Chapter 26
Are you sure your student lives here, or that you've been tricked?
Rather than calling it a home, it's more accurate to say that they dug a tunnel at the foot of the mountain and moved in.
As far as Chi Xia knew, although the Magic Fishing Academy was known for producing "trash," this "trash" was all luxury goods packaged in exquisite gift boxes and sold at high prices. In other words, the Magic Fishing Academy was an aristocratic academy; even if the students were utterly hopeless, it didn't diminish the astonishing wealth of their parents.
Especially the two classes, No. 1 and No. 2, are so lawless and arrogant in the college because the families of these students have a high concentration of power and wealth. And this tunnel in front of us is actually the home of one of the students in these two classes.
This is somewhat unbelievable.
Xin Ran pulled up the holographic map saved on the bracelet and pointed it out to Chi Xia, "There's no mistake, this is it. Look, even the damaged part of this nameplate on the storefront is the same."
Chi Xia compared the map and saw the black wooden nameplate that Xin Ran had mentioned. The character "艾" had a long crack in the middle, and it was indeed exactly the same.
The two drove to the foot of the mountain, climbed up with great effort, and wound their way into a small alley. The damp ground and walls, along with the musty smell, made them feel uncomfortable all the way. Finally, they found a family with the surname "Ai".
Chi Xia: "Since we're already here, let's go in and take a look."
Xin Ran put away the map, raised his hand and knocked on the door. The wooden door, which was the same color as the designer brand, was knocked down by him. Chi Xia reacted quickly and caught it, preventing it from falling over.
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing disbelief in each other's eyes. Was there any need for this door to exist?
Xin Ran took over and placed the door against the stone wall that was soaked in water and covered with moss.
Xin Ran: "How about I take some photos and fill out a hardship grant form for Xiao Ai later?"
Chi Xia: "Whatever."
Xin Ran found several tricky angles to take photos that made it look like the family had just been ravaged by a mudslide, barely surviving with their door knocked off.
Once inside the doorway, Xin Ran walked in front and Chi Xia behind, following a narrow path that could only accommodate one person at a time. The walls of the path were taller than both of them and covered with exaggerated moss, making it look as if it could be turned upside down as a carpet or a football field lawn.
Five minutes later, after navigating the maze-like path, the two stood by a pool overgrown with ferns. In front of the pool was an archway, but once inside, a very tall screen blocked their view, obscuring the view inside.
The sun was setting, and standing in this place gave one a feeling of being buried alive. Chi Xia frowned, thinking to herself that it was possible for living people to live in a tomb. The word "damp" was not enough to describe the eeriness of this place.
Xin Ran was overjoyed, as if she had discovered a new continent. She stood in front of the sink, smiling, and washed her hands. She also made a call to that classmate.
This home visit is a new rule reached by the entire college in collaboration with students and parents. The increased weighting of talent in the comprehensive assessment is good news for these children whose talents have not yet been awakened.
Both the college and the parents attached great importance to this, and the order and time of the home visits were shared in advance. Lin Keli notified all the students' parents a day in advance.
Therefore, no matter how much misbehaving a student might cause at the college, they would still obediently wait for their teacher to come for a home visit.
Sure enough, the call connected quickly, and Xin Ran's voice carried a hint of a smile, "Xiao Ai, we've arrived at the archway, come out and meet us."
"...Okay, wait."
Xin Ran wasn't wearing headphones, so her voice was on speaker. Chi Xia heard the classmate's tone soften, turned to look at Xin Ran who was shaking the water off her hands as she walked to her side, and teased with a smile, "I thought your way of getting along with students was still indescribable."
Xin Ran: "It's definitely hard to explain in a few words, and your summary is spot on."
Chi Xia: "Is the door to Class 4 broken again today?"
The implication is that the door was blown up, but you're completely unharmed. Are you not planning to keep up the act?
Xin Ran: "Yeah, the quality is bad. I've been wanting to replace it with an explosion-proof device for a while now."
