“I’m glad you all chose this course on ancient history.” Qi Xun put down the chalk, calmly facing the more than two hundred students below, a perfect curve forming at the corner of his mouth.

Ruan Xinyuan’s thoughts were a mess. He instinctively found Qi Xun’s appearance unbelievable, yet his mind actively etched Qi Xun’s deep and pleasant voice clearly.

With so many people, someone was bound to whisper. Soon enough, murmurs began, but Qi Xun didn’t mind the small noises. He casually glanced up, and the room fell silent again, as effective as a second bell ringing for class.

“Before we officially start, let’s take attendance. I informed everyone on the learning platform about my attendance rules. No need to scan a code, but with over two hundred students, I can’t call each name. That’s inefficient, so,” Qi Xun picked up a list and a black pen, “I’ll do a spot check. If your name is called, raise your hand and say ‘present.'”

Ruan Xinyuan opened his phone again to check B University’s website and forum, confirming the information was correct. He glanced up at the blackboard, staring at the name “Qi Xun,” feeling uneasy.

This B University professor named Qi Xun eerily matched those three conditions.

Moreover, his appearance was precisely within the ten-kilometer radius his grandmother’s deity invocation had predicted.

Ruan Xinyuan’s materialistic beliefs were under heavy assault.

Even though many had come to his grandmother for fortune-telling, claiming she could know the will of heaven, he never really believed it.

Especially since just yesterday, he was confidently thinking that the so-called destined person wouldn’t appear…

So what now?

But he was indeed healthy, maybe it was just a coincidence?

Could such a coincidence really happen?

Ruan Xinyuan bit his pen cap, feeling a headache, as if he was about to have a mental breakdown.

“Next, Civil Engineering 241, Qiao Siming.”

A second passed, and no one responded.

Qi Xun glanced at the room, his voice steady as he called again, “Is Qiao Siming from Civil Engineering here?”

Why is someone calling for Qiao Siming? Isn’t that guy out on a date with a goddess?

Ruan Xinyuan continued to stare blankly at the desk.

“Is Qiao Siming from Civil Engineering 241 not here?” The deep, pleasant voice repeated the name for the third time.

At that moment, Ruan Xinyuan’s mind was a bit foggy, his thoughts slow. After a pause, he suddenly realized something.

“Present.”

Just as Qi Xun was about to mark an X next to the name, he stopped, looking in the direction of the clear voice.

He saw a face flushed like it had been dyed by a burgundy cap, with bright eyes, exquisitely beautiful, and a hint of sharpness in the brows.

Ruan Xinyuan’s cheeks were burning, unusually embarrassed, and the gazes from around made his ears turn red too. He was extremely awkward.

But before Qi Xun confirmed his identity, he couldn’t lower his raised hand.

Their eyes met in the air, time seemed to freeze for a moment, and the short distance allowed Ruan Xinyuan to confirm that Qi Xun’s gaze was indeed on his face.

Ruan Xinyuan felt his whole body heating up, his eyes quickly escaping, no longer daring to meet the gaze of the person on the podium.

However, due to his distracted mistake, Ruan Xinyuan’s heart was racing, not as composed as usual, failing to notice the trembling pupils and the slightly shaking hand holding the pen on the other side.

“I thought everyone would be sensitive to their own name, but it seems some might be a bit slow,” Qi Xun gave Ruan Xinyuan a faint smile, “I hope it’s not a case of ‘mistaken identity.'”

The students below, sharp as they were, understood Qi Xun’s deliberate teasing and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Alright, next.” As Qi Xun spoke, the laughter below ceased appropriately.

With his face flushed, Ruan Xinyuan finally lowered his hand, feeling as if he’d broken free from some restraint.

He belatedly realized that the familiarity from Qi Xun’s gaze earlier was even more pronounced.

How could this be…

He really hadn’t seen this person before.

The class passed quickly in a whirlwind of chaotic thoughts. Ruan Xinyuan wasn’t there to listen to the lecture, and with Qi Xun’s appearance and the awkwardness from the roll call, he spent the entire class with his head down, doodling in his notebook.

If the bell didn’t ring soon, he would have drawn the twenty-fifth different expression of a gold ingot on a page.

“Ding—”

Fortunately, the bell rang the next second. He looked up slightly, realizing that the person lecturing had at some point taken off the gray thin coat, the sleeves of the white shirt underneath casually rolled up a few centimeters, revealing prominent veins from the wrist to halfway up the forearm.

People around Ruan Xinyuan began to move. He didn’t continue staring at the person on the podium, quietly and quickly packing his papers and pen into his bag, waiting for the person on the podium to dismiss the class.

Qi Xun never dragged out the class. No matter where he was in the lecture, he could stop on time. He put down the projector control pen, “That’s all for today. If you have any questions, you can message me on the learning platform. I’ll reply when I see them. Lastly, have a great weekend.”

No matter how stunning the teacher might be, once the novelty wore off, nothing could stop college students from rushing to leave class.

Ruan Xinyuan slung his backpack over his shoulder, stood up with the others, and lined up to walk to the aisle. Just as he was about to step up the stairs, someone tapped his shoulder and called out.

“Hey, handsome.”

Ruan Xinyuan instinctively turned around. A girl with a high ponytail and a bright smile spoke directly, her voice clear, “I noticed in class that you look great in mint green. Can I add you on WeChat?”

The person on the podium, who had just put on the gray coat again, slowed his movements in packing up his files, his peripheral vision tracing someone’s expression inch by inch.

