To some more listless students, the start of the school year was undoubtedly an agonizing ordeal. Yet, for others, the commencement of a new semester simply meant the continuation of last term's operation: the pursuit of beautiful girls. Of course, this didn't apply to every single student; there were still those diligent scholars, after all.

Being the final term, the academic pressure for the third year of high school was undoubtedly at its peak. However, a certain individual seemed utterly unconcerned by such matters, proceeding as usual—or, to be precise, as if it were just another typical school day. Yang Yi preferred to let his gaze wander outside the window rather than settle upon the darkened blackboard.

But today felt strange, primarily because the homeroom teacher hadn't arrived even now.

“Hey—did you hear?” one student asked his deskmate.

“Hear what?”

“You really haven't heard? It seems like our class is getting a new homeroom teacher this semester!”

“What? Is she hot or what? Hurry up and tell me, tell me!” the deskmate pressed, staring intently at the first student.

“Jeez, don’t lean in so close! People will get suspicious,” the first student muttered, feeling a wave of cold sweat and looking genuinely fearful.

“Uh... don't misunderstand me; I don't have that kind of preference!” the deskmate scoffed dismissively, then quickly added, “Just tell me already—is the new teacher a beauty or not?”

“Ahem, ahem... let this handsome fellow enlighten you,” the first student declared, deliberately clearing his throat a few times.

Swish, swish! A certain someone’s ears twitched twice.

“I heard the teacher coming to our class is some pretty boy, not a beautiful woman,” the first student said, sounding quite disappointed.

“Holy cow, a pretty boy?”

“Yeah, I’m depressed about it!”

“Tch, a pretty boy teaching? What kind of world is this?” Xu Ming, the one whose ears had twitched, grumbled under his breath.

At this moment, Yang Yi, who had been silent, slightly furrowed his brow but said nothing.

Just then, all the girls in the class seemed to take a sharp, collective breath, their eyes fixed intently on the doorway.

There stood a young man dressed in white clothes, paired with light blue jeans, possessing a handsome face that was remarkably clear and fair. Judging by his appearance, he couldn’t be very old—just a full-fledged young man.

“Holy crap!” Xu Ming couldn’t help but exclaim.

Yang Yi frowned, shifting his gaze, and couldn't help but gasp too, “What era is this? A textbook pretty boy comes to teach?”

“Boss, that guy couldn't possibly be our new homeroom teacher, right?”

“You’re asking me? Who should I ask?” Yang Yi shot him an irritated glance.

“Uh—!” Xu Ming looked a bit embarrassed but kept staring at the pretty boy teacher.

The young man approached the teacher’s desk, gave a slight smile, and his voice carried a certain crispness; if he was truly a pretty boy, he certainly possessed the credentials for it.

“Good morning, class! I believe many of you are very curious about me, right?”

“Yes!” This time it wasn't a chorus of male brutes howling, but the contingent of female brutes who usually put on airs of purity.

“Could these be the legendary female brutes?” Xu Ming stared in astonishment at the girls in his class. These girls, usually pure to the extreme and even holding contempt for boys who looked at girls with lecherous eyes, why had the roles suddenly reversed? “Incredible!”

In truth, in modern society, regardless of gender, driven by human desire, men favor beautiful women, and women favor handsome men—this is perfectly normal. It was just that Xu Ming’s thoughts were more convoluted; perhaps he really was suffering from the brain ailment Yang Yi often accused him of.

“Ahem, ahem, I sense that the male students are not exactly enthusiastic about my presence!” the young teacher said with a smile.

Swish!

Whoosh! A wave of noisy chatter erupted.

It couldn't be denied; those female brutes were certainly energized. Seeing a handsome man made them act as if they’d been given a stimulant. Hearing the young teacher’s remark, it seemed the entire class, save for Li Qian and a few shy girls, vehemently scorned the male students.

“Alright, quiet down now. Let me introduce myself first!” The young teacher smiled, turned toward the blackboard, and wrote a few large characters: "Murong Xiaoshuai!"

Wala! Another wave of noisy chatter erupted.

However, a select few individuals did frown, but the expression vanished in an instant.

“Boss, there doesn't seem to be a Murong clan family in Huaxia, does there?” Xu Ming whispered to Yang Yi.

