“Ah~!”
Gu Qingge parted her red lips slightly, her narrow eyes slowly turning until she saw her daughter.
“Lian’er, you’re here too.”
“Have a seat, both of you.”
The two sat down on the nearby sofa.
Gu Qingge sat across from them, exuding an elegant, noble aura that made Su Nan, as a young man, feel a bit overwhelmed.
Especially since her gaze never left him—it was getting awkward.
Finally—
“Mom, what did you call me here for?”
Gu Lian cut in, interrupting the awkward atmosphere as she noticed how her mother kept staring at Su Nan.
Do I look like the third wheel here?
“What else? To prove to you just how excellent the person I’ve chosen is,” Gu Qingge smiled faintly at her daughter.
“Do you still have objections?”
Gu Lian’s face flushed.
“You called me just for that? Isn’t this an abuse of authority?”
“And I… I never said Su Nan was bad…”
“Oh?”
Gu Qingge gave her a teasing smile.
“Back then, whenever I mentioned Su Nan, you were so—”
“Enough!”
Gu Lian slammed the table, her face burning red.
The sudden motion startled Su Nan.
Wait… why am I the one feeling guilty here?
Gu Qingge gave a mischievous smile but didn’t tease her daughter further.
She turned serious.
“Alright, enough joking. I brought you two here for something important.”
“First of all—did you act on your own?”
“No,” Gu Lian denied.
“Tell the truth.”
Faced with her mother’s sharp gaze, Gu Lian was speechless.
“Evil cultivator Liang San had been targeting you. I warned you repeatedly to be cautious, yet you tell me—without Su Nan, what would’ve happened to you?”
“I…” Gu Lian bit her lip, unable to answer.
Honestly, Gu Qingge had warned her.
But the fog came too suddenly—there was no time to react.
At that moment, Su Nan spoke up:
“Dean, Gu Lian was very capable. When we faced the A-rank ghost king and wanted criminal Liang San, we wouldn’t have made it out without her.”
“Su Nan…”
Gu Lian gave him a grateful look.
But Gu Qingge waved it off.
“No need to cover for her, Su Nan.
I’m not trying to scold her, but she really gives me a headache.”
Then, rubbing her temples, she softly sighed:
“If only she had a reliable teammate like you by her side, that would be… just perfect~”
“Eh? A-Ah!”
Both Su Nan and Gu Lian froze.
Wait, I’m the one falling into a trap?!
Is her mom trying to play matchmaker?
“Is there a problem?”
Gu Qingge leaned in toward Su Nan with a playful smile.
“Protecting classmates and gentle girls—surely you don’t mind that, do you?”
“Of course not… but Gu Lian is strong, she probably—”
“Needs it!”
A sudden outburst cut him off.
Turning to the side, he saw Gu Lian covering her mouth, her face full of shyness.
Before Su Nan could respond, Gu Lian jumped up, her face red, and exclaimed:
“I-I’m going to the bathroom!”
Then she ran out in a panic.
As she left, Su Nan figured it was a good time to leave too.
But—
A soft, cool hand gently landed on his.
“Su Nan, sit down.”
He immediately obeyed, sitting respectfully.
No matter how fierce he was outside, he still respected his teachers and dean.
Definitely not because of the immense… pressure on his shoulder.
Why is it so soft?
Looking up, Su Nan felt that even the most conservative outfit would have its own charm on Gu Qingge.
“Don’t worry about Lian’er. She’s just shy,” Gu Qingge smiled warmly.
She then stood and took a drink from the fridge, placing it on the table.
“I’ve heard about what happened in the ghost realm.”
“Everyone has secrets—I won’t pry. But still—”
“Thank you, little one.”
She raised her hand and gently ruffled Su Nan’s hair with a pampering look.
Caught off guard, Su Nan just sat there, unsure of what to do.
Should I push her hand away?
But it seemed like a normal gesture of appreciation…
Especially with that warm expression—he didn’t have the heart to reject it.
And that’s why—
He was still too young.
Because behind Gu Qingge’s tender smile lay more than just affection.
She found it incredibly entertaining to watch such a handsome boy squirm.
“Dean… um…”
After a long silence and with Gu Lian still not back, Su Nan couldn’t help but ask:
“Why did you call me here?”
“Oh,” Gu Qingge smiled.
“The Academy is holding a commendation ceremony. Since you were the one who resolved the Bronze Gate incident, the school has decided to publicly reward you.”
Su Nan was stunned.
He hadn’t expected this at all.
“Dean… no need for that.”
Su Nan tried to decline.
“I didn’t do much. If the heroic spirit hadn’t possessed me, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything.”
“The SS-class wraith and SSS ghost king were all defeated using the heroic spirit’s power—it wasn’t really me.”
But Gu Qingge smiled and replied:
“Who said it had nothing to do with you?”
“If your body wasn’t special, you couldn’t have awakened the heroic soul.”
“If your body wasn’t strong, you couldn’t have held such power.”
“Besides, the teachers all saw your efforts.”
“At the critical moment, you protected both classmates and faculty.”
“If the school doesn’t reward that, how can we expect unity in the future when danger arises again?”
Su Nan looked at her gentle smile and realized: this was already decided.
Instructor Yang Ningbing must’ve already told Gu Qingge everything.
This was how the school chose to handle it.
And with such a heavy statement, Su Nan would look ungrateful if he kept refusing.
So, he had no choice but to nod in agreement.