It is merely a matter of responsibility.

"Hello, Mom, I’ll be home tonight."
"Don’t worry, our superstar Chu is doing great—she’s actually put on some weight."
"Who’s put on weight?!" Chu Qingchan shouted from the side, and on the other end, Mrs. Li burst out laughing.
"Alright, I’ll get dinner ready for you."
"Okay!"
After hanging up, Chu Qingchan glanced smugly at her sister, her expression full of pride—see, even Xu Lin’s mom likes me.
"I’m marrying Xu Lin, no matter what his family thinks."
"Chu Fengyi, I won't let you marry him. If I were marrying you, I’d have to think it over."
"Haha, did you hear that?"
Chu Qingchan felt as though she’d won another round, but then it struck her—was Xu Lin saying he’d give others permission to pursue him? That wouldn’t do.
"Xu Lin, this girl has family responsibilities on her shoulders. Her father won’t let her go."
"I’ll decide for myself. As long as I can do better than my father, that’s enough. Besides, the family is already starting to fight among themselves. It’s hard to say whether our father can keep his position."
"Really?!" Chu Qingchan was astonished. She couldn’t believe her father was under attack from within the family.
"He made a bad investment and lost quite a lot."
"So even he makes mistakes."
"Who doesn’t?"
Bored on the train, the Chu sisters soon drifted off to sleep, while Xu Lin chatted with Captain Ji and the others on his phone, telling them he’d be back in class tomorrow.
"Take care, and remember, you owe us a meal tomorrow."
"Sure, sure."
No sooner had he messaged Li Bin than a call came through on WeChat. Xu Lin paused—it was Teacher Su.
He glanced nervously at the sisters nearby, then decided not to ignore it and answered in a hushed voice.
"Is something the matter, Teacher Su?"
"Why are you speaking so softly?"
"There are people resting nearby."
"Sorry, let’s text instead."
"Okay."
He hung up and opened the chat window, but just then, a head rested on his shoulder.
"Who are you chatting with? Trying to sweet-talk another girl?"
"Master, I’m an upright man—how could I possibly deceive girls?"
"Heh, then let me see."
"You’re not my girlfriend, are you?"
"Not yet. But you will be."
"Look, it’s my teacher, asking when I’ll be back." Xu Lin handed over his phone without hesitation, as if he had nothing to hide.
Seeing how readily he handed it over, Chu Fengyi felt reassured. She glanced at the screen: it was indeed Teacher Su, and the messages were perfectly ordinary. Satisfied, she returned the phone.
Xu Lin picked up his phone again and started typing. Though he appeared calm, his heart was pounding.
Luckily, she hadn’t scrolled up—otherwise, she’d have seen yesterday’s messages from Teacher Su about pretending to be her boyfriend and meeting her parents.
"By the way, you said you were coming back today. What time will you arrive at Linshui Station?"
"Around seven in the evening."
"I’ll come pick you up, since I’m free anyway."
"You’re not going to drag me straight to your house, are you? If so, forget it."
"Haha, you’re that scared? I’ll pick you up, don’t worry."
"I’m not alone this time. I went to Jinling for a short film shoot, thanks to these two friends—one of whom is our P.E. teacher."
"I know you’re friends with Teacher Chu, but I didn’t know you could act."
"Teacher, there’s a lot I can do—you didn’t choose the wrong boyfriend."
"Flirting again! Well, since you’re bringing friends, I’ll pick them up too."
"Let’s see if you’re free then."
"I am, but since I’m picking you up, you owe me a meal."
"Of course."
"At my place."
Reading that last message, Xu Lin quickly locked his phone—damn, she really won't give up until she gets me to her house.
Several hours later, the train pulled into Linshui at 7:40.
"Shall we take a taxi home?"
"No, someone’s coming to pick us up."
"Who?"
"Teacher Su—our English teacher. We’re pretty close."
"Oh? Pretty close, huh? How close exactly?" Chu Fengyi teased, even making a gesture not fit for children.
"With Mr. Xu’s charm, he’s already got my sister’s heart in a mess—let alone a teacher."
"Chu Qingchan, you’d better not pick up bad habits from your sister."
"Heh."
"Heh."
The sisters replied in unison, making Xu Lin smile helplessly. But the next second, a hand slipped around his arm.
"Chu Fengyi, what are you doing?"
"I’m tired."
"You’re tired?"
Except for the few times Chu Fengyi had been sick, Chu Qingchan had never seen her looking so down—she was always so full of life. How could she be tired?
"So many people are watching, Master… let go a little."
Xu Lin blushed. Despite their usual banter, as an inexperienced young man, he found the attention around them overwhelming.
Seeing Xu Lin’s embarrassment, Chu Qingchan’s spirits lifted and she grabbed his other arm.
In an instant, Xu Lin was sandwiched between them—each side felt different: one was like the plains, the other, mountains.
"What’s with that face?"
"What did I do?"
"I feel like you’re having improper thoughts about me."
"Impossible, Master, you’re overthinking it."
Could this girl read my mind with her skills? That’s not martial arts anymore, that’s some kind of supernatural ability—or just a woman’s sixth sense.
They walked toward the parking lot, drawing even more attention. It wasn’t just the sisters’ beauty—even an ordinary person would attract looks with two girls holding each arm.
But the two of them showed not a trace of embarrassment. Both wore masks, after all—he was the only one showing his face. Some people even took photos, but there was nothing he could do.
He was an introvert by nature—why did he have to be put through this?
Reaching the parking lot, they spotted a familiar white sedan. Xu Lin hurriedly broke free and walked over, knocking on the window.
"Sorry, I didn’t see you coming from behind. Get in. Where are your friends?"
Su Qingwan stepped out, opening the trunk for their bags.
"Hello, Teacher Su. Thank you for coming to pick us up," Chu Qingchan said, waving at her, while Chu Fengyi nodded politely.
She had seen Chu Fengyi before—a beautiful girl who hardly looked old enough to be a college graduate.
And her friend was stunning—despite the mask, her elegance was unmistakable. Her features were lovely, and she clearly came from a wealthy background.
How had Xu Lin met such beauties? Family friends, perhaps?
She didn’t dwell on it, simply ushered them into the car. But as Chu Fengyi passed, a familiar fragrance wafted by—a scent she’d noticed on Xu Lin before.
Could it be…? No, she had to ask about this.
It wasn’t that she had any inappropriate thoughts about her student, but she couldn’t allow him to get involved in a romance too soon—especially not with a teacher.
She had to have a serious talk with him—yes, as a responsible teacher, that was all.