After he left, the quiet classroom came alive again, filled with all sorts of sounds—

"Wow! Mr. Duanmu is so handsome! It's just a pity he doesn't teach our class, sigh..."

"Of course he's handsome! How could I lie to you? Even if he doesn't teach your class, you can still come and audit his classes. Anyway, you're all in the School of Literature, so Professor Duanmu won't say anything to you."

"I'm so envious of you guys. Seeing such a face all day must make you feel so much better... Maybe I should switch classes!"

"..."

The classroom was filled with all sorts of excited noises. In this era that the media calls "consuming male beauty," the girls made no secret of their affection for Teacher Duanmu, just as the boys liked pretty female teachers.

The male students looked at each other, feeling as if they were not in a classroom, but rather at a fan meeting of some K-pop star, where the girls' enthusiastic voices could almost shake the ceiling off their heads.

Finally, one of the boys couldn't take it anymore and said to his excited, flushed girlfriend, "Don't you guys think Professor Duanmu's lectures are really good? He's not just all looks!"

The girl gave her boyfriend a disdainful look, as if the shop owner had spotted a customer who didn't know what they were looking for. "With that face, who can concentrate on the lesson?"

The boy glanced at his girlfriend speechlessly, then left heartbroken.

Actually, if Teacher Duanmu knew about these things, he would be even more heartbroken.

Fortunately, he didn't know...

...

...

Near Haishan lies a villa complex known as "Tang Garden," the private palace of Haishan's richest man, Mr. Tang, where the entire Tang family resides. While "Tang Garden" could have been built in Haishan's bustling city center, Mr. Tang felt it would attract too much envy, so he discreetly chose a location far from the city center in the suburbs.

A black Mercedes stopped at the entrance of the manor. After the gate opened, it drove along the main road to another building in the manor. The driver came out from the front door and respectfully opened the back door. Tang Luoluo ran out with her head down.

"Grandpa, Grandpa," Tang Luoluo called out repeatedly as soon as she entered the door.

The old man watering the flowers by the window slowly turned around and replied, "I'm here."

Tang Luoluo ran over, pulled the old man onto the sofa, sat down next to him, and said, "I met a strange guy at school."

Well, if Mr. Duanmu heard someone call the teacher a "strange guy," he would probably be very angry.

"Oh? What a strange fellow." Grandpa Tang chuckled. "Grandpa is very interested. Luo Luo, tell Grandpa about him."

"Don't lie to me, Grandpa isn't really interested at all, he's just playing with me. But I'm serious, this guy is really strange... or rather, very mysterious."

At this point, Old Master Tang finally began to take it seriously. Tang Luoluo was his granddaughter, and he knew her well. His granddaughter was extremely intelligent and insightful, far surpassing his two sons. She said she was mysterious; then the person she was referring to must be very mysterious.

So he said, "Lolo is serious, Grandpa is really interested this time."

Tang Luolu tilted her head, thought for a moment about how to phrase it, and said, "First of all, he is very rich, extremely rich." She thought of Duanmu Ci's expensive outfit.

Old Master Tang nodded, but didn't show any particular expression. Money alone wasn't enough to make him care, even if someone was extremely wealthy.

"Moreover, he is of high status, the kind who can freely enter and leave European courts." Tang Luoluo thought of the Queen of England's tie and the tie clip given to her by the Crown Prince of the Netherlands.

"Oh?" Old Master Tang started to take it seriously.

Although we live in an era of declining monarchies and the general decline of royal families, they still hold a certain status, and it is difficult for people without a certain status to gain their approval. Commoner princesses are an exception.

Grandpa Tang said seriously, "Luo Luo, tell Grandpa everything you know!"

Then Tang Luoluo told Grandpa Tang everything she had seen.

Grandpa Tang stared at the flowers by the window for a while, lost in thought. "How come I didn't know such an important person had come to Haishan? And why would someone of such stature be teaching at a university? Strange, very strange!"

He thought for a moment, then asked, "What's your teacher's name?"

"Duanmu Ci!"

Old Master Tang was taken aback, "Duanmu?"

"Duanmu".

Grandpa Tang suddenly burst into laughter, “Then it must be right! Your teacher Duanmu is indeed a big shot. When Xiao Ke told me about it before, I didn’t quite believe it, but now that you’ve said it, the two corroborate each other, so the result is pretty much correct!”

Tang Luoluo was completely confused. "Grandpa, I don't understand."

Old Master Tang smiled and shook his head, then instructed the servants outside the hall, "Go and fetch Tang Ke for me."

The servant quickly responded and left. A little while later, Tang Ke arrived, sat down next to Tang Luoluo, and asked, "Grandpa, what brings you here?"

Grandpa Tang ignored his question, "What was that kid Duanmu wearing when you met him that day?"

"ah?"

"What 'huh'? Answer me!"

"Oh, oh." Tang Ke tried hard to recall, "It seems to be... a Zhongshan suit?"

Grandpa Tang nodded, already having a good idea. How many young people in China these days like to wear Zhongshan suits? Never heard of it! Perhaps only overseas Chinese families with long-standing traditions and deep cultural roots would be so nostalgic. It's like how traditional British aristocrats still enjoy warming themselves by the fireplace.

Tang Luoluo didn't understand what they were saying and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Grandpa Tang patted Tang Luoluo's head, "Wait a little longer, you'll know on Grandpa's birthday."

"Why?"

Old Master Tang smiled but didn't speak, only answering in his heart—

Because he will come.

...

...

The proverb "Peaches and plums do not speak, yet a path is formed beneath them" means that although peaches and plums do not speak, their fragrance attracts people to come and walk on them, creating a path beneath the trees.

This title contains two meanings: one is that Teacher Duanmu did not promote himself, but he still attracted a lot of people.

Secondly, although Teacher Duanmu did not deliberately spread his identity, many people still vaguely guessed it.

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