Chapter 77
Chapter 77: Face Burning—Ye Wan Lan’s Knowledge and Skill
From Ye Wan Lan’s first day at No. 7 High School, the principal had personally walked her to the door of Senior 2 Class 1.
It wasn’t treatment Su Xu Bai or Xue Yi Wei had ever received.
After that, Xue Yi Wei had repeatedly seen Ye Wan Lan summoned to the principal’s office.
“Xue Yi Wei,” the principal said coldly, “I don’t care how unbalanced you feel, or how you think everyone around you is trying to get close to you.”
For the first time, he was truly severe. “And I don’t care how adored you were in Yun Jing. Now that you’re in River City, at No. 7 High School, you follow the rules here.
“If you won’t follow them, then get out. We don’t need you.”
Xue Yi Wei had never heard a teacher speak to her that way in her life.
No matter how proud she was, she was still only seventeen. Her eyes reddened instantly, and all the color drained from her face.
“Principal.” Su Xu Bai stepped in front of her. “We only asked a reasonable question. You don’t have to speak like that.”
“Reasonable?” The principal slammed his palm on the desk. “You call that reasonable?”
His voice rose. “In your hearts, you’ve already convicted Classmate Ye.”
He leaned forward. “So young, and you think you can hide it? I see everything clearly.”
Xue Yi Wei swayed, her face growing even paler.
Su Xu Bai’s brows knotted. “Principal—”
“If it weren’t for Classmate Ye,” the principal cut in, “Professor Yuwen wouldn’t have come to No. 7 High School at all. And you wouldn’t have been able to see him here. Do you understand?”
Su Xu Bai went still.
The principal didn’t let up. “Instead of coming to interrogate me, you should go apologize to Classmate Ye and ask her to connect you.”
Silence swallowed the office.
Su Xu Bai’s eyes widened. The disbelief on his face was almost childish.
Xue Yi Wei stumbled back a step, voice cracking. “That’s impossible!”
Even the Rong Family needed to schedule in advance if they wanted to invite Yuwen Ming Bo.
How could Yuwen Ming Bo travel all the way to River City for a student?
The principal’s answer was one she hadn’t even considered—because it was too absurd.
Even hearing it, she couldn’t accept it.
“Is there anything impossible in this world?” the principal said icily. “Maybe one day the ancients will come back to life. Finals are coming. Focus on your studies. If you don’t want to stay at No. 7 High School, you can leave anytime.”
He had known for a long time that Ye Wan Lan was nothing like Su Xu Bai or Xue Yi Wei.
Some people had power and used it to win more benefits and resources for those around them.
Some people had power and used it to crush others.
Su Xu Bai pressed his lips together, supported Xue Yi Wei, and led her out of the office.
Back in Class 2, Xue Yi Wei collapsed onto her desk and began to cry.
“What happened?” Sheng Song asked, surprised. “Who made her miserable?”
Throughout No. 7 High School, the only people Sheng Song truly feared were Su Xu Bai and Xue Yi Wei—because both of them had Yun Jing families behind them.
Su Xu Bai didn’t answer. He stared blankly at the book on his desk, the principal’s words replaying in his mind.
Without Ye Wan Lan, Yuwen Ming Bo wouldn’t have come to No. 7 High School.
So that was the truth…
But how could Ye Wan Lan possibly move someone like Yuwen Ming Bo?
Su Xu Bai’s gaze deepened, thoughts churning.
—
By the time lunch ended, it was already three in the afternoon.
“Little Wan Lan,” Professor Yuwen said with satisfaction, patting his belly, “I’m staying at your place tonight. Save me a bed. The floor is fine too.”
He squinted at her as if she might sprout wings and fly away. “I have to keep an eye on you. What if you run off again?”
“Teacher Yuwen,” Yan Ting Feng said mildly, “Miss Ye lives with her uncle and aunt. I’m afraid she can’t make room for you.”
“I can sleep on the floor!”
“The floor is cold,” Yan Ting Feng said, still gentle. “You drank today. If you wake up and have a stroke, the physics world will lose a researcher.”
Professor Yuwen looked genuinely pained. “Fine, fine. Then we’ll eat again tonight. And tomorrow too!”
Rong Yu thought, Eat what? He drank three bottles. Whether he could even wake up tomorrow was a mystery.
Yan Ting Feng handed Professor Yuwen over to Rong Yu, then turned to Ye Wan Lan. “I’ll take you back to school.”
“Mm.” Ye Wan Lan fell into step beside him. “Let’s go.”
She produced another piece of candy. “Want candy again?”
Yan Ting Feng lowered his gaze. After a pause, he accepted it. “Save it for tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Today was already sweet enough.”
If he ate more, the sugar would be over the limit.
They left together.
Rong Yu wrestled Professor Yuwen into the car, hauled him to the hotel, and got him settled in. Only then did he pant his way back to the counseling room.
Yan Ting Feng was calmly brewing tea.
Rong Yu’s annoyance flared instantly. “Of course. You get to escort Classmate Ye. I get stuck escorting that cranky old man.”
He grumbled, “I do hard labor, you get the sweet job.”
