Chapter 331: Teacher-student romance, absolutely not!

The surrounding students' discussion was too loud.

You Nianchu heard these remarks, not only not shy, but deliberately picked up a chicken leg and took a big bite…

She raised her eyebrows at Lin Yuan, giving a look that said, "What can you do to me?"

Lin Yuan only felt his temples throbbing, and he ate his rice faster.

He wished he could finish eating right away and escape this place that would make him "socially dead."

The students at the neighboring table were still secretly taking photos, and the discussion sounds occasionally drifted over.

Lin Yuan's ears quietly turned red, and he could only pretend to focus on his own plate.

The student secretly taking photos held his phone, fingers flying across the screen, added text to the photo of Lin Yuan handing You Nianchu a chicken leg, and posted it to the school forum.

The post had just been up for less than two minutes when it was wildly upvoted, the title

"Wow! The new TCM teacher is feeding the School of Economics belle in the cafeteria—proof of a teacher-student romance?"

It instantly rose to the top of the forum's hot search.

The forum page was almost flooded by this post, with comments popping up one after another in the comment section.

Someone posted more covertly taken detail photos, even the side profiles of the two eating together were captured crystal clear.

"Am I seeing things? Lin Laoshi actually took the initiative to give the School Belle a side dish! This relationship is definitely not ordinary!"

"The School Belle is our School of Economics goddess—countless people have chased her and failed, yet a newly arrived assistant teacher managed to win her over?"

"Unfair! I go to listen outside the School Belle's class every day, yet I haven't even exchanged a word, while Lin Laoshi started eating with her as soon as he arrived!"

The male students' comments were full of envy, with some even posting Lin Yuan's class schedule on the forum, saying they wanted to "run into" him and ask him "what method he actually used";

Moreover, someone started a poll in the comment section asking, "Do you think Lin Laoshi is worthy of the School Belle?" with the opposition votes initially taking the majority.

Lin Yuan finished the last bite of rice and was about to get up…

As a result, he unintentionally glanced at the neighboring table student's phone screen and saw the post— the photo was exactly of him and You Nianchu, the title glaringly obvious.

His heart skipped a beat, and the tray in his hand almost slipped—

How did it spread like this in just a short while?

Lin Yuan dared not linger, hurriedly returned his tray to the collection point, lowered his head, and quickly walked out of the cafeteria…

He feared being surrounded again by students asking questions, and only wanted to quickly avoid this uproar.

You Nianchu followed behind him, walking out of the cafeteria together, her pretty face brimming with a playful smile.

Lin Yuan dared not stay longer with You Nianchu, rushing back to the office…

Back in the office, Lin Yuan leaned back in his chair, took out his phone, opened the school forum, and watched the comments constantly refresh.

He only felt his head hurting more, his fingers scrolling on the screen, yet he didn't know how to explain.

He simply closed the forum, lay down on his desk trying to rest a bit, but his mind was full of the students' discussion voices, making it impossible to sleep.

With difficulty, he made it to the afternoon class time, Lin Yuan forced himself to walk to the classroom, and before even reaching the door, he saw the hallway outside packed with students, even more than in the morning.

Many held their phones, their eyes full of scrutiny.

Lin Yuan was somewhat dazed.

"Today is Saturday, aren't these students supposed to rest? They're rushing to come to class on Saturday."

Lin Yuan took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and the classroom instantly fell silent.

All eyes turned to him in unison, with someone even secretly holding up a phone, as if waiting for him to "come clean."

In the afternoon class, You Nianchu seemed to already know about the rumor, so she didn't show up at all.

Qin Bore wasn't there either.

Lin Yuan walked up to the podium, had just set down his lesson plan, when a student raised their hand to ask:

"Lin Laoshi, when exactly did you and the School Belle get together? Were you the one who pursued her?"

"Right, Teacher! Doesn't the school prohibit teacher-student relationships? Won't you be punished for this?"

"Teacher, haven't you known the School Belle for a long time? This morning she came to listen to your lecture—wasn't it just to see you?"

A barrage of questions came flying like shells, and Lin Yuan explained: "I and You Nianchu are merely acquaintances, we're not dating; that day in the cafeteria it was just her…"

He hadn't finished speaking when another student interrupted:

"Teacher, don't lie to us— the photos are there, and you even gave her a chicken leg. Would mere acquaintances do that?"

The classroom burst into laughter, with someone even joining in: "Exactly, Teacher, come clean—we won't tell the class advisor!"

Lin Yuan looked at the disbelieving eyes filling the classroom, knew further explanation was useless, could only sigh helplessly, and picked up the chalk:

"Let's start class; regarding the rumor, we'll explain later— for now, let's begin today's content—commonly used health acupoints in TCM."

