In the silent darkness, Chu Shiye turned his head.
Ji Mian lay quietly on the bed, one hand dangling by his side, his face serene as he slept.
Chu Shiye got up slowly and carefully pulled the blanket over Ji Mian’s exposed hand.
I’ll make sure the food tastes good, he thought to himself.
Absolutely.
—
Morning light warmed the blanket as Ji Mian sat up, still hugging it.
Chu Shiye, busy in the kitchen, turned and brought him a glass of water. “There was another assault in the city.”
Ji Mian accepted the warm water. “What happened?”
“Last night, someone was attacked in an alley without surveillance,” Chu Shiye explained. “Luckily, it was just a minor injury, but they still couldn’t see the attacker’s face.”
“Same as last time,” Ji Mian mused. “Do you think the two incidents were done by the same person?”
“Not sure,” Chu Shiye said. “In any case, if I can’t pick you up these next few days, don’t wander off.”
Ji Mian smiled. “Got it. You be careful too.”
Chu Shiye gave a soft “mm,” watching him.
Ji Mian’s hair was slightly messy from sleep, and his dark eyes held a hint of drowsy confusion as he noticed Chu Shiye staring.
Without a word, Chu Shiye reached out and tidied Ji Mian’s hair, then quickly turned and walked away.
Ji Mian thought, How thoughtful. He’s a good person.
—
The weekend passed leisurely, and soon it was Monday.
Walking to the school together, Chu Shiye’s communicator lit up, and he received a message.
He glanced at it briefly before saying, “I might be a bit late picking you up today.”
“What’s up?” Ji Mian asked.
Chu Shiye didn’t answer.
Ji Mian peeked at his communicator.
Chu Shiye put it away. “It’s nothing, just a small matter.”
Ji Mian thought, He’s not secretly cooking at home, is he?
He said, “Alright. I’ll wait for you.”
When they reached the school, Ji Mian climbed the steps and waved goodbye.
Chu Shiye called out, “When I come back this afternoon—”
He stopped mid-sentence, looking at Ji Mian.
Ji Mian looked back.
Chu Shiye kept staring at him.
Silent.
But with a bit of a hopeful expression.
Ji Mian: “…”
With a soft laugh, Ji Mian said, “Fine, fine. I get it. You can make dinner tonight.”
Chu Shiye’s lips twitched into the faintest smile. “Okay.”
Satisfied, he turned and left.
—
“Did you hear? There was another assault last night,” Selena said, painting her nails a bright red in the office. “The city guards here are ridiculously inefficient. They still haven’t caught the culprit.”
She misapplied the nail polish, sighed, and added, “The broken cameras haven’t been fixed, and no one’s patrolling the city. Life just keeps getting better, doesn’t it?”
Ji Mian said, “If you notice anyone suspicious near your house, let me know.”
“Thanks,” Selena replied with a smile. “But as soon as I get home, I stay in. This city’s so small—who’d dare go out now?”
“Is the other teacher not coming in today either?” Ji Mian asked, glancing at the empty desk of Mark, the school’s third teacher.
“Mark? He’s sick. Took sick leave from the principal,” Selena said. “Maybe he’s really sick, or maybe he’s just too scared to leave his house. Who knows?”
“I’ll check on him in a few days if I have time.”
—
The bell rang, and Ji Mian headed to his classroom.
“Teacher!”
Nato came running down the corridor and skidded to a halt in front of him.
“Sorry, I’m late. My aunt’s house is so far away…”
“That’s alright,” Ji Mian said, studying his face. It was rosy and free of injuries. “Go on in.”
When Ji Mian pushed open the classroom door, a chattering squirrel darted over, climbing onto his clothes.
Ji Mian bent down and cupped the little squirrel in his hands.
It was a spiritual projection.
The squirrel’s owner, a short-haired boy sitting in the front row, blushed furiously. “Come back here!”
The squirrel ignored him, scampering in circles in Ji Mian’s palm.
The other students burst out laughing.
“It likes the teacher more than you do!”
“Spiritual projections reflect their owner’s emotions. Are you secretly fond of the teacher?”
