Chapter 21 - I’ve got this Scholar’s back (3)
Chapter 21: I’ve got this Scholar’s back
When he said this, the originally calm and gentle young professor suddenly raised his head and his eyes lit up so brightly, it was like you could hear it sparkle.
Because of the flurry of actions just now, his clothes weren’t as neat as before. His collar was a bit haphazard, slightly open. However, this added a hint of vitality that he should have given his age.
His raven-dark eyes were crystal clear and sparkling. His brows remained as graceful curves, bringing a lightly warm sensation to Gu Chuanbai’s chest. He couldn’t help but hold his breath.
…
Four credits.
He mustn’t rub his head.
Exercising complete self-control, Gu Chuanbai stopped his hand that was halfway through reaching the professor’s head to rub it. He hesitated for a moment and then cautiously turned to Lu Jingmo’s neckline.
Seeing that Lu Jingmo still showed no signs of resistance, he leaned forward with confidence and smoothed out the other’s messy collar.
His casual shirt was made out of a soft fabric and the fibers rubbed gently against his fingertips. Gu Chuanbai’s movements slowed down until it finally seemed to come to a stop at his collar.
He’s even worn a little bell around his neck, having his collar adjusted was truly nothing. With ice cream in his future, Lu Deng was feeling very satisfied. He lowered his gaze and the corners of his lips raised up. He took the initiative to lean forward.
The barely discernible movement, caused a tiny bubble to burst forth from the bottom of Gu Chuanbai’s heart. He couldn’t help but purse the corners of his lips and his courage gradually grew. He turned the back of his hand to his side and brushed it against the young professor’s chin.
The soft warm touch covered his chest. But when it fell to the bottom of his heart, it felt cool and refreshing. It was as if even the scalding sunlight outside the window had turned gentle.
Gu Chuanbai’s pupils darkened. He breathed in lightly, suppressing the pounding of his heart. He drew his hand back.
As if he hadn’t noticed what he had done at all, Lu Jingmo squinted his eyes against the sunshine. His warm and handsome appearance still retained that gentle expression.
Seeing his completely unaware and defenseless bearing, Gu Chuanbai felt a little worried.
All geniuses who are particularly outstanding in some aspect are somewhat inept in other matters. Lu Jingmo was not unsociable and eccentric, rather, he too trusting of others. A can of soda was all it took to strike up conversation with him. A promise to make him ice cream made him this happy. If he meets someone who can use nuclear magnetic resonance to make garlic mashed potatoes, that someone might just be able to abduct the professor and take him home.
Thinking of such a possibility, Gu Chuanbai felt uneasy.
Lu Deng was completely unaware what he was struggling with. He raised his eyebrows slightly, lowered his head and looked at his clothes. They looked fine to him. He looked up with mild puzzlement in his eyes.
He who strikes first gains the advantage.
Facing that gentle light in his dark eyes, Gu Chuanbai pondered for a moment and made up his mind. He took a determined step forward. “Professor Lu, do you still have an opening for a teaching assistant?”
No salary needed, strong, single, can make ice cream, can send the professor to school and pick him up after classes, help him carry specimens and his computer; that kind of assistant.
Gu Chuanbai stared intently at him, trying his best to signal with his eyes that he should agree. However, his heart was still pounding from nervousness.
He had already gotten him to call him ‘Jingmo’ but suddenly they were back to ‘Professor Lu’. Lu Deng pursed his lips. He was about to speak, when his attention had been caught by the last part of his sentence. “Am I even allowed a teaching assistant?”
Teaching assistants help lecturers or professors to teach their classes. Most of them help with courseware or check homework. They are responsible for preparations before each class and occasionally, they would help guide experiments. His class is a general class and because of he still didn’t have enough qualifications, he couldn’t mentor any students. In principle, the university wouldn’t have given him an allocation for a teaching assistant.
He certainly wanted to have Gu Chuanbai as his own teaching assistant. But the university didn’t provide any pay for assistants who weren’t given an official post. Moreover, once school starts, it was possible that the other would become he very busy. This might really be too strenuous for him.
“Yes, I will work voluntarily and I don’t need any wages.”
Seeing that he didn’t immediately refuse, Gu Chuanbai grinned immediately. Looking at Lu Jingmo who seemed to be still hesitating, he decided to add something to convince him.
