Douluo Continent: Thunder Roar

Zhou Yi fell completely silent.

She stood there, her fingers gripping the edge of the cabinet door tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, and even her breathing became cautious.

Every word Yan Shaozhe said struck a nerve with the part of her heart she least wanted to face, leaving her powerless to refute.

Seeing her tense expression, Yan Shaozhe's tone softened, becoming more certain: "Teacher Zhou, you are one of the most outstanding teachers in the Martial Soul Department. I have always believed that."

He paused, then spoke slowly and clearly, his voice soft yet exceptionally clear, as if reminding or admonishing: "But an excellent teacher is not defined by a single student, nor is it supported by a few nice-sounding principles."

After saying this, he didn't linger any longer. He turned and walked towards the door, his steps still steady and without the slightest hesitation.

Zhou Yi stood there, motionless, neither rising to see him off, frozen in place, her gaze fixed on the ground, her mind a jumbled mess.

Yan Shaozhe walked to the door and suddenly stopped.

He didn't turn around, his back to Zhou Yi, his voice so soft it was almost drowned out by the evening breeze, yet every word pierced Zhou Yi's ears: "Teacher Zhou, although I didn't quite agree with your previous methods and repeatedly tried to stop you."

He paused for a second, then added with a hint of certainty, "But now I want to say, it works."

The door closed gently with a soft "click," breaking the deathly silence of the office.

Zhou Yi was left alone in the room, so quiet that she could hear her own heartbeat.

The light outside the window was gradually dimming, and dusk was slowly enveloping the entire teaching building, casting very long shadows in the office.

Zhou Yi slowly raised her hand and reopened the cabinet door. The stack of brand-new lesson plans lay quietly at the very back of the cabinet, with her own handwriting on the cover, neat but with a hint of hesitation.

That wasn't her old lesson plan, which she had used for eight years and had long been ingrained in her bones. It was a new one that she had rewritten after listening to Ling Yu's words, staying up all night. Every page was filled with her determination to make changes.

She stared at the words for a long, long time, until the determination in her eyes faded, leaving only confusion and struggle.

After a long while, she gently closed the cabinet door, turned around, and slowly walked to the desk, where she began to tidy up the scattered documents.

She didn't cry or lose her composure, but her movements were unusually slow, each one tinged with hesitation, as if waiting for a certain conviction within her to slowly sink in, or as if waiting for an answer that no one could give.

……

The signing process went more smoothly than expected.

The landlord was an old man in his sixties with gray hair. He spoke slowly, but he was very easygoing.

Jiang Nannan had already settled all the details the day before; today was just a formality.

"Young man, you're lucky," the old man said with a smile as he looked at Jiang Nannan before leaving. "This girl has made several trips back and forth; it pains my old bones to see her like this."

Jiang Nannan's face flushed red, and she lowered her head, pretending to tidy up the things on the table, not daring to say anything.

Ling Yu folded the contract and put it in his pocket. He glanced at her and said in a calm but warm tone, "Thank you for your hard work, Sister Nan."

"It's no trouble at all," Jiang Nannan quickly looked up and waved her hand, her ears still flushed. "I promised to come with you, so this is all I should do."

"Let's go." Ling Yu took the lead and walked towards the door, slowing his pace so that Jiang Nannan could keep up.

Jiang Nannan gave a soft "hmm" and quickly followed him out the door.

The sky had darkened, and the streetlights lit up one by one, casting a warm yellow glow on the stone pavement.

A night breeze blew in from the alleyway, carrying the coolness of early autumn. It made Jiang Nannan's long golden hair sway gently, and the ends of her hair brushed against her shoulders, causing a slight itch.

The two walked side by side, not saying much, but not feeling awkward at all.

Jiang Nannan walked with her hands behind her back, her steps lighter than usual. Her skirt swayed gently in the wind. She deliberately walked half a step behind him, not too far, not too close, just enough to see his sharp profile and the dappled light and shadow of the streetlights on his hair.

As I passed by the college gate, a rich aroma suddenly wafted over.

The fresh, crisp aroma of fish mingled with the smoky fragrance of charcoal, and coated with the rich flavor of seasonings. A gentle breeze carried the scent far and wide, making one's nose tingle with delight.

Jiang Nannan's nose twitched, her steps unconsciously slowed, and her eyes brightened: "It smells so good..."

She murmured unconsciously, looking in the direction of the scent, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

On the street corner diagonally opposite the college gate, a small stall has appeared out of nowhere. The furnishings are very simple: a low table, a few small stools, and a charcoal grill next to it. The charcoal is burning brightly, and the orange-red flames lick the grill. Several fish are neatly arranged on it, sizzling and glistening with oil. The oil drips onto the charcoal, splashing up tiny sparks, making the aroma even more enticing.

There were five or six people in front of the stall, including students in school uniforms and passersby. Everyone had an expectant look on their faces. Some of them were already holding the oil paper package, eating with their mouths full of oil, and muttering "delicious" indistinctly.

The stall owner was a boy wearing an old school uniform. He was skillfully flipping the fish with his head down, his movements nimble, clearly indicating that he had done this many times before.

