Chapter 20: Do You Not Want Me Anymore?
Hearing these words, Mu Feng simply wanted to exchange notes on unrequited love.
Brother, you’ve been secretly in love for so long too? With such a handsome face?
Jiang Yuan expressed great pity. “Has someone he likes. Then there’s no way. Thought we could arrange an interstellar marriage.”
“Why is your brain filled with nothing but eating, drinking, and dating?” Zhou Tiantian roasted him. “Put something useful in there, will you?”
“Zhou Tiantian, I’ve tolerated you for a long time. Let’s fight.” Jiang Yuan reached out to strangle him.
Professor Zhang Luyan’s vision went dark beside them. “I knew it, I knew it. None of these kids are worry-free. Stop fighting! Embarrassing!”
Noisy and chaotic. Mu Feng watched the drama with a smile.
“This is Mu Feng,” Liang Yuhang introduced. “My… student.”
“Hello.” Xie Xingchen turned to greet him. “Being personally taught by Colonel Liang, you must be very impressive.”
“No.” Mu Feng’s scalp tingled. “Very ordinary.”
See, going to embarrass Teacher Liang again. If I’d known, I would have controlled my score a bit higher last time.
Xie Xingchen chatted idly. “You look quite young. Which year?”
“Turning 19 in August,” Mu Feng answered obediently.
“Compare to Yao… a month younger than the person I like.” Xie Xingchen almost slipped up. “He just had his birthday; I even ate cake.”
“Then you are very happy, getting to eat the birthday cake of the person you like.”
Mu Feng’s smiling eyes curved. “Major Xie is really amazing, having such distinguished military merits at such a young age.”
Liang Yuhang glanced at him. “You can too if you work hard.”
“Exactly. Your teacher finished his medical doctorate at 24, has countless frontline merits, promoted every year. Taught by such an amazing person, what can’t you learn?”
Xie Xingchen said with a smile, “Hope next time we meet—what should I call you? Major Mu?”
Mu Feng dared not even imagine.
His mother said she didn’t ask for him to be successful, just to live a mediocre life. Don’t seek the limelight, don’t cause trouble. As long as there was enough money to spend and a place to live.
But seeing so many young, outstanding officers, he still yearned for it.
He, too, should have been one of them.
Mu Feng’s eyes lit up, then dimmed. “I probably can’t.”
“Men can’t say they can’t.” Xie Xingchen feigned seriousness. “Must be able to.”
The group was amused.
Professor Zhang finally separated the two fighting over there and chased them to the study room, returning breathless. “Xingchen, I’ll show you around now. Oh my, exhausted me.”
When Xie Xingchen turned around, Mu Feng called out, “Major Xie, can I get your contact info?”
Liang Yuhang gave him a light glance.
Xie Xingchen nodded, generously taking out his phone to add him. “Done. Contact if you need anything.”
Then he waved his hand and strode away, very dashing.
“Why did you add him?” Liang Yuhang asked.
“Nothing. Not telling you.” Mu Feng kept him in suspense.
Of course, to discuss experience in secret crushes. What else? It’s not like I’m going to chase Xie Xingchen.
Liang Yuhang stared at him for a few seconds, asking no further. “Yesterday’s practice questions—bring them here.”
Mu Feng handed them over, nervous as if having homework checked, only to watch Liang Yuhang’s brows furrow tighter and tighter, feeling very uneasy.
Liang Yuhang looked up, getting straight to the point. “Mu Feng, are you hiding your true ability?”
Didn’t expect him to be so direct. Mu Feng froze. “How… how could you think that?”
“Same type of question, I changed the method a few times. Your logic for getting them wrong was completely different. Like it was on purpose.”
Liang Yuhang asked, “Pranking me? or is there a hidden reason?”
Mu Feng felt he had been very careful.
Maybe he was distracted by his bad mood yesterday. Teacher Liang was too smart; he had exposed a flaw just like that.
And now, obviously, he couldn’t hide it anymore.
He moved his lips, reaching out to tug at the other’s sleeve, touching the hard, cold metal cufflink. “Too many people here. Can we go to your office?”
Liang Yuhang took him there, swiped the card, went upstairs, hands in pockets, saying nothing.
Mu Feng closed the door, lowered his head, and admitted his mistake. “I did hide some things, but it wasn’t to prank you.”
“Some?”
“………More than some, a little bit more.” Mu Feng extended his fingers, widening the gap between his index and middle fingers to demonstrate.
Liang Yuhang raised a hand to rub his brow. “Was acting fun?”
Thinking of the reward of 17 candies, Mu Feng felt he was indeed a bit excessive. “I really didn’t mean to lie to you. I have a reason.”
“What reason?” Liang Yuhang asked. “For you to go to such lengths to act to this extent.”
Mu Feng’s eyelashes trembled very lightly. He spoke, “I can’t appear too smart, too outstanding. The Mu family will think I want to seize the inheritance, that I want to rebel.”
