This Teacher Looked Like She Was Good with Poison

"Just my luck. The very first class of the semester starts at eight in the morning."

Wuling complained as he walked briskly toward the Energy of Light Department. He still remembered promising Aimisi he would have breakfast with her that morning, and he couldn't very well break his word.

The first faint light of dawn was just appearing on the horizon, and Wuling saw only two or three students along the way.

The east and west dormitories were about 2.5 kilometers apart. It wasn't close, but it wasn't too far either, just a half-hour walk.

Wuling took a detour to the cafeteria's front entrance ahead of time. From a distance, he spotted a slender figure waiting beside the steps.

Aimisi wore a simple set of white casual clothes, and her gaze kept drifting toward the road. When she saw Wuling approaching, her expression immediately softened, and she gave him a little wave.

"Perfect timing, big brother. I was worried you'd sleep in and be late."

Aimisi spoke with a smile.

"Can't be helped. No matter how much I hate getting up early, I have to keep my promises. Besides, you're my little sister."

Wuling walked up and gave her head a rub before entering the cafeteria with her.

"Who would've thought they'd schedule the first class of the semester for eight in the morning? My luck really isn't great."

The cafeteria was steaming in the early morning, and the aroma of breakfast drifted from the various food counters.

The two picked out some soy milk, steamed buns, and jade, then found empty seats by a window.

"The Labelle Department has always had lots of eight a.m. classes. You're in for a rough time, big brother."

Aimisi tore open a wrapper and spoke in a teasing tone.

"And I heard one of your professors is really strict. If you're late, you'll be written up on the spot."

Wuling took a bite of his bun and nodded. "I'll remember that. I'll head straight to the classroom building after breakfast. I can't be late on the first day."

"Oh, right, what about you? How do you like it?"

"Pretty good. The environment is great, and my roommates are really nice. It's just a shame you're not there, big brother. It always feels like something's missing."

"Come on, don't keep looking so glum. You'll get ugly. Besides, we're just a bit farther apart, not like we can't see each other. Hey, why don't you guess who my roommates are?"

Aimisi paused, then curiosity spread through her eyes. She rested a fingertip against her chin and thought.

She had only glanced over the Labelle Department's list of freshmen, so nothing came to mind.

"There aren't enough clues. I can't guess. Are they people we met at the welcome event?"

"Nope."

Wuling shook his head gently, a faint smile on his lips, and offered a hint.

"Here's a clue: we both know them, and we're close to both of them. You also know they got in."

Aimisi froze at that and thought quickly. A moment later, her eyes lit up.

"I remember now. It's Calcharo and Lingyang, right?"

A faint smile appeared in Wuling's eyes, and he nodded.

"That's our Aimisi. You got it. The three of us were assigned to the same room."

"Aw, I'm so jealous. But my two roommates are both really nice too. One is named Jinhsi, and she's from Huanglong, just like you. The other is Chisaki, from Ashihara. She's nice, but she doesn't talk much."

Wuling's fingers paused, and his grip on his cup of soy milk relaxed slightly. Clear surprise flashed through his eyes.

"Chisaki? Is that her full name?"

"No. I remember he seemed to have told me yesterday. I think it was Kusaba Chisaki."

Aimisi nodded gently and took a small bite of her bun, her voice soft.

"By the way, why are you asking me about her, big brother? Do you know her?"

Under Aimisi's slightly probing gaze, Wuling felt a little embarrassed, but he could only steel himself and tell her everything about the part-time job.

"Wait, so the person working part-time with you just happens to be my roommate? What a coincidence!"

"Yeah, I was surprised too. I can't believe there's such a coincidence in the world."

Wuling spread his hands and shrugged, sounding a little helpless.

"Chisaki never mentioned having a part-time job in the dorm."

Aimisi murmured.

"She's usually quiet and keeps to herself. When she comes back to the dorm, she reads and organizes her notes quietly, and she doesn't talk much. I never expected her to find a part-time job."

Wuling nodded in understanding.

No wonder Calcharo and Lingyang had never heard the name, and no wonder their classmates had no impression of her.

Like Cartethyia, she lived a life that was far too quiet and withdrawn, almost entirely outside the freshmen's social circles. Like a silent evening breeze, she stayed quietly in her own world, and even if she disappeared, no one might notice.

Aimisi suddenly remembered something and hurried to remind him.

"Oh, right, Chisaki is really shy around strangers and takes time to warm up to people. She gets very reserved and withdrawn around people she doesn't know, and she's not good at starting conversations. When you go to work tomorrow, take the initiative and look after her a little more. Don't let her get too nervous."

"I know." Wuling nodded and took it to heart.

"All right, it's about time I left. If I wait any longer, I might be late."

Wuling quickly finished his last bite of breakfast, tidied the table, and got up, slinging on his backpack.

"I'm going ahead. Class comes first. I'll come find you and tell you more after the part-time job tomorrow."

