After resting for another night, Duanmu Ci felt refreshed and full of energy. The next morning, after having another bowl of congee with preserved egg and lean pork, he took Qiu Xiaogong to Haishan University, where everyone performed their duties, teaching and giving lectures as needed.
Bu Tongxun didn't go to school yesterday. She personally called the school, saying that Professor Duanmu had a long and tiring trip to Tokyo and had fallen ill due to acclimatization issues after returning home. Therefore, he needed to request a day of sick leave... or longer, and hoped the school could grant it. Professor Yan Zhigui answered the call, but he had no idea what Duanmu Ci's hardships were. This kid had left Tokyo early that morning to "travel" with Wei Yue, even taking a little girl with him. He really couldn't understand what was so tiring about...
Besides, what does "acclimatization sickness" even mean? You don't experience acclimatization sickness in Tokyo, but you do when you return to China? That's ridiculous! Even if you, an elderly person, want to be lazy and ask for leave, please put some thought into coming up with a plausible reason, okay? This situation is awkward for everyone... But he still granted the sick leave.
Upon arriving at school, Duanmu Ci told Qiu Xiaogong to go to the classroom first, while he would arrive later. He didn't want to go in with Qiu Xiaogong, lest it arouse unfounded speculation from some "unscrupulous students"... In fact, he even found a secluded spot when letting Qiu Xiaogong get out of the car, because many students recognized his car. If they saw a girl jumping out of a teacher's car, it would be impossible to explain, and even jumping into the Yellow River wouldn't help, because the students might not be willing to listen to his explanation...
As Duanmu Ci stepped into the classroom, the students immediately began to greet him all at once.
"Teacher Duanmu, are you feeling better? Would you like to rest a little longer?"
"What rest?! The Book of Songs says, 'A day apart feels like three months.' We haven't seen Teacher Duanmu for four whole days. Three times four equals twelve, which is twelve months, a whole year! If we rest again, won't we have to wait several more years to see each other? Teacher Duanmu, we miss you so much!"
"Our teacher is sick, and we've all caught lovesickness too!"
"So after seeing Teacher Duanmu, our illnesses were cured..."
The students were chattering away, spouting nonsense, creating a commotion. Just as they were talking incessantly, one student suddenly blurted out something. Everyone fell silent.
"Teacher Duanmu, I heard that Akishino-kun was brought back from Japan by you, is that true?"
The classroom fell silent instantly, everyone staring wide-eyed at what Teacher Duanmu would say… This news was truly explosive…
Duanmu Ci clearly hadn't expected anyone to ask about this. It was unexpected. He calmly inquired, "Young man, who told you this?"
"Professor Zhou Cunyuan from the Academy of Arts also went to Tokyo this time, and he saw it. Oh, by the way, he's my uncle."
Artists tend to talk a lot... Duanmu Ci probably already knew how Zhou Cunyuan would die...
Duanmu Ci walked to the podium, opened his book, and said calmly, "We talked about this last time..."
"What an obviously blatant and crude attempt to change the subject! Teacher Duanmu, would you dare to be any more blatant?" the students thought to themselves.
"Teacher, you haven't answered the question yet! What exactly is going on between you and Akishino-kun?" a student pressed on relentlessly.
The lecture wasn't working to change the subject? Teacher Duanmu decisively changed tactics, pulling out his family's secret weapon: "Class monitor, take attendance!"
"We already counted everyone. Everyone's here! Don't worry, Mr. Duanmu, no one would want to miss your class! So let's talk about Akishino-kun instead?" The students laughed and teased.
Such thorough preparation?
This was definitely intentional, perhaps even pre-arranged. But who was behind it? Duanmu Ci subtly shifted his gaze towards the audience.
Liu Chuan'an? No.
Sun Liang? No.
Ancient city arch? No.
Alex? No.
Tang Luoluo? No... it must be!
Having found the real culprit, Duanmu Ci stared at him with a stern gaze, but to his surprise, the latter stared back without fear... This was practically a rebellion! Teacher Duanmu, who always valued the dignity of teachers, felt that he had lost his authority and was furious, but for a moment he could not come up with a good solution and could only stare helplessly.
Duanmu Ci then turned his attention to the other female protagonist in this matter, only to find that Qiu Xiaogong was completely indifferent to the outside world. She ignored the noise and the neighbors who were nudging her with their elbows and winking at her, focusing intently on the book on her desk.
So eager to learn?
Teacher Duanmu, harboring suspicion, silently scrutinized the scene. There, on top of the "studious" Qiu Xiaogong's books, sat a brand-new, trendy white iPhone—presumably bought for her by Bu Tongxun. But she'd only been studying for a few days; how could she have mastered such an advanced skill as using a phone in class so quickly? What a talent…
A shrine maiden who quietly watched birds fly and served the gods at the shrine—in just a few days, she's transformed into a "delinquent student" glued to her phone! The switch between ancient and modern styles is incredible! "Oranges grown south of the Huai River are sweet oranges, but those grown north of it are bitter oranges." This style change is too fast; Teacher Duanmu can't accept it.
If Wei Yue found out, would she scold him severely? Duanmu Ci suddenly felt guilty.
However, since the other female lead was so calm, there was no need for him to bother. He calmly opened his book again, ignoring the students' voices, and said calmly, "Please open your books, students, let's..."
"Teacher Duanmu, are you really unwilling to answer? Are you hiding something?" a student asked maliciously.
Duanmu Ci ignored him and continued, "The exam is coming up soon. Don't you want to highlight the important points? Are you going to waste your time on this boring gossip?"
Highlighting key points for the exam... a powerful tool from the teacher, leaving the students speechless.
Sure enough, this slash was too much for either good or bad students, especially since Haishan University didn't really have any truly bad students. Now, hearing that Professor Duanmu was going to mercifully highlight the key points, they quickly weighed the pros and cons in their minds. They decided that the exam was more important, so they'd put the gossip aside for now; after all, secrets can't stay hidden forever, and they'd find out eventually…
Seeing that the students had all picked up their pens and opened their books, showing no intention of continuing the argument, Duanmu Ci breathed a sigh of relief. He began to feel grateful for the rule of "taking exams after the long holiday," a rule he used to think was utterly idiotic, but now he realized how brilliant it was. (To be continued.)
...
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