by Dragon King
She looked down at her pink pajamas and the soft skin under the collar and wondered, “Is he not attracted to me at all?”
“He leaves as soon as he finishes tutoring as if it is a task to him…” Zhao Yanzi thought as she looked down at the slight rise of her chest. All of a sudden, she thought of the pretty girl she met at East Ocean University during the Athletic Games.
She snorted with disdain and jumped onto her bed.
When Hao Ren got up to the studio, he found that neatly laid out bedding was placed on the clean floor, and on one side of the bedding hanged the clothes he had changed out of earlier. They had been washed and dried.
“Zhao Yanzi’s mother is such a thoughtful and considerate woman. If Zhao Yanzi can grow into a woman with half of her mother’s virtues, I will be a happy man… Urm, what am I thinking…”
Hao Ren put the textbooks on the floor before settling down. He picked a random textbook from the floor and began to study it.
Outside, the storm continued into the night as predicted by Zhao Hongyu. Illuminated by the soft yellow light, the little attic was warm and quiet.
While reading, he began to doze off. Clap! The book slid from his hands and fell to the floor.
In her room, Zhao Yanzi was tossing and turning in her bed, unable to sleep. She turned on the lights and stared up at the ceiling covered with stars. After a while, she got up from her bed and tiptoed out of her room and up the stairs; she was curious about what Hao Ren was doing.
When she found Hao Ren asleep with textbooks scattered around him, her suspicious heart was touched.
The pitter-patter of raindrops outside made the small attic seem a little cold.
“You jerk, throwing my books everywhere.”
She thought for a moment and tiptoed into the room. She picked up the textbooks and was about to leave when a thought occurred to her. She bent down and quietly dragged the kicked-aside quilt over his body.
She made a face at the sleeping Hao Ren and waved her hand in front of his face as if she was going to strike him. But in the end, she didn’t wake him up.
Carrying the heavy books, Zhao Yanzi returned to her room on the second floor.
The next morning.
When Hao Ren woke up, he was a bit startled to find himself not in his dorm. Sitting up, he saw the quilt had been kicked aside and realized that the textbooks beside him were gone.
It was still raining, though not as heavily as last night.
He changed into his own clothes and walked down the stairs to the first floor. When he passed by Zhao Yanzi’s room, it was rather quiet.
Chop! Chop!… The chopping sounds came from the kitchen.
Hao Ren walked in and found Zhao Hungyu who was in her apron busy in the kitchen.
“Morning, auntie,” He went in and greeted her.
“You up already?” Zhao Hongyu smiled at him. “How was your sleep last night?” she asked.
“It was good. Isn’t Zi up yet?” Hao Ren asked.
“She is a lazy bug and won’t get up until someone wakes her. Go to Zi’s bathroom for your morning wash-up. I’ve put a new towel and a new toothbrush there for you,” Zhao Hongyu said.
“I’ll wait for her to get up. It’s not right to barge into her room,” Hao Ren said.
Zhao Hongyu nodded with a smile. Indeed, if Zi found that Hao Ren had seen her unladylike sleeping poses, she would fly into a rage and make a scene.
“Zi’s father will drive you to school. Relax in the living room for now,” Zhao Hongyu said while chopping the Chinese Mustard with ease.
“Minced pork congee with mustard and preserved egg? Let me help you,” Hao Ren walked over and began to help.
Zhao Hongyu didn’t refuse his help. She smiled and said, “You are a good boy.”
“And you are a great mother,” Hao Ren replied.
“Doesn’t your mom cook you breakfast?” Zhao Hongyu asked casually.
“She is very busy and has no time to do the things an ordinary mother does,” Hao Ren answered after some thoughts.
Sensing the faint disappointment in Hao Ren’s tone, Zhao Hongyu smiled at him. “It doesn’t matter. This is your home now,” she said.
Hao Ren was touched. He wasn’t certain about Zhao Yanzi’s feelings toward him, but he knew Zhao Hongyu treated him as a member of her family.
Not knowing how to answer her, he busied himself and worked silently.
