The next two days were a blend of routine life and attending my tutoring classes. Life settled back into a stable rhythm.
The injury on my arm still prevented me from exercising intensely, so I kept my evenings simple: taking Xiao Xue out for a walk and stopping by the gym.
What surprised me was that Xiao Xue suddenly became quite popular.
I knew Chen Shi liked her. Xiao Xue often acted as a mascot at the gym, sitting near the counter, and had actually drawn in a few girls to sign up for memberships. This was remarkable, as women were a rare sight in that kind of heavy-lifting gym, which speaks volumes about Xiao Xue's appeal.
But the real surprise came when Cang Yingyun proactively messaged me, asking me to bring the dog to her that evening, saying she wanted to walk her.
This put me in a bit of a dilemma. I discussed it with Chen Shi at the gym. She immediately told me to take Xiao Xue, giving me a knowing look.
I forced a smile. "Sister Chen, you're overthinking things. How could that be?"
"What's the big deal? Isn't that how young people are these days? If you like her, go for it!" Chen Shi didn't see any issue.
"I'm an art student, so I'm especially interested in all this romance stuff. In other words, I'm nosy! If you need advice in that area, feel free to come to me," Chen Shi said with a cheerful smile.
I chatted with her for a bit and realized she knew nothing about actual dating. Her "tips and methods" boiled down to essentially being a "straight shooter."
Her terrible advice seemed to be the result of watching too many romantic dramas—as bad as the "hero forcefully cornering the heroine against the wall" trope.
I was speechless, looking at her radiant smile, and thought to myself: Do you think everyone is like you and Chen Ge, looking like childhood sweethearts?
I kept that last bit to myself. I still suspected they might be actual siblings, so I avoided the topic entirely.
After saying goodbye to Chen Shi, I walked Xiao Xue to the agreed-upon park.
It was twilight, the night gently swaying. The tall camphor trees rustled softly in the evening breeze. Neon lights from high-rises dominated the night sky, proclaiming their authority. The light was broken by the camphor leaves into fine shadows that danced and flickered with the movement of the branches.
This scene reminded me of a primary school text—a descriptive piece whose name I've forgotten. But I remembered a passage our teacher made us memorize:
Layers of sunlight penetrated the dense jungle, leaving only scattered, fragmentary silhouettes.
It was strange to see a similar landscape at night. I felt a sense of nostalgia. Although city high-rises were growing faster and faster, I still remembered the happy days of my childhood in my grandparents' countryside home.
That was the time I looked forward to every summer and Lunar New Year, because it meant I could escape my mother's control and play recklessly without worrying about my grandparents' scolding.
In the countryside, we collected cicada shells in the summer. They were valuable but weighed almost nothing. Sometimes, after a month of collecting, we could only sell them for ten or twenty yuan.
We often found small holes beneath the pomelo tree in front of the house—these were the real, un-shed cicadas. I'd dig up the holes with a hoe to catch them. These cicadas were not fully awake and moved their limbs slowly, completely unable to struggle.
Summer was the most fun, with its ditches full of tiny fish, shrimp, and crabs.
Led by the older children, we were incredibly mischievous. Although I always came home with wet pants, my grandmother would carefully change my clothes and tell me not to go again and to be careful.
I'd promise, but I always went back out.
One summer, my fair skin tanned a full shade darker.
I remember that first summer when my mother came to pick me up, she screamed! After that, my summer vacation was shortened. I could only stay at my grandparents' house for a month before being brought back.
Winter wasn't as fun. It was just visiting relatives, and my mother would be there to control me. I had no freedom.
Besides, winter was cold and made my hands and feet numb. I couldn't play in the water, and there were no crabs or shrimp. It was just boring.
I walked slowly, leading Xiao Xue.
I hadn't reached the spot yet, but a dazzling flash of red appeared in my line of sight.
I saw a beautiful figure standing under a red plum tree in the park. She was tall and slender, wearing a long, flowing red Hanfu dress. A hairpin adorned her hair. Her posture was graceful and elegant, making her look absolutely stunning.
I vaguely recalled a line from the Book of Songs: Cooing and wooing are the ospreys, on the river is an islet. Elegant and poised is the girl, a fine partner for a gentleman.
I thought this girl truly deserved to be called an "elegant and poised lady."
I quickly realized I had made her wait so long, which was quite rude.
She stood there quietly, leaning slightly against the plum tree, an exquisite sight that drew many people to take photos.
Seeing me approach with Xiao Xue, she spotted me and walked over.
