"Professor?" a voice called out to her, waking her up from her thoughts.
"What is it, Liang Wei?" Mingya asked as she looked at the handsome man before her.
Liang Wei, in his final year of literature, was always the top student in her class, though he liked to be mischievous and always got into trouble.
As the supervisor of this class, he was the student who gave Mingya the most headaches, but it seemed like it was finally over as tomorrow was the day they would all graduate.
"What are you thinking about, Professor Wang?" he asked as he looked at her face.
"Nothing that concerns you. Now tell me, why have you invited me here?" she asked him as she looked at the luxurious tables and decorations around her.
The Dragon Palace Hotel hotel was the only seven-star hotel in the city. It was said that only the most influential and wealthy could dine here. As a professor, she shouldn't be here normally, but Liang Wei had called her yesterday saying that, since tomorrow was the day of graduation, he wanted to thank her for her work this year.
She had never expected Liang Wei to invite her to such a prestigious hotel. While she enjoyed dining in luxurious places, it seemed inappropriate for a student to bear the expenses of such an expensive meal. She was worried about the possible backlash from Liang Wei's parents, who might perceive her as forcing their son to spend money just to indulge in a lavish meal.
Liang Wei noticed the expression on Mingya's face and figured out what was going through her mind. He let out a deep sigh, wondering when she would change.
"Don't worry about the expenses, Professor," he assured her.
Mingya arched her eyebrows in surprise. "What do you mean?" she inquired.
"It's my family's business," he replied, stunning Mingya. She had no idea that he was a wealthy second-generation young master. If she had known earlier, she might have asked him to take her to more places like this. However, she quickly dismissed the thought, as she knew that, as a responsible professor, she couldn't take advantage of her students' wealth.
She would have turned down this invitation too if it wasn't for the pretext of graduation. Furthermore, they weren't the only ones invited, as the entire final-year class was joining them.
"Yo! You guys are early! Good evening, Professor Wang!" a cheery voice echoed out.
The whole class came together with him, chattering and laughing in excitement.
As Xiao Ming led the group toward their table, the other students started greeting her one by one. "Good evening, Professor Wang," they said in unison.
"We're really grateful to you for everything you've done this year. We wouldn't be here today without your guidance," said a girl with short hair.
Another boy chimed in, "Totally, We couldn't have survived this year without you pushing us to be better."
Mingya smiled at their words.
As they reached their table, the students took their seats and started chatting with each other excitedly. Mingya looked around the room.
'It's finally going to end, huh?' she thought as she looked at them.
Although she had only taught them for the year, it really had been a memorable one, as they were her first set of students. She had only completed her Ph.D. and soon after got a job at this prestigious university. She could only attribute it to her luck and felt emotional looking at them.
As the food was served, the students started to dig in, laughing and chatting with each other. Watching them, Mingya felt a pang of nostalgia, thinking about her own university days. But soon, a sense of melancholy washed over her as she remembered her strict and overbearing mother who had never allowed her to have fun or go out on any occasion.
A deep sadness crept over her as she thought of her mother, who hadn't reached out to her ever since she left home.
She excused herself from the dining area and walked out, wine glass in hand, and let her thoughts drift for once.
"Was the food not to your liking, Professor Wang?" She turned back to see Liang Wei walking towards her.
She shook her head. "I was afraid that if I stayed there for too long, you guys wouldn't have anything left to eat."
Liang Wei looked shocked at her response. "Professor Wang... I never knew you could make a joke!" he exclaimed exaggeratedly.
"You don't want to graduate, Student Wei?" she asked, her eyebrows twitching in anger.
Liang Wei looked at her and stayed silent for a bit.
"... I really don't want to graduate..." he muttered under his breath.
Suddenly, Liang Wei looked determined and took a deep breath. Mingya was surprised by his sudden change in demeanor and wondered what he was about to do.
"Professor Wang! No... Wang Mingya, I lo-!!"
BOOM!!!!
The sound of firecrackers interrupted him, The sudden burst of firecrackers filled the air with a deafening boom, sending shockwaves that rattled nearby windows.
As the smoke cleared, a breathtaking display of vibrant fireworks lit up the night sky, their dazzling colors painting the darkness. Fiery trails streaked across the sky, exploding into a shower of sparkling lights that cascaded down like raindrops, filling the air with a sense of magic and wonder.
Mingya's attention was drawn away from Liang Wei as she gazed up at the fireworks lighting up the night sky. She was mesmerized by the vibrant colors and patterns that seemed to dance in the air.
Liang Wei stood dumbfounded, looking at the fireworks.
"Damn! You morons! You guys had one job, and you messed it up! I wanted the fireworks to go off after I confessed, not before!" Liang Wei grumbled in frustration, feeling like everything had gone wrong.
He looked over at Professor Wang Mingya, who was staring in awe at the fireworks display. He knew she couldn't hear him, and even if she did, she would probably think he was just expressing his admiration as a student to a teacher. He had rehearsed what he wanted to say to her so many times, but now it all seemed ruined.
As the scion of one of the country's top businessmen, he couldn't care less about a degree. He only took literature because of his crush on Wang Mingya. He eagerly awaited his final year, hoping to finally meet her. But when the time came, Mingya misunderstood his nervousness for disdain for her class. Her EQ was so lower than a rock.
He had spent a long time trying to convince Wang Mingya that he enjoyed her class and took every opportunity to be with her. He had been waiting for this moment to confess his feelings, but now it all seemed to be in vain.
Liang Wei felt his eyes start to well up with tears as a notification sound suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
Mingya looked surprised and pulled out her phone from her handbag.
(New Chapter: Finale. [Counterattack Of the Villainess])
Mingya felt a twinge of melancholy as she read the notification on her phone. She couldn't believe her favorite novel was about to end, especially since she had been reading it since the start of the academic year. And now, as her first batch of students was about to graduate, it felt like another end was approaching.
She looked back at Liang Wei, as she heard him say something.
Liang Wei's eyes looked red like he was tearing up, but Mingya assumed it was because of the smoke from the fireworks. "Are you okay, Student Wei?" she asked with a concerned expression.
Liang Wei tried to compose himself, wiping away a tear that had escaped from his eye. "Yeah, Professor Wang, I'm fine. I just got something in my eye," he lied, not wanting to reveal his true emotions.