Shi Kun’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably. In truth, being sent to stand in the field as punishment was really nothing much. He was used to being the center of attention anyway. Someone with his appearance would naturally attract attention no matter where he went. With his sharp wits, he could easily turn the punishment into a fan meeting.

He was only so infuriated because he found the idea of doing Zu An’s bidding humiliating.

However, if he had to wear this wooden notice around him, the nature of the punishment changed. It would make it seem as if he was a pet that was displayed in public for everyone to see.

“What do you mean by this?” Shi Kun glared at Zu An angrily.

You have successfully trolled Shi Kun for 444 Rage points!

“I’m doing this out of consideration of your reputation,” replied Zu An with a smile. “Just imagine how humiliating it would be if the Sixth Young Master of the Shi clan were to be mocked by a crowd! That’s why I had this wooden notice specially prepared, to remind them not to laugh. It’s a show of goodwill on my part.”

Goodwill, my ass!

Shi Kun felt his sanity slipping away. Just before it vanished, the last shred of his rational mind caught on to something. “Wait a moment, when did you prepare this wooden board? Were you planning to deal with me right from the start?”

Zu An shrugged calmly. “I prepared it just in case the need arose. Who knew that you would be so cooperative? With how proactive you were, I’d feel embarrassed if I didn’t bring this out.”

Shi Kun almost lost it right then.

You have successfully trolled Shi Kun for 813 Rage points!

The students in the classroom waited patiently for Shi Kun to blow up at Zu An. If that happened, Chu Chuyan would have to step forward to protect Zu An. Such a commotion would surely be enough to alarm the upper echelons of the academy.

Yup, this is much more interesting than attending Yang Wei’s lessons. Come, bring us another dozen such teachers!

Chu Chuyan was also keeping a close eye on the situation. If Shi Kun were to make a move, Zu An would be in grave danger. She was prepared to step in and protect Zu An if the need arises.

Unexpectedly, Shi Kun took a deep breath before smiling amicably. “Yes, I was indeed too rash earlier, and I unintentionally talked back to you. It’s only right for me to be punished. Rules have to be upheld in order to ensure discipline in the academy.”

With that, he grabbed the wooden notice and calmly walked out of the classroom. His movements were so elegant that, for a moment, he almost seemed like an enlightened sage.

The eyes of a few female students in the class immediately began to twinkle.

“Waa, how cool!”

“Young master Shi is so refined! He acts just like a true gentleman should.”

“He must have lost his cool for a moment after meeting his rival in love.”

“I never knew he was so sentimental. I’m getting more and more fond of him.”

… 

Zu An was surprised. He had expected Shi Kun to fight back violently, and had prepared a countermeasure for that as well. Yet, he had surrendered just like that.

Is he backing down in order to protect his reputation before his fangirls? That doesn’t make sense though.

By then, Shi Kun had already walked out of the classroom, and the smile on his face instantly vanished without a trace, replaced with a dangerous coldness. 

Hmph, I got careless earlier on. I shouldn’t have said those words out loud. If something happens to that fellow, suspicion would surely fall on me. No matter how angry I am now, I have to retain a composed appearance. That way, I can at least deny any responsibility if others question me in the future.

His mind was firmly made up. He would make that disgusting fellow vanish from the face of the world.

Naturally, he wouldn’t foolishly follow Zu An’s instruction to hang the wooden notice around his neck. On his way to the field, he casually swiped his hand over the notice and erased the words on it. He tucked the wooden board under his arm casually, which he felt enhanced his cool factor.

A figure materialized beside him. It was the old man who had been following him all this while. “Young master, should I make a move and kill that little bastard?”

Shi Kun waved his hand casually. “There’s no rush. If he dies right after having a conflict with us, we would be the prime suspects. The Chu clan’s strength shouldn’t be underestimated. If our actions push them into King Qi’s bosom, we would have suffered a huge loss.”

“But that bastard actually dared to treat you in such a manner. Even I am infuriated just watching it happen!” the old man growled. He had clearly seen and heard everything that had happened in the classroom.

