Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

“So the eldest doesn’t understand. He’s riding a horse down there, while the little one is riding a horse up there.” Paddy wagged her tail and said enviously, “That’s what a vacation is all about.”

Chapter 57 So it's all the teacher's fault that the kids aren't doing well in school

This is what a vacation should be like.

The girls enjoying the ocean and barbecue on the beach now feel a mix of emotions and indignation.

Although it's all vacation time, who likes to travel? Isn't vacation about relaxing with someone you love? Now that the engagement is set, the ambiguity that has been hidden can finally be made public. She can openly wear a bikini on the soft sand, holding hands with her underage boyfriend, and enjoy the admiring or envious glances from other girls in swimsuits.

As a result, his fiancées, with whom he had already established a formal relationship and was legally engaged, were all sitting there blankly dealing with tourists, while the adorable Crown Prince, who was busy with all that, didn't even show his face.

It's infuriating! Our Crown Prince has so many consorts, how could Your Majesty lay a hand on him? Even if you could lay a hand on him, you could at least have given us a heads-up! We're all here on vacation, at least allocate roles according to need or time. What if you get tired of the Crown Prince? You could at least have made a call and asked us to come up and attend to the two emperors…

Not only Pado, but even Sakura felt a slight wry smile. After all, although the Fire Moth was nominally a research institution, Mei was deeply loved and was a genuine genius scientist and beauty, practically the perfect superior. Therefore, the concept of her as the "Supreme Leader of the Fire Moth" was deeply ingrained, and even though she was just an ordinary human, the fusion warriors were completely obedient to her.

The entire Firemoth faction genuinely acknowledges Mei as the leader of Firemoth, so what's the point of the Commander-in-Chief keeping a little wolfhound like the Deputy Commander-in-Chief in his room? Even if she were exposed, everyone would only be shocked for a few minutes before immediately offering sincere blessings to Her Majesty the Queen and the Crown Prince for their touching, lifelong love story, a testament to their mutual respect and devotion. But then, Boss Kevin would be devastated…

Damn it, when a leader has influence, she can act with impunity. We not only have to tolerate her taking her doll into that hidden bedroom built into the wall anytime, even while she's at work, but we also have to go to great lengths to cover for her! This feeling is amazing! So amazing that my hair is turning green!

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At eight o'clock in the evening, I gently pushed away the little wolfhound who was hugging my waist, and then carried him out of bed to take a shower.

Afterwards, the beautiful doctor, dressed in a semi-transparent black nightgown, sat down at her desk, took out her personal terminal and connected it to the server in her briefcase, while putting on her glasses to review the documents.

Then she glanced towards the bedroom and chuckled, "Aren't you going to help me with some of the work?"

“You know I only know how to lead troops into battle. What the common people say about me is that I will not be born as a Lawyer, nor as a Son of Man.” Shen Liang, who was also wearing a loose white bathrobe and had just finished taking a bath, quickly shook his head and lay on the bed lazily flipping through the miscellaneous books used for hotel decoration. “If you dare to approve these documents for me, half of the biotechnology shares of Moth Chaser will plummet tomorrow.”

"You've learned how to manage a large enterprise before, and you know more about the various experimental projects of the Moth Chaser than I do," Mei said with a faint smile. "Besides, you've been sitting in my lap since you were little, listening to me teach you macroeconomics and political theory. I've been teaching you by example and guiding you step by step until now. Have you forgotten everything?"

“Mainly, I didn’t need it, and it was all rote memorization anyway. Ever since I used all my talent to deal with the Herrschers, I haven’t cared about work anymore. Besides, we didn’t really finish many classes back then. As we were teaching, we always ended up…” Shen Liang scratched his long, sticking-out hair, somewhat embarrassed, “In short, I don’t remember anything very well. What I remember most vividly is the clothes you changed into every time you were a teacher, Mei. Maybe I was too immature back then… but the more seriously you taught me, the more I was captivated by your fragrance, and I could never resist it…”

"Oh?"

Mei adjusted her glasses, her smile softening even more. "When I was your teacher, were these the things you were thinking about?"

Shen Liang was reminiscing about the good old days when he heard this and fell silent.

"So, it seems you prefer the image of a female teacher who scolds you harshly but pampers you tenderly?" Mei teased, looking at the boy's silent expression. "No wonder your grades were better when Wilvi taught you. Was it because she always changed into your favorite tights and teacher's uniform and took out a ruler every time she taught? Hmm, you eagerly anticipated being spanked by the teacher every day?"

"No! I didn't!"

Mei laughed even louder.

Hey, what's so funny?! I was young and naive back then, I didn't even understand the concept of concealing my desires, isn't that obvious?! Liking to be beaten by the teacher doesn't mean I'm a masochist, okay? I'm an arrogant sadist! I really am a sadist! When Wilvi hit me, I hit her back right away, believe me, I always managed to bully her until she had to use her clones!

