FI CH82: Entering School

Once again facing a crowd of gazes.

The butler’s eyes were gloomy. Just as his lips moved, Lin Su took out a bamboo brush and gestured lightly with it.

“Why isn’t it talking yet? Is there some kind of switch?”

He Zhenling placed a hand on his Tang sword. “It might be stuck. Let’s see if a light tap…”

The butler: “Quack!”

Lin Su was gratified. “It’s fixed.”

He put away the bamboo brush and turned. “I’m hungry. Let’s take him up to cook.”

He Zhenling nodded. They had just taken two steps when Lin Su suddenly turned back, staring at the butler who had taken a step to follow.

“…”

The butler held it in for two humiliating seconds before producing a ventriloquist’s “Quack!”

Lin Su looked away in satisfaction and walked toward the elevator with He Zhenling, followed by a string of: Quack, quack, quack, quack…

In the lobby, the members hadn’t dispersed yet, watching the backs of the departing figures with novelty.

“It made a sound without opening its mouth. It really is a simulation AI!”

“It’s so lifelike…”

“No wonder it just kept repeating the same few phrases: ‘Find the President and Mr. Lin.’ It seems artificial intelligence still can’t replace human intellect.”

The butler, with his exceptionally keen hearing: “…”

They rode the elevator all the way up.

Lin Su dropped him off on the kitchen floor. “There’s no one here, you can stop quacking. Go cook.”

An indignant whimper came from in front of him! Then the figure turned and left.

The elevator doors clanged shut again.

Lin Su sighed lightly. “We’re only staying in the capital for a few days this time. Why did you specifically call the workhorse over?”

He Zhenling was calm. “It wasn’t much trouble anyway.” He paused, then picked up the thread. “Besides, leaving him in Xuncheng as a security guard was letting him off too easily.”

“…” Lin Su: Damn it, Little He holds such a grudge.

The Xuenima nodded in agreement: [Although the butler didn’t become a ghost, he can no longer be considered a human either.]

The elevator doors opened with a ‘ding!’, interrupting the conversation.

The two had just stepped out of the elevator.

Lin Su’s phone suddenly vibrated. He opened it to see the scruffy white puppy icon pop up—

[Bai Jiang]: Brother Teacher! I heard from my dad that you came to the capital, I didn’t even know… QnQ Are you free to have a meal with me sometime?～^▽^

The person beside him also paused. “Does he have nothing better to do?”

Lin Su explained, “Little Bai was sad for a long time after hearing people say I had passed away. It’s understandable that he’s a bit clingy now.”

He Zhenling seemed to think of something and was silent for a moment.

Lin Su had already typed out a reply and showed it to him: Come to the Supervisory Association for lunch tomorrow. Little He will be there too. [Paw]

“How’s that?”

He Zhenling’s lips tightened slightly, and he turned his head away. “Mm. You can invite him. It’s not like I’d say anything.”

“Right, you’d just secretly squeeze my hand.”

Lin Su said as he sent the message with a whoosh.

[Bai Jiang]: …Okay. ▽

He was satisfied. “Little Bai seems very happy too. He’s grinning from ear to ear.”

He Zhenling glanced over. “Just a little hollow.”

Lin Su put his phone away. “You’re as humorous as ever.”

–

They arranged to meet at noon the next day.

There was plenty of preparation time, enough for the butler to whip up a large table of dishes.

By the time Bai Jiang arrived, the table was already filled with exquisite and complex dishes. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the sky was blue with white clouds, overlooking a section of the capital city. Bright sunlight streamed into the dining room.

Lin Su and He Zhenling were sitting at the table.

Seeing Lin Su, Bai Jiang happily extended a paw. “Teacher, haha～ President He is here too.” He was just about to sit down when he noticed the butler standing to the side. “This is?”

Lin Su said casually, “A new type of artificial intelligence.”

Bai Jiang was intrigued. “So realistic, it’s like it’s breathing. How do I call it?”

Lin Su: “Call it ‘Xiaomei’.”

He Zhenling: “…”

The butler: “…”

Bai Jiang flicked the hem of his robe and sat down, smiling. “Xiaomei, Xiaomei, please serve the soup.”

The butler floated over eerily, picked up a bowl, and served the soup.

With the table service handed over to the butler, the three began to chat.

