[Fine,] he said. [Sort the surveillance footage these next couple days. I’ll pass it to the new monitor.]
No response again.
Hao Mingrui: [???]
Minutes later, the “rational” Mr. Lin hesitated endlessly before quietly withdrawing the handover request.
Shen Leyuan knew nothing of this exchange.
He lay on the bed hugging the Little Dog, spacing out, sighing now and then.
“What the hell is this?!”
He burrowed under the covers with the Little Dog, whispering, “Mr. Chu, Mr. Chu—are you there?”
The Little Dog stayed deathly quiet, afraid to overthink and rile itself up.
Soul-leaving was getting easier; returning harder. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let Lin Yuan babble nonsense outside earlier.
No cuddles from Mr. Ghost today—he hadn’t shown once.
“Are you about to leave?” Shen Leyuan murmured. “I’m kinda panicking, Mr. Chu. The big boss seems really off—like he actually likes me? But how could he? Makes no sense…”
The Little Dog whined softly, licking between his fingers.
How doesn’t it make sense?
You’re so great—tons of people liking you is normal.
As it licked, he heard Shen Leyuan say, “Or maybe I’m the not-normal one.”
Little Deer was overly fixated on him, the big boss overly attentive, even Lin Yao always seeking his notice. Was this some transmigrator halo?
“Sigh…” Shen Leyuan kept sighing.
Huo Tingfeng couldn’t stand it. He took over the Little Dog’s body, ducking under the bed. Soul out, he gripped Shen Leyuan’s hand and typed: [You’re not abnormal.]
“Mr. Chu?” Shen Leyuan called delightedly.
Huo Tingfeng: [You’re thoughtful, gentle, responsible—that’s why everyone likes you.]
Huo Tingfeng: [Only Lin Yuan’s abnormal.]
Huo Tingfeng: [Don’t overthink.]
Shen Leyuan muttered softly, “But it really feels off. I used to get along well with people too, but that just meant making friends. I’ve never had anyone confess to me like this.”
Huo Tingfeng: …
Not only does Lin Yuan look at you with those wrong eyes—the bodyguards have several who’ve secretly blushed too. When they’re in a bad mood, you comfort them; when they’re sick, you visit. You make one sick meal, then two, then three. Little Deer and Lin Yao’s eyes turned green with envy, and you didn’t even notice.
I like you, and you didn’t notice that either…
Thank goodness.
Suppressing his urge to confess, Huo Tingfeng said casually as if nothing was wrong: 【No one asked you out on Valentine’s Day?】
Shen Leyuan: 【There were.】
Huo Tingfeng’s eyes narrowed menacingly: 【Who?】
Worried Lin Yuan might still be monitoring him, Shen Leyuan typed back: 【Colleagues, or old classmates. Sometimes students’ older brothers or sisters. Not confessions—just everyone single, nothing to do that day, so we hang out.】
Huo Tingfeng sensed something off: 【Together?】
Shen Leyuan: 【Yeah, I figured with so many people, might as well make it a group team-building thing.】
Huo Tingfeng: …
After a moment of silence, he said: 【Team-building is great 👍】
With Mr. Ghost around, Shen Leyuan stopped fretting over what was normal or not. He was blameless, after all.
One less day like this.
Huo Tingfeng went from holding his hand, to hugging him from behind while typing, until Shen Leyuan’s eyes finally drooped shut in a daze. Unable to resist, he leaned in and kissed his forehead, relieved once more at Shen Leyuan’s obliviousness.
Lin Yuan was still being stubborn, but Lin Yao and Little Deer were just two little weaklings.
Just wait. Once I’m back in my own body and reintroduce myself to Shen Leyuan, with how well I know him, I’ll win his favor fast.
Then confess…
No, not “maybe”—it’ll succeed, no failure allowed!
The next morning, the breakfast table felt strangely tense.
Little Deer chattered away as usual, babbling nonstop.
But Lin Yuan didn’t eat with his head down in silence like always. Instead, he stared deeply at Shen Leyuan, as if he had a million things to say. After two failed attempts, though, he had no idea how to coax the young man anymore.
Lin Yao kept stealing glances at Shen Leyuan—look once, then avert his eyes, only to look again soon after. His left hand stayed stuffed in his pocket the whole time, like he was hiding something important.
As the center of all those gazes, Shen Leyuan remained oblivious.
He was still worrying about Mr. Ghost.
Maybe they’d chatted too happily yesterday, or maybe he’d subconsciously avoided the topic—he’d forgotten to ask if Mr. Ghost was leaving.
After breakfast, just before heading to class, Lin Yao called out to him.
“Teacher…” The young man hesitated, his gaze drifting, cheeks flushed red.
Shen Leyuan’s heart tightened: Is he about to confess?
Little Deer had left with the teacher and noticed his attention shift to his brother. Unhappy, he tugged at Shen Leyuan’s hand and pulled him forward: “Class is starting soon! We can talk in the classroom~”
Once they were back in class, he’d be the teacher’s favorite kid!