“Don’t worry, someone else will deal with him. The Clans Tournament between the Chu and Yuan clans is happening tomorrow. Call Yuan Wendong over tonight… No, I shouldn’t make a move myself. I’ll leave it to you to think of a way to settle Yuan Wendong. Tell him to feign an accident and kill Zu An in the dueling ring tomorrow. At the very least, he should find a way to cripple him,” said Shi Kun coldly.

Over the years, not a single person who had offended him had ever gotten away scot-free.

Classes were dismissed soon after, and students swiftly began to notice Shi Kun standing in the field. Out of curiosity, they gathered around, intrigued as to why he was standing there. Gossip spread quickly, and it didn’t take long for all the students to know that Shi Kun was being punished for talking back to his teacher in the classroom.

Many of Shi Kun’s fangirls immediately flew into a state of rage.

“That Zu An is too shameless! Isn’t he openly picking on young master Shi?”

“Indeed! As a teacher, he is clearly biased toward his wife. He gave Chu Chuyan such a simple question, yet made things hard for young master Shi. I’m going to report him for this!”

“Yes, we should report him together!”

… 

In contrast to the indignance shown by the female students, the male students welcomed this news. Ever since Shi Kun’s arrival, all the women had been whipped into a frenzy, which naturally grated on them. Thus, they were more than glad to see Shi Kun placed in such an embarrassing position.

Quite a few of them wanted to take this opportunity to mock Shi Kun, but before they could get close, they were forced to retreat by a powerful aura.

“Scram!” the old man beside Shi Kun spat coldly.

The students found themselves shuddering uncontrollably in the face of the old man. His menacing aura reminded them that Shi Kun was someone whom they couldn’t afford to offend, and they quickly backed off.

In the staff office, Disciple Master Lu De gazed down at the field, his eyes narrowing slightly. 

I can’t gauge the extent of that old man’s strength. How can even mere servants of the Shi clan be that powerful? It looks like I’ve been underestimating the accumulation of the Shi clan. It’s indeed best not to get involved with those prominent clans. Hmph! It feels like trouble has been rolling in constantly, ever since Zu An arrived at the academy!

Meanwhile, Zu An was marveling at how quickly Rage points were being delivered into his account. No wonder boy bands were everywhere in my previous world. Women sure don’t hold anything back for their idols!

“Brother-in-law, brother-in-law! How did my big sister react during your lesson? Hurry up and tell me about it!” Chu Huanzhao dashed into Zu An’s view, overflowing with excitement. She had intended to skip class to peek at the scene with her own eyes, but she’d stumbled upon Lu De as soon as she walked out of the classroom. Horrified, she had beaten a hasty retreat, and had been waiting impatiently for the end of the class.

Nevertheless, her curiosity had been tickling her nerves all the while, and she rushed out as soon as class was over.

“How could you collude with this fellow to dupe me?!” The expectant look on Chu Huanzhao’s face immediately set Chu Chuyan fuming once more. She reached out to grab her little sister by her ear.

“Hehehe, it looks like my big sister must have displayed quite an interesting reaction back there!” Chu Huanzhao immediately sought refuge behind Zu An as she exclaimed excitedly.

Chu Chuyan glared at her in annoyance before slowly turning her gaze back to Zu An with intrigue in her eyes. “How did you manage to become an arithmetic teacher?”

She couldn’t fathom how such a turn of affairs could have happened.

“I still have plenty of surprises waiting for you to uncover,” replied Zu An gleefully.

Chu Chuyan chuckled softly. “Yes, you did surprise me today. However, now that you have openly offended the Sixth Young Master of the Shi clan, you might face danger in the future.”

“What can I do when that fellow covets my wife? If I don’t teach him a lesson, he might just climb all over me!” Zu An huffed.

Chu Chuyan’s face reddened. “Who’s your wife?!” However, as soon as those words came out of her mouth, she suddenly remembered the current relationship between the two of them and sighed deeply. It looks like I still haven’t managed to get used to my new identity.

“Anyway, you watch yourself for now. Try to stay by my side if possible, lest Shi Kun sends someone to deal with you,” reminded Chu Chuyan.

“Honey, even though you keep rejecting me, it seems like you still care about my safety,” remarked Zu An with a smile.