"Okay, okay! Hurry up!"

Aimisi hurriedly waved, her eyes full of smiles.

"Hope your classes go well today, big brother. Remember to come spend time with me when you're free."

Aimisi watched Wuling walk farther and farther away until he disappeared from sight. Only then did she lower her raised hand.

As for whether anything might happen between her brother and Chisaki, she wasn't worried at all. She had complete confidence in her brother's emotional intelligence.

Even if you took off your clothes and stood in front of him, he would most likely just ask if you were cold. He might even feel your forehead to see if you had a fever.

Wuling walked briskly along the path bathed in morning light and finally rushed into the classroom two minutes before class.

The classroom was already more than half full of freshmen, and a hubbub of conversation filled the air.

Cartethyia sat quietly beside an empty seat by the window in the back row. A brand-new textbook lay open on her desk, and her slender fingers rubbed absently at the edge of a page.

She wore plain, neatly washed clothes, with only an old pen whose paint had worn off beside her and no extra stationery. When Wuling pushed the door open and entered, she glanced up, a flicker of panic crossing her blue eyes.

Wuling hurried over, pulled out his chair, and sat down. He stuffed his backpack into the space beneath the desk and caught his breath.

"Almost didn't make it."

Wuling muttered to himself.

"Um... are you all right?"

Wuling turned toward the voice and saw Cartethyia looking at him with concern.

Wuling paused for a moment, then realized what she meant and shook his head gently.

"I'm fine. I went to another department this morning, and getting back was a bit of a rush. I'll be fine after a short rest."

Cartethyia nodded gently, her gaze falling on Wuling's slightly reddened ears. The heat from his hurried journey had yet to fade.

She hesitated for a moment, then pulled a clean tissue from her canvas bag and silently held it out to Wuling.

"Wipe your sweat."

Her voice was very soft, with a trace of awkwardness that was hard to detect.

She was in the habit of avoiding interactions with others, but it was different with Wuling. Perhaps what had happened yesterday had already reduced the distance between them somewhat.

Wuling found it a little strange. Just yesterday, she had seemed shy around strangers and might not even have been able to meet someone's eyes. Yet today she was willing to speak to him and offer help of her own accord. The contrast was rather striking.

Though he thought so, Wuling showed no sign of it. After all, it really was a good thing, wasn't it?

"Thanks."

Wuling took the tissue and wiped the thin layer of sweat from his temples. He was about to say something else when the classroom door was suddenly pulled open again.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned toward the door in unison. Under their gazes, a purple figure quietly came through the doorway.

She wore elegantly tailored, off-white casual clothes, her silky hair loose around her shoulders. She carried a finely bound set of lecture notes, and her features had a distinctly alluring quality.

The noisy classroom fell mostly silent almost instantly. Quite a few freshmen quietly held their breath and asked one another in low voices who the unfamiliar lecturer was.

The first class that morning was college English, so she was most likely going to be their English teacher.

She walked slowly to the lectern and gently set her notes on the desk. Her gaze swept calmly over the packed classroom, and her warm, pleasant voice carried clearly to every corner.

"Good morning, everyone. I'm your teacher for this class. My name is Cantarella. Not only this class, but all your basic courses, such as math and Chinese, will be taught by me. I hope we can get along well."

A few scattered greetings came from the students.

She nodded slightly, her fingertips brushing the cover of her notes, a faint smile on her lips.

"My primary field is psychopharmacology. Foreign languages are merely tools I need for studying research literature. Language itself is also a medium of consciousness. It can convey emotion and build images in the mind. Like a drug, when used properly, it can touch people's hearts."

Her brief introduction was fresh and distinctive, instantly piquing everyone's interest.

Cantarella didn't spend much time chatting. After briefly familiarizing herself with their names, she soon opened her notes and began teaching in an orderly manner.

She didn't confine herself to textbook vocabulary and grammar. She often used passages from old overseas pharmacological texts as examples, explaining the obscure, complex sentences alongside drug research cases, adding a different kind of interest to an otherwise dull English class.

Wuling took notes on the key points while quietly thinking.

He had enrolled in Cantarella's general elective on Thursday afternoon. He had originally just wanted to pick up an easy credit, but now he found himself looking forward to it for some reason.

Watching Cantarella teach at the front of the room, Wuling somehow felt she would be better suited to concocting poison.

It couldn't be helped. Her light purple hair and blue-violet eyes made her look like a deep-sea jellyfish, making it hard not to associate her with the poisons in novels and TV dramas.

Time passed slowly to the scratching of pens.

As the class drew to a close, Cantarella shut her notes and looked out at the students again.

"That's all for today. One last reminder: enrollment for the university's general electives is now open. If any of you are interested in research on natural medicines or consciousness disruption, you're welcome to take my Psychopharmacology course. It starts at two on Thursday afternoon."

With that, she bowed slightly.

"Class dismissed."