Chapter 27: The Debts of a Past Life, Repaid in This One

Professor Guderian’s sudden remark left not only Lu Mingfei stunned on the spot, but even Nono, who had been busy burying her face in her food, looked up in surprise.

"The Principal is also very concerned about you; he insisted that I bring you greetings from your parents," Guderian said, seemingly unaware of any awkwardness.

Having been through it himself, he understood how vital a parent's concern was to a child, so his sentiment just now had been genuinely heartfelt.

Lu Mingfei appeared moved. He rubbed the goosebumps on his arms, rested his chin on his hands, and wore a faint look of expectation. "Did they ask you to pass on their contact information as well? It’s been six years since we last spoke on the phone. Any longer, and I’m afraid I might not even recognize their voices anymore."

"Er, well..." This time, it was Professor Guderian’s turn to be stunned.

In his preparations, he had expected Lu Mingfei to be, if not moved to tears, at least emotionally stirred. He never imagined that Lu Mingfei would ask for his parents' contact information with such calm detachment.

As if he hadn't noticed the old professor's odd reaction, Lu Mingfei took it a step further: "If there’s no phone number, an email address would work, too. It was Mother's Day last weekend, and it’s been so long since I last told my mom 'Happy Mother's Day.' I’d like to make it up to her."

"I'm sorry, but only the Principal knows your parents' contact information," Professor Guderian said, scratching his head with a look of guilt.

Saying this felt like holding the contact information hostage to compel Lu Mingfei—if he didn't enroll in Cassel College, he wouldn't meet the Principal, wouldn't get his parents' contact details, and certainly wouldn't be able to find the Chu Zihang he was so desperately seeking.

He might even wake up in the middle of the night, slapping himself for missing the chance.

"I see." Lu Mingfei nodded and tucked away the letter and the photo.

Although he had anticipated this, hearing Guderian’s answer still brought a faint sense of disappointment. However, as a mature soul nearing thirty, he had lived more than half his life without the love of his parents and was long accustomed to their absence.

In the past, he at least had Aunt Xiao Yan and Uncle Chu to provide the care of elders, but now, one was a stranger he could no longer reach, and the other was a lonely grave in a distant land, leaving him with nothing but silent tears.

A brief silence fell over the table. The girl, still busy eating, looked up at Lu Mingfei. "If you’re not going to eat that, can I have it?"

She was referring to the salmon roll on Lu Mingfei’s plate. He had been eating the five-flavor fried rice he’d ordered, hadn't touched his fresh juice, and was drinking hot milk instead.

Lu Mingfei glanced at her and pushed the untouched salmon roll toward her.

Despite her earlier demeanor—she had seemed like such an elegant girl—she was devouring her food with the ferocity of a reincarnated grizzly bear.

"Nono, mind your manners; you need to look after our new classmate," Professor Guderian chided. Then, he noticed the girl’s outstretched hand freeze in mid-air, while Ye Sheng and Aki Sakitoku on either side also suddenly stiffened.

The confused professor looked around, finally fixing his gaze on Lu Mingfei, who wore an amused expression. He saw Lu Mingfei slowly withdraw his hand, pulling the plate back with it.

"Nono? That sounds familiar. Have we met online before?"

Seeing the food slip away and realizing that her mischief might be exposed by the professor’s unintentional act, even Nono felt a tinge of embarrassment. But she was, after all, that wild and uninhibited little witch, and she admitted it quite frankly: "Yes, you just blocked me yesterday."

Professor Guderian didn’t know what kind of grudge the two had, but he didn't need to guess to know it must have been Nono, that rowdy child, stirring up trouble and upsetting Lu Mingfei. He hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over.

"It’s fine, I didn't take it to heart," Lu Mingfei said, not wanting to bicker with the young girl, appearing very magnanimous.

This gesture won him great admiration from Professor Guderian, and even Ye Sheng and Aki Sakitoku nodded in silent approval.

