The sky was clear, marking the start of another week.

Chi Yuzhou grabbed the trash from his apartment and headed downstairs to toss it into the bin.

Honestly, he wasn’t entirely sure how to classify wet waste from dry waste.

Luckily, he didn’t produce much trash at home, so extra sorting wasn’t necessary.

*The real world has its little hassles too,* he mused silently.

After dropping the bag, he noticed a silver car parked not far from his building.

He couldn’t see inside through the tinted windows, but its presence surprised him.

He’d walked this route to school countless times—vehicles rarely appeared here, let alone one waiting like this.

Chi Yuzhou glanced briefly at the license plate before continuing toward school.

*Hope this is just a coincidence. Please don’t be connected to that woman.*

More students appeared along the way, most chatting and laughing with friends as they headed to campus.

Chi Yuzhou, walking alone, stood out as unusually solitary.

But he felt no discomfort—only quiet contentment.

Yinyun City, nestled near the coast, had low-rise buildings and open views.

*Free scenery never gets old,* he thought.

With a student ID or uniform, entering the school gates was effortless.

By the time Chi Yuzhou reached his classroom, the chatter around him made him yawn instinctively.

Hua Qi, already seated, called out:

"Up late again yesterday?"

"Mm."

Chi Yuzhou yawned once more, radiating his usual sleepy lethargy.

When the bell rang, Hua Qi nudged him awake twice. But after mere minutes of alertness, Chi Yuzhou’s head sank back onto his desk.

He spent most of the morning like that.

Xiao Yingwan, seated several rows away, also noticed.

*He always seems so effortlessly composed... Could his grades actually be good?*

*Oh... If that’s true, I might have another way to get close.*

*But no rush. I’ll watch a while longer.*

By the final morning class, Chi Yuzhou had regained some energy.

He watched Teacher Guan Mingxue at the podium, then recalled the masked woman who’d barged into his home on Saturday.

Guan Mingxue remained elegant and poised, her clear eyes sweeping over students like moonlight—gentle, serene.

*Hard to link this refined teacher to that mask-wearing woman with eyes hungry enough to devour children.*

*For now, I’ll stay suspicious.*

*Anyway, I won’t turn into a kid again. Who gets sick that often?*

Since escaping, he’d only transformed once—by accident, from a chill.

*He wasn’t some weakling.*

...

School by day, bartender by night.

Time flowed steadily. Even this routine life felt vivid to Chi Yuzhou.

Wednesday arrived in a blink.

Staring at his math test paper, a trace of helplessness flickered beneath his bangs.

The number "14," scrawled in red ink, glared back from the page.

He might not *want* to be an idiot, but this score kept slapping him in the face, calling him a dummy.

At the podium, the white-haired math teacher finished explaining the test. His sharp gaze locked onto Chi Yuzhou.

"Chi Yuzhou. My office after class."

Heads turned. Chi Yuzhou gave a slow, reluctant nod.

*He knew this day would come... but being called out still makes my stomach twist.*

*Is this the natural authority teachers hold over students?*

The bell rang. Under Hua Qi’s oddly encouraging stare, Chi Yuzhou followed the teacher out.

Xiao Yingwan stood up at the same moment.

The office was nearly empty.

The math teacher didn’t speak immediately. He slowly graded papers, his cloudy eyes calm before the storm.

Chi Yuzhou kept his head down, waiting for the lecture.

Xiao Yingwan entered, gathering a stack of test papers from a desk.

"...Sigh..."

A weary sigh filled the room. The teacher’s voice carried quiet weight:

"I know your home life is complicated—living alone now. But priorities matter."

"Right now, your studies come first. Everything else follows."

"Or... do you not see school as important? Can you share your future plans with me?"

"I..."

Chi Yuzhou opened his mouth, genuinely considering explaining his situation.

But the teacher misread his pause, pressing on earnestly:

"You’re a bright boy. Focus on your studies, and you’ll get into a good university."

Even through his bangs, Chi Yuzhou saw the teacher’s eyes—polite but detached.

*This is just routine for him. If I don’t change, he’ll sigh and move on.*

*But my situation is... different.*

His mountain upbringing gave him a foundation in literature, but math? A disaster.

His memory was sharp—he simply lacked time to study.

*Honestly, with enough cash to buy study time, I’d enjoy school more.*

"...And cut that long hair if you’ve listened to me."

The teacher waved him off when Chi Yuzhou stayed silent.

Stepping out of the office, Chi Yuzhou was pulled aside unexpectedly by Xiao Yingwan.

She held the test papers close, her voice low:

"Chi Yuzhou. Let me tutor you. How about it?"