“I heard Teacher is going to take up a post at the Tianshi Academy next semester. Are you only planning to be a lecturer? With Brother Teacher’s strength, even being the principal would be no problem! o^▽^o*”

Lin Su paused and gently reminded him:

“Little Bai, the current principal is your father.”

Bai Jiang was cheerful. “He’s been doing it long enough. Let him be.”

“…”

The Xuenima praised: [Little Bai’s wings are indeed very strong.]

Lin Su felt a touch on his hand and heard He Zhenling’s soft voice, “He’s like this to his biological father; he’d be even worse to a stepfather.”

He whispered, “He must be in his rebellious phase.”

Then, he turned back to Bai Jiang and said, “I have other work, being a teacher is enough.”

Bai Jiang blinked thoughtfully and dropped the subject. “Alright～”

The light clinking of chopsticks and spoons against bowls sounded.

Lin Su swept through every dish on the table before temporarily putting down his chopsticks, taking a sip of tea.

“Little Bai, you must have graduated from the Tianshi Academy too?”

“Yes, Teacher.”

Bai Jiang put down his chopsticks and sat up straight, his snow-white robe dazzling. “I graduated first in my year and as the student council president. I still hold the school record for the highest academic credits! 0v0”

Lin Su was gratified. “Not bad.”

Just as Bai Jiang was about to speak again, He Zhenling also put down his chopsticks and added, “Pretty good.”

“…” He smiled politely. “That’s also because Brother Teacher was a good mentor.”

What was this unrelated person commenting on?

He Zhenling’s lips curved as he glanced in Lin Su’s direction. “That’s why I said, Teacher Sleepyhead teaches quite well.”

Bai Jiang: …▼口▼ Ah!

Caught off guard, Lin Su’s hand trembled, and his chopsticks clattered against the rim of his bowl. He stopped them, embarrassed. “Al… alright, don’t call me such improper things outside.”

He Zhenling seemed to chuckle. “Mm.”

The Xuenima quietly climbed up: [Stop talking, the fledgling’s yolky heart is about to run.]

Lin Su said warmly, “Little Bai, eat more.” He then turned his head and called out, “Xiaoli, Xiaoli, bring another serving of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. Xiaoli? Xiaoli?”

The butler looked on silently.

Bai Jiang: “…Teacher, you just said his name was Xiaomei.”

Lin Su apologized, “Xiaomei, serve the soup.”

He Zhenling: “…”

–

Bai Xinwen handled the matter of his employment.

Lin Su stayed in the capital for a few days, and once He Zhenling finished his work at the headquarters, they flew back to Xuncheng together.

Other than the butler almost being checked in as cargo, the entire process was very smooth.

By the time they returned to Xuncheng, it was already the end of April.

The college entrance exams were about a month away.

Various admissions exams followed one after another, and the atmosphere in the school grew increasingly fervent and tense.

As soon as Lin Su returned, he was caught by Chen You. “You went to take an exam? You were gone for so long, did it go smoothly?”

He nodded. “Pretty smoothly.”

Chen You was instantly overjoyed. “Really!? That’s great… This takes a lot of pressure off you. Sigh, I’m so envious. I really want to get into a school in the capital too…”

Lin Su glanced at the top of his head and smiled. “You’ll get in.”

Chen You was instantly energized. “I’ll take your good word for it!”

After two seconds of excitement, he suddenly grew regretful. “It’s just that if I leave Xuncheng, I’ll have even less chance of running into the masked master…”

Lin Su was caught off guard: “…”

The Xuenima was shocked: [He’s still thinking about your alter ego at a time like this! He’s truly your hardcore fan.]

Lin Su was silent for a moment, then consoled him, “Maybe he went to the capital too.”

Chen You came alive again. “It’s such a joy to listen to you talk!”

[He’s the first person in history to say that.]

Lin Su covered it. “Of course, everyone around me loves to hear me talk.”

Chen You threw himself into his studies like an electric motor.

Lin Su didn’t need to prepare for exams, so he started preparing to move.

He had originally planned to go to the capital himself to look for a house.

But after he pulled out a pile of ancient jades, jewelry, and a Tianshi’s jade seal from some unknown dynasty, He Zhenling’s eyelid twitched! He stopped him—

“…I’ll handle it. Put away this pile of antiques.”

“Okay then.”

