Chapter Eighteen: Well-Deserved Reputation

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“Aunt Zhang, hello.”

“Oh, Linzi, you’re here? Going to see Teacher Wang again?”

“Hello, Uncle Li.”

“Linzi, you’re too thin. Eat more regularly, don’t let Teacher Wang worry.”

“Brother Linzi.”

Wei Lin, visiting his mother, would smile and nod politely whenever he met acquaintances along the way.

Upon arriving at Wang Suru’s cramped little home, less than fifty square meters, the aroma of food already filled the air, whetting Wei Lin’s appetite since he hadn’t had breakfast.

On the dining table lay cold sliced beef and chopped chili preserved eggs.

In the tiny kitchen, Teacher Wang, still busy wearing her apron, called out without turning around, “The dishes aren’t ready yet. Go play for a bit yourself.”

“Mom, it’s just the two of us; make less food.” Wei Lin changed into slippers and lazily sank into the fabric sofa, scrolling through entertainment gossip on his phone.

After his father left, his mother Wang Suru didn’t want to live at their home and moved into the staff dormitory assigned by the school years ago.

There were many colleagues around, making it livelier and more convenient for commuting.

She was usually busy with work, so Wei Lin mostly chose weekends to visit her and sneak a meal.

“Ding-ling.”

The message tone suddenly sounded on his phone. Wei Lin switched pages and saw a message from Lin Nanxi: “When did you leave?”

“My mom needed me. I saw you were sleeping soundly, so I didn’t wake you.” Wei Lin typed back.

“Did I drink a lot yesterday? Did I embarrass myself?”

“You did drink quite a bit, kept calling me husband.”

“Nonsense! Impossible!”

“You told me you’ve been married three times and have seven kids, asked if I minded.”

“Wei Lin! Do you want to die? What nonsense are you talking about?!”

“Eh, though I don’t know which husband you were calling, I don’t mind.”

Bored, Wei Lin tapped the phone screen, deliberately teasing Lin Nanxi.

Only when Lin Nanxi angrily stopped replying did he laugh aloud, saying, “Mom, I’m hungry. Can you serve me some rice so I can start eating?”

“Even if you’re hungry, hold it in!” Wang Suru snorted coldly, bringing over a bowl of radish pork bone soup, finally giving Wei Lin a proper glance: “Don’t embarrass me later!”

Wang Suru, over fifty, had been a great beauty in her youth. Now wrinkles marked her temples and cheeks, but her dignified and elegant aura remained.

She was always strict with Wei Lin—until she could no longer control him.

“Have you been seeing anyone else?”

Wei Lin immediately became alert.

“It’s been two years since you and Liu Qi split.”

Wang Suru set down the freshly made soup, resting her hands on the table like when she taught, coldly staring at the slouched Wei Lin on the sofa: “In these two years, you haven’t brought a girlfriend to see me. Whenever I ask, you say you’re not dating anyone.”

Wei Lin put down his phone, quickly straightening up with a humble look.

Knowing Wang Suru well, he understood that any disrespect would unleash a storm of reproach.

“When you were with Liu Qi, you were indeed busy with work—I saw that—so I didn’t say much or pressure you to have kids with her.” Wang Suru’s expression darkened briefly, then she raised her voice: “Recently, I talked with Lao An. He said the company’s business isn’t as busy now.”

“So?”

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“So, your marriage should be back on the agenda.” Wang Suru shot him a sharp glance, then turned back to the kitchen, busying herself while mumbling: “Xiao Mu is the new teacher, has a PhD, comes from a good family, and is beautiful. I don’t know how many people at the school have their eyes on her.”

“Honestly, I think you’re not good enough for her, considering you’re divorced.”

“Behave yourself later, don’t...” Wang Suru muttered as she prepped the final dish, clearly unimpressed with her son.

“Finally, the day has come,” Wei Lin sighed inwardly, forcing a bitter smile.

Fifteen minutes later.

A graceful woman in a gray knit long-sleeve top and black pencil skirt stood outside the door, speaking softly: “Aunt Wang?”

She wore white sneakers, was about 1.67 meters tall, slender, with delicate features and an oval face.

Beautiful, poised, with an elegant aura—a scholarly, intellectual beauty.

This was exactly the ideal daughter-in-law Wang Suru had envisioned!

“Xiao Mu’s here.”

Wang Suru’s stern and cold demeanor toward Wei Lin completely transformed; her crow’s feet creased with a warm smile as she warmly invited her in: “Come in quickly, the slippers at the door are for you.”

“Oh, I’m getting old, forgot today’s the weekend. That good-for-nothing son of mine even showed up.”

