Chapter 121
Your Supervisor Shen adores me!
The next day, early morning.
With a ding, Chu Yan put the small porcelain plate holding the fried egg back on the dining table and criticized sternly:
“It’s overcooked; what’s wrong with you?”
Sunlight streamed into the kitchen through the floor-to-ceiling window. Antonio, standing at the stove with his sleeves rolled up and a cigarette in his mouth, turned around with a calm demeanor. His muscular arms were covered in tattoos, and he wore a pink bear-patterned apron tied at his waist, calmly placing the second fried egg on a plate.
“Oh, don’t be so picky, darling.” Antonio, who had spent half his life in the underworld, always had a good temper with the young girl and smiled, “You know, I was originally one of your stepfather candidates. If it weren’t for the tricky nature of causality, you might have had to eat my fried eggs every morning…”
“You still remember that?” Chu Yan said in surprise.
“Why not? At my age, it’s normal to occasionally look back on past glories.” Antonio, holding the frying pan, sighed with emotion as he recalled the past, “Back in the day, I was even handed a room card by Supervisor Shen himself. Whether the card was fake or not, at least it shows I made the shortlist… What are you doing?”
Chu Yan opened Bai Sheng’s WeChat, pressed the voice message button, and nodded encouragingly, signaling him to continue.
The little warlord of South American arms immediately wilted.
“Oh, sweetheart, don’t do that.” Antonio, like an Oscar-winning actress, put on a sorrowful expression and raised a pinky finger, “Yesterday in the car, you even called me mom yourself, remember? Do you remember what that scumbag Shen said? He said he would let all the South American gangs know that I was the one who went through the pains of childbirth for you…”
Bending over backward to buy a zoo was an indelible black history for the Crown Princess. Chu Yan hastily put away her phone and then solemnly declared her loyalty to her father from afar: “That’s not true; don’t talk nonsense. In this family, a person like my mother will always be Shen—”
Upstairs, the bedroom door clicked open.
Shen Zhuo’s straight pant legs flashed at the top of the stairs.
“… Bai.” Chu Yan remained calm, more in character than Antonio, and declared firmly: “In this family, Mr. Bai is like my most respected mother!”
Clap, clap, clap.
Antonio applauded vigorously, showing undisguised admiration for her opportunistic skills.
“Very good; loyalty can be seen by the sun and moon. I will pass this on to Bai Shen.” Shen Zhuo walked down the stairs, his early morning demeanor calm and lazy, then turned to Antonio and asked, “What are you doing in my house so early?”
Antonio, wearing an apron and holding a spatula, gestured towards the pile of toast, fried eggs, boiled young spinach, and mushrooms in front of him with an incredulous expression, as if to say, can’t you see for yourself?
“Your dear husband instructed me to ensure your personal safety and dietary health before he returns, to work undisturbed, to have no flirts visiting after work, and to eat three meals on time. If you lose even a hair, he would switch from philosophy to selling arms in South America, drive me off the stage to beg on the streets or become a stripper at a nightclub.” Antonio sincerely said while stroking his chin, “Honestly, sometimes I feel like you two treat me as part of a play. It should be my illusion, right?”
With a ding, Shen Zhuo put the plate with the fried egg back on the table and frowned, “It’s overcooked; what’s wrong with you?”
Antonio: “…” Antonio glared at the two of them, only to see Shen Zhuo and Chu Yan sitting side by side at the dining table, both showing the same disdainful expression.
“Do you two behave like this when Bai Sheng fries eggs?” Antonio couldn’t help but ask.
Chu Yan solemnly said, “Mr. Bai’s eggs are never overcooked.”
Shen Zhuo added, “Bai Sheng is good at everything.”
Antonio threw down the apron: “I’d rather be a stripper than serve your family!”
·
Half an hour later, the little gang underling was driving ahead with his tail between his legs. The car’s Bluetooth played Bai Sheng’s surprised voice:
“You can’t even fry an egg? Isn’t it simple?”
Antonio, sitting sulkily in the passenger seat, looked like a daughter-in-law being scolded by her mother-in-law.
