"Annaïs?" Chen Xiaofen's tone was laced with surprise as she regarded the unexpected visitor. Clearly, this sudden appearance caught her off guard.
Xiang Ri, too, was taken aback, casting a glance at Chen Xiaofen. He hadn't anticipated that this upright and just teacher would also be fluent in French—and not just proficient, but speaking it with such remarkable ease that it hinted at deep mastery.
Ren Jun, on the other hand, seemed unfazed, merely observing the girl who had entered the room.
"Yes, Professor. May I trouble you with something?" The newcomer was a foreign girl, around eighteen or nineteen years old, with a strikingly voluptuous figure and undeniably captivating beauty.
Her lush red lips, high-bridged nose, and eyes large enough to be almost startling were framed by features that seemed sculpted to perfection. Dressed in a short blue skirt that revealed her long, slender legs and paired with a fitted striped T-shirt, her silhouette was effortlessly curvaceous.
She looked like a life-sized Barbie doll, exuding an exotic charm.
Xiang Ri stole a quick glance before averting his eyes, unwilling to display even a hint of undue interest in front of someone he deeply respected.
Sure enough, his subtle action didn't escape Chen Xiaofen's notice. By sheer coincidence, the direction of his gaze shifted toward Ren Jun. This observation left Chen Xiaofen even more satisfied; a barely perceptible nod confirmed her approval before she turned her attention back to the foreign student. "Annaïs, what is it that you need?"
"Here's the thing, Professor." The young woman, known as Annaïs, seemed unaware of the presence of others in the room. She hastily pulled a note from her handbag and handed it over. "I don't understand what it says. Could I trouble you to translate it for me?"
"Oh?" Chen Xiaofen took the slip of paper and scanned it briefly, her expression changing subtly. "Is this Russian?"
To be fair, Russian wasn't her forte. While she knew a few basic phrases and common terms, the content of the note far exceeded her familiarity. Only a handful of words struck her as recognizable.
She returned the note to Annaïs. "Actually, I'm not well-versed in Russian. However, you might consult Professor Li from the Chinese Department. He once taught in Moscow and would likely be able to help."
"Understood. Thank you, Professor Chen." Annaïs replied courteously, taking back the note and preparing to leave.
"Wait a moment!" Xiang Ri suddenly interjected in fluent French. "Perhaps I can assist you."
His offer wasn't made lightly. Though his Russian wasn't as polished as his French, he felt confident enough to comprehend anything short of highly technical jargon.
"You?" Annaïs was visibly astonished. She hadn't expected anyone else present to speak French, let alone with such an authentic Parisian accent. A sense of familiarity and warmth bloomed within her. Moments later, her astonishment turned to delight. "Sir, could you truly help me?"
"Let me take a look first," Xiang Ri replied cautiously. He didn't want to overpromise—if the note contained anything he couldn't decipher, he'd risk embarrassing himself. Still, his willingness to assist was partly fueled by a desire to leave a more lasting impression on a respected teacher. Not to mention, he was curious to see how the Bamboo Girl would react—perhaps with an expression as shocked as if she'd swallowed a whole egg.
"Thank you so much," Annaïs said warmly, handing over the note. Her impression of the young man, with his thickly bandaged right hand, was growing increasingly favorable. At first, she'd merely regarded him as one of Professor Chen's students or relatives, paying him little mind. But his fluency in French had utterly astonished her.
"It's no trouble," Xiang Ri replied, taking the paper and beginning to examine its contents carefully.
Miss Ren Jun, the eldest daughter of the Ren family, stared at the man as though he were a ghost. Her once alluring lips now parted in disbelief, her face painted with incredulity. *This guy speaks such impeccable English, and now French, too? And it seems he's fluent in Russian as well? My goodness, how is anyone supposed to compete with that?*
Meanwhile, Chen Xiaofen's eyes gleamed with delight. She realized she had grossly underestimated her prized student. Initially, she had thought his talent lay solely in English, but now it was clear that his capabilities extended far beyond that.
Judging by the effortless fluency with which he had just spoken French, he could likely rival native speakers. Why hadn't she noticed this brilliance in the past year? If it weren't for him becoming her future son-in-law, she might never have discovered such a gem in her class.
The more she looked at him, the more satisfied she became. Not only was he honest and well-mannered, but he also possessed good looks and a wealth of knowledge, with proficiency in multiple foreign languages.
Her thoughts drifted to her daughter, standing beside her. She couldn't help but admire her daughter's discerning eye. So, it wasn't that Junjun didn't want a boyfriend—it was that her standards were exceptionally high, rendering ordinary men unworthy of her attention. Now, having found such an outstanding suitor, she no longer had to worry about her daughter's future.
Unbeknownst to Xiang Ri, he had already been mentally stamped as the "Ren family's exclusive son-in-law." After carefully reading the note, he turned to the foreign beauty with a slightly hesitant expression and asked, "Have you offended anyone recently?"
"Huh?" Annaïs's face showed confusion. "Why do you ask?"
Xiang Ri didn't answer immediately. Instead, he inquired, "Can you tell me who gave you this note?"
"Honestly, I don't know who it was." Annaïs, noticing the serious expression on his face, realized this was no trivial matter. She tried her best to recall. "I remember it was during the second class on Friday afternoon. I went to the restroom, and when I returned, I found this note tucked in my book. I asked the people around me, but no one saw who put it there. Is it something important?" Her voice trembled slightly as unease crept in.
Xiang Ri scrutinized her expression for a moment. Seeing no sign of deceit, he replied solemnly, "This is a threatening letter. It states that if you don't hand over a certain item by this afternoon, October whatever, the sender will follow through on their earlier promise."
He spoke with calm detachment, though the note itself gave no clues as to what the "item" or the "promise" entailed. Still, it was unlikely to be anything good.
"Promise?" Annaïs looked puzzled, her expression quickly shifting to realization. Her face turned pale before flushing with anger. Clenching her fists tightly, she gritted her teeth and spat, "I know who it is! That bastard—I'll make them pay!"
Before the others in the office could react, she stormed out in a fury, leaving behind the note she had given Xiang Ri.
"What's going on?" Chen Xiaofen asked with some concern.
"Nothing much, probably just a prank by one of her classmates," Xiang Ri replied nonchalantly, rubbing his nose. Yet a glimmer of something inscrutable flickered in his eyes. Turning to Chen Xiaofen, who seemed lost in thought, he added, "Professor, if there's nothing else, I'll head to class now."
"Go ahead." Chen Xiaofen nodded, not pressing further. Then, glancing at her daughter, she said, "Junjun, see him out."
"What? You want me to—" Ren Jun started to protest but stopped short when she caught her mother's warning glare. Suppressing her irritation, she reluctantly followed after him. Catching up to Xiang Ri, she leaned in and pinched his waist hard, her small hand digging into the soft flesh. With her mother watching from behind, she knew he wouldn't dare retaliate. This was the perfect opportunity to settle the score for what had happened earlier at the school gate.
However, she underestimated Xiang Ri's unwillingness to concede so easily. Just as her fingers found their target, his arm slipped around her slender waist. Since the professor had already misunderstood their relationship, deepening that misunderstanding a little further hardly mattered.
Ren Jun froze, her body trembling slightly. She wanted to struggle, but with her mother's watchful gaze burning into her back, she had no choice but to endure his touch. Her fingers tightened, pinching even harder, as though she could tear off a piece of his flesh.
From her vantage point, Chen Xiaofen observed the interaction with satisfaction, convinced her daughter was simply jealous of the foreign student from earlier. Smiling contentedly, she watched the two walk out together before returning to her desk to resume grading papers.