Su Chan gazed at Li Yundong with pleading eyes, pouting slightly. “But you’re the one who said I should stick close to you from now on…”
The little foxes chimed in unison, egging him on. “That’s right! We must shadow the Sect Master! Stay right behind him!”
Li Yundong laughed and scolded, “Are you a swarm of haunting female ghosts? ‘Stay right behind him’! Go do what you’re supposed to be doing! Stop messing around!”
The little foxes certainly weren't willing to quit; they clamored, “Sect Master, you take back your words! Sect Master, you’re not treating us equally!”
Li Yundong felt as if countless bees had drilled into his head, buzzing madly. Cao Yi, standing nearby, also chuckled and persuaded him, “Sect Master, just take them out for a stroll. They’ve been looking forward to going out with you.”
Li Yundong was caught between laughter and tears. “Uncle-Master Cao Yi, why are you joining in the commotion?”
The little foxes cheered wildly, “Long live Uncle-Master Cao Yi! May he live for ten thousand generations!”
Cao Yi cleared his throat and cast a look toward Li Yundong. The little foxes instantly understood the signal and declared in unison, “Long live the Sect Master! May he live for ten thousand generations!”
Facing such earnest pleas from so many beautiful women, Li Yundong couldn't hold out. He conceded with a sigh, “Fine, but we need to set three ground rules before we leave!”
Hearing this, the little foxes all giggled, “What are the three rules?”
Li Yundong held up three fingers. “First, no inciting mischief or stirring up trouble.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the little foxes asked in unison, “What is inciting mischief and stirring up trouble?”
Li Yundong glared at them. “That is inciting mischief and stirring up trouble!”
The little foxes jumped, immediately falling silent. Li Yundong nodded in satisfaction and continued, “Second, no running off randomly.”
The little foxes had no objection to this point and nodded in unison.
Li Yundong added, “Third, outside, you are absolutely not allowed to call me Sect Master.”
Upon hearing this, the little foxes immediately asked, “Then what should we call you?”
Li Yundong paused to think, then stated firmly, “Pretend you don’t know me!”
Su Chan chuckled softly. She said, “After what happened last time, that seems rather unlikely, doesn't it?”
Li Yundong knew exactly what Su Chan was referring to—his speech at the school last time. He shot Su Chan a look. “And you dare mention that!”
Li Yundong thought for a moment and said, “In any case, don’t call me Sect Master unless it’s absolutely necessary. We aren’t filming a historical drama; it sounds weird to outsiders. If something truly urgent happens, just call me by my name.”
The little foxes exchanged glances and nodded their agreement. “Alright then.”
Li Yundong noticed their current compliance but couldn't shake a strange feeling, as if something was brewing. Yet, words spoken were like water spilled; they couldn't be taken back.
Li Yundong sighed. “Forget it, let’s go. I must have done some terrible deed in a past life to attract such a large group of you.”
Hearing this, everyone at the Hu Chan Sect burst into laughter.
Zi Yuan walked in from across the hall. Seeing Li Yundong preparing to leave, she asked with surprise, “Where are you going? You still need to oversee the renovation design work at the shop today.”
Li Yundong gave a wry smile. “Your humble old man can only be in one place at a time! Why don't you handle the renovation design? I’d just be useless there; I don't understand any of that stuff.”
Zi Yuan considered this, then nodded in agreement. “Okay, that works.”
Seeing this, Cao Yi offered proactively, “True Master Zi Yuan, perhaps I can assist you?”
Zi Yuan glanced at Cao Yi, slightly surprised, but she smiled nonetheless. “That would be wonderful. I might not manage it all on my own.”
At that moment, Liu Yuehong and Zhuang Yating from the Hu Chan Sect both spoke up together, “Then we’ll come help too!”
Li Yundong beamed. “That’s fantastic! Everyone has something to do; we’ll cooperate through division of labor.”
The group laughed, and Li Yundong, along with Su Chan, Zhou Qin, Ruan Hongling, and the little foxes, headed toward the school in a large procession, while Zi Yuan and the others went to busy themselves with the shop renovations.
Arriving at the school, Li Yundong looked out at the vibrant, youthful campus. He suddenly felt that this place, where he had spent nearly three years, seemed utterly foreign. He mused aloud, “It feels like a century has passed since I was last here. I’m almost forgetting I’m still a student.”
The moment he finished speaking, a voice sounded right next to him, laced with both mock anger and genuine delight: “You’re almost forgetting you’re a student—does that mean you’ve forgotten you still have friends here, too?”
Li Yundong turned to see Feng Na, clutching her textbooks, looking at him with an expression blending playful indignation and joy.
Li Yundong immediately broke into a smile. “It’s you! Long time no see. How have you been?”
Feng Na cast a sidelong glance at him, drawing out her words a little. “Me? You still recognize me?”
Li Yundong laughed heartily. “Of course, of course! The brilliant and mighty Student Union President of our school!”
Saying this, Li Yundong plastered a deferential smile on his face. “President, it’s been ages. Are you busy managing affairs of state?”
Feng Na snorted and rolled her eyes, displaying a bit of girlish pique. “Even managing state affairs can’t compare to some people who are so busy they’re never seen! I hardly count as busy; I just attend classes and go to meetings every day.”
Li Yundong laughed even more solicitously. “Don't be too modest, President. You must take care of your imperial body; school and meetings are exhausting!”