“There are sea urchins in the fridge. Use a small spoon to crush them and prepare to mix them with the egg yolk. Heating a teaspoon of fresh cream in melted butter can make the egg texture more beautiful and smooth. By the way, which pan did you use in our kitchen? We have different pans for frying, scrambling, and poaching eggs. You know the key to cooking is to ensure perfect and even heating…”
The stretched Hummer was speeding towards the university. Antonio, leaning his head tiredly, said, “Stop bullying me. Can’t you come back and personally serve Supervisor Shen? He would love any egg you make!”
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the call, and then Bai Sheng’s very shy voice came:
“Ah, you think so too, huh?”
Antonio: “…I meant breakfast eggs! Why are you getting shy, making it sound like I’m making a dirty joke?”
Professor Shen, dressed in a suit and tie, leaned back in the rear seat with his notebook for his upcoming class beside him, frowning slightly and pressing a twitching eyelid.
“My eyelid has been twitching since yesterday. It twitches more whenever Bai Sheng speaks. What’s going on?”
Chu Yan, worthy of being Bai Sheng’s beloved crown princess, always kept her father’s family status in mind and immediately said without hesitation, “That’s normal; a left eye twitch means fortune is coming; it means Mr. Bai will be home soon.”
“It’s the right eye that’s twitching.”
“…”
“Prolonged computer use, long exposure to strong or weak light, mental tension, or excessive stress can all cause eyelid muscle spasms. Additionally, foreign objects in the eye, trichiasis, conjunctivitis, keratitis, and a lack of trace elements in the body are also important reasons for eyelid twitching.” Chu Yan firmly suggested, “We should look at the problem scientifically and go to the hospital to check your magnesium levels!”
Professor Shen glanced at her, his expression complex and indescribable. After a while, he slowly said:
“Do you know what we strive to prove at the end of human science?”
Chu Yan, aspiring to walk the path of physics as a genius girl, admired Shen Zhuo greatly and immediately shook her head with a face full of innocent curiosity.
Shen Zhuo coldly said, “To prove that the left eye twitch means fortune, the right eye twitch means Bai Sheng.”
·
“…We’re already on our way back; at most a few more hours until we land… What? Shen Zhuo still has to teach at the university today?”
On the other end of the call, Bai Sheng squatted on the ground, his long legs splayed out, one elbow resting on his knee, incredulously speaking into the phone, “I’ve been away on business for three whole days, and he’s not waiting at home for me? What’s so appealing about those stupid university students who aren’t as good-looking, smart, or fit as me?”
From the phone, Chu Yan’s voice could be faintly heard: “…Hang up already; Professor Shen says his eyelid is twitching like crazy. He needs to rest up to deal with a whole class of stupid university students later…”
“Baby, I’ll pick you up after class!” Bai Sheng raised his voice joyfully into the phone, “I have a huge surprise prepared for you; wait for me!”
Even Shen Zhuo was momentarily stunned.
Antonio nearly sprayed his coffee onto the windshield and turned around in horror, asking, “Did he put himself in the cream-filled cake again?”
Bai Sheng disconnected the call, standing up with a look of unfinished business.
Before him lay a vast warehouse, with a platform holding a huge object covered by a silver curtain.
Two workers stood solemnly on either side, one gripping a corner of the curtain, their expression akin to unveiling an Oscar statuette.
“Mr. Bai, as you specifically instructed, our overnight spray-painted anniversary gift is ready,” one of the workers said, gesturing broadly. The curtain whooshed down from mid-air, revealing the true identity of the massive gift — a brand-new private helicopter, gleaming under bright spotlights.
Yang Xiaodao: “…”
Yang Xiaodao stood there, mouth agape, taking a step back and looking up at the intricately painted design covering the helicopter’s fuselage. Every inch of the artwork was vivid and lifelike, clearly showing meticulous craftsmanship that must have cost a fortune. Any artist with lesser skill couldn’t reproduce such a perfect image.
“As a man who dominates his rivals in the fierce market of masculinity, the first thing to learn is gift-giving,” Bai Sheng gently lectured his naive son, “The key to winning the heart of a spouse lies in firstly being imaginative and unconventional, secondly in putting in every effort to cater to their preferences, and thirdly in sparing no expense. In this regard, certain ancient emperors who loved giving lychees set an outstanding example for future generations. Have you learned?”
Yang Xiaodao closed his mouth and turned to Bai Sheng, speechless for a long time, as if seeing a giant peacock tail blooming vigorously behind his petty father’s ass.
