In the office, Shen Mingsu rested his chin on his hand, watching the new students wandering aimlessly around the campus like headless flies through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows. He turned to the director and asked, "How many of those brats came?"
"They're all here." The director knew all the students' information perfectly well, and looked at Shen Mingsu with curiosity. "Why are you so interested in the new students today?"
Shen Mingsu leaned back in his chair, his long legs lightly touching the ground, causing the chair to spin. Suddenly remembering that he hadn't seen a single child, he asked, "...Yan Qingyuan's brat is here too?"
The director nodded, a smile flashing in his eyes. "Most of the other children are only here because of him. Several want to live with him."
"He really has a lot of connections." Shen Mingsu said with great emotion. He had no memory of Yan Chi... oh right, no memory of him yet, and had never even met him.
But what kind of good thing could be kept by Yan Qingyuan's side?
"Keep an eye on him. If this kid causes trouble, make sure to take a picture, lest Yan Qingyuan, with his unreasonable nature, accuse me of wrongly accusing his child."
The director: "..."
He sensed something was amiss, put down his pen, and turned to look at Shen Mingsu. "Do you have a problem with this kid?"
"No," Shen Mingsu shrugged, looking completely innocent. "I've never even met him, how could I possibly have a problem with him?"
Is that so?
The director narrowed his eyes, trying to find a flaw in his expression, but Shen Mingsu seemed completely innocent, or perhaps he was simply too thick-skinned; the director couldn't find anything unusual.
Shen Mingsu tapped his fingers lightly on the table, suddenly stood up, and beckoned to the director, "Let's go see this year's freshmen."
The director followed behind him, feeling increasingly suspicious. He had never seen Shen Mingsu show such concern for the freshmen in previous years; there must be something strange about it.
It was a bright, sunny day. The new students, fresh from the start, were incredibly curious and excited about everything on campus, wanting to take a look at everything they saw.
Occasionally, a few upperclassmen mingled among them. They were easily recognizable by their listless appearance and slumped shoulders, exuding a kind of world-weary, almost lifeless aura.
Yan Chi and Xingluo finished settling into their rooms and walked side-by-side through the campus. Halfway there, they encountered Li Huai and Feng Wang, the brothers walking ahead of them, heads bowed, talking to each other.
"Brother Li Huai, Brother Feng Wang."
Yan Chi jogged a few steps to greet them, Xingluo beside him waving back.
Li Huai looked at them with delight, "You're here too."
Feng Wang's expression wasn't good, his brows furrowed, but his expression improved slightly upon seeing Yan Chi, "Long time no see."
Li Huai and Feng Wang hadn't seen Yan Chi for a long time, but upon meeting, they didn't feel any awkwardness. Li Huai cupped Yan Chi's face in his hands, looking at him from left to right, and said with a smile, "Just like when you were little."
(Just magnified proportionally.)
Yan Chi smiled, glancing at Feng Wang's downturned lips, and whispered to Li Huai, "What's wrong with him?"
"He just doesn't want to come to school," Li Huai said helplessly, quietly telling Yan Chi, "My brother doesn't like school. He even had a fight with Father this morning."
Yan Chi was surprised by Feng Wang's resistance to school and pressed, "And then what happened?"
"Then Dad scolded them all," Li Huai sighed. "I think my brother is definitely thinking of a way to escape."
Li Huai's hesitation wasn't unfounded. On their way to the school building, Feng Wang had been constantly observing their surroundings, often running alone to the high school wall, not missing any opportunity to escape.
After a while, Feng Wang returned to their group, but this time he didn't walk with Li Huai.
"Xiao Chi." Feng Wang suddenly nudged Yan Chi's shoulder, glanced at Li Huai, and quickly spoke to Yan Chi, "Do you want to skip school? I'll take you with me."
Yan Chi: "...?"
Yan Chi waved his hands repeatedly, "No need, I won't skip school."
Feng Wang clicked his tongue, but then thought it made sense. Yan Chi and Li Huai were both well-behaved children, obedient to their parents at home and to their teachers at school; they wouldn't do something like skipping school.
