Use electric heating rod to bring warmth to roommates’ rectum 🔌

While he knew his method of stirring her guilt would undoubtedly prove effective, he had truly not anticipated Lin Xiaoyu’s fervent reaction.

He swiftly moved to reassure her:

[It’s fine, it’s fine. I remember you mentioning you specifically practice the piano, which means your skill level must be quite high. It’s perfectly normal to have discerning taste.]

[Little Raindrop: I am truly sorry… I didn’t mean for that to happen… I merely found it unbearable to hear you miss several notes…]

Pei Xingyan could only continue his soothing efforts:

[I told you it’s perfectly fine. If you’re genuinely bothered, why not help me correct my mistakes instead?]

To preempt any refusal, he shamelessly invoked the memory of his ‘deceased’ parents once more:

[I’m sure they would be delighted when I play for them again next time.]

Lin Xiaoyu did not reply immediately, causing him to wonder if the guileless girl was perhaps weeping silently in a corner somewhere.

Yet, he remained confident that Lin Xiaoyu would not refuse; after their few interactions, he was certain he had completely deciphered her character.

Indeed, a moment later, a simple [Okay] arrived.

Following this, Lin Xiaoyu sent a lengthy voice message, her soft voice timidly explaining music theory.

She spoke with evident reluctance and a distinct lack of confidence, adding several apologies at the end.

She confessed that she, too, struggled with the piece and was often reprimanded by her mother for it.

Pei Xingyan now understood.

He realized who her subconscious avoidance was meant to evade.

He sent a message: [Is your mother a pianist, given how strict she is with you?]

He had witnessed many tragedies born from parents wishing their children would emulate their own excellence.

However, Lin Xiaoyu’s reply was a curt [No].

‘No?’

Pei Xingyan experienced his first setback.

He pressed further: [Then why does she always scold you?]

Immediately, he encountered a second setback.

Lin Xiaoyu clearly had no desire to discuss the matter.

She might be innocent, but she wasn’t so foolish as to divulge her family situation to a stranger in their second conversation.

To salvage the atmosphere he had painstakingly cultivated, Pei Xingyan quickly steered the conversation back to music theory.

Like a student who already knew the answers but wished to impress their teacher, he deliberately posed several questions that Lin Xiaoyu could easily answer, yet which sounded impressively technical.

He incessantly sent messages filled with praise, even tinged with adoration, a level of flattery that would rival a kindergarten teacher coddling a child.

Messages like [You’re truly amazing~], [I’d be content with even half your skill…], and [Alas… the disparity in talent is despairing] made Pei Xingyan himself blush upon rereading them.

Yet, such tactics proved exceptionally effective.

Lin Xiaoyu continued to send voice messages, and he could discern a certain giddiness in her tone.

Her earlier sniffles had vanished entirely, replaced now by a touch of pride.

This, too, was within Pei Xingyan’s expectations.

He understood all too well that girls in her predicament rarely received such validation and praise.

While it might appear he was seeking Lin Xiaoyu’s tutelage, she was undoubtedly the one truly enjoying the exchange; she must adore this feeling.

A girl subjected to years of pressure-filled education could never resist the allure of external validation, particularly concerning her music, an area where she was constantly critiqued.

From their encounter at the restaurant earlier today, it was not difficult to deduce that almost no one she usually spoke with understood music.

Pei Xingyan was likely the first person who could both discuss music with her and praise her so profusely.

By grasping this single point, Pei Xingyan felt as though he held the reins of a horse, the leash of a dog—controlling her would be effortless.

Their conversation continued throughout the entire evening, until Lin Xiaoyu reluctantly bid him farewell at ten o’clock.

In her final voice message, he could hear someone knocking on her bedroom door, accompanied by a stern woman’s voice from outside.

That must be her mother.

Pei Xingyan suddenly felt a headache coming on.

If it were merely a matter of high expectations for a daughter’s specific skill, that would be simple enough.

However, from this observation, Lin Xiaoyu’s mother clearly exhibited an excessive desire for control over her daughter.

Demanding a college student go to bed at ten and still have her commute from home…

Such strictness seemed overtly excessive.

In this light, Pei Xingyan felt that ten thousand yuan was hardly a large sum.

Given such family pressure, it was no wonder Lin Xiaoyu was willing to offer a full thirty thousand yuan as a deposit.

It seemed she wasn’t foolish, merely desperate.

Nevertheless, Pei Xingyan intended to see this transaction through.

