a conversation with Xingluo, "W-how did you know we were players?"

Xingluo glanced at him. "Didn't you call yourselves players, then go around burning, killing, and looting in various worlds, ultimately believing it was just a game?"

Lu Yuanming stared blankly. "No, isn't that right?"

"If I kill you now, can you resurrect?"

"...No."

"A game where you can't resurrect and start over, what's the difference between that and your previous life? Why do you think it's just a game?"

"But...everyone told me that." Lu Yuanming's eyes were blank. He murmured, "Everyone said that."

He remembered his last instance, the first instance he experienced. The veteran player who guided him told him that this was an unending horror game, that everyone around him was an NPC, and that he didn't need to care about their lives.

The veteran player was somewhat deranged; he would kill those NPCs who bled and wept, then tell him—don't be afraid, they're not real people, they'll respawn.

But Lu Yuanming was still afraid, trembling with fear. He didn't dare kill a single NPC and followed the veteran player out of the dungeon.

The faces of every NPC killed by the veteran player flashed through Lu Yuanming's mind. His hand holding the pen trembled, and an overwhelming chill swept over him, making him shiver even in the warm castle.

He didn't dare think about it too much and quickly changed the subject, "Then why do you write these things?"

Xingluo: "It's homework assigned by the teacher."

"You guys actually have homework? Then I'll have to do it well. My high school teacher was so annoying. If the homework I handed in wasn't even slightly to his liking, he'd immediately call me into his office and give me a lecture, and he'd even call my parents. Once, in front of my parents, he said I was mentally challenged, and my dad got angry and fought with him. After that, I transferred schools."

Xingluo thought about it and also felt that kind of teacher was annoying. "Our teacher is very good. Even at parent-teacher conferences, he doesn't talk about our grades."

"Sigh... my life has really been a complete mess." Lu Yuanming couldn't stop talking once he started. He talked about everything from kindergarten to college graduation, from his parents and siblings to the vegetable vendors outside the neighborhood.

Xingluo would occasionally chime in, which made him even more enthusiastic. Feng Wang and Li Huai were getting sleepy and leaned against each other, dozing off. Ahui took a deep breath and walked to the side.

Just then, the door to the side opposite them slowly opened. The burly man peered through the crack and whispered to the person behind him, "These NPCs didn't kill him; they even talked to him about the game."

The refined-looking man glanced outside. Curfew had passed, and Lu Yuanming was still alive, meaning curfew wasn't a death condition for this instance.

The man looked at the burly man. "It seems these kids aren't as dangerous as we thought. On the contrary, they might provide us with quite a bit."

The two men stood guard at the door, hoping to glean more information about the instance from Lu Yuanming and Xingluo's conversation. But after listening for a long time, all they learned was that Lu Yuanming was still bedwetting at six years old and scored five points on his middle school math test… Who wanted to know that?!

The burly man paced back and forth in the room, muttering curses at Lu Yuanming, "That idiot! Couldn't he have asked more questions about the dungeon?! Listen to what he's spouting! Such a good opportunity, and he doesn't even know how to seize it! His head is full of shit!"

The man looked at Xingluo and smiled slightly. "This kid does have some brains. He pieced together all the information about that idiot in just a few words, and he's protecting himself very well."

"Then how do we get information?" the burly man asked anxiously. "The servants here won't talk to us at all; we can't get any useful information from them."

The man raised his chin, gesturing for the burly man to look at Ahui. "Isn't there a little girl there? Go ask her."

The burly man hesitated. "Me?"

The man laughed, his tone contemptuous. "If you're afraid, then forget it. You're afraid of a little girl?"

If it were anyone else, the burly man might have hesitated, but Ahui was a cold and taciturn girl.

"Heh, what the hell are you talking about? You think I'm afraid of this little girl?" The burly man reacted as if insulted, his anger escalating.

His name was Yuan Manzhi. After dropping out of high school, he and his gang roamed the streets, occasionally collecting protection money.

He hated women who looked down on him and gave him attitude just because they had some education. He figured a beating would make them behave.

Yuan Manzhi opened the door and walked out. The man grabbed his hand; his nails seemed a bit sharp, and Yuan Manzhi felt a slight sting on his arm.

The man chuckled. "Be careful. This girl has a high status among the NPCs. If you can't beat her, run. After all… sometimes it's normal for a man to lose to a woman, isn't it?"

Yuan Manzhi cursed, "Don't fucking talk nonsense! You think I can't beat this little bitch?"

His livestream audience was mostly like him.

[Hahahaha, if you're a man, go for it!]

[Just go and be a eunuch instead of dragging your feet. Don't make me look down on you.]

[I've disliked this little girl for a long time. Damn it, she's so indifferent to players. She needs to be taught a lesson!]

