Professor 5
“Do you not like me? Why are you ignoring me?” Chen Liu looked a little disappointed, but he quickly put on a smile. “I was just worried about you. If I upset you, I’ll leave.”
Though he said that, he showed no intention of actually leaving.
Other people had already started to notice them, glancing over. Not fond of being the center of attention, Tang Xi took a small step back, looking a bit lost.
“What are you talking about?”
Duan Sifei’s voice came from a distance, growing closer until he finally stood behind Tang Xi, shielding him slightly.
Chen Liu’s face flushed. “It’s nothing, I was just checking on him.”
His gaze subtly swept over Duan Sifei’s long legs before landing on his composed, almost ascetic face.
“As long as it’s nothing serious. Thanks for looking after our Tangkuai.”
Duan Sifei was momentarily stunned by his own words. The nickname had come out so naturally, as if it had been engraved in his heart, without any thought.
Tangkuai?
That was the kind of nickname only close relationships would have.
“Oh, then I’ll be leaving first, Professor Duan.” Chen Liu, clearly stung, forced a smile before turning to leave.
Duan Sifei didn’t pay him any attention.
Instead, he softly repeated the name again, a strange yet familiar flutter stirring in his chest.
Tangkuai…Tangkuai…
His heart wavered as he lowered his head, only to meet Tang Xi’s reddened eyes.
Tang Xi gazed at him, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind.
He wanted to ask why Duan Sifei had forgotten him, how he had managed to follow him here.
But he couldn’t say anything—he had to maintain his persona and stay silent.
To Duan Sifei, however, that silence was entirely misleading. “Did that guy bully you just now?”
Though he was smiling as he asked, his eyes were ice-cold.
He looked terrifying when he was angry.
Tang Xi flinched slightly, instinctively shrinking his neck. If he had a tail, it would’ve puffed up in alarm.
This little guy is even more sensitive than I thought.
Duan Sifei adjusted his glasses and returned to his usual gentle demeanor, his voice low and coaxing. “I’m not mad at you. Be good. Did he bully you?”
Tang Xi shook his head.
Chen Liu hadn’t actually bullied him—at least, not yet.
According to the storyline, he wasn’t even supposed to cross paths with Chen Liu for another two years. By then, his research would finally be completed, only for him to suffer a sudden stomach illness that landed him in the hospital.
His illness struck so suddenly that he had no time to publish his findings. And during his hospitalization, Chen Liu happened to stumble upon his research and took it as his own, publishing it under his name.
Overnight, Chen Liu became famous.
The world only knew Chen Liu’s name, completely unaware that the original character of the research, An Liang, had dedicated three years of his life to it.
Even worse, An Liang never received the recognition he deserved—not even before he died in that hospital.
Chen Liu even had the audacity to believe he had done An Liang a favor, thinking the original An Liang should be grateful to him for making the research known to the world.
But in reality, even if Chen Liu hadn’t published it, the research would have eventually been discovered. A raw gem, even buried in dust, could never be truly hidden.
This was only the second world, yet the difficulty had clearly ramped up. The villain was more deranged, and even the so-called child of fate was becoming increasingly troublesome to deal with.
And this world’s so-called child of fate was nothing more than a despicable thief.
Tang Xi was furious. Though he didn’t outwardly show his dislike for Chen Liu, Duan Sifei still caught on.
Without pressing him further, Duan Sifei simply took his hand and led him toward the research lab.
With Duan Sifei guiding him, Tang Xi found his work much smoother.
To get closer to him, you just have to invade his favorite field.
Duan Sifei’s keen eyes immediately pinpointed several issues in Tang Xi’s research, correcting them on the spot while also assisting him with a few experimental setups.
After an entire day in the lab, Tang Xi’s attitude toward Duan Sifei had noticeably softened.
At the very least, he no longer trembled in fear around him.
Duan Sifei, like a patient hunter, was steadily closing the distance between them—step by step.
“I checked with the cafeteria. You’ve been eating instant noodles every day?”