Shen Liang blushed with humiliation, while Mei endured it for a while to avoid angering the young man and using her to regain her husbandly authority. Then she calmed down and approved the documents. The only sound in the bedroom was the crisp sound of the virtual keyboard.

Once you calm down, distracting thoughts disappear.

Shen Liang lay on the bed watching Mei, who was engrossed in her work. Mei was someone who kept her work and personal life very separate. As long as Shen Liang didn't deliberately disturb her, she could immerse herself wholeheartedly in her busy tasks. In the Fire Moth, besides Möbius, she was the one with the highest work intensity. Möbius relied on interest and the physical qualities of a fusion warrior, while Mei relied solely on a strong sense of social responsibility.

A sense of responsibility is a tedious thing, at least Shen Liang felt he didn't have that attitude, so he respected Mei's attitude. Shen Liang silently gazed at his teacher, boss, lover, and empress, watching her chiseled, fair, and smooth profile and focused eyes, the sweet atmosphere gradually dissipating.

From an intimate and beautiful bed partner just moments ago to a single-minded female PhD student, it only takes a minute. This is Mei, and only a rational and strong woman like her can shoulder the heavy responsibility of fighting against the collapse... because all her gentleness is given to Shen Liang, while she is as hard as gold to the outside world.

Shen Liang brewed a warm cup of pear tea for her in the kitchen and then quietly pushed open the door and went out.

It was already night, and the sky was completely dark. Shen Liang was too lazy to change his clothes. Anyway, a yukata wasn't exactly an embarrassing outfit at the beach. He strolled along the cool sand, under the stars and moon.

The beach was littered with trash from the revelry, but staff would come to clean it up around 5 or 6 a.m. the next day; they wouldn't work overtime that night. Some young tourists, still caught up in the excitement, were wrapped up in their clothes, drinking and chatting by the beach chairs. After the neon lights were turned off, only the faint glow of various mobile terminals remained, creating a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.

The sound of the ocean waves drowned out all other noises. A little further on, they encountered the drunken Qianjie and Kosmo. Kosmo grabbed him, slurring incoherently, "Baby, I've watched you grow up. You're the Moth of Fire, everyone cherishes you like a precious darling. I know all that. But I truly feel bad seeing Dobiya with you. You already have so many people who love you, so please give me a chance, okay? I promise I'll seize this opportunity..."

Shen Liang quickly pulled up his bathrobe. This kind of clothing is held together by a tie at the waist and is easy to fall off. He thought to himself, "Brother Kosmo, you really should find a new girlfriend. This is not something you can control. Dobiya turned to me because she was desperate about you, and we have a good relationship. In a few days, she probably won't be content with just being a pet girlfriend anymore. To be honest, it's been ten years and you still haven't let go. I really didn't expect that."

Beside him, Qianjie dragged Kosmo away while rubbing his forehead, his face clearly showing how embarrassed he was. Shen Liang continued strolling forward until there were fewer and fewer people and the light grew dimmer.

He sat on a rock, the waves lapping at his feet, but since he had walked barefoot the whole way, it didn't bother him. Looking at the vast, dark sea, many would feel fear, but Shen Liang inexplicably calmed down.

In the thirteen years since he opened his eyes to the world, he has traveled to many places and met many people. But such time alone is indeed rare. Like a moth chasing a flame, he pursues efficiency and has almost no time to daydream or contemplate life. Even his rest time must be seized every second.

Yes, Shen Liang's few free time after get off work and school is often divided up by various girls. After all, everyone may wait several weeks for the moment to "eat cake," but for cake, it's just being eaten every moment.

Someone patted him on the shoulder. Shen Liang turned around and saw a tall, handsome man stepping onto the rocks. It was Kevin.

"Why didn't you come to the party? You disappointed a lot of young girls." Kevin calmly lit a cigarette with his finger, illuminating their faces. He said casually, "What were you doing just now?"

"Mei had fourteen projects she didn't have time to make a table for, so she dumped them on me," Shen Liang replied calmly. He was very skilled at lying like this; although he didn't like lying, mature people are always forced to learn to adapt. As for being seen through, that was impossible. Mei usually came up with these excuses first, so much so that he really did just glance at the fourteen projects to ensure there were no mistakes.

“It’s a good thing you’re here, Wawa. I’m often helpless in many situations, and I don’t know where to start to help.” Kevin put his arm around Wawa’s shoulder and sat down cross-legged. “Actually, I told Mei that you’re still very young, and it’s a bit too hasty to start training you in the direction of base command at this time. But Mei… Mei is just an ordinary person. Her workload is not something we can trust. If we can’t trust anyone else, we can only rely on you, who have been taught by her since childhood.”

"It doesn't matter, I am the deputy commander after all."