"I'm sorry, I kept you waiting," I apologized, handing her the leash and offering a sincere smile. Looking at her dignified and gorgeous face, I was momentarily distracted, vaguely recalling Chen Shi's words.
But I quickly gave a bitter laugh in my heart. A woman of her beauty must attract countless admirers. How many fish were in her pond? I was probably less than a fish. What was I even thinking?
"It's okay. I haven't waited long."
She bent down in front of me to gently stroke Xiao Xue's head. Xiao Xue wagged her tail in return, which strangely gave me the illusion that I was her boyfriend.
At the same time, I felt countless eyes focused on me. Although I wasn't as awkward as I used to be, I was still a little uncomfortable.
"Go on, enjoy the walk. I'll come back here to pick her up later," I said, looking at Xiao Xue, feeling an odd sense of fate that this dog had led me to interact with such a woman.
"Okay."
She looked up at me. Her bright eyes and white teeth confirmed the description: stunningly beautiful, no exaggeration.
I couldn't help myself and asked softly, "Are you your school's 'Campus Belle'?"
She was simply too beautiful, and she had mentioned she was a university student.
"Hmm?" She looked at me and then suddenly burst into a smile. "That's what they say. I've never actually participated in any beauty contest."
Her bright, sunny smile stunned me. This "big sister" university student had a huge impact on me, a high schooler.
I finally understood the "older sister" archetype in TV dramas. It was like lying comfortably in the soft grass of an endless field and reaching out to grasp the first ray of morning light—so gentle, so warm, so comforting.
"Oh, right."
She seemed to recall something and said, "I have a social media account. It's called 'Cang Yingyun Hanfu.' You should search for it."
With that, she winked playfully, gracefully turned, and led Xiao Xue away.
Her clothing fluttered as she walked, truly giving me the impression of a celestial being.
I was mesmerized by her beauty and took a long time to snap out of it.
I finally remembered what she said. I opened my phone and searched for the name on the short video app. To my shock, after just typing the first character, her full name popped up.
My heart pounded. What did this mean? It meant that if she wasn't bluffing, she was a well-known person.
Sure enough, when I clicked search and saw her million-plus follower count, I was utterly shocked.
I never imagined I had encountered an Internet celebrity.
Still in disbelief, I clicked on a video and recognized her immediately.
Although I was always skeptical of online influencers' looks, I had interacted with Cang Yingyun in person. Without exaggeration, she was much more beautiful than she appeared in the videos.
I couldn't believe such a person was genuinely interacting with me. My emotions surged, and I couldn't calm down for a long time.
It was quite late when she finally messaged me. I returned to the park as promised. When I saw her beautiful figure, my eyes held a new layer of emotion: admiration and respect, brought on by knowing her identity.
Though I admired her greatly, I was acutely aware of the gap between us and kept my feelings hidden.
"Here you go... thank you, Xiao Xue..."
She was bending down, feeding Xiao Xue something. When she saw me, she stood up and brought Xiao Xue over.
She looked at me and grinned. "Well, did you search?"
I was momentarily surprised. I hadn't expected her to be so down-to-earth, without any of the arrogance you might expect. I said with genuine surprise, "I was stunned! I never expected to meet an influencer, let alone one I could actually talk to."
"Hehe, 'influencer' is a big word. I don't have that many followers," she said cheerfully.
"One million followers isn't many? What is, then?" I smiled helplessly.
"Hehe, I'm just a small blogger. Not many people know me," she laughed, revealing her perfect white teeth.
I finally understood why so many people had wanted to take pictures with her earlier. Was it a fan meet-up?
"By the way, are you interested in becoming a pet blogger?" she asked suddenly, looking at Xiao Xue.
I paused. I vaguely remembered that kind of influencer existed online.
"Xiao Xue is so cute and has such a good temperament. I think she has huge potential for short videos. If you film her a lot, I think many people would love to watch," she said, smiling at me.
I hesitated. "I don't think so."
"Why not?" Cang Yingyun looked confused.
"No reason, I just don't want to," I gently shook my head. The idea was tempting, but Xiao Xue wasn't mine to keep. In my mind, she was a pet lost by some wealthy family and would eventually go back. Like a young eagle in my hand, she would fly away one day. I was constantly checking for lost dog notices so I could return her to her rightful owner.
"Alright, I won't press you. But if you ever change your mind, I can tell you exactly what to do. Feel free to ask me for advice," Cang Yingyun saw my hesitation and didn't push it. She then asked, "But can Xiao Xue appear in the videos I shoot? I can offer you a hefty payment."