Yan Ting Feng didn’t respond. He just kept brewing tea, unbothered.
Rong Yu snorted, pulled out his phone, and called home. “Dad, guess who I saw in River City?”
The other end stayed silent.
Three seconds later, Rong Jing Qiu said, “Yuwen Ming Bo?”
Rong Yu: “….”
Bad move. He’d forgotten his dad could calculate almost anything.
“Then guess why I ran into him,” Rong Yu pressed.
Rong Jing Qiu frowned. After a moment, he said, “I can’t. But you’re with Ting Feng, aren’t you? He probably went to find Ting Feng.”
It couldn’t possibly be for the dummy he’d raised.
“Dad, you finally got something wrong!” Rong Yu brightened with wicked delight. “Uncle Yuwen came to see one of my patients. For her, he ended his meeting at the Global Center early. Isn’t that amazing?”
If the patient was amazing, then the doctor must be amazing too.
Rong Jing Qiu actually sounded startled. “Your patient?”
He knew Rong Yu moonlighted as a psychological counselor, but he was half-baked at best. Most of the time, he still relied on the secret arts passed down by the Tai Su Sect and the Tai Su Lineage.
With Rong Yu’s IQ, could he really guide a patient like that?
Or was he getting fooled?
“Yes!” Rong Yu sounded proud enough to glow.
Rong Jing Qiu didn’t quite believe it, but he still said, “When you’ve had enough fun and come back to Yun Jing, bring your patient to the Rong Family too.”
The call ended.
The tea was ready.
Rong Yu slumped back and complained, “How come my dad can’t calculate you, and he can’t calculate Classmate Ye either? It must mean that old man is getting worse and worse. It’s time to hand the position to me!”
Yan Ting Feng lowered his lashes. His fingers continued to rub the jade token in his palm, slow and constant.
Something seemed to cross his mind. His eyes darkened, like an endless night.
Rong Yu sighed. “But Classmate Ye really is something. I never thought I’d live to see someone Uncle Yuwen treats like your equal.”
Yan Ting Feng let out a soft laugh. His eyes warmed. “She’s better than me.”
Rong Yu blinked. “Huh?”
“That day she discussed quantum mechanics with me,” Yan Ting Feng said calmly. “What she showed wasn’t even a tenth of what she truly knows.”
Rong Yu’s scalp prickled. “Does she even have time to learn all that?”
Not like him. A page of formulas made him want to pass out.
“She does,” Yan Ting Feng said, expression unchanged. “I’ll keep observing her.”
His interest in her was only growing.
—
At six in the evening, the last class ended.
Ye Wan Lan and Su Xue Qing walked to dinner together. Passing through the back door, they ran into Xue Yi Wei.
Xue Yi Wei looked up, bit her lip, then turned and walked away without a word.
“What’s with her today?” Su Xue Qing muttered. “Usually she’d insult you the moment she sees you. Did someone finally teach her a lesson?”
Ye Wan Lan’s voice stayed calm. “It’s unnecessary. A waste of time.”
Back when she stood at the foot of the mountain, people’s insults might have stung.
Now she stood on the peak. No matter how loud the voices below were, the wind would carry them away. What she heard now was the sound of everything living.
And what she saw was only mountains and rivers stretching endlessly—Shen Zhou in all its forms.
Those people couldn’t reach her, and they couldn’t affect her. They could only jump and rage until they exhausted themselves.
“A Lan,” Su Xue Qing whispered, barely containing her joy, “I have good news. I learned the first move of the second volume of Tai Yi Divine Needle. The diagrams you gave me are even more detailed than what the Su Family’s main line kept!”
Ye Wan Lan lifted a brow. “Good. I knew you could do it.”
“This year I’ll definitely finish the second volume,” Su Xue Qing vowed. “Then we’ll test its power.”
“Mm.” Ye Wan Lan sounded unhurried. “That matches my estimate. Next year you’ll start the third volume.”
Su Xue Qing: “….”
For a moment, she almost thought she’d misheard.
Even in the Su Family, after finishing the second volume of Tai Yi Divine Needle, you still had to pass layers of tests before you could continue.
The restrictions were severe. Forcing it would harm yourself and others.
Su Xue Qing clenched her hands beneath the table, determination burning in her chest.
She would not disappoint Ye Wan Lan.
After dinner, Teacher Ren called Ye Wan Lan over to discuss a problem.
When they finished, he sighed. “Wan Lan, I believe your future achievements will surpass Professor Yuwen Ming Bo. You don’t know—he’s been my idol since I entered this field. I studied physics because of him.”
If he could see Yuwen Ming Bo in person one day…
Ye Wan Lan looked thoughtful. “Teacher Ren, are you free? I want to treat you to a meal.”
“I’m free. Very free,” Teacher Ren said, nodding so fast he nearly teared up.
Ye Wan Lan nodded once. “And I’ll introduce you to my first physics teacher.”
Teacher Ren’s smile vanished. “What? There’s someone who got to you first?”
“When?” Teacher Ren sprang up, furious. “No, we have to go right now!”
He wanted to see who it was. He was going to challenge them face to face and settle it properly.