But the students' minds were clearly not on the lesson; from time to time someone whispered discussion, and others secretly browsed the forum on their phones, making the classroom atmosphere much worse than in the morning.

Lin Yuan forced himself through two lectures, his voice hoarser than in the morning, sweat seeping from his back, his whole body drained of energy, even the hand gathering his lesson plans trembled slightly.

When the class bell rang, Lin Yuan dared not linger, clutching his lesson plans and heading out of the classroom…

The students still wanted to surround him for questions, but he quickened his pace, almost "escaping" the teaching building.

Arriving at the school gate, Lin Yuan took out his phone and called Dean Luo Renhai, his voice full of fatigue:

"Dean Luo, have you seen the rumor on the school forum? Could you trouble yourself to explain it? If this continues, I'm afraid it will affect my future classes."

On the other end, Dean Luo remained silent for a few seconds, his tone steady: "I've already seen it; don't worry, I'll handle this matter and will definitely give you an explanation by tomorrow."

After hanging up, Lin Yuan finally relaxed, hurried home, had no appetite for dinner, and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

At the same time, in the president's office, Du Yun dian stared at the forum post on the computer screen, lightly tapping his fingers on the desk, his face full of a speechless expression.

He looked up at Luo Renhai standing opposite him and shook his head helplessly:

"Dean Luo, you say this thing has blown up—Lin Laoshi has only been here a couple days, how did a teacher-student romance rumor come out? If it spreads, what will outsiders say about our school?"

Luo Renhai also felt helpless: "It's mainly because You Nianchu is too mischievous, combined with the students' strong curiosity, that turned a small matter into a big one. I've already told Lin Laoshi that we'll issue an official statement first thing tomorrow morning to clarify the rumor, which should calm things down."

Du Yun dian nodded, rubbed his brow, and said: "Alright, then handle it quickly—don't let this affect Lin Laoshi's teaching enthusiasm; his TCM course is a key subject our school wants to promote."

Luo Renhai answered with a "Good", but inside he thought: This Lin Laoshi, just arrived and already become the school's "focus figure"; the days ahead probably won't be too leisurely.

……

Afternoon, Lin Yuan finally finished a day's teaching work.

He carried a half-old canvas bag, hurriedly walked out of the gate of Zhijiang University.

Saturday classes, more tiring than his usual work, he just wanted to quickly squeeze onto the subway, return to his rented place, cook a bowl of noodles, then flop on the sofa to catch some sleep—

This was his rare moment of relaxation.

But suddenly his phone vibrated.

Lin Yuan looked—his heart gave a tiny jump.

It was a WeChat message from Qin Bore: 【Lin Laoshi, congratulations, today's first class went smoothly～】

Lin Yuan's fingertip paused, he wanted to send a lot of content, but he typed a bunch of text, then deleted it, only replying with two characters:

【Thank you.】

Lin Yuan clearly had many things to say to Qin Bore, but didn't know how to send them, he dared not send.

The message had been sent for less than two seconds when Qin Bore's reply came, also attaching a location:

【To celebrate your 'successful debut class', I'll treat you to a meal, how about the Four Seasons Hotel?】

Lin Yuan didn't even think, directly answered:

【Good.】

Qin Bore replied:

【I'm waiting for you at the school gate~】

Lin Yuan put away his phone and walked toward the school gate; just as he turned the corner, a striking red flashed into his view.

The sleek body shone with metallic luster, the prancing horse emblem on the front was especially eye-catching in the rosy light—

It was a Ferrari LaFerrari.

The engine gave a soft sound, the window slowly lowered, Qin Bore wearing sunglasses, the diamond bracelet on her wrist glinted, she smiled and waved at him: "Lin Yuan, over here!"

The surroundings fell silent for two seconds, then burst into a chorus of low exclamations.

"Whoa! Isn't that Professor Qin Bore's car?" a male student in a hoodie gripped his phone, eyes wide, "That associate professor from the School of Economics, a top-tier rich beauty!"

"Why is she waiting for Professor Lin Yuan?" the girls gathered together, tone full of shock, "Isn't that the Lin Yuan who just came today to teach the Chinese medicine class?"

"You forgot? At noon in the cafeteria, someone saw Professor Lin Yuan having lunch with senior You Nianchu!"

Someone suddenly shouted, "You Nianchu is the belle of the School of Economics, and also Qin Bore's student—'This…… Professor Lin Yuan won't be two-timing, will he? Even Professor Qin has been charmed by him?'"