Duan Sifei smiled as he trapped Tang Xi between the lab bench and himself.
“Look up. Speak to me while looking into my eyes.” His tone was firm, like a strict guardian. “It’s rude not to make eye contact when talking.”
Only he knew how much of his own selfishness was involved, but every time the young man looked at him with wholehearted attention, a current seemed to surge through his cold and quiet heart.
Tang Xi was forced to timidly look up at him. “Mm.”
On the surface, he looked obedient, but inside, he was cursing at the system: [A refined scoundrel, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, bullying a little kitten!]
1551: [Yes! So mean!]
Duan Sifei nodded in satisfaction and tapped his small chin. “From now on, you eat with me. If I catch you eating instant noodles again, I’ll cut off your experiments for a whole day.”
For a small, soft creature that always shrank into its shell, the only way to open it up was with a firm hand.
This threat was too ruthless—it completely broke the curse of instant noodles over him.
Tang Xi immediately switched sides: [1551, he’s actually a good person.]
1551: […]
Tang Xi and Duan Sifei went to the institute’s cafeteria and experienced the perks of power.
To his surprise, the institute had even set up a private dining hall just for him.
He had already thought the cafeteria’s food was impressive, but this was on another level. They were really pulling out all the stops to keep him here.
Staring at the steak and red wine in front of him, Tang Xi’s mouth nearly started watering. He didn’t say anything, but in his heart, his imaginary tail was wagging like crazy.
At the same time, a sour feeling crept into his heart.
Once I complete my research and let An Liang’s name reach the pinnacle of honor where it belongs, I’ll be able to enjoy this kind of treatment too.
Before he could dig in, Duan Sifei took the steak away from him and frowned. “Your stomach hasn’t recovered yet. You can’t eat this.”
Instead, he handed him a bowl of rich, fragrant meat porridge.
Tang Xi: […He really is a bad guy. QAQ]
1551: [Heh.]
Tang Xi wanted to angrily slap his paw onto Duan Sifei’s face and tell him: I’m a cat! A carnivorous animal!
But in reality, all he could do was silently sip his porridge and eat the side dishes Duan Sifei placed on his plate.
Wronged kitten face.jpg
Some people in the cafeteria were sneaking glances in their direction, whispering among themselves.
Most researchers were rigid, single-minded people who only cared about science. They couldn’t understand why Professor Duan had chosen Tang Xi as his disciple—especially when he seemed to be treating him with such special care.
Previously, even a sixty-year-old senior professor had shamelessly asked to be taken in as Duan Sifei’s assistant, only to be gently but firmly rejected.
He had been polite and well-mannered, yet his refusal was resolute. From then on, everyone knew that this young Professor Duan was a man of strict principles.
Meanwhile, Tang Xi, as his usual introverted self, completely ignored the vague stares around him and focused on drinking his porridge, spoonful by spoonful.
Just as he was finishing the last of it, a commotion erupted at the entrance of the cafeteria, drawing everyone’s attention.
Curious, Tang Xi kept his eyes on his bowl while quietly asking the system what was happening.
1551: [The protagonist gong, Jiang Jingcheng, has arrived.]
At this point in the story, Jiang Jingcheng, a notorious playboy, had started to take an interest in Chen Liu.
Jiang Jingcheng was the type to chase after whoever caught his eye—but just as quickly, he would move on. He had countless lovers yet never truly got entangled with any of them.
Unlike his past flings, Chen Liu didn’t fall for him right away. Instead, he remained unattainable, like a flower on a high mountain, stringing Jiang Jingcheng along—along with many others.
This was one of the main reasons why the villain later became jealous and killed so many people.
In the end, Jiang Jingcheng, the once frivolous playboy, was transformed into a loyal lover and finally won the beauty’s heart.
Tang Xi didn’t have a favorable impression of him. The moment he realized who it was, he put down his spoon and prepared to leave.
“When did your research institute get such a little cutie?” Jiang Jingcheng, true to his playboy nature, couldn’t resist teasing Tang Xi, even though he had come looking for Chen Liu.
