Relying on his extensive teaching experience, Shen Leyuan had already drafted his speech in his mind before even getting out of the car.
Then, he got stuck at the very first step.
“In the Confinement Room???”
Shen Leyuan was too shocked to even muster the energy, weakly firing off a triple barrage: “Which Confinement Room? What’s the situation? How did this happen?”
How was he supposed to explain this…
The bodyguard gave a brief rundown: “Strict father disciplines his son.”
Shen Leyuan: “How strict?”
The bodyguard thought for a moment, hesitating: “Probably the kind of strictness within a loving mother’s tolerance.”
Shen Leyuan shot him a speechless glance: “Why are you always picking up Lin Yao’s bad habits?”
Seeing the guy grin with a heh heh and about to spout nonsense, he quickly cut him off: “Who’s watching Mr. Lin right now?”
The bodyguard declared proudly: “My wife.”
Shen Leyuan was stunned. Finding love amid danger, huh? Didn’t they say the Lin Family forbids gay relationships?
The bodyguard was confident: “Don’t worry, sir doesn’t know.”
Fine, as long as you know your limits. Shen Leyuan asked for his wife’s contact info: “Let me ask if I can visit the prisoner.”
The wife pities her own husband. The bodyguard promptly sold out his colleague: “Ask someone else. That guy who always mooches meals off you—he’s eaten so much of yours, time he suffered a bit.”
Shen Leyuan: ?
Suffer? Suffer what?
It was just passing a message. Would the big boss take it out on his subordinates?
A few minutes later, the meal-mooching guard at the door stared mournfully at the sky, utterly despairing.
I’ve mooched so many meals—now suffering in the cracks between them is my karmic retribution.
He clutched his phone, standing at the door and reciting the private message lifelessly: “Teacher Shen says, ‘Please help me ask Mr. Lin about the specific punishment measures for Lin Yao, and if I can visit him, okay?'”
The man inside replied flatly: “Tell him Lin Yao isn’t a three-year-old child, and I’m not that lacking in humanity.”
The bodyguard typed: [Sir says, “Tell him Lin Yao isn’t a three-year-old child, and I’m not that lacking in humanity.”]
He paused, then typed again: [Sir says, “Forget it, cut the second part.”]
Oh ho!
His colleagues crowded over to sneak peeks, thumbs up to him.
That phrasing… bold move, bro!
The bodyguard elbowed away the nosy bunch and continued as the mouthpiece: “Teacher Shen says, ‘Lin Yao isn’t as tough as you think. Deep down, he’s a kid starved for love who needs his parents’ company—and clearly, you haven’t provided that.'”
Strict father, loving mother—the images floated vividly in the bodyguards’ minds.
After that line, the exchange grew increasingly heated.
Lin Yuan refused to admit fault: “He’s already nineteen, yet still willful, immature, and recklessly impulsive.”
Shen Leyuan wouldn’t back down: “He’s only nineteen. Someone needs to teach him.”
Lin Yuan: “I am teaching him.”
Voice low, ass high—Shen Leyuan: “That’s punishment, not teaching.”
Lin Yuan: “He doesn’t learn his lesson.”
Shen Leyuan: “Lessons don’t have to grow through violence. Have you ever tried coaxing him?”
After a long pause, the bodyguard despairingly replied: [Sir says, “Heh.”]
Heh what? Still wanna coax the wife or not?
He watched anxiously.
The next second, his eyes lit up as he read aloud: “Teacher Shen says…”
Shen Leyuan said: “You’re older than him, more experienced, more mature and steady. He’s too young to understand his parents’ hardships, but you’re an experienced elder.”
Shen Leyuan added: “He’s your child, carrying your genes, inheriting your intelligence. I believe if you teach him with care, he’ll definitely learn. It’s just that your past harshness left him with psychological scars, so he doesn’t dare approach you now—even though he still has expectations of you.”
Before, he’d thought Lin Yao cursing his dad as an “old geezer” was too much. Now, he felt that Lin Yao occasionally calling him “Dad” already counted as deep love.
Lin Yuan listened quietly.
Even though it wasn’t that person reading the words aloud, he seemed to see the young man’s gentle, helpless expression in his mind’s eye, and hear the soft, earnest tone in his ears.
“I’m not asking you to apologize or yield to him. You’ve given plenty over the years. I just don’t want you troubled by this. Why not clear things up and hand Lin Yao over to me? I’ll handle it.”
Bodyguard: “Right now, he’s—”
Bodyguard: “Uh…”
Lin Yuan frowned. “Keep reading.”
Is Shen Leyuan cursing me again? Cursing what?
Bodyguard: “Teacher Shen asks, ‘What’s his reaction now? Happy or not? If not, I’ll think of more words to coax him.'”
Silence fell inside the room.
Happy or not? Sir won’t let me in—I can’t see!
The bodyguard looked utterly baffled.
His colleagues signaled frantically. Seeing he wasn’t getting it, one spoke up for him: “Sir, why not chat directly with Teacher Shen?”
The bodyguard’s eyes bulged: My phone!!!
The work phone and account the boss had returned just days ago—he hadn’t finished deleting the new messages!
A swift, reserved reply came from inside: “Bring it in.”
