“The sun is shining, the flowers smile at me, the little bird says, ‘Early, early, why are you carrying your little schoolbag…'”
A melodious voice drifted from the bathroom, filling the living room with a cheerful atmosphere.
Su Mo finished washing up meticulously and changed into a sharp-looking outfit.
Staring at the impossibly beautiful “self” in the mirror, Su Mo had already grown accustomed to it.
Time to go!
Perhaps because he had been a student for so many years, Su Mo held a deep respect for the teaching profession. Thus, he put his all into his first day on the job.
Though he was only an assistant instructor, his schedule included a class of his own—Sharing Practical Experience.
The rest of his time would be spent in a supporting role: answering questions, acting as a helper when needed, and so on. It wasn’t too busy, leaving him plenty of time to cultivate.
When he arrived at the classroom, it was empty. Glancing at the time, he saw there were still forty-five minutes before class started.
He decided to review the PowerPoint for today’s lesson.
The first period was his—Sharing Practical Experience—and he had poured considerable time and effort into preparing the presentation.
Since he was teaching the first batch of veteran students—the same group he had trained with at Jingshan Base—jumping straight into practical experience was perfectly appropriate.
As he sat at the lectern watching students file in, a strange feeling welled up inside him.
This sensation…
Many of them were familiar faces. They exchanged glances, shared awkward smiles, and that was that.
The only headache was Xia Qingqing. The moment she entered, she marched up to the lectern, bowed deeply to Su Mo, and greeted him loudly: “Good morning, Teacher Ye!”
Adopting an “if I’m not embarrassed, then the embarrassment is yours” attitude, Su Mo responded earnestly: “Good morning, Student Xia. Please return to your seat immediately—class is about to begin.”
Seeing that he hadn’t taken the bait, Xia Qingqing’s eyes sparkled mischievously as a new idea struck her.
She wasn’t trying to mess with him—she was just genuinely thrilled that her best friend had suddenly become a teacher.
She sat in the front row, observing Su Mo up close, answering every question diligently like a model student.
They say that when speaking in public, you should never look at your best friend—because they’ll make you laugh. Su Mo hadn’t expected this to apply to female friendships too…
Halfway through the class, a student suddenly raised a challenge: “Hey, beautiful, isn’t it a little weird that you keep wearing a mask in class? We’re all friends here—no need to be shy. Why not take it off and let us have a look?”
The moment these words were spoken, others immediately joined in, egging him on.
Xia Qingqing, sitting in the front row, darkened with anger and was about to argue when Su Mo stopped her with a glance.
“Maybe the teacher’s worried we’ll get distracted—so she’s doing it on purpose.”
“In that case, the teacher’s just looking out for us, right?”
The instigator was an average-looking boy with unusually good luck when it came to girls.
His name was Lei Hao. He wasn’t a student at Jingjiang Academy and had no prior connection to Su Mo, but he’d long heard rumors about his “stunning beauty.”
The reason for his popularity with girls was obvious—he was surrounded by them, all seemingly close to him.
His intentions here were clearly anything but pure, and this angered many of Ye Qingyi’s loyal fans at the school.
Our own people keep a respectful distance from the school beauty, and now some outsider dares to flirt with her in public? Do we not exist?
Someone slammed their desk and stood up, followed by a crowd of others.
Just as a full-blown fight was about to break out, Su Mo’s expression turned icy: “Everyone, SIT DOWN!”
He had been warm and approachable until now, so the sudden shift in tone caught them off guard.
Everyone obediently took their seats.
Lei Hao, however, continued leering at him, eager to see how he’d respond.
Su Mo stepped down from the lectern, walked straight up to Lei Hao, and locked eyes with him: “You make a fair point, student. But as superhumans, we don’t just rely on words to get what we want—we rely on strength.”
A smirk curled Lei Hao’s lips.
Strength?
Perfect.
In a flash, he lunged forward, reaching for Su Mo’s face.
Su Mo, quick on his feet, easily dodged the grab. With a light leap backward, he evaded the attack and calmly remarked: “First rule of combat: Never strike blindly when your opponent’s strength is unknown.”
Then, in a sudden advance, he struck Lei Hao’s chest with his palm: “Second rule of combat: If you’re weak, train harder. Don’t overestimate yourself!”
The class burst into laughter.
Lei Hao was sent flying several meters by what seemed like a casual push. Naturally, he wasn’t about to accept defeat: “This space is too cramped—I couldn’t use my full strength.”
Su Mo smiled faintly: “Fine. Pick your own battlefield. If you can beat me, I’ll take off the mask and let you look all you want.”
“That’s not enough. If I win, I want you to go on a date with me this afternoon,” Lei Hao declared firmly, as if he’d planned this all along.
“And if you lose?” Su Mo countered.
“If I lose, I’m at your mercy.” Lei Hao winked at him, his smile loaded with implication.
Su Mo raised an eyebrow: “At my mercy, huh? Alright. If you lose, I want you to copy the Student Handbook a hundred times.”
Lei Hao’s face stiffened.
Wait, what? She’s making me copy the Student Handbook?
The last time I did that was in high school…
He truly hadn’t expected that to be the wager.
“Fine. It’s a deal.” Lei Hao jerked his chin toward the door: “After you!”
Su Mo led the entire class out to the sports field.
Since his lesson was about practical combat techniques, a live demonstration would be far more effective than just lecturing.
The students formed a circle around Su Mo and Lei Hao, creating an impromptu arena.
“What are the rules?” Su Mo asked calmly.
“Pure hand-to-hand. No spiritual energy, no weapons. Whoever hits the ground first loses.”
Su Mo agreed readily: “Deal.”
Other students on the field, drawn by the crowd, came over to see what was happening. Upon learning it was a duel, they immediately pulled out their phones to record.
“Wow, School Beauty Ye is so cool and gorgeous—I’m a girl, and even I’m falling for her!”
“No kidding. The match hasn’t even started, and her presence already crushes that guy.”
“Exactly! I’m her number one fan… Go, School Beauty Ye!”
“Teacher Ye, beat the crap out of him!”
“Ye, sweetie, I love you!”
“Qingyi, Qingyi, you’re the best…”
……
Nearly all the cheers were for Su Mo, with only a scant few calling out Lei Hao’s name.
Su Mo motioned for everyone to quiet down so as not to disrupt Lei Hao’s performance.
At the same time, he quickly focused, slipping into combat mode.
He understood the principle: “Even a lion uses full strength to catch a rabbit.”
On the other side, Lei Hao shifted into a ready stance.
His movements were smooth and precise—clearly the result of years of training.
“Be careful, Beauty Ye!”