The sky began to show its white belly, the newly awakened sun circling in the vast blue expanse, golden rays piercing through clouds to dispel the misty twilight, casting light onto streets and alleys.
"Time to get up."
Awakened by the noise, Ji Mu reached out to turn off the clamoring alarm clock, springing up from bed with a flip.
"Hope anyone still sleeping falls out of bed."
The system, waking up simultaneously: [.....]
What a vicious fellow.
Yawning as he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face, Ji Mu got dressed and casually picked up his shoulder bag to leave.
Sunlight filtered through dense leaves fell diagonally, creating dappled, misty halos around him, bringing a wave of warmth.
The glaring light made him uncomfortably shield his eyes with his hand, taking a while to adjust.
[Host, a new day begins!]
Bathing in the warm morning light, the system waved its tiny fists, appearing full of energy.
[Today let's keep up the good work, aim to reduce the female lead's aversion value by more than ten points!]
"Mm."
Responding with drooping eyelids, his perfunctory tone and half-asleep appearance formed a stark contrast with the system's energetic spirit.
[...]
[Host, tell this system honestly, did you secretly do some self-pleasure last night?]
How inappropriate are you being?
"Get lost."
[Alright!]
Buying ten steamed buns at the breakfast shop downstairs, Ji Mu walked toward school while eating.
With his bag slung across his shoulder, he walked at a leisurely pace through the crowd.
Living nearby, it took less than ten minutes to reach school.
[Host, Host, look, it's Ruan Qingqing!]
The system, having rolled away and back in just minutes, pointed out.
Ji Mu looked in the indicated direction.
Not far away, a man around forty was blocking a girl's path, chattering incessantly.
From his attire, it wasn't hard to tell he was a teacher at this academy.
[What's this old creep pestering the young girl for?]
Noticing Ruan Qingqing's troubled expression, the system immediately recalled over ten restricted movies from a certain island nation about old bulls eating young grass.
Thinking of those disgusting plots and empathizing, it instantly became furious.
[At his age still trying to take advantage, Host, go on, teach him a lesson!]
Well well, so aggressive?
"Maybe he's just discussing academic matters with the female lead."
Ji Mu tried to calm it down.
"Don't just look at the surface, don't you understand the principle of not judging without knowing the full picture?"
[What absolute bullshit, who discusses studies with students in such a deserted place, can't they do that in the office?]
The system snorted coldly.
[Looking so lecherous, definitely not a good bird!]
Ji Mu took a bite of his bun and chewed slowly.
Did this thing eat gunpowder today? Why so fired up?
"Let it go, someone his age has probably been teaching at this school for many years, we should respect the elderly and love the young."
After offering some appropriate advice, he moved closer to hear the conversation clearly.
"Ruan Qingqing, don't be ungrateful! You think getting into this elite academy means you can reach heaven in one step?"
"Lower class is lower class, why pretend to be virtuous in front of me!"
Ji Mu, hearing such explosive words right away: .....
Wait, getting slapped in the face this quickly?
Also, are there any normal people left in this school?
Why does he keep running into these types every other day?
[Host, you must understand, as this system mentioned before, due to too many novels merging, the world has bugs, many plot characters have developed issues.]
Ji Mu remained silent, continuing to watch the old man make his mind-blowing statements.
The man wore a look of contempt, his arrogant tone making people uncomfortable.
"Looking like you're just trying to seduce people, you think I don't know your little schemes?"
"Be sensible and agree to my demands, isn't being kept by someone what you came to this school for anyway?"
Faced with the man's undisguised malice, Ruan Qingqing bit her lip and lowered her head.
Her helpless grievance was like swallowing glass shards, having to endure the excruciating pain tearing at her insides without letting blood show.
In her impression, this teacher had always had a good reputation at school.
Appearing kind and gentle to everyone.
But why, when she refused his offer to keep her, did that benevolent face instantly become terrifying?
She didn't understand, couldn't comprehend.
"Gone mute? Not saying anything?"
The girl's silence made the man increasingly impatient.
"Give me an answer quickly, class is about to start, I'm in a hurry. Or do you think there's something wrong with what I said?"
"I..."
"I think there's something wrong."
A clear voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.
The man's face darkened, wondering who dared ruin his opportunity.
Turning his head, he saw a young man wearing round glasses, leisurely walking over with a steamed bun in hand.
"You're... Ji Mu."
The man narrowed his eyes, recognizing him.
Still eating his unfinished bun, before Ji Mu could speak, the girl beside him tugged at his sleeve.
"Classmate Ji Mu, Teacher Zhang is the school's discipline director."
She whispered urgently, her soft voice full of anxiety.
"Please leave, this will affect you."
The discipline director held substantial power in this school, and ordinary students like them without backgrounds could easily be suppressed.
Ji Mu certainly understood the meaning behind her words.
"Discipline director?"
He chewed and swallowed some more of his meat bun.
"These days any cat or dog can become a discipline director?"
His casual tone conveyed complete dismissal.
The young man hadn't controlled his volume, so the man naturally heard everything clearly.
"Ji Mu... is it."