Feng Na’s smile widened as she talked with Li Yundong. Hearing this, she couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, laughing and scolding, “Hey, where have you been these past few days? Not a trace of you! Sun Li looked for me several times, saying if you don’t show up for class soon, you’ll have to take the make-up exams again.”
Li Yundong let out a long sigh, his expression becoming deeply serious.
Feng Na asked with curiosity and concern, “What’s wrong? Did something happen? Tell me what’s on your mind. If you don’t tell me, it means you don’t consider me a friend, right?”
Li Yundong looked up to the sky and sighed dramatically. “Alas, these past few days, whenever I think about certain matters, I lose my appetite and sleep, turning restlessly until dawn. My heart is burning with anxiety.”
His dramatic words made Ruan Hongling, Zhou Qin, and Su Chan gather around curiously, all asking at once: “Li Yundong, what are you thinking about? Do you have to be so dramatic?”
“Yundong, what’s troubling you? Tell us, maybe we can help share the burden a little.”
“Shi—Li Yundong, is something wrong?”
Li Yundong glanced at them and sighed. “Alas, you can’t help me with this. Don't ask.” He finished with an air of melancholy.
But the more Li Yundong refused to speak, the more curious they became, urging him on. “Tell us, tell us! There’s no one else here.”
Unable to resist their pressing, Li Yundong sighed again, adopting a look of profound compassion. “Every night, the mere thought that the motherland is not yet unified and the world is not yet at peace keeps me from eating and sleeping peacefully!”
Before he could finish speaking, everyone burst into loud laughter.
Feng Na chuckled, spitting lightly. “Pah! Have you been busy saving the world and achieving world peace these last few days?”
Su Chan giggled but remained silent; Zhou Qin covered her mouth, chuckling quietly, also not interjecting. Only Ruan Hongling laughed and scolded, “Li Yundong, you have some nerve! Your skin is too thick!”
Her clear voice rang out, immediately drawing the attention of surrounding students. Many, upon hearing the name Li Yundong, perked up their ears.
“Li Yundong? Where? Where is he?”
“Could it be that Li Yundong, the one they say goes unrecognized across the land?”
“Holy crap, True Master Li! Seeing the real person at this school! Am I hallucinating?”
“Fellow Daoist, you’re not hallucinating. That’s our school’s legendary figure, known as the Pear Blossom Overwhelming the Crabapple, the one who staunchly refuses to eat excrement—True Master Li Yundong!”
The students began whispering amongst themselves. Some bolder ones shouted directly at Li Yundong, “Li Yundong, keep it up!”
All the students who had witnessed the previous incident on the school grounds burst into laughter. Li Yundong wasn't angry; he turned back to Feng Na and the others with a wry smile. “Let’s get to class quickly. This place is about to become a bottleneck.”
Sure enough, within moments, the news of Li Yundong’s appearance on campus spread like wildfire.
Many who had never seen him before grew curious: “I’ve heard his name so much my ears are calloused, and I’ve seen countless photos and videos online, but I’ve never seen the real person. Come on, let’s go take a look!”
Suddenly, a large group of students thronged around Li Yundong, following him like an unstoppable torrent.
Li Yundong smiled wryly to himself. He turned to Feng Na. “Do you know why I haven’t been coming to school?”
Feng Na covered her mouth, amused. “That’s because you don’t come often, so when the students see you, they find it novel and crowd around to see a living person.”
Li Yundong exaggerated with a laugh. “Whoa, are you saying they usually come to pay respects to my deceased body?”
Feng Na laughed heartily, slapping him lightly on the shoulder. “It just so happens I don't have class this morning. I’ll accompany you to a lecture!”
Li Yundong chuckled. “I think you just want to watch the show.”
Feng Na grinned mischievously. “You figured me out! Alright, I do want to see the spectacle. What are you going to do, chase me away?”
Li Yundong sighed dramatically. “Alas, I try to be so low-key, but you insist on giving me applause and screams. How am I supposed to bear such burdens!”
With that, those around him erupted in laughter again.
The little foxes had been quietly observing the crowd. They discreetly pulled Su Chan aside and whispered, “Su Chan, the Sect Master has such high prestige here?”
Su Chan declared proudly, “Of course! Didn't you see how everyone responded instantly when he spoke on stage last time?”
The little foxes then remembered the tumultuous event last time, and their faces filled with shared pride. “It’s a great thing that the Sect Master is so popular! It shows how exceptional our Sect Master is! It looks like our Hu Chan Sect will definitely flourish under his leadership!”
Su Chan nodded rapidly, like a chicken pecking rice. “Mhm, Yundong has always been excellent!”
Li Yundong saw Su Chan whispering with the little foxes and immediately felt a jolt. He quickly called Su Chan over and asked her, looking highly suspicious, “Hey, what were you talking about? Don't tell me you're plotting something again, are you?”
Su Chan immediately cried out in protest, “I wasn't! We were just praising you!”
Li Yundong looked at her suspiciously, his eyes darting around as if trying to find a telltale sign on her face. He said half-believingly, “Really nothing?”
Su Chan stated resolutely, “Absolutely nothing. You’re overthinking it!”
Li Yundong patted her head. “That’s good. I was just afraid the group of you would get into trouble together. You are all such troublemakers!”
Su Chan pouted and stuck out a funny face at Li Yundong.
Feng Na glanced at her watch. “Come on, it’s almost time for class. It’s the big Classical Literature lecture this morning.”
Li Yundong saw that the crowd of students was getting so dense it looked like traffic congestion was imminent. He quickly waved his hand. “Let’s go! Race for the seats!”