[Streamer, go for it!]

[...]

Yuan Manzhi walked out confidently. Seeing that Yuan Manzhi had stopped Ahui, the man's lips curled slightly as he quietly watched Ahui's reaction.

After stopping Ahui, Yuan Manzhi raised his chin. "I have a question for you. If you know, just tell me."

Ahui looked at him quietly, as if watching a monkey jumping around and squeaking.

"What the hell is that look?!" Yuan Manzhi's anger surged to the top of his head. His eyes turned bloodshot, and he reached out to pull Ahui's pretty braids.

Ahui nimbly turned, her braid brushing past Yuan Manzhi's hand. She clenched her fist and punched him squarely in the left eye.

"Ahhh—!"

The punch felt like a thousand pounds. Yuan Manzhi flew backward, crashing against the wall and slowly collapsing to the ground. His eye socket caved in; his eyeball had been ruptured, blood gushing out.

The commotion naturally attracted Xingluo's attention. Xingluo turned and exclaimed, "What audacity! He actually dared to provoke Ahui!"

Feng Wang quickly shook Li Huai awake. "Ahui's about to hit someone! Watch her movements."

Li Huai instantly entered study mode. Ahui was the top student in close combat; seeing her fight was rare. Li Huai valued this learning opportunity and watched Ahui's every move intently.

Ahui irritably touched her braid, then looked at Yuan Manzhi on the ground. Her face was ashen. She grabbed his collar and slapped him across the face.

With a loud "smack!", half of Yuan Manzhi's face quickly swelled up. His head was buzzing, his vision blurred, and he couldn't dodge Ahui's slap at all.

He'd been hit…he'd actually been hit by a woman!

Yuan Manzhi's undamaged eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Ahui. Without thinking, Ahui raised her hand and slapped him again.

His face was now symmetrical.

Feng Wang clicked his tongue and shook his head. "That's too weak."

Before he finished speaking, Yuan Manzhi roared, then received another slap, his roar abruptly cut short.

Lu Yuanming silently covered his face and took a step back.

[…Damn, this little girl seems pretty strong.]

[Damn it, the streamer can't beat him, right? Are those muscles fake?]

[This is so embarrassing. I really don't want to admit I'm a fan of such useless trash. Unfollowing.]

[…]

Fallen on the ground, Yuan Manzhi saw the comments and spat out another mouthful of blood. He gritted his teeth and took out an item from his system space.

His body continued to swell, his muscles bursting through his clothes. His eyes were bloodshot as he looked at Ahui as if she were his father's killer, cursing, "I'll kill you… I'll chop you up…"

Ahui glanced at him indifferently, completely ignoring his threats. "Li Huai, do you want to learn martial arts?"

Li Huai, called out, quickly nodded. "Yes, yes, I want to learn."

Ahui removed the poisonous vines wrapped around her arm, waiting for Yuan Manzhi to recover his strength. "I'll teach you."

Third floor.

The floor lamp in Yan Chi's room had already been turned off, and he was nestled in the blankets, half asleep.

Without the teddy bear, Yan Chi felt an emptiness in his arms, a strange feeling of unease. He tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, especially with the unmistakable warmth of the person beside him drawing him closer.

Shen Mingsu must be asleep by now. Yan Chi wanted to hug him, but doing so now would seem like inappropriate, so he turned away from Shen Mingsu.

The next second, the warmth embraced him from behind. Shen Mingsu whispered in his ear, "Can't sleep?"

"Um... a little."

Yan Chi awkwardly shrank back. Sleeping with the teddy bear for so long, the sudden change to sleeping with a breathing, living person was still a bit disorienting. "Did I wake you by turning over?"

"No, I haven't been sleeping either."

In the darkness, Shen Mingsu could clearly see a blush creeping onto Yan Chi's ears and face. He reached out and wrapped his arms around Yan Chi's waist, burying his neck in the crook of his neck and gently kissing it. "May I kiss you?"

Yan Chi felt a tickle. "...Aren't you already kissing me?"

Shen Mingsu: "Then can you turn over?"

Yan Chi obediently turned over, facing Shen Mingsu. Perhaps it was because the moon was bright tonight, but he could clearly see Shen Mingsu's deep, sculpted features and those dark green eyes gazing at him.

The next second, his lips were covered by a warm kiss. Shen Mingsu pried open his teeth, hooked his tongue around Yan Chi's, and kissed him deeply.

Yan Chi felt a tingling sensation and, unaccustomed to it, tilted his head back, trying to pull away. But Shen Mingsu persisted, pressing his large hand against the back of Yan Chi's head, intensifying the kiss.

"Wait...you um..."

