After Helping the Protagonist Escape From a Madman, I Became His Target [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 19

Shen Luyang glanced at the class schedule taped to the corner of his desk. The English teacher was away today, so their department had swapped shifts. This meant both he and Xie Weihan would be handling the student Q&A session tonight.

Xie Weihan didn’t return to the office until a few minutes before the evening self-study session began.

Shen Luyang had been leaning against the window, observing the students on the sports field like a king overlooking his domain. The moment he heard movement, he spun around. He had rehearsed his opening line in his head at least eighty or ninety times, and he delivered it with a flourish of confidence.

“Teacher Xie, where have you been? You were gone for ages.”

They were the only two in the office. Xie Weihan loosened his tie with one hand and let out a weary laugh. “Meetings. There’s an open lecture after the National Day holiday, and the schedule is tight.”

Shen Luyang watched him sit down and asked, feigning nonchalance, “Where was the meeting held?”

Xie Weihan didn’t seem to notice anything amiss and answered readily, “The Arts Building.”

Shen Luyang’s heart skipped a beat.

Duan Chen had also driven straight out of the school from the Arts Building. So, their encounter was actually a coincidence? Perhaps Teacher Xie hadn’t planned on doing anything, but Duan Chen had simply walked right into the line of fire.

Shen Luyang pressed a hand to his chest, deeply moved. Teacher Xie truly values me as a friend; I can’t let him down.

He wasn’t sure how long the world-line instability caused by Xie Weihan’s strike against Duan Chen would last, or if the “Favor-Seeking” plan was actually reliable. He decided he had to observe carefully and keep a close eye on Teacher Xie himself.

As the bell for evening self-study rang, Shen Luyang grabbed an apple from his desk, kicked off the floor, and let his swivel chair slide back until it bumped against Xie Weihan’s desk.

He extended a hand with a suave gesture. “Want an apple, Teacher Xie?”

Xie Weihan had laid his tie on the desk. One of the office lights was flickering, casting a dim, soft glow over his exquisitely lazy face. The fatigue in his features added an indescribable touch of sexiness—a subtle, unstudied allure.

Shen Luyang’s throat felt a bit dry.

Xie Weihan seemed not to notice. He took the apple, the corners of his mouth curling into a warm, comfortable arc. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Shen Luyang’s gaze darted around before landing on the corner of the desk. He pointed, shifting the topic 180 degrees. “These two cacti are growing so well!”

Xie Weihan pressed his fingertip against the apple stem, spared the plants a single glance, and then returned his gaze to Shen Luyang’s face. His voice was deep and mellow. “You like them?”

Shen Luyang nodded, recalling his past failures. “But I’m a plant killer. Cacti, succulents—I always grow them into a mess. Eventually, I have to give them away and let someone else rescue them.”

Xie Weihan pondered for a moment, his eyes sweeping over Shen Luyang’s frustrated face before he suddenly laughed. “Is it because you water them too often?”

“Exactly!” Shen Luyang touched a spine, looking shocked. “How did you know? The soil feels dry after just one day, and I’m afraid they’ll die of thirst. I didn’t think I was watering them that often. Did they drown?”

Xie Weihan rested his chin on one hand, his shoulders relaxed, watching him with an air of patient guidance. “To raise a plant well, you must study what it likes and dislikes. Sometimes, letting it be ‘thirsty’ for a while can lead to unexpected surprises.”

Shen Luyang punched his palm in a moment of epiphany. “I’m buying a new pot after work tomorrow! This time, I’m sticking to watering once a week!”

Just then, there were two knocks at the door.

Shen Luyang didn’t move from his spot leaning against Xie Weihan’s desk. He just turned his head. “Come in.”

A small head poked in. It was Zhan Jingmiao who greeted Xie Weihan politely first. “Hello, Teacher Xie.”

Xie Weihan nodded.

The people who squeezed in behind her, however, were beyond Shen Luyang’s expectations: Xiang Lei, Peng Jun, Ding Yifan, and Li Shenyu.

“Whoa,” Shen Luyang remarked, looking at them in surprise. “Are you here for me or for your Teacher Xie?”

