Chapter 78: The Beautiful Teacher

Yet, after a glance, everyone agreed that this new English teacher was truly beautiful, rivaling even Liu Qingyan! Amid the crowd of a modern high school, she stood out like a crane among chickens. Zhang Pu, as if he had made a new discovery, glanced with a subtle intention toward Huang Xiaobiao.

“Oh—”

Zhang Pu felt a blast in his heart! Huang Xiaobiao was staring intently at the beautiful teacher on the podium, his expression bordering on drooling. In truth, Huang Xiaobiao had never been impressed by most girls at school. As a top student, his standards were high, and coming from a wealthy family, he probably only aspired to win over Liu Qingyan.

But who was Liu Qingyan? She was an ethereal presence, almost fairy-like. It was rumored that Huang Xiaobiao had secretly written her a love letter, which she tore up without even reading, leaving him deeply embarrassed, yet completely powerless against her charm. Liu Qingyan surpassed him in many ways; his only outlet was to drown his wounded pride in relentless study. For a time, his outstanding grades had eclipsed other academic stars, including Zheng Xiaoming, whom he had surpassed.

Now, Huang Xiaobiao looked as if he had never seen a beauty before—this demeanor utterly shattered his usual image as an exemplary student. Was this his true nature?

Due to his cultivation, Zhang Pu now possessed an acute awareness of his surroundings. He soon noticed that the beautiful teacher on the podium was also sensitive enough to detect Huang Xiaobiao’s particular “piglet” admiration among the dozens of students.

The teacher seemed a bit irritated by his blatant gaze, but given her position, she could hardly reprimand him in front of the class.

Huang Xiaobiao, in his excessive admiration, had finally annoyed the teacher—a little cosmic justice, perhaps. Yet, Zhang Pu felt a twinge of unease. Huang Xiaobiao’s behavior, after all, seemed to stem from a certain natural impulse; perhaps it was not entirely blameworthy.

As Zhang Pu pondered, he suddenly realized that the beautiful teacher had turned her gaze toward him.

Without a sound, Zhang Pu offered her a sincere, genuine smile.

The teacher appeared momentarily caught off guard, but her quick wit prevailed and she returned his smile.

Compared to Huang Xiaobiao’s earlier behavior, Zhang Pu recognized that he had left a far better impression on the teacher. Was this the first triumph? Having lived two lives, Zhang Pu’s experience was already profound. If he wished to reach the highest level of conduct, not only his classmates, but even their fathers could not match his maturity.

That smile, pure and untainted, was a masterful social gesture to win the teacher’s favor. At his age, especially when faced with such a beautiful teacher, few could respond with such poise, and the teacher would never suspect his intentions.

Perhaps the teacher, barely in her twenties, was still innocent herself?

Yet, this brief exchange between Zhang Pu and the teacher was like a flash of lightning—gone in an instant. Perhaps it was just as the poem says, “I am but a cloud in the sky, casting a shadow on your heart; you need not be surprised, nor astonished, for in an instant, I vanish without a trace.”

Zhang Pu’s purpose in this life was not to pursue the teacher, nor had he learned from some mystical power that she possessed a secret or treasure he needed. That would be too far-fetched—too fantastical!

He mused over these thoughts, while the teacher began writing her name on the blackboard as an introduction.

Qi Yan!

She wrote both her Chinese and English names.

Qi Yan! If only the surname “Qi” were written as “Qi” with the character for “elegance,” it would suit her even more perfectly. Her beauty was different from Liu Qingyan’s; hers leaned toward dazzling allure. Truly, especially when she smiled unguardedly, she was as radiant as peach blossoms in spring.

This was the kind of charm that could ensnare souls! No wonder even Huang Xiaobiao, who usually ignored girls in his quest for academic dominance, seemed now like a monk tempted by earthly desires, betraying his infatuation so openly.

Qi Yan’s beauty was extraordinary and seductive, whereas Liu Qingyan’s was refined and ethereal. In that moment, Zhang Pu formed a definition for these two most beautiful women—teacher and student—in all the modern high school.

He thought about the characters for “Qi” and “Qi,” and found himself chuckling inwardly, a smile that Qi Yan instantly caught.

Once again, they seemed to share a moment of silent understanding.

Zhang Pu was surprised to sense that Qi Yan was somewhat interested in him. He knew this was not some adolescent delusion, for he was no ordinary high school boy—he was a cultivator. He possessed a keen insight, the special intuition of one who seeks immortality.

He himself felt that Qi Yan teacher was not simple. Could it be… that she was similar in nature to Liu Qingyan?

His heart was startled by his own strange conjecture. When Qi Yan announced a test from the podium, he finally snapped out of his reverie.

What had he been thinking? Was it just an overactive imagination, or was his sensitivity heightened by his cultivation?

Zhang Pu looked to the podium, where Qi Yan was assigning tasks.

She instructed everyone to open a booklet, gave some brief explanations, then suddenly told the class to close their books.

“I’m going to test your memory and some of your general foundational knowledge. It’s just a small quiz, nothing important, so don’t worry about it,” Qi Yan said.

“General foundational knowledge”—Zhang Pu found himself dwelling on this phrase. Thanks to his interest in Huang Xiaobiao, he now knew that Huang Xiaobiao was not only a top student, feared even by Zheng Xiaoming, but that English was his particular strength.

Qi Yan’s approach… seemed almost like she was setting the stage for Huang Xiaobiao to shine.

Zhang Pu was confused: wasn’t Qi Yan just now disapproving of Huang Xiaobiao’s “piglet” behavior? Could it be she didn’t actually despise him, but rather liked him a little?

Was Qi Yan, after all, just as worldly as the saying goes, “Women love a bit of mischief in men”?

Huang Xiaobiao was attracted to her, so she was moved by his interest, while he himself was merely a passing cloud in her sky?