I paused again.
Cang Yingyun said playfully, "Don't hesitate! If I weren't afraid of taking someone else's beloved pet, I'd seriously consider buying Xiao Xue."
I shook my head. "Xiao Xue is not for sale. But she can appear in your videos, that's fine."
I couldn't bring myself to buy and sell animals; I found it cruel. It was like when I was little, and my grandmother wanted to kill an old hen she'd raised for years to feed me, and I cried for her to let it live. Perhaps my mother had taught me well—I was innately kind.
"Alright, I was just asking," she smiled at me.
Looking at her elegant and beautiful face, a slight flutter rose in my heart. Without knowing exactly why, I asked softly, "Do influencers like you have any private hobbies?"
My face felt hot after asking. Was my attempt at flirting too obvious?
Perhaps she was used to it, as she didn't mock me. Cang Yingyun just smiled slightly and replied, "Of course. Hanfu."
"Oh..." I scratched my head. Her account name already said that, didn't it? Cang Yingyun Hanfu. Of course, she was interested in Hanfu. I laughed awkwardly.
Cang Yingyun chuckled and lowered her voice: "I'll tell you a secret: I have another hobby, too. I rarely tell anyone."
"What is it?" My heart skipped a beat. I asked curiously.
"I own a flower shop, remember? What do you think?" She winked.
"You like gardening?" I asked.
"Hehe, you can keep guessing," she winked again. Then she patted Xiao Xue, waved goodbye, and said, "It's getting late. See you next time."
"Mhm," I nodded.
I watched her beautiful red silhouette walk away and didn't look away for a long time.
She's truly beautiful, I thought sincerely.
On the way home with Xiao Xue, I received a money transfer from her.
Seeing the amount, I was stunned and messaged her to ask if she had made a mistake.
She quickly replied, saying no.
I stared at the thousand yuan and then at Xiao Xue, suddenly feeling like I had sold her for a thousand yuan.
Xiao Xue was slumped, clearly exhausted from the woman's vigorous walk. Seeing her looking so worn out, I felt a pang of guilt, but remembering how naughty and energetic she was earlier, I gritted my teeth. Must not be soft-hearted!
Ahem, I certainly wasn't doing it for the money.
Back home, I poured dog food into Xiao Xue's bowl, but I noticed she wasn't very fond of it.
Compared to dog food, I felt Xiao Xue preferred carbohydrates. She always ate my noodles, buns, and steamed bread faster.
I ate my own dinner, then took a shower. My left hand was still a bit awkward, but I could manage; it was healing well.
Later that evening, a book titled The Complete Guide to Plants lay on my desk.
For some reason, I had developed a deep interest in it. I turned on the desk lamp. The warm, orange light illuminated the pages, and the literary scent of the words drew me in. I unconsciously became deeply absorbed...
The next day was a weekend, a rare moment of rest for the usually severe and demanding Mistress Extinction.
She was relaxing in the bathtub, soaking. From the outside, the bathroom was hazy, but the occasional flash of white flesh accompanying the sounds of the water was quite alluring.
Bai Manwen was enjoying her bath when a sudden phone call disturbed her. This made her slightly unhappy.
While it was normal for a homeroom teacher to receive calls constantly, she hadn't had a proper rest in a long time. She felt annoyed at the person who interrupted her relaxation and simply let the phone ring. She lay lazily in the tub, waving her hands in the water and lovingly applying shampoo to the two "mountains" on her chest. Although she was over forty, her beautiful breasts were exceptionally well-maintained, full and rounded, with deep red buds blooming on the snowy peaks like flower stamens.
Gently stroking her chest, a strange sensation arose, but then some unpleasant memories surfaced. The thought of that person made Bai Manwen instantly clench her teeth in anger. No one had ever treated her like that in her life. Even her husband had to move cautiously and gently, fearing her reaction, especially regarding her breasts. He never dared to knead them forcefully, yet that person had treated them so roughly.
Thinking of this, she involuntarily thought of her husband, which sparked a renewed surge of anger. She couldn't believe her husband, who was always so timid and obedient in front of her, could betray her. If they weren't both implicated in the same mess now, given her personality, she would have made him pay.
The annoying ringtone outside continued. It had been ringing for ten minutes. Who was so persistent?
"What is it?"
Bai Manwen frowned and rose from the tub. Her perfect, curvaceous body emerged from the water. Water splashed everywhere. If a chemistry teacher were to describe it, the "beaker" was clean.
She looked like a mermaid rising from the water.