Jiang Nannan paused for a moment, tugged at Ling Yu's sleeve, and whispered, "Ling Yu, look, isn't that Huo Yuhao? What's he doing setting up a stall here?"

Ling Yu recognized him too, his gaze falling on Huo Yuhao, and he nodded slightly: "It should be work-study program."

Huo Yuhao had attended classes with them during the day, but now he had changed into a set of old clothes that were a little faded from washing. He rolled up his sleeves to his elbows, revealing a section of his thin but strong forearm. He flipped the fish, brushed on the oil, and sprinkled the seasoning in one go. His face was serious, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

There were two other people standing next to the stall.

One was a girl in a light-colored dress with her long black hair tied in a neat ponytail; the other was a boy with dark blue hair, tall and straight, standing beside the girl, occasionally helping to hand her a condiment bottle or tidy up the oil paper, always with a gentle smile on his face.

Jiang Nannan's eyes lit up as she recognized the two: "Tang Ya? Bei Bei? They're helping out here too!"

She lifted her foot to go over and say hello, but after taking one step, she stopped, turned back to look at Ling Yu, and asked in a somewhat questioning tone, "How about... we go over and take a look?"

Ling Yu's gaze swept over the stall, then he looked at Jiang Nannan's expectant eyes, and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "Let's go, there's no rush to go back anyway."

Jiang Nannan's lips curled up immediately, and she quickly followed in his footsteps, her steps becoming much lighter.

As you get closer, the aroma of the grilled fish becomes even stronger, wafting straight into your nostrils.

The people at the front of the line were happily eating their oil-paper-wrapped snacks, occasionally chatting with the stall owner.

Huo Yuhao raised his head and wiped the sweat from his forehead. His gaze swept across the room and he saw Ling Yu and Jiang Nannan walking over. He paused for a moment, then gave a shy smile.

"Ling Yu? Senior Jiang? You're here too?" He stopped what he was doing, his tone carrying a hint of surprise and a touch of barely perceptible awkwardness.

Hearing the sound, Tang Ya immediately turned around and saw Jiang Nannan. Her eyes lit up, and she quickly ran over, grabbing Jiang Nannan's hand: "Nannan! What brings you here? Did you smell the fragrance?"

Jiang Nannan smiled and nodded, then leaned closer to her and whispered, "Yeah, I smelled the aroma as I passed by. I didn't expect it was you guys helping out here. Huo Yuhao's grilled fish smells amazing!"

Tang Ya listened while glancing at Ling Yu, her eyes bright with curiosity.

Beibei also saw Ling Yu, nodded slightly, and said in a gentle and polite tone, "Ling Yu."

"Senior Bei Bei," Ling Yu replied calmly.

Huo Yuhao didn't stop working. While flipping the last two fish, he explained with a smile, "This is my first day setting up a stall. I didn't expect business to be so good. Thanks to Teacher Xiaoya and Senior Brother for coming to help. Otherwise, I definitely wouldn't be able to handle it all by myself."

Jiang Nannan stood to the side watching, the rich aroma filling her nostrils. She couldn't help but tug at Ling Yu's sleeve again, lowering her voice with a hint of coquettish anticipation: "It looks so delicious..."

Ling Yu glanced at her but didn't say anything.

Jiang Nannan quickly let go, stuck out her tongue, and pretended nothing had happened, her cheeks turning slightly red again.

Just then, a lazy, slightly roguish voice suddenly came from outside the crowd. The voice wasn't loud, but it was incredibly penetrating, clearly reaching everyone's ears: "It smells so good, why is there such a long queue? What good stuff is it?"

The crowd instinctively parted to make way, and a figure in a black school uniform slowly walked over.

The man was tall with a square face, thick eyebrows, and piercing eyes. He had a dignified appearance and fair skin, but the nonchalant roguish air about him clashed with his handsome features, creating an inexplicable sense of incongruity, yet it didn't seem offensive.

He strolled leisurely to the stall, glanced down at the last two sizzling fish on the grill, then looked up at Huo Yuhao, asking casually, "Did you grill these?"

Huo Yuhao raised his head, his tone respectful but not humble: "It's me, senior."

Xu Sanshi nodded, sniffed, and said with a hint of approval, "It smells nice, and it looks good too. Give me one."

Huo Yuhao glanced at the grill with some embarrassment, then looked at the two students next to him who had already paid and were waiting to get their fish, and said softly, "Sorry, senior, we're sold out for today. The last two fish were just bought by those two students."

Xu Sanshi followed his gaze and glanced at the two students who were happily eating their oil-paper-wrapped food. They instinctively took a half-step back, looking somewhat reserved.

Xu Sanshi withdrew his gaze, clicked his tongue, and said with a hint of regret, but he didn't make things difficult for him: "Alright, I guess I'm late."

He put his hands back in his pockets, his gaze sweeping aimlessly. Suddenly, it landed on Jiang Nannan, his eyes widening in surprise. His voice held a hint of disbelief: "Jiang Nannan? You're here too?"

Jiang Nannan glanced at him, her tone flat and indifferent: "Yeah, just passing by."

Xu Sanshi didn't mind her coldness. His gaze swept over her, then landed on Ling Yu beside her, giving him a once-over with a hint of inquiry in his eyes: "A freshman? What's your name?"