However, to bring a loving breakfast for his junior brother, Luo Yingbai surprisingly woke up early the next morning with remarkable willpower.
He tiptoed, changed clothes, and rubbed his eyes as he went out to buy breakfast.
Luo Jiao, following his usual routine, went to his son’s room to wake him up, only to find both young men were gone, with the bed neatly made.
Surprised, he looked east, confirming the sun was still in its place, and went to the garden downstairs. There, Xia Xianning was doing pull-ups on the horizontal bar.
Seeing Luo Jiao, he let go and jumped down, “Teacher.”
“Hmm,” Luo Jiao responded, “Where’s your senior brother?”
Xia Xianning’s lips curved slightly, “Probably out buying breakfast.”
Luo Jiao: “????? What’s going on? Why isn’t he sleeping in and buying breakfast?”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
Luo Yingbai appeared behind Luo Jiao, smiling and draping an arm over his father’s shoulder.
Seeing Luo Jiao looking at what he was carrying, Luo Yingbai lifted the lunch box, happily saying, “Xianning didn’t eat dinner last night, so I went to buy wontons. This place is really popular, and if you go late, they’re sold out, so I woke up a bit early.”
He blinked at Luo Jiao, “Dad, Xianning and I are having wontons for breakfast.”
Luo Yingbai was picky, and not many things could impress him. The two who hadn’t eaten breakfast were a bit hungry.
Hearing Luo Yingbai repeatedly mention “Xianning,” Luo Jiao felt a bit jealous and couldn’t help saying, “You never wake up early to buy breakfast for your dad. Looks like I’ll get to eat thanks to Xianning today.”
“Oh, Dad, you haven’t eaten?”
Luo Yingbai expressed surprise, “Why don’t you just have the housekeeper make something? I remember you don’t eat street food, so I didn’t buy for you. This is mine and Xianning’s, none for you.”
He dramatically sniffed, “Mmm, smells great!”
Luo Jiao: “…”
This brat, he’d raised him for over twenty years, and now a junior brother was more important than his own father! All he talks about is Xianning this, Xianning that!
He snorted, brushing Luo Yingbai’s hand off his shoulder and turning into the house.
Luo Yingbai was amused, handing the lunch box to Xia Xianning, “Go get bowls and chopsticks. Let’s eat.”
Xia Xianning leaned close, whispering, “Did you really not buy for the teacher?”
Luo Yingbai laughed, “How could I not? I’m just teasing him. My dad is so silly and fun. He’ll believe anything!”
His proud and annoying attitude directly resulted in Luo Jiao not feeling happy when he saw his own small wontons, and he immediately kicked Luo Yingbai twice.
Luo Yingbai dodged playfully, ate a couple bites, and then asked, “By the way, Dad, how is Mom doing?”
Mentioning this, Luo Jiao temporarily let it go, pondering, “Your mother’s condition is a bit special.”
Luo Yingbai’s heart skipped a beat. He glanced at Xia Xianning and quickly asked, “What’s happening?”
Luo Jiao, unaware of the Weibo situation, was more calm and rational. He said, “After hearing her talking in her sleep yesterday, I took her to see a doctor. Her physical condition has indeed improved, but this sudden improvement seems inexplicable. I’m not at ease and want to get another opinion.”
That was it. Luo Yingbai breathed a sigh of relief. After eating, Luo Jiao went to see the doctor, Xia Xianning went to work, and Luo Yingbai’s school had already started.
He was worried about Jiang Yujia’s situation and felt unsettled as long as his mother hadn’t awakened. He wanted to skip class and follow Luo Jiao, but Luo Jiao didn’t agree. Helplessly, he was forced to return to school reluctantly.
The morning and evening were already cool, but near noon, some summer heat still lingered. Their second-year graduate courses were sparse, and not many people attended. Luo Yingbai entered the classroom and curled up in a corner, hiding behind an upright textbook, sleeping soundly.
Suddenly, a chaotic murmur and screams broke through his dreams, seeming to pierce his nerves in an instant. Luo Yingbai startled awake, the book in front of him falling to the ground with a bang.
Chapter 124: Black Hole Cafeteria
There were fewer than twenty people in their class, and this noise was quite loud, causing several classmates to turn around.
Fang Wei whispered, “You can sleep in class, but why are you sleepwalking?”
Luo Yingbai apologized to the teacher, explaining “I accidentally knocked over my book” while discreetly scanning the classroom.
This was their Chinese Contemporary Literary Theory class. After picking up his book, the teacher continued lecturing. However, after a moment, a strange sound suddenly emerged in the classroom.
This time, not just Luo Yingbai, but everyone in the classroom heard it. The teacher stopped speaking and frowned, saying, “Who is stomping? What’s all this noise!”
But even after being scolded, the sound continued. As the teacher was about to get angry, Fang Wei couldn’t help but say, “Teacher, this doesn’t sound like stomping. It sounds more like bouncing a ball.”
A girl in front of him said, “Is it a ghost? Who would be bouncing a ball in class?”
This girl knew Fang Wei well, and she originally meant it as a joke. But after saying it, the entire classroom suddenly went silent, and everyone’s expression turned unpleasant.
With only a few people in the classroom, the thumping sound was clear. Everyone heard it distinctly, coming from the middle of the classroom, but that area was empty.
Among the panicked group, Luo Yingbai was the only calm one.
He pressed down on the yellow talisman in his pocket, quietly sensing for a moment, then suddenly turned to look in a certain direction.
In the middle of the classroom, in an empty seat, there was unexpectedly a headless person!
The figure seemed to be a young man, sitting upright with a straight back, properly seated, continuously patting something round.
—It was his head.
Thump, thump, thump…
As the head bounced on the ground, Luo Yingbai could vaguely see green life force gradually spreading on the body of a female student in front of the headless person, then being absorbed by the head.
The eyes on the head were wide open, giving a dull and wooden impression. It seemed to have noticed Luo Yingbai looking at it, and during one of its bounces, the face turned towards Luo Yingbai and gave him a smile.
Luo Yingbai smiled back at the head.
The face on the head froze.
Immediately, Luo Yingbai tapped his finger lightly on the desk. While other classmates were in panic, a silver lightning bolt suddenly shot across the classroom, and the headless ghost jumped up as if hit by a bullet.
His head-patting stopped, and the sound that had been echoing in the classroom instantly disappeared.
Hearing his speculation, everyone in the classroom found it reasonable, and the tense atmosphere gradually relaxed.
Just moments ago, when Luo Yingbai merely tapped the desk, an overwhelming pressure emerged. The headless ghost realized it had unfortunately encountered a powerful figure and fled in panic.
While running, he hastily tried to put his head back on, but in his rush, he placed it facing backwards, which conveniently allowed him to scout for potential threats. Seeing Luo Yingbai wasn’t pursuing, he breathed a sigh of relief.
But then, the headless ghost felt like he’d run into something. Confused, he pulled off his head, repositioned it, and looked carefully.
—Luo Yingbai was standing directly in front of him, smiling.
Luo Yingbai: “Hi~”
Headless Ghost: “…”
This low-level ghost was no challenge. Luo Yingbai casually used a yellow talisman to capture him and returned to the classroom.
