Chapter 3: Ms. Ye in the Office |
"Meow~"
In the corridor of the Teaching Building, bathed in the increasingly red light of the setting sun, a handsome young man carrying his School Bag walked with a Black Cat following behind him. That guy Yabashi Ki was already nowhere to be seen.
It was already after school hours, and the upcoming matters had nothing to do with him. After Yan Huan replied in the group chat and expressed his gratitude to Yabashi Ki, he did not let him escort him any further.
Upon reaching the floor where the Principal''s Office was located, he could faintly hear the sound of conversation coming from the office through the extremely quiet air.
He did not continue forward. Instead, he turned his head to tidy his appearance using the reflection on the window, shifting his School Bag from his hand to slinging it over one shoulder. At the same time, he looked back at Myau-chan, who was sitting on the floor licking its fur.
"Myau-chan, wait for me to come out and get you. Don''t wander around; it won''t be good if someone spots you," he instructed.
"Relax, you don''t need to worry about me."
Myau-chan seemed a little dissatisfied with the name Yan Huan had given him, but he did not look like the type to hold a grudge over it.
He blinked his clear emerald eyes and spoke telepathically into Yan Huan''s mind.
"That magical? That''s good then..."
"Meow~"
Receiving this response, Yan Huan nodded and no longer paid attention to the Black Cat behind him, walking toward the Principal''s Office that he had already visited countless times before.
Reaching the door, the faint voices coming from inside made Yan Huan hesitate slightly.
Mainly because, having started his life in this world as an orphan, someone suddenly popping up and claiming to be his mother was either some kind of urban legend or related to a Modifier.
Consequently, he could not help but lean a little closer to the door, listening to the voices inside.
"Yes, yes, he is absolutely outstanding. He is the President of the Student Council at Far Moon Academy. Although he needs to take charge of some school affairs, whether it is tuition waivers, recommendation letters, or guaranteed admission quotas for relevant universities, they are all..."
This was the voice of Principal Hermes of Far Moon Academy. His voice was somewhat high-pitched, making it very easy to distinguish.
"But, I remember that no matter how much is waived, it only covers two-thirds of the tuition. What is he supposed to do about the remaining amount?"
The person conversing with the Principal had a mild and soothing female voice. Her exact age could not be discerned, but her tone felt incredibly gentle, like a light breeze caressing the cheek.
"Well... although the school does not prohibit part-time jobs during free time, I have indeed been considering applying to the Board of Directors to establish a Scholarship to alleviate his financial burden, especially for a rare Outstanding Student like him."
"Is that so? How perfect. I came this time intending to establish the Dragon Nation Immigrant Special Scholarship Fund at Far Moon Academy in the name of Ye International. I hope this will be of some help to Mr. Hermes''s application. As for the donation funds, a dedicated person will contact you later..."
"You are far too generous, Ms. Ye! Oh my, keeping you waiting for so long. The students are all taking exams today, so he might have set his Mobile Phone to airplane mode."
"It is no trouble."
Unable to glean much context from the snippet, Yan Huan decided to simply face the music.
Promptly, he raised his hand and gently knocked on the door.
"Knock, knock..."
"Principal, were you looking for me?"
"Ah, he is here." The Principal chuckled to the woman he had been speaking with before raising his voice toward Yan Huan outside the door. "Please come in, student Yan Huan."
Yan Huan pushed open the door and saw Principal Hermes sitting on a leather sofa facing him inside the luxuriously decorated Principal''s Office.
He was wearing Formal Attire. His graying hair was neatly groomed, just like the long goatee on his chin, making him look exceedingly classic.
And sitting across from him, with her back to Yan Huan, was a woman with her hair tied up in a black bun.
Yan Huan''s gaze was quickly drawn to a seemingly flawlessly crafted Jade Hairpin nestled in the bun at the back of her head, while simultaneously capturing the faint, elegant charm exuding from her silhouette.
A wisp of black hair near her temple was tucked behind one ear, while the other ear was left exposed, revealing a fair earlobe where a Jade Earring gently swayed.
After Yan Huan pushed the door open, she immediately turned her head, revealing a beautiful face that rested perfectly on the boundary between youth and maturity, along with pupils that slightly contracted in shock.
A very beautiful lady.
With her mouth slightly agape, she lifted the hem of her dark green floral cheongsam and stood up. Her eyes meticulously swept over the somewhat perplexed Yan Huan from head to toe, focusing particularly on his face.