He glanced back and whispered to Xie Weihan in a voice that was anything but quiet, “Teacher Xie, if they’re all here for you, I’m going to be heartbroken.”

Xie Weihan’s gaze swept indifferently over the students. He let out a low, indulgent chuckle and whispered back, “And what if they are all here for you?”

That was truly an answer he hadn’t considered.

Shen Luyang thought for two seconds, then beckoned Peng Jun over with a bright smile. “Peng Jun, which of us,  are you four here for?”

Peng Jun: “…”

Why would you ask me such an awkward question?!

Zhan Jingmiao looked between them and bravely solved the problem for Teacher Shen. “I’m here for Teacher Xie,” she said.

Shen Luyang arched an eyebrow and joked, “Don’t let your physics fall behind; my door is always open.” Then he looked back at the boys. “Peng Jun? Why are you daydreaming while standing there?”

Peng Jun’s face turned bright red before he managed to choke out, “I’m here for you.”

Shen Luyang couldn’t stop himself from laughing. “You aren’t just saying that to comfort me, are you? With that look of long-suffering endurance on your face, I’m starting to feel guilty.”

Peng Jun’s temper flared, and he turned to leave.

Shen Luyang quickly called out, “Wait, wait! I’m just joking. Come here. Want some spicy strips?”

Peng Jun paused, then turned back with a look of utter humiliation. He’d do it for the spicy strips.

Shen Luyang turned to Xie Weihan. “A bountiful harvest. Good luck, Teacher Xie!”

Xie Weihan pulled out a fountain pen, the corners of his lips curving up as a deep light glinted in his eyes. “You too, Teacher Shen.”

******

Of the four boys, only Peng Jun actually had many questions. The other three asked two and then went to a corner to do other homework. Shen Luyang watched Peng Jun, who sat beside him looking conflicted, and poked his forehead with a pen.

Peng Jun exploded instantly, glaring at him. “What was that for?”

Shen Luyang ignored the glare and leaned in closer. He shielded his mouth with his hand but asked in a perfectly audible voice, “Were you too shy to come alone, so you made them come along to keep you company?” He gestured with his chin toward Li Shenyu and the others.

Peng Jun had reached the limit of his patience and pride. He stared down at the problem on the page and snapped, “No. They can come or not; what the f—k does it have to do with me?”

“Hey, watch the language,” Shen Luyang said, sketching out a few steps of the correct solution on a piece of paper and pushing it over. “Are you busy over the National Day holiday?”

Peng Jun looked at him warily. “Why?”

“What’s with that look?” Shen Luyang put on a pained expression. “I was just going to say, if you aren’t busy, you can come to my place for some extra tutoring. Look at your handwriting—it looks like the stray cat downstairs did it.”

While Peng Jun considered the offer of tutoring, he simultaneously loathed Teacher Shen’s bizarre metaphors.

“It’s a calico cat,” Shen Luyang explained with a very considerate air. “One stroke here, one stroke there—just like calico fur.”

Peng Jun: “…”

F—k!

Peng Jun gripped his pen, his brow furrowed. “I don’t have time.”

“Never mind then.” Shen Luyang didn’t push it. “But you really don’t need to worry about saving me money or time. I’m quite wealthy. I only acted poor before because I hoped you wouldn’t make things hard for a ‘weak and pitiful’ physics teacher. But I realized acting poor didn’t work, so I’m coming clean: I’m rich.” He looked at Peng Jun. “Call me anytime if you have questions. Don’t be shy.”

Peng Jun’s internal emotions were like a series of small explosions. In just two weeks, he had used up half a year’s worth of patience. Now, he felt he was going into a deficit.

*******

When evening self-study ended, Shen Luyang asked, “Do you five live far from the school?”

The four boys shook their heads, but Zhan Jingmiao said she had to take a taxi home alone.

“No school bus?” Shen Luyang asked.

Zhan Jingmiao packed her bag. “I’m the only student living in my neighborhood, so the bus doesn’t go there.”

Shen Luyang frowned at her. She was a tiny girl; he felt like he could knock her over with a feather. “You take a taxi alone every night this late?”

“Usually my dad picks me up, but he has something tonight. It’s okay, Teacher Shen. I’ll take a photo of the license plate.”