Bai Manwen was clearly well-preserved. Not only were her breasts firm, but her buttocks were also exceptionally full, plump like large white pears. They showed no sign of flattening from long hours of sitting at a desk. When she walked, her chest surged, and her hips created ripples of white movement, visible soft and elastic.
The area between her legs was lush and green, with abundant, vibrant, glossy hair hiding a deep red valley. As her white legs crossed back and forth, it appeared and disappeared, radiating an ineffable allure.
She glanced at the phone—an unknown number. Likely a student's parent.
Reaching for the phone, she pressed the answer button.
"Hello? Who is this?" Her tone was sharp. She wanted to see what was so important that the person called so relentlessly.
"Hello, Teacher. I'm Lin Nan's mother. I wanted to ask about his recent situation."
"What?" Hearing that hated name again, an uncontrollable surge of anger rose in Bai Manwen's heart. Her entire predicament was caused by one person: Lin Nan. She felt no goodwill towards anything concerning him.
"I don't know," Bai Manwen replied, barely holding back her fury.
"What do you mean, you don't know, Teacher Bai?" The voice on the other end was filled with confusion.
"It means nothing..." Bai Manwen sneered. She wanted to say more, but then remembered Lin Nan's previous phone call and finally let out a cold "Hmph": "Your son is fine in his studies, everything is as usual."
"Teacher Bai, what's really going on?" Sensing the unusual tone, the voice on the phone grew anxious.
But Bai Manwen didn't want to talk anymore. Her anger was about to boil over. She simply hit the hang-up button and threw the phone onto the sofa.
"Hoo..." Bai Manwen closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. Lin Nan, Lin Nan. Why is he everywhere?
Her relaxing moment was completely ruined. She no longer felt like taking a bath. She quickly rinsed off the soap, dried herself with a towel, dressed, and walked out.
The room fell silent again. Just then, a man opened the door to another room, cautiously poking his head out to look around. Only after confirming the woman had left did he relax.
"Phew... that wench finally left..."
Mu Feipeng, who was so arrogant and intimidating at school, was utterly humiliated at home.
Mu Feipeng! Wasn't he respected everywhere he went? If he wanted to, he could easily pick up a sweet, skilled girl and take her to bed that very night. Wouldn't that be a carefree life?
Yet, there was a tigress guarding the house. He was willing but had no guts. After managing to sneak around a few times, he was discovered.
The thought of Bai Manwen's face made Mu Feipeng shudder.
Being this terrified of his wife, he was probably the number one cuckold in Yunlong City First Middle School.
He laughed self-deprecatingly. Mu Feipeng finally dared to walk into the kitchen, scavenging for Bai Manwen's leftovers. He quickly filled his stomach, as he still had to get dressed and attend a teachers' meeting.
The thought of the indignity he suffered at home, despite his status outside, made Mu Feipeng grit his teeth. But the thought of Bai Manwen's face forced him to shake his head helplessly. However, a venomous seed had been planted in his heart. He clearly had his own plans. While he wouldn't dare defy Bai Manwen openly, he was a different person in private.
After eating, Mu Feipeng changed his clothes and also left the house.
And so, the married couple, each with their own secret agenda, left one after the other.
"Bang..."
Meanwhile, in a private office in a large high-rise, Ning Yao's movements were so intense that she knocked over a cup of tea. Her secretary quickly rushed over to wipe the liquid from the desk.
The secretary was slightly confused. Since she had started working for Ning Yao, she had never seen her lose her composure like this. She suspected it had to do with that phone call.
"Xiaoya, get the car ready. I need to go out," Ning Yao realized her lapse in control. She took a few deep breaths and quickly regained her composure.
"But you have a new project meeting scheduled in just half an hour, we already confirmed it."
Xiaoya, a woman in her early twenties, with delicate features and a crisp short haircut, looked professional. She tried to persuade her boss.
"Cancel it. I have something urgent to attend to," Ning Yao said softly.
"But..." Xiaoya hesitated for a long moment. She knew securing this project would significantly advance Ning Yao's career. She couldn't believe her normally workaholic boss would make such an irrational decision, especially at this crucial moment.
"Go now," Ning Yao frowned slightly. Seeing Xiaoya still hesitating, her voice became strict and final.
"Yes, I'll go right away."
Seeing Ning Yao's expression, Xiaoya quickly rose, no longer daring to question her decision, and left to make the arrangements.
"Hoo..." Only after Xiaoya left did Ning Yao realize her heart was racing.
