The four morning classes had finally dragged to an end, and Xiang Ri wiped at his brow in exaggerated relief. He'd hoped to head home and relax, but Miss Chu seized his arm and spirited him off to the school's second cafeteria under the pretense of "indulging a craving."
Though Xiang Ri wasn't exactly thrilled — he generally kept his distance from the school's canteen food — Miss Chu, along with his now "traitorous" disciple, overruled him by a single vote.
Despite her efforts to conceal it, Xiang Ri suspected Miss Chu simply wanted to avoid cooking at home. All he'd done the previous evening was offhandedly mention, "Your hands feel rougher lately — must be from cooking." He had no intention of keeping her out of the kitchen, merely suggesting a little more finesse. Yet it seems he'd sown the seeds of his own troubles. If only he'd kept quiet.
Watching him sigh, Chu Chu flashed a victorious smile. Hmph, criticize my hands, will you? From now on, this lady won't be cooking for you again.
As they approached the cafeteria, Xiang Ri, undeterred by her struggles, swept her into his arms, ignoring her protests. Stone Qing, who was also nearby, tried to evade his grasp, but her teacher wasn't about to let her slip away — he pulled her close with an arm draped over her shoulder.
Entering the cafeteria with two beautiful women was certainly an eye-catcher; students dining or lining up for food turned to stare.
At university, a guy walking into the cafeteria with one girl might draw a bit of envy from some bachelors. But strolling in with two well-known beauties on either side was enough to provoke irritation, especially among those who spent their nights... alone. The glares directed at Xiang Ri were as intense as if they could boil water in an instant.
Xiang Ri, however, basked in the attention, feeling a surge of pride. His hand "accidentally" slipped, grazing his disciple's hip. She shivered momentarily, and he moved his hand back to her shoulder with impeccable timing. There was, admittedly, some pleasure in this revenge for her "betrayal," not to mention a hint of mischief.
With their food served, they chose a quiet corner. Gazing at the dishes, Xiang Ri's mood finally softened. He was about to dive into a succulent piece of pork belly when Chu Chu suddenly shouted, "Wait!"
"What is it?" His chopsticks hovered mid-air.
"Oh, nothing! I just forgot the soup. Be right back." She hurried off, stifling a laugh behind her hand.
Xiang Ri couldn't help but see through her ploy and resolved to give her a taste of her own medicine later. He turned to his disciple, who was blushing fiercely, her eyes shadowed with weariness. "Xiao Qing, didn't sleep well last night?"
"No, I… I slept fine," Stone Qing mumbled, face flushed as she avoided his gaze.
"Really? Because you look a little sleep-deprived."
"I…" She turned away, embarrassed by his smug expression. Memories of the "battle of the fairies" she'd overheard last night flashed in her mind; she hadn't fallen asleep until dawn. Now her tired eyes had betrayed her, and his probing left her mortified, wanting nothing more than to disappear.
"I was gone for just a moment, and here you are bullying Sister Qing? Are you asking for trouble?" Chu Chu, holding a bowl of soup, shot Xiang Ri a reproachful look, rushing to defend her idol who was sitting pitifully on the side.
"How could that be? Who would believe a teacher would bully his students?" Xiang Ri accepted the bowl of soup with exaggerated courtesy, his face full of mock innocence.
Stone Qing pursed her lips, her impression of her teacher's shamelessness reaching new heights, as she lowered her head, too shy to meet his gaze, and quietly ate her meal.
"Hmph! There are plenty of teachers who are wolves in sheep's clothing; bullying students is far from unusual," Chu Chu retorted, setting down the soup. She turned to Stone Qing, "Sister Qing, has Xiang ever bullied you? Just say the word, and I'll make sure he gets what's coming!"
Stone Qing hesitated, glancing briefly at Xiang Ri before lowering her head again, remaining silent.
To Miss Chu, however, her silence only confirmed the worst, as if Stone Qing had suffered greatly but dared not speak up under her beastly teacher's oppressive influence. She immediately glared at Xiang Ri, "Xiang Ri! You still deny it?"
Xiang Ri touched his nose, feigning innocence, "All I did was ask if Xiao Qing slept well last night. Surely that's not bullying?"
"You—" Chu Chu's face flushed, a rosy blush spreading to her pale neck. Her accusing tone wavered, and she glared at him, biting angrily into her food as if it were the perpetrator himself.
"Teacher, I'm done eating, I'll take my leave," Stone Qing mumbled, fleeing before her shameless teacher could spout anything else to make her heart race and cheeks burn.
"Did Xiao Qing just see a ghost?" Xiang Ri asked with feigned confusion, watching his disciple's retreating figure.
"She sure did! And that ghost is you!" Chu Chu shot him a fierce look.
"Heh, you keep complimenting me like that, I might just get embarrassed," Xiang Ri replied, scratching the back of his head with mock shyness.
"Oh, give it a rest!"
Finishing his last sip of soup, Xiang Ri let out a satisfied burp, patting his stomach. The meal, while not quite up to Chu Chu's culinary standards, had been rather decent. Just as he was about to get up, a tall, elegant woman in professional attire approached.
"You again?" Chu Chu's gaze was wary; this woman had shown up around Xiang Ri far too often for her liking.
"Do you need something?" Xiang Ri gave the woman a sidelong look, his expression casual.
"Mr. Xiang, we need you at the station to assist with an investigation," Tie Wan said, her face impassive, seemingly ignoring the girl's hostility.
"Honestly, aren't you tired of calling on me every other day? Even if you have all the time in the world, consider that I'm still a student. I need time to study too, you know?" Xiang Ri had a hunch about her reasons, but he figured they'd be limited to asking about the fire at that bar. As for the incident in the Zhenlong Villa district, he doubted she'd ever connect it to him.
"Exactly!" Chu Chu chimed in, displeased.
"Mr. Xiang, please cooperate with the police. Otherwise, don't blame me if I have to cuff you and drag you back," Tie Wan warned, her tone slipping from polite request to an outright threat.
"Fine. But can you at least tell me what this is about?" Xiang Ri asked, reluctant to be led out of the school in handcuffs.
"You'll find out at the station." Tie Wan's icy retort left no room for argument as she turned and walked away.
Xiang Ri shrugged helplessly, soothing Chu Chu's grievances with a few words before following the policewoman out of the cafeteria.