Shen Luyang put on his jacket. “Then come with me. I’ll drop you off. A young girl taking a taxi alone in the middle of the night is too dangerous.”

Zhan Jingmiao didn’t refuse for a single second. Her eyes sparkled. “I get to ride in a Porsche?”

“You’re going to ride in a taxi,” Shen Luyang laughed. “I didn’t drive today.”

“Take my car,” Xie Weihan said, appearing behind them. “It’s on the way.”

Shen Luyang, operating under the principle that their relationship was already “well-established,” accepted the ride without any hesitation and brought Zhan Jingmiao along. Shen Luyang sat in the passenger seat, with Zhan Jingmiao in the back.

Shen Luyang inhaled the faint scent of red wine in the air. It was a perfume—different from Xie Weihan’s pheromones, yet it still gave him a sense of familiarity.

Zhan Jingmiao was still fixated on the 911. “Teacher Shen, why didn’t you drive?”

Between the morning brawl with Duan Chen, learning about the world-line instability, and working overtime for the self-study session, Shen Luyang was exhausted. He leaned back against the seat and said lazily, “Driving is too much work. Being driven is much more comfortable.”

Xie Weihan dropped Zhan Jingmiao off first, watching until her apartment lights turned on and she waved from the balcony. As he pulled away and glanced to the side, he realized Shen Luyang had fallen asleep.

His sleeping face was entirely defenseless in front of an S-class Alpha. His breathing was steady; he was deep in sleep.

Xie Weihan turned up the heat in the car and came to a smooth stop at a red light. He looked over, the gentle smile on his lips widening. His lazy eyes narrowed slightly as he reached out and pressed a finger against Shen Luyang’s lips.

Disturbed in his slumber, Shen Luyang reached out and grabbed the offending hand. He sniffed and then went still, not letting go.

The red light at the intersection felt unusually long. A dark light shimmered in Xie Weihan’s eyes as his thumb lightly traced the skin of the hand holding his. The scent of red wine wrapped playfully around his sleeping prey, lingering near his neck, yet he made no further move.

Gentlemanly, yet dark.

*******

When he was finally woken up, Shen Luyang thought it was morning. He reached out groggily toward the source of the sound, wanting to “turn off the alarm.”

Instead, he touched something soft.

He froze for two seconds, his eyes adjusting until he finally saw the person in front of him. There was no alarm clock; he was touching Xie Weihan’s lips.

He jerked his hand back as if he’d been electrocuted. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his fingers—the ones that had just caused trouble—fidgeted at his side. His voice was husky from sleep. “Teacher Xie?”

Xie Weihan lightly touched the spot where he’d been poked, the corners of his mouth curving up. “We’re here.”

Shen Luyang looked out the window. It was his apartment complex. They had exchanged addresses the last time he’d gone to Xie Weihan’s for dinner.

Whether it was a hallucination or not, Shen Luyang felt his throat was incredibly dry. His tongue felt itchy, and he kept licking the tips of his teeth.

It felt like a craving for blood…

“I actually fell asleep,” he said, trying to ignore the strange physical sensations. His gaze swept over Xie Weihan’s Adam’s apple in the flickering light. He paused, then grabbed the car door, not daring to look the man in the eye. “Drive safe on the way back, Teacher Xie.”

Xie Weihan gave a soft “mm” and suddenly leaned in. His long, pale fingers brushed against Shen Luyang’s neck as he adjusted his collar. At their closest point, he looked into Shen Luyang’s eyes with a smile. “Goodnight, Luyang.”

******

Shen Luyang didn’t stop until he was inside his apartment. He threw down his bag and jacket and dashed straight for the bathroom.

Was he crazy? He actually… had a reaction just looking at Teacher Xie’s face.

In the shower, Shen Luyang let the cold water blast over him. His reason wouldn’t allow him to solve the problem any other way, because his head was currently filled with nothing but Xie Weihan!

It didn’t feel like he’d just had a nap in the car; it felt like something far more intense had happened. Before sleeping, he comforted himself: it was probably just the red wine perfume in the car that had triggered memories of their two “excessively enjoyable” experiences…

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