Your Teacher I, am Hella Rich

Chapter 20 - Your Shirt Is On Backwards

Ji Xiaoli’s ex-classmates’ wedding ceremony was arranged to take place the week after National Day.

He was up late gaming the night before. By the time Ji Xiaoli’s eyes fluttered open, it was already nine in the morning. He haphazardly grabbed a white T-shirt from the closet, and hastily slipped it on. Once downstairs, Ji Xiaoli darted for the door when Mrs. Ji hurriedly called out to her son: “Xiaoli, come and have some chicken soup. Auntie Li has been toiling for the entire morning!”

Ji Xiaoli: “Mom, I’m going to be late. The high-speed rail to Shanghai is going to depart at 10!”

Mrs. Ji: “Attending your classmate’s wedding? What’s the rush? If it’s such a big deal, let your dad drive you. Come and have breakfast.”

“We’re going to get stuck in traffic if we drive! That’s even worse!”

Mrs. Ji clamped her son in place and pinned him to the chair. “You still can’t go without breakfast. Don’t worry. You’ll get there in time. Let your dad take you to the train station. Auntie Li, bring Xiaoli a bowl of soup. Chicken soup and flatbread*, son. Your favorites.”

*鸡汤泡饼 Chicken soup and flatbread is a delicacy that originates from Xi’an.

Ji Xiaoli had intended to struggle until he heard her words: “Eh, breakfast is chicken soup and flatbread today?”

Ji Xiaoli mirthfully had a bowl of chicken soup and ate two large clay oven rolls. He then lifted his head: “Dad, it’s almost ten!”

“I’m coming. I’m coming.”

Mrs. Ji fetched a jacket from the sofa and stuffed it into Ji Xiaoli’s arms: “You’re only wearing a T-shirt again. These few days have been an Indian summer. The weather is warm but, it’ll be chilly when night falls. You’ll freeze to death when you get back. Bring a coat with you!”

Mr. Ji drove and hurriedly dropped his son off at the train station. Ji Xiaoli managed to board the high-speed rail at the eleventh hour, heaving a sigh of relief.

It would take half an hour to reach Shanghai.

As a child, Ji Xiaoli was often brought to Shanghai alongside his parents to visit as Suzhou was close to Shanghai. He dropped by more frequently after the high-speed rail was opened, which made it easier for him to get around. Ji Xiaoli skillfully found metro line 4 and purchased a ticket to Fudan University. When he got on the subway, he glanced down and looked through his phone.

【Li Fengshao: Where is everyone at right now? I’m waiting for you guys at the dorm.】

【Zhao Yang: Almost there! Almost there! I’m three stops away.】

【Xia Xiao: I’m at the station. Why don’t I just take a cab to the hotel myself? I’ll meet you guys there instead of at our assembly.】

【Ji Xiaoli: You’re at the station? I just got on. If I knew you were going to get there so soon, I would’ve waited for you. I’m telling you. It’s so convenient to take the subway to Li Fengshao’s school. You just take line 4… 】

Ji Xiaoli typed continuously, guiding his female classmate on how to get to Fudan to find Li Fengshao.

That’s right, everyone was chatting with the class last night about attending the wedding today. Unfortunately, due to work commitments and different geographic regions, there were only seven students who wound up deciding to show up to the wedding.

Li Fengshao, a graduate student at Fudan University, offered:【I have a car. I’ll take you guys to the hotel. I’m very familiar with that area since I have meals in the vicinity.】

The four of them elected to meet at Fudan first, as it was best to have a local guide.

After alighting from the subway, Ji Xiaoli followed the navigation system and soon located the east gate of the school that Li Fengshao had mentioned. Li Fengshao was already waiting in front of the institution, accompanied by a man who wore glasses and had a flat-topped hairstyle. When they caught sight of Ji Xiaoli, they waved enthusiastically. “Ji Xiaoli, you’re finally here. It’s just you and Xia Xiao left.”

Ji Xiaoli jogged over to his old classmates. They nudged and shoved at each other playfully and shared a good laugh. 