“Dad,” Yang Xiaodao finally said, “Shouldn’t I help you bury yourself in the cake?”
.
With a rustling sound of paper, the HR closed the folder, “So, Professor Shen… Professor Shen, are you okay?”
Opposite the desk, Shen Zhuo’s right eyelid suddenly began twitching violently without any warning, and he reflexively pressed his hand against the corner of his eye.
…It shouldn’t be. Based on the flight schedule, Bai Sheng should have landed by now. How could he still have a chance to cause trouble?
“Nothing.”
Shen Zhuo suspiciously lowered his hand, thinking it might not be Bai Sheng’s fault after all. With Yang Xiaodao keeping an eye on him, Bai Sheng couldn’t cause much trouble. Besides, based on yesterday’s experience, his right eyelid twitching might just mean a group of masochistic students were holding roses and singing Shakespeare in front of his office, Amatullah was driving a Ferrari with two men in tow parading around, or Antonio stormed into the university recruiting for his grand cause of unifying South America, passionately speaking about hiring Ivy League talent for his hometown’s mafia with high salaries.
In any case, none of these were a problem for Shen Zhuo. He possessed more than two PhDs, years of experience as an S-class supervisor, a sunny boyfriend who liked killing people, and a group of admirers crawling towards him in various sinister ways. He had beaten his weird brother, stabbed a workplace harasser, and even killed an alien boss who dreamed of colonizing Earth.
From every angle, Shen Zhuo was a tough hexagonal warrior with excellent handling skills for any sudden situation.
“What did you just say?” Shen Zhuo leaned back in his chair, frowned, and asked, “Someone complained about me to the school?”
In the bright and clean university office, HR sighed and patted the thick stack of complaint letters in his hand, looking very conflicted and complex.
“It’s like this, Professor Shen. Since you took over the undergraduate neurology course this semester, we’ve been receiving frequent complaints from students about you, saying they are subjected to your high-intensity, inhumane academic humiliation, often publicly suggesting in lectures that they should drop out of the biology department and switch to the art department next door…”
Shen Zhuo said, “Impossible.”
HR: “?”
“Being able to take my class is their great fortune, who would complain about me?”
HR sincerely replied, “The art department next door.”
Shen Zhuo fell into silence.
“Art students and some professors have complained about you discriminating against their discipline, trampling on their artistic pursuits, humiliating their noble ideals, and strongly questioned you: Haven’t there been any members of your family who have ventured into the halls of painting and literary creation?”
Shen Zhuo said, “No.”
HR: “…”
“In my Shen family, going back four generations, everyone has at least one science PhD; you can’t find the word ‘art’ in the entire family tree. Why?”
The two stared at each other. The office was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. HR opened his mouth a few times but couldn’t get a word out.
Shen Zhuo finally asked his long-standing question, “Is art considered a discipline?”
“…Yes, Professor Shen. Art is also considered a discipline.”
Shen Zhuo leaned back in his chair and spread his hands politely, meaning there’s nothing I can do if you insist on thinking that way.
“There’s one more thing.” HR realized he had no chance of winning against Shen Zhuo, but for the sake of his job, he forced himself to say politely, “The Academic Ethics Committee wants me to remind you that you have an unusually high level of attention among students. The committee hopes you’ll be aware that we absolutely prohibit any emotional relationships between professors and students and prohibit professors from using any means to encourage students to develop blind infatuation, pursuit, or even stalking towards them…”
Shen Zhuo sharply caught the key point, “—Encourage?”
Excellent.
HR looked at the face full of doubt, high above, and known for its beauty across the campus on the first day of school, and sadly realized he had anticipated the humiliation to come.
“—Just by standing on that podium, I am already the greatest encouragement for their lifelong academic pursuit. My presence in their lives is the highest reward from the hall of science. Do I still need any means to encourage?”
HR: “…”
So reasonable, I can’t argue.
The students who chose his class must have some SM tendencies.
“Yes, Professor Shen, I completely agree with you.” HR decided to blind his conscience for the last time for the sake of his job, “But the Academic Ethics Committee still hopes the constant issues can be curbed as soon as possible, especially those students who follow you in strange poses in the classroom, office, parking lot, and throughout the campus…”
Shen Zhuo withdrew his gaze and chuckled, though HR saw undisguised contempt in those eyes more rippling than lake water.