In a mere instant, the rims of her eyes reddened, and she hastily raised a hand to cover her mouth.
"Alike... too alike, sob..."
''What in the world is so alike?''
Yan Huan''s eyes widened. He stared blankly at the beautiful woman in front of him, then glanced at the chuckling Hermes, completely failing to understand what was happening.
But once again, the same feeling he had when he first met Bai Yi popped into his mind.
''And who might you be?''
''We have never met before, right?''
Yan Huan looked inquiringly at Principal Hermes, who had also stood up alongside the woman. The Principal introduced her to him with a hearty chuckle.
"Student Yan, this is the newly transferred head of Ye International in Maritime Gate, Ye Lan, Ms. Ye."
Maritime Gate—the independent giant marine city-state where Far Moon Academy was located, renowned for its high modernization, prosperous economy, and diverse immigrant population. No such place existed in his previous life.
Ye International—a famous Fortune 100 Enterprise from the Dragon Country in this world. As for the Dragon Country, one could tell just from the name that it was strikingly similar to the celestial empire of his past life.
This was enough to prove that the identity of the woman standing before him was absolutely extraordinary.
Yan Huan understood all of this logically, but he still had not figured out what she meant by calling herself his Mama.
"Uh, Ms. Ye, hello... But, may I ask if we have met before?"
Ye Lan used the hand covering her mouth to wipe the corners of her eyes, walking briskly toward Yan Huan while preparing to say something else.
But as her throat bobbed, the words on the tip of her tongue dissolved into a choke.
Unable to hold back any longer, she reached out and wrapped her arms around Yan Huan, pulling him into an embrace. Feeling the soft and warm sensation pressing against him, Yan Huan was so startled that his body stiffened and he nearly jumped back. He even began to suspect if the other party possessed a Modifier that required close proximity to trigger.
Just as he was about to make a move, Ye Lan''s trembling voice had already reached his ear.
"I am sorry... sob, you and your Mama just look far too alike, sob..."
"...Mama?"
Yan Huan paused slightly. The tension in his body relaxed a little, yet he still did not dare to move an inch.
A moment later, Ye Lan finally managed to collect her emotions somewhat. Gripping Yan Huan''s shoulders, she pulled back a little distance and looked at him with red-rimmed eyes.
"Yes. Your parents used to be very good friends of mine in the Dragon Country, especially your mother, Wang Yulu. She was my absolute best friend in the past."
"Your parents and I were once University Alumni. After graduation, they came to Maritime Gate to build their careers, while I stayed in the Dragon Country. After losing touch for so long, how could I have known that they... sob..."
''So she is a friend of my parents in this life...''
Hearing the simultaneously unfamiliar yet familiar name of his mother, Yan Huan finally understood, and a heavy stone was lifted from his heart.
To be honest, ever since transmigrating, Yan Huan had not paid much attention to the relationships of the previous generation.
The reason was very simple: Yan Huan had only spent a very short time with his parents in this life.
Because his brain was not fully developed during his Infant stage, he had been in a groggy daze when he first arrived. It was only after a long time of not seeing his parents that he learned they had passed away in a Plane Crash.
An Infant stranded in a foreign land with no direct relatives—instead, a whole horde of Monsters and Demons in the form of Collateral Relatives had swarmed to Linmen just to divide the assets of his deceased parents.
This practice had a rather dishonorable name: Usurping the Heirless Estate.
By the time he had grown a bit older and his transmigrated soul fully awakened, those relatives had long since eaten him out of house and home and run off, leaving Yan Huan stuck with the grueling starting point of growing up in an Orphanage.
For over a decade, he had grown accustomed to being completely alone. It was not until today that a true friend of his late parents finally appeared, though he had no idea why it had taken her so long to find him.
Thinking of this, Yan Huan immediately changed how he addressed her.
"Aunt Ye."
"Ah, such a good boy."
Ye Lan retracted her hands from Yan Huan''s shoulders and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, speaking with sheer joy.
"I am sorry, I shouldn''t be bringing up these sad things to upset you. Since arriving in Linmen, I have been constantly inquiring about your whereabouts. I never expected you to be so strong and grow into such an outstanding young man. Not only can you take good care of yourself, but you also got into such a wonderful school. If your mother could see you now, she would definitely be so gratified..."
