School Mishap

After leaving the inn, You Youju basically took care of the child full-time. She found a small courtyard in the suburbs to settle down, because if she went back, she didn't know when she would be able to return.

But making a living is a necessity, and in order to level up, You Youju would often grind some small monsters, and occasionally let Zhu Xun practice. Although Zhu Xun was young, he was very hardworking. You Youju thought that if it weren't for his cheat-like abilities, Zhu Xun could be his master in terms of hard work.

However, they mostly lived a leisurely life, since there weren't that many monsters to fight. Besides, he wasn't the only "bounty hunter" in the world.

In the depths of summer, sunny days are rare, and the oppressive, rainy weather makes people irritable.

Zhu Xun got up early and went to the private school. His home was in the suburbs, but the private school was in the city. The immortal said this was to train his endurance, and he gladly accepted.

"Hey! Zhu Xun! Is your uncle coming to pick you up today?" Niu Er and several curious male classmates asked noisily. They had seen Zhu Xun's uncle once when he enrolled in school; he was an ethereal figure, like a deity descended from heaven!

Zhu Xun has a delicate face, but it is neither feminine nor holy. His smile is somewhat bewitching and evil. Moreover, Zhu Xun is cold and indifferent, and rarely smiles. However, his immortal uncle always smiles like a warm spring breeze, which is unforgettable.

Little did anyone know, this seemingly otherworldly uncle was frantically haggling over prices at the market, risking being dragged along by elderly folks to act as a mascot and attract customers.

Zhu Xun tilted her head, slightly puzzled: "Why do you always ask about my uncle?"

Niu Er's face still had traces of dried soup from his breakfast: "Your uncle is so handsome! We want to see him more! Tell me the truth, aren't you guys extraordinary?"

Zhu Xun was displeased, his possessiveness stirring within him, and he said resentfully, "What's it to you?"

When Niu Er and the other children saw that Zhu Xun was unwilling to talk, they waved their hands dismissively, saying, "Tch, if you don't want to talk, then don't talk. Why are you getting angry?"

After the teacher finished explaining classical Chinese, the boys who had finished school gathered together again, discussing something noisily, and occasionally glancing at Zhu Xun.

"Hey, you guys think Zhu Xun is so pretty, but she never plays with us. Could she be a girl? That's how they write stories!"

"No way, I even saw him pee in the outhouse!"

"He doesn't hang out with girls either!"

"He looks just like his eccentric uncle! You don't want to get close to him!"

"Pshaw~ What kind of god is he? Would a god come down to the mortal realm and study with us commoners? I think he's just faking it!"

“Go and call Zhu Xun over to watch this together. I have something good here. Men all like to watch this. I don’t believe he’ll still act like that after watching it.”

Amidst the chatter, a child was pushed out and stammered to Zhu Xun, "Hey, do you want to play with us?"

Zhu Xun was packing her things when she glanced at him. Then, remembering her uncle, she said firmly, "No!"

The child, feeling ashamed and unwilling to go back and be laughed at, said, "You! I...we have something good here that you've never seen before. Do you want to see it?"

Zhu Xun was still a child after all, and he curiously raised his eyes.

The child kept them in suspense, saying, "You'll find out when you come over; it's something men all like to see."

Unable to resist her curiosity, Zhu Xun wondered what kind of things men liked to see. She got up and followed the boy to a corner, where she saw several boys, led by Niu Er, excitedly talking: "I heard about it on the red-light district. People say it's really exciting."

"I heard there were also men and men..."

"Huh? That's weird. Who would do something like that?"

"Hey!" Zhu Xun interrupted their conversation. "What did you call me here for?"

Niu Er grinned lewdly, shoved aside the boy next to him, and pulled Zhu Xun over. Zhu Xun stumbled and plopped down next to Niu Er. He looked closely and saw a palm-sized sketchbook on the ground, filled with pictures of men and women, naked, embracing, kissing, and even… their private parts were drawn with incredible realism!

Zhu Xun's usually calm face immediately contorted with fear. She quickly retreated, her face flushed red, as if she had been greatly frightened: "What...what is this thing!"