—Saying it was the look of a higher-dimensional being at a lower-dimensional being might be excessive, but saying it was the look of a human at a paramecium was certainly appropriate.
“Don’t joke, ninety-nine percent of people in this world look weird to me, especially those students who draw neurology papers like art assignments. Every assignment they submit and every grade they get will be the cause of my overwork death in the future.”
“Besides.”
Shen Zhuo’s eyes twinkled, calm and sharp:
“I’m not interested in students, especially men; the quality is too low.”
Outside the window, the distant sound of rotor blades approached, circling above.
It was a helicopter.
Before the two had time to look back to see what was happening, Shen Zhuo’s phone rang on the desk.
“—Hello, baby, look outside!” Bai Sheng’s voice was filled with joy on the other end, “I’m here to pick you up from work!”
Shen Zhuo’s right eyelid suddenly twitched, then began to spasm violently like a dying fish. He slowly turned around.
A brand-new private helicopter was circling and descending over the university campus, causing a fierce wind, with rotor blades reflecting brilliant sunlight.
On the sports field, lawn, and steps of the auditorium, countless students looked up curiously, only to see various scenes vividly painted on the helicopter’s fuselage, each detailed and realistic—all featuring Shen Zhuo.
Shen Zhuo in a suit standing at the center of the UN hearing hall, Shen Zhuo breaking through the barrier of an S-class ability daydream like a god of war, Shen Zhuo shooting an arrow through an avolutionist’s heart, Shen Zhuo single-handedly riding through a massive protest march…
In other words, all of Shen Zhuo’s heroic moments during his tenure as the chief inspector were printed on the helicopter.
“Baby, do you know what day it is today?”
Bai Sheng paused, then announced loudly, with the excitement of winning the lottery, “Today is the second anniversary of our official meeting!”
Looking out through the office’s floor-to-ceiling windows, inside the helicopter cabin, Yang Xiaodao sat in the pilot seat with a numb expression, pulling the control stick. Bai Sheng, wearing a Bluetooth headset, had half his body leaning out of the cabin, one hand holding the door and the other waving to Shen Zhuo against the wind, his face dazzlingly handsome like a Hollywood movie hero, appearing in the sight of countless students on the ground.
“…”
HR stared dumbfoundedly at Shen Zhuo.
“…”
Shen Zhuo stood motionless by the window, holding the phone.
“Did you see the painting on the fuselage? I drew the draft from memory myself; isn’t it very realistic and accurate! I even audited art classes in your school’s art department for half a semester, studied hard, was deeply influenced, made rapid progress in painting, and then personally painted your unparalleled elegance in my mind!!”
HR’s face was blank.
Shen Zhuo’s face was also blank.
Bai Sheng’s voice on the phone was magnetic and deep, enough to move hearts, “I want you to know that even if the world ends and time rewinds, everything we’ve been through together won’t disappear. This precious artwork represents my indelible love for you.”
Then he paused and took a deep breath, full of the fiery hope and anticipation of a young man:
“Shen Zhuo, you will always be my lover. When I get my diploma, shall we register officially?”
The giant helicopter circled above the campus arrogantly and brazenly, flaunting its muscles to all the little bitches who weren’t as rich, tough, or handsome as him, intimidating every third party trying to pounce on his wife.
In the office, Shen Zhuo slowly hung up the phone, turned to HR, and said stiffly:
“…Wrong number.”
·
Ten minutes later.
The luxury helicopter parked on the office building’s roof, gossip spread like wildfire through the entire university, and eyewitness photos on social media
had already garnered countless retweets with captions like:
【BREAKING NEWS!!!】
【Private jet high-profile confession, Professor Shen might marry into a wealthy family?!】
【Will the mysterious suitor win the beauty or end up dead in Manhattan? The entire biology department is willing to pay a high price for further updates!!】
Shen Zhuo, with an icy expression, strode through the corridor, holding Bai Sheng by the back of his neck, despite the awkward posture due to the height difference. Bai Sheng considerately leaned his body to make it easier for his wife, cooperating while saying, “Ouch, ouch, ouch, gently, gently, I’m sorry, I was wrong, I won’t dare to do it again…”
With a whoosh, Shen Zhuo pushed open the office door and roughly shoved Bai Sheng inside, sending him sprawling onto the sofa.