“Actually, I’ve always been interested in botany. I like plants very much, especially taxonomy. When I was young, I used to watch “One Hundred Thousand Whys” a lot&#k2026;”
Lu Deng raised his head, his eyes brimming over with an evident smile. “I don’t engage in taxonomy though. My specialty is molecular mechanics.”
Although he was only in charge of elementary botany courses, the funds allocated for taxonomy were very scant. In order to be able to successfully provide for the other, he deliberately chose to specialize in plant physiology, which was currently a hot topic in this world. His focus was on the absorption of metal ions and because of that, he had gotten permission to use almost all of the expensive instruments, including the instruments Gu Chuanbai needed for his experiments. This way, he could open a back door for him.
If there was no allocated salary, he could pay him out of his own pocket. If he didn’t have time, he could find some for him. The purpose of his coming here was to fish the other out of the sea of misery. As long they think up of a way, problems weren’t difficult to solve.
Looking at Gu Chuanbai’s instantly disappointed expression, the smile in Lu Deng’s eyes almost overflowed. He stretched forward his arm and took his hand, putting the spare access card and office key into his hand.
“My lectures are about taxonomy and I’m still worried about it. I would feel more at ease if I have a teaching assistant.”
The turn in events had happened so suddenly that Gu Chuanbai hadn’t yet recovered from his disappointment. He stared at him in a daze and then his eyes gradually lit up.
Lu Deng raised the corners of his lips and taking a page out of Gu Chuanbai’s book, patted his shoulder. He turned around, intending to tidy up his desk.
Looking at the smiling young professor, Gu Chuanbai pinched his thigh hard. The pain immediately returned to his senses. He hurriedly but carefully put away the access control card. He stretch out his arms and scooped the other back. He set him down on the sofa, “Prof–Jingmo, let me handle it.”
Lu Jingmo’s physique was gentle and frail-looking. One look and you could tell that he spent all year round immersed in intensive study. Gu Chaunbai couldn’t rest assured letting him carry those books that should be classified as potential murder weapons.
Although most professors insisted on abiding by a lot of social etiquette rules, his young professors has already accepted him as teaching assistant. He probably wasn’t overstepping bounds too much by helping him do this little bit.
Appeased after having once again been called ‘Jingmo’, Lu Deng’s brows relaxed and he obediently sat back on the sofa, watching that energetic figure move about busily in front of the desk. He relaxed and leaning towards the particularly bright sunlight.
The air-conditioning in the room is very strong, but it felt warm under the sunlight. A distinct spiritedness revealed itself on Gu Chuanbai’s features. An irrepressible smile appeared on his bright and handsome face. He hummed an unknown tune as he neatly sorted the books and documents into categories. He was being extra careful with his hand movements.
With a glance, you could tell that he ice cream he’d make would be particularly delicious.
Recalling the taste that the other party had described at that time, Lu Deng contentedly closed his eyes and asked the system to submit an application for a private laboratory on his behalf.
The afternoon sun felt so good. Lu Deng still hadn’t shaken off the jet lag he felt from arriving in this new world. Now that he has time to rest, he figured he might as well lean against the sofa, relax and close his eyes.
Atop the wooden floorboards, footsteps sounded loudly a few times and then immediately softened. The curtains were pulled close, a single-layer of gauze blocked most of the bright sunlight. The temperature of the air conditioner was adjusted higher. The thin blanket stacked beside the sofa was gently shaken open and was used to cover his body.
The arm holding on to that thin blanket encircled him between the sofa and his chest and did not move.
As soon as he felt a faint chill, it was dispelled by the gentle warmth. Lu Deng moved his body comfortably under the blanket. After a while, the arm that was almost half-embracing him, finally moved. It moved up quietly and a palm dropped down on the top of his head.
Finally, it rubbed his head slowly.
The strength in that hand was extremely careful. Lu Deng could guess that even the slightest reaction from him would immediately send the other scurrying three meters away, continuing to clean the table if nothing happened.
But even with such a gentle and cautious touch, the familiar warmth still passed through his palm, along with the light movements, silently poured into his heart.
Lu Deng pulled the blanket upwards, up to the tip of his nose, covering the faint smile that appeared at the corners of his lips.
After that hand had had it’s fill of rubbing his head, it withdrew and the person moved backwards. With light footsteps, he returned to the table. The room became completely quiet.
Probably this kind of free and idle atmosphere was too pleasantly relaxing, Lu Deng, in order not to scare his new teaching assistant, pretended to be asleep. He closed his eyes for a while and the a real sense of tiredness washed over him. So he simply leaned back on the sofa and let his sleepiness overcome him.
