EDMLSFM Chapter 24: I don’t mind appearing in front of him every day, disgusting him until he can’t eat.

Translated by JayQue of Exiled Rebels Scanlations 

Editor: Gwyndolyn, Kris

 

Chen Bai thought himself really innocent.

First, after such a long time, he had discovered that Heinz wasn’t three hundred and sixty-five degrees flawless as the general public thought. Especially regarding the aspect of elegance and grace as well as showing every possible consideration, Chen Bai just… didn’t really feel any of it.

Only this guy’s usual messages to him, being romantic and casual, were more in line with what people said.

But when they were in the same place, especially in front of Chen Bai, his face would immediately tighten, like someone owed him a few million credits. Outsiders seeing this would probably think that he was exceptionally dissatisfied with his marriage.

Chen Bai also discovered that when Heinz talked to him, if he suddenly choked in the middle of his sentence, he would always walk away to scroll his light screen before returning, and his expression would usually become even colder after that.

It made Chen Bai feel very strange, thinking that this person might have some kind of awkward habit, such as becoming colder after looking at light screens.

But even so, Chen Bai didn’t think it was anything unacceptable. He could clearly differentiate the hateful kind of indifference and Heinz’ version of being cold and detached. This man’s attitude towards him was much better than what he had expected.

For example, Heinz insisted on bringing him to check on his wounds, even picking the same hospital Lilya went to. Another example was trusting him enough to let him know everything at Ellie’s banquet without anything left out, even entrusting him alone with Mike. Chen Bai could feel his attentiveness.

… Attentiveness was fine, but having too much was still hard to digest.

After Chan Bai’s rejection over and over, absolutely resisting, Heinz finally gave up on trying to wrap his arm into a mummy. Then, Heinz sent him over for class with a furrowed brow, his face full of unwillingness.

Not to mention that he absolutely had to send Chen Bai to the school gates. His attitude in the whole process was as though Chen Bai had become a porcelain doll with those few nail marks on his arm, easily shattering if he walked another step.

After seeing the media reporters, who had confirmed his timetable at Aldia, piling up at the school gates, Heinz’ face almost turned black. Even with the reporters surrounding and blocking their way, he insisted on sending Chen Bai into the school gates before stopping.

The arduous process was no better than yesterday, but luckily Chen Bai had expected it and had deliberately rushed over early with Heinz. After waiting for Chen Bai to go in, Heinz finally turned to face those reporters.

Chen Bai didn’t listen as he hurried to class, but based on the high-pitch screams from the female reporters behind him,… the interview was quite cheerful.

But when a person was out of luck, another wave would come before the previous one was settled. Just as Chen Bai was walking quickly towards the classroom, he met the head of year, Claus, face on.

The latter pelted him with comments on his clothing and gave him a tongue lashing on being late and more.

Chen Bai guaranteed that he had listened to every single word carefully and still felt that he was faultless. First and foremost, he had just received the letter of recruitment, so the teacher’s uniform and stuff like that were not yet processed.

Next, he was an externally invited teacher, and not Aldia’s internal teacher, so he didn’t have to follow office hours. It’s good enough if he comes before class starts, so it was strange that Claus scolded him for it.

But the points about attracting a bunch of reporters and having too much attention from students were also true. It’s normal for the teachers at the school to feel disturbed by it, so Chen Bai didn’t rebuke that.

“This is the Teacher’s Competition application form.” After giving him a lecture, Claus impatiently thrust a microchip to Chen Bai. “After registering, submit it to my office at 5pm.”

He turned and walked away immediately after speaking, as though looking at Chen Bai for one more second was torture. The students around hastily made a path for Claus, the latter blew at his beard, not even forgetting to admonish the onlooking students to go back to class.

Chen Bai looked at the microchip in his hand, then looked at Claus walking away, his eyes narrowing.

Submitting it to his office at 5pm. His class will finish in the morning, and Claus didn’t give a nearer time limit nor a time period. Instead, he had to submit it at 5pm.

If he remembered correctly, that was basically waiting until all the other teachers were finished with their work.

Was it to make things difficult for him, having to come to school at five o’clock; or to be the last to leave the school, or something else?

Chen Bai put the idea aside for now and looked down at the small greyish white microchip in his hand.

In Aldia, students had to meet very high standards, and the teachers had to as well. Here, not only did the teachers have to teach the students, but they also had to constantly improve themselves. Having competitions within the school would directly affect every teacher’s status, rank and students’ admiration within the school.

