Teacher Venti's Farewell Party

The three of them chatted as they made their way to the music department building.

Along the way, Lu Chen felt like a walking spotlight. The stares from the boys were more piercing than the sunlight filtering through the trees above...

Pure envy and jealousy.jpg

There wasn't much he could do about it. On either side of him were two rare beauties—one cool and aloof, the other sweet and adorable. Together, they outshone even the blooming flowers along the path.

And as the only guy in the trio, Lu Chen definitely stood out... in the most annoying way possible.

He spotted a young athlete on the field who was so distracted by their presence that he forgot to pick up the soccer ball rolling toward him. Ever helpful, Lu Chen gave the ball a kick and sent it back.

A pained yelp echoed in the distance. Lu Chen looked up at the building ahead. "I think this is the one. We're here."

The music department had a building all to itself. When they reached the entrance, a tall girl with a vaguely familiar face came running over.

"Lu Chen, you're finally here! Everyone's already waiting in the classroom!"

"Someone's here to meet me?"

Lu Chen chuckled—so he was getting this kind of treatment now?

The tall girl was briefly stunned by his smile, but quickly beamed even brighter.

"We've been waiting just for you! Everyone heard you were coming and didn't want you getting lost. Come on, I'll take you there!"

She reached for Lu Chen's hand, intending to lead the way, but he subtly dodged.

Seeing her slightly confused expression, Lu Chen waved it off.

"You go ahead. I'll find my way."

She gave a soft "mm" in reply. As she turned back around, Lu Chen instinctively glanced at Ei.

She seemed to be looking around—for the soccer ball, maybe?

Barbara shivered and rubbed her arm. Why did it suddenly feel so cold...?

...

In Venti's classroom, all the students were already seated, though class hadn't officially started yet. Venti himself hadn't arrived.

He was the type who never held students past the bell—and naturally, never arrived a second early either. Teaching even a moment longer seemed like a loss to him.

The tall girl had saved a seat next to her for Lu Chen. When the trio arrived, many students greeted them with smiles.

Lu Chen had only been here a few times, but thanks to the music video shoot, he recognized most of the students' faces and nodded back politely.

But he didn't dare to smile too broadly.

The bell rang. Venti walked in, wearing a white dress shirt and glasses, textbook under one arm. He headed straight to the podium and immediately spotted the three seated in the crowd.

"Yo! You guys showed up too!"

Wearing glasses, Venti looked unusually serious. For a moment, Lu Chen thought he had the wrong person.

He gave a small wave.

Since it was the final class, Venti didn't bother with the official lesson plan. Instead, he shared insights from his years of experience playing music.

As an instructor, Venti was exceptional—no surprise, considering he had over a millennium of musical knowledge. During his time as a substitute teacher, every student had gained immensely.

His classes were never dull. He rarely lectured on dry theory and preferred to drag students up front for hands-on experience.

"During your performance exams, don't get nervous. And forget those tips about imagining the judges as vegetables..."

He shoved a clarinet into one student's arms and pointed to his own eyes.

"You need to be sincere—convey your emotions to them."

"For example, this 'Little Concerto'—it's lively, romantic. Do you know the kind of place it was composed in?"

"Yes, just like that. You see a bright blue sky... the girl you love out in the fields..."

"Uh... Teacher Venti, you mean I should imagine the judges as the girl I love?"

"What?! What are you even talking about!?"

The class erupted in laughter.

This was the typical vibe of Venti's classroom. As the room buzzed with laughter, the tall girl leaned in and whispered the plan to Lu Chen.

Even though Venti had told them not to hold a farewell party—he didn't want to stir trouble since the regular teacher had just been discharged—the students couldn't help themselves. They really didn't want to see him go.

This would likely be their last time seeing Teacher Venti.

So for this final class, they'd secretly prepared a surprise farewell party.

It was the kind of heartfelt moment that might just become a treasured memory in their lives.

...

Midway through the lesson, a boy suddenly raised his hand with a mischievous grin.

"Teacher Venti, it's getting late! Don't overrun class!"

"Huh?" Venti glanced at the clock, a bit confused. "Class isn't over yet. There's still time, right?"

The moment he finished speaking, every student in the room stood up, smiling brightly at him.

"Huh? What's going on?"

"Teacher Venti—we want to confess our feelings to you!!"

A girl, blushing furiously, ran up to the podium and shoved a beautifully decorated bottle and a letter into Venti's hands.

Venti stared at the bottle, surprised.

"Is this... wine?"

"Teacher Venti!" The girl threw her arms around him. "You're my absolute favorite!!"

"Eh?" Venti blinked, stunned.

The girl skipped back to her seat, giggling. Before Venti could process what just happened, a short-haired boy gave him a bear hug.

"Teacher Venti, I love you!!"

Lu Chen noticed both Ei and Barbara frozen in disbelief—because every student, boy and girl alike, had lined up at the front.

One by one, they hugged Venti and handed him carefully prepared gifts.

All of them were alcohol.

Beer, red wine, sorghum liquor, even Erguotou...

Over time, the students had learned Venti's love for drinking—and his dream of tasting fine liquor from all over the world—so they'd each brought something special from their hometowns.

Bottles in every shape and color began piling up on the podium. Venti went from stunned, to sheepish smile, to finally glancing toward Lu Chen and the others who were quietly enjoying the show.

He mouthed:

"You told them, didn't you?"

Lu Chen shook his head. He had no idea—maybe one of the students saw him sneaking off to buy alcohol one day...

On the podium, the farewell party continued.

"Teacher Venti is the best, mua!"

"Die cutie~"

"What are we gonna do without you, Teacher Venti... sniff sniff..."

"No more cutting class... boo hoo..."

Some students burst into tears after their heartfelt farewells. Lu Chen even saw that Venti's nose had turned a little red.

"Lord Barbatos... is this how beloved you are here...?"

Barbara, always sensitive to emotions, watched the sweet yet bittersweet scene unfold, her tone turning wistful.

"Everyone really does love Teacher Venti," Lu Chen said with a smile.

"They do..." Barbara nodded softly, her eyes locked on the radiant figure at the podium.

Ei, however, stared at the ever-growing mountain of alcohol and suddenly remembered something important.

"Wait. Isn't alcohol strictly banned on campus? What are we going to do?"

Lu Chen nodded silently. Students caught bringing alcohol would be hit with serious demerits—let alone teachers. These kids were seriously gutsy...

And by now, the noise had already alerted the school's disciplinary office. Lu Chen's sharp senses picked up hurried footsteps approaching from down the hall.

Sigh... guess I'm cleaning up after him again...

Lu Chen checked the time—class was almost over—and quickly walked up to the podium.

He began ushering Venti and the students toward the exit.

"Alright, let's go. Take this outside. It's still a long way to the school gate..."

Venti seemed to understand what Lu Chen was doing. With a helpless smile, he called out, "Trouble you again~"

Lu Chen hadn't expected his first use of [Spatial Authority: Temporal Rift] to be... under these circumstances.

But he activated the skill and waved the group forward.

The sound of students sobbing echoed down the hallway, conveniently drowning out the footsteps of the approaching administrator.

By the time the disciplinary director stepped into the classroom, it was completely empty. The podium had been cleared, and only two beautiful girls sat there silently, looking at him.

"Huh... weird. Who was it that reported a drinking party going on here...?"