Ye Ziwei’s true intentions were already glaringly obvious to him.

Perhaps she believed she was maintaining her flawless image as a good girl, expertly disguised.

But Pei Xingyan had seen through her facade long, long ago.

He found himself once again lost in the past, when suddenly, a corner of his bed curtain was pulled back.

Light from the dorm room lamps streamed in, stinging his eyes.

“Fan Jian, are you courting death? You’d better scrub your ass clean, because once I get down there, I’m going to absolutely brutalize you.”

Only Fan Jian would be so `fàn jiàn` (TL Note: A pun on Fan Jian’s name, meaning to act like a jerk or troll), pulling open his curtain, which he had clipped shut.

Recalling how Fan Jian had called him ‘brother’ four times at noon, Pei Xingyan snarled ferociously.

A burst of laughter erupted around him.

Pei Xingyan detected an unusual scent wafting from outside—a pleasant, delicate fragrance, as if from a lady.

He turned his head to see Shen Zhishu, their class’s part-time counselor and liaison.

Strictly speaking, she wasn’t truly their teacher.

This woman’s actual identity was that of a professor from another department.

Speaking of Professor Shen, she could indeed be described as a prodigy.

From what Pei Xingyan knew, she was the first professor in their university who hadn’t yet reached her thirties.

Though only an associate professor, she was a professor nonetheless.

Having earned her direct doctorate by the age of twenty-five, she was subsequently appointed as a distinguished professor in the biology department.

Rumor had it she also held several prestigious ‘youth’ titles, solidifying her status as an absolute luminary in her field.

Pei Xingyan even speculated that, given time, this young woman might one day become an academician.

However, this elite among elites enjoyed the experience of being a counselor and interacting with students.

Out of respect for her talent, and to prevent a rival university from poaching her, the school devised a plan: they granted her special permission to manage a class, albeit without an official administrative appointment.

She wasn’t technically their teacher, but she could exercise similar authority.

But none of that mattered now.

Pei Xingyan only knew that offending her would lead to dire consequences.

He swiftly unclipped his curtain and leaped from his bed, landing gracefully and agilely.

“I am so terribly sorry, Teacher Shen, I honestly thought it was Fan Jian acting up again…” Pei Xingyan offered an embarrassed, fawning smile.

Shen Zhishu paused, then revealed a bright, toothy smile.

She waved a hand, apologizing in turn, “Oh no, if anything, it’s my fault.

I pulled your curtain without warning.

Fortunately, you weren’t asleep, or that would have been a real problem~”

As she spoke, her gestures grew more exaggerated, and she covered her mouth, laughing even harder.

Pei Xingyan, unsure what she found so amusing, simply joined her in awkward laughter.

“Alright, I was just checking the dorms.

It’s good that you’re all here.

Just don’t sneak out to meet girlfriends or anything like that, alright?

The consequences are severe if you’re caught.”

“Then Teacher, you’d better keep a close eye on Pei Xingyan—he’s the only one with a girlfriend!”

Fan Jian finally succumbed to his `fàn jiàn` tendencies, acting like a petty schemer as he reported Pei Xingyan for betraying their sacred bachelorhood.

He was truly incensed that Pei Xingyan had managed to secretly hook up with such a beautiful girlfriend!

Shen Zhishu, who had already stepped halfway out the door, turned back.

Her face immediately took on a look of suspicion, and she stared at Pei Xingyan as if interrogating a criminal.

“Absolutely not! Slander, pure slander!” Feeling a prickle of unease under her gaze, Pei Xingyan immediately snapped to attention and righteously denied it.

He swore he would use the most brutal methods to finish off Fan Jian later.

Shen Zhishu watched him for a long while, only choosing to depart after Pei Xingyan’s repeated assurances.

Before leaving, she inexplicably let out a sigh, then lowered her head and walked out of the dorm.

“Hmm? Isn’t Teacher Shen going to check the other dorms? Why did she only check ours before leaving?”

“Who knows, it’s hard to say.

Maybe she came specifically to see our handsome Pei, and left relieved after finding he wasn’t out chasing girls?” Fan Jian began to gossip again.

“Ugh… having high modeling skills means you can do whatever you want, I’m so jealous—”

“Damn it, Fan Jian, you’d better sleep against the wall tonight, and you’d better not wear your long johns inside out, or I’ll make your ass bloom in the middle of the night.”

“What the hell! What is that you’re holding? A heating rod? No! I was wrong, I swear!”