The HR person stood in the corner, rubbing their hands and hesitating a few times before finally being unable to hold back:
“…I heard Professor Shen has never been interested in college boys, thinking their quality was too low.”
Yang Xiaodao replied with a deadpan expression, “Lust clouds judgment.”
The HR person, being tactful, said, “I also heard that the Shen family has produced four generations of science PhDs, with not a single artistic ‘traitor’ in the family tree.”
Yang Xiaodao sharply commented, “Married the wrong person.”
The young man, hands in his pockets, stood there in his black combat attire, his evolved physique as sharp and imposing as a blade. The HR person, stealing glances and unable to resist their curiosity, softly inquired, “So may I ask, you are Professor Shen’s…”
Yang Xiaodao proudly puffed out his chest:
“Stepson.”
Shen Zhuo shot Bai Sheng a fierce look that said, “Watch your mouth,” then turned and, without another word, shoved both Yang Xiaodao and the HR person out of the office: “I’ll handle this; you two can leave.”
“W-wait, Professor Shen,” the HR person clung to the doorframe, making one last effort: “According to the Academic Ethics Committee’s regulations, to prevent professors from abusing their authority to oppress students, any inappropriate relationships between professors and students are strictly prohibited…”
Shen Zhuo took a deep breath, about to question the HR person’s eyesight, when his back collided with a solid, muscular chest.
Bai Sheng, from behind, placed a hand on Shen Zhuo’s shoulder. The tallest and strongest evolved being on Earth, standing over six feet three, his slender fingers casually rested on Shen Zhuo’s shoulder. Despite their beauty, every inch of muscle and bone radiated a fearsome quality akin to a beast’s steel claws, making anyone who saw them feel the terrifying power capable of crushing bones with a single squeeze.
He tilted his head, winking playfully:
“What’s inappropriate about our relationship? It’s completely legitimate, okay?”
The HR person: “……”
Shen Zhuo asked through gritted teeth, “Are you blind? Who’s oppressing whom?!”
The HR person: “………………”
Bai Sheng reached out, over Shen Zhuo, and cheerfully closed the door in the HR person’s stunned face.
With a click, they were left alone in the office.
“Wife, I was wrong. I won’t dare do it again.” Bai Sheng’s expression changed instantly. Hugging Shen Zhuo tightly from behind, his tall nose rubbed against Professor Shen’s neck in a playful, affectionate manner. “I heard there are all sorts of strange little fairies at your school trying to interfere in our family. I just wanted to use a more dramatic method to help them see reality. You know, I’ve always been kind-hearted and lacked a sense of security since I was a child. I—”
Before he could finish, the world spun.
Boom!
Shen Zhuo executed a swift, ruthless over-the-shoulder throw, slamming the strongest S-class evolutionist heavily into the sofa.
“Hiss…” Bai Sheng grimaced, clutching his forehead, as he sat up. Immediately, Shen Zhuo took a large stride forward, half-kneeled, forcing Bai Sheng’s legs apart, and pressed his elbow against Bai Sheng’s throat. In a flash, Bai Sheng’s upper body was forced to lean back, sinking into the sofa’s backrest.
Shen Zhuo loomed over him, each word like a sharp blade:
“How about I strip you and hang you outside the window?”
Bai Sheng obediently tilted his head to meet his gaze, like a dangerous beast pretending to be a wet-eyed puppy, then slowly raised his hands in a surrender gesture:
“I just knew you forgot that today is our second anniversary, so I wanted to surprise you.”
Shen Zhuo stared at him without expression, as if saying, “I see you’ve given yourself a death sentence, not a surprise.”
Bai Sheng sighed.
“Alright,” he conceded, “Actually, it’s because you often work late in the lab, so I wanted to pick you up after work to let you rest more during the commute. But driving from my school to yours takes two hours, so I bought a helicopter for convenience.”
“……”
Shen Zhuo said nothing, narrowing his eyes to scrutinize him, then slowly uttered, “Oh?”
Judging by his expression, Bai Sheng believed Shen Zhuo actually wanted to say, “Heh.”
The university where Shen Zhuo taught was not the same one Bai Sheng attended while studying philosophy. Although the distances were similar, they weren’t the same. After the timeline reset, Bai Sheng, with his already completed thesis, had attempted several times to transfer to Shen Zhuo’s university but was consistently refused—having a professor and student in a relationship at the same school genuinely violated the rules. Professor Shen cared about his reputation, unlike Bai Sheng, who was eager to declare his dominance to the world.