Soon after, Zhao Guang and Zhao Yanzi got up and came down to the first floor. By now, the deliciously smelling minced pork congee with mustard and preserved egg was on the table, a result of the joint efforts of Hao Ren and Zhao Hongyu.
Hao Ren went into the bathroom in Zhao Yanzi’s room to wash up, and Zhao Guang was pleased that Hao Ren had helped to make breakfast.
Zhao Yanzi was surprised that Hao Ren was such a hardworking and able guy. However, when her mother scolded her for being surprised, she pouted in silent protest.
When the simple breakfast ended, the storm which had been raging for the whole night ended as well.
Zhao Guang got ready to drive Zhao Yanzi and Hao Ren to school while Zhao Hongyu took off her apron and revealed the lotus flower halter top with thin straps underneath. She put on her sunglasses and grabbed a very ladylike black purse before entering the garage.
One minute later, Zhao Hongyu drove a red Ferrari out of the garage.
Hao Ren was surprised by Zhao Hongyu’s instant change from a perfect mother to a fashionable woman. But then again, it wasn’t that big of a surprise since Zhao Hongyu was a top-rated designer.
He had only seen her role as the perfect mother recently and had forgotten that she had her own career. With her reputation and ability, she was probably leading her own elite team and running an independent studio.
With a wave of her hand, Zhao Hongyu sped off in her shiny red Ferrari.
In his low-profiled black Chevrolet, Zhao Guang drove Zhao Yanzi and Hao Ren to their schools successively. Not wanting to draw more attention to him, Hao Ren asked Zhao Guang to drop him off hundreds of meters away from the school’s main gate.
After saying goodbye to Zhao Guang, Hao Ren walked to the main gate of the university.
From afar, he saw some students hanging up a banner over the gate.
“A Warm Welcome to the World Famous Biologist Hao Zhonghua and Globally Well-known Meteorologist Yue Yang who will be Giving Lectures at the University!”
46 How Old Are You? 2 in 1 Chapter
Hao Ren walked toward the banner and saw a line of smaller characters underneath the big ones: “Thursday, March 18th at 8 PM in Shaw Auditorium.
“Next Thursday is a full week from now, but the school couldn’t wait to put up the banner at the main gate. It is undoubtedly their way of showing off,” Hao Ren thought.
Although East Ocean University was currently a comprehensive university, its goal was to become a research-focused university. To reach that goal, the school had been working hard to hold science and technology lectures and establish science research projects. Directed by this strategy, East Ocean University’s research branch had been growing while its comprehensive abilities were still improving. Its undergraduate programs were ranked among the top ten nationally while the development of masters and doctors had been moving into more advanced areas.
While he walked through the campus, Hao Ren leaped over one puddle after another. After the storm, the tree-lined campus was full of cool and refreshing air.
After he walked from the main gate to the southern entrance, Hao Ren crossed a street and returned to his dorm. He found that his roommates were already gone, so he picked up his bag and walked back to the campus for the lectures.
In the classroom, Zhou Liren spotted Hao Ren and yelled, “Ren, are you a kept man now?”
“Stop your nonsense!” Hao Ren hurried over and knocked Zhou Liren’s head with his book.
“Then why didn’t you come back last night? We all thought that you had been kept by a rich lady!” Zhou
Liren covered his head with his hands and laughed.
“Isn’t that your dream?” Hao Ren slapped Zhou Liren’s head twice with his book, though not with force.
Xie Yujia, who was sitting in front of them, heard their bickering. She turned to look at them.
“Did you stay the night in the home of the little girl you are tutoring?” Zhao Jiayi came over and asked.
“Yeah. I couldn’t come back because of the storm and had to stay the night in their home,” Hao Ren said.
“They should have asked you to stay the night. Is it possible they want you to be their son-in-law?” Cao Ronghua also joined the conversation.
“We analyzed the situation for half a night and thought that the little girl has some hidden motives. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have come to see you race at the Athletic Games,” seeing that Hao Ren had stopped assaulting him, Zhou Liren raised his head and said.
Slap!
Hao Ren’s book landed harshly on his face again.