Li Fengshao: “Why did you bring a jacket? I told you the weather is unbearably hot in Shanghai these days. I even had to switch the air conditioner in my dorm room on.”

What could Ji Xiaoli do about it? “My mom insisted.”

Li Fengshao nodded, a look of understanding flashing across his face. He chuckled. “Come, take a look at my car. My dad bought it for me just a month ago to celebrate me making it to Fudan!”

Ji Xiaoli tugged at the sleeves of his jacket, casually tying it around his waist, and followed his old classmate to his new car.

Li Fengshao’s car was an ordinary Volkswagen with a very unassuming exterior. There was a pass stuck to the windshield of the vehicle.

Li Fengshao: “You have to get a pass to get into our school. I had to put up with the old man for days before he surrendered it to me.”

Zhao Yang: “Your professor is treating you well to give you one.”

Li Fengshao’s mouth hung agape. “You don’t see how the old man normally bosses me around. I’m like a motherless weed in front of him. I can’t even measure up to a single strand of the crown prince’s hair.”

Shortly after a brief chat, Li Fengshao received a phone call. There were shadows cast over his expression as he hung up the phone. He gave his two companions a grave stare. “ Oh my god, the old man wants me to send him a document!”

Ji Xiaoli did not understand the grueling life of a graduate student and remarked very naively, “You’re attending a wedding. Can you not go?”

“That won’t do! Hurry up. It’s not too late. Xia Xiao has yet to arrive.”

Fortunately, Li Fengshao’s lecturer didn’t cause him undue hardship, but merely asked him to deliver a copy of his research materials from the dormitory to the academic building. Fudan was enormous, and thus Li Fengshao drove quickly to the dormitory to pick up a stack of documents. He pulled up to the school compound and got out of the car. “We can’t drive inside. I have to walk. You guys wait here for me?”

Ji Xiaoli: “We want to look around the school. Let’s go together.”

Zhao Yang: “Yeah, an institution of higher education. You have to see it for yourself.”

The three of them headed to the school building together.

They had more time than they initially thought. Thus, Li Fengshao briefed the two of them about the school buildings. He explained, “Our school is way too big. I’ve only been here two months, so there are still a lot of places I’ve yet to set foot into. Do you see that place over there? It’s our school’s arts and culture building. All the girls are there now…”

Li Fengshao rambled over their short walk: “I have a cute junior sister who’s really nice too.” Suddenly, he ceased his chattering and stared straight ahead. Ji Xiaoli followed his line of sight when Li Fengshao murmured almost silently, “The old man is here.” He then ran up swiftly.

In the spacious boulevard, Li Fengshao handed over the documents with a wide, foolish grin.

The look in the old professor’s eyes behind the lens of his glasses was not kind. It was unclear what words were said but Li Fengshao repeatedly bobbed his head. Li Fengshao mouthed a few words to the old professor, then nodded in greeting to the man beside him before turning and running back.

Ji Xiaoli’s eyes gradually shifted upward, catching sight of the young man who stood next to the professor.

He wore a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal wrists. The protrusion of the bone in his forearm looked very pronounced on his thin wrists. The scattered sun rays filtered through the leaves, giving him an air of youthful elegance. This person was extremely good-looking. Ji Xiaoli gawked dumbly when their eyes met.

Inky black eyes roved over Ji Xiaoli’s frame. The handsome and clean-cut young man stared intently at him. There was a slight furrow between his brows, but gradually, the corners of his lips quirked up faintly.

He was distinguished and charming. All the female students were unable to resist glancing back his way as they passed by. But he only continued to stare at Ji Xiaoli with a peculiar smile.

Ji Xiaoli shuddered, baffled.

At that moment, Li Fengshao rushed back: “Let’s go. Let’s go. Xia Xiao seems to have arrived. Let’s hurry to the east gate to find her.”

Ji Xiaoli nodded, and the trio turned to leave together.

Partway through the walk, Ji Xiaoli stealthily turned back. He was greeted by the sight of the good-looking young man still staring at him, and the other was taken aback to find him turning his head. He gave Ji Xiaoli a slight incline of his head and leaned down to exchange a few words with the old professor.

