At the same moment Xie Luochen stepped into the campus, a secret meeting was taking place amongst the guards.
As a prestigious establishment that teaches the future of its country.
Of course they must strive to protect these innocent flowers that have yet to step into society.
Other than the fact that LanLing University is famous for its twin flowers, programs, and teachers. There is another feature that the establishment is famous for, its high security.
Guards scatter across the academy in pairs of two or four as they scanned their surroundings to prevent any mishaps.
Those solemn looking protectors adorn in dark uniform are akin to knights of an ancient kingdom. Standing straight and tall with eyes like an eagle ready to hunt at the slightest appearance of prey.
No one in the university is afraid of those strict looking men. In fact, they provide an immense sense of safety to the students instead.
Nonetheless, if the students were to see those usually solemn guards all huddled together in a corner right now. Perhaps even their jaws would fall to the ground from shock.
Guard A: "Have you heard? She's back."
Guard C: "I know, Bai Ling informed me a while ago."
Guard H: "What should we do?"
Guard I: What do you mean what should we do? Of course the same as usual. But with even more caution."
Guard P: "No, I disagree we should take this opportunity to show off more of our efforts."
Guard H: "But if we're not careful, he might find out."
Guard A: "We've done this for so many years without him finding out. It'll be okay if we are careful."
Guard C: "But I'm worried, do you remember the female ghost that got into campus a while ago? We left her alone because she wasn't doing any harm. But now that the Young Master and … is here…. what if that ghost sets her sights on him?"
Guard D: "Then where is the ghost now?"
Guard C: "Not sure, but she most definitely hasn't left campus. Maybe she possessed someone… I heard that a lot of young female ghosts these days like to possess the body of others for one night stands. "
Everyone: "... …"
Guard I: "Argh! Before we had to deal with those female students and now we might even need to deal with a ghost. When is this all going to end!?"
Guard H: "We definitely can't let Her Honor find out. I'll call to let the others know as well."
"Just in case, we can't let anything happen to the Young Master's chastity!"
[We must protect his innocence!]
_____
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Xie Luochen.
Two groups of people have set their eyes on the young man. One party wants to protect his purity, while another…
"Aiya!" Just as Xie Luochen was walking past a female student, her body suddenly staggered. Legs buckled under as she began to fall towards his direction with a face of twinkling excitement masked by a layer of horror.
The sunlight has just the right amount of rays and the angle of her face is just at the best angle. Showing the most beautiful side of her features and curve of the neck as flowing hair dance along with the wind.
[There!]
Feeling the strong sensation of an arm firmly wrapped around her waist. The female student revealed a faint smile of triumph while long eyelashes flutter open akin to the wings of a butterfly.
"Student Xie, I-"
The blush on the face of that female student drained away in an instant the moment her eyes came in contact with Auntie Mao.
What filled the young woman's vision was not the handsome face of Xie Luochen but rather the wrinkly contours of their seventy-five year old school nurse!
Surprised by this unexpected situation, the young woman stuttered, "N-nurse Mao?"
Bewildered eyes darted from the left to right only to see the figure of her target already meters away!
"?!!"
Before the female student could think of what to do or say in order to get out of this strange situation.
Nurse Mao pulled the student closer into her embrace whilst lifting the young lady's chin up with shaky fingers. "Your feet must've gotten hurt from tripping, remember to be more careful next time."
Without waiting for further response, Nurse Mao moved one hand onto the student's back while another slipped under her thighs. Lifting the young woman up within the blink of an eye amongst gasps of surprises.
The elderly nurse carried and placed the injured patient onto an empty bench.
The flustered student wouldn't make eye contact with the school nurse. Anxious thoughts whirled with no plausible form of words that the young lady could say at this time.
Just as she finally gathered enough courage to speak, "Nurse Mao…"
The sound of ringing bells in the distance marks the start of today's first period.
Patting the young lady on the head once in a loving manner, the elderly woman encouraged in a steady tone. "See you next time," before wobbling away to leave only the image of her short but suave figure behind.
"What is this…?"
Cheeks flushed an unnatural red perhaps due to the heat of the beaming sun. The female student wonders what might be the problem with her heart as it thumps with erratic beats.
_____
In the classroom.
Due to some unexplainable reason this class became a free period after being informed that the professor would be absent.
Sitting in a quiet corner of the chamber in order to review the notes that he had missed. Xie Luochen was studying with diligence when a sudden shadow hovered over his source of light.
Seeing that his notes became casted over, the young man raised his sights to see a fellow classmate beaming at him from above.
Xie Luochen: "...Can I help you?"
The young man inquired while trying to recall if he'd ever seen this person before.
"Classmate Xie." The female student said in a shy voice. "You haven't been here for the past few weeks."
Wriggling about as if a fish out of water, the female classmate suggested in a coy drawl of her tone. "If you like, I'm willing to lend you my notes." Saying so, the woman directly sat on the seat next to him without asking for permission.
"... …"
Bearing a slight frown at this sudden invasion of space. Xie Luochen merely flitted the woman a glance before moving his sights back onto his notes, "no need."
The youth replied in words laced with frigid aloofness.
But unfazed by this cold attitude, the female classmate leaned closer instead. This amount of coldness is nothing to the woman but fuel to ignite her determination even more.
Puckering those soft lips that gleam with a shine of gloss the female student exclaimed in piercing falsetto. "Wow! Classmate Xie is so smart! You can even solve these complicated problems. Unlike me who has so many questions that I can't solve."
Facial contours morphed into an expression of sadness mixed with tinges of embarrassment. Perhaps a normal person would have at least refuted the woman's claims before giving her some words of encouragement.