In his half asleep and half awake state, he heard the soft sound of a page turning coming from the direction of the table.
*
He had intended to rest only for a while but when he opened his eyes again, the sky outside was already unexpectedly dusky.
The curtains were half drawn. It was darker in the room than outside. He could only indistinctly make out the outline of the desk, chair and bookcase.
There was no one there.
Lu Deng lifted open the thin blanket and he tried to sit up when his heart jumped suddenly. His arms had gone weak for no apparent reason, and the world in front of him went black for a moment.
Cold sweat soaked through the part of his clothes that were stuck against the sofa but it was still dripping out. The system had gone to help him submit an application for a private laboratory and had yet to come back, unable to accurately convey the current situation. The sudden dizziness rattled him and he was unable to concentrate. He just felt flustered, and the memory that he thought he had already forgotten quietly soared into his mind.
Between the ragged slabs of broken rocks, darkness pressed down on his on all sides.
The chill penetrated into his body, his body that could neither move nor make a sound.
Just as he had finally found the fifth stone of just the right size, he held it in his palm but he had no strength to set it down.
It was not the first time that he had faced such a dangerous and desperate situation. But whether he was holding on to wait for rescue or choosing death to withdraw, he had never experienced such a clear and distinct feeling of cramped uneasiness.
The environment was similar, the conditions were identical — examining the cause and effect, the fine variable factor had probably lain in the person he’d been waiting for.
Lu Deng closed his eyes. He moved his fingertips to pull out his keys. The bell let out a crisp ring as it bumped against the metal. He counted slowly and silently.
One. Two. Three.
He quickly heard the sound of hurried footsteps. He heard it come to a stop outside the door. The door was deliberately opened slowly so as to dampen the sound of the door opening. The door was carefully pushed open and the rich aroma of the food instantly spread in the office.
The memory was instantly washed away by the warm current, but his heart became even more flustered. Amidst the alluring aroma, Lu Deng suddenly felt his stomach rumbling with hunger.
Realizing that he seemed to be awake, Gu Chuanbai relaxed. He raised his hand to turn on the lights. He smiled and raised his hand to show him the bag he was carrying. However, he was startled by Lu Jingmo’s complexion.
The little professor’s eyes looked a little dazzled. He quietly leaned on the sofa, looking at him. His lips were pale. His forehead was dripping with cold sweat. His eyes were still filled with uneasy helplessness towards his current situation.
With a glance, he already guessed what was going on. He couldn’t help sighing at his own foresight. Gu Chuanbai chuckled silently. He put down the things in his hand, unscrewed a bottle of sweet milk and quickly walked over. He took the person carefully in his arms. “Open your mouth.”
The two had met at noon. Lu Jingmo was carrying a heavy suitcase. He most likely hadn’t had lunch. Sleeping all the way until the evening, it would be strange if he didn’t already feel hungry.
He gave away the candy he carried with him and still allowed himself to go hungry until he got hypoglycemia. It seemed that Gu Chuanbai really couldn’t rest assured without anyone keeping an eye on his little professor.
The sweet milk was carefully fed to him. Gu Chuanbai paid close attention to his reaction. He saw Lu Jingmo swallow and then he continued feeding him a bit more. Lu Deng drank a small portion of the milk. From beginning to end, Gu Chuanbai hadn’t let Lu Jingmo choke even the tiniest bit.
Supplemented with some sugar, Lu Deng’s heart settled a bit. His dizziness and palpitations also quietly dissipated. However, the burning hunger in his stomach became more acute.
Gu Chuanbai was relieved when his expression gradually turned clearer and his face was no longer so pale. He added a pillow to Lu Jingmo’s back. Holding Lu Jingmo’s hand, he squatted in front of the sofa. With a smile on his face, he said warmly. “It’s alright now. After a bit of rest, it’ll be all fine.”
He had just gone to buy food. He’d bought a few special dishes but the line had been long and it had taken a while. Worried that Lu Jingmo would be hungry, he bought some snacks and milk on the way back, things which came in very handy.
His cold hand was wrapped in tender warmth. Lu Deng’s eyes turned damp for a moment, but he still smiled at him. Exerting a little effort in his hand, he leaned his body forward and against his shoulder. “Thank you.”
Gu Yuan had never made him a baseless promise.
Because the one he was waiting for was someone he must wait for and so he felt that time was very limited. Because he knew that the other person would come no matter what, he felt uneasy about the possibility of missing each other.
