Chapter 489 335: Don't Rat Out Your Master

Xue Rui helplessly pinched the bridge of his nose. The guy was always over-analyzing what he said.

'But I have to admit, Qian Huabiao's strategy was actually the best move. That guy would never let himself get the short end of the stick...'

Lin Ruoxi pouted. In her heart, Xue Rui was always very obedient.

He listened to her, and he listened to Gu Muxue.

Xue Rui was always by her side, and she was already very satisfied with that.

At eight o'clock sharp, the professor walked into the classroom right on time and began the first lesson of the new semester.

Xue Rui glanced up and saw the familiar Professor Teng Wenbo. He was around forty, and the hair at his temples was combed toward the crown of his head. But even with reinforcements from the flanks, the strands on top were still sparse, his scalp clearly visible.

Teng Wenbo held a transparent, double-walled insulated mug, which seemed to contain more goji berries than water.

The first class was just about basic computer theory and programming concepts. The goal for the day was simply to teach the students how to install and use the necessary tools. Getting a line of "Hello, World!" to appear on the screen would be considered a success.

Of course, Xue Rui wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention. He was browsing through multiple webpages in the background on his laptop, ready to switch to a blank notepad file the moment the professor walked by.

The person next to him, Lin Ruoxi, seemed incredibly busy, however. He couldn't make heads or tails of the code she was writing...

"What are you working on?" Xue Rui asked curiously.

"The new product for the electronics factory needs software," Lin Ruoxi explained.

"I almost forgot that President Lin is also the head of the R&D department," Xue Rui said admiringly.

Lin Ruoxi gave Xue Rui a sweet smile but didn't say anything.

Xue Rui whispered, "I'm complimenting you. Can't you at least act a little proud?"

'If he praised that other girl like this, her ego would have shot through the roof. But Lin Ruoxi, no matter what honors were bestowed upon her, never showed a shred of pride. The most she would do is let him pat her head.'

Lin Ruoxi said calmly, "You're my greatest pride."

Xue Rui felt a lump form in his throat. He ultimately chose to remain silent. 'She really thinks of me as her son.'

'It was as if that tattered award certificate he got in kindergarten held more weight than an acceptance letter from Qingbei...'

Suddenly, the professor at the front of the class joked, "How could a student bring the wrong book? Let me see if anyone else made the same mistake."

The classroom immediately erupted in a commotion as students closed their books one after another to show the professor the covers.

Qian Huabiao didn't know what was happening at the front of the room, but he knew very well that he hadn't brought a book. Right now, the best thing to do was to clutch Xue Rui's textbook for dear life.

Xue Rui's eye twitched. 'This bastard is so shameless!'

Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Ruoxi placed her own book in front of Xue Rui. "Um, you can have mine."

Teng Wenbo walked to the corner of the classroom and noticed a girl who hadn't brought a book. Instead, she was typing code on her laptop, completely oblivious to his presence.

He moved behind Lin Ruoxi to take a look and couldn't help but be surprised.

'Assembly language? And she's a freshman?'

'Looks like she's working on some kind of freelance project.'

'A student of this caliber really doesn't need to be in an introductory course.'

Teng Wenbo asked in a gentle voice, "What's your name?"

Lin Ruoxi shot to her feet and said, "I... My name is Lin Ruoxi. I... I didn't bring my book."

"It's alright, you can tell me from your seat." Teng Wenbo gestured with his palm facing down, signaling for Lin Ruoxi to sit.

'Lin Ruoxi?'

'He'd heard that name several times recently. Rumor had it their school had lucked out, snagging a top-scoring student that even Qingbei had been trying to recruit.'

"Give the book back," Xue Rui said to Qian Huabiao with a smile.

"Tch, here."

Qian Huabiao had no idea why Teng Wenbo's tone was so gentle. It seemed that Lin Ruoxi not having her book was a trivial matter. He couldn't help but think that university professors were quite lenient—at least this one was.

So he casually handed the book back to Xue Rui, feeling he no longer needed to owe him the favor.

Once Xue Rui had his book back, he returned Lin Ruoxi's to its original spot.

Teng Wenbo noticed the book in front of Lin Ruoxi had the two words "Lin Ruoxi" written on it. He immediately understood who among the three of them was the one without a book.

He demanded, "What's your name?"

"Qian Huabiao. I didn't bring my book," Qian Huabiao answered calmly.

Teng Wenbo nodded, then called out to the students at the front. "Which class is Qian Huabiao in? Class monitor, make a note for me. I'm docking his participation grade."

Qian Huabiao's eyes went wide. He stared at Teng Wenbo in utter disbelief. 'Internally, he couldn't stop himself from cursing the man and all eighteen generations of his ancestors.'

'That's not what you said before!'

'Why the special treatment?'

'Is it just because Lin Ruoxi is pretty?'

"By the way, which class is Lin Ruoxi in?" Teng Wenbo asked next.

Everyone gasped. 'Is Lin Ruoxi going to have her grade docked too?'

Lin Ruoxi's high college entrance exam scores had caused a stir during military training, so many people knew she was a famously good student. Now, they didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

'People really do change after high school.'

Jiang Yuan stood up and said helplessly, "She's in our class."

She didn't plan on writing Lin Ruoxi's name down, because she knew Xue Rui would just cross it off anyway.

"From now on, she doesn't have to attend my class," Teng Wenbo said.

The crowd was stunned. 'What was going on now?'

"Professor, I'll report this to the academic advisor to handle. Please don't be angry," Jiang Yuan said, hurrying to the back row.

"Lin Ruoxi, hurry up and apologize to the professor," Jiang Yuan whispered.

In her eyes, Xue Rui and Lin Ruoxi hadn't been paying attention and had been making too many small disturbances in the back, finally angering the professor.