Chapter 13: Withdrawal Notice; Do You Have Any Feelings for Me?
“Go make an appointment yourself.”
Zhuang He cast a cold glance at the soft tentacle hooked around his wrist. His spiritual power surged, startling the tentacle so much that it retracted in a frantic scramble.
“Fine, fine. Can I come find you at your place later?”
Zhang Tanxing tilted his head as he looked at Zhuang He, only to be driven back by a single icy glare.
Just as Zhuang He was preparing to leave, his light-brain beep-beeped. Tapping it open, he saw a message from Lu Yin asking if he had eaten yet.
He lowered his head to reply. Unexpectedly, Zhang Tanxing clung to him again. “Who are you chatting with? Your expression totally changed.”
Zhuang He was already running out of patience. This time, he didn’t even bother to acknowledge him, simply throwing out a sentence: “Something happened to Shi Yan. Aren’t you going to see him?” He looked at Zhang Tanxing out of the corner of his eye.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, the man who had been clinging to Zhuang He’s back like a sticky insect immediately leaped up, his voice pitching higher with anxiety.
“Where is he?”
“The assembly point lounge.”
Zhuang He then watched as Zhang Tanxing bolted out like a whirlwind, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
As for what kind of trouble that would bring to Shi Yan, it wasn’t something Zhuang He needed to consider.
His mood shifted from gloom to sunshine. Although it wasn’t apparent on his face, his footsteps were much lighter.
By the time he returned home, it was already afternoon. The artificial sun was slowly descending, draping a layer of dusky yellow gauze over the entire Empire.
Zhuang He sat on the sofa. The light-brain before him had transformed into a more convenient laptop interface. He was currently modifying Lu Yin’s class schedule.
A beep-beep sounded. Zhuang He glanced at the incoming video call request. After connecting, Lu Yin’s handsome, aggressively striking face appeared on the small screen.
“What is Teacher doing?”
“Modifying the schedule.”
“Has Teacher eaten dinner yet?”
“No.”
The somewhat familiar scene made Zhuang He daze for half a second, but he quickly snapped back. “Is there something you need?”
“Nothing in particular. I just wanted to chat with Teacher.”
On the video screen, Lu Yin’s gaze was focused and earnest. When he looked at Zhuang He, it was with nothing but pure admiration and reliance. Thinking back on the boy’s background, Zhuang He let out a sigh.
He was a pitiful child.
“About the fight today—did your roommates blame you?”
Because of that incident, Liang Tong and Hua Huijiang had also been punished. Although they weren’t sent to solitary, they still had credits deducted.
“No, they understand. I’ll just do some extra training later to make up for the credits for them.”
Seeing that Lu Yin’s expression was relaxed and that he hadn’t been negatively affected by the incident, Zhuang He felt a bit more at ease.
“If something like this happens again in the future, don’t resort to violence. They’re just running their mouths; it doesn’t cause any real harm.”
Zhuang He rarely preached to others. For one, he didn’t like listening to it himself and wouldn’t subject others to it; for another, he had never met anyone he felt the need to preach to.
But he was a bit worried about Lu Yin. He knew Lu Yin’s personality was somewhat impulsive due to his background. However, this was the Empire after all—a place where talents emerged in succession. Although Lu Yin would receive special treatment as a 3S-grade, it wasn’t unlimited.
Moreover, even more eyes would be focused on Lu Yin himself. Everyone was waiting to see what achievements would be made by the first 3S-grade Sentinel trained by the Empire’s first 3S-grade Guide.
Would he surpass his teacher? No one knew.
At such a critical moment, he had to set Lu Yin on the right path.
Lu Yin looked at Zhuang He without speaking, a flash of complex emotion crossing his eyes before he eventually hooked his lips into a smile and agreed. “I understand, Teacher.”
From an angle Zhuang He couldn’t see, Lu Yin’s hands were clenched into fists, his nails nearly digging into his palms.
He understood Zhuang He’s meaning. It wasn’t that he was unwilling, but rather that he hated himself—hated why he had been so impulsive to blow things out of proportion, hated why he had to fight Qi He in full view of everyone. If he had handled Qi He privately… no one would have known.
