Chapter 44: The Dean's Summons, The Girl Deep in His Heart

Wu Chengping, who had been looking down at a newspaper, raised his head.

Only then did Lu Xiangwei notice the heavy dark circles around Wu Chengping's eyes, the eye bags seeming larger than usual, and that today Wu Chengping's eyes lacked their usual spirit, with bloodshot veins visible, making the whole man appear utterly listless.

What did the Dean do last night? Why so out of energy today? Could it be he turned in his public grain quota a few times last night?

These thoughts flashed through Lu Xiangwei's mind.

Yet he dared not ask.

Wu Chengping yawned, glanced at Lu Xiangwei, lowered his head, pulled open a drawer, took out a sample copy of "I Wish to Become an Immortal," placed it on the desk, and pushed it toward Lu Xiangwei.

He said lightly, "This book is written well, very creative, with excellent prose. The Sword-Controlling Sect depicted in the book gives one a sense of being there; the various cultivation levels, spells, and magical treasures described all seem real. Furthermore, the writing style is relaxed and humorous, and the story plot makes for a very comfortable read... Ah..."

At this point, Wu Chengping yawned again, looked at Lu Xiangwei with tired eyes, and smiled, "Little Lu! I believe your words now. Your student indeed possesses great talent! He can be called overflowing with talent. In terms of writing ability, I am inferior to him; since our school was founded, no one should have surpassed him. You have truly discovered a rare talent!"

Lu Xiangwei was stunned by what he heard.

After Wu Chengping finished speaking, Lu Xiangwei blinked, lowered his head to look at the sample copy before him, and suddenly noticed this sample copy was different from yesterday.

When he gave it to Wu Chengping yesterday, the book had been neat, brand new, with no signs of having been read.

But now the book was loose.

Every sheet of paper that had originally been tightly fitted together now showed gaps, looking slack and loose, creating a visual difference just like that between a stack of new banknotes and a stack of old ones.

Lu Xiangwei looked up at Wu Chengping in surprise, "Dean, this book... you didn't finish reading the whole thing in one night, did you? You stayed up all night last night to finish it?"

Was it not turning in the public grain quota that caused his listlessness today?

Wu Chengping: "..."

After a brief silence, Wu Chengping showed a slight smile and nodded slightly, "Yes! Otherwise, how could I say this book is written so well? Once you start reading, you can't stop; the more you read, the more addictive it becomes, just like reading Jin Yong's martial arts novels back in the day. Moreover, the language and wording in this book are even more down-to-earth, making it feel more relaxed than Jin Yong's martial arts fiction. Last night, I unconsciously finished the entire book, and only realized it was past two in the morning when I finished."

At this point, he yawned again.

Staying up until past two in the morning might not mean much for a young person.

But he is over fifty; at this age, staying up late like this, his body simply cannot hold out.

Lu Xiangwei smiled.

The expression was so beautiful, it was just short of snot bubbling.

But his mouth spoke humble words; picking up the sample copy, he said, "Is it really that good? Dean, you flatter me, you certainly flatter me."

Wu Chengping smiled, his gaze sweeping over the sample copy Lu Xiangwei had just picked up, "I'm returning this book to you. Hmm, if possible, could you ask your student Cao Sheng to lend me the second volume as well, so I can take a look? I'll return it to him after I finish reading."

Lu Xiangwei was even more surprised, "Dean, you really still want to read the second volume? You really like this book that much?"

Wu Chengping laughed helplessly, "Do you think what I just said was fake? It seems you really haven't read this book. If you had also read the content inside, I believe you wouldn't be asking me this."

Lu Xiangwei blinked, then lowered his head to look at the sample copy in his hand again.

"Alright! Dean, rest assured, I will go find him for the second volume immediately; by lunchtime, I should be able to bring it over for you."

Wu Chengping nodded, "Thanks."

Lu Xiangwei rolled his eyes, showed a smile, leaned his face closer, and asked with an expectant expression, "So, Dean, what about the matter I mentioned to you yesterday?"

Wu Chengping: "Cao Sheng staying at the school in the future?"

Lu Xiangwei nodded repeatedly.