“You see, you never agreed to my transfer, so I have to drive over every day, memorizing your schedule and classrooms, often waiting outside your lab until late at night. Every time I see you, exhausted from working all hours, I feel heartache but am powerless.” Bai Sheng shrugged, “I don’t want you walking home alone at night, just like how you were always alone in the lab as a child, carrying your little backpack, waiting for family until late at night. Since witnessing that scene in my memories, I swore I would never let you be alone again; from now on, it’s always me waiting for you.”
The office was silent; only the sounds of their breathing could be heard.
After a while, Shen Zhuo lowered his gaze, “It’s not that I’m strictly against you transferring here, just…”
“I understand; your status requires you to consider societal impact, unlike me.”
Bai Sheng paused, then smiled self-deprecatingly. This angle made the usually arrogant tuft of silver hair on his head look somewhat droopy, but his voice remained gentle: “But I often see you surrounded by students and assistants, receiving anonymous love letters in your inbox, flowers from admirers at home, and invitations to various social events… Sometimes, I’m suddenly filled with panic. Have I really defeated all those powerful rivals, both obvious and hidden? Have I truly won your one and only soul?”
Shen Zhuo frowned, “What nonsense are you thinking all the time? You—”
“It’s all my nonsense.” Bai Sheng interrupted, submissively allowing himself to be pressed into the sofa, his long lashes fluttering as he looked at Shen Zhuo with focused, burning eyes: “I love you. I might be… losing control of myself a bit. I love you so much.”
“Because of love comes sorrow; because of love comes fear, and thus often unknown worries and fears.” He raised a hand to stroke Shen Zhuo’s cool, pale cheek, whispering: “But sometimes you notice, and I’m sorry for that.”
Their breaths intertwined, noses almost touching, lips seemingly about to brush against each other with the slightest movement.
Bai Sheng’s legs were spread wide, and Shen Zhuo almost stood between them. This dominant, towering stance pressed his entire weight onto Bai Sheng, nearly cheek-to-cheek.
“Kiss me,” Bai Sheng whispered seductively, with a mix of sweetness and desire, “I’ll do whatever you say; just kiss me.”
His lips were berry-red, fresh and inviting. At this angle, Shen Zhuo’s expressive eyes were hidden, their lips finally meeting, warmth spreading from their throats to every corner of their bodies.
It was like a spark igniting deep within the soul, the heat surging like a tidal wave, engulfing their senses and overwhelming their minds. The faint sound of their tongues mingling was drowned out by the pounding of their hearts.
“…I didn’t forget today…”
“What?” Bai Sheng asked, breathless and hoarse.
Shen Zhuo stood, leaning over, his weight supported by a hand firmly gripping Bai Sheng’s waist. After a moment, he muttered, “I know today is your inexplicable second anniversary.”
Bai Sheng couldn’t help but chuckle, “Really?”
“……”
“So, what did you get me?” He turned his face, planting tender kisses on Shen Zhuo’s earlobe, lightly biting the edge, feeling the rapid pulse beneath his teeth, “Did you secretly prepare a gift for me too?”
Bai Sheng had repeatedly emphasized to Shen Zhuo that he didn’t need surprises because he had very specific preferences when it came to receiving gifts. He had meticulously designed a wishlist and brazenly stuck it above their bed for Shen Zhuo to see. The top five gifts he wanted were:
1. Buy the White House, including the land, and help him ascend to the throne.
2. Write a groundbreaking book and help him win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
3. Develop a cure for the Ebola virus and name it after him.
4. Conquer North America, unite the US, Canada, and Mexico, and become the president of the three countries.
5. Shen Zhuo, wearing a uniform and gloves, actively engaging in various play scenarios with him.
… In summary, his actual desire was already quite evident.
The sofa suddenly creaked under pressure as Shen Zhuo used his elbow to pin Bai Sheng down, one knee bent over his sturdy waist and hips. He looked down at him, his gaze containing an indistinguishable hint of a slight smile.
Bai Sheng lay there obediently, allowing Shen Zhuo to press his wrists down by his sides. The tuft of silver hair on his head restlessly brushed against Shen Zhuo’s cufflinks, his eyes gleaming brightly.
