It was quiet mostly between them until they heard footsteps and voices, cheerful and ready for today.

Rucheng let out a sigh as they stepped into the hall room. Juimin looked over her shoulder at the girls that walked in and sighed too. He looked at Rucheng, who was just about to finish the last of the rabbit she had taken, then he saw that there was more left. 

He picked up the plate and slid the leftover meat onto hers, saying, “Eat the rest. I’m full. I’ll pay for the meal at the end of the month. Don’t worry about it.”

She looked out of the window and saw that it should be right around seven. Rucheng had gotten used to telling the time like this because how else was she going to? She didn’t have the money to buy a stone clock.

“Isn’t that Kim Juimin? Who’s he sitting with?” She heard them whisper.

Rucheng looked at him and saw that he was minding his business. She turned herself while fixing the robe on her body, almost trying to hide herself from them. Bringing her long hair over her shoulders, she fixed it so that you couldn’t tell who she was, covering her face.

Juimin frowned, “I’m not ugly. Why don’t you want to be seen with me?”

Glaring at him, she spoke so only he could hear, “That’s not it, your highness, I just don’t want to ruin your reputation.”

He raised a brow as he thought her words through. She was considering him more over herself and he should be grateful for that. Smiling gently, he said, “Thank you for considering me, but like I said to you before, I don’t care about what other people say, so don’t hide your beautiful face away. And you know my name. It isn’t your highness.”

Rucheng felt touched hearing him call her beautiful. She rubbed her nose, embarrassed, then brushed her hair behind her ears. Looking at him, as she sat properly, she said, “Kim Juimin.”

“Yes?” He answered.

“Thank you for treating me to breakfast. Why don’t you eat more? I’m not greedy,” she said.

“Greedy? I don’t think that you are greedy,” he said.

Shrugging her shoulders, she said, “I know. It’s just that my mother taught me to share.”

“I’ve had my share. I don’t overindulge with food. I don’t want to mess up my body,” he said.

She found his words amusing, saying, “You sound like a female watching her body.”

Amused, he stared at her as he rested his chin on the palm of his right hand and said, “And you don’t? From what I know of you, Qin Rucheng, my younger brother’s teacher. You know, he brags about you at home. Oh, and I must thank you for taking care of him when he was sick. I heard my father didn’t believe that he was sick.”

“Your brother?” She questioned.

The only one she knew that had a brother was Xiao Min had a brother, Wol Ryeong.

Juimin could see her confusion and remembered how she said they were all new characters in her life. “Do you really not remember me? Was your accident that bad?”

Rucheng raised a brow, then nodded her head, “Who’s your brother? Do I know him?”

“Sang Chul, Kim Sang Chul,” he said as he watched her expression compose.

“Oh, you’re little mouse’s brother, no wonder you look familiar. You look like General Kim more than little mouse does,” she said.

He chuckled, “Little mouse? He complained about that name, but I think he does like it. And yes, we are from the same father, but my father has five wives.”

“Well damn now, my father-in-law sure likes women,” she said with a shake of her head and drank the last of the chicken soup they got.

“Father-in-law? How, Kim Juimin, you’re dating Qin Rucheng? How, since when?” Someone asked from behind them.

Rucheng turned around to see who it was and when she did.

She saw that the cafeteria was already full because the two girls from before went to wake their friends up to tell them about the couple.

Behind them stood Juimin’s group of friends. Xuan Shang, Chao Feng, Qing Heng, Lan Jue and Yan Fang.

Hur Xuan Shang from the Hur Clan, who specialise in the fire element. The Hur family thrives on wielding the power of fire and most cultivators with the element of fire rush to join the Hur clan, which has many subsidiary sects, just so that there was a balance in the main clan. 

Zhang Chao Feng of the Zhang family cultivated with brute force and they specialised in martial arts like General Kim. 