But there were patrolling teachers nearby, and Feng Wang definitely couldn't escape the school alone. He needed to find a companion to go with him.
So, Feng Wang shifted his focus, looking at Xingluo. "Escape?"
"No."
The two short words ended the conversation. Hearing the commotion, Li Huai turned to look. He pursed his lips, looking at Feng Wang. "Brother, don't do anything wrong. If Father finds out, he'll definitely beat you again."
Meeting his gaze, Feng Wang guiltily looked away. "I didn't do anything..."
Having failed to find his accomplice, Feng Wang's truancy plan couldn't be carried out, and he reluctantly became obedient.
Of course, it's also possible that the patrolling teacher noticed his unusual behavior. Those sharp eyes remained fixed on Feng Wang, making him feel like he was being pricked by needles. He almost stumbled, only managing a long walk before letting out a long sigh of relief.
He wasn't afraid of the teachers at school, but mainly worried they would go to Shen Mingsu to complain. This uncle was ruthless and heartless; Feng Wang dared not confront him directly. What if he really killed him?
Feng Wang still valued his life.
But thinking this only made him feel worse.
Yan Chi glanced at Xingluo's somewhat intimidating expression, hesitant to speak, as if facing a volatile powder keg, afraid of accidentally igniting it.
"Sigh, impatient young man," Xingluo sighed with an air of maturity, suddenly grabbing Yan Chi's arm. "Little Chi, Little Chi, if you can leave school freely in the future, you must take me with you, okay?"
Yan Chi was taken aback, not understanding why he suddenly brought this up. "But...but I can't do anything about it."
He only knew where the school gate was.
Xingluo patted his shoulder. "In the future, there will definitely be a way."
Thinking of his predicted outcome, Xingluo tightened his grip on Yan Chi's arm, while casting a contemptuous glance at the impotently furious Feng Wang beside him. If you can get by through connections, don't bother trying; you won't achieve anything by trying anyway.
Li Huai suddenly stopped and pointed a short distance ahead, saying, "That person... isn't it Sethia?"
Yan Chi followed his finger and looked. Sethia, whom he hadn't seen in a while, was sitting by the roadside, his chin resting on his hands, looking up at the students passing by.
The students sensed the dangerous aura emanating from him and either kept their distance or quickened their pace to walk straight past him.
Yan Chi called out to Sethia and walked over to him. "Why are you sitting here?"
Sethia was startled to see Yan Chi, then stood up happily, circling around him. "It's Xiao Chi! Xiao Chi, Xiao Chi! I haven't seen you in so long! Are you here to school too?"
"Yes," Yan Chi nodded. "And you? Why aren't you in the classroom?"
Sethia lowered his head sadly, rubbing his stomach. "Because it smells so good here, I want to eat something."
"I have some bread here, you..." Yan Chi heard him say he was hungry and opened his bag to find him something to eat, but before he could even call out, Sethia had vanished.
"Ahhh—!"
A scream rang out. Yan Chi jumped, only to see a boy with rabbit ears being tackled to the ground by a golden jelly half his height. The rabbit-eared boy was pale with fright but couldn't push Sethia away.
Seeing this, the other students, startled, revealed parts of their true forms: deer ears, sheep hands and feet, a fancy mouse tail… They were terrified and ran in a panic, accidentally bumping into each other.
One of the water buffalo students, whose eyesight was poor, crashed headfirst into Feng Wang. Feng Wang remained unmoved, while the water buffalo student's head swelled up with a large bump and broken skin.
"Get out of my way! Get out of the way!" the water buffalo student yelled at Feng Wang, his temper flaring.
Feng Wang immediately flew into a rage. "You have two eggs hanging under your eyebrows, all you can do is blink and not see?! Get this straight, you bumped into me, and you still have the nerve to call me blocking your way? You want a beating?!"
The timid but hot-tempered Buffalo was in a hurry to escape and wouldn't listen to Feng Wang's rambling. He walked around him, casually tossing out a "Get lost!"
Feng Wang was practically laughing in anger. He decisively rushed forward and grabbed Buffalo's collar. Li Huai, terrified, immediately grabbed his hand, "Don't hit him, bro! Hitting a classmate at school is a serious offense, calm down!"