“I just asked you to eat with me, didn’t expect that brat to come too—and couldn’t get rid of him.”

Wang Suru teased Wei Lin as he pulled out the chairs and, in front of the female teacher, wiped the table again with a napkin.

“Then kick me out!” Wei Lin muttered in protest.

“Hello, Brother Wei. Aunt Wang talks about you often.” Mu Lanyan smiled lightly, changed into slippers, and sat opposite Wei Lin: “I just started at Linjiang University. I’ve heard your name around.”

“Hearing from others usually means no good news.” Wei Lin forced a smile.

“Not entirely, there’s good and bad.” Mu Lanyan said subtly.

She wasn’t stupid; from the situation, she understood what was going on.

Wang Suru was a respected senior teacher, and recently she had mentioned her son frequently in casual chats, so Mu Lanyan already had some idea.

Thus, today’s “unexpected” meeting wasn’t surprising to her.

“Wei Lin, the troublemaker of Linjiang University a few years ago,” Mu Lanyan thought of rumors she’d heard from other sources and looked curiously at the man opposite her.

Short, neat spiky hair, thick and stiff.

A sharply defined face paired with carefree eyes and a height of 1.83 meters—physically, Mu Lanyan found nothing wrong.

“Just a bit too thin,” she thought.

As Mu Lanyan silently evaluated him, Wei Lin beamed and asked, “Teacher Mu, do you drink?”

Mu Lanyan was momentarily stunned and glanced at the suddenly furious Wang Suru, then shook her head with a smile: “No.”

“Well, I’ll have some beer to sober up.” Ignoring Wang Suru’s murderous glare, Wei Lin got up, opened the mini-fridge, and brought two bottles of water beer with one hand: “Drank too much last night, still a bit dizzy now. Beer helps sober me up faster.”

“Brother Wei, suit yourself.” Mu Lanyan said calmly.

“Mom, want some too?” Wei Lin opened a bottle, poured himself a glass, then looked at Wang Suru: “Shall we have some together?”

Wang Suru took a deep breath and, under Mu Lanyan’s surprised gaze, said coldly, “No!”

Forcing a slight smile, she explained to Mu Lanyan, “After his father passed, I occasionally drank with him. It’s been a long time since he touched alcohol.”

“I understand.” Mu Lanyan replied obediently.

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After that, Wei Lin kept picking at the dishes and drinking, listening quietly as the two teachers—one older, one younger—chatted about work, barely interjecting.

The meal approached its end under an overly polite atmosphere.

“Wei Lin, walk Teacher Mu out. I’ll clean up here.”

Wang Suru deliberately created space for them to be alone.

“Sure!” Wei Lin agreed joyfully, as if freed.

Leaving the staff dormitory, they walked side by side towards the school gate, drawing the attention of many passersby.

...

“Isn’t that our homeroom teacher?”

At the basketball court, after Skinny Monkey’s layup was blocked by Lin Bo with a big rejection, he exclaimed excitedly: “Lin, who’s that walking with our homeroom teacher?”

Picking up the out-of-bounds ball, Lin Bo glanced at the man and woman strolling in the afternoon sun and smiled: “What’s the big deal? At our school, before my mentor graduated, you could count his girlfriends on one hand.”

“Really?”

Skinny Monkey and his teammates cheered.

Lin Bo’s eyes showed nothing but respect as he smiled silently.

...

At Linjiang University’s entrance.

“Wei Lin.”

A delicate woman with long hair flowing over her shoulders, carrying a lunchbox, stopped upon seeing a familiar figure and cheerfully called out: “You came to see Teacher Wang?”

Mu Lanyan looked on suspiciously and stopped as well.

“Yeah, long time no see.” Wei Lin smiled and nodded. “You’re about to graduate, right?”

“Next summer holiday.” The bespectacled woman, scholarly in appearance, replied somewhat regretfully, “The last time I saw you was half a year ago.”

“Ha, study hard, stop daydreaming.” Wei Lin winked.

“Goodbye!”

The woman waved and left.

After she walked away, Mu Lanyan, who had been chatting with Wei Lin, asked curiously, “Have you dated?”

Wei Lin shook his head and smiled: “Just a junior. She liked me back then, but I wanted to focus on studying in college, so I had to reject her, tears and all.”

Mu Lanyan was speechless, then looked at him seriously and said, “No wonder the reputation is true.”

“Hmm?”

“A big flirt!”

Leaving behind that remark, Mu Lanyan quickly distanced herself, as if staying one more second with Wei Lin might entangle her in gossip.

...