The Lion in the Eyes

Seeing Yue Zhengyang’s gentle demeanor, Huang Xiu gradually relaxed.

“I thought ‘talk’ meant a meeting room in a five-star luxury hotel, or an office in some mysterious organization?”

“After all, isn’t that how it is in novels? Have you read ‘The Lion in the Eyes’? That’s how it’s written—high-end hotels, all kinds of名牌奢侈品, spending thousands just to win a beauty’s smile…”

“‘The Lion in the Eyes,’ I’ve read it.”

Huang Xiu noticed that when Yue Zhengyang heard the book’s title, a hint of awkwardness flashed across his face.

Then the man coughed lightly. “The author of this book is a student at Tiantu University!”

“Really?” Huang Xiu was stunned.

The book mainly tells the story of a group of superpowered college students called the Night Watchers, who fight against monsters from the void and secretly protect the world.

The plot was simple, even a bit cliché.

However, with its cool writing style and youthful fantasies that deeply resonated with students, the book became wildly popular among the student body.

Even Huang Xiu himself was a fan.

But despite his burning curiosity, Yue Zhengyang didn’t seem inclined to elaborate.

“When you get a chance to enter Tiantu University, you’ll know. The author is quite famous on campus.”

He tilted his head slightly.

“As for the high-end hotel you mentioned, that’s also an option. The school gave me a generous budget. What do you think? Want to go?”

At that moment, Huang Xiu admitted he was a little tempted.

After all, it was a high-end hotel—he had never been to one before.

The most expensive restaurant he’d ever been to was an average home-style eatery costing sixty or seventy per person.

But in the end, he refused.

“Let’s forget it. Fancy places aren’t for me.” He rested his hands behind his head and swayed his small head. “Besides, today is just a teacher-student chat, right? No need to be so formal.”

“Alright.” Yue Zhengyang nodded with a smile. He raised his hand and pointed toward the school gate. “In that case, let’s get moving!”

They walked for a while, and the school gate came into view. It was then that Huang Xiu remembered something very important—as a student, without a leave slip, he couldn’t leave campus during the day!

Even with a teacher accompanying him, it wasn’t allowed. This was Ying City’s long-standing strict rule.

“Um, Teacher Yue…”

At the school gate, seeing the security guard who had caught him several times before, Huang Xiu was about to speak but was interrupted by Yue Zhengyang.

“Just follow me!”

Yue Zhengyang said a few words to the security guard and easily led Huang Xiu out of the school gate.

It went so smoothly that Huang Xiu felt a bit dazed.

“I’ve already spoken with your school leaders. I also took the liberty of requesting leave for you for today and tomorrow.” Yue Zhengyang turned back with a smile.

Huh? Already got leave? When? Today and tomorrow—was that necessary?

Huang Xiu stood in front of the school gate, utterly bewildered.

“Don’t worry, these two days will be quite fulfilling!” Yue Zhengyang raised his arm to check his watch.

“Can I come back?” Huang Xiu didn’t move.

Behind him, students walked past the school gate, their playful shouts echoing.

“Hurry up, hurry up! If we’re late, there won’t be hot water!”

“It’s fine, I’ll shower first anyway.”

“Get lost! You jerk.”

“Haha, I’m off!”

Ahead, cars occasionally drove by on the road, the crunch of tires over gravel unusually clear.

“You can come back.”

Yue Zhengyang stood straight as a ruler. “I only asked for two days off for you!”

The students walked farther away, their noise fading, while the sound of cars grew louder.

Huang Xiu suddenly turned back to look at his alma mater.

Under the gray sky, the orange-red stone bearing the school name had stood silently for who knows how many years.

The elderly security guard, yawning, was eating from a large ceramic mug with a handle.

He and it had witnessed the rise and fall of this campus.

A gentle breeze blew, causing the osmanthus trees on campus to sway gently. Occasionally, oval leaves spiraled down.

The main road from the gate to the teaching building seemed perpetually buried under such osmanthus leaves.

So much so that students had to sweep it every day.

He remembered that during his turn for sanitation duty, he had been ordered more than once to clean this road with other classmates.

“No, I mean after this… you know what I mean.” Huang Xiu looked seriously at the young man before him.

“If you want to come back, you definitely can. Do you think I would stop you?”

Yue Zhengyang’s smile faded. He adjusted his glasses and turned to look seriously at Huang Xiu.

“But you should understand: a person can step backward for a while, but can they do it for a lifetime?”

“I’m not asking for a lifetime. A lifetime is too long. I still have two days until I turn seventeen.”

Huang Xiu lifted his head, eyes shining as he looked at the man. “I don’t want to go backward either. I just want to stop—one year is enough…”

“One year, two years, whatever…”

Yue Zhengyang raised his right arm; the sleeve slipped, revealing a hollow mechanical watch.

“It’s getting late. Let’s eat first!”

With that, he strode forward.

“Wait…” Huang Xiu pointed to the right. “Teacher Yue, you’re going the wrong way. The restaurant is to the right.”

……

Xiaotian Home Feast, a home-style restaurant specializing in Hunan cuisine, was tucked in an alley to the right of the school.

Known for its good value and great taste, it was popular among the students of No.1 Middle School…

Well, of course, the generous bosom of the beautiful landlady of Xiaotian Home Feast might have a little something to do with it.

But Huang Xiu could swear he chose it purely for the taste.

“How many, folks?”

The landlady, wearing an apron, was busy as could be but still noticed the two who had just entered.

“Four people. Do you have a private room?” Yue Zhengyang surveyed the restaurant’s decor.

Square brown wooden tables were arranged in the hall, paired with old-fashioned farm-style chairs, giving off a 90s vibe.

It was already one o’clock, not exactly mealtime, but the place was fairly crowded.

All locals speaking dialect—elderly folks, working men.

The food must be good…

Yue Zhengyang’s mood lifted a bit.

“Yes, we have one left, upstairs.”

The landlady led the two upstairs to a private room, set down a greasy wooden clipboard, and then went back down. A little while later, she brought up four sets of utensils.

“Do you have any dietary restrictions, Teacher Yue?”

Huang Xiu picked up the clipboard, uncapped the purple ballpoint pen clipped to it, and flipped through the menu with his left hand while twirling the pen with his right.

“No restrictions. Just order a few more dishes.” Yue Zhengyang looked down at his phone, apparently chatting with someone.

“Everyone’s like you—big appetites.”