It was a smoke ring.

The pale smoke rings pulsated in the air, resembling the rhythmic vibrations of a smoker's heart. Melancholy and frustration gradually transformed into a strong, intense affection, mingling with the pungent smell of cigarettes. In an instant, they dispersed into the air, vanishing without a trace.

Liang Chen spat out a mouthful of saliva and extinguished the cigarette in the water. He watched as the sparks from the remaining cigarette sizzled and burst in the water. With a dim glint in his eyes, he popped a piece of chewing gum into his mouth. And then...

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The sound of water rushing and flushing the toilet echoed, just like it was washing away his past.

He picked up a stack of paper that was placed next to the sink, turned left and walked straight towards Director Xu's office.

As he approached the door, he tucked the gum wrapper into his pocket, cleared his throat, politely knocked, and then without waiting for a response, forcefully pushed the door open.

"Teacher, I've brought the student materials."

"Please... um, come in." Xu, a young officer in his early thirties, responded quickly. He swiftly minimized the web page of the campus forum that had just been open on his screen and calmly looked at Liang Chen in the next second.

"The teacher's information is here. If there's nothing else, I'll leave now." Liang Chen left behind the materials, his clearly articulated fingers tightened briefly, and he casually nodded before preparing to depart.

"Wait a moment," Xu Yan quickly called out, a slight frown forming on her brows as she caught a whiff of that familiar smell of smoke.

"Is there anything else you need, teacher?"

Liang Chen currently had a splitting headache. He was already reluctant to be assigned the task of delivering this information, and he was worried that the teacher would come to bother him again.

"I recently heard some rumors, it's... it's about some personal matters of yours," Xu Yan said delicately.

Less than a month had passed since the end of the freshmen military training, at a time when most university students couldn't even remember the names of all their classmates. However, two senior figures had already become the center of attention.

Attractiveness that entices both bees and butterflies is one of the influencing factors, while the spark that attracts attention lies in the emotional dynamics between two individuals.

"Teacher, just say it straight." Liang Chen's face was expressionless as he turned his head to look at the warm sunlight outside the window. However, deep inside, he coldly thought that what was meant to come would always come.

This matter has already escalated to the school authorities. During the director's meeting, it was said that there needs to be an enhancement in the ideological education of the students. Even in today's open society, there are certain things that cannot be indulged. When necessary, appropriate measures will be implemented.

That is to say: if the situation is too serious, issuing an order to drop out of school is no longer an empty talk.

Xu Yan flicked her long hair and organized her thoughts before speaking, "I know a little about you and Xiang Nan's situation. The teachers are not entirely against it, but the incident has caused a huge commotion. Although our priority is educating students, I also don't want this to have a negative impact on the school's reputation. I hope you understand what I mean."

Liang Chen's face remained stern as he said, "Teacher, you might have misunderstood. It's not me who's biting people now."

"I know that this responsibility doesn't entirely lie with you, but..."

Xu Yan was interrupted before she could finish speaking by a knocking sound at the door. She paused for a few seconds and massaged her temples.

"Please come in."

The person who came in was dressed in formal attire but looked like a student, with their hair upright in a small braid. If it weren't for their serious and mature expression, they might have been mistaken for a senior in their third or fourth year of college.

"Xu laoshi, is this... convenient?" Shi Yixing glanced into the office and saw that there was someone else there. He immediately swallowed the words he was about to say.

But their eyes continued to wander between the two of them.