But before the the young man could even raise his sights up from those notes-
A male student sitting behind the two of them scoffed in a mocking tone. "No wonder you look so foolish. Let me guess, there's nothing but water inside your brain isn't there? I suggest that you pour all the water out first before coming back to class."
"LanLing University isn't a place for fish brains." The black rectangular earring on the male student's ear reflected the light outside of the window as he laughed.
"You-!"
Feeling irked but still attempting to maintain an image, the female student took a deep breath to calm herself. Deciding to ignore that comment, she turned with a stiff smile to ask another inquiry of the youth.
"I'm sorry if it seems like I'm bothering you, Student Xie. It's just that everyone in this classroom seems to dislike me for some odd reason. Other than you, there's no one else that wants to engage in a conversation with me."
Xie Luochen: "... …"
This sentence from the young woman immediately garnered numerous glares from other students around.
But dismissing those unfriendly gazes with a simple chuckle, the female student proceeds.
"Student Xie, I woke up late today so I didn't even have the time to dress up. Do you think I look okay? I'm not very good at putting on makeup unlike the other girls at the University..." The woman said with a pitiful look while trying to lean in more for the young man to see.
This time, instead of the same male student that's sitting behind them. It's the female student sitting beside that male classmate who replied, "I can see why you question your skills."
"Look at that face. I'd believe you if you've told me you were a construction worker with the amount of makeup you plaster on. Have you learned how to smear cement on brick walls in the past?" The female student said with a wide grin, slender fingers fiddling with the piece of black jade in hand.
Bam!
Slender hands slam hard on the desktop from the burst of anger which caused the woman's body to tremble all over.
Breathing with heavy intakes of breaths, the female student tried to change the subject once more.
"S-student Xie… I heard that there have been some serious fire incidents these past few days. How scary. If I were trapped inside the fire with a stranger, who would you save first?"
"... …"
Disturbed by the constant commotion, Xie Luochen wrinkled his brows while lips pressed together in a displeased frown. Standing up whilst collecting the items on the table, the youth nodded at the woman with a polite reply, "the fire."
Before departing from the classroom to find a much quieter place to review.
"Phfft!" Snickered the two students behind.
_____
At the meeting room once again.
Every person in the group sat down wearily, some slouched on their chairs, some bent over the table.
"Don't you think the students are more aggressive compared to normal?"
"Maybe it's because they haven't seen the Young Master in a while."
"Ugh, so tired, how did you guys do? I managed to stop five students from peeking into the male bathroom."
"Five is a small number. You haven't seen the number of students trying to fall into his arms today. My body is bruised from blocking all those attacks."
"It'll tone down after a while, we just need to hold on till then."
"Hopefully…"
_____
During Lunch.
With the passing of time paired with the successful intervention of numerous guards. Those crazed students have begun to calm and the [Chastity Protection] plan was put aside for a short while as almost everyone scattered to buy lunch.
"... …"
Watching Xie Luochen sip on his drink in the distance while listening to the incessant chatter of his senior brother.
The fatigue guards also felt parched.
Discussing with the others before departing to buy drinks. A horrific scream came out of that guard's throat moments laters when he returned from the purchase.
"What's going on!? Weren't you guys watching?!!"
All plastic bags dropped onto the ground as those guards rushed forward at the same time in horror.
Due to the guard's negligence, a female student managed to approach Xie Luochen!
"Classmate Xie." The woman greeted in a sweet voice. "I haven't seen you in a while."
"...?"
Deja vu?
Xie Luochen glanced at the woman for a moment before turning away, hands fiddling with the straw of his drink.
"What kind of drink are you having today?" She asked curiously while lifting the drink in her hand. "Mine's a strawberry milk tea with half sugar and more ice."
"... …"
Closing his eyes in annoyance, Xie Luochen took a sip of his drink before placing it on the table, pretending not to have heard.
Rather than getting upset, the female student took a step forward in an invasion of space. "Student Xie, your drink looks pretty good, can I have a taste?" She said, hands already reaching for his cup.
"Hey! Someone stop the girl! Protect our Young Master's integrity!" The nearest guard rushed forward, but his distance is still too far away to stop the incident from happening.
[No!]
Just as the guards were shedding tears of despair while seeing those tainted hands reaching out with stained purposes. A pale hand reached out to block those vile lips. Gently lifting the cup away from the student's grasp without pause.
Following after, an indolent voice that contained tinges of mirth echoed into the ears of everyone near the scene. "Little girl, haven't your parents taught you not to take things without permission?"
Chu Nuan smiled with a lazy pull of soft lip that does not touch the coldness of obsidian eyes.
"Who are you?!" The student asked in surprise.
Sweeping her eyes around the vicinity with a charming chuckle. Chu Nuan hovered a hand over her mouth in light bantering.
"Little girl, this here is a cup of black coffee. It's very bitter." She explained, softly shaking the cup in her hand.
"... …"
Sensing the focused stare from behind. The young woman turned sideways to collide sights with the bewildered expression on the young man's face.
"Phfft!"
Feeling amused from this situation, Chu Nuan laughed playfully as a hand stretched towards the dazed youth.
Thumb skimmed across his chin before gently tracing his bottom lips to wipe away remnants of dark coffee.
Xie Luochen: "?!"
A flash of mischievous light appeared in bright irises as the young woman slanted a glance at the shocked female student.
Bringing the thumb towards her lips with a deliberate lick of the tongue. Her playful voice proceeded to inform, "but it's just the right flavor for me."