Chapter 13: Attend Class Sitting Beside Me

Liu Xiao’ai called out, “Listen up, I’ve got the latest film starring Yuan Ye and Fan Xiaoyun—do you two want to come and watch together?”

“Xiao’ai, you’re amazing. All the links we found online are blocked. How did you even get your hands on it?”

The three of them huddled around a laptop, purposely turning the speakers up so loud that Lian Youyou could hear the movie but not see it.

Lian Youyou had no idea who Yuan Ye was, and hearing that Fan Xiaoyun starred in it only made her less interested in this so-called unmissable new drama they were raving about. She just felt sorry for her daughter, who had always been isolated before.

It was all her fault. If only she hadn’t…

Ah, there she went again, muttering that same old regret in her heart. When did she become like Xianglin’s Wife, always lamenting?

“Hey, who do you think is more handsome, Yuan Ye or Professor Lu?” Xiong Qian asked while cracking sunflower seeds and watching the movie.

“That’s a silly question! Yuan Ye and our professor are totally different types,” Wen Qingqing answered without hesitation. “Yuan Ye is so sunny, always smiling. You can’t help but want to flirt with him when you see him. But Professor Lu…”

“Professor Lu is like a stone, a total bookworm. Aside from looking good, his personality is so dull,” Liu Xiao’ai chimed in. “I’ve never seen him accept a confession from any female teacher or student. He always acts so distant, like he’s never even dated before. Sometimes I wonder if there’s something off about his orientation.”

So Lu Ming was that sort of ascetic type? She used to think he was the flirty, warm kind. Looks like she’d misunderstood Professor Lu all this time.

A gentle breeze pushed open the half-closed window in the office, silently widening the gap.

The light wind stirred Lu Ming’s soft hair, making the ends flutter.

He wondered how Youyou was doing now.

Lu Ming pressed the numbers for Lian Youyou’s new phone. “Hello, Youyou.”

“Oh, Professor Lu, I’m in the dorm. Do I have your class next?”

“Do you miss me?”

For a few seconds, time seemed to freeze. Even Lian Youyou’s heartbeat stopped for a moment.

Was she just flirted with by a boy more than twenty years her junior?

“Youyou, I miss you,” Lu Ming said in a husky voice, his tone as pleasant and soothing as ever.

He hadn’t mentioned anything about liking her daughter yesterday!

Realizing his impulsiveness, Lu Ming murmured almost to himself, “Sorry, I just got excited after finding you again. I’ll hang up now. See you later.”

The call had been disconnected for quite a while, but Lian Youyou’s hand still hovered in the gesture of answering the phone.

She wasn’t sure if Professor Lu was really dating her daughter, but if they were and she kept up this act, wouldn’t that make her the one stealing her daughter’s boyfriend?

But if she stopped now and broke things off for no reason, wouldn’t Professor Lu be the innocent victim?

She only wanted revenge—why was everything getting so complicated?

The fact that Lu Ming’s advanced mathematics class was packed showed just how popular he was. Of course, not all the students were from his own department; many were girls from other majors who’d come to audit.

Lian Youyou hadn’t expected his class to be full. She had arrived right on time, yet now found herself standing at the classroom door, overwhelmed by the sea of students.

Liu Xiao’ai and her friends, who were sitting together touching up their makeup with a small mirror, spotted her and gloated, “Look, Lian Youyou didn’t get a seat. Serves her right, after the way she treated us in the dorm. We’re not saving her a spot!”

“Hmph, and she always had a crush on Professor Lu, too. As if a toad could ever eat swan meat. Now she doesn’t even get to see the swan,” another chimed in.

“She actually thinks if she studies hard and gets better grades, she’ll attract Professor Lu’s attention. She should take a look in the mirror—does she really think she’s worthy? Like he’d ever go for someone like her.”

“But doesn’t she look prettier since she got back? Did she get plastic surgery or something?”

“Pretty? Please. She just put on makeup and bought a few new clothes.”

“Just trying to show off.”

“Hey, why are you still standing here?” a girl at the door reminded Lian Youyou. “Professor Lu’s classes are always like this—it’s hard to get a seat. You’d better leave and come earlier next time.”

Was this a class or a mini fan meeting?

The other girls who hadn’t gotten seats gradually filed out, leaving Lian Youyou alone by the door.

Maybe she should go too. If there was roll call, so be it. With no seats left, was she supposed to stand outside and listen for ninety minutes?

As she turned to leave, she bumped into a warm, solid chest.

“Sorry, so sorry,” she mumbled, trying to slip past without looking up, but someone grabbed her arm.

A familiar voice sounded above her, “Youyou, it’s time for class.”

“But there aren’t any seats left.”

“That’s all right.”

Lu Ming went next door to fetch a chair and placed it beside the lectern. “Sit next to me for the lecture.”