Feng Wang, in a fit of desperation, declared, "Then just expel me! I don't want to go to this lousy school anyway!"
Li Huai forcefully pried his hands off, freeing Buffalo from Feng Wang's grasp. Buffalo slumped to the ground, his legs trembling at the sight of Feng Wang's murderous, vertical pupils, unable to get up for a long time.
"Go," Li Huai urged him.
"Okay...okay, I'll go, I'll go," Buffalo slapped his leg in despair, "You damn leg, just go already!"
Li Huai: "..."
Damn it, he'd scared his classmate into a mental breakdown.
On the other side, Yan Chi was frantic, worried that Sethia would hurt his classmates. He ran against the flow of people, and seeing the golden jelly with its mouth wide open, he quickly stopped it, "Sethia, don't eat him! Let him go!"
The golden jelly was immediately bound by the rules, forced to separate from the rabbit-eared boy. He whimpered a little aggrievedly, "Xiao Chi, he's a rabbit, a delicious rabbit."
The rabbit-eared boy shrank back, whimpering twice, "Don't eat me..."
Yan Chi helped him up, patting the dust off him, "I'm sorry, my friend... was so hungry he lost his mind. Are you hurt anywhere? I can heal you."
The rabbit-eared boy shook his head, his long ears swaying. He glanced at the large jelly-like boy, still shaken, one hand clutching Yan Chi's clothes tightly, his voice soft, "I'm fine, I'm not hurt."
Yan Chi breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good."
The chaos and noise were clearly visible to Shen Mingsu, who was not far away. His expression was indifferent as his gaze swept over the familiar figures, finally pausing for a moment when he saw Yan Chi comforting the rabbit-eared boy.
Just looking at Yan Chi's face, one could tell his relationship with Yan Qingyuan, but... he was actually comforting someone else. Shouldn't he have coldly abandoned this person and left alone?
Did his genes mutate after transmigrating here?
Shen Mingsu couldn't help but take a second look. This little brat seemed to have a very good temper. He didn't seem to care that the timid rabbit's tears had smeared on him, and even took out tissues to wipe away the tears.
"What kind of behavior is this?!" The director was already furious. "Outrageous! A disturbance on the very first day of school! They're all going to get demerits and clean the toilets for a week!"
"Why are these herbivorous students here? Shouldn't they be at the South Campus? Where's their teacher? On the very first day—"
The director spoke for a long time, but there was complete silence beside him. Shen Mingsu was as quiet as a corpse. The director suddenly turned to look at him, only to see the man staring blankly at the center of the crowd, his expression somewhat strange.
The director followed his gaze and saw Yan Qingyuan's son.
"Hey!" The director, sensing trouble, slapped Shen Mingsu. "Didn't you say you had no prejudice against that kid? Tell me the truth, are you secretly holding a grudge against him and planning revenge?"
Shen Mingsu sighed helplessly. "I really don't. Besides, he's just a kid who's barely an adult. I only have a little grudge with his father; it's not so twisted as to involve a child."
The director didn't believe him, rubbing his chin suspiciously. "Really? You're such a reasonable person?"
Shen Mingsu felt the director was insulting his noble character and launched a fatal blow. "Say another word and I'll dock your pay."
The director shut up, but increasingly felt something was wrong with Shen Mingsu. He was certain he'd hit a nerve, causing the man's anger.
At the same time, he couldn't help but look at the student Shen Mingsu had been paying more attention to—a very cute child. He couldn't be wrong; the one at fault must be Shen Mingsu.
Yan Chi sensed someone watching him, a gaze that seemed to follow him relentlessly. But when he looked up, he couldn't find the source of that gaze.
Yan Chi pursed his lips, not bothering to investigate further. The rabbit-eared boy was tugging at him pitifully. He asked, "I...we seem to have gone to the wrong campus. Do you know where the South Campus is?"
South Campus?
Yan Chi shook his head. "I'm a freshman this year too."
The rabbit-eared boy drooped his pure white rabbit ears dejectedly, clinging tightly to Yan Chi, unwilling to leave him. Yan Chi looked around, then his eyes suddenly lit up. He pulled the rabbit-eared boy to Shen Mingsu and the headmaster.