Chi Xia wanted to laugh but held it in. From the first time she dealt with him at the hospital, Chi Xia knew that she was far inferior to Teacher Xin in terms of both acting skills and thick skin, so she never tried to banter with him. But this time she couldn't help herself.
As the footsteps drew closer, both of them stared silently at the archway. When Xiao Ai appeared, both of them widened their eyes in surprise.
Xin Ran chuckled, unable to suppress her laughter, "Your dad hit you? I just got here, I haven't even told anyone yet."
Xiao Ai, whose face was now swollen like a pig's head, glared at him fiercely. "Are you leaving or not?"
Xin Ran looked at his swollen face and laughed, "Let's go, let's go, of course we have to meet this good father who hopes his son will become a dragon."
Xiao Ai glanced at Chi Xia, said nothing, and led them to the left.
Once you enter the archway and walk around the screen, the world before your eyes changes completely.
Brightly lit and dazzling, even the sunken underground open-air castle couldn't compare. Xin Ranchi Xia followed Xiao Ai down the long stone steps on the left. In the middle, a huge descending dragon-shaped stone sculpture was lifelike, with dragon scales inlaid with gemstones of different colors, which sparkled like a galaxy under the lights.
Chi Xia glanced at the stone steps opposite the relief sculpture. She had been misled by the winding mossy path at the entrance, thinking that the scenery on the left and right sides of the archway would be different. However, she found that it was the same no matter which side she came in from.
Xin Ran stared intently at the exquisitely cut gemstone dragon scales, then touched the blue one next to her; its warm, smooth texture was simply unbelievable. "Little Ai, did you make the doors and entryway so dilapidated because you were afraid thieves would break into these gemstones in the middle of the night?"
Xiao Ai turned her head and stared at him like he was crazy. "Shut up." Seeing the calm and composed Chi Xia, she couldn't help but add to her homeroom teacher, "So embarrassing."
That's how teenagers are; even if they don't like their own things, they can't let them be inferior to others'. This homeroom teacher of Class 3 is clearly not as greedy as his own homeroom teacher.
The sculpted dragon's feet rest on the edge of a jade pool below, appearing as if it has leaped out of the water. The pool's depth is unfathomable, further fueling speculation about the dragon's origins. Spring water gushes out from the center of the pool, cascading down like umbrellas, creating a mist that evokes an ancient, ethereal atmosphere.
The floor beneath the stone steps, made of some unknown material, made a crisp, pleasant sound like water droplets when stepped on. Xinran hopped around a few times, finding it quite fun.
Xiao Ai was so angry that her nose was flaring up. "How childish of you!"
Xin Ran liked to tease him at times like this, "I'm way past the age of getting beaten up by my dad, so tell me, who's more childish?"
"you--"
Chi Xia stepped between the two, saying, "Alright, we still have to go down the mountain."
Xiao Ai snorted coldly, quickened her pace, and led the two through the open-air stone sculpture courtyard, into the enclosed "cellar," where they wandered around again.
"Clang!"
As soon as they entered the spacious living room, a loud bang was heard, causing all three of them to stop in their tracks.
Xin Ran: "The mountain has collapsed?"
No one responded, and Xin Ran was about to speak again.
"You wretched woman, I've gone through fire and water for you, I've brought you whatever you want, I've practically hauled the best and most expensive things in the world into these mountains for you, what are you still not satisfied with!"
"Satisfied? You leave early and come back late, sometimes not even once in months, leaving us, mother and daughter, in the mountains. You ask me what I'm not satisfied with? You shameless old scoundrel, you go out to have your fun, do you ever care about us, mother and daughter? Last time there was a torrential rain, when we were all soaked in water and on the verge of death, where were you? You ask me what I'm not satisfied with? How dare you say that! Why didn't you wait until we were dead and stinking before coming back?"
"Didn't you say you liked to live a quiet and elegant life away from the hustle and bustle? Whose fault is it if you don't live in the big villa in Moon Bay? My work is all in the city, how can I possibly live with you in the mountains every day? Oh, even if I lived with you in the mountains, would food, clothing, and daily necessities fall from the sky?"