“Stop your wild guesses! I stayed there for the night because of the storm,” Hao Ren tossed the book onto the desk before sitting down.
“Then you and Xie Yujia…” Zhou Liren leaned toward him and lowered his voice, “…have nothing going on?”
“F*ck! You are such a gossiper!” Hao Ren glared at him.
“This information is worth 1,000 yuan. If you have a girlfriend, Zhao Jiayi will lose 1,000 yuan to me and Cao Ronghua,” Zhou Liren snickered.
“B*tch!” Hao Ren tapped Zhou Liren’s face with the back of his fist.
The morning and half of the afternoon passed uneventfully in classes.
Hao Ren spent some time preparing that night’s tutoring lesson for Zhao Yanzi, and the last class was over before he noticed.
There were still two hours before dinner time. They usually spent it on playing cards in the dorm or playing World of Warcraft at the internet cafes.
The students filed out of the classroom. Suddenly, Hao Ren noticed that the students who had walked out of the room all stopped at the door.
Hao Ren and Zhou Liren walked to the door slowly and saw Su Han, who rarely showed herself on campus, standing at the door. She looked like she was waiting for someone.
At the sight of Hao Ren, Su Han walked forward and said, “Mr. Hao, please take a walk with me around the campus.”
Hearing her words, the surrounding classmates suddenly turned quiet. Xie Yujia also stared at Su Han and Hao Ren in astonishment and confusion.
“Are you afraid of me?” at Hao Ren’s silence, Su Han asked.
“Let’s go then!” Hao Ren squared his shoulders and escorted Su Han to the stairs pretentiously.
His classmates were left behind, gaping at them.
They went down the stairs and out of the Academic Building. On the way, the students they met all shot strange glances at them since they had never seen Su Han walk with a male student before.
Today, Su Han was dressed in black and white. The short-sleeved sweater with a U-shaped neckline accentuated her elegant long neck and showcased her beautiful head like a statue.
She wore big retro bracelets which made her arms look slimmer and more feminine.
Hao Ren looked askance at her up-close and wondered which of the two women, Su Han or Zhao Hongyu, had a better taste in fashion.
When he turned his head around, he saw Zhou Liren and others sneakily following them in the distance.
“These guys…” Hao Ren didn’t know what to do with them. He knew Su Han was aware that the guys were following them. Since she had come for him, she didn’t intend to keep their meeting a secret.
“I have made a thorough investigation on this issue,” Su Han said abruptly when they were more than a dozen meters away from the Academic Building.
A faint fragrance floated from her cherry-shaped mouth. Even without make-up, Su Han was a great beauty.
“You mean the issue of my identity?” Hao Ren asked. Since they were far away from other people, Hao Ren wasn’t worried about being overheard.
“Yes,” Su Han nodded and said. “I asked Lu Qin and talked to Zi. I have a clear understanding of the whole situation.”
“Then do you acknowledge my identity now?” Hao Ren asked.
“Yes, barely. Since East Ocean is determined, I have made an exception for you. You are not from the orthodox background, but due to the special circumstances and the insistence of Zi’s parents who are my benefactors, I will temporarily give you a chance,” Su Han, walking with light steps, said.
“Temporarily?” Hao Ren caught the keyword and asked.
“Right, only temporarily. The result of my negotiation with East Ocean is that if you don’t succeed in the cultivation of the techniques of the Dragon Tribe, I, as an inspector, will have to deprive you of the qualification of becoming a member of the Dragon Tribe. And the time limit…” Su Han paused for a second before she said, “…is only one month.”
“I need to a breakthrough of the Spirit Concentration Scroll?” Hao Ren asked.
“In your dreams. It is just a basic technique, and you are not counted as a cultivator even if you mastered it. I meant Kan-level which is the lowest level in the cultivation system of the Dragons. Qian, Kun, Xun, Dui, Gen, Zhen, Li, and Kan 1 ; these are the eight levels, and Kan is the lowest!” Su Han said coldly.
Hao Ren was a bit disappointed. It had taken him almost two weeks to break through the first level of the Spirit Concentration Scroll, and maybe he was one of the least talented guys. It would be extremely difficult for him to reach Kan-level within one month.