Lin Su sighed, then picked out a top-quality mutton-fat jade from the pile and stuffed it into He Zhenling’s hand. “For you, money for the house.”

He Zhenling was amused. “Does the little boss still need to provide the money?”

Lin Su hooked a finger through his silver earring, turning his head away slightly with a cool air. “It’s money to buy… this kind of house.”

He Zhenling’s gaze suddenly grew hot.

He looked at him for two seconds, then accepted the jade. “Mm.” Then he pulled his hand away from his wrist. “…I know, stop pulling.”

…

He Zhenling was extremely efficient.

In less than a month, the new house was settled. The environment was excellent, and it wasn’t far from the Tianshi Academy.

The college entrance exams ended in June.

Along with the distribution of graduation certificates, a gleaming golden letter of special appointment also arrived.

Lin Su packed up and moved to the capital.

He didn’t move any large furniture, only taking his usual tea set and the thank-you gifts he had received, such as the Great Joy Lanterns and the Ball-in-a-Ball.

The residential community was lush with greenery and had a quiet, serene environment.

From a feng shui perspective, it was also excellent.

Taking the elevator up, it was a large flat with one elevator per household.

He Zhenling opened the door and led him in.

Upon entering, the spacious and bright living room largely retained its previous decor. The tea set was placed on a small table, and the two Great Joy Lanterns hung on either side of the floor-to-ceiling window.

In a corner of the balcony, there was even a ball pit filled with several seal plushies.

Lin Su stood there silently for a moment. “This is?”

He Zhenling was very calm. “The children’s room.”

“…”

The Xuenima plunged into it with a ‘poof’ and rolled around.

He Zhenling turned his head. “Want to go see your bedroom?”

Lin Su followed with his hands in his sleeves. “Mm.” Entering the master bedroom, he saw that it was decorated even more meticulously. The bay window was covered with a soft blanket, there was a matching bathroom, and what caught his eye the most—

“The bed is so big.”

He went over, bent down, and patted it. It was very soft. He turned his head, shy and timid. “Are you thinking…”

He Zhenling held back. “Don’t you like to sleep in a big bed?”

Lin Su was regretful. “So you weren’t thinking that.”

He Zhenling was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.

He was standing in front of the wall, dressed in black undergarments. The light-colored wall made his figure seem even taller and more imposing, filled with a sense of aggression.

“What if I was?”

Lin Su: “…”

He swallowed lightly. “Then think about it some more.”

He Zhenling let out an unsurprised chuckle.

Lin Su’s gaze shifted under his stare and met the Xuenima curled up at the foot of the bed.

He froze for a moment: …Why are you still here?

The Xuenima curled up and yawned: [Just like Little He, I bet you don’t dare.]

Lin Su: “…”

He sat up on the bed and patted the space beside him. “You, come here.”

“?” He Zhenling’s eyebrow twitched.

Then he walked over and pressed a knee onto the edge of the bed. The soft mattress sank, and he looked down, examining him. “…Come for what?”

Lin Su scooted back, propping himself up on the bed.

He looked up, their gazes meeting. “Let’s see… what you want to come for.”

A figure leaned down from above, casting a shadow over him.

He Zhenling propped his arms on either side of him, his gaze falling from his eyelashes to his lips, his breath tightening imperceptibly. The moment Lin Su closed his eyes, he tilted his head and leaned in.

Hot breath fell on him, and Lin Su subconsciously turned his head slightly in nervousness.

The figure in front of him seemed to pause, then without any warning, a hot, soft pair of lips pressed against the shell of his ear, nibbling gently—

He grabbed He Zhenling’s clothes and his eyes flew open: …!

The presence by his ear drew back slightly, a breath brushing past the shell of his ear, a tingling itch drilling deep inside. He Zhenling lowered his head and chuckled beside his ear. “You’re so nervous every time… it makes me also…”

“…” Lin Su.

He wouldn’t be outdone verbally. “It’s just homesickness kicking in.”

His ear was pinched firmly, and the body moved away.

He Zhenling propped himself up again, straightening the clothes he had wrinkled. “If you say so,” he said warmly.

Lin Su covered his ear: Damn it, did you hear that? That scumbag line…

Damn it?

It was quiet in his consciousness.

He Zhenling watched him for a while, then suddenly turned his head. Through the open bedroom door, he could see the luggage piled in the living room. He tugged at his collar. “I’ll go unpack the luggage.”

