Class Merged, Two Contend, Good Legs

As soon as these words were spoken, the office fell into an instant silence.

Zhou Yi stared wide-eyed at Mu Jin, her mouth agape, her complexion shifting between shades of pale and livid.

Mu Jin shot a triumphant glance at Zhou Yi and, without haste, twisted the knife: "Besides, Teacher Zhou already has a boyfriend. Even if she wanted to compete, she isn't in a position to."

Zhou Yi's hands clenched into fists, her knuckles turning white.

Yet, what Mu Jin said was a fact; her relationship status was no secret within the academy. She stood there, lips moving, but unable to find a retort, eventually turning her face away.

Tang An watched this scene, finding it amusing. Mu Jin was pressing her advantage, and Zhou Yi had nowhere to retreat. If he let them continue arguing like this, the night would never end.

Tang An leaned back in his chair and tapped the armrest lightly, interrupting the turbulent undercurrents between the two: "Two teachers, I actually have a proposal. Since neither of you is willing to concede, why not merge Class One and Class Two?"

Mu Jin was slightly stunned, and Zhou Yi looked up.

"After merging, Teacher Zhou leads for three days, and Teacher Mu leads for three days. You take turns teaching, each showcasing your own strengths."

"A month from now, let the students choose their own teachers and split into two groups. Whichever group achieves better overall results in the Freshman Assessment will become the head teacher, and the loser will be the deputy."

Tang An paused, a wicked smirk playing on his lips, "The deputy head teacher must fulfill any three requests from the head teacher."

The office was silent for a moment.

Zhou Yi was the first to react. Although this plan didn't keep Tang An entirely in her class, at least she hadn't lost everything.

The three-day rotation gave her a fair chance to compete. The Freshman Assessment would be the true test, and she never doubted her own teaching ability.

Moreover, the stakes—the deputy having to obey the head teacher—were high enough that Zhou Yi was willing to bet everything.

"I agree." Zhou Yi adjusted her glasses, regaining her composed demeanor.

"Three-day rotation, no interference, the Freshman Assessment will reveal the truth. I will show both you and Teacher Mu exactly what the teaching quality of Class One is like."

Mu Jin also recovered from her brief shock. She looked at Tang An thoughtfully; she had thought victory was already in her grasp, but she hadn't expected this young man to reshuffle the entire situation with a few casual words.

Still, this was fine. Winning too easily would be boring. To thoroughly outshine Zhou Yi right in front of her—that would be truly satisfying.

"Interesting," Mu Jin's eyes shimmered, "Student Tang An, your proposal has my full support. Teacher Zhou, don't you dare go back on your word when you lose."

"You're the one who shouldn't come crying to me for mercy when the time comes," Zhou Yi retorted coldly.

The two locked eyes, sparks practically flying in the air.

Mu Jin stood up first, but she had no intention of leaving, merely smiling sweetly at Zhou Yi: "Teacher Zhou, the business is finished, shouldn't you be going? We have classes tomorrow, and with your old bones, staying up late isn't good for you."

Zhou Yi frowned, watching her warily: "You aren't leaving?"

"I still have a few private words for Student Tang An," Mu Jin crossed her arms, making her assets appear even more prominent, "What, does Teacher Zhou want to stay and eavesdrop?"

Zhou Yi's expression shifted, but since Mu Jin had put it that way, staying would only make her look tactless.

Zhou Yi looked at Tang An, her tone uncharacteristically gentle: "Tang An, thank you for today. See you tomorrow."

With that, she picked up her lesson plans and strode out of the office, the sound of the closing door echoing through the quiet corridor.

Mu Jin listened for a moment, confirming the footsteps had faded before turning around.

Only the two of them remained in the office. The dim light spilled over her dark green silk dress, making her skin appear even fairer.

Mu Jin approached Tang An, her charming eyes filled with a hint of mischief, her voice sultry: "Student Tang An, your proposal turned a sure win for me into an uncertain outcome. Tell me, how are you going to compensate me?"

As she spoke, Mu Jin leaned forward slightly, the jade-like skin at her neckline shifting gently with the movement, revealing a deep cleavage right before his eyes.

Tang An leaned back in his chair, his gaze sliding from the tear mole at the corner of her eye all the way down to her slender calves wrapped in black silk. The Life-Death Cycle within his body stirred slightly.

Ever since Xiao Xiao's soft hum in the dormitory that afternoon, this heat had never truly subsided. Now, with Mu Jin deliberately leaning in, the heat surged upward once more.

"What kind of compensation does Teacher Mu want?" Tang An's tone was casual, but his gaze unabashedly scanned her body.

Mu Jin met Tang An's eyes, the smile on her lips deepening. She didn't answer immediately, instead circling behind Tang An and resting her slender fingers on his shoulders, massaging him gently through his clothes.

"I even used a beauty trap to win you over. If others found out that the Class Two head teacher was poaching students based on her looks, where would I hide my face?"

Tang An chuckled softly. This teacher talked a good game, but her hands were already becoming restless. Tang An didn't stand on ceremony; he reached up, grabbed Mu Jin's wrist, and pulled her from behind to his side.

Mu Jin stumbled half a step, instinctively grabbing Tang An's waist to steady herself. When she looked up, she met those deep, dark eyes, and her heart skipped a beat.

"Then use practical actions to compensate."

Tang An didn't let go, his thumb gently rubbing her back, "It just so happens that my Soul Power Tide is unstable. Since Teacher Mu is so sincere, why not help me regulate it?"

Mu Jin was slightly stunned, immediately realizing what he was referring to. Even as bold as she was, being asked for such a thing by a young man in such a calm, matter-of-fact tone made her face flush.

But Mu Jin quickly regained her composure, a smile returning to her lips: "Student Tang An, that doesn't sound like something a student should say to a teacher."

"When Teacher Mu said those things earlier, it didn't sound like something a teacher should say to a student, either."

Tang An leaned back in his chair, his gaze landing on Mu Jin's slender legs wrapped in black silk, his eyebrows arching slightly, "Use this."

Mu Jin followed his gaze and looked down. She was silent for a breath, then let out a soft laugh. Without answering, she walked gracefully to the door and reached out to lock it.

Outside, at the corner of the corridor, Zhou Yi leaned against the wall, her hands gripping her lesson plans so tightly her knuckles turned white. She had already left, but she had stopped at the stairs.

Reason told Zhou Yi she should leave immediately, but her feet felt nailed to the spot; she couldn't take a single step away. She bit her lip, hesitating for a long time, before finally softening her footsteps and returning, quietly leaning against the wall outside the office door.

The office was silent for a moment, followed by the faint sound of Mu Jin's lowered, yet still sultry voice. It was intermittent and unclear, but the tone was undeniably suggestive.

"Student Tang An... is this Soul Power Tide really so strong? It's been too long... my legs are sore from standing..."

Then came Tang An's calm response, his voice devoid of much emotion: "Teacher Mu took on this job herself; you have to see it through to the end."

Mu Jin seemed to say something else, her voice even lower and indistinguishable, save for a few scattered words like "so young" and "so energetic," interspersed with the rustling of fabric.

After a long while, Mu Jin's voice sounded again, softer than before, tinged with a lazy, husky quality.

"Student Tang An... I've really gone all out this time... if you don't take first place in the Freshman Assessment, you'll be letting down all my hard work."