This contemptuous attitude made his blood boil.
But remembering that the other was someone the principal had paid heavily to recruit, he felt some hesitation.
Suppressing his anger, he warned coldly.
"This is none of your business, get back to class now, and I'll pretend I didn't hear what you just said."
"Classmate Ji Mu..."
Ruan Qingqing beside him pleaded softly, "Please go, I'll be fine."
The young man had helped her more than enough; she couldn't let her problems affect others.
Ji Mu acted as if he hadn't heard.
Still worried about others when being bullied like this?
As expected of the pure white flower female lead, truly kind-hearted.
Gently brushing away the girl's hand, he met the man's gaze and responded casually.
"So what if you heard? Calling you a cat or dog was actually a compliment."
Good nerve, such arrogance!
Anger flashed in the man's eyes, his face turning black as ink.
"Ji Mu, is this how you speak to teachers!"
"I've never seen a teacher use their position to force a student to become their lover."
Casually tossing the plastic bag into a nearby trash can, Ji Mu mocked.
"Clearly, you don't deserve the respect due to a teacher."
"What do you know!"
The man snapped in a low voice, revealing hints of desperation.
"Yulan High School is the only elite academy in Tianhua City. The advanced class students are all rich or noble. For ordinary people like you in the regular class, even being admitted here is an enormous blessing."
As he spoke, he seemed to regain confidence, his tone becoming increasingly arrogant.
"If she agrees to my demands, I can easily help her cross class boundaries and enter upper-class social circles."
"So this isn't coercion, it's help."
Looking at the man's self-righteous face, Ruan Qingqing suddenly felt it ironic.
These so-called nobles considered themselves superior, using their privileged status to repeatedly trample on ordinary people's dignity.
No matter how despicable their actions, in their eyes it was all perfectly justified.
If this counted as help, she'd rather not have it!
"Help? Ridiculous."
The tall, slender figure stood in front of her.
Without a word, shielding her from external malice, just like before.
Ruan Qingqing blinked, that indescribable feeling welling up in her chest again.
"You dare call this help? Wonder which sewer cover was left open for you to crawl out from."
Ji Mu was unaware of the girl's emotional changes, focused on confronting the old pervert.
"You can twist black and white so elegantly, truly shameless."
"Twist black and white?"
The man sneered, mocking the other's ignorance.
"An opportunity right in front of you and you don't know to cherish it. In the end, you'll just be another plaything passed around by the powerful!"
He grew increasingly excited as he spoke, by the end believing his own words whether others did or not.
"If you don't want to be kept, why seduce people everywhere, always acting pitiful just to hook a rich husband."
Hook your grandma's hammer!
Like an old lady getting into bed, making me laugh.
"What right does an old pervert with calloused hands have to judge others?"
Flexing his wrist, Ji Mu said disdainfully.
"If you're so free, why not get a medical check-up to see how long you have left to live."
"You!!"
The man's neck turned red with anger at these words, his eyes filled with murderous intent as he glared.
Clearly, in terms of verbal sparring, this privileged noble teacher was no match for the top scorer of the six-school exam.
"Am I wrong?!"
Realizing he couldn't win this battle.
He could only suppress his rage and try to save face through another topic.
"Anyway, girls will all get married eventually, what's the use of studying so much?"
"Oh?"
Ji Mu countered, "Since you put it that way, you'll die eventually too, so what's the use of living?"
"You brat!!!"
Under the young man's soul-piercing and sharp words, the man's years of cultivation crumbled.
Even a mud man has his limits.
As Yulan High School's discipline director, everyone treated him with utmost respect.
But this bastard not only disregarded him but repeatedly spoke disrespectfully.
Did he think he was a soft target?!
"Stop fucking pushing your luck, you little beast!"
"So what if you're good at studying, I have ten thousand ways to destroy you in this school, remember, you lowly commoners are just toys for us rich people!"
He gritted his teeth, his face extremely vicious, relying on the fact that no one else was around to spew vulgarities at Ji Mu.
Key point.
'Relying on the fact that no one else was around'
Ji Mu sighed lightly.
"Gave you too much face, made you think you were human."
Though he wasn't naturally combative, that didn't mean he'd stand there and be cursed at.
Especially since this old pervert was getting more and more worked up.
So...
Quickly scanning the surroundings, he then raised his newly bought Xtep shoes and kicked the man's abdomen like kicking a dead dog.
"Thud—"
This direct kick sent the unprepared old man falling to the ground.
"Ugh..." the man clutched his stomach, letting out pained groans.
He looked up, his face showing not just pain but utter disbelief.
"You, you you!!"
Just as he struggled to get up.
Ji Mu walked forward and slapped him across the face.
"Slap—"
The crisp sound of the slap echoed.
Having just stood up for barely a second, he was tragically slapped back down.
"You what?"
Ji Mu walked forward, looking down at him.
Drink some horse piss and you're high and mighty, the next minute you're fighting for your life!
"Old bastard, all talk and no action, forgot about dealing with you."
The system beside him: [.....]
Redefining respect for elders and love for the young.