“Hmm, it doesn't seem so!” After speaking, Yang Yi’s mind rapidly sifted through the data he had consumed. According to his knowledge, no such family existed in Huaxia. But the world was full of the strange and unusual; having the double-barreled surname Murong wasn't that surprising.

Murong—once the surname of the Yan Kingdom's royalty. After Yan fell and the Six Kingdoms unified, due to certain circumstances, those surnamed Murong either changed their names or were entirely wiped out. To think that someone bearing the double surname Murong would appear now suggested the situation was becoming rather mysterious. If one were fooled by the surface appearance, it would be perilous, because this person was clearly not simple. At least, that was the immediate impression Yang Yi got from the young teacher named Murong Xiaoshuai.

“You may call me Teacher Murong. Starting today, I will be your substitute homeroom teacher. If there is anything you do not understand, or...”

This Teacher Murong wasn't merely blessed with a typical pretty boy's face; his verbal skills and knack for winning people over were seamless. In a brief moment, he had even managed to win over the male students, proving he possessed real substance.

In a short span, Teacher Murong had established a warm rapport with nearly everyone in the class. However, his eyes periodically flickered towards Yang Yi, the look harboring a certain ambiguity, carrying a hint of deep meaning.

This observation confused not only Fatty Lin and Xu Ming but Yang Yi himself.

“Boss, could it be that he...” Xu Ming asked, a trace of coldness in his eyes.

“Probably. Sigh, I really don't know when this trouble will end. People always seem to seek me out,” Yang Yi sighed mournfully, though he had missed none of Teacher Murong’s actions, observing everything closely.

“Boss, did you get put on a bounty list again?”

“Damn it, do I really look like a famous face on the bounty boards, constantly being targeted?” Yang Yi felt uncertain. This sudden appearance of Teacher Murong left him completely unsettled, especially since the supposed Teacher Murong’s every move clearly indicated he wasn't an assassin.

But if he wasn't an assassin, why keep staring at him? Had he sleepwalked and raped his sister, or perhaps his wife? Or more directly, his older sister? That was utterly impossible. Because of this, Yang Yi remained uneasy.

“Indeed, no matter how well he conceals it, he doesn't appear to be an assassin, but why...” Xu Ming stopped mid-sentence, letting out a small gasp, “Holy cow, Boss! Could it be that he has a crush on you?”

“Go to hell!” Yang Yi immediately delivered a sharp cuff to his head, retorting irritably, “Are you out of your mind? How could you even conceive such a weird notion?”

“Uh, hehe, sorry, sorry, Boss. I was just curious. After all, there is no Murong family among the Eight Great Families, and this teacher gives me a very strange vibe, as if he’s specifically targeting you.” Xu Ming rubbed his head, then grinned, secretly thinking, Damn, the Boss hit me too hard! That really stung!

“Yeah, I understand that point,” Yang Yi responded softly, though an involuntary smile touched his lips. It seemed he, too, had suddenly become interested in this Murong. Yet, his smile surprised Xu Ming, who seemed completely unable to decipher what that expression meant or signified.

“Class dismissed!”

The period passed quickly. As Teacher Murong announced the end of class, he immediately headed toward the classroom door. However, before he got far, a cold sneer flickered across his lips, and he muttered, “It seems he is indeed very interesting. This venture probably won't result in a loss. Heh heh!”

######### “How is the progress going?” Inside a rather dilapidated room, a middle-aged man questioned two young men.

“We’ve confirmed everything beforehand and have successfully infiltrated,” one youth replied, his harmless-looking smile strikingly out of place.

“Good. As long as you follow my instructions and succeed, I will certainly reward you handsomely. Here, take this deposit first. Once the job is done, not only will I help you clear your records, but I’ll also give you the rest of the payment.” The middle-aged man tossed two thick stacks of Renminbi towards the two youths, who looked nearly identical but were easily distinguishable.

“Don't worry. As long as you keep your promises to us, you can be absolutely certain of our efficiency!” The youth spoke, then paused, adding, “But what exactly do you need us to do once we’re inside?”

“You don’t need to worry about that right now. Just follow my directions. Surely you know what questions you should and shouldn’t ask,” the middle-aged man said, narrowing his eyes at them.

The two youths flinched simultaneously and quickly replied, “Yes, yes, you are right. We know what to do.”

“Very well, I will take my leave for now. I will come to find you again,” the middle-aged man said, then turned and walked away.