Niu Er picked up the booklet and waved it in front of Zhu Xun: "Hehe, this is a good thing. Don't run away, come and take a look with me, Zhu Xun."

Zhu Xun felt his face was so hot it could fry an egg, and he avoided that thing like the plague, staggering back two steps.

"Why aren't you going home after school? What are you doing here!" The old voice stopped the farce.

The children froze and turned to look back. It was Mr. Fan.

Mr. Fan scanned them with his small but sharp eyes, scaring the children so much that they scurried away from the scene.

Mr. Fan snatched the "erotic picture book," his beard bristling with rage, and yelled at the people he had apprehended: "Niu Er! Lin Da! Zhang Wei! Whose is this?!"

The children stood there dumbfounded, heads bowed, not daring to look at the teacher. The teacher's gaze then fell on Zhu Xun.

Zhu Xun stood up, brushed off the wrinkles in his clothes, and said calmly, "Replying to the master, I am not a student."

Seeing that Zhu Xun was calm and composed, the teacher suppressed his anger: "Zhu Xun, you are a good child. You tell me, whose is it?"

Upon hearing this, the children clenched their sleeves even tighter, sweat pouring down their backs with nervousness. Niu Er, in particular, kept his eyes closed, not daring to look up. He had taken this from his father's bed; if his father found out, he would be in for a beating.

Zhu Xun's gaze swept over the three people, and he respectfully bowed, saying, "Reporting to you, sir, this student does not know." He did not lie to cover for others, nor was he interested in watching others be punished; after all, he truly did not know whose it was.

The children looked up gratefully, especially Niu Er, whose eyes were overflowing with gratitude.

Mr. Fan was furious, his beard bristling and eyes wide with rage: "You! You all! Zhu Xun, you actually protected them!?"

Zhu Xun replied expressionlessly and without any change in expression, "No, sir."

Mr. Fan turned around, grabbed the ruler, and said angrily, "Fine! Since you won't talk, come over here and get your hands slapped! I'm confiscating your things! You're a disgrace to scholars!"

The three children received ten solid slaps on the hand, but Zhu Xun refused to extend his hand.

He asked, "Sir, where did I go wrong?" in a righteous and righteous tone.

The children were stunned and admired Zhu Xun's courage.

Mr. Fan's already wrinkled face wrinkled even more. He had lost his authority as a teacher in front of his students and couldn't bear to lose face: "You're covering for them!"

"I don't."

Even if you didn't cover it up, didn't you see it?

Zhu Xun was speechless, realizing he had indeed read it: "I didn't read it on my own initiative."

"Well, you, Zhu Xun, have no respect for your elders and are running rampant in the academy, huh?"

Zhu Xun's eyes widened. How did things turn out that he was the one who disrespected his elders? He refused to back down, and the two remained locked in a stalemate, staring at each other.

"Huh? The teacher hasn't finished class yet? Did the children do something wrong?" You Youju's voice came from the doorway.

Zhu Xun turned her head and saw that familiar smile. His tall figure stood at the door, blocking most of the light.

For some reason, Zhu Xun felt incredibly wronged, something he had never experienced before. He even wanted to rush over, tell You Youju his grievances, and hide behind her to cry.

Niu Er, Lin Da, Zhang Wei, and the others showed expressions of delight, suddenly feeling that even receiving ten slaps on the hand while staying in the hall was worth it. Zhu Xun's extraordinary, almost otherworldly uncle was smiling kindly at them, carrying a...vegetable basket. Now, things felt a bit closer.

Seeing that Mr. Fan was about to step forward and tell You Youju the whole story, Zhu Xun stretched out his palm and said urgently, "Sir, Zhu Xun is willing to accept the punishment."

This put Mr. Fan in a dilemma, but he felt that he was justified in disciplining his student. He then gave Zhu Xun five light taps on the palm of his hand.

You Youju stood at the door, smiling but not saying a word.

Zhu Xun quickly walked to You Youju's side, cupped his hands to Mr. Fan, and said, "I will remember your teachings and never make the same mistake again. My uncle has come to pick me up. Goodbye, Mr. Fan."

You Youju also put down her basket and bowed, saying, "Sir, you've gone to a lot of trouble. I will teach this child well when I get back."