“Aren’t you curious why I care so much about Mei?” Kevin suddenly said.

Shen Liang was stunned for a few seconds, then suddenly became alert.

What does this sentence mean? Are you suddenly saying this because you're about to confront me? Is your next sentence some kind of bullying declaration like, "So, if you have any self-awareness, get out of Mei's sight and I might let you off the hook?"

But Shen Liang's face remained calm. He had been almost expressionless since childhood, and now he was much more mature. He could act nonchalant whenever he wanted, and his expression control was excellent.

"Because Kevin likes Mei?"

Kevin was taken aback, then chuckled and patted him hard on the back several times before saying, "Even you could tell? Well, you're young, but you're the little sea king of our base. You know more than I do... Well, it's like this, I guess a lot of people know that Mei and I were classmates in college. Back then, she published a lot of journal articles and was immersed in her studies. Although she looked like a country bumpkin, she was really outstanding... I've had a crush on her ever since."

Shen Liang pursed his lips. He didn't want to hear other men talk about their romantic experiences, especially since Kevin's sweetheart was the woman he woke up with every day and greeted each other with good morning. To be honest, it felt a bit awkward.

"Although I've been pursuing her for so many years without any results, anyone could probably tell that it wasn't just being reserved but a rejection. It's just that I'm still not quite willing to give up," Kevin said calmly. "Don't let my current appearance fool you. Back in school, I was a prince charming who received quite a few love letters. I thought I could win her over with just a few words."

"After all these years, Kevin, don't you still want to give up?"

“I have thought about it, but I always feel that a man should have some ambition. A long time ago, I was attracted by Mei’s dedication to scientific research. I think women who are devoted to their careers are the most beautiful. Later, I was attracted by Mei’s immersion in various salvation plans. I was amazed that an ordinary person, an ordinary person who had not developed her brain, could conceive so many great stories. The Fusion Warrior Project, the Moon Throne Project, the Ether Anchor Project, the Stigmata Project, the Sanctuary Project, the Fire Seed Project, the Divine Key Project. In an era when humanity was about to perish, she was able to think of so many amazing things... including the 'Child of Man Project' that gave birth to you.”

Kevin gazed at the night sky. “Just imagine how beautiful she was. In the stories I read, I always found that when a nation or civilization is facing annihilation, a ‘great person’ would suddenly emerge, trying to save the nation or civilization, trying to prop up the collapsing edifice. Every end times has such a great person, as beautiful as a shooting star... Mei is the shooting star of this era. I can’t think of anyone else worthy of love and pursuit besides her.”

These words left Shen Liang speechless.

He realized that after more than a decade of pursuing her, Mei had transcended her image in Kevin's heart. She was no longer just a woman, but a symbol of his ideal woman, perhaps even a savior figure in his heart. He loved not only the Mei he could not have, but also the future that represented her.

“But from my perspective, Mei… doesn’t seem like the type to be so easily swayed by love.” Shen Liang said against his will, forcibly suppressing the alluring images of Mei’s infatuation in his memory, and trying his best to persuade Kevin to turn back from the wrong path.

"Oh? By the way, you and Mei were very close. A few years ago, you needed Mei to be with you to fall asleep... In your eyes, is that the kind of personality Mei has?" Kevin turned his head with interest.

Shen Liang thought to herself, "Everyone has really done a good job keeping this a secret. It's not just from a few years ago. I just finished taking a shower with her."

Chapter Fifty-Eight: The protagonist's destiny is to be humiliated in front of many people.

As the evening breeze blew by, the man and the boy stood side by side gazing at the sea. Kevin suddenly asked himself a question and answered it.

"Actually, the reason I still have some hope for Mei isn't entirely wishful thinking on my part. At least Mei has never been close to anyone, not even a woman, right?" He said in a low voice, as if he himself didn't quite believe his own words.

"Yes, Mei doesn't like these things."

It's quite funny, really. To outsiders, Mei doesn't seem close to anyone, and she wouldn't be interested in anyone, regardless of gender. But in reality, the person she loves is always by her side, living together day and night, supporting each other through thick and thin. But even if you told people, no one would believe you.

"You're with Mei every day, she really doesn't have any secret lovers, does she?" Kevin seemed uneasy, but it was a bit awkward for a man in his thirties to ask a young boy like that, so he coughed several times before he could ask.

Shen Liang gently shook his head.

“You’ve really become otherworldly,” Kevin sighed, then turned back to his son. “But you… you’ve been flirting around the base, how come so many people have already reserved you? Fusion warriors have terrifying physical strength. You’re too young to understand now, but will you be able to handle it when you get married? Tell me the truth, are you the one chasing after people, or are they forcing you to sign engagement agreements? I don’t care about the former, but the latter… I’ve heard a lot of rumors lately…”

"No way, Eden and the others talked to me about it a long time ago. After retiring, I have to take on responsibilities." Shen Liang thought of an explanation. "They and I have always had a good relationship, and all the engagements were of my own free will."