Yan Chi couldn't even utter a complete sentence, only whimpering and pushing against his shoulders. Hearing the sounds, Shen Mingsu not only didn't let go but became even more enthusiastic.

Shen Mingsu's hand slipped under Yan Chi's clothes, touching his lean waist and gently caressing it…

“Knock knock knock!”

A series of urgent knocks sounded on the door, and Xing Zhinan's loud voice rang out, “Are you asleep? Teacher Chi! Old Shen! Are you asleep? Asleep!?!”

Shen Mingsu's voice was annoyed, “Yes, we're asleep. Get out of here!”

“Oh, if you can still talk, then you're not asleep.” Xing Zhinan deliberately knocked twice more, “There's been a bit of trouble with the kids. Some thugs are causing trouble, and Ahui got into a fight.”

Upon hearing this, Yan Chi's dazed mind instantly cleared, and with a burst of strength, he shoved Shen Mingsu from the center of the bed to the edge, almost causing him to fall.

Yan Chi hurriedly threw on his coat and rushed out, shouting, "I'm here! I'm here! Tell Ahui not to be afraid, the teacher is here!"

Shen Mingsu watched Yan Chi run off without looking back, opened his mouth, and finally slumped onto the bed in dejection.

Xing Zhinan's brows furrowed with undisguised smugness. "Aren't you going to go check?"

Shen Mingsu: "...You really are a devilish stepmother."

Xing Zhinan smiled modestly. "You flatter me."

Meanwhile, Yan Chi rushed downstairs, listened to the commotion, and found Ahui and the others. Feng Yun was watching nearby. Seeing him, Yan Chi breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly asked, "Mr. Feng Yun, was Ahui bullied?"

"Ahui...bullied?" Feng Yun found it hard to associate the name with being bullied. He stepped aside so Yan Chi could see the situation.

Ahui effortlessly dodged Yuan Manzhi's punches, placing her hand on his arm and pulling him back with the force of his blows. She explained to Li Huai, "When defending, you need to find the right moment to attack."

Taking advantage of his momentary lapse in balance, Ahui kneed him in the chin, then nimbly leaped forward, her long leg sweeping across his head. Yuan Manzhi suffered a severe head injury and lay on the ground, unable to get up for a long time.

Ahui's voice was calm. "Human temples are very vulnerable. If you have a weapon, just stab them in the temples."

Yuan Manzhi coughed up blood, panting heavily. Half his face was mangled beyond recognition. He hated Ahui intensely, so much so that he took out all the weapons and items stored in his system space.

Yan Chi clearly saw a knife appear out of thin air in Yuan Manzhi's hand. He was startled, "Ahui..."

Ahui, already prepared, stomped on his hand. Yuan Manzhi's fingers snapped open in pain, the knife falling to the ground. Ahui kicked the knife away and then kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying several meters.

Blood dripped uncontrollably from Yuan Manzhi's mouth. He muttered maniacally, "Die...die...all of you die!"

Daggers, witchcraft dolls, strange artifacts that could turn skin into steel... he took them out one by one.

Yan Chi frowned. "Where did he get so much stuff?"

Feng Yun explained, "They have a system space that stores the resources they plunder from other small worlds."

This is too unfair! Yan Chi's lips pressed into a straight line. He remembered Yuan Manzhi's bullying of players and knew he was morally corrupt, but he hadn't expected him to have fallen to this level.

Bullying a little girl is hateful enough, but resorting to underhanded tactics when you can't win is utterly disgusting.

Yan Chi looked at Yuan Manzhi with disgust. This disgusting creature shouldn't be alive, and the so-called system space shouldn't exist either.

[Buzz...buzz...buzz, system malfunction... system space cannot be opened.]

Yuan Manzhi spat out blood, his face deathly pale, and cried out hoarsely, "System...system! Open the system space quickly, quickly take out my substitute doll! System!!"

The system didn't respond.

Suddenly, Yuan Manzhi felt a daze, and a thought suddenly popped into his mind: He wanted to die, he was a damned bastard, what should he do next? That's right, he wanted to die.

This thought, like a parasite, instantly occupied his mind. He couldn't think about whether the thought was right or wrong; he only knew he had to carry it out.

Yuan Manzhi's body convulsed as he crawled towards a knife not far away, muttering, "I'm going to die... I'm going to die now..."

Ahui watched as he slowly gripped the knife, aimed it at his own neck, and slashed it viciously. Bright red blood gushed out, and he died quickly, his eyes wide open in death.

Lu Yuanming was terrified. "Has he...has he gone mad?"

He'd been threatening to kill Ahui the whole time, so why did he suddenly slit his own throat? It was too sudden!

Feng Yun slowly looked at Yan Chi, his gaze strange.

Yan Chi met his gaze blankly. "?"

Why was he looking at him with such a strange expression?

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