Mr. Fan politely returned the greeting, but felt inexplicably confused, though he couldn't pinpoint the source of the confusion. Frustrated, he waved the group of kids away.

The children were also puzzled and started discussing it on their way home.

Niu Er: "Why is Zhu Xun willing to take the beating again? He really did nothing wrong!"

Linda: "Perhaps he was afraid that if he kept arguing, the master wouldn't accept him anymore?"

Zhang Wei: "What do you know? He only agreed to be beaten because he saw his immortal uncle coming."

Niu Er: "Why? He's afraid his uncle will see him doing something wrong, so he shouldn't have reached out!"

Lin Da nodded in agreement, looking at the clever Zhang Wei with a puzzled expression.

Zhang Wei raised his chin and put his hands behind his back: "No, no." He shook his head and imitated Master Fan's mannerisms: "If his uncle found out that he had read that kind of book, he would rather get a beating! Would you want his uncle to find out that you have read that kind of book?"

Niu Er and Lin Da immediately pictured You Youju standing backlit, her robes fluttering, a gentle smile on her face. As if he had truly discovered them, they immediately realized what had happened and shook their heads with shame, saying, "No, no, I understand."

Niu Er added, "But Zhu Xun is truly righteous; he didn't betray us. He's a real man."

The other two children nodded, and they walked back chatting like that...

Zhu Xun remained silent the whole way, until You Youju couldn't help but ask, "What exactly did you do wrong?"

Zhu Xun blushed, biting his lip and looking away. You Youju thought he was embarrassed, and then, recalling all the fights and pranks she'd done in her school days, she actually comforted Zhu Xun: "You got into a fight? You teased that old man?"

Seeing that Zhu Xun remained silent and showed no intention of replying, You Youju said with a touch of "understanding": "What's wrong with that? It's normal for kids to be naughty. Everyone goes through that. Your uncle won't blame you. Don't feel guilty!"

He took Zhu Xun's hand that had been hit, and seeing that it was only slightly red, he gently blew on it a few times, and said smugly, "Uncle understands everything." He then added, "Go back and make something delicious."

Zhu Xun was actually somewhat moved. Although he didn't know what You Youju had understood, he remained silent and let You Youju chatter on. In fact, he felt a little ashamed.

You Youju rubbed his nose, revealing a set of white teeth: "Hehe, but since you're cultivating, it's best not to fight with ordinary people. Otherwise, we'll be the ones bullying others. And don't bother that old man anymore. I saw it today; that stubborn old man is definitely not someone you can mess with!"

Zhu Xun sighed as she thought of the absurd "misfortune" that had befallen her today. Looking at her carefree uncle, she nodded helplessly and said with a smile, "Uncle, I understand."

You Youju patted his head and nodded with satisfaction: "Hmm~ That's my good nephew. Hahaha."

You Youju's hearty laughter blended into the sunset, the fiery clouds seeming to ignite the distant mountaintops. Beams of light streamed down, casting long, long shadows of them. The intense orange hue bathed them in warmth, becoming one of the most unforgettable memories for Zhu Xun afterward.

At first, Zhu Xun didn't eat spicy food much, so You Youju would learn to cook a few milder dishes for him. Gradually, Zhu Xun started eating more spicy dishes, and his tastes became exactly the same as You Youju's. He kept asking You Youju to cook more of the dishes he called "hometown" dishes, which warmed You Youju's heart. He felt like he was taking care of a child and had a sense of belonging.

Sometimes You Youju would sit under the osmanthus tree, squinting and lost in thought. Zhu Xun often saw this after school and would massage his shoulders, fan him, and change his cold tea. He said nothing, yet did everything.

Sometimes he couldn't help but ask, "Uncle, what are you thinking about?"

You Youju would simply gaze into the unknown distance, sigh deeply, then give a relieved and relaxed smile before shaking her head at him, getting up, patting his head, and leading him into the house. At first, Zhu Xun would feel disappointed, thinking he hadn't entered You Youju's heart; then he would feel guilty, believing he didn't understand You Youju's heart; and after that, he would stop asking, and understand, only waiting for the day You Youju would tell him.