Chapter 17: Mr. Aston Online, Demanding Updates

Ming Ying immediately shot up from his chair.

He rubbed his arm, slowly turning his head to scan the room.

Then he muttered to himself, No one’s here, no one’s here.

After repeating this a few times, Ming Ying looked back at his phone screen, thinking, Damn, is it like this for other people in online dating too?

This was seriously, way too thrilling…

Ming Ying, still unaware he’d drawn a limited-edition online dating partner, waited anxiously for a while. Seeing that XI had only sent that one message and didn’t press further, he sat back down and covered his face.

In a conventional sense, Ming Ying really couldn’t be considered an obedient student. He’d done plenty of underhanded things to deceive teachers during his school years. But now, he truly felt a bit guilty.

And the main issue was, why did he feel like their chats the past few days were off in every possible way?

So Ming Ying took a deep breath, deciding to turn the tables. He fished his phone back over and started scrolling through their chat logs.

Even while subjectively ignoring his own photos, Ming Ying’s teeth ached more and more as he read.

After looking for a while, he knew where the problem lay!

No matter how you looked at these chat logs, from any angle, why did he seem so much like a weakling who had been dominated?

He wasn’t some weakling to be dominated!

So Ming Ying started typing away on his phone screen, deleting and editing.

Just by watching his actions and the expression on his face as he typed, anyone would think he’d sent an 800-word declaration of war to the other side. In reality, he only sent five words, plus a sticker that completely lacked any masculine presence:

Mingo: Teacher, where are you?

Mingo: [Puppy Peeking Sticker]

Ming Ying’s plan was: Don’t rush. First, learn from the other party and throw the question back.

The other side replied two minutes later.

XI: In the car.

Ming Ying frowned, thinking. In the car, so they weren’t teaching a class or in a meeting.

At that moment, another message popped up on his phone. Ming Ying’s eyes widened.

XI: ? Is your lie ready?

“…” Ming Ying subconsciously pursed his lips.

This was too tough to deal with! This was absolutely the toughest person he’d ever had to deal with!

Looking at the big picture, he couldn’t lie anymore in this situation. Playing the pity card was the safest bet.

Mingo: Not yet, can you let me think a little longer? TvT

XI seemed quite satisfied with his honesty, generously replying: Mm.

Ming Ying let out a breath.

But XI chased him down to finish him off. Buzz.

XI: Think seriously.

Ming Ying: “…”

Three words, seemingly simple, but actually containing so much. Eight hundred thousand tiny horses and mud horses raced through Ming Ying’s heart.

He really wanted to praise XI’s Chinese for being just too good. How was he always able to leave him speechless?

But given the current situation, he had to treat this battle cautiously.

He absolutely couldn’t lose this round!

With an attitude more serious than studying for an exam, Ming Ying stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, and began to pace around the room.

First, he had to set the tone: Absolutely cannot feel guilty!

Guilt leads to failure. No matter how scary XI was, it was just online cosplay. Offline, she was such a cute girl.

Second, he had to set the goal: Meet in real life!

Online dating was just a phase, meeting in real life was the result. Ming Ying thought, as the guy, it wouldn’t be great for him to suggest it first. So he needed to find a way to make XI bring it up.

Finally, he had to decide the method: ?

What method should he use? Ming Ying thought and thought, finally clenching his fist. Damn it, although the method of sending pornographic photos wasn’t very honorable, was quite laborious, and a bit… that, it was clearly something XI liked to see.

Ming Ying sighed. Ah, he’d really fallen for a rogue. What could he do?

After this seemingly fired-up psychological pep talk ended, Ming Ying grabbed his phone and started looking for the means to achieve his goal.

He paced a circle around his room. Not suitable.

He went and walked around the bathroom… Not suitable.

Finally, after a series of footsteps, Ming Ying stood in front of the full-length mirror in the living room.

After confirming three times that Mark wasn’t home, and realizing what he was thinking, Ming Ying suddenly facepalmed and laughed.

He felt he also had the potential to be a rogue.

Half an hour later.

Mingo: Teacher, I’m back at it again!

Mingo: Where are you?

Mingo: [Puppy Peeking Sticker]

Silas had absolutely no idea how much psychological preparation Ming Ying had done to try and reclaim the initiative in seducing him.

Because at that time, he was on the phone with a school leader, dealing with the approval work for a laboratory project. He only saw Ming Ying’s message after hanging up.

Silas raised an eyebrow.

XI: In the car.

Ming Ying on the other end replied instantly.

Mingo: Not in a meeting?

XI: No.

Mingo: Not teaching a class?

XI: No.

Mingo: Not at a lecture?

Silas chuckled softly at this.

XI: No lecture. Got the thesis outline figured out?

Ming Ying clicked his tongue. XI truly lived up to being XI!

Mingo: I haven’t figured out the outline, but I did take a few more photos. I was just afraid that if you were in class or a lecture, and I sent them, you’d punish me again. [Wronged]

Ming Ying was overwhelmed by his own green tea scent (manipulative charm). He fell back into his chair laughing after sending it.

