Chapter 14
What was all this?
For the first time, Xue Changyi felt his mind go blank. Like a rusty door hinge, the slightest thought made all the parts in his head creak and groan under the strain.
A body pillow?
And the body pillow had a life-sized image of Xue Changyi, his black Yama robe half-open, chin slightly raised, with an… inviting expression?
And a mousepad?
Could that even be called a mousepad? Xue Changyi was lying on his stomach, the area of his buttocks designed as an ergonomic silicone pad. Just looking at it… it seemed quite… soft and bouncy?
It wasn’t just Xue Changyi who was stunned. The owner of these items—Minister Wu—was equally dumbfounded.
Minister Wu’s cold, impassive face cracked like an ice floe as his collection of merchandise spilled onto the floor.
“You…” Wu Mu said in a deep voice, “Let me explain.”
Their eyes met. Wu Mu was clearly flustered, his gaze flickering. “These were… confiscated from the students.”
“Confiscated?” Xue Changyi wasn’t just confused, he was incredulous.
Wu Mu nodded, repeating seriously, “Confiscated.”
Class Nine? Xue Changyi scrutinized Wu Mu. As a Yama King, especially the Tenth Yama King, he was adept at judging cases.
The first nine Yama Kings each had their own responsibilities, specializing in different aspects of judging the souls entering the Underworld. For example, the First Yama King oversaw the Mirror of Retribution, reviewing a person’s entire life in the mortal realm. The Fourth Yama King judged cases of deception. By the time souls reached the Tenth Court, Xue Changyi would issue the final judgment based on the assessments of the previous nine courts.
Therefore, Xue Changyi was highly skilled in judging and discerning the truth.
Xue Changyi narrowed his eyes, his sharp senses picking up on Wu Mu’s subtle cues. “Minister Wu, your eyes just flickered, and you hesitated for half a second.”
Wu Mu: “…”
Xue Changyi took a step closer, then another, slowly approaching Wu Mu. He said softly, “Are you telling the truth? Or… are you lying?”
Wu Mu: “…”
Wu Mu’s expression remained unchanged, his face a perpetual mask, but he averted his gaze, avoiding Xue Changyi’s eyes.
A clear sign of guilt.
“Ahem…” As the distance between them closed, Wu Mu coughed softly, suddenly holding his phone to his ear. “Hello? An urgent mission? Alright, I’ll return to the Supervisory Department immediately.”
Wu Mu brushed past Xue Changyi and left the dormitory without looking back.
Thump!
The door closed.
Room 444 was silent, only Xue Changyi and the scattered merchandise remaining.
Click—
The lock turned.
Thump…
The door opened again. Wu Mu strode back in, his long legs encased in his suit, his tall and athletic figure reaching down to gather all the merchandise and stuff it back into the wardrobe.
Lock!
“Minister Wu…” Xue Changyi began.
Wu Mu held his phone to his ear again, seemingly too busy to hear Xue Changyi.
“The mission is urgent? I’m on my way…”
Thump!
The door slammed shut again.
Xue Changyi: “… ” The phone screen hadn’t even lit up. Liar.
Underworld Central Office, First Supervisory Department.
“Minister?” The Envoys, seeing Wu Mu arrive late at night, were on high alert. “Minister, what brings you back? Is there an emergency?”
Wu Mu’s face was cold as he surveyed the Envoys working overtime. He said indifferently, “Don’t mind me, carry on with your work.”
“Yes, Minister!”
Wu Mu entered his office and closed the door. The office was a sealed space, with only him inside.
He opened a locked drawer and took out a small, exquisite box, lifting the lid.
Inside—was a chibi figurine of Xue Changyi, with interchangeable magnetic outfits.
Wu Mu took out the figurine and placed it on the desk, then took out the different outfits.
Click, the magnet attached—the Yama’s black robe.
Click—the restrained long shirt.
Click—the elegant suit.
Click…
He changed the figurine’s outfits repeatedly, as if he could play with it all night without getting bored.
His cold face softened into an almost imperceptible smile. His large hand gently caressed the figurine as he murmured, “He would probably look good in this too…”
Click!
Wu Mu’s fingers moved, and the figurine had a new outfit, a… lacy maid outfit.
Saturday and Sunday passed peacefully. The students of Class Nine didn’t cause any trouble, and Wu Mu, using the excuse of urgent Supervisory Department work, didn’t return to the Pangong dormitory.
For two whole days, Wu Mu didn’t appear before Xue Changyi, and Wu Mu’s mysterious wardrobe remained locked…
Today was Monday. After morning self-study, the first class was PE.
As Class Nine’s substitute PE teacher, Wu Mu naturally couldn’t skip class.
Xue Changyi had specifically asked the principal about it. Wu Mu hadn’t requested leave, and the principal hadn’t heard of any urgent matters at the Supervisory Department.
Ring, ring, ring—
Morning self-study ended, and the first-class bell rang.
Wu Mu didn’t appear in the classroom, but this wasn’t unusual. After all, PE class was held on the playground. The students packed their things, ready to head to the playground.
“Let’s go, PE class…”
“Yawn—I’m still sleepy! Why did the Libationer schedule PE first thing Monday morning?”
“I wonder what Teacher Wu will teach us today? Hopefully some elegant swordsmanship.”
“Li Bai, are you serious? Elegant swordsmanship? That’s all for show!”
Xue Changyi, carrying the collected homework, followed the students to the Pangong playground, where he saw Wu Mu.
Their eyes met from afar, and Xue Changyi, with his sharp eyesight, noticed Wu Mu frown slightly.
“Teacher Wu,” Xue Changyi smiled. “Isn’t this PE class? Are you going somewhere?”
Wu Mu paused, turning back slightly. “I’m going to the equipment room to get something.”
He entered the equipment room and emerged with several thick mats. He surveyed the students. “Push-ups.”
“Ah—push-ups…”
“Push-ups are so boring.”
“Hmph, piece of cake. This general can do five hundred without even blinking!”
Wu Mu said calmly, “One thousand five hundred.”
“How many?”
“One thousand five hundred?”
“What? The wind is too strong, I think my ears just went temporarily blind.”
“Is that the number of push-ups, or the distance for a long-distance run?”
“Brother, brother… Jiao’er can’t even do one push-up, what should I do?”
Wu Mu said seriously, “Teacher Xue, I have to teach the students. If you have something to discuss, we can talk later.”
Xue Changyi raised an eyebrow and nodded, surprisingly agreeable.
He took two steps closer to Wu Mu, tilting his head slightly, his slender, pale neck like that of a fragile swan. His cool voice carried a hint of amusement as he whispered, “Teacher Wu, after school… I’ll be waiting for you in the dormitory.”