The image of the figure with the bandage was still vivid, and she couldn't calm down. The way he held the curtain rod seemed to stab her heart directly, even through the screen...
A black Mercedes, Ning Yao's preferred color for its stability, sped out from under the building shortly after.
However, her heart was anything but stable. It had been a long time since the surveillance feed was broken, and due to her busy schedule, she hadn't checked it until now.
Sitting in the car, watching the scenery rush past the window, her thoughts were in complete turmoil...
I woke up early, washed up, and ate breakfast. Then, I took Xiao Xue on the bus to Chen Shi's tutoring center.
Although Chen Shi could have driven me, I couldn't bring myself to ask. Not only would I feel awkward being the third wheel to her and Chen Ge's intimacy, but being around such wealthy people always made me uneasy. She might not care, but I did.
Upon arriving, I led Xiao Xue upstairs. The dog attracted a lot of attention because she was so beautiful.
I felt a slight nervousness, a strange feeling that I wasn't good enough for Xiao Xue.
Walking quickly into the classroom, I saw Chen Shi at the podium preparing lessons, with several students already gathered, asking her questions.
She could answer a wide range of questions for everyone. Her conversations were broad but always respectful, never crossing any lines.
She was like the long skirt she wore—passionate, yet reserved and proper.
I had rarely seen her more unreserved side; that seemed to be reserved only for Chen Ge.
In my view, this was the display of true love. Many people say traditional romance doesn't exist anymore, but if Chen Shi and Chen Ge weren't involved in some illicit sibling relationship as I sometimes imagined, they were the perfect model couple.
She saw me enter and told the students to wait a moment. She came down, smiling, and patted Xiao Xue's head.
Many students were curious about Xiao Xue and gathered around to pet her. While most were gentle, a few were rough, making Xiao Xue whimper uncomfortably.
I noticed this and felt a flicker of anger. The old me might have hesitated, but not now.
I pulled Xiao Xue in front of me and said flatly, "Don't hurt Xiao Xue..."
The space went quiet instantly. A large portion of the students lost interest and left, muttering things like, "It's just a dog, why the attitude?"
I didn't care what they said. To me now, these people mattered less than Xiao Xue.
"You can pet her gently, but don't handle the dog roughly," I ignored their comments and raised my voice a little.
At this, even fewer people came forward to touch Xiao Xue.
I was momentarily startled, feeling a bit uneasy. Did I act too aggressively?
Chen Shi looked at me, smiling, and leaned in to whisper, "Don't worry too much about what other people think."
I paused, looking up at her. She was still smiling warmly. In that moment, an unprecedented feeling supported me, giving me immense confidence and courage.
"Mhm," I nodded softly.
Chen Shi then took Xiao Xue away, saying she would have a colleague look after her.
Adult teachers should be much gentler and more careful with the dog than the students. I figured it would be fine, especially since Chen Shi was the boss of the tutoring center. No one would dare cause trouble.
Also, keeping the dog in the classroom would definitely distract some students and affect their learning efficiency, so Chen Shi's action was understandable.
Chen Shi returned to the podium shortly after, took out a textbook, and began writing on the blackboard with chalk.
Watching her beautiful handwriting on the board, I felt a moment of respect.
Honestly, I truly admire teachers who still lecture actively, rather than those who just read off a several-year-old, ancient PowerPoint presentation. Some teachers seem to have only two tasks in class: open the PPT and read from it.
Fortunately, in the "Rocket Class," my regular school teachers were generally excellent, with unique teaching philosophies, and they didn't follow the crowd.
Before, we had one teacher who just read from the PPT, but he was quickly transferred out.
He wasn't entirely bad and taught reasonably well, but "reasonable" wasn't enough for the Rocket Class. He taught our math, and our math scores were behind the other Rocket Class. Later, he was transferred out of our class.
The general rumor was that Mistress Extinction, Bai Manwen, was dissatisfied with his teaching results and successfully petitioned for his transfer.
Bai Manwen's opinions were rarely ignored. She had that kind of influence. Many of her suggestions over the years had been adopted, such as not turning on the hot air conditioning in winter, or not letting books pile up too high on desks. At first, these rules were only in our class, but later I noticed other classes also adopted them. Bai Manwen was likely the one who started it.
Perhaps from an adult's perspective, the stricter the teacher, the better. But I'm not a parent; I'm a student.
"Please open your textbooks to page 102..."
Chen Shi's voice brought me back. I stopped thinking and focused on the lesson. Her voice was bright, melodious, and engaging, and I quickly immersed myself in the material.