Although Professor Jiang had a really good temper and no pretensions, his presence still made her nervous. Now, seeing him sit beside the young woman, speaking to her in a warm, familiar, and relaxed manner, made her feel much more at ease and closer to him.

It turned out that great people treating their loved ones was just like how ordinary people do it—everyone present had already accepted their familial relationship as a given.

They quickly started discussing today’s classes and the topics for the afternoon, no longer paying special attention to Yu Yao. Only Jiang Zhonglin, who rarely spoke, quietly listened and kept a watchful eye on Yu Yao. He only spoke when asked, and whenever he did, everyone looked at him with intense interest, as if he were sharing some profound wisdom. This made Yu Yao feel quite strange.

The young man who used to sit beside her with his knees pulled up, talking about his recent academic difficulties, had now become a mature authority figure who could teach many people. When she saw the young Jiang looking pitiful, she wanted to ruffle his hair, push him onto the couch, and tickle him until he laughed uncontrollably and fled. But now, seeing the dignified and professional old Jiang, who shone brightly in his field, she no longer dared to tickle him but still wished to make him laugh.

The way Old Jiang shone while answering students’ questions was different from how he used to attract people when he was young; it was extraordinarily captivating.

The food was quickly served, and everyone began eating. Jiang Zhonglin first ladled a bowl of hot soup for Yu Yao and, noticing her reddened face from the spice, said, “Drink some hot soup to ease the spiciness.”

Yu Yao was still picking through the bean sprouts in her hotpot and said quietly, “Professor Jiang, here’s a piece of common knowledge: drinking hot soup when you feel very spicy can burn you.”

Jiang Zhonglin shook his head helplessly, stirring the soup to cool it down a bit.

Yu Yao couldn’t bear to see him fussing over it and felt that if he continued, his students would be staring at him in disbelief. So, she wiped her mouth and said with a serious expression, “Professor Jiang, you don’t need to worry about it. Please eat your meal first; I can take care of myself.”

In fact, the two students of Professor Jiang at the table were indeed surprised by his behavior. They had followed him for years and had never seen him so concerned about one person, taking care of every detail. Professor Jiang was generally not particular about daily life; he was easygoing about food and other necessities, and he didn’t usually take care of others.

It was unusual for the straightforward academic professor to suddenly become so attentive. If it weren’t for the girl being so young, they might have thought Professor Jiang was treating her as his significant other. They only acted so thoughtfully in front of their partners.

A teacher who looked to be in his forties joked, “Professor Jiang takes such good care of the children at home; no wonder so many students wanted to be his disciples every year.”

The two true disciples of Professor Jiang at the table had complex feelings: no, not really. The professor was easygoing but not good at taking care of people. They remembered how their teacher would get so absorbed in research that they had to drag him away from piles of data to make him eat something, lest he faint from hunger. They also recalled how Professor Jiang would often forget them while thinking about a research topic, and when he remembered them, he would assign them many tasks to show his care.

In short, they had never received such meticulous care from their own teacher.

They envied her a bit. The two older men smiled maturely, though inwardly they sighed, maintaining their teacherly image in front of their students.

To preserve Professor Jiang’s prestigious image at the school, Yu Yao decided to remain quiet about her identity. Similarly, Jiang Zhonglin didn’t mention her status, knowing that if people found out, Yu Yao would be surrounded and it would be inconvenient for her to enjoy herself at the university.

After the meal, Yu Yao got up to leave, planning to continue studying in the library.

Jiang Zhonglin, not knowing her plans, hesitated and called out to her, “I have another class this afternoon, but if you wait for me, I’ll be free in about an hour and a half. I can show you around the university.”

The expressions of the people behind Jiang Zhonglin varied. Though they didn’t dare to voice their thoughts, they were uneasy. An hour and a half? Professor, did you forget there’s a Q&A session after class? You usually stay until after the third class in the afternoon. Wake up, Professor Jiang, you’re the diligent and responsive teacher! Look at the students’ eager eyes!

Yu Yao noticed the complex expressions of the people behind Old Jiang and felt like a disruptive concubine delaying the emperor’s morning court. She couldn’t help but smile slightly.

“……Maybe next time. I’ll be in your library studying, so come find me when you’re done.”