A Satisfied Su Qing'an.

Even though we arrived 25 minutes early, there were still very few empty seats left in the large classroom.

Clearly, this young teacher, who has recently been the subject of much gossip at the academy, is indeed very popular with the students, a fact that Fu Hua has come to deeply understand during her month-long experience at the academy.

The first half of the month was fine, but in the second half, even Fu Hua, who was indifferent to worldly affairs and had no interest in gossip, was forced to learn about it under the constant indoctrination of Carole and Satou Yunona.

Even while strolling around the academy, you could hear things about this art teacher.

[That little girl who occasionally follows the teacher is so cute! I really want to pick her up and lift her up high.]

[Is she a foreigner? That look... But I heard she's the teacher's sister, which means the teacher is actually mixed race!]

[I see, no wonder it looks so good!]

[This afternoon, Teacher Su taught two classes with my younger sister.]

[Yay!]

Such comments continued endlessly, forcing Fu Hua, who had always had a small social circle, to learn a great deal. However, even with all the praise flying around, the girl herself remained uninterested.

Rather than that, it's more interesting to guess what dishes are in the lunchboxes that Master Su occasionally delivers.

During that month, she mostly chose to take elective courses related to literature.

So, despite having no painting skills, no interest in art, and a dislike for gossip and spectacle, Fu Hua managed to miss Su Qing'an's class countless times over the course of a month.

This led Satou Yunona to secretly believe that this was a behavioral pattern resulting from Fu Hua deliberately avoiding suspicion at the academy.

Carole, completely unaware of this, naturally didn't care about such things, so this wasn't the first time she had invited Fu Hua to attend the course.

Almost every day during lunch break when there were elective classes, Fu Hua would refuse the other person's attempt to look at handsome guys.

She agreed to come this time purely because she couldn't stand the other person's persistent pestering, and the girl didn't think she was a looks-obsessed person, so even if the art teacher was really good-looking, it wasn't a big deal.

She felt absolutely no guilt!

Not at all!

Besides... Su Qing'an's very existence was enough to increase her patience for aesthetics, which made her firmly believe that she would not be swayed by this.

Despite all these circumstances, Fu Hua still obeyed Carole's wishes and obediently sat in the second-to-last row.

She glanced at Satou Yunona, who was sitting at the front, and suddenly realized why she had left in such a hurry after finishing her meal.

So they came here to grab a front-row seat?

Yuno... isn't something a little off?

What's so great about handsome guys? Is it really worth working so hard for them?

It's really inappropriate to come to class just because you're attracted to the teacher's good looks!

The girl glanced at Carole beside her. Carol was resting her chin on her hand, looking languid and bored, but her golden eyes were constantly scanning the open yet empty doorway, clearly showing her interest.

Even though they were both teenagers, Fu Hua still found it difficult to understand the two men's behavior.

She whispered to the enthusiastic Carole:

"Just so you know, I'll only be in class for one short period. During the break, I'll go to the Ancient Language Class next door."

Carole puffed out her cheeks in annoyance and said:

"Okay, okay, I know you're not interested in these things, Hua. I just came to keep you company. I'll let you go after this class, alright?"

It's a deal.

"... I wouldn't lie to you!"

Even the usually composed Su Qing'an sensed something subtle about Fu Hua's slowness.

For more than thirty days, the boy could occasionally catch a glimpse of the girl in the White Tower next door, earnestly reciting ancient poems.

Even at such close range, her gaze never strayed from the words on the paper or the teacher on the podium, which made Su Qing'an feel very strange every time she taught in this situation.

The feeling of being constantly under surveillance yet remaining undetected for over half a month is truly unbelievable.

Is it because Hua is too attentive in class, never looking out the window even when his mind wanders? Or is it because his intuition is simply too dull in some way?

But that's part of what makes her so endearing.

The boy walked across the marble floor carrying his lesson plan. There were still five minutes before class started, so his pace was neither hurried nor slow. As he thought about the girl, the corners of his lips unconsciously turned up, which softened his aloof and distant demeanor.

Lesson plans are actually not something you need to bring, but in order to appear more like a teacher, Su Qing'an has always made it a habit to bring this tool with her when she teaches.

His teaching pace remained unchanged despite the increase in students; the only difference was that he would occasionally bring his "family members" to class.

Since he spends almost every afternoon in the classroom, and considering that Seele might feel lonely at home alone, Su Qing'an started bringing the little girl to sit in the front row and let her watch him teach.

This would allow her to immerse herself in the atmosphere of the academy, making up for the lack of experience she had never had in a regular academy.

In fact, Su Qing'an had considered sending Seele to school. That way, she might gradually make friends and open up her closed-off heart.

Instead of showing wariness, indifference, and strong resistance when encountering strangers, as they do now.

However, considering that the Great Honkai would occur in less than six months, or even sooner, Su Qing'an had no choice but to give up this idea.

The reason is simple: if the little girl makes genuine friends at this stage and becomes completely attached to school life, how will she cope when everything Honkai and destroys?

Perhaps Seele's current mental state makes her more accepting of the situation and circumstances at that time than Hua's.

Let's make her feel as happy as possible while we stay where we are.

Even if the cruelty of Honkai is described a thousand times, Su Qing'an will still sigh when she truly experiences its profound meaning again.

[Third-year student: Shen Duxin]

After collecting the student's belongings, Su Qing'an deliberately went to the principal's and various teachers' offices to look through the third-year records, but strangely, he couldn't find her name. In the end, he combined the information he obtained from the students with other evidence to understand the girl's past.

Shen Duxin was a third-year student from the previous year and graduated a few months ago.