It was also a way Aldia used to ignite the students’ passion for their teachers in the competition. They would always put way more attention on their own teachers.

Before Chen Bai came here, he was already aware of this fact. If he recalled correctly, the next Teacher’s Competition would begin next week.

His thoughts stopped there; Chen Bai put the microchip into his pocket. As he was walking to class, he suddenly heard a high-pitched voice from behind.

“Aiya teacher, don’t you think it’s embarrassing? Mr. Claus didn’t even leave you any face.” A small boy was draped on a railing behind him, with a freckled face and grin as he stared down Chen Bai.

The onlooking students who were reluctantly headed back to class after the ‘show’ suddenly had their gazes fixed on them. All of them looked as though they were waiting for a good show and had stopped their tracks again.

“The media outside didn’t seem to give you any air time, and you still have the decency to come to class? You’re just like a passing rat; I feel too disgusted to eat after seeing you. Don’t you ever look in a mirror?” The boy said, while someone beside him reached out and poked him.

“Hey, Regines!”

Regines heard his buddy but didn’t acknowledge him. His father was an important figure within the government higher ups, so he was used to being arrogant at school. His sister really liked Heinz and was happy for a long time when Heinz was preparing to accept the Divine Realm’s judgement. She even flaunted her gene data, looking around for all kinds of professionals to evaluate her compatibility with Heinz. 

This Chen Bai then appeared out of nowhere, and his sister suddenly became depressed, even seldom going out of the house. Among the bunch of students in school who hated Chen Bai, Regines was one of them in the lead.

He wore a very hateful expression as he said that, even taking a step forward with his chin slightly tilted upwards, and spoke provocatively, “Even if I don’t say this, no one will help you either. Don’t you think that your life is a failure? Even living is just polluting the air. Bet you just can’t wait to die now?”

Chen Bai looked at him for a while, then narrowed his eyes, continuing to put the microchip inside his pocket. 

Looking towards the direction of Class 3-1, he could see many faces that he still remembered, some having worry written on them.

In an academy such as Aldia, the students were not just simply students. No matter if they were the second generation of an official, rich people or even soldiers, their parents had already given them large influence, and it had become a small society early on.

So regarding Regines’ provocation, if it succeeded, it would largely increase his status as well as all the students standing behind him within the academy. 

This is the unspoken rule between these students. In Aldia, a hardworking and talented student would still be hated and picked on by others if they had no background.

Chen Bai thought for a bit, thinking that having an argument with a seventeen to eighteen year old was very immoral. If Mani was watching through the surveillance cameras now, he would probably be laughing his head off and  then record it as his source of laughter for the following year.

But then again, he wasn’t really someone with great moral standing. 

According to Mani’s monitoring of the online forums recently, quite a lot of the students who had had his class went onto the forums to speak good things about him.

Chen Bai felt, as a teacher, if he couldn’t even react to his student’s support and backed away when his students had risked themselves to support him against the great pressure of others, then he really wouldn’t have any reason to teach anymore.

If Professor Wu heard, he might puff his beard in anger.

Therefore, he retracted his forward step and turned around. He stared at Regines for a while before smiling faintly, adopting a particularly cold voice to say, “First of all, before I came here, I didn’t know that students of Aldia Academy could simply insult their teacher’s character. If so, I think I would have made a more serious consideration.”

When the students standing around heard this, they couldn’t help but want to laugh, their faces obviously asking ‘What worth do you have?’ Chen Bai acted as though he couldn’t see it, his face expressionless, the coldness in his deep gaze stopping the laughter of the students who had wanted to laugh.

“Next, I think that compared to having to die of embarrassment for being noticed by the media, students who don’t care about things of importance in an institution such as Aldia, don’t have any vigilance from the Century War, and don’t take on any responsibility for the Alliance’s future are the ones who can’t survive in this academy, right?”

After Chen Bai finished, he looked down towards Regines, that mediocre and even slightly ugly face radiating a bone-chilling coldness.

“Lastly, for the kind of students who enjoy the safe soil their fathers’ generation fought for with their lives on the front lines but are ungrateful while completely unaware of the second war that might come upon us at any moment and put the school’s greatest meaning into entertainment and insulting others for fun… I don’t mind appearing in front of him every day, disgusting him until he can’t eat.”

 

Editor’s Note:

I love spicy Chen Bai.