Chapter 7: Lord Yan!

Li Kang laughed and said, “Principal Deng isn’t just the principal of Rongcheng No. 1 High School. My dad told me that he has plenty of private projects, and his influence ranks in the top ten in Rongcheng. If he were to personally come out to greet this country bumpkin, there could only be one explanation… The sun would have to rise in the west!”

Li Kang and Xu Jin spoke just loudly enough for Yan Yu to hear. Zhou Xiaowan, standing nearby, hesitated to speak, and couldn’t quite bring herself to meet Yan Yu’s eyes. Zhou Xiaowan vaguely knew something about Yan Yu’s family background. If he weren’t an illegitimate child, he might have been extremely influential—Li Kang and the others wouldn’t even be worthy of carrying his shoes! But unfortunately, Yan Yu was merely an illegitimate son.

Head of security Zhang Dagen didn’t believe Yan Yu could possibly know Principal Deng. Still, as long as Yan Yu was only standing by the gate, there wasn’t much he could do.

“Forget it, let’s go in. No point wasting time at the gate,” Li Kang said, signaling to Xu Jin, who followed him.

Zhou Xiaowan hesitated, then said, “You go ahead. He is my cousin, after all. Leaving him here at the gate doesn’t sit right with me…”

“You don’t really think he knows Principal Deng, do you?” Li Kang chuckled. “Alright, see you at the cafeteria at noon.”

Li Kang and Xu Jin walked past Yan Yu, making a derisive noise as they went. Zhang Dagen, seeing them, immediately straightened and greeted them with a smile: “Young Master Li, Young Master Xu, good morning!”

Li Kang looked at Zhang Dagen as if he were a house pet, just short of reaching out to pat his head. Xu Jin shot Yan Yu a provocative look, leaving Yan Yu puzzled—he’d just helped them yesterday, so why were they suddenly so hostile?

“Why aren’t you going in?” Yan Yu asked Zhou Xiaowan.

Zhou Xiaowan rolled her eyes. “Because of you…”

Just as Li Kang and Xu Jin entered the gate, a portly, middle-aged man in a white shirt and suit pants hurried out from the campus. His head was nearly bald, and the few remaining strands of hair fluttered comically in the wind as he ran.

Li Kang stopped and greeted him, “Good morning, Principal Deng!”

Principal Deng nodded absently at Li Kang, not even sparing him a glance, and rushed toward the gate, his expression urgent.

Li Kang was taken aback. In the past, Principal Deng would at least exchange pleasantries. Why was he so dismissive today? Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he looked toward the gate, barely able to believe his eyes.

Principal Deng reached the entrance and, without waiting for Zhang Dagen to speak, barked, “Where is he?!”

“Who?” Zhang Dagen asked in confusion. “Principal, you didn’t mention any special guests.”

“The little beggar you mentioned!” Principal Deng’s neck flushed with anxiety. “Where is he? You didn’t chase him away, did you? Zhang Dagen, if that young master leaves, you won’t be staying here either!”

Zhang Dagen stared at Principal Deng in disbelief, then quickly turned and pointed to Yan Yu standing at the gate. “Do you mean him?”

Principal Deng glanced at Yan Yu, then strode quickly over, bent at the waist, and extended both hands to shake his. “Young Master Yan, hello. I’m Deng Gaofeng, principal of Rongcheng No. 1 High School. Please, just call me Xiao Deng.”

At Principal Deng’s words, everyone present seemed struck by lightning, mouths agape in astonishment.

Principal Deng, always commanding and authoritative, was respected even by the city’s top officials—who addressed him as Elder Deng! Zhang Dagen had been a guard at Rongcheng No. 1 for ten years, but never had Principal Deng asked anyone to call him Xiao Deng—especially not a mere eighteen-year-old “beggar.”

Yan Yu smiled awkwardly. “That doesn’t seem appropriate…”

“You’re too polite, Young Master Yan. How about this: In front of others, call me Principal Deng; in private, Xiao Deng will do!” Principal Deng’s eyes crinkled with laughter.

“Alright, I suppose.”

“You truly are outstanding, Young Master Yan, worthy of—”

“My third mother doesn’t like outsiders talking about her,” Yan Yu’s tone suddenly chilled.

Principal Deng immediately slapped himself and forced a smile. “I won’t mention her, not a word.”

After this brief introduction, Principal Deng turned to glare at Zhang Dagen, who sensed trouble.

“Zhang Dagen, were you the one who called Young Master Yan a beggar?” Principal Deng straightened, voice stern. His demeanor shifted so quickly that even Yan Yu was caught off guard.

“Uh… I…” Zhang Dagen stammered, unable to string a sentence together.

Principal Deng declared, “Rongcheng No. 1 advocates equal education. Even a real beggar, as long as he seeks knowledge, should never be turned away! Zhang Dagen, pack your things and get out!”

Zhang Dagen’s face changed, and he pleaded, “Principal Deng, I’ve been a guard here for ten years. Even if I haven’t made great contributions, I’ve worked hard. Please, can you spare me?”

“Is begging me any use? You were pretty bold when you insulted Young Master Yan just now!” Principal Deng, though scolding Zhang Dagen, was actually giving him an out. Zhang Dagen, quick-witted, turned to Yan Yu and pleaded, “Young Master Yan, please have mercy. I have family to support—if I lose this job, they’ll go hungry…”

Yan Yu sighed. “Let it go, Principal Deng. It’s a small matter; I don’t want to cause you trouble. It’s getting late, so let’s get on with the transfer procedures.”

“Of course, since Young Master Yan says so, I have no objections!” Principal Deng glared at Zhang Dagen again. “Aren’t you going to thank Young Master Yan?”

“Thank you, Young Master Yan, thank you…” Zhang Dagen apologized repeatedly.

“Use your eyes in the future!”

After rebuking Zhang Dagen, Principal Deng personally led Yan Yu through the school gates. Zhou Xiaowan, walking beside them, felt dazed—was this really the illegitimate son she thought she knew?

What kind of background did Yan Yu have to command such respect from Principal Deng? Was it because of his father?

Zhou Xiaowan couldn’t figure it out and felt that Yan Yu carried a mysterious aura.

As Yan Yu passed Li Kang and Xu Jin, he smiled, glanced toward the rising sun, and asked Li Kang, “Young Master Li, my geography isn’t very good. May I ask, is the direction of the sunrise east or west?”

Li Kang felt his face burning. He stammered, “East…”

“But didn’t you just say the sun rises in the west?”

“…I was blind.”

Li Kang, after much struggle, could only utter those two words in utter frustration.