Chapter 10: You’ve Made a Profit!

"Tsk." Ling Qiu halted, his impatience evident.

Honestly, if not for Ksitigarbha telling him that only by immersing himself in the mundane world with a calm heart could he possibly seize the opportunity related to the Ten Lords of Yama, he wouldn't bother to waste his time bickering with these mortals.

"Forget it. Since sitting in class listening to lectures is pointless anyway, take your time." Ling Qiu turned, walked straight to the sofa beside the office, and sat down with one leg crossed over the other.

Song Ningsnow felt as though a volcano was about to erupt inside her, but she quickly forced herself to stay composed. She told herself there was no point in wrangling with a student. In a frosty tone she asked, "About last night, the fight at the school gate—aren’t you going to explain yourself?"

"Explain what?"

"Explain your relationship with those young hoodlums!"

"No relationship at all."

"No relationship? Then why were they kneeling on the ground calling you 'grandfather'?"

Heh...

At that, Ling Qiu couldn't help but chuckle.

Seeing Ling Qiu suddenly laugh, Song Ningsnow became even more furious. "What are you laughing at?"

"I'm laughing at your logic," Ling Qiu replied.

"My logic???"

"Yes, your logic is flawed."

"Well, aren't you a sharp-tongued troublemaker! Debating logic with me? My logic is perfectly sound!"

Song Ningsnow swore she had never lost her composure like this in front of a student before. But for some reason, seeing Ling Qiu act as though he were the most untouchable being under heaven made her seethe with anger.

"Your logic is flawless?" Ling Qiu stood up. "Very well, I'll prove it to you."

Song Ningsnow watched as Ling Qiu got to his feet, uncertain what he was planning, but as someone who had disciplined many problematic students, she kept her composure. "Fine, I'll give you this chance. Let's see how you intend to prove it."

Ling Qiu smiled faintly and, without another word, strode directly toward her.

He walked slowly, unhurried and composed. Yet, inexplicably, as he drew closer step by step, Song Ningsnow found herself flustered. "You… what are you doing?"

"Didn’t you ask me to prove it? I’ll demonstrate your logic."

With that, Ling Qiu was already before her. Before she could react, he cradled the back of her head in one hand and pressed his lips directly to her own.

"Ah! What are you—mmph…!"

Instinctively, Song Ningsnow tried to push him away, but found his body as unyielding as stone. He seemed slender, but at a touch, she was confronted with an overwhelming force she simply could not resist.

In that moment, his lips were already on hers.

Instantly, she felt as though all the blood in her body surged to her head.

Her face flushed a brilliant, burning red.

Pop.

A soft, lingering sound echoed as their lips parted.

Ling Qiu released her.

"Demonstration complete." He stepped back two paces, one hand in his pocket, the other lightly wiping his lips. "Director Song, your lips are even softer and more fragrant than I imagined."

"Ahhh!" For three whole seconds, Song Ningsnow stood petrified before she finally came to her senses. Her face was ablaze, and she grasped her long, dark brown hair with both hands, screaming aloud.

She was losing her mind! She was on the verge of collapse!

Had she just—had she just been forcibly kissed by a student?!

Oh heavens! That was her first kiss!

Song Ningsnow glared at Ling Qiu, her beautiful eyes brimming with grievance and fury, only to see that her lipstick was still smeared on the corner of that damn troublemaker’s mouth.

"You… you… you—" She pointed at Ling Qiu, so furious she couldn't even form a complete sentence.

Never in her life had she imagined a student as brazen and reckless as this existed in the world!

It was utterly outrageous!

She had read enough news about students dating early, school romances, even affairs between teachers and students—none of it surprised her anymore.

But for a student to dare kiss the director of discipline—who would believe such a thing could happen?!

Her mind was a muddled mess, nearly ignited by the flames of her wrath.

She wanted to hit him.

No, more than that, she wanted to kill him.

Kill this delinquent who dared to violate her!

Song Ningsnow fixed Ling Qiu with a deadly glare, as though she were staring at a criminal beyond redemption.

"Ling Qiu… I… I’m going to kill you!!" At last, the words burst out.

Ling Qiu smiled. "Is this your attitude in educating students? If murder could solve problems, then every death row inmate in prison would be an educator."

"I… I…" Song Ningsnow was still gasping for breath, her face aglow with crimson that would not fade. Yet, rational as she was, she soon realized that getting into an argument with someone like Ling Qiu was pointless.

"Fine! Ling Qiu, a student like you shouldn’t even be in school! No, you shouldn’t be in this world! Even outside of school, you’re a hoodlum—a criminal! Today, I’m going to have you expelled!"

Ling Qiu looked innocent. "Just because I kissed you? Isn’t that a bit much?"

"A bit much?! You… you forced a kiss on me! And I don’t even have the right to expel you?!"

The moment she uttered the words "forced kiss," her heart skipped wildly once more.

"Of course not," Ling Qiu replied. "Don’t forget, you asked me to prove it to you."

"Prove it?" Song Ningsnow’s face was burning. "I wanted you to show me the flaw in my logic! How does that… that thing you just did… have anything to do with it?!"

"It’s entirely relevant," Ling Qiu said. "Would you agree that kissing is something couples often do? Then let me ask: just because I kissed you, does that prove you and I are in a relationship?"

"Nonsense!!" Song Ningsnow was almost beside herself with rage. "Who’s in a relationship with you?! Who are you? Who am I? There’s nothing between us! Don’t you dare spout such nonsense!"

"Exactly." Ling Qiu spread his hands. "Since my kissing you doesn’t prove we’re a couple, then why, when those street thugs knelt and called me ‘grandfather’ outside the school last night, do you assume I really am related to them?"

For a moment, Song Ningsnow was struck dumb.

Good heavens…

So this is what he’d been waiting for all along?

In that instant, her head spun. Beyond the shame and anger, the overwhelming feeling was one of being utterly at a loss for words.

She, the self-styled expert in education, the director of discipline—

Had she just been taught a lesson by a student?

And what’s more—

Taught with a forceful kiss?