Shen Mingsu was dressed casually, while the headmaster was in a suit and tie. Yan Chi guessed that one was a senior student and the other a teacher, so they must know where the South Campus was.
Yan Chi asked Shen Mingsu frankly, "Senior, do you know where the South Campus is?"
Hearing Yan Chi call Shen Mingsu "Senior," Xingluo, who wasn't far away, was taken aback. He asked Li Huai and Feng Wang, "Little Chi hasn't seen Uncle Shen before?"
Li Huai shook his head, "No, I don't think so. I remember Uncle Shen didn't visit Little Chi before he moved."
Feng Wang had a good memory, "Only Aunt Ruoqin took Shen Chang Le there; he didn't go."
No wonder Yan Chi didn't recognize Shen Mingsu. Xingluo hesitated whether to remind Yan Chi, but considering that he had predicted the outcome, he chose to observe quietly.
The address "senior" made Shen Mingsu's lips curl into a noticeable smile. He didn't deny it, "I know."
"Then can you take my friend with you?" Yan Chi asked, pleasantly surprised, but then thought it would be too much trouble for him. "You could at least give us directions."
Shen Mingsu looked into his clear amber eyes. In those eyes, he seemed to find his own reflection, captivating him. After a few seconds, he slowly said, "Well, but..."
Catching a glimpse of someone out of the corner of his eye, Shen Mingsu changed the subject, "The South Campus teacher is here. You can hand him over to the teacher directly."
The South Campus first-year homeroom teacher was a middle-aged balding man. He looked anxious, sweating profusely, and his face turned deathly pale when he saw Shen Mingsu and the teacher.
"Oh no, oh no!" The male teacher panicked, wiping the sweat from his brow. He explained, "The new teacher gave us the wrong map, causing the children to come to the North Campus..."
"This is a new student from your campus. Take him away," Shen Mingsu interrupted the man, pulling the rabbit-eared boy away from Yan Chi and pushing him towards the male teacher.
During this process, Shen Mingsu's hand inadvertently brushed lightly against Yan Chi's arm. It was a very slight touch; Yan Chi didn't even feel it, but Shen Mingsu instantly felt as if he'd been struck by lightning, his face going blank.
When Shen Mingsu was expressionless, he exuded an imposing aura. Although the matter had little to do with the male teacher, he still felt intimidated in front of the principal, lowering his head and avoiding Shen Mingsu's gaze. He hurriedly pulled the bunny-eared boy away.
"Senior, you..." Yan Chi, seeing his kind senior suddenly freeze, waved his hand in front of Shen Mingsu, his tone concerned, "Senior, are you alright?"
Not very well...
Shen Mingsu looked at Yan Chi with a complicated expression. The brief touch had allowed him to glimpse a future timeline. Back then, he would cling to this person like a leech, going to any lengths for a kiss, even resorting to pouting and whining.
If he received a kiss—not even a full kiss on the lips, just a simple kiss on the cheek—he would be happy all day, giving everyone a pleasant look.
Shen Mingsu was stunned. He had become a simp?!
"Senior?"
A soft call brought Shen Mingsu back to his senses. He looked at Yan Chi with a complicated expression. "Sorry, I was daydreaming."
How could this be? Shen Mingsu was completely baffled. How could he have fallen for such a callow youth? Although he had never liked anyone else before, he didn't think his ideal type should be someone like Yan Chi.
This was truly strange.
Yan Chi felt that Shen Mingsu's gaze was off and couldn't help but take a few steps back. "Senior, you..."
A series of footsteps approached. Yan Chi subconsciously turned his head and saw Shen Chang Le running towards him.
"Why haven't you guys come to the classroom yet? Are you lost?" Shen Chang Le had been waiting in the classroom for a long time and hadn't seen Yan Chi and the others arrive. Worried that they might not know their way around since it was their first day at school, he had come out to find them.
The next second, Shen Chang Le saw Yan Chi standing beside him, and surprise flashed in his eyes. "Uncle, what are you doing here?"
Shen Mingsu was usually elusive, rarely seen at school.