“… Look at you, so pathetic,” Shen Zhuo said softly after a while.
Finally, he lowered his head. Their lips intertwined passionately, as if the softest parts of their flesh were about to melt and blend together like honey.
Their rising body heat couldn’t be contained by their shirts. Through the thin fabric, their skin rubbed together extensively. Amid the entanglement, Bai Sheng’s hoarse voice brushed against Shen Zhuo’s ear:
“So, will I receive a gift tonight?”
Shen Zhuo’s response was to let his hand wander downward. With a light metallic click, Bai Sheng’s belt buckle opened.
Then, Shen Zhuo swiftly pulled the belt out, expertly looping it around Bai Sheng’s neck, not too tight but enough to make him raise his head and look at him.
“Take that embarrassing helicopter of yours to the manufacturer to get it repainted, and get rid of it by tonight.” Shen Zhuo patted Bai Sheng’s handsome face and said in a low voice, “Then clean up and wait for me at home.”
·
The helicopter was parked on the office building’s roof. Yang Xiaodao, bored, rested his chin on his hand, looking through the glass at the people coming and going below. Occasionally, students pretended to walk by nonchalantly, secretly raising their phones to take pictures before quickly slipping away, their faces full of excitement from witnessing the drama.
There was a knock on the window, followed by the door being pulled open with a whoosh. Bai Sheng, looking very pleased with himself, climbed in. “Let’s go home.”
Yang Xiaodao turned around, utterly shocked, “Shen Zhuo didn’t kill you?!”
Bai Sheng sat down, crossing his legs with a swagger that couldn’t hide his commanding presence. Yang Xiaodao looked at his scoundrel of a father with righteous indignation, as if to say, “How much nonsense did you feed Professor Shen just now?”
“What do you know? Do you think your Professor Shen would ever harm me?” Bai Sheng flaunted, exhibiting his charming appearance in front of numerous hidden cameras, “Your Professor Shen adores me!”
Yang Xiaodao: “…”
·
Shen Zhuo sat at his desk, opening his computer with a sigh of relief.
The tribulation-like two-year anniversary was finally over.
The ominous twitching of his right eye that had plagued him recently had finally ceased, and fate had stopped its relentless warnings. Now he just needed to soothe the troublemaker Bai Sheng, deal with those students offering bounties for gossip, and then vent his frustration on the school board…
Shen Zhuo opened his lecture notes, and his right eyelid twitched again, then started to throb violently.
“?!”
How could it be? The greatest ordeal of his life had just flown away in a helicopter. What could happen next?!
Thud, thud, thud, thud, came the sound of hurried footsteps outside the door. The office door was pushed open forcefully, and a vaguely familiar figure appeared before Shen Zhuo.
The person’s face was flushed, with dyed pink hair and piercings all over their eyebrows, ears, lips, and nose. They wore a giant punk jacket on their upper body, leather shorts below, and pink flip-flops. The overwhelming smell of alcohol hit like a bomb.
Shen Zhuo: “…”
Great, Shen Zhuo recognized who it was—
In his early teaching career, this person was known to be as terrifying as Chen Miao, possessing various means to induce heart attacks in professors. They were the two infamous troublemakers, one from the east and one from the west.
Billy Kingston.
The reversed timeline had once again brought him before Shen Zhuo.
Footsteps echoed as several professors from the same building hurried over. They must have noticed something amiss halfway through and now looked visibly panicked. They hurriedly tried to pull Kingston away: “What is this student doing here?” “Who let you in?” “Security, call security!”
……
Shen Zhuo finally realized what the increasingly ominous feeling was about. He had wronged Bai Sheng.
The destined catastrophe today wasn’t the anniversary, nor the helicopter, but the scene about to unfold—
“Professor!”
Kingston, clearly intoxicated and delirious, with misty eyes and flushed cheeks, had his watery blue eyes fixated on Shen Zhuo. He forcefully broke free from the professors and lunged forward, grabbing the unprepared Shen Zhuo:
“Why did you fail me on the last neurology exam? Is it because you don’t like me?!”
“Why can’t you ever see my existence? What do I have to do for you to notice me?!”
The other professors were shocked: “Stop it!” “What are you doing?!” “Let go of Professor Shen!” “Oh my God! God—”
“Stop ignoring me! I can give you everything I have!”