"A long time ago? How old were you back then?" Kevin frowned. He vaguely realized that the reason why those women had been holding onto the child's custody all this time, from childhood to adulthood, was most likely not because of differences in their educational philosophies.

Eve's upbringing likely involved more than just academic education; the women who cared for him probably groomed him for something indescribable from a young age. That's why Eve so readily accepted their successive engagements as an adult… Perhaps Eve's thinking had been brainwashed, and he had long since become a toy crafted by his "fiancées"…

Thinking this way, Kevin felt even more depressed as he looked at the handsome young man.

Eve probably didn't realize how distorted her values ​​had become, and if he had realized this sooner and rescued her from the den of evil she had grown up in, Eve might be very different now.

At least now he'll definitely grow into a tall, handsome young man wielding two swords, instead of...

Kevin glanced down at the boy's thigh exposed under his bathrobe. On the boy's fair skin, which was as white as a beautiful girl's, there was a "t" written in black pen. There was an extra horizontal line to the right of the vertical line of the "t". Kevin was very puzzled.

Mei is Asian, and if Kevin had read more Asian literacy books, he would have known that these are the first three strokes of the character "正" (zhèng).

"I'm doing fine, don't worry, Kevin." Shen Liang had no idea that Kevin had so much on his mind; Kevin always had a cold face.

“You’ll understand when you grow up that it’s best to get married as a couple.” Kevin lit another cigarette and took a deep drag. “But I’m not from your generation anymore. A decade or so ago, Earth still upheld monogamy, and people like you who openly engage in such behavior would be charged with bigamy. But now, even the Fire Moths encourage population growth, and the marriage age has been lowered by eight years. Your engagement to Paddo and the others is being used to promote the idea of ​​building a new generation of happy families… I guess I’m getting old and can’t keep up with you guys anymore. Maybe my thinking is wrong.”

Shen Liang silently observed Kevin. Compared to the Kevin of ten years ago, when his appearance remained unchanged and he was so young he could almost be called a child, Kevin had changed a lot. He was still handsome and tall, but he had transitioned from youth to middle age, from the vigorous top fusion warrior to a composed and aloof handsome uncle. His facial features were not as resolute as they were ten years ago, and his stubble was much more noticeable; no one can escape the passage of time.

Men tend to look older than women, and there was a noticeable age difference between him and Mei when they stood together.

Indeed, environment and desire are the biggest culprits behind aging. Mei and Shen Liang spend every day together, and since the boy remains young, she naturally stays with him as well. A 30-year-old middle-aged woman has already gained weight and spends her days yelling at street vendors, while a 30-year-old female PhD still smiles and caters to her young lover's endless admiration and pampering. This is the power of environment and desire; it makes people unwilling to grow old and keeps them ambitious.

“There are many people in the base who admire Kevin, but you appear too focused on him, so many people have given up,” Shen Liang said softly. “If Kevin wanted to, he could have tens of thousands of fans with a wave of his hand. I’m not lying to you, your account has over 100 million subscribers.”

“That’s what you young people think. Hey, I’ve lived half my life, and I’m not really interested in this kind of thing anymore.” Kevin patted him on the shoulder. “I’ve been watching her since we were in school. Who else could I be watching after all these years? Although… I can also sense that Mei’s feelings for me are now just friendship.”

"I think Mei is avoiding you like the plague..." Shen Liang couldn't help but blurt out what was on her mind.

"You brat, why are you telling the truth like that!" Kevin tapped him on the forehead, and Shen Liang squatted down, clutching his forehead in pain. "Actually, it's very simple to tell if a woman likes you, but a spoiled playboy like you probably doesn't understand... Whether someone likes you or not mainly depends on whether she's willing to spend time with you."

Shen Liang was taken aback.

“When I was in college, the girls who asked me out all dressed up beautifully and would send me messages on their phones every day, averaging at least once an hour. That’s what it means to be willing to spend time on you,” Kevin said with a smile. “Time is the real cost. If someone is willing to spend time on you, it means they are good to you… You probably don’t understand, but when someone doesn’t like you, they don’t become hateful. Instead, they slowly distance themselves. The opposite of liking someone is distancing yourself.”

Shen Liang suddenly thought of many things. For example, Eden always liked to drag him to concerts, Mei would try to figure out his thoughts and wear different kinds of stockings with different textures and thicknesses under her old-fashioned uniform, Ying had sixty-four kinds of lipsticks that he liked, Blanca even learned to make sweet and sour pork yesterday, and even Danzhu Cangxuan was working hard to practice yoga to become more flexible and endurance... Pshaw!

They make time for him in every way possible; this kind of care is called liking.