His brother wasn’t—his brother was just an auditor now.
It was a perfect plan, but after a night of reflection, Lin Yao seemed to have evolved. He said seriously, “Little Deer, don’t force the teacher to do things he doesn’t want to.”
Little Deer’s eyes widened slightly: “I didn’t!”
Then he twisted toward the teacher and whined like always: “Look at him, he’s accusing Little Deer!”
Shen Leyuan patted his head: “Can you head back to class and review first?”
Little Deer didn’t want to, but the teacher had asked nicely, so he obeyed reluctantly, looking back every few steps as he walked away.
Hmph, Brother’s so annoying!
Once Little Deer was gone, Lin Yao fidgeted and pulled several neatly folded sheets from his pocket. His cheeks visibly reddened further: “Teacher, this is for you.”
Shen Leyuan reflexively refused: “Sorry, no teacher-student romance!”
I still want to cling to my stable job forever.
Wait, no—I don’t even have that job anymore…
So depressing.
Lin Yao looked stunned, then his face burned even redder: “No, no, it’s not a love letter. It’s… it’s…”
It seemed even harder to say than a confession. Lin Yao squeezed out three words through gritted teeth: “A self-reflection.”
Then he raised his voice: “Everything I want to say is written there. Read it if you want, don’t if you don’t—no need to tell me. I-I’m going to review!”
With that, he bolted like a streak of smoke.
Shen Leyuan watched the young man’s fleeing back, then glanced at the neatly penned self-reflection in his hand. He smiled helplessly yet gratified: “This kid…”
Admit your wrongs and correct them—good boy.
That day, Lin Yao was eerily quiet. Even when Little Deer provoked him, he didn’t respond, just waited hopefully for the teacher to finish class and talk to him.
The teacher will forgive me, right?
Of course. The teacher’s so gentle…
Shen Leyuan was in a great mood that day too. After morning classes, he sought Lin Yao out specially, praising and advising him warmly—like old times, even gentler.
Lin Yao finally perked up, joyfully calling out: “Then when school starts, you’ll teach me at school, right, Teacher?”
Shen Leyuan shot it down instantly: “No.”
Lin Yao: …?
Anxious and aggrieved, he pressed: “Why? Didn’t you just forgive me, Teacher?”
Shen Leyuan: “Mm, I forgave you.”
“Then why…”
Shen Leyuan: “But forgiving you has nothing to do with continuing to teach you.”
Seeing the young man’s hurt expression, he explained softly: “It’s not because I dislike you—I don’t dislike you. I just don’t have the time or energy for another student. Little Deer alone wears me out.”
Lin Yao murmured: “You used to teach all three of us…”
“That was mainly teaching Little Deer,” Shen Leyuan said. “A Si was very obedient and didn’t take much of my time. You were the one I squeezed time and energy for—I stayed up late a lot back then.”
Lin Yao blurted: “I can be very obedient too!”
Shen Leyuan: “It has nothing to do with how obedient you are. I’m refusing for the sake of my own body and mind. You don’t particularly need me, and I don’t want to be classmates’ teacher at the same school.”
It’d eat into my personal time—absolutely!
It was like a bucket of ice water doused him. Lin Yao’s face wasn’t just hurt now—it was utterly dejected.
Shen Leyuan’s heart softened, and he ruffled his hair: “If you have any troubles, you can come chat with me. But a teacher-student relationship… sorry, that’s very special to me. I can’t promise it lightly.”
Special. Can’t promise it lightly.
But I once had that relationship so easily. I should’ve gotten the same intimate care as Little Deer—everything he has, I deserved too.
Now it’s all gone…
What’s so great about Little Deer? Just because he’s an idiot?
No, Lin Yao answered himself quickly: Because he’s obedient. Even if it’s just pretending.
His eyes red-rimmed, staring at the teacher who still cared for him even after refusing, Lin Yao couldn’t even get mad. He just pleaded softly: “Teacher, can you pat my head again?”
You do it to Little Deer all the time, but rarely to me…
Shen Leyuan ruffled his hair again. It was coarse and stiff, like the old Lin Yao—but peel away that prickly shell, and this kid was softer than Little Deer.
So starved for love, so easily won over by kindness.
But he really had no energy to raise another one, especially not with Little Deer and Lin Yao—they didn’t suit being raised together.
Pushing those faint thoughts down, Shen Leyuan dropped the topic. The afternoon classes went on, and the brothers both behaved impeccably, no bickering.
Shen Leyuan was delighted.
He didn’t notice, though, that every time he turned back to fiddle with the new media lesson slides, Little Deer and Lin Yao would lock eyes with fierce sparks, faces taut like they wanted to kick each other out.
Competition breeds motivation. Both thought: I need to be good.
One thought: If I’m good, Teacher will like me too.
The other: With Teacher around, I’ll be good for now. Later, I’ll figure out how to deal with Brother!
