Chapter Twenty-Nine: Life Has Been a Little Strange Lately

Qingshui University of Science and Technology, as one of the nation’s key universities, boasted tens of thousands of students and a faculty of remarkable talent. Yuan Ning was among its veteran professors.

Yet lately, Professor Yuan Ning felt that something was odd about his life.

No, perhaps it wasn’t his life itself, but rather the way others looked at him. Their gazes had grown inexplicably strange, and even in the midst of lectures, students would occasionally burst into laughter for no apparent reason, leaving him baffled and at a loss.

Could something about him have been exposed?

But this didn’t seem to be the right reaction if that were the case.

While he was lost in these irritable thoughts, a soft chuckle sounded from below the lectern once again. Yuan Ning looked up to see a young man in his early twenties grinning at him, glancing at his phone and then back again.

“Zhang Junlin! Out! Get out right now!” Yuan Ning erupted. Here he was, teaching, and a student dared to ignore him so blatantly—did he not care about graduating?

No matter what, this student was definitely going to fail his class!

What infuriated Yuan Ning even more was Zhang Junlin’s nonchalance as he strolled leisurely out of the classroom.

Throughout the rest of the lecture, odd bursts of laughter continued to bubble up, but each time Yuan Ning turned to look, the laughter ceased.

Fuming, Yuan Ning finished the class and strode out. He had to get to the bottom of this.

“Hello, Professor Yuan—pfft, hahah. I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it, I didn’t mean to,” a plain-looking female student tried to greet him in the hallway, only to burst out laughing before she could finish.

“You, wait right there! What is going on?” Yuan Ning could no longer tolerate these baseless grins. He blocked her path and demanded an explanation.

The girl, Wu Yin, hadn’t expected to be stopped. She stammered, retreating until she bumped into the wall behind her, her left hand clutching her phone slick with nervous sweat, uncertain whether to tell the professor the truth.

But Yuan Ning had no intention of letting her go so easily. He was on the verge of losing his mind after days of this torment and was about to press further when a graceful, clear voice interrupted.

“Professor Yuan Ning, may I have a moment of your time?”

Turning, Yuan Ning’s attention was immediately captured. He didn’t even glance at the female student who took the chance to slip away.

Standing before him was a young woman of about twenty. Her waterfall of hair cascaded to her shoulders, parting at the temples to reveal a face of stunning beauty. Though she wore only casual clothes, they did nothing to conceal her alluring figure. She stood there, gazing at him with a look of supplication that stirred Yuan Ning’s heart.

“Ahem, what is it? Come to my office, and we’ll talk,” Yuan Ning said, well accustomed to such looks—many female students with requests for him wore similar expressions.

But this one was of an entirely different level. Yuan Ning struggled to maintain his composure and put on a friendly face, so as not to frighten her off.

“Come, come, this isn’t the place. Whatever it is, let’s discuss it in my office.” Eager, Yuan Ning paid no mind to the odd looks others cast his way—he only wanted a good, private conversation with his student.

“Oh, then I’ll trouble you, Professor,” the young woman replied, seeming oblivious to his urgency. She deftly sidestepped the hand he extended to guide her, then followed along.

Yuan Ning smiled awkwardly, then led the way with as much propriety as he could muster.

After all, haste makes waste.

Occupied with leading the way, Yuan Ning failed to notice the small group trailing behind him at a discreet distance—close enough to follow, but not close enough to be detected.

Struggling to suppress his excitement, he snuck glances at the girl’s long, shapely legs as they walked, until finally, with much difficulty, he reached his private office.

Yuan Ning had always been grateful for having used his position to secure a single-occupancy office. Over the years, he’d received countless students here—if not five hundred, then nearly so.

And as for being discovered? That was of little consequence. Even if someone had evidence, there would have to be someone willing to pursue it.

Once the young woman entered, Yuan Ning quietly locked the door behind them. Now, in the emptiness of his office, there would be no interruptions.

With privacy assured, Yuan Ning’s urgency faded. He sat leisurely in his chair, waiting for the girl to state her request.

Outside, five students—three men and two women—stood before the door. One of the men, with delicate features, fiddled with a piece of wire in the lock.

A soft click, and the door was unlocked within ten seconds.

“Damn, Junlin, where’d you learn that trick?” one of them whispered.

“Shh! Keep it down,” Zhang Junlin shot a fierce glare at the speaker, then eased the door open just enough to catch any sounds from within.

“Junlin, even if we get evidence, what good will it do?” one of the girls asked nervously.

“Who knows? Shuihan said she had a way to bring this scumbag down. We can’t just let her go in alone,” Zhang Junlin replied, exasperated. Yuan Ning might not be a good person, but he usually preyed on those who sought favors from him; there was no real conflict of interest with their group. Still, Zhang Shuihan insisted on taking the risk, and even Junlin couldn’t dissuade her.

“Professor Yuan Ning, I’m Zhang Shuihan from the Department of Electronics. I’m about to graduate, but the school is withholding my diploma, saying I haven’t met all the requirements,” Zhang Shuihan said, a sorrowful look on her exquisite face as she bowed her head.

“I heard that Professor Yuan Ning could help, so I came to ask for your assistance.”

Seeing the beautiful girl pleading before him, Yuan Ning’s vanity swelled. He hardly cared about the occasion and spoke without hesitation.

“Of course—it’s a small matter. Not only can I help you with the diploma, I could even get you one outright if you wanted.”

“Thank you so much, Professor Yuan Ning,” Zhang Shuihan replied, her face brightening with hope before her expression settled into calm.

“No need to thank me just yet—it’s not so easy, you know.” Yuan Ning rose and strode toward her.

He had been holding back his frustration all day; now, with such a stunning student within reach, there was no way he would let her go so easily.

As Yuan Ning approached, Zhang Shuihan began to back away, speaking as she retreated. “Is there… a payment required?”

“I heard it’s eight hundred for clearing a failed course, two thousand for a scholarship, thirty thousand for a diploma, and the rest depends on the situation. Is that how it works, Professor Yuan Ning?”

Today’s second update—according to reports, to be featured on the front page, the interval between chapter releases must be at least six hours…