Zhuang He wouldn’t have known about those filthy insults directed at him, and wouldn’t have had to brush them off so lightly…
Seeing Lu Yin agree so obediently, a hint of a smile touched Zhuang He’s eyes. Lu Yin shouldn’t have been the one to step up; he was only a student. If someone with ill intentions caught him in a mistake, it would be a fatal blow to Lu Yin’s academic career.
These matters should be handled by him and the Academy.
Both of them were acting out of concern for the other, and for a moment, the atmosphere was quite harmonious.
After answering a few of Lu Yin’s questions, Zhuang He gave a small yawn. After doing so, he even surprised himself.
Seeing him yawn, Lu Yin assumed he was tired from the day and said thoughtfully, “It’s getting late, and Teacher was exhausted today. Please rest early.”
A flash of surprise crossed Zhuang He’s eyes, but he maintained the image of a good teacher in front of Lu Yin. After hanging up, he sat on the sofa in a daze.
“Master.”
The kitten jumped onto Zhuang He, tilting its head to look at him as its somewhat eerie mechanical eyes performed a scan.
“Check my physical condition.”
The kitten jumped down and sat to the side. As data scanned through its mechanical blue eyes, the results appeared.
“All bodily functions are normal. Master, the initial efforts to quit smoking are proving effective.”
Hearing the kitten speak with such gravity, a small smile escaped the corners of Zhuang He’s mouth. He pulled the kitten into his arms and stroked its soft, smooth fur a few times before preparing to wash up.
…As expected, it was just an illusion.
Zhuang He lay in bed, thinking to himself that there was no way insomnia of so many years could be cured just like that. That previous yawn had given him a false impression.
With a helpless sigh in his heart, Zhuang He sat up and took a bottle of Soothing Agent from the bedside table, injecting it right below his collarbone.
Soothing Agents were still the most effective. Such was Zhuang He’s final thought before sinking into sleep.
＊
Du Yu was very efficient. By noon the next day, her message reached Zhuang He while he was training Lu Yin.
Standing to the side, Zhuang He tapped open the message and scanned it quickly. His expression didn’t change in the slightest, yet in the eyes of Lu Yin nearby, a subtle shift was detected.
“Teacher, what happened?”
Seeing Zhuang He stand there for a while without reacting, Lu Yin asked out of curiosity. This brought Zhuang He back to reality. “The results regarding your fight have come out.”
“Oh?”
Lu Yin stopped his training. His forehead was covered in sweat, and his training uniform clung to his body, outlining his large muscles. The scent of pheromones nearly filled the entire training room.
The movements Zhuang He had performed earlier were effortless for him, without any sign of strain, but for Lu Yin, it felt like his strength was being drained.
This made Lu Yin even more urgent. When would he be able to reach Zhuang He’s level?
“Qi He disregarded Academy rules, publicly used foul language to insult fellow students and teachers, seriously damaged the dignity of a teacher, and created a negative impact on campus. He is hereby expelled.”
Zhuang He calmly read the notification Du Yu had sent to Lu Yin.
It was clearly a solemn and serious notice, yet when read by Zhuang He, it carried a bit of an inexplicable charm. As Lu Yin watched those red, full lips move, a thought suddenly surged in his heart—the urge to take them into his mouth and repeatedly bite and ravage them.
The moment this thought surfaced, Lu Yin broke into a cold sweat.
How could he have such a treacherous thought toward his teacher! It was all the fault of this damned compatibility!
“…Did you hear me clearly?”
Zhuang He shifted his gaze from the light-brain, only to see Lu Yin with a dazed expression, as if a storm were raging in his eyes.
“What are you thinking about?”
His brow furrowed slightly, his tone carrying a hint of sternness. Lu Yin was jolted awake by the voice. Snapping back, he nodded and said, “I heard you clearly.”
After saying that, Lu Yin looked conflicted. He opened his mouth and then closed it, before finally asking as if he had made a firm decision: “Teacher, if the compatibility between a Sentinel and a Guide is very high, will they have inexplicable feelings for each other?”