Simply because Tang Xi was good-looking.
Tang Xi ignored him and continued walking.
In reality, the original An Liang had a very attractive face, too. It was just that his usual gloomy demeanor kept him looking down all the time, so few people noticed.
Duan Sifei followed behind him at a leisurely pace. He subtly extended a hand, guiding Tang Xi in the opposite direction of Jiang Jingcheng. “Unrelated personnel should avoid lingering too long in the research institute.”
Though spoken with a smile, his tone was ice-cold.
Jiang Jingcheng met his gaze through those gold-rimmed glasses and felt a sudden chill. Only after Duan Sifei walked away did he realize that he had been intimidated by just a single look.
Trying to save face, he huffed, “I’ve invested in this research institute, you know.”
The implication: Mind your own business.
Duan Sifei didn’t bother responding. With his back to Jiang Jingcheng, he lightly pushed up his glasses, concealing the icy glint in his eyes.
Tang Xi, walking ahead, could clearly sense the villain’s mood souring. The tension made him so nervous that he nearly tripped over his own feet.
[The poop scooper isn’t planning to kill someone, is he?!] he panicked.
1551: [Why did your way of addressing him suddenly change???]
[That’s not the point.]
Now that he was certain this person was his “poop scooper,” Tang Xi was even more terrified of failing his mission.
Just as he was trembling in fear, the villain stepped away to answer a phone call.
Tang Xi nudged the system and boldly spent five points to have it eavesdrop on the conversation.
1551, initially reluctant, immediately perked up at the reward and diligently went to work.
[He’s telling someone to withdraw Jiang Jingcheng’s investment—and he’s personally covering it with double the amount.]
Tang Xi was speechless. [Just how rich is he?]
[With all the patents he owns, just one of them is enough to live lavishly for a lifetime. And you’re underestimating his influence in this world—this is someone who will be recorded in history books after his death.]
Tang Xi let out a stunned gasp.
Duan Sifei put down his phone and returned with an apologetic smile. “Did I keep you waiting? Come on, let’s continue.”
Meanwhile, Jiang Jingcheng, completely unaware of the disaster coming his way, was still trying to sweet-talk Chen Liu with the gifts he had brought.
Chen Liu’s expression turned somewhat unsightly—he hadn’t expected even his own admirer to be drawn to Tang Xi.
This person, whom he had once completely disregarded, suddenly made him feel a strong sense of crisis.
For the first time, he failed to maintain his usual aloof and indifferent demeanor in front of Jiang Jingcheng. His expression twisted slightly, and in his anger, he ignored Jiang Jingcheng’s kind words—though he still accepted the gifts without hesitation.
After all, Jiang Jingcheng had been raised in luxury since childhood, and his interest in Chen Liu was merely in its early stages.
He found Chen Liu, with his scientific pursuits, to possess a unique charm that none of his past lovers had, which was why he had decided to pursue him.
But now, being openly disregarded in front of everyone bruised his ego. Instead of backing down, he found himself even more intrigued by Tang Xi, who had just caught his eye in a fleeting moment.
He had dated well-behaved partners before, but none had the same pure and refreshing aura that Tang Xi exuded.
Jiang Jingcheng stopped trying to coax him, which made Chen Liu uneasy. The moment he saw the distracted look on Jiang Jingcheng’s face, he had a bad feeling.
He was quite satisfied with this admirer, and keeping him at arm’s length was merely a tactic to avoid seeming too easy to win over.
If Jiang Jingcheng lost interest in him, that would be a real problem.
So, Chen Liu smiled and said, “I was in a bad mood just now. Sorry about that. Let me treat you to dinner tonight.”
Jiang Jingcheng’s attention was immediately drawn back. It was the first time in the past month of pursuing Chen Liu that he had received an invitation from him.
His anger vanished in an instant, and he quickly nodded in agreement.
Author’s note:
In this world, they are each other’s salvation.
You pulled me out of my own world, and I let you see the light in the midst of the mire.