The discussion grew louder, students raised their phones, lenses all aimed at the red sports car and Lin Yuan about to get in.

Shutter sounds rose and fell, someone had already opened the school forum, fingers flying as they typed:

"Shock! Professor Lin Yuan of the general education class was picked up by Professor Qin Bore in a Ferrari! Their relationship is a mystery!"

Someone also directly posted to Moments, caption "This plot is even more outrageous than an idol drama", the picture showing Lin Yuan bending to get into the passenger seat, Qin Bore turning her head to speak to him, clearly visible.

Lin Yuan got into the car, feeling countless gazes from outside sticking to the body like fine needles.

He tugged at his collar, looking at Qin Bore: "This car…… won't it be too showy?"

Qin Bore took off her sunglasses, a smile in her eyes:

"Showy? I usually drive this. Let's go, to eat; if we're late the window-side seats will be gone."

The Ferrari's engine restarted, with a soft sound it glided out of the school gate, leaving a group still taking photos and chatting.

The forum post had already been pushed to the front page, the comment section refreshing rapidly.

Some guessed they were long-time friends, some were certain it was a romantic relationship, others dug up Lin Yuan's schedule, saying they'd go "stake out to observe".

Meanwhile, Lin Yuan in the car, watching the street scenery retreat outside the window, only felt a faint throbbing in his temples—

The identity he tried to conceal wasn't hidden, instead it caused an even bigger commotion.

……

Ten minutes later, the Ferrari steadily stopped beside the revolving door of the Four Seasons Hotel.

The hotel bellboy quickly stepped forward and opened the passenger door; as Lin Yuan got out, he could still feel curious glances from passersby.

Qin Bore walked ahead in high heels, the hem of her black dress swaying lightly with her steps, smiling and gesturing back:

"Come in quickly, the private room I booked has a view of the river."

Passing through the opulent lobby, when they went by the aquarium-like seafood pool, Qin Bore deliberately stopped:

"Today I had the kitchen keep the freshest seafood; you're good at cooking, help me taste if there's room for improvement, help me try the dish."

It turned out Qin Bore wanted Lin Yuan to help taste the dish.

Okay.

Lin Yuan felt a small disappointment inside.

He had thought Qin Bore genuinely wanted to celebrate for him.

He hadn't expected Lin Yuan to be used as a tool again.

Inside the private room, the river view was expansive; a round table in the center held exquisite silverware, and the server quickly brought up steamed king crab, cheese-baked Australian lobster, steam wrapping the fresh aroma that assailed the nostrils.

"Try them, see what problems these dishes have, and give me some pointers." Qin Bore indicated.

Her Four Seasons Hotel, recently the dish quality has been uneven; Qin Bore needs Lin Yuan to give some pointers. After all, Lin Yuan is a cooking expert.

Lin Yuan picked up the silver fork, speared a piece of crab meat and put it in his mouth, chewed a moment then set the fork down:

"The crab meat is overcooked, the freshness has been steamed away, and the ginger's spiciness overwhelms the sea flavor itself."

He also took a bite of the cheese-baked Australian lobster, brows slightly furrowed: "The cheese is too heavy, like it's coated in a batter, completely covering the lobster's sweet freshness, and the baking time was too long, the meat turned dry."

Qin Bore's eyes lit up, she immediately picked up her phone and dialed: "Head Chef Xu, come to the river-view private room, a friend wants to discuss the dishes with you."

Moments later, Xu Danyear in a white chef's coat walked in, his chest badge "Executive Chef" especially conspicuous: "Boss, you called for me?"

"This is Lin Yuan, you've seen him before." Qin Bore pointed at Lin Yuan, "He thinks today's seafood dish has room for improvement; listen to his idea."

Xu Danyan looked Lin Yuan up and down, the corner of his mouth curling in disdain:

"Mr. Lin, I've been making Western food for over ten years; do you understand the handling of Western ingredients and the cooking logic?"

"I cook Chinese food, but the core of good ingredients is to highlight their natural flavor," Lin Yuan calmly replied, "None of your dishes have achieved that."

"Can Chinese and Western food be the same? I know your Chinese cooking is indeed good. But we're making Western food." Xu Danyan suddenly raised his voice, "If you're capable, make a Western dish for us to see—don't just stand there talking without back pain!"

Xu Danyan had previously eaten Lin Yuan's Chinese dishes, and they were indeed impressive.

But now Xu Danyan is making Western food, and Lin Yuan is just a Chinese chef—what qualifications does he have to critique Western food?

Lin Yuan originally wanted to wave it off, but just as he was about to speak, Xu Danyan's apprentices surged forward, the lanky apprentice shouting, "Exactly! If you don't understand, don't give random orders—show us what you can do!"

