"Have a seat," Xiang Ri remarked, casting a cool glance at the slender woman before him.
"Thank you," Ren Yun replied with a faint smile, gracefully taking the seat beside him.
Big Garlic Eyes stared wide-eyed, utterly incredulous. When had the boss managed to charm another stunning beauty?
"Did you need something?" Xiang Ri asked, his tone casual.
"Not really. We just don't have any classes this morning, so we thought we'd sit in here," she replied.
"Perfect timing. Class is about to begin," Xiang Ri said just as the bell rang. A middle-aged female teacher entered, holding a stack of books.
Xiang Ri's gaze drifted to the slender woman beside him. Seeing no particular reaction on her face, he turned his attention back to the lectern.
Chen Xiaofen's mood was different today—less composed than usual. She had her reasons; one student in particular had captured her attention, a rarity for her.
Normally, she didn't bother noticing who was or wasn't in class. But today, her eyes swept across every corner of the room until she spotted the person she was looking for, nodding to herself in satisfaction.
Then she froze, her gaze flickering back to that spot, her expression tinged with surprise.
Was the girl sitting next to him really Yun Yun? What was she doing here? Didn't she have classes this morning?
From the vantage point of the lectern, the back row wasn't too far to notice. Chen Xiaofen observed the two sitting unusually close, their hands conspicuously absent from the table.
From her angle, it appeared as though their arms were intimately entwined, and the girl's face radiated a joy unique to those in love. Unfortunately, the young man beside her seemed somewhat wooden—likely a trait of his nature, Chen Xiaofen surmised.
As much as she felt a flicker of happiness for her daughter, a pang of irritation accompanied it. Fine, if they wanted to act like this in their free time, so be it. But during her class, no less? And without the slightest discretion? Unacceptable.
However, calling them out in front of so many students would be unwise. Her daughter, shy as she was, would likely turn beet red, and the honest young man might fare even worse.
A momentary impulse urged her to see their reaction if confronted publicly. But reason prevailed, and with a slight inward sigh, she began her lesson.
Big Garlic Eyes kept sneaking glances at the pair, perplexed. Ever since the bell rang, they hadn't spoken a word. This was out of character for the boss, who was either dozing off or chatting away during class. Today, however, he sat upright, unusually restrained.
Xiangg Ri had sensed the teacher's peculiar gaze from the moment she entered the classroom. Her eyes kept flitting in his direction. By all accounts, he'd done nothing to violate class rules, so why the scrutiny?
His expression stiffened as he caught the ambiguous look in her eyes. Ah, here we go again—a familiar misunderstanding.
Glancing at the slender woman beside him, Xiang Ri suppressed a bitter smile. Once again, he'd been "misjudged."
Ren Yun, however, appeared oblivious to her mother's probing gaze. She maintained an air of intense concentration, occasionally smiling as though signaling her comprehension to everyone around her.
"Boss, is the class really that fascinating? Judging by your expressions, you both seem utterly captivated," Big Garlic Eyes finally broke the oppressive silence, unable to hold back any longer.
"It's indeed quite compelling. Why, don't you think so?" Xiang Ri replied, his tone teasing as his gaze flitted to the slender woman. A glimmer of mischief danced in his eyes.
Unaware of the trap laid before him, Big Garlic Eyes blurted out, "You've got to be kidding, Boss. Fascinating? Not even close! Old Chen's lessons are so dull—like a zombie narrating ghost stories. Look, there she goes again with that awkward hand gesture. Ugh, it's terrible! That pose would've been forgivable twenty years ago..."
"Garlic," Xiang Ri interrupted sharply, knowing full well where the conversation was heading. To avoid becoming an unwilling participant in ambiguous banter, he felt compelled to cut him off.
"What is it, Boss?" Big Garlic Eyes asked, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction, as though protesting the abrupt interruption.
"Do you even know who she is?" Xiang Ri gestured subtly toward the slender woman beside him, whose expression was growing increasingly dark.
"Of course I do, Boss. She's Ren Yun, the school basketball team's manager—a well-known campus beauty," Big Garlic Eyes answered earnestly, ending with a small attempt at flattery. Yet, unbeknownst to him, his earlier remarks had already caused far greater damage than his praise could repair.
"And do you know her relationship with Teacher Chen?" Xiang Ri continued, his voice deceptively mild, but his smile brimming with mischief.
"Huh?" Big Garlic Eyes froze, glancing nervously at the growing storm on the beauty's face. A sense of foreboding crept over him. Had he unwittingly stumbled into a trap? He shot a resentful look at the mastermind behind this predicament.
But the ordeal didn't end there. Xiang Ri's next words sent him plummeting into an abyss. "I believe I heard her call Teacher Chen 'Mom.'"
Big Garlic Eyes collapsed onto the desk with a thud. A few seconds later, he lifted his head, his expression blank with mock innocence. "Boss, I think I just had a nightmare. I'll wake myself up now. You two carry on—I'll go sit over there." Without daring to meet the infuriated gaze of the beauty beside him, he retreated awkwardly to a different seat.
The entire scene, naturally, did not escape the watchful eyes of Chen Xiaofen, who had been observing from the lectern. However, she chose to remain silent.
Initially, she had been annoyed when her honest student spoke with another male classmate, seemingly ignoring her daughter. But upon seeing the latter leave in embarrassment, she realized Xiang Ri's true intent: clearing the way for more private interactions with her daughter.
Her suspicions were soon confirmed. Her daughter's face turned crimson, and she appeared so nervous that her entire body trembled. Meanwhile, the honest young man beside her moved his left hand beneath the desk in an unmistakably peculiar manner. What on earth was he doing?
Unable to watch any longer, Chen Xiaofen felt a mix of irritation and resignation. How bold students had become these days!
Just as Xiang Ri finished scratching his thigh, he noticed the lingering mix of shame and anger on the slender woman's face. To prevent her from linking the earlier fiasco to him, he swiftly changed the topic. "This is the first time I've learned your name—Ren Yun? Could you write it down for me? I'd hate to get it wrong."
Casting a sharp glare at the indiscreet Big Garlic Eyes, Ren Yun refocused and scribbled her name on a piece of paper.
"So, this is it." Xiang Ri realized how far off his earlier guess had been. Then again, her name was indeed quite unique—easy to mispronounce for anyone unfamiliar.
"What's wrong? Don't you like it?" Ren Yun asked, a slight frown forming on her delicate face.
"No, no—it's wonderful! Really beautiful!" Xiang Ri exaggerated with dramatic fervor.
"Really?" Sensing the insincerity in his tone, Ren Yun's frown deepened, feeling as though she were being toyed with.
But instead of responding, Xiang Ri abruptly straightened, his eyes fixed ahead. "Your mom is watching us!" he declared.
"What?!" Ren Yun's face turned pale with panic. Only now did she remember they were in class—her mother's class, no less! If her mother had seen them chatting during the lecture... there would be hell to pay at home.
"Xiang Ri!" Chen Xiaofen's crisp voice rang out, startling Xiang Ri, who had just begun to relax after deflecting Ren Yun's inquiries. He shot to his feet in an instant.
There was no choice. The teacher had called him by name.
"Answer this question!"