With that, he got up and left.

After he was gone, Lin Su sat on the bed and pulled out the Xuenima.

The Xuenima popped its head out: [?]

He sat up a little straighter, taking the opportunity to praise himself: Damn it, did you not see how proactive I was just now? I flirted with He Zhenling so much he fled in disarray.

[Hehehe… if you say so.]

Lin Su: …?

–

The vacation always flew by.

The college entrance exam results came out in July.

Lin Su received a message from Chen You, who had successfully gotten into a university in the capital as he had wished.

Different universities have different start dates.

On September 3rd, the Capital Tianshi Academy officially welcomed its new students.

On the day of enrollment, the sun was magnificent.

Lin Su changed into a moon-colored outer shirt with pankou buttons down the front. There was also a row of ties on the back, tied to the lower back where the hem split slightly, revealing a hint of a snow-white undergarment.

The overall color scheme was too light, so he tied a crimson tassel below his silver earring.

Once ready, Lin Su went to the school.

…

The September sun shone brightly, and the new students were all gathered on the sports field.

Their young faces were filled with freshness and excitement, the school emblem of the highest institution for Tianshis pinned to their chests. And standing on the podium was the head of the four great clans and the principal of the academy.

Bai Xinwen stood at the front, giving the opening speech.

His smooth and dignified voice echoed clearly.

Many upperclassmen had also gathered around the sports field to watch.

Yu Zishan searched along the edge of the field, anxiously sending a WeChat message: Are you here? I don’t see you, where are you? [Jumping with anxiety]

[Su]: The sports field is too sunny, I didn’t go =u=

Not seeing him, he couldn’t set his heart at ease.

He was walking forward while typing and almost bumped into someone!

Yu Zishan looked up to see it was Cheng Zhuo and his group. They paused, then recognized him.

“Yo, it’s you?”

“Who are you looking for here? Don’t tell me it’s the same person we’re looking for?”

Cheng Zhuo saw his anxious expression and understood, turning his head. “I don’t think we need to keep looking. That Lin Su just isn’t here. All that big talk, and in the end, he didn’t even get into the school, hahahahaha…”

Yu Zishan said angrily, “Who says so? He got in!”

Cheng Zhuo said smugly, “Then where is he?” He dropped another bombshell. “To be honest, I already asked around. He didn’t even pass the first round of screening.”

Yu Zishan didn’t believe him. “You’re lying!”

“Fine, don’t believe me. You can take your time looking.”

After saying that, Cheng Zhuo left with his group, feeling vindicated and proud.

The group left the sports field and turned onto a small path beside the teaching building. After waiting for several months, they had finally confirmed during the opening ceremony that the infuriating face was not present—

Cheng Zhuo was absolutely ecstatic.

The person next to him said, “Damn, you’re really something! As expected of the Cheng family, you really kept him from getting into the school!”

Cheng Zhuo snorted. In truth, his second uncle had told him that he hadn’t seen any application form for a “Lin Su,” so he was probably kicked out early on. But he wouldn’t pass up this chance to show off, so he embellished:

“Of course, it was just a matter of a single word. My second uncle personally kicked him out…”

Halfway through his sentence, the people around him suddenly froze, their expressions as if they had seen a ghost.

Cheng Zhuo followed their gaze and looked ahead.

On the side of the elegant path, clusters of white summer flowers were blooming. A figure stood before a tree. Under the cloud-like snow of the blossoms, a touch of crimson hung down, making the scene as brilliant as a painting.

Lin Su heard the commotion and turned, raising an eyebrow. “Oh…”

Cheng Zhuo’s eyes widened in shock. “You—”

The others also turned to look at Cheng Zhuo. “???” Didn’t you say he was kicked out?

“How is that possible… weren’t you kicked out? How could you get in?” Cheng Zhuo couldn’t believe it. He looked at the front of Lin Su’s shirt and saw that there was no school emblem.

He pointed at once. “You need identification to enter this school! You don’t even have a school emblem, don’t tell me you snuck in…”

“Identification?”

Facing their gazes, Lin Su pulled out a golden special appointment teacher’s certificate and smiled. “Are you talking about this?”

Author’s note:

Kun: Watch your attitude when speaking to a teacher. Come to my office. (Taps on the desk)

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