Wu Chengping pondered for a few seconds, then smiled and said, "Find some time in the next couple of days and bring him here; I want to see him first and chat with him for a bit."

Lu Xiangwei nodded hurriedly, "Alright! Should I bring him over this noon? Just in case, let him bring the second volume sample copy along at the same time?"

Wu Chengping lifted the purple clay teacup beside him, lifted the lid, took a sip with a calm expression, and then nodded slightly, "That works! You arrange it as you see fit."

Lu Xiangwei left happily.

In the office, Wu Chengping yawned again.

When Lu Xiangwei arrived outside the classroom where Cao Sheng and others were, he saw Teacher Xu, who teaches Macroeconomics, lecturing at the podium; in the classroom, dozens of students sat there, with most girls in the front rows and most boys in the back rows, while the middle seats appeared sparsely populated, with not many people sitting there.

He saw Cao Sheng sitting in a back-row seat by the window, and also noticed that today the people sitting around Cao Sheng were particularly numerous, with the seats in front, behind, left, and right all filled.

Seeing this scene, Lu Xiangwei couldn't help but smile.

He could guess the reason.

The news that Cao Sheng had another copy of "I Wish to Become an Immortal" being published in Taiwan had probably already spread through the other dorms of their class last night.

Even if it hadn't spread everywhere last night, it certainly would have spread throughout the classroom by this morning.

Those classmates who heard the news would surely gather around Cao Sheng curiously, asking this and that, just like the scene he witnessed last night when he was in Cao Sheng's dorm, watching Cao Sheng's roommates surround Cao Sheng and press him about that "I Wish to Become an Immortal."

Huh? What is this kid looking at?

Lu Xiangwei suddenly noticed that Cao Sheng did not seem to be paying attention to the lesson at this moment; Cao Sheng's gaze was clearly looking out the window, staring blankly, as if watching the scenery outside the window, or perhaps just zoning out looking outside.

Curiosity arose in Lu Xiangwei; he took two steps closer to the corridor railing nearby, squinted, and looked in the direction Cao Sheng was staring blankly.

In that direction stood a rather large coniferous pine; beneath its canopy, shaped like a parasol, was a marble round table, with several stone stools surrounding the stone table.

A slender girl sat beside the stone table, looking down at something.

Another girl beside her leaned over the stone table, sticking her rear end up, her head close beside the slender girl's head; the two heads were huddled together, looking at some good thing.

Lu Xiangwei was somewhat surprised.

He frowned, looked in the direction of the girl sticking her rear end up, then turned his face to look in the direction Cao Sheng was staring blankly, and a question flashed through Lu Xiangwei's mind.

— Is this kid looking at that?

Thinking again, he felt that at Cao Sheng's age, liking to look at girls' rear ends seemed quite normal.

Lu Xiangwei let out a helpless laugh.

Inside the classroom.

Cao Sheng was indeed looking at the girl sticking her rear end up, and he was indeed zoning out.

Because the back view of that girl sticking her rear end up outside the window had triggered a certain girl deep in his memory.

That was the only girl he had dated during university; she could be called his first love.

But the girl sticking her butt out outside the window was not her.

Because she had not yet come to study at Huizhou Teachers College; she was a year below him and would not officially enroll until the second half of this year.

To him, that romance had passed many years ago.

But with a first love, there are always some details that are hard to forget.

Such as her shy smile; such as her soft gaze fixed on him; and when he first kissed her, her blushing face, her helpless hands, and her trembling eyelashes.

What he could forget least of all was—her choked voice on the phone when she mentioned breaking up with him.

The sudden ringing of the dismissal bell pulled Cao Sheng's mind back to reality.

Cao Sheng saw the classmates around him packing up and getting up to leave, only then remembering that this was the last class of the morning.

So, he also gathered his emotions, packed his things, and prepared to go to the cafeteria for lunch.

After packing up, he had just stood up when he heard the voice of counselor Lu Xiangwei from behind, "Cao Sheng! Hurry and grab a copy of the second volume of 'I Wish to Become an Immortal', then come with me immediately! Hurry up!"