“I told you not to call me that!” Chu Chuyan glared sharply at him. “I just don’t want you to come to harm because of me.”

Zu An glanced at Shi Kun’s distant silhouette and smiled. “Rest assured, he probably won’t send anyone after me, at least for today and tomorrow. The Clans Tournament is coming up. Since he can kill me openly in the dueling ring, there’s no reason for him to do anything excessive.”

If he were Shi Kun, he would surely choose to make a move during the Clans Tournament. 

Chu Chuyan fell deep into thought. What Zu An said made a lot of sense. She raised her head, and was met with Zu An’s confident expression. At that very moment, she suddenly felt that he was very different from how she had thought him to be.

Nothing worthy of note happened after that, and the day passed by quickly. With classes finally over for the day, Zu An wanted to head to Shang Liuyu’s residence to return the recording seashell to her. However, looking at the two sisters standing beside him, he changed his mind.

It didn’t feel like a wise move to talk about another woman in front of them.

They left the academy and got into their carriage. Under the escort of the Chu clan’s guards, they returned to the Chu Estate. Cheng Shouping had come to fetch Zu An, as usual, only to find himself abandoned outside. 

Usually, I’d at least be able to walk with the young master and the Second Miss, but now I can only trail behind them. Ahhh, it feels like the First Miss isn’t as approachable as the Second Miss. If only the young master had married the Second Miss… 

However, a different perspective came to him. 

If the young master and the First Miss get closer to one another, a day will come that he becomes officially acknowledged as the son-in-law of the Chu clan. By then, my standing will rise as well. Hmmm, if the young master marries the Second Miss too, will my standing rise even higher?

Cheng Shouping quickly buried the thought.

You must be joking! The young master is just a little better looking and a little luckier than me. Other than that, he isn’t a match for me in any other way. How could something like that possibly occur to him?

At dinnertime, Chu Zhongtian and Qin Wanru called them over once more, hoping to talk to them about the upcoming Clans Tournament.

Zu An couldn’t help but think of how things had changed from when he’d first arrived here. Back then, he had been made to eat his meals all alone in his room, but now, he was frequently joining them at the main table. On top of that, Chu Chuyan seemed to have smiled at him several times today.

Pui, pui, pui, why am I getting so happy over just a few smiles? I’d really be a good-for-nothing if I were satisfied with just this much!

Zu An eventually concluded that it was all because Chu Chuyan was too pretty. Since humans were visual creatures, it couldn’t be helped that he would succumb easily to someone as beautiful as Chu Chuyan.

Speaking of which, I’m quite good-looking too. Why doesn’t my wife drool in my presence then? This doesn’t make sense!

While Zu An was still in his daze, Chu Huanzhao began rattling off how Zu An had become the arithmetic teacher in the academy, although she exaggerated some of the details. Honestly, bottling up such explosive gossip for so long had left her feeling constipated, and it felt great to let it all out.

“It really is heartening to hear that Zu An has managed to become the arithmetic teacher of Brightmoon Academy!” Chu Zhongtian smiled from the bottom of his heart. He’d thought that it was a pity that his son-in-law was a good-for-nothing, but it turned out that he was good for something after all. This was something truly worth celebrating.

Qin Wanru was surprised to hear the news too. She stared at Zu An for a long while, but she couldn’t reconcile the image of an academy teacher with the lackadaisical man sitting in front of her. It just so happened that Zu An chose that moment to giggle, which somehow irked her. In the end, she scoffed, “To think that your head would swell up so much just because you became an arithmetic teacher! In the first place, you are just a temporary teacher, who would be replaced once the royal court appoints a new teacher. Furthermore, based on what I heard from Huanzhao, you picked on young master Shi in class today? Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself just because you have managed to grasp onto some power? You’re really a disappointment!”

Zu An could only shake his head helplessly. I sure am unlucky to have to suffer a mother-in-law who finds fault in whatever I do.

Seeing this, Chu Huanzhao felt compelled to stand up for Zu An. “Mother, it was Shi Kun who went overboard today. You shouldn’t blame my brother-in-law for this. Right now, I’m more worried that someone will try to hurt Zu An in the dueling ring tomorrow.”