Outside went quiet. The usually chatty bodyguards fell silent—probably cursing him in their group chat. Lin Yuan had never cared about his reputation before; he certainly didn’t now.
The only thing he cared about now was the young man’s influence on him.
Just thinking of the youth’s death made his heart clench in agony, like an instinct warning and restraining him. It was similar to the panic when harming Little Deer, but more intense and heavy, making even breathing difficult.
When the youth was disappointed in him, it felt like he’d lose all will to live.
Messages flashed frequently on the phone. Only after a long while did Lin Yuan pick it up. The youth’s messages were panicked: [Why no reply? Is he mad?]
[You didn’t get punished, did you?]
[What did he say? Is he taking it out on you?]
Lin Yuan stared quietly, a grievance surfacing in his eyes that even he didn’t notice.
When have I ever taken it out on others?
That day, all my subordinates sided with you—did I say anything?
They secretly shipped us, calling you “wife” behind my back—did I punish them?
The sweet words to coax me are all fake.
In your heart, I’m just an unreasonable bastard.
After a long moment, he replied with an unfiltered “Not mad,” then swiftly withdrew it.
The phone showed the other side typing.
Lin Yuan mimicked the previous format: [Sir says, “I’m not mad.”]
After a while, a message finally came.
It was a voice note.
“Mr. Lin.”
The long-missed voice was like sweet rain; Lin Yuan couldn’t stop listening, even realizing he’d been exposed and bracing for a remote scolding from the youth.
“I don’t regret what happened that day. If it happened again, I’d choose the same—and I still think you’re too harsh on Lin Yao, that he’s suffered a huge grievance. Those punishments shouldn’t be used on him—he was literally a little child the first time he was punished!”
The tone grew more intense, more fierce.
Lin Yuan instantly paused the recording.
About to start the scolding, huh? Chest feels stuffy—need to take a breather before continuing.
As for not listening…
Impossible.
He was already withdrawing from his fixation on the youth. Today, while surveilling Little Deer, every second was spent guessing what the youth was saying. Without something to soothe himself, he might lift the block any second.
This was drinking poison to quench thirst—Lin Yuan knew it full well.
But what could he do?
Shen Leyuan’s “magic” outshone even Little Deer’s, and while he could list a thousand flaws in Little Deer, he couldn’t find a single fault in the youth.
—Except his excessive attention and indulgence toward his students.
He closed his eyes to rest, steeling his nerves, then tapped the voice note again.
“But that doesn’t mean you’re bad,” the youth said. “In fact, I think this world owes you a thank you.”
The odd pivot stunned Lin Yuan, his expression dazed.
“You’re an unsung hero. Everyone living normal lives is under your protection, at the cost of your years of painful struggle. You have to manage Little Deer, watch your son, worry if your bodyguards will be affected—your nerves stretched to the breaking point, cautious to the verge of snapping.”
“You’re working so hard, so responsible. You’re worthy of respect.”
Damn.
Lin Yuan thought: Not poison—sugar.
Another message came after; his finger moved on instinct to play it, but the other side swiftly withdrew it.
The re-sent one was short: Shen Leyuan asked, “Can I go see Lin Yao?”
Lin Yuan: …
What was that previous one???
I saw it—a long one. Praising or cursing me?
After a long silence, Lin Yuan typed expressionlessly: [Sir doesn’t seem too happy. Needs more coaxing from you.]
He deleted it, replacing with a single word.
[Yes.]
Then he replayed the previous voice note.
Again.
And again.
Couldn’t get enough.
Meanwhile, the lovesick bodyguard, obsessed with showing off, gave a thumbs-up to their sweet-talking, beautiful, kind-hearted Teacher Shen: “Badass! Next fight, I’ll learn your 18 ways to coax the wife from you.”
Shen Leyuan glanced at him, listlessly: “Don’t tease me.”
Heart so tired.
This time, the exhaustion came from empathizing with that “I’m the only normal one” desperation.
Since transmigrating, he’d only dealt with Little Deer, the big boss, and Lin Yao—these few problematic teens. But the boss had faced everyone relentlessly for over a decade, even his most trusted juniors falling for him. Who could he trust?
When praising, Shen Leyuan’s tone was fervent, but his mood plummeted.
He’d originally planned to say Lin Yao was innocent, not another victim—but after saying it, he suddenly felt a bit cruel and withdrew the voice.
Whatever. Let him be happy for now.
He should be happy, right? The boss isn’t quite what I thought…
Recalling the bodyguard’s relay of “Forget it, cut the second part,” the accidental “Not mad,” and that earlier “QAQ” from Little Deer’s phone, Shen Leyuan felt… a bit…
Amused? Baffled? Annoyed? Embarrassed? Soft-hearted?
All of it—emotions all tangled.
Tossing aside his “don’t contact the boss directly” plan, Shen Leyuan said with a hint of grievance: “You can tell me what happened. I’m not unreasonable—if it’s really Lin Yao’s fault, I won’t shield him.”
The typing stopped, started again, then a recording arrived.
—”I thought I’d get a stepmom, but nope—a little sister instead.”
—”Guys who like older ones don’t pick you. Duck in your mouth flies to someone else’s pot, you old fart—are you useless or what?”
The young voice was brash, dripping sarcasm.
—”Oh right, sorry—I forgot. You really are useless.”
—”A cripple.”