“I’ve told you everything you need to know. If you can’t meet my requirement, I’ll have to do my duty despite my feelings for East Ocean. In the next while, I will closely monitor your cultivation progress,” Su Han continued.
Hao Ren silently lamented his ill fate. Now he was not only monitored by the school’s vice president and his “father-in-law”, but also by Su Han, the beautiful teacher who was in the center of the attention.
Being under the supervision of these three people was worse than being roasted in the elixir furnace.
“I have to warn you. I’m not the only inspector in the Dragon Tribe. I am lenient with you, but when other inspectors notice you, you won’t be so lucky.”
Hao Ren asked in bafflement, “You mean…”
“If you’re lucky, they will only interrogate you. But if you’re not, they might kill you,” Su Han said, emphasizing each word.
When Hao Ren froze in astonishment, Su Han turned to look at him and said, “Don’t panic.”
She took out a silver necklace from her pocket. “This necklace holds a special array formation designed by me which can conceal the faint dragon presence in your body and keep other inspectors from noticing you.”
Relieved, Hao Ren berated her silently for scaring him by not taking out the necklace earlier.
Instead of putting the necklace in Hao Ren’s hand, she faced him and put it around his neck.
Zhou Liren and others who had been following them from a distance were all stunned. “What’s happening? How intimate are Su Han and Hao Ren? She’s putting a necklace on him! And the necklace seems to be her gift to Hao Ren!” they thought.
Hao Ren had not expected that Su Han would put the necklace on him herself.
Of course, Zhou Liren and his buddies were not the only witnesses. The other students loitering around campus had also seen it. After all, Su Han rarely showed herself on campus and everyone would notice the super beauty wherever she went.
Everyone was shocked, but Zhou Liren was on an extreme; he put his finger in his mouth and almost bit it off.
“With the array formation I designed on it, only I can put it on you or take it off you,” Su Han lowered her slim and soft arms and explained.
Hao Ren tried to take it off but failed. Besides, the necklace seemed to be made from a special material which couldn’t be broken easily.
“Fortunately, the necklace is quite pretty. Otherwise, it
would look like a dog collar,” Hao Ren thought to himself.
If Zhou Liren had heard this ungrateful thought, he would have strangled Hao Ren with jealousy because he would have passed out in happiness if Su Han had put a dog collar on him.
“Of course, this necklace has other functions. One of them is that I can track your whereabouts anytime I want,” Su Han continued.
“F*ck! I have been tricked!” Hao Ren thought, “This Su Han is really a fox. She pretended to be concerned about my safety, but her real intention is to monitor and control me!”
Seeing the regretful expression on Hao Ren’s face, Su Han smiled. “There’s no use crying over spilled milk. As I told you, you can’t remove it until you find someone more powerful than me,” she said.
Looking at her beautiful smiling face, Hao Ren lamented silently that beautiful women were the most ruthless. He searched his brain for a person more powerful than Su Han and found one: Zhao Yanzi’s Third Uncle.
However, that Third Uncle didn’t like Hao Ren and probably won’t waste his strength to help. As to the other people, neither Lu Qing nor Zhao Hongyu had greater strength than Su Han.
“This damn Inspector! She traped me, and I am now totally under her control! The woman looked cold, but she is actually very cunning,” Hao Ren silently berated the beautiful woman who was worshipped and admired by all the guys in the school.
“Well, what other questions do you have for me? I can walk with you for another half hour,” Su Han’s fleeting smile vanished while she continued the walk.
Hao Ren hurriedly followed her. “I’d like to know how many Inspectors are out there…”
Zhou Liren, Zhao Jiayi, and Cao Ronghua continued to follow them. When they saw Hao Ren walking shoulder to shoulder with Su Han while talking animatedly, they were green with envy.
“The number of Inspectors is not fixed. Some wander around between cities and are disguised as artists, musicians and such, and others, like me, stay in one city and supervise the dragons in that area,” Su Han answered Hao Ren patiently.
Hao Ren was pleased to obtain this useful information. He continued to ask, “Then how can I recognize these Inspectors?”