Ruan Xinyuan was used to such situations. Even with people around, he didn’t feel uncomfortable. He returned a polite smile, dimples appearing, “Sorry, I have a partner.”

This was Ruan Xinyuan’s usual way of turning people down, very effective.

His voice was just right, allowing those nearby who were eavesdropping to hear clearly. Anyone else with the same intention as the high ponytail girl gave up.

The girl opposite Ruan Xinyuan looked disappointed but didn’t make things difficult. She said goodbye and left with a carefree back.

Ruan Xinyuan paused for a second before turning, looking towards the center of the podium against the flow of people.

Qi Xun had already put on his coat again, his head lowered, expression normal, packing up without sparing a glance at the departing students.

But… Ruan Xinyuan wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt someone had been watching him closely. The feeling wasn’t scorching hot, but rather a coolness that wrapped around his waist, making his breath heavier.

The feeling was a bit eerie, yet he found it intriguing, not exactly unpleasant, but probably just his imagination.

Ruan Xinyuan swiftly left the classroom, unaware that the chalk, which had been lying quietly on the podium, was suddenly snapped in half by a large, well-defined hand, with one piece rolling to the floor.

That hand, just minutes ago, had been gently writing neat and beautiful characters on the blackboard.

*

On the subway back to school, Ruan Xinyuan felt a bit dizzy. He stretched his neck, guessing it was because he didn’t get enough sleep at noon and had his head down for the entire hour and a half class.

When he returned and opened the dorm room door, he found the other three roommates were all there.

Fang Youzhi warmly approached him, “Xinyuan, you’re back. We were just planning to go out for dinner tonight. It’s our dorm’s first official gathering.”

“Brother Yuan, you don’t have any other plans tonight, right?” Jiang Qifeng asked while peeling an apple.

Ruan Xinyuan naturally had no objections, “No plans. Have you decided where to eat?”

Fang Youzhi took the peeled apple from Jiang Qifeng, “Qifeng found a place. There’s a newly opened hot pot restaurant in the mall a kilometer from our school. The reviews say the environment is great, and four people can get a private room without a minimum spend.”

Ruan Xinyuan put down his backpack and nodded, “Alright, I didn’t get enough sleep at noon. I’ll nap for another hour. Just call me when you’re ready to go.”

Yan Kangliang, typing with one hand, gave an “ok” gesture with the other.

Having said he was going to sleep, Ruan Xinyuan pulled the curtain and soon fell asleep at the desk.

He felt his sleep quality had been pretty good lately, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, as long as he didn’t have nightmares.

He didn’t know how long he had been dreaming when the familiar burning sensation hit again without warning.

And this time, there were no songs or suona sounds to distract him, the pain of being surrounded by fire was even more real than the last dream.

Along with it… came a piercing pain in his spine and internal organs.

Ruan Xinyuan furrowed his brows, forcing himself to open his eyes amidst the pain. Sweat poured from his forehead, and the indescribable pain in his chest made him hoarsely whisper for help, “Uh, help… help…”

“Help… me…”

The next second, the curtain was yanked open, light flooding in. Fang Youzhi anxiously grabbed Ruan Xinyuan’s arm, “Xinyuan, are you okay?”

Beside him, Yan Kangliang, seeing Ruan Xinyuan drenched in sweat and in agony, wore a serious expression and took out his phone to call, “I’m calling an ambulance! The three of us will help carry him downstairs!”

Jiang Qifeng, muscular and strong, with the help of the other two, lifted the already unconscious Ruan Xinyuan and rushed down from the fourth floor to the dormitory entrance as quickly as possible.

*

Southern Yan Underworld, Sacrificial Heaven Hall.

“Your highness, we’ve checked all the reincarnation records of the person named ‘Qiao Siming.’ There’s nothing unusual.” Zhong Kou, expressionless, respectfully handed the book to the man sitting above with a cold gaze and eerie aura.

The man gently flipped through the records, scanning each word.

About a minute later, he closed the book, his voice chilly, “I’m sure the person I saw today was him… He looks exactly the same as before, so I recognized him at first glance. That aura can’t be wrong.”

“Over nine hundred years, he’s really reappeared…”

Zhong Kou kept his head down, motionless, without responding.

“So, he really doesn’t go by that name. I wasn’t wrong; he’s covering for this Qiao guy,” Qi Xun coldly curled his lips, the smile not reaching his eyes, “You can leave now, and call Wei Xi in.”

“Yes.” Zhong Kou withdrew.

Soon, Wei Xi entered the eerie hall, bowing to the man on the throne, “Your highness.”

“Follow this man named Qiao Siming, find out what name your princess consort goes by now, and report back within a day.” Qi Xun tossed the records and a portrait to Wei Xi.

Wei Xi, from two meters away, accurately caught both items, accepting the command with understanding, “Understood.”

He was about to leave when Qi Xun suddenly called him back.

“Wait.” Qi Xun adjusted his posture slightly.

Wei Xi bowed again, “Your highness, please instruct.”

“Does the department of miscellaneous affairs of the destiny pavilion have… records of mortals successfully becoming a third party, or any successful methods?” Qi Xun asked indifferently.

The hall was silent for five seconds.

Wei Xi’s mouth twitched, “Uh, your highness, maybe you could… connect to the internet at home and search? There’s all sorts of people online nowadays.”

“What do you mean by that?” Qi Xun’s voice was icy, looking at him like a snake ready to strike.

Wei Xi quickly knelt, loudly declaring, “Your highness, I meant no offense! You, as a third party, a love of the ages!”

Qi Xun: “…”

He waved dismissively, letting him leave.