Ji Xiaoli: “…Who was that? He’s so weird.”

Li Fengshao looked back to catch a quick glimpse when his eyes sharpened: “Who? The crown prince! Ruan Fenghe. The apple of the old man’s eye!”

Zhao Yang burst into laughter: “He really is good-looking. It’s no wonder he’s the man of the hour in your school. Old Li, I don’t blame your professor for being biased. You’re just nowhere near as impressive as him.”

“Go fuck yourself!”

The three of them bantered back and forth, disregarding the matter that had just transpired.

Ruan Fenghe watched as his junior left with his companions, a teasing smile flashing in his deep, inky pupils. When Ji Xiaoli suddenly turned around, he froze up and gave a curt nod to the other man.

The old professor asked: “What are you looking at, Fenghe?”

Ruan Fenghe: “His clothes are inside-out.”

The older man was stunned: “Who?”

“That kid.”

The old professor glanced in the direction that Ruan Fenghe was pointing in. Adjusting his glasses, he finally saw the person clearly.

Ji Xiaoli was wearing a white T-shirt with a large Mickey Mouse printed on the back. Unfortunately, the Mickey Mouse was littered with threads and had obviously been worn backward by his owner. Ji Xiaoli himself was fair and looked youthful wearing a cartoon t-shirt and a pair of jeans. With his denim jacket tied loosely around his waist, he looked a bit silly with the sleeves flouncing about with every step he took.

“The young man is quite handsome and looks rather intelligent. Why is he even wearing his clothes backward? Right, Fenghe, did you mention it to him?”

Ruan Fenghe answered with a cryptic smile: “I forgot.”

“Haha, you…”

Ji Xiaoli did not take Li Fengshao’s professor or that prince to heart at all. The matter was quickly tossed into the Pacific Ocean within seconds. The girl had been waiting for a few minutes when the three of them approached the school entrance.

As soon as she saw Ji Xiaoli, she expressed her astonishment: “Ji Xiaoli, your clothes are inside-out?”

The other two boys then looked at Ji Xiaoli: “Damn, Xiaoli, your shirt really is on backward!”

Ji Xiaoli: “Fuck!”

Ji Xiaoli ducked into the car to straighten his clothes as his old classmates shared a knowing smile with each other.

The four of them got into the car and soon arrived at the hotel.

The group of ex-classmates sang as a wedding performance, and also offered a monetary gift* at the wedding reception. Everyone was inhaling wine. Ji Xiaoli also drank, and within a few sips, his face turned a ruddy red. His classmates did not dare to allow him to continue to imbibe his drink. He enjoyed himself and blissfully savored his soup. But, as soon as he had taken two mouthfuls, a burning sensation manifested in his nostrils. Without warning, blood dripped crimson into the turtle soup.

*份子钱 If you’re invited to attend a Chinese wedding, it is customary to give a monetary gift at the wedding reception as a sign of your gratitude towards the couple.

“Oh my god, Ji Xiaoli, your nose is bleeding!”

Ji Xiaoli’s nosebleed finally stopped after an episode of clamor and confusion.

At the end of the chaotic day, Ji Xiaoli tearfully boarded the high-speed rail and returned to Suzhou.

Ji Xiaoli sat in his seat as he wordlessly updated his Moments.

『Roasted Psyduck: It’s all my mom’s fault for nourishing me to this point! Just a mouthful of turtle soup gave me a nosebleed. My reputation is now nonexistent! [loudly crying emoji]』

When Ji Xiaoli exited his Moments, he was greeted by the sight of his college classmates speaking of the incident where he drank soup and had a nosebleed. Ji Xiaoli was so humiliated that he swore under his breath: Absolutely no soup this week! No soup at all!

Suddenly, someone from WeChat sent a message.

【Cyril: You had a nosebleed?】

""

【Roasted Psyduck: …..】

【Cyril: ?】

【Roasted Psyduck: Disciple, your shifu’s reputation is now down in the ditches!】

YueJian ChunHe mused to himself, and did not type out the few words “You had a reputation?”.