Actually, the possibility could be seen from the pendant, which indicated that she was one of the students who were recommended for admission. However, there are precedents for students who are outstanding enough to be recommended for admission in their second year, which is why Su Qing'an did not immediately think of this possibility.

Shen Duxin, only 17 years old, grew up in an orphanage in Canghai City. This explains why the clothes she wore on the ground were thin and old. Clearly, the lack of family support forced her to live frugally.

This is easy to understand; it is already quite remarkable that one can rely on their own perseverance and talent to reach the point where they are about to be admitted to university.

The reason the girl was still wearing her school uniform was not because she had very few everyday clothes, but because this was her last visit to her alma mater and the teachers who had taught her before she left, so naturally she had to wear the school uniform to express the significance of it.

Just as Shen Duxin was about to bid farewell to her former teachers at dusk that day, preparing to officially begin her university studies the next day, her life was easily and tragically extinguished due to the so-called Honkai selection.

According to the new third-year students, she is a girl who is not good at talking but is serious and gentle in her demeanor. The school's cat rescue club is a product of her legacy.

Now that it's considered an excellent club with a steady stream of new members, many cats will likely find their situation better because of her gentleness.

The club is located in an area near the bamboo forest. I heard that someone in the club applied for funding from the academy to create a better environment for the club's activity room. The newly appointed club president is also continuing her philosophy to search for qualified and willing owners for some cats in the city.

This is something that only someone of this age would act on without hesitation or for any personal gain.

The reason she was in the bamboo forest that day was probably to say goodbye to the cats in the club before leaving.

But in the end, even this vision could not be realized, and she withered away alone in pain and torment.

Life ends here.

Honkai is an irrational thing, and the boy is constantly experiencing this inescapable fact.

Since no one could be found to entrust the pendant to, Su Qing'an buried it back in the bamboo forest.

Shen Duxin has no family, so perhaps the gentlest choice would be for her friends to believe that she has already gone to university to start a busy new life.

Suppressing a myriad of thoughts in his heart, Su Qing'an exhaled a breath of stale air. He stretched out his slender fingers and straightened his tie, which was a way of calming down all his emotions.

With the crisp sound of leather shoes hitting the wooden floor, the boy stepped into the classroom.

Carole's eyes brightened slightly. She took the arm of the girl next to her and whispered in her ear:

"Xiao Hua, Xiao Hua, this art teacher is really that young! I'd seen photos and heard about her before, but seeing her in person is even more surprising—she has such a striking, almost ascetic beauty!"

"According to Qiluo- chan, it seems like no one has ever seen him smile. Based on my experience of watching all sorts of dramas and reading a lot of books, I'm guessing that Teacher Su is really aloof."

She said with inexplicable melancholy:

"But why is there such a strong filter applied to good-looking people with such a troublesome personality? I clearly don't like this type."

Fu Hua froze, speechless. The moment the familiar face appeared in her mind as she looked up, her brain went completely blank.

The boy walked to the center of the podium amidst a silent, expectant gaze.

He was wearing the school's uniform, a loose-fitting suit jacket unbuttoned, revealing a crisp white shirt and a black tie hanging down naturally.

The huge floor-to-ceiling windows were completely uncovered, and the afternoon sun shone on the podium as always. The dazzling arc of light gently bathed the indifferent face, and the eyelashes, whitened by the sun, made the eyes appear even more like pure black.

It's hard to describe the first reaction upon seeing the boy's appearance in concrete words. It was like the lingering afterglow of the ancient Parthenon, falling gently on the reliefs and statues of goddesses. The light, gradually growing grander and then fading, illuminated and spread the golden ratio formed drop by drop of marble. It was a solemn and silent scene.

That's why the classroom is always so quiet when he comes in. Even someone as lively as Carole would unconsciously lower her tone and volume in front of Su Qing'an.

The boy's fingertips tapped on the wooden tabletop, producing a crisp, clear sound. He casually glanced down at Satou Yunona in the seat in front of him, but his eyes flashed with an indescribable emotion.

Through this period of getting to know each other, he has come to realize that Satou Yunona is the roommate Fu Hua had told him about before. This inexplicable coincidence always makes people think of the relationship between the two in the original timeline.

Yuno and Hana...

From the perspective of the two being the same age, their original relationship naturally evolved into that of friends and playmates. Although it was difficult to pull them out of their past impressions, it was precisely because of the past that their interactions were more interesting to Su Qing'an.

He placed the lesson plan on the table, looked up and faced the packed classroom, and said:

"Then let's begin the lesson."

Just as Su Qing'an was taking out tools from the locker under the podium, a faint rustling sound coming from a corner caught his attention.

The boy looked in the direction of the sound and saw Carole secretly covering her mouth and... Fu Hua.

The girl's upright posture gradually disappeared, and a pink blush slowly seeped from her delicate face and her blue eyes, along with the loss of focus, vanished.

Under Carole's questioning gaze, Fu Hua silently took the coat from her waist and covered her face. Her slender fingers trembled slightly as they dug into the fabric, and she couldn't help but feel a deep sorrow in her heart.

Master Su! What are you doing here?

This is completely unreasonable! You couldn't even write when you first came to my house, so why are you applying for a teaching job now?

Even if Dad got you an ID card, you still don't have a teacher's certificate. How did you manage that? It's outrageous! Outrageous! Outrageous!

In that case... wouldn't we have a triple taboo relationship?

The siblings on the ID card.

Master and disciple in martial arts.

The teachers and students at the academy.

Something's not right, something's not right, something's not right.

In the brief moment after the system crashed, the girl's rapid thought process plunged her into a state of chaos.

Su Qing'an, standing on the podium, couldn't help but smile as she watched her adorable, self-deceptive act.

Finally, I saw it! Hua's interesting reaction is definitely worth keeping.