Another apprentice joined in: "Our Western food isn't something just anyone can make—don't embarrass the Chinese chefs!"

Qin Bore tugged at Lin Yuan's sleeve: "Lin Yuan, why don't you try making a Western dish?"

At that moment, seeing the situation, Xu Danyan immediately interjected: "Boss, I can accept his suggestion—let him make a Western dish; if his Western dish surpasses mine, I'll concede! Otherwise, I demand a raise, double my salary, or else I and my subordinates won't work!"

The apprentices chimed in: "Exactly! We want a raise too! Otherwise we can't do this work!"

They were taking the opportunity to demand a wage increase.

Qin Bore didn't bother to argue with them either.

Her beautiful eyes gazed softly at Lin Yuan: "Today… it's my birthday, sigh. Could you make me a Western dish? This is my birthday wish."

She wanted Lin Yuan to cook a dish, specially made for her.

"Today is your birthday?" Lin Yuan froze.

Qin Bore pulled out her ID from her bag, flipped it open and handed it to him; the birth date column clearly read September 6: "Look, it's my birthday, I'm not lying to you. Today is the day—I just want to eat a satisfying meal for my birthday."

Lin Yuan unconsciously glanced at her ID, and indeed it was today.

However, Lin Yuan also noticed that on Qin Bore's ID, the address column read… Beijing household registration.

She is a Beijinger.

As expected, she's a top-tier rich beauty from the capital.

Lin Yuan nodded and said, "All right, Miss Qin, then I'll make you a longevity noodle using Western methods." Xu Danyan snorted, his voice carrying throughout the private room: "Longevity noodle? That's beginner-level Western cooking—if you mess it up, don't embarrass yourself!"

He turned and shouted toward the door: "Everyone in the hotel, come over! Later we'll do a blind taste test to see whether his Chinese-style Western dish is tastier, or mine, the authentic one!"

Servers and cleaners gathered around, whispering in the hallway outside the private room, curiously awaiting the result.

"Follow me to the kitchen," Xu Danyan took the first step, "Let you see what a professional Western chef's skills are like."

Lin Yuan followed behind him, his steps steady, his face expressionless, as if he hadn't heard the surrounding whispers.

Qin Bore hurried to catch up, and when she walked beside Lin Yuan, she whispered: "Thanks, Lin Yuan, I believe you can do it~"

Entering the kitchen, the stainless steel countertop gleamed coldly; Xu Danyan pointed to the side counter: "The ingredients are all here, feel free to use them—I'll be right beside making mine, so everyone can see."

The kitchen's chefs and apprentices gathered around, some standing beside Xu Danyan, others curiously sizing up Lin Yuan, wondering if he could break the prejudice that "Chinese chefs can't make Western food."

Xu Danyan picked up the flour, measured it skillfully, and while kneading the dough said to those around: "Making noodles, the dough's softness and hardness must be precise— a slight difference in texture makes a world of difference."

Lin Yuan, unhurried, pulled out his phone from his pocket, his fingertips tapped a few times in the search bar, and the entry "Western noodle sauce fusion method" popped up.

He casually opened a video of a chef in a white coat; the screen was demonstrating the ratio of tomato to basil.

Qin Bore leaned in, seeing the TikTok interface on the screen, she felt a bit dazed.

Qin Bore asked softly: "How are you still learning on the spot? If Xu Danyan wins, I'll have to pay him over fifty thousand more in salary each month—that's no small sum… Are you really up to it?"

Lin Yuan's fingertips paused, he closed the video and put his phone back in his pocket, then said calmly: "Don't worry, Western food isn't hard either—I'll just watch a few videos and learn the basics."

Xu Danyan happened to catch Lin Yuan's action of scrolling TikTok, his spatula trembled slightly, and then he bent over laughing till tears came:

"Oh dear! Learning Western food from TikTok? Mr. Lin, you're treating the five-star hotel's back kitchen like your home kitchen, and cooking like playing house!"

The lanky apprentice beside him immediately joined in the laughter:

"Chef Xu, I think he can't even tell Italian herbs from domestic rosemary—he might even dump soy sauce into the sauce later!"

Another round-faced apprentice stepped forward, deliberately raising his voice: "Exactly! Once a customer tried to make noodles himself, using a formula he learned on TikTok, he ended up putting sugar instead of salt, and the dish served was so bitter it was inedible—Mr. Lin, don't follow in his footsteps!"

The apprentices' mocking laughter rose and fell.

Even the assistant chef in charge of chopping vegetables stopped his knife, poked his head out to watch the commotion, his eyes full of contempt.