Free Web NovelChapter 184: Chapter 184: Change of Plans
To get beaten up like this by a student... As a teacher, his pride was in tatters. But what was worse was that despite being so severely injured, he wasn’t rushing to get treatment. He was just lying here laughing?
’Is he really okay?’
Ever since Yan Huoshui had returned to teach at the school, this was the first time the student had ever seen Teacher Yan laugh so happily. He even suspected he might have damaged the man’s brain and beaten him into an idiot. A sense of impending doom washed over him, and he immediately dropped to his knees, sobbing. "I’m sorry, Teacher! I shouldn’t have been so serious! You told me to hit you, so I just... hit you..."
He was a freshman, and Teacher Yan always stressed the importance of being serious in class. Being a good student, he treated the teacher’s words like military commands. Even during sparring practice, when Teacher Yan approached him, offered him a few free hits, and told him to strike with all his might, he assumed it was a test and didn’t question it for a second.
But how could he have known that the teacher truly wouldn’t dodge at all?
He’d even kicked hard enough to break one of the teacher’s legs, but the man had just looked at him with an encouraging, appreciative gaze and told him to keep going.
Staring into those crimson eyes filled with trust, the only thought in his mind was to earn the teacher’s praise and try even harder.
It wasn’t until a classmate noticed something was wrong, pulled him away, and had the teacher sent to the treatment room that he realized—too late—just how carried away he’d gotten. Thinking back now, he couldn’t even recall the specifics of what he’d done.
He only knew one thing for sure: every injury on Teacher Yan’s body was his fault.
A broken right leg, twenty-seven contusions, eight severe wounds, and countless other bruises, big and small...
’It was just sparring practice. Why did I fight like I was trying to kill him?’
At this thought, the student’s sobs grew louder, his heart filled with shame.
Yan Huoshui, however, glanced up at him, seemingly ignoring his own battered body. His eyes, from behind his glasses, curved into a pleasant crescent. "Oh, it’s you. Don’t worry about it. You did very well. You’re a very serious student."
As he spoke, he tossed two energy bars to the student, as if giving a reward.
These were the same energy bars Teacher Yan would occasionally hand out in class as rewards when he was in a good mood. They served as a universal power source for Mechas and all other mechanical devices, basically a compressed Energy Stone. They were incredibly expensive; so far, only one person in the entire class had ever received a single bar.
And now... he had gotten two? All for being ’too serious’ and beating his teacher into a Treatment Pod?
The student accepted them, stunned by the unexpected favor. He was physically present, but his spirit had already departed. He was already contemplating where he should purchase his digital tombstone. ’I’m going to die young,’ he thought. ’At least I shouldn’t have to suffer in the afterlife, right?’
Just then, a small smile played on Yan Huoshui’s lips. "Student, help me take a few pictures."
The student jumped. His heart, already feeling as good as dead, nearly misheard the request as ’help take my memorial photo.’ It took him a moment before he could numbly repeat, "Help you... take... pictures?"
"Now?"
Yan Huoshui nodded with a grin, his eyes fixed on the student. He slowly, deliberately, removed his glasses, revealing a pair of sharp, fox-like eyes.
They held a sort of dignified coldness.
But maybe it was because of all the blood, the student felt that even though the teacher was smiling, a chilling wind seemed to blow through the room.
As he stared, his mind suddenly went blank for a moment. By the time he snapped out of it, Yan Huoshui was waving a dismissive hand. "Never mind. You can go."
The student looked dazed, as if he’d forgotten something. He nodded in a stupor and left.
Yan Huoshui casually gazed at the photos on his chip. ’As expected,’ he mused, ’a third-person perspective makes it look so much more visceral and pathetic.’
A pleased smile touched his lips. He sent the photos directly to Shi Lan, followed by a message: [Got injured during the competition. My leg hurts so much... my whole body hurts. It’s a shame that now I’m injured, there’s no more of Lanlan’s home-cooked meals for me...]
Shi Lan was in the middle of packing when she received Yan Huoshui’s message.
The day before, she’d received a government marriage notification. It was a reminder that her twenty-fifth birthday—and her mandatory marriage match—was exactly one month away.
The original owner of her body had studied on Capital Star for four years, and her legal residency had been transferred there. That meant she had to return to Capital Star to complete the legal marriage process.
Actually, Shi Lan wasn’t so resistant to the mandatory marriage at twenty-five anymore. She already had a few Beast Husband candidates in mind. Thinking about the men she liked, she even felt a strange flicker of anticipation.
However, Jiang Yan had messaged her saying she wouldn’t be home for another two days, so Shi Lan planned to delay her own return as well. She was packing now mainly to put away some unused furniture and keep it from gathering dust.
But Yan Huoshui’s message changed her plans.
Shi Lan looked at the photos in the message. There were four in total. She opened and examined each one, a trace of worry unconsciously creasing her brow.
Logically, she knew that with a Treatment Pod, these injuries were nothing for a 2S Spiritual Power Beastman like Yan Huoshui. Yet, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache.
Her eyes were fixed on the crimson stains on the Treatment Pod, the splints immobilizing his legs, and the stark, purple bruises covering his exposed arms. The sight was startling.
’A school competition... how could he have gotten hurt so badly?’
Perhaps because she was taking too long to reply, Yan Huoshui’s leisurely mood soured into anxiety and irritation. He genuinely thought Shi Lan’s affections had already been stolen away by those other men. A dark glint flashed in his crimson eyes, his expression turning gloomy. Yet when he sent the next message, he continued with his pretense.
[I miss you so much, Lanlan. But you must be so comfortable at home.]
[I’ll be okay. Lanlan, don’t worry too much about my injuries. The Treatment Pod will heal them in no time.]
[I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you. It’s just... it hurts so much... I guess when people are feeling vulnerable, they can’t help but think of the person they care about most...]
Shi Lan was already unsettled by his injuries. After reading his messages, her plans changed, just like that.
Even though she could tell he was deliberately trying to sound pitiful, she couldn’t help but fall for it.
She immediately spoke with Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng, and they quickly bought tickets for a starship departing in three hours.
Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng had been with Shi Lan on Yaoxing, and they were enjoying themselves so much they’d forgotten all about going home.
Here, Lanlan belonged to just the two of them. They didn’t have to worry about rivals, nor were there other outstanding young males watching her like hawks.
At Shi Lan’s house, it was a little world just for the three of them.
So when they suddenly heard they had to leave, both men were especially reluctant. It felt as if their good days were coming to an end.
However, they still felt some attachment to their home on Capital Star. After a few seconds of hesitation, they both agreed. The most important thing was that they would follow Shi Lan wherever she went.
The plan came together quickly. When Uncle Gao and Aunt Gao heard, they were surprised but didn’t try to stop her. They just asked Shi Lan to add their contact information back to her communicator.
For some reason, Shi Lan had deleted all of their contacts before.
Back then, Uncle Gao and Aunt Gao had thought she’d found her birth parents. They could only respect her decision and didn’t send anyone to bother her.
But now, after spending this time together and seeing the powerful males—2S and above—by Shi Lan’s side, they couldn’t just let her go. They had her add them back.
"If you ever get tired, come back home," they told her. "Yaoxing and the two of us will always be your steadfast support."
Shi Lan’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. She nodded. "I know."
After a simple farewell, she was on her way back to Capital Star.