Kingston stepped back, his expression generous and solemn, like a sacrifice. With a swish, he opened his jacket, revealing that he was completely naked underneath. The leather shorts magically slipped off, leaving him stark naked. The shocking sight made all the professors cover their eyes in horror.
Then he raised his head, closed his eyes, his face full of proud sanctity, and raised his arms high:
“Please accept my passionate sincerity! Professor Shen!!”
Billy Kingston, later the New York State Supervisor, was once a student taught by Shen Zhuo in college. He had been failed twice by Shen Zhuo for being too high on drugs. Taking advantage of his drug-induced courage, he barged into the professor’s office, stripped naked, and attempted to seduce Shen Zhuo, becoming famous overnight and making Shen Zhuo the headline of campus news.
History was repeating itself, with the scene identical in every detail, even the indescribable part appearing at the exact same angle as before.
The air was so still you could hear a pin drop.
In the next moment, without any hesitation, Shen Zhuo resolutely repeated his actions from back then—
He took off his coat and forcibly wrapped it around Kingston’s chicken-like body, broke free from Kingston’s desperate attempts to cling to him, then grabbed a handful of Kingston’s pink hair, his fingers like iron bars. He dragged him to the window in just a few steps and yanked it open with a swoosh.
The professors were even more shocked: “Stop it!” “Professor Shen, don’t act rashly!” “Let go of this student!” “Oh my God! God—”
Amidst the exclamations from all sides, Shen Zhuo, gripping Kingston’s neck, exerted force and threw him out of the window, suspending him outside the third floor, hanging by the back collar of his coat on the window rail.
A cold wind blew, and Kingston dangled, relying only on the hook of his coat’s back collar, like a pale, frozen chicken.
“I don’t know you; I’m not interested.”
Shen Zhuo, looking down coldly as if at an ant, lowered his eyes and said to the stunned Kingston, “If there’s a next time, I’ll throw you off this building.”
Then he turned around and strode out of the office. At first glance, he seemed suave and merciless, but on closer inspection, his steps were as quick as if he were fleeing in panic.
Countless students below stood in shock, camera flashes flickering continuously. Kingston, his legs kicking wildly, wailed like a banshee, his voice echoing across the campus:
“Shen Zhuo, you can’t do this to me! I hate you! I hate you—”
·
The bright sunshine bathed the earth.
The helicopter reflected a bright silver light in the sky. Yang Xiaodao sat bored in the pilot seat, while Bai Sheng was on the phone with the coating factory: “Hello, is there any way to temporarily cover the body of the helicopter with a film, just to avoid this current situation… No, who said my wife is angry? My wife is snuggling up to me and kissing me repeatedly, so moved by the coating…”
In the White House Defense Office, the phone rang abruptly, showing a number from a secret UN base: “Hello, this is Cameron. Let’s make a deal. The private helicopter we just sent you has the world’s most dangerous person on board. If it appears on your radar, immediately launch a nuclear missile at it… What, Mr. Bai is your dear and friendly friend?! He’s almost infiltrated our family tree! My naive and foolish brother was deceived by him, both physically and emotionally. Who’s going to take responsibility for that?!…”
Antonio’s underlings were distributing high-paying recruitment flyers all over the campus. Amatullah lazily lit a cigarette in the school café, accepting with a smile the umpteenth small piece of paper with a boy’s shyly written number. Across the table, Chu Yan expressionlessly flipped through the umpteenth physics book of the day.
Wearing a hat and mask, Shen Zhuo quickly slipped into the laboratory and locked himself in. He urgently canceled all public classes for the next week and texted Bai Sheng: [Drive back to school and pick me up; don’t let anyone recognize you. I’ll be waiting at the back door of the lab; hurry up!]
Kingston, howling in the wind, was rescued by the campus police. The hashtag #ShenZhuo skyrocketed on social media, and countless reposts of Shen Zhuo standing at the podium were marked with a bright red exclamation mark.
HR, sitting at the office desk, had enough and wrote his eighth salary increase application since Shen Zhuo started teaching.
……
A new timeline was gradually unfolding, the smoke ahead clearing, bright and dignified, and the path ahead unobstructed.
The helicopter, full of love, turned in the sky and joyfully flew back to Shen Zhuo’s laboratory. Bai Sheng’s flamboyant peacock tail soared romantically across the sky.