He had found that variable factor. But he had no intention at all of controlling that variable.
Suddenly having Lu Jingmo take the initiative to hug him, Gu Chuanbai hurriedly straightened his body to supported him. The sudden movement caused his knee that had been hanging in midair to slam against the wooden floor.
Unable to attend to the possible significance of this gesture, Gu Chuanbai just raised his hand to stroke the still slightly damp back. He gave him gentle comforting pats. “It’s alright, it’s okay. It’s just low blood sugar. Eat something and you’ll be fine…”
Sure enough, he’d been right.
A bottle of sweet milk had turned into a hug. Fortunately, he had set about early.
He couldn’t help but be endlessly grateful for his prompt decision-making. Gu Chuanbai, though, still reamined as expressionless as a mountain. He calmly comforted the young professor who had almost fainted from hunger. He helped him sit at the table and opened a few insulated lunch boxes.
The glittering sweet and sour pork exuded a tempting aroma. The eggplants were plumped, having absorbed sauce; having been simmered in the dark sauce, it was now soft and tender. The perch and vegetable soup was light and delicious. The tender leaves seemed to melt in the mouth with a single sip.
Gu Chuanbai carefully avoided the books and materials. He placed the food on the table for him and took out two freshly baked egg tarts. Smiling, he placed them on the table. “Dessert after dinner.”
Lu Deng looked up at him amidst the alluring scent of food, his eyes clear and focused. Gu Chuanbai met his gaze and his heart was quietly awashed with warmth. He gave a deliberate smile and asked, already knowing the answer, “Is it alright if I freeload a meal off the professor?”
The corners of Lu Deng’s lips raised in an effortless curve. He pulled Gu Chuanbai to sit down and pushed an egg tart to him. He also piled a few pieces of the dishes on top a bowl of steaming hot rice.
…
They were perfectly satisfied with their meal. Gu Chuanbai watched as Jingmo put down his chopsticks, having already eaten his fill. Gu Chuanbai got up, rubbed his stomach that was full to bursting, and happily tidied up the table.
Lu Deng wanted to help, but he was pushed to sit back down, forced to focus on digesting his meal. Another bottle of chocolate-flavored milk was stuffed into his hand.
Seeing that Gu Chuanbai had absolutely no intention of letting him help, Lu Deng curled his lips into a helpless smile and was left with no better option than to sit back on the sofa and look through his computer.
Gu Chuanbai sorted out the meal boxes for him and wiped clean the table top. He then opened the window to let the cool night breeze come in.
The summer evening took away the heat from the day. The vague cry of insects could be heard and the stars twinkled peacefully. The fresh air instantly filled their lungs.
Gu Chuanbai turned around and temporarily turned off the air conditioner. Lu Jingmo has changed into a new, dry shirt and was leaning against the sofa, tapping away on his computer. He was probably revising the courseware for his lectures.
It was getting late and there was a place to rest in the office. Lu Jingmo had just hurried over to the school. Taking a rest here was normal but there was no need to rush back.
The electric lighting was a lot cooler than the sunlight and his aura seemed more vivid and pure. His shirt cuffs tidily covered his wrist. His eyes were focused on the screen, his fine and long eyelashes would occasionally rise up. The brisk sound of tapping continued without pause. His expression was very serious, finally revealing a somewhat professor-like air.
Lu Jingmo was wholly absorbed in his work. Gu Chuanbai plucked up his courage and carefully looked him up and down. After standing for a while, he suddenly changed his mind and was left unable to say a word.
If Lu Jingmo had such a serious and concentrated expression the first time he met him, Gu Chaunbai probably wouldn’t have dared to strike up a conversation with him so rashly.
Fortunately, there were no if’s.
Secretly congratulating himself at how spot on his judgement was, Gu Chuanbai rubbed the tip of his nose, He was about to close the window, when suddenly noticed a smiling expression quickly flit through the serious young professor’s face.
The two of them have been interacting for a day, but this was the first time he seen such a clearly sly and crafty light in the other’s eyes.
Gu Chuanbai was very curious. Guessing that Lu Jingmo must have gotten some sort of inspiration regarding his lesson preparations, he couldn’t help but want go over and take a peek. However, Lu Jingmo had moved the computer completely to his side. He held the screen with both hands and looking at him with a smile, he asked,
“Chuanbai, have you done your homework?”
Translator’s note: For reasons, I haven’t had time to look through this chapter carefully yet. I will hopefully be able to before next week.