"Hey, Jiang Fan, aren't you usually so full of yourself? So many teachers have complained to me about you ignoring them. Why are you acting so timid just over a meal today? Nervous, are we?"

Jiang Fan was squeezed between them, barely able to move.

Everyone knew how cramped the school canteen seats were. A slight shift could bump into neighbors. Jiang Fan sensed they were deliberately leaning closer. Any nearer, and their shoulders would collide.

A delicate fragrance, distinct from food, drifted to him. Glancing down, he saw two pairs of sexy long legs sheathed in black stockings. Turning his head, he glimpsed two ample bosoms—far beyond Lin Mengyao’s petite frame.

Sometimes he really wondered why the school mandated uniforms for female teachers. He was just a kid—how could he handle this?

"Teachers, please spare me... I feel stares like needles pricking my back. Have some mercy on my feelings..."

Sitting with Lin Mengyao yesterday was fine. Both students, any romance rumors would be overlooked by open-minded teachers.

But today was different!

Jingjiang No.1 High had many young teachers. Romantic urges weren’t just for students; teachers felt them too.

Xia Yining was stunningly beautiful, with a gentle, well-mannered charm. Eight out of ten young teachers openly adored her. The other two were secret admirers nursing broken hearts.

Shu Yue had her own allure. Her sharp, tomboyish style and bold personality made her seem unapproachable as a love interest. Some even called her "a perfect woman"—pity she had that mouth.

Jiang Fan decided he truly couldn’t return to the fourth floor. Each visit drew inexplicable hatred. A few more times, and he’d be the school’s public enemy.

What happened to lying low?

"Heh, Jiang Fan, don’t overthink it. We’re just teasing. Teachers and students sharing a meal—nothing strange. Relax. Don’t hold back."

After Xia Yining spoke, Jiang Fan felt the stares behind him turn sharper.

This woman was definitely up to something!

He suddenly shot up like a soldier at attention—chest out, head high, eyes forward. He shifted his right foot slightly, snapped it against his left, and declared sternly: "Reporting to teacher! I need the restroom!"

He dashed off at a jog.

His shout echoed across the entire fourth-floor canteen. Strangers might think he’d trained in the military.

Shu Yue and Xia Yining nearly jumped out of their skins. Only after Jiang Fan vanished did they slowly regain composure.

"Yining, do you think that kid sensed our plan?" Shu Yue whispered, leaning close once calm.

"He probably figured it out long ago. Honestly, Shu Yue, your student is sharp. I suspect his poor grades stem from indifference, not true delinquency."

Everything since bringing Jiang Fan to the office was premeditated.

Xia Yining wanted to verify if he’d truly gone astray, as Lin Mengyao claimed. Shu Yue aimed to pressure him into valuing school life, freeing him from debt’s grip.

Their intentions were pure—that’s why Jiang Fan humored them. Had it been Lin Mengyao scheming to humiliate him, he wouldn’t spare her a word.

"Hmm... I feel the same. In his shoes, I might act similarly. But from my view, I can’t just abandon him."

Shu Yue bit her chopsticks, her eyes clouded with complexity.

Carrying suffocating debt alone at his age... she’d likely spiral worse than Jiang Fan.

She had no illustrious background. Her overseas studies relied on a free scholarship. She knew frugality—but compared to his burden, it was a drop in the ocean. That’s why she cared for him deeply.

"Do what we can, Shu Yue. Don’t push yourself."

Xia Yining patted her friend’s shoulder. She could erase Jiang Fan’s debt—just ask her brother, Lin Mengyao’s father. Three million wasn’t a huge sum.

But she had no reason to help a near-stranger. For Shu Yue? Gladly—they were close friends.

Jiang Fan wasn’t that intimate to her. She wasn’t generous enough to throw money at random acquaintances.

"Mm, I know. Don’t worry." Shu Yue quickly brightened, grinning. "That kid’ll be back soon. Plan continues. Time for you, gorgeous, to sacrifice your charm again~"

Xia Yining doubted her closeness would motivate Jiang Fan much. But she wouldn’t refuse Shu Yue.

After all, she was one of her few true friends.

—

"Just as I thought."

In the restroom, Jiang Fan removed his earpiece. The tiny Bluetooth device dissolved into a streak of blue data, vanishing into the air.

A one-time-use gadget from his system. It let him hear Shu Yue and Xia Yining’s entire conversation while hiding here.

Being cared for felt nice. Yet that’s exactly why Jiang Fan needed distance from Shu Yue.

His girlfriend wouldn’t stand idle. Letting someone he cared about get hurt because of him? That crossed his line.

"Sigh... I know you mean well, but this really isn’t necessary..."

Jiang Fan sighed. He couldn’t reveal the truth to Shu Yue. Sometimes, handling goodwill was a hassle. He almost wished she’d leave him alone.

He’d been in the restroom long enough. Lingering served no purpose. Better to finish lunch and nap in class.

Stepping out, he unexpectedly spotted a familiar figure.

"Young master? Aren’t you with the young lady?"

Yelan, in a sharp black suit, looked mildly surprised. He held a takeout lunch box.

"Those two ladies over there seem to be waving at you, young master. Acquaintances?"