"Excuses! You're just making excuses not to come home. Don't think I don't know. You think I'm too old and ugly, so you're going out with young girls so they can have a few more babies to fight with my son for the inheritance! You heartless bastard, I shouldn't have been with you in the first place. My parents never agreed!"
"Fine, fine, you old hag, from today onwards, I'm not going out anymore, and I won't earn any more money. We'll just stay here in the mountains digging for wild vegetables and eating tree bark! I'll make your son a mountain king, and then you'll be satisfied!"
Xin Ran noticed Xiao Ai's increasingly pale face, coughed a few times, and raised her voice, "Um, are Xiao Ai's parents here?"
"..."
There was a deathly silence for about two minutes before the two of them came out of the cubicle laughing as if nothing had happened.
When Xin Ran saw that the two of them also had bruises on their faces, she realized that Xiao Ai might have been accidentally injured by the couple while trying to break up the fight.
Xiao Ai's father's face was badly injured, but he remained very calm. He was a man who had carved out a house from a mountain. He laughed and said, "Oh dear, Xiao Ai's homeroom teacher is here. Please excuse the injury. My wife and I like to bicker to strengthen our relationship. Please don't mind. Come in and have a seat."
Xiao Ai's mother smiled, which made the injury on her face hurt. She straightened her mouth and said, "Yes, yes, that's because I've been in the mountains for a long time. I just wanted to make some noise to liven things up since there was no one to talk to. Sorry for the smile. Please, teachers, the food is ready."
Xin Ran and Chi Xia followed them into a restaurant. The servants waiting nearby were probably used to it and had no expression on their faces. They greeted them with "Welcome!" and quickly served the dishes.
Xin Ran looked at the family sitting opposite her, each with a fascinating expression, and asked with a smile, "You two aren't getting a divorce, are you?"
Xiao Ai's parents were stunned when they heard this. Xiao Ai's father quickly said, "No, no, we have a very good relationship. Hitting and scolding is a sign of affection."
Xiao Ai's mother quickly echoed her husband's sentiments, "Yes, yes, we won't divorce. It'll be hard to find a man who can't beat me if we do."
Chi Xia couldn't help but chuckle!
Xin Ran smiled and said, "Xiao Ai is a good student at school, so it's best not to hurt him by accident. Otherwise, his classmates will feel embarrassed if they see him like this."
Xiao Ai's parents exchanged a glance, then looked at their son who had been accidentally injured. "We will, we will, be careful."
The dishes were all served, with more mountain delicacies than seafood, creating a sense of immersion in local customs.
I don't know where they hired the chef, but he's incredibly good at cooking. The mushroom fried rice is amazing, and Chi Xia ate two bowls in no time.
She was so engrossed in enjoying the food that she didn't pay much attention to what they were saying. She only noticed that Xin Ran was having a great time chatting with the two students' parents, and he had created a pleasant atmosphere at the dinner table.
Chi Xia also noticed that Xiao Ai, who usually teased Xin Ran at the academy, looked at Xin Ran intently and with a hint of admiration several times, and even couldn't help but add food and pour wine for him.
When it comes to the charm of drinking, Xin Ran is indeed very avant-garde; she can make anyone she meets happy.
When they left, the family of three saw them off at the foot of the mountain, carrying a huge pile of gifts and stuffing them into the car for them to take back. Their enthusiasm was just like that of welcoming relatives returning home.
Xiao Ai's father said, "Teacher Xin, you two must make time to come to our house again. We're too rushed today. I'll show you the fun of life in the mountains another day."
Xiao Ai's mother held Chi Xia's hand and extended a sincere invitation.
Xin Ran smiled and agreed, then looked at the student with a bruised and swollen face, "Take your parents home, and make sure your face is properly treated. Don't scare your classmates tomorrow. Oh, by the way, I knocked on the door, sorry."
Xiao Ai laughed, "Let's go."
Xin Ran waved and drove off in his small hospital van.
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