172. The Sage Mode
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Zheng Qian discovered for the first time that he actually had an interest in a certain three-dimensional cross-dresser.
His gaze on Lin Nan was as blatant as a duck in a tuxedo, with his heart doing a violent tango that left him red-faced in mere moments. A surge of bl**d rushed to his head, making his body tremble ever so slightly in an alarming but thrilling manner.
Could this possibly be the legendary, love at first sight?
But he hadn’t felt this way during their previous encounters, had he?
He stared at Lin Nan’s face, gradually letting his gaze wander downwards, from her cheeks to her chest, to her thighs, and finally to those adorable slipper-clad feet. He couldn’t help but swallow hard.
Strangely enough, whenever he had seen Lin Nan before, he thought she was just a stunning boy with no extra thoughts, but now, the more he looked, the more attractive he found her. His body started heating up, and his heart raced.
I’m a counselor! I can’t be lusting after my own student…
Zheng Qian took a deep breath, convinced that his brain had malfunctioned: “No matter what, you really can’t stay outside.”
But seeing his student’s shocked and forlorn expression softened his heart again, and he found himself asking without a second thought, “How about you just stay with me? The graduate dorms are single rooms.”
“???”
Lin Nan looked utterly bewildered, staring blankly at Zheng Qian as a chill ran down her spine.
Is this magic a bit too strong?
“What I mean is… if you study hard and get into graduate school, the school will give you a single room!”
Zheng Qian coughed awkwardly, his old face flushing as he tried to maintain a serious demeanor typical of a counselor, but facing Lin Nan made it impossible to keep that straight face intact.
Somehow, he had unwittingly developed a crush on his student and almost blurted out something scandalous.
Or maybe this isn’t love—just a case of wanting to appreciate the finer parts of a student’s physique.
I’m a counselor!
His mind was a whirlpool of emotions, and his tense expression began to ease.
“Zheng Da, really can’t I stay outside?” Lin Nan noticed his tone and expression softening, so she seized the moment, letting her voice drop back to its sweeter, girlish pitch, leaving her androgynous, slightly low voice behind.
She gazed up at Zheng Qian with big, innocent eyes that were shimmering like stars, making him feel all fluttery inside.
Zheng Qian turned his head, refusing to let himself be too distracted by Lin Nan’s face.
“Counselor~” She hugged his arm, gently swaying it back and forth.
Unable to resist, he glanced down at her. Lin Nan’s soft, adorable voice and those sparkling eyes instantly shattered his mental defenses.
“Sure, sure,” he nodded vigorously, feeling a little unsteady as he noticed something slightly off in Lin Nan’s expression.
Suppressing her embarrassment, Lin Nan’s face turned crimson as she looked down, her legs practically itching to flee, but she hadn’t finished her mission yet.
Just saying yes wasn’t enough; it would be best to have some sort of paperwork signed by the counselor.
That way, when this magic wore off, if he wanted to regret letting her stay, she could just whip out the document and hit him with a “you can’t take it back from here!”
“Uh, do you have some sort of proof for staying outside? I’m just worried about the dorm manager…”
“Hmm, mainly you need to sign a guarantee that you won’t wander off while staying off-campus,” Zheng Qian continued walking toward the office.
As his eyes drifted away from Lin Nan’s face, his mind started to clear up a bit. He began questioning his earlier decision.
Yet, Lin Nan’s alluring features surged back into his thoughts, causing his breath to hitch and his cheeks to flush once more.
I’m a counselor! I can’t play the fool in front of my students!
He muttered to himself, feeling a bit lost amid his sudden infatuation.
Maybe I should find a chance to confess.
Afterward, he could use his counselor status to have more conversations with Lin Nan, plan candlelight dinners, propose on one knee, get married, and name their kid Zheng He! With a historical figure backing them, their child could definitely be extraordinary…
While walking from the first floor of the teaching building to the third-floor counselor’s office, Zheng Qian had mapped out a grand plan to travel around the world with Lin Nan after he retired at sixty.
Once he sat down at his desk, he looked up at Lin Nan, who was nervously waiting by his side for the proof, and smiled, “You can sit down for now.”
It was class time, but today, it seemed like all the colleagues were swamped, leaving him alone at the office.
Wait a minute, wasn’t there a school meeting today?
Suddenly remembering why he had come out, he paused briefly, but immediately pushed work aside, focusing solely on how to charm the student next to him.
“How’s it been living in the dorm?” he tried to close the gap with conversation, desperately hiding his mental activities to appear more casual, but Lin Nan, who was sitting beside him with her legs tightly closed, looked far too tempting…
“Pretty good, my roommates take care of me.”
Lin Nan felt as if she was teetering on the edge of being transparent, testing the waters.
Just one counselor here…
If the counselor suddenly fantasized about something completely inappropriate, wouldn’t that mean she was doomed?
Her earlier impulsive decision was due to losing some belongings, yet thankfully, she had a cloak of invisibility magic; if she reacted quickly enough, she should be fine, right?
“Uh, do you have a boyfriend? Remember to study seriously in college; relationships can be distracting.” Zheng Qian signed the proof and then looked up at Lin Nan, finding himself utterly captivated by her exquisitely cute face, which seemed like it could topple kingdoms.
Nervously, Lin Nan looked down, subconsciously playing with her fingers, her shoes shuffling back and forth: “No, I’m a boy…”
“Nothing wrong with that; I don’t mind boys!”
“???” Lin Nan blinked in confusion.
“Cough! I mean, even if you’re a boy, you can’t let love ruin your studies!”
As he handed her the proof, Zheng Qian’s voice was increasingly warm and friendly: “Now, you need to sign too.”
“Okay…” she forced a smile, accepting the paper and pen to scribble her name.
Is this captivating magic a bit too effective?
“Wanna grab lunch together?”
“I have things to do at noon.”
“I’ll treat you!”
Lin Nan hesitated for a second, but quickly reminded herself of the magic, fervently shaking her head as she glanced at her phone.
Oh no, it’s been almost half an hour!
Suddenly jumping up with the proof in hand, she hurriedly explained, “I have class!”
“Skipping class is fine; I can erase your name! Wouldn’t you rather we go for a stroll?” Zheng Qian felt he had hopelessly fallen for Lin Nan.
“Not really, no.”
Lin Nan clutched the proof tightly, dashing out with her head down.
Zheng Qian watched her retreating figure, finally breaking into a blissful smile. At twenty-five, he had finally met the one person worth protecting in his life… Wait, what?
He blinked in astonishment, the passionate flame in his head suddenly extinguished, and all feelings for Lin Nan seemed to vanish.
It was as though he had entered Sage Mode, and his mind was crystal clear again.
What was I just doing?