The short-haired boy’s eyes widened in protest. “Liking someone through a projection doesn’t count! Besides…h-how can you accuse me like that?”
As he stammered, the squirrel nuzzled Ji Mian’s finger affectionately.
The boy: “…”
The entire class erupted into laughter, the room filled with joy.
Ji Mian raised his voice gently. “Alright, settle down. Let’s start class.”
He walked over to the boy and carefully set the squirrel back on his desk.
The boy, now as red as a tomato, scooped up the squirrel and fled to the last row.
“Teacher, what’s your spiritual projection?” one curious student asked after the earlier incident. “We’ve never seen it before.”
Ji Mian smiled. “What do you think it could be?”
“A rabbit?”
“A peacock?”
“A fox?”
The other students chimed in with guesses, while the original student declared, “Whatever it is, it must be beautiful!”
Ji Mian replied lightly, “Maybe so.”
“Anyway, it’s definitely not like that useless person who doesn’t even have a spiritual projection, right?”
The snide comment came from the middle of the classroom. Ji Mian’s gaze slowly shifted in its direction.
Ye Tiancai sat with his arms crossed, his chin raised defiantly. “Isn’t it true? I heard that Chu Shiye can’t even summon a spiritual projection. He’s just an E-rank trash. Nothing impressive about him at all—”
“Enough.” Ji Mian’s voice was sharp and cold, cutting Ye Tiancai off. “He’s stronger than you.”
Ye Tiancai’s expression twisted. “That’s impossible! He’s only E-rank!”
“Apologize,” Ji Mian said firmly.
Ye Tiancai bristled. “I—”
Ji Mian’s eyes turned icy. “Apologize.”
Under Ji Mian’s chilling gaze, Ye Tiancai’s defiance crumbled. His face paled, and he slowly lowered his head. “I’m sorry.”
It was a small incident, and the class quickly returned to normal.
But whispers floated between the desks.
“Teacher was so scary just now.”
“Yeah, I’ve never seen him like that before. Not even on the first day.”
“Do you think his spiritual projection is a lion?”
“Maybe it’s a beautiful-patterned python!”
As Ji Mian passed by their desks, he tapped lightly on the table with his knuckles.
The students immediately quieted and focused on the lesson.
By the afternoon, the sky had turned gloomy, the weather heavy with the promise of rain.
Since Chu Shiye had mentioned he’d be late, Ji Mian went to wait for him at the school gate.
Since he said he’d cook tonight, I’ll buy some simple ingredients, Ji Mian thought.
That Alpha liked dishes like Sichuan boiled fish and spicy fried ribs—spicy flavors in general.
I’ll pick up some ingredients later and teach him how to make them.
Will it end in disaster this time too?
“Hey, he didn’t come to pick you up today?”
Ye Tiancai was loitering nearby, clearly dissatisfied with being ignored by Ji Mian, who was lost in his thoughts.
“I thought he never missed a chance to come,” Ye Tiancai added.
Ji Mian didn’t even glance at him, his expression unchanged.
Ye Tiancai frowned. “I admit I was wrong this morning and said something I shouldn’t have. But I already apologized. Why are you still holding a grudge?”
Ji Mian remained silent.
Ye Tiancai tried again. “Hey, I’ve never apologized to anyone in my entire life until now!”
Ji Mian replied in an even tone, “That’s truly a shameful thing.”
“You—” Ye Tiancai started, but his words were interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps and an urgent voice.
“Mr. Su!”
Ji Mian turned sharply to see Kane running toward them, his face pale and flustered.
The sight of Kane in such a state made Ji Mian’s chest tighten, as if an invisible hand were squeezing his heart.
He strode forward quickly. “Where’s Chu Shiye?”
Kane stopped, meeting Ji Mian’s gaze.
“…No matter what, it’s already happened,” Kane said carefully, his voice low. “So, Mr. Su, you need to stay calm.”
He paused, then continued with a heavy tone.
“If you come with me now…you might still be able to see him one last time.”
R : What !!!!
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