I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Chapter 44: Dropping Out

Zheng Fa could never have imagined that his mastery of the Linghe Body would lead Madam to reasonably, yet absurdly, deduce that he must be backed by a Nascent Soul cultivator.

But right now, his bigger problem was something else: Old Bai—the retired professor—had grown tired of learning martial arts.

No, to be precise, he wanted to quit.

One evening, after tutoring Tang Lingwu, Old Bai suddenly said to Zheng Fa, “Little Zheng, I probably won’t have time to practice martial arts anymore.”

Old Bai’s progress in martial arts had been slow and unremarkable, and his enthusiasm had gradually waned with each passing day.

Zheng Fa had seen this coming and wasn’t surprised.

Tang Lingwu, on the other hand, couldn’t help but voice her suspicions. “Grandpa Bai, are you giving up because martial arts is too exhausting and painful?”

“Giving up? Nonsense!” Old Bai said with an air of indignation. “I’m just too busy with important matters. Important people have important things to do, you know!”

“You’ll see!” Old Bai puffed out his chest. “The other day, someone from Jingcheng University Press called me—begging for my new book!”

Both Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu were taken aback.

“You’re still writing books? You never mentioned it before,” Zheng Fa asked, surprised.

“Why would I brag about something like that to you two youngsters?” Old Bai retorted smugly. “I may be old and retired, but they’re practically crying for my book!”

Tang Lingwu looked skeptical. “What kind of book are you writing, Grandpa Bai?”

Old Bai sighed. “You probably don’t know this, but some of the university textbooks we use today were written decades ago. They’re not bad—written by esteemed scholars—but they’re outdated. New knowledge needs to be incorporated.”

“So, you’re writing a textbook for Jingcheng University?” Tang Lingwu asked, now sounding a bit awed.

“Just one,” Old Bai said modestly, waving a hand. “It’s nothing special, but they’re in a rush, so I really don’t have the time!”

Seeing that he wasn’t making this up, Zheng Fa’s view of Old Bai shifted.

“It’s not that I’m giving up martial arts,” Old Bai explained again. “I just can’t stop thinking about those poor students stuck with outdated textbooks. I can’t sleep at night!”

Tang Lingwu glanced at Zheng Fa, a hint of worry in her eyes.

Sure enough, Old Bai turned to Zheng Fa. “Little Zheng, if you have questions, just come to my place on weekends. I’ll spare an hour or two for you. As for topology and such, you won’t need it for now. We can revisit it after your college entrance exams.”

Tang Lingwu opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something but seemed unsure of what.

Zheng Fa nodded. He didn’t hold it against Old Bai.

For a while, he had enjoyed private lessons from the professor. Although he hadn’t mastered university-level mathematics like topology, he had gained a much deeper understanding of the concepts required for his high school exams.

As for martial arts, Old Bai had practiced the Pine Crane Stance for some time without much progress. If anything, Zheng Fa had benefited far more from the arrangement.

Old Bai’s decision to step back was understandable. On one hand, martial arts hadn’t provided the kind of positive reinforcement he needed. On the other, Zheng Fa’s learning pace had slowed.

Just as a student chooses their teacher, a teacher also chooses their student—a principle even more prominent in the Xuanyi Realm.

For someone accustomed to teaching Jingcheng University’s elite students, Old Bai’s mild frustration with Zheng Fa’s pace was only natural.

However, Old Bai’s intentions weren’t ill. In his eyes, Zheng Fa’s primary focus should be the college entrance exams, not advanced mathematics.

Zheng Fa actually felt a bit grateful. By inviting him over on weekends, Old Bai was showing a level of generosity uncommon among mentors who no longer had any expectations for their students.

Seeing Zheng Fa’s calm acceptance, Tang Lingwu exhaled softly, though she suddenly fixed him with a puzzled stare.

“Why are you staring at Zheng Fa?” Old Bai asked, irritated by her unrelenting gaze.

“He… looks different,” Tang Lingwu murmured, her eyes narrowing.

Old Bai squinted at Zheng Fa, scrutinizing him from head to toe. “He doesn’t look different to me—still one nose, two eyes.”

“You need reading glasses,” Tang Lingwu shot back. Ignoring him, she turned back to Zheng Fa. “What skincare products are you using?”

Zheng Fa knew she had noticed the subtle changes from his mastery of the Linghe Body.

“I’ve made some progress in martial arts,” Zheng Fa explained.

“Martial arts?” Tang Lingwu’s mouth fell open. “I thought…” She glanced at Old Bai, who was rummaging for his reading glasses. “I thought you were just bluffing Grandpa Bai!”

Putting on his glasses, Old Bai leaned in close, studying Zheng Fa’s face as though conducting an experiment.

“See anything?” Tang Lingwu asked.

“Nope,” Old Bai replied.

“Then why are you staring so long?”

“How should I know what he looked like before? I’m not like you, staring at boys all day!” Old Bai retorted, completely unbothered.

“…So, you’re saying mastering martial arts improved your skin?” Tang Lingwu asked, curious.

“Yes. One morning, I woke up, and it was as if I’d shed a layer of skin,” Zheng Fa replied.

“Does that mean the longevity benefits you mentioned are real too?” Tang Lingwu’s eyes sparkled with unprecedented excitement.

“Of course. Did you think I was lying?” Zheng Fa shot back, turning to Old Bai. “You too—did you think I was lying?”

Both nodded in unison.

“Then why were you even practicing?”

“Well…” Old Bai chuckled awkwardly. “I was bored in retirement.”

“Truly miraculous…” Tang Lingwu reached out a finger as if to touch Zheng Fa’s face but hesitated.

“What do you two take me for?” Zheng Fa muttered, feeling slightly exasperated.

“Well, there are too many frauds online these days…” Both offered sheepish grins.

“Do you believe me now?”

“Yes, yes, we do!” They nodded enthusiastically, staring at his face.

After a while, Old Bai suddenly looked bashful. “Little Zheng… I think I want to learn martial arts again.”

“Again?”

“Yes!”

“But didn’t you say you were too busy?”

“Busy? Nonsense! I’m just a retired nobody—who cares what I do?”

“What about the book?”

“I’ll write it slower!”

Zheng Fa shook his head. “You said the students were desperate for it.”

“Let them wait! They won’t starve!” Old Bai waved dismissively. “I’m not some big-name mathematician. My book’s not that important.”

Zheng Fa couldn’t bear to look at his shameless face anymore and turned to Tang Lingwu.

She slid an unopened milk tea across the table toward him with a single finger.

“?”

“I want to learn too,” she said, her rare enthusiasm shining in her eyes. “I’ll buy you milk tea in exchange.”

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