Escorting the Landlord Home

When the bell rang for the last class before noon, all the starving students would rush out of the classroom in an instant, sprinting toward the cafeteria.

Unfortunately, at times like these, talent didn’t guarantee victory.

Whether you were the school’s sprinting champion or just an average student, none could compare to those who had gym class.

They had the advantage—closer proximity and an earlier dismissal.

But those who yearned for better meals dashed like mad dogs toward the school gate instead, since the food stalls behind the campus were far more enticing than the cafeteria.

Lin Mo used to be one of them, leaving Ma Li to clean up the equipment while he and the others ran ahead.

Now, however, Lin Mo packed up early, locked the equipment room, and headed straight for lunch.

As he stepped out, he happened to see Jiang Yunlu receiving a lunchbox.

The person delivering it was a young woman, though her appearance clearly marked her as an assistant or secretary.

To exaggerate, one might call her a maid, but since she was dressed in a professional office outfit, Lin Mo leaned toward "assistant."

Jiang Yunlu politely thanked her before turning to leave.

Before she did, she glanced at Lin Mo.

He understood what she meant—she had paid the "good friend fee," and now it was his turn to fulfill his duties as a good friend.

So Lin Mo made his way to the backstreet behind the school to buy snacks for the young miss.

But his attention lingered on the assistant who had delivered the meal.

After watching Jiang Yunlu enter the school, the woman immediately pulled out her phone.

"President Jiang, the meal has been delivered. The last class before noon was gym today, so the young miss came out early. Her mood seems stable."

"Any boys approaching her?"

"None that I saw, though many were watching her."

"Good. Carry on."

"Yes!"

The assistant didn’t leave the vicinity of Guangba Middle School. Instead, she found a nearby spot to sit and eat.

Only then did Lin Mo realize—this woman was stationed here specifically to monitor the situation, ready to report or intervene if necessary.

She was also acting as a bodyguard, in a way.

The thought impressed him, though it had little to do with him.

Instead, his mind wandered to other matters. After interacting with Chu Miaomiao today, he felt that if something were to happen to her in the coming days, he’d need to prepare in advance to avoid seeming too abrupt.

---

Night fell.

At Chu Miaomiao’s home.

She picked at her food with her chopsticks.

"Miaomiao, have you made any new friends at school?"

Chu Miaomiao looked up, momentarily dazed, as she recalled the events of the morning—Lin Mo, Wang Qin, and Jiang Yunlu.

Were they friends?

Wang Qin was certainly enthusiastic.

Lin Mo seemed indifferent to most things, but he was surprisingly good at badminton and even knew the plot of The Dragon King.

As for Jiang Yunlu, that girl seemed to regard her with a mix of wariness and jealousy.

Why the jealousy?

Chu Miaomiao glanced down—her view of her toes was obstructed.

Probably that.

Still, she nodded.

"I’ve met a few nice people."

Her mother pressed further.

"All girls, right?"

Chu Miaomiao lied through her teeth.

"Yeah, all girls."

Sorry, Lin Mo.

"That’s good. Boys can be dangerous—keep your distance."

"I know."

It was clear that Chu Miaomiao’s mother was protective, terrified of some delinquent whisking her daughter away.

"By the way, I’ll be going to the neighboring city for business tomorrow, so I’ll be back late. You can take the bus home by yourself, right?"

Mother Chu looked at Chu Miaomiao with slight concern.

Chu Miaomiao patted her chest, causing ripples to sway.

"It’s fine, I can get home on my own. I’m sixteen already."

"Alright, make sure to call me when you get home."

"Got it, don’t worry."

As they spoke, neither of them realized someone was eavesdropping on their conversation through divine sense.

"So that’s how it is. Tomorrow seems to be the key."

Lin Mo descended the stairs, his divine sense allowing him to effortlessly avoid surveillance cameras and security guards.

After scaling the wall, he circled around and returned to the main street.

For tomorrow, he had two approaches in mind. One was to follow Chu Miaomiao home directly and escort her.

The other option was to tail her discreetly.

......

The next day, 9:30 PM.

School had just ended, and the entrance was bustling with far more students than during the midday dismissal.

Numerous food stalls were already set up outside, waiting to cater to the hungry students.

Fried skewers, sizzling iron-plate tofu, grilled sausages, beef offal—the variety of snacks was dazzling.

Xie Yuling, a student from Class 7, stepped out and instinctively glanced toward Class 8.

She spotted Lin Mo packing up his things and hesitated over whether to wait for him when Fang Jun emerged from the classroom.

"Hey, Xie Yuling, right? Waiting for Lin Mo?"

The words immediately drew the attention of those nearby.

In the first year of high school, everyone knew Lin Mo, and those in Class 7 were familiar with Xie Yuling.

But they didn’t know Lin Mo was renting a room from Xie Yuling’s family.

So Fang Jun’s remark instantly sparked curiosity and stares.

Lin Mo walked out just then.

"What’s going on?"

Fang Jun grinned beside him. "I just asked Xie Yuling if she was waiting for you."

Lin Mo frowned, scanning the onlookers.

They all seemed eager for some juicy gossip.

Xie Yuling, meanwhile, stood there awkwardly.

It was all thanks to Fang Jun’s tactless remark.

"Xie Yuling is my landlord. Her mother asked me to walk her home for safety," Lin Mo explained, dashing the hopes of the gossip-hungry students from Classes 7 and 8.

He tapped Xie Yuling’s backpack.

"Let’s go, Landlord."

Xie Yuling stayed silent and followed behind him.

Halfway home, Lin Mo finally spoke. "Don’t mind Fang Jun. He’s just socially clueless and speaks without thinking."

"Mm."

Xie Yuling trailed behind, her thoughts in disarray.

Truthfully, she had intended to wait for Lin Mo to walk home together.

Lately, he’d been returning much later than usual after school.

Though they lived on different floors, she could still hear when he came back.

Outside the school gates, Lin Mo spotted Chu Miaomiao waiting for the bus, though she didn’t notice him.

He led Xie Yuling home first.

"Why have you been coming back so late these days?" Xie Yuling finally blurted out after a long silence.

"It’s nothing. Just some matters with my third uncle. After dropping you off, I still have to go out again."

Lin Mo’s tone was calm. Hearing this, Xie Yuling turned to face him.

"You can go ahead. No need to walk me home. This road is crowded—it’s perfectly safe."

"Fang Jun and the others are following behind. Let’s get you back first—it’s fine," someone said.

Xie Yuling turned her head and sure enough, spotted Fang Jun along with a few classmates who also lived in the urban village, sneaking along after them.

Every one of them looked like they were dying to ship a couple.

Fang Jun wasn’t even trying to hide it.

But then again, who hadn’t played matchmaker or egged others on during their school days?

Wasn’t that how so many young couples ended up together in the first place?