As she spoke, she could not help but bring up Yan Huan''s mother again.
Left with no choice, Yan Huan could only play along and reply.
"I think Mother would certainly be very happy to see Aunt Ye again too."
Who would have thought that it would have been better if he had not spoken at all? The moment she heard Yan Huan''s words, Ye Lan''s eyes flushed red again. Even her lips puckered slightly as she looked as if she were about to burst into tears.
Seeing that tearful expression—which completely defied her mature age—once again, Yan Huan hurriedly waved his hands.
"I am sorry, we just agreed not to bring up these sad things anymore."
"Sob... Little Huan... can Auntie call you that?"
"Of course."
He threw a quick glance at Principal Hermes standing behind Ye Lan, whose wrinkled face was smiling so broadly it looked like a blooming chrysanthemum. He knew full well that this was the Principal''s Signature Smile whenever he secured an investment; the moment anyone donated money, he always put on this exact ridiculous expression.
Feeling Yan Huan''s gaze, Principal Hermes belatedly realized what he should do. He quickly reached over to the desk, pulled out a few Tissues, and handed them to Ye Lan.
"Ms. Ye, please use these."
"Thank you, Mr. Hermes..."
Ye Lan dabbed away her tears and blew her nose with the tissue before finally looking up at Yan Huan with a slight pout.
But the moment she saw Yan Huan''s face, which looked so similar to her old friend''s, the corners of her lips curled downwards uncontrollably.
Fortunately, the Perfect Expression Management Ability that Yan Huan had just acquired kicked in at this very moment.
He deliberated internally for a second or two, then quickly pursed his lips and furrowed his brows slightly. His gaze darted around frantically near her red-rimmed eyes.
"Aunt Ye..."
He too seemed to be deeply touched by the sheer emotion Ye Lan was displaying, yet he also looked utterly bewildered due to the complete blank in his memories regarding his late parents.
He could clearly perceive how much she treasured her bond with his parents, yet he was suffering from the lack of any strong resonance in his own heart. The mixture of bewilderment and being touched ultimately morphed into a perfectly executed hint of sheer helplessness.
Seeing his expression, Ye Lan felt a slight pang in her heart. She finally realized that her loss of composure was putting far too much pressure on the son of her late friend. She hastily reined in her emotions and made a proposal to Yan Huan.
"It is alright. Auntie has arrived in Linmen now, so from now on, Auntie will help you with absolutely everything, Little Huan... Things here are pretty much sorted out, so Auntie will take you home for dinner shortly. Principal Hermes, I''ve troubled you this afternoon."
Seeing that Ye Lan had finally calmed down, Yan Huan felt his heart relax a fraction.
This elder seemingly had an incredibly close relationship with his deceased parents, which was why she appeared so deeply emotional.
Although Yan Huan was indeed not very good at dealing with elders like her, the good news was that, for now, it looked like Ye Lan had no connection to the Modifiers. She had purely come to the school to find him...
"It is no trouble at all, Ms. Ye. Far Moon Academy is the one that should be thanking Ye International for its recognition and support."
Ye Lan lifted her spirits, pulled out her Mobile Phone from her pocket, and unlocked it, seemingly preparing to send a message. At the same time, she looked at Yan Huan with a smile and said.
"It just so happens that your Older Sister also recently arrived in Linmen and doesn''t know any friends around her age. Tonight, Little Huan can get to know her as well. She will definitely be thrilled. I will tell her right now."
''Wait a minute, what did you just say?''
''There is another one?''
The heart he had just let down was instantly suspended in his throat again. Yan Huan blinked, precisely isolating a specific term from Ye Lan''s words.
"Older Sister?"
Ye Lan nodded with a merry chuckle, pondering for a moment before replying.
"Yes, Auntie''s daughter. Calculating it, she should be a year older than Little Huan. She was previously a sophomore at a university in the Dragon Country. You two will be schoolmates later on, too. Auntie will introduce her to Little Huan shortly."
Looking at the joyful expectation brimming in Ye Lan''s eyes, Yan Huan momentarily could not find a single reason to refuse this perfectly reasonable arrangement.
However, perhaps because of the current situation Myau-chan had described earlier, a distinctly ominous premonition suddenly welled up in Yan Huan''s heart.
But on the surface, he maintained a polite smile.
"Okay, Aunt Ye."
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