Son Qing Heng came from the Son family who were notorious in the way of the spear. Like General Kim, Qing Heng’s father was a general too, but his mother was a healer, working for the university and teaching medicine.

Yang Lan Jue was Juimin’s best friend and the one who spoke out. He was talkative and sometimes wouldn’t breathe just to finish his sentences. The annoying one of the group, but also the one who cared the most. He wasn’t at all interested in cultivating, but he had no choice. His clan was the largest, competing with Wol Ryeong’s family in the merchant business and business wasn’t his strong point, so he had to choose, cultivate, or become a businessman.

Geum Yan Fang came from a family of blacksmiths. Most of the weapons out in the kingdom came from their family because of their quality. Yan Feng was currently the man to go to if you wanted a weapon and if you were his friend, you would get a discount.

Juimin looked at his friends and was displeased. “Is that the first thing you say when you see me?”

Lan Jue smiled embarrassed. He sat down beside Rucheng and folded his hands together apologetically as he batted his eyes, “Forgive me. Good morning, how are you? Did you sleep well? Are you full? Should we get you something else to eat? Are you happy now?”

He stopped speaking and looked at Rucheng. “Good morning.”

She nodded her head slowly as she picked up the cup with water in it and greeting, “Good morning.”

She was so confused; she wished she knew about them, but her memory is really a problem. Juimin had his eyes on her and could see that she was uncomfortable. Standing up, he said, “I think we’re finished here. It’s getting crowded.”

Rucheng nodded her head and stood up.

“Eh? But we just got here!” Lan Jue protested.

“Mn, I know, but we’ve been here for three hours already. She has to get ready for her class and so do I,” he explained as he pulled Rucheng to his side. 

Lan Jue stood up and looked at his buddies for support, but they could tell that Rucheng was uncomfortable and Juimin wanted them to remain silent.

Frowning, he said, “Fine, see you later.”

Juimin nodded his head and guided Rucheng out under the watchful gazes of many nosy people. 

*

Sitting down at the table, the males looked at each other and spoke through their communication link. 

“I thought Juimin wasn’t interested in dating? Didn’t he reject all those offers before?” Lan Jue spoke.

Yan Fang sighed, he looked at Lan Jue who was stuffing his face and said, “It’s none of your business.”

“Exactly, but why Qin Rucheng? Wasn’t she running after that bastard Wol Ryeong?” Qing Heng questioned.

“Qin Rucheng? The same Qin Rucheng who has gone mad and messed up the school curriculum for the little ones? I don’t think she’s right for him,” Lan Jue spoke.

“Who are you to judge? Besides, we don’t know if they are dating,” Xuan Shang said.

“Just think about it,” Lan Jue said as he stared at him. “Maybe Juimin is up to something.

*

Juimin walked Rucheng to the staff living complex. It was empty due to everyone living in their homes, so sometimes the teachers would stay in the homes if they worked overtime or, in this case, Rucheng planned on taking a bath then heading to her classroom.

They stopped outside one of the homes after she got the key. Taking off the robe, she said, “Thank you for walking me all the way in.”

She tried to hand him the robe back, but he didn’t take it. “Keep it.”

“Why? It’s yours,” she said.

He shook his head. “I know it’s mine, but just keep it for now. I have another one that I can wear. I don’t think you have something to cover you with or you would’ve taken it out by now to wear.”

Folding the robe over her arms, she said, annoyed, “You know, for some reason, this doesn’t feel right. I can tell you’re doing this on purpose and don’t give me bullshit on you being a gentleman or Sang Chul’s brother. You should put a stop to this if you don’t want to be embarrassed because you know me.”

Juimin took the robe from her arms and covered her with it. He pulled her in close to him, making her eyes widened in both surprise and shock.

He stared down into her eyes as she stared up into his, saying, “You should worry about your own reputation, not mine. Now, I will fetch my robe when I need it from you and in the time that you don’t see me, make sure you think about me because I will be thinking about you, Miss Qin.”