Yes, this is the feel…

Half a minute later, his phone vibrated. Ming Ying hurriedly picked it up.

XI: Are you blaming me?

Fuck. Ming Ying scrambled to sit up straight. How was this person even more green tea than him?!

Ming Ying bit his fingertip, thinking for ages about a reply, when suddenly another message came from the other side.

XI: ?

Ming Ying’s calm heart was stirred into waves by a single question mark.

Mingo: No, no, no. (′Д` )

Simultaneously with his message, XI’s message jumped out too.

XI: Ming, you can send me messages anytime.

Ming Ying froze.

XI: But I hope that when you are in class or listening to a lecture, you’ll focus on doing that one thing well. Can you do that?

Can you do that, can you do that, can you do that…

How could Ming Ying possibly say no!

Mingo: Mm mm mm.

Mingo: [Obediently Nodding.jpg]

XI: Mm. Be good.

Ming Ying’s eyes widened…

Just as Ming Ying felt a tingle run through his body because of the word “good,” his phone buzzed again.

XI: So, Ming, where are your photos?

Ming Ying: “…”

All the psychological preparation in Ming Ying’s heart couldn’t withstand a few words from Teacher XI. After he sent out all the photos in a flurry, he collapsed onto the sofa, waiting for a reply.

Because Ming Ying sent too many photos, Silas’s phone screen jumped for a full minute before gradually calming down.

The man tapped open the chat interface. An almost entirely nude back photo at the very bottom abruptly entered his vision.

Silas’s fingertips paused. He glanced up, moving his gaze away from the phone.

The driver was chatting with Catherine in the passenger seat.

As the secretary, Catherine very keenly noticed the Boss’s gaze from the back seat turning towards her. She looked back, asking: “Is there a problem, Mr. Aston?”

Silas raised an eyebrow, smiling: “No problem.”

Catherine nodded and turned back around.

And Silas dropped his eyes again, a faint smile on his lips, pressing the screen back on.

Ming Ying had sent Silas over a dozen mirror selfies. Of course, they weren’t the kind with clothes on.

Of course, they were also only of the upper body.

In the photos, the young man’s bare back was completely exposed. His fair skin and beautiful back line allowed for infinite imagination.

XI still hadn’t replied for a long time.

Ming Ying suddenly felt a bit uneasy.

Don’t tell me, after just one night, XI didn’t like these anymore…

Mingo: Teacher?

Buzz.

XI: What?

Ming Ying frowned. What do you mean, ‘what’?

Mingo: [Puppy Confused.jpg]

A reply came right after he sent the sticker.

XI: Want an evaluation?

Ming Ying snorted. Here comes the evaluation.

XI: Very good, very beautiful.

Ming Ying felt a tingling sensation in his heart again.

Why use “beautiful” to describe him? Shouldn’t it be handsome?

But Ming Ying wasn’t finished processing this when another message hit him.

XI: Haven’t been working out much lately?

WTF?!!!

He was even more shocked by the latter message than the former.

He scrambled to his feet, stood in front of the mirror, twisting his neck to look at his own muscles.

Well, sure, he hadn’t been working out much since coming here, but it shouldn’t be that bad…

Ming Ying stood in front of the mirror, silently moping for a while. When he went back, he only saw that XI had sent him another message.

XI: What’s the next chapter?

Chapter? Ming Ying frowned, digesting the word. Good lord, was XI treating the toilet thigh photos and mirror selfies as the table of contents for his pornographic thesis?

When it came to being a rogue, the other side was definitely more ruthless.

Ming Ying thought miserably.

Mingo: Teacher, can I take a break? Even a donkey grinding flour can’t go this fast…

Mingo: [Puppy Fainting.jpg]

Ming Ying sent a few more stickers to play the pity card. Usually, this would stop XI from giving him a hard time. But this time, the other party suddenly sent a reply that shocked him in place.

XI: Wait until I get back. Let’s meet first.

??? Ming Ying was stunned.

Ah? It was that easy?

They were about to meet in real life just like that?

Ming Ying suddenly felt a sense of unreality. If it really was this easy to meet, why was he actually more scared?

Mingo: Then when are you coming back?

XI: Next week.

Next week? Although he didn’t say which day, Ming Ying still found it very sudden. Because before, XI hadn’t shown his face at all, and he had already mentally prepared for a long-term plan measured in months.

Mingo: That fast?

After sending the message, Ming Ying stood in front of the mirror again, messing with his face and body.

He looked at the young man in the mirror and thought to himself, This shouldn’t be considered online fraud, right! After all, the photos weren’t even slightly Photoshopped; they were all original images!

Ming Ying was in the middle of this dilemma when his phone vibrated. He picked it up to look.

XI: Don’t want to meet?

Ming Ying: ???

Good heavens, he never said that!

But then, the next second, buzz.

XI: So, Ming, you deliberately didn’t come the night before last, didn’t you?