Chapter Forty-Three: Li Yunren

"Big brother, you can’t go! This is obviously a trap, like a banquet for catching a turtle in a jar—though, of course, you’re no turtle." After Ximen Xiaokun had left, Zhang Liming hurried up to Duguming, blurting out his warning. That last phrase, naturally, was because this fellow never had a kind word to say.

Duguming had long since grown used to him. He pondered briefly, then replied, “All right, you don’t need to worry about this. I’ll handle it myself.”

He certainly knew Ximen Xiaokun harbored ill intentions this time, for the man’s notoriety preceded him. What he didn’t know was what kind of rotten plan Ximen Xiaokun might concoct. Duguming simply couldn’t imagine what Ximen Xiaokun could do to him.

He couldn’t possibly summon the elders of Duguming’s family, could he? Firstly, he couldn’t persuade them, and secondly, Ximen Xiaokun still wasn’t the young master of the Ximen family. Duguming racked his brain, but he simply couldn’t figure out what sort of scheme Ximen Xiaokun might use against him.

Yet he completely overlooked the three people standing beside him at that moment: Zhang Liming, Bai Hanwen, and Zhang Hongtao.

While Ximen Xiaokun might not be able to do anything to Duguming, he had plenty of ways to make Zhang Liming and the others suffer.

Never mind, if he couldn’t figure it out, he wouldn’t bother. Duguming was someone who loathed trouble, but he did not know how heavy a price he would pay for this in the future. He cleared his thoughts, and the group headed for the classroom.

Duguming was never one for studying. Attending class was merely a way to stave off the boredom of school life, so aside from Zhang Hongtao, the academic star, seated at the front row, Duguming, Zhang Liming, and Bai Hanwen all chose seats in the back corner.

Not long after Duguming sat down, a graceful figure entered the classroom: none other than Xuanyuan Linwen. Today, she was especially beautiful, dressed in a pink dress, her hair tied with a butterfly bow, and a particularly cute short-sleeved top accentuating her fair arms. She had clearly put much care into her appearance.

As Xuanyuan Linwen entered, nearly everyone stared at her in awe, each secretly marveling at her beauty.

She immediately spotted Duguming in the corner and headed straight toward him.

Meanwhile, Ximen Xiaokun, sitting on the other side, glared fiercely at the scene, wishing he could tear Duguming to pieces.

“Hanwen, let’s go,” Zhang Liming, seated next to Duguming, said tactfully.

“Go where?” Hanwen, still lost, didn’t understand.

“Don’t you see the sister-in-law’s here? Make room,” Zhang Liming said, glaring.

Bai Hanwen finally realized and stood up to give his seat. The two moved to seats two rows behind Duguming.

Duguming smiled, saying nothing, as Xuanyuan Linwen sat down beside him.

“My dear, your sister won’t show up, will she?” Duguming, ever more shameless since that night with Xuanyuan Linwen, grinned at her.

“Naughty! I told you, my sister won’t come. If she does, I’ll let you know.” Xuanyuan Linwen, flustered by Duguming’s roguish demeanor, blushed and spoke like a shy young woman.

It wasn’t really Duguming’s fault; anyone would feel uneasy with such a ticking time bomb at their side—though, if it were a pink bombshell, well, that was another matter entirely.

Duguming and Xuanyuan Linwen chatted aimlessly, flirting like a young couple.

“Look how happy big brother and sister-in-law are,” Bai Hanwen remarked to Zhang Liming.

As he turned his head, he nearly fainted in shock, for he saw Zhang Liming and Liu Cuilan also flirting behind them. But unlike Duguming and Xuanyuan Linwen, whose romance inspired envy, these two were nauseating. Ah, comparisons are truly maddening.

Just then, a young man with an air of righteousness entered the classroom. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, black trousers, and a white shirt. It was Li Yunren, the one who had shouted for Duguming to stop that day.

Duguming and Ximen Xiaokun’s eyes widened in disbelief—how could their teacher be him? Both thought the same thing. Xuanyuan Linwen, her heart filled only with Duguming, paid no attention to Li Yunren’s arrival.

Li Yunren strode confidently to the lectern, his bearing proud and unyielding. He set down his lesson plan and books, then addressed the class in a resonant voice: “Good morning, students.”

His voice echoed throughout the room, reverberating in everyone’s ears, as though it could cleanse the darkness from their hearts.

It was a voice filled with power. If Duguming’s voice inspired confidence, then Li Yunren’s radiated righteous energy.

Except for Duguming and Xuanyuan Linwen, the rest of the class responded in unison, loudly greeting him: “Good morning, teacher!”

This was a university classroom, where few listened to lectures, let alone greeted the teacher. In the past, no one would have bothered, yet now almost the entire class shouted their greeting in perfect harmony. Was this not strange?

How could this be? Duguming was astonished at their reaction. Even he had almost involuntarily wanted to shout, “Good morning, teacher!” The voice had a mesmerizing power, yet unlike those of shady cults, it brimmed with righteous energy, though not quite the holy doctrine of Buddhism.

Xuanyuan Linwen finally realized what was happening. The two exchanged a glance, astonished, then both looked toward Li Yunren standing at the lectern. Li Yunren smiled at them. Suddenly, the two whispered the same five words—Royal Righteousness Technique.

Could he be from the royal family? How could that be? Duguming and Xuanyuan Linwen wondered in their hearts.

Ps: Jimo has started a new novel, titled "Classified Files of Supernatural Events," which can be found online. Fans of Jimo are welcome to check it out and support with flowers. He’ll be writing two novels at once, so updates for "Calamity of a Wasted Life" will be limited to one chapter per day. But rest assured, Jimo writes slowly but will not abandon his work. Please forgive him, and thank you.