Upon Shen Chang Le's appearance, Shen Mingsu felt a strange sense of guilt, especially when he called him "uncle," this guilt and fear reaching its peak.
He turned to look at Yan Chi, and sure enough, Yan Chi was also looking at him with a questioning gaze.
"Uncle?" Yan Chi was surprised by their relationship. "Why is your uncle also studying at school?"
Shen Chang Le didn't understand why Yan Chi would have such a strange thought. He explained, "No, my uncle is past school age. He's just the school principal."
Past school age… Shen Mingsu gave Shen Chang Le a cold look. This kid's words were really unpleasant.
Yan Chi: "...?"
In that instant, Yan Chi realized his misunderstanding of Shen Mingsu. He stared at Shen Mingsu in shock, his eyes wide, and quickly apologized, "Principal... I'm so sorry! I thought you were a senior student because you weren't wearing a suit. It was my misunderstanding, I'm so sorry."
Seeing the panic in Yan Chi's eyes, Shen Mingsu instinctively comforted him, his voice softening considerably: "It's not your fault, I forgot to clarify."
The director looked at Shen Mingsu as if he'd seen a ghost, as if he'd just met him for the first time.
Hearing Shen Mingsu's gentle comforting voice, Yan Chi's tension and unease gradually dissipated, and his impression of Shen Mingsu soared. He tilted his head back, "Thank you."
Shen Mingsu continued to smile, "It's nothing, don't worry about it."
The director: "..."
Has he been possessed?
Shen Chang Le also stared blankly at the smile on Shen Mingsu's face. He remembered that his uncle wasn't born with naturally smiling lips, so why was his smile so persistent today?
Seeing Yan Chi still reserved in front of Shen Mingsu, repeatedly calling him "Principal," Shen Chang Le told him, "Don't be nervous. My uncle has known your father for a long time; they're good friends."
"The Principal knows Dad too?" Yan Chi was somewhat surprised. His father had never mentioned this uncle to him, but just knowing that the man was an old friend of his father made Yan Chi feel a sense of closeness.
His father's friend must be a very good elder.
Faced with Yan Chi's curious gaze, Shen Mingsu opened his mouth. If he were to say now that he and his father were actually mortal enemies and not good friends at all, he was afraid he would be disappointed… What if he cried?
With a thousand thoughts racing through his mind, Shen Mingsu smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, "Yes, your father and I are good friends. You can come to me if you ever have any difficulties."
Yan Chi nodded with delight, "Okay, thank you, Shushu."
Shushu… Shen Mingsu's heart felt as if it had been stabbed.
“Xiao Chi, you don’t have to call him Shushu, it’s too formal,” Shen Chang Le considerately told Yan Chi. “You can call him Uncle, like I do.”
Shen Mingsu’s lips, which had just curved into a smile, instantly fell back down.
Yan Chi readily agreed, “Okay, Uncle… um?”
A large hand covered his mouth. Shen Mingsu had appeared beside him without him noticing. He was at least 1.9 meters tall, and his frame was twice as strong as Yan Chi’s, instantly dominating him.
Yan Chi looked at Shen Mingsu in confusion, “Um?”
Why cover his mouth?
Shen Mingsu looked down at his long eyelashes, his throat slightly hoarse, “No need to call me Uncle, just… just call me Shushu.”
Shushu is better than Uncle.
Shen Mingsu didn’t believe he had such a peculiar preference.
Yan Chi nodded, and Shen Mingsu released him, but the two remained very close, Shen Mingsu almost half-embracing Yan Chi, who was completely unaware of the intimate distance.
Xingluo, who had been watching them, let out a loud "Wow!" Li Huai and Feng Wang looked at him, puzzled. Xingluo just smiled mysteriously.
Soon, Yan Chi and the others said goodbye to Shen Mingsu and went to the classroom to prepare for class. Shen Mingsu watched them leave, and as he turned his head, he almost bumped into the director.
The director looked at Shen Mingsu with a sullen expression: "Something's not right with you."
Shen Mingsu walked past him and strode forward, "You're overthinking it."
"You..."
"Say it again and I'll deduct your salary."
"..."
Damn capital!
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