Only Nono rolled her eyes. Lu had brutally crushed her four times and spewed a dozen or so lines of trash talk; he had surely vented his frustration, so she should be the one feeling annoyed now.

"So, what do you think now?" Professor Guderian stared into Lu Mingfei’s eyes. "An admission opportunity to Cassel College is incredibly rare. Your parents also hope you’ll join us. Please, don't miss such a precious chance!"

Swallowing the last bite of the salmon roll, Lu Mingfei wiped his mouth. "Let me think about it more."

Although he had no intention of attending college, he had to admit that the Cassel College name was quite useful; he’d gotten his leave of absence from his head teacher this morning without any trouble.

If he rejected Guderian directly now, the school would certainly stop approving his leave, and he’d be stuck at school until the college entrance exams.

As for promising and then going back on his word, Lu Mingfei felt he couldn't do something so treacherous, and he was worried that if he nodded, Guderian would immediately pull out an enrollment contract for him to sign.

So, he would stall.

He would stall for as long as he could. By the end of the month, Shilan High School would let students go home for self-study, and by the time he was free, it wouldn't be too late to reject Cassel.

Of course, this wasn't him being a scumbag or playing hard-to-get; it was simply a case of debts from a past life being repaid in this one.

In his previous life, Lu Mingfei had been so terribly hoodwinked by the Cassel Trust and Guderian; couldn't he take a little revenge now? He wasn't a saint.

Professor Guderian grew anxious upon hearing this, nearly grabbing Lu Mingfei’s hand to show his sincerity. "You can make any request, and we will satisfy it!"

"Then can you give me Chu Zihang’s contact information?"

Guderian: "..."

If he nodded, he might be blocked at the door by Schneider with a gun when he returned to campus. If he shook his head, an S-class student, seen once in forty years, might slip through his fingers.

The old professor pondered for a long time and chose a roundabout approach: "I can forward your contact information to him and then help persuade him to add you, how about that?"

This way, it wouldn't be considered a breach of student privacy, and he wouldn't offend either party. It was a win-win.

"Then thank you, Professor." Lu Mingfei’s eyes lit up, and he sent his phone number and QQ ID to Professor Guderian via text message.

This way, he wouldn't have to wait until summer vacation, nor would he need to consider going to Cassel College, to reconnect with his good brother.

Guderian, you’re a good man!

"Then would you like to..." Guderian asked again.

"Give me a little more time to consider." Lu Mingfei began to play the innocent, scratching his cheek with a feigned, bashful look. "I’ve never left Dalian City since I was small. To suddenly go to the other side of the world, there are many things I need to overcome."

"Don't worry, Cassel College has fully adopted Chinese as a language, so there’s no need to worry about communication," Guderian said, counting on his fingers to explain the college’s merits: the cafeteria gathered chefs from all over the world, so there was no need to worry about food; there were many Chinese and Asian students on campus, all very friendly, so no need to worry about making friends; the Disciplinary Committee maintained order, and the chairman was his close friend, so there was no need to worry about bullying or discrimination...

But no matter what he said, Lu Mingfei stuck to his line—let me think about it some more.

"Thinking about what? A first love?" Nono, looking out the window, suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention.

"Nono!" Aki Sakitoku nudged her.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Professor Guderian’s nerves tightened.

He knew all too well how young people could be desperate for love, and he feared Lu Mingfei was a hopeless romantic, held back by his feelings and unwilling to go abroad with them.

"No, I’m single," Lu Mingfei said, his expression as serious as a diplomatic statement. "I haven't met a girl who makes my heart beat faster yet."

In the end, Professor Guderian failed to succeed and watched him leave alone.

A second before stepping into the elevator, Lu Mingfei turned back. Amidst the renewed anticipation in the eyes of Guderian and his group, he made a phone gesture: "Professor, don't forget to give my contact info to Chu Zihang. I’ll be waiting for your good news!"