He spoke his most shameful side, word by word. Of course, he still hid the various sufferings he had endured before.
Liang Yuhang had actually guessed somewhat. “Why not resist?”
“I’m only eighteen, an ordinary student. With what can I resist?” Mu Feng’s voice was very soft. “Besides, my mother is still in their hands.”
Liang Yuhang understood. The kid’s situation was worse than he thought.
“So you were certain before that you would embarrass me, because you never planned to take the exam seriously.”
Mu Feng lowered his head, afraid to look at him. “Sorry.”
Liang Yuhang sighed, got up, and walked in front of him. “Why do you like apologizing so much? How many times has it been?”
Mu Feng reflected on himself. “Wasted your time teaching me.”
Liang Yuhang leaned down, closing the distance. “Then let me ask you: do you know all the coursework?”
Mu Feng nodded, becoming very honest this time. “Know it all. Self-studied it in high school.”
“Then there’s no need for me to teach you,” Liang Yuhang said.
“Teacher Liang!” Mu Feng snapped his head up, a bit panicked. “Do you not want me anymore?”
He looked especially lost and helpless, his eyes welling up with moisture. Extremely pitiful.
Liang Yuhang thought for a moment, but ultimately reached out and patted his back soothingly. “I haven’t finished speaking. I’ll teach you other things.”
“Like Cardiology, Pharmacology, Biochemistry, or Mechanical R&D? Which direction do you like?”
Mu Feng felt his heart rise and fall dramatically, almost unable to catch his breath. “Like… following you. Anything is fine.”
Liang Yuhang looked at him. At the most vibrant age, he should be a high-spirited, wanton, and dazzling youth.
Even a mechanical heart without sensation would feel a bit of heartache.
“The score we agreed on last time is void. It doesn’t matter if you’re last place.”
He paused. “After the exam, I’ll take you for practical training, to let you find the direction you truly want as a lifelong career.”
Mu Feng was completely stunned, repeating these words over and over in his mind.
No one had ever asked about his career ideals.
The moisture in his eyes finally couldn’t be held back. He lowered his head and wiped frantically, but the more he wiped, the more tears came. It was incredibly messy.
“I’m not… sob… so embarrassing… don’t look…”
In front of Liang Yuhang, he had really lost all face.
Liang Yuhang hadn’t expected to make someone cry with just one sentence. He reached for the tissues on the desk, but the other wouldn’t take them.
Colonel Liang, with distinguished military merits, found this problem occurring frequently recently: How to coax a kid?
“Forget it. Cry.”
Liang Yuhang gave up, continuing to pat his back with his hand. “Really can cry.”
Mu Feng grabbed the hard metal button on his chest, still defending himself. “No, I’m usually very strong, I… sob…”
Truly, the more he spoke, the more the tears couldn’t be stopped. Wanted to find a tree to hang himself on.
Liang Yuhang was truly impressed. He let go of him, turned around, and pressed the communicator on the desk. “0717, tell them I’ll be twenty minutes late.”
“Actually late? You aren’t slacking off, are you?”
0717’s sarcastic voice came through. “Can’t be like that. Learn from the diligent Lord 0717, who has been spinning continuously since seven in the morning.”
Liang Yuhang replied, “Even if I slack off, you can’t do anything about it.”
0717: “…………”
So self-righteous, so domineering. Fine, he’s the boss, he is indeed amazing.
0717 switched to a cold mechanical tone. “Okay then. Notified. Contact if needed. Very unhappy to serve you. Goodbye.”
Mu Feng couldn’t hold it back and let out a laugh, feeling like he was schizophrenic.
Liang Yuhang sensed his crying seemed to have stopped and turned to look at him. “Done crying?”
“Still a little bit left.” Mu Feng sniffled, trying hard to calm down. “Can I hug you?”
Liang Yuhang’s conditioned reflex was to say no.
He didn’t like people touching him; it had always been so, and it wouldn’t change now.
But seeing those pitiful and innocent eyes, his heart softened, feeling his bottom line retreating again and again.
“Want a hug that much?” Liang Yuhang asked.
“Mn, because feel like I need comfort,” Mu Feng said truthfully. “But you don’t let people touch, so I’m asking politely. Otherwise, I would have pounced directly.”
Liang Yuhang gave special permission because of his honesty.
He leaned half-against the desk, long legs stretched out, and extended his arms to the other. “Come.”
For the first time, Mu Feng openly, without concealment, rushed over and crashed into his arms.
“Thank you. Just one minute.”
He felt happiness. This brief minute would probably be savored ten thousand times.
Liang Yuhang turned his head to look at his watch. The second hand was moving regularly; one minute would pass quickly.
Mu Feng, however, still held on. His head was buried in Liang Yuhang’s shoulder; soft hair swept across the Adam’s apple, very ticklish.
Liang Yuhang didn’t push him away, but still had to remind the other how to be obedient to get rewards.
“Because of your honesty today, rewarding you another three minutes.”
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