Formal Employment (1/10)

Song Gongran was still smiling cheerfully, Hals continued walking in silence, while Yu Xiaoya was carried on Hals's back, her face buried against him, only a small portion visible—but one could vaguely see that her cheeks were flushed bright red.

This strange trio returned to the office building in that odd atmosphere, and under the peculiar gazes of the staff, Hals carried Yu Xiaoya back to her office.

Pushing open the door, Hals glanced around, set Yu Xiaoya down on the sofa in the office, then stood up and silently moved to Song Gongran's side, saying nothing.

Yu Xiaoya felt not only sore all over but also her cheeks burning hot. After a moment to recover, she braced herself against the sofa back and struggled to stand, looking at Hals. Her expression had inexplicably softened.

Catching her breath, Yu Xiaoya forced herself to be serious and said, "Mm, I've confirmed your strength. You're indeed qualified to become a teacher at Star Luo Royal Academy. I'll have someone process your credentials shortly, but I can approve your living arrangements right now. By the way, will you live on campus or off campus?"

"On campus will be fine." Hals seemed to let out a sigh of relief, and a hint of relaxation could be heard in his low, hoarse voice.

Yu Xiaoya nodded, feeling an inexplicable flutter of joy in her heart. "In that case, let the old man take you to your residence—he knows where it is. As for the credential letter, someone will deliver it to you later. Is that alright?" Her tone was almost asking for Hals's opinion.

"Alright." Hals maintained his aloof, taciturn persona.

After this long pause, Yu Xiaoya's complexion finally returned to calm. No longer wearing her initial icy expression, she smiled and said, "That settles it. The person delivering your credentials will also explain the class you need to meet tomorrow and some other matters in detail. For now, I'm a bit tired and want to rest first. Let's stop here."

Hals nodded without a word. Song Gongran, however, wore a strangely sly grin, like an old fox. He winked at Yu Xiaoya and said with a double meaning, "Alright, Yu girl, you rest well. I'll handle things on Yu Hun's end. As for you, make sure you rest properly—don't wear yourself out. There's plenty of time ahead; opportunities will come. If you don't get enough rest, you'll lose your looks, and then no one will want you."

Yu Xiaoya's face flushed red again, even her fair neck turning crimson. She stomped her foot in a mix of embarrassment and annoyance, shouting at Song Gongran, "Alright, alright, I get it! Just go already, you old fool. You're so annoying."

Song Gongran chuckled, patted Hals on the shoulder, and headed out. Hals hesitated for a moment, then thought better of it and gave Yu Xiaoya a slight bow before turning and leaving, striding quickly after Song Gongran.

Yu Xiaoya stood at the door, watching Hals's figure disappear down the stairwell, before slowly closing the door. Leaning back against it, she let out a soft whimper and covered her face, as if steam might rise from the top of her head.

It was a long while before Yu Xiaoya pulled herself together. Returning to her desk, she was about to pull out a file and continue working when she suddenly recalled the old man's words. After a moment's hesitation, she set the file down and got up to go rest.

It's not because I'm afraid of not getting married, Yu Xiaoya thought to herself. Reaching for the key to the house she always stayed at off campus, she paused, her gaze falling on the key to her room on campus. Her fingers hovered between the two keys, wavering back and forth, before she finally grabbed the campus one and left the office.

I'm just curious about what the room looks like...

Hals found it strange. Ever since leaving the office, Song Gongran had been grinning lecherously, his wrinkled face scrunched up like a withered old chrysanthemum.

As if sensing Hals's confusion, Song Gongran stroked his beard, cleared his throat a few times, and chatted with Hals as they walked, still smiling. "Yu Hun, lad, what do you think of Yu girl?"

Why ask that?

Hals was puzzled but answered honestly, "Not bad. I can tell she's young, and with her strength, she's a standout among her peers. The only shortcoming is her poor understanding of using her spirit, and her practical combat experience is nearly nonexistent. At least from my perspective, if they were at the same level, she'd die horribly facing my past opponents."

"That's it?" Song Gongran seemed to be expecting something more. "Anything else?"

"Anything else?" Hals was baffled. "What else is there? I only fought her—no, watched her attack. I haven't even seen her defense. How could I notice anything more?"

Song Gongran was stunned, staring at the man before him. Should he call him innocent or dense? Couldn't he see that Yu girl had taken a liking to him?

"No, no, what I meant was, how do you find her looks? What's your impression of her? What kind of person do you think she is?"

"Oh, that." Hals understood. He wants to test my judgment of people. Thinking this, he carefully recalled Yu Xiaoya's behavior since meeting her and then said, "Well, how to put it? She's decent-looking, a bit arrogant, and not great at handling pressure. With someone like that, you can't just criticize and attack—you need encouragement, but also let her face some setbacks appropriately. Still, I can see she has good insight; she catches on quickly. After being defeated, she's willing to listen to others' advice. Overall, not bad!"

Hals blurted it all out, feeling his judgment was fairly sharp. Beneath his hood, he forced a stiff smile, unaware that Song Gongran beside him was still staring with a dumbfounded expression.

"You, you..." Song Gongran stopped smiling, his face twisted. He raised a trembling finger, pointing at Hals as if having a heart attack.

Hearing the sound, Hals turned and saw Song Gongran's expression and posture. Startled, he wondered if something was wrong with him and the old man had seen through his background.

"It's nothing, nothing." Seeing Hals's startled reaction, Song Gongran helplessly lowered his hand and shook his head. "I just didn't expect you to evaluate Yu girl like that. But what you said is true—she has almost no combat experience. If possible, I hope you can often go over and teach her."

So that's all it was. Hals sighed in relief, nodded, and gave a firm answer: "No problem, if I have the time."

Hearing Hals's reply, Song Gongran nodded and said no more, dropping the matter. Perhaps children have their own fortunes, he thought.

The treatment for teachers at Star Luo Royal Academy was excellent. Each teacher had their own separate house, each in a different location, ensuring maximum privacy and freedom for all staff.

The house assigned to Hals was in a small valley, beside a stream, with fresh air. Looking at the surroundings, Hals was very satisfied—it was countless times better than his room at Spirit Hall. Only one thing caught his curiosity and attention: on the other side of the stream, next to his house, stood another building.

"Dean, is that house occupied too?" Hals asked, looking at it.

Song Gongran followed Hals's gaze and saw the house as well. After a moment's thought, he shook his head. "I don't know—I'm not in charge of that. But if you want to find out, you can ask Yu girl. She handles it."

Hals nodded, not too concerned. He walked to his door, pulled out the key, and was about to open it when Song Gongran interrupted.

"Alright, Yu Hun lad, I still have things to do, so I won't keep you company here. I figure a young man like you and an old man like me don't have much to talk about anyway. I'll be off now. Take care of things yourself."

Waving his hand, the old man strode away gracefully, his lingering voice echoing over the valley.

"Make sure to teach Yu girl plenty, now..."