Zhuang He froze, seemingly not expecting him to ask this. After thinking for a moment, he replied, “Yes. However, at present, there is no accurate research proving that the attraction between Sentinels and Guides is solely due to compatibility, though that is the general consensus.”
After saying that, Zhuang He looked at Lu Yin for a while before suddenly stepping forward. “Do you have some kind of feeling for me?”
Zhuang He was a 3S-grade, and Lu Yin was also a 3S-grade. There was almost no doubt that it would be strange if their compatibility wasn’t high.
But Lu Yin suddenly asking such a question made Zhuang He feel a bit amused.
He’s just a child who doesn’t understand anything. No wonder he always wants to video chat with me for a while at night.
Lu Yin was dazed, only to see Zhuang He standing very close to him. That face, beautiful enough to take one’s breath away, was magnified right in front of him. Whether it was the eyes or the lips, they were stunningly beautiful.
Yet such a beautiful person possessed immense power and a robust physique.
Suddenly, Lu Yin recalled what Hua Huijiang had said: “Falling in love with the Chief is only human nature.”
No one could see such a face and not linger on it, nor could anyone witness Zhuang He’s heroic stature and not bow before it.
Except for those few who were blind.
Before Lu Yin could even notice it himself, Zhuang He saw the boy’s neck turn red. Feeling somewhat amused, he stopped teasing him.
“Don’t think too much. Compatibility doesn’t prove anything; these things can be controlled through human will. Focus on your training.”
The day’s training passed while Lu Yin remained preoccupied.
Back at the dormitory, Lu Yin took out a bottle of ice soda and sat on the sofa. The tab was already pulled, but he hadn’t taken a drink.
Liang Tong and Hua Huijiang walked in chatting and laughing. Seeing Lu Yin looking like he had lost his soul, they were both startled.
“What’s wrong with you?”
The two sat on either side of Lu Yin, their eyes full of concern. “Did the Chief scold you because of yesterday’s incident? Don’t think too much; it wasn’t your fault.”
“Exactly! No matter what, that Qi He shouldn’t have called you Chief Zhuang’s dog!”
Seeing their indignation, Lu Yin felt a sense of satisfaction.
This is great. I have true friends here as well.
Lu Yin smiled and shook his head. He took a sip of soda and said, “He didn’t scold me. It’s nothing. I’m going to go rest now.”
Liang Tong watched Lu Yin get up and leave, completely baffled. “What exactly is up with him?”
“Who knows. It’s fine; he’s an adult. Let him process his emotions. What’s for dinner? Should we check the canteen?”
Hua Huijiang threw an arm over Liang Tong’s shoulder and shouted, “Lu Yin! Are you going to the canteen? Want us to bring you something?”
“No thanks, you guys go ahead!”
Lu Yin’s voice came from inside the room. Liang Tong shrugged and left with Hua Huijiang, arm in arm.
＊
A beep-beep sounded in the empty living room. Zhuang He checked his wrist and exchanged a few words with Du Yu regarding the notification. The next second, the Academy forum was instantly taken over by a red-lettered post, and every teacher and student received a new message on their light-brains.
It was the notification regarding the results of the fight between Qi He and Lu Yin.
After reading it, people began to gossip. “What was Qi He thinking? Publicly insulting a teacher? He’s got some nerve.”
“Hey, weren’t you there? What was the situation?”
“Shh! Lower your voice. Qi He was the one who started insulting Lu Yin first, and he even mentioned Chief Zhuang…”
“He insulted Chief Zhuang? Is he crazy? Without Chief Zhuang, where would he get the good life he has now?”
“Isn’t he expelled now? If you ask me, he brought it on himself.”
“Hey, the anonymous section of the Academy forum has been revamped.”
“Let me see, let me see…”
The noise couldn’t reach Zhuang He’s ears. He lay in bed resting, preparing for the Academy assessment in half a month.
He hoped Lu Yin could use this assessment to completely establish his footing in the Academy.
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