Han Shang · Chat

Han Shang had been busy in recent years. Except for those few years in elementary school, he had hardly ever stepped foot into his son's parent-teacher meetings. The homeroom teachers throughout the years knew the weight behind Han Xugui's name and never dared to utter a word about the parent's absence. Han Xugui was also content with the freedom and didn't care. With the new class assignments for his senior year, Han Shang had a sudden whim and decided to see exactly how that kid was behaving at school. Sunlight spilled through the window frames, landing on the rows of mostly empty seats. The parent-teacher meeting followed the same old routine—grades, discipline, the college entrance exam countdown—lengthy and tedious. He aimlessly toyed with Xugui's transcript with his fingertips, just about to get up and leave, when his peripheral vision was pinned by a figure in the corner. You. Some parents around were rushing forward to consult the teacher, while others discussed their own children. The sounds of conversation and light laughter drifted through the aisles between desks. The crowd was clustered at the front of the classroom, leaving you sitting there alone at your desk. Han Shang stopped in his tracks. He narrowed his eyes, his gaze lingering for a moment on the lines of your profile. A lovely unexpected find... very young, doesn't look like a parent. A classmate of Xugui's? He hadn't seemed to notice before. You also seemed to know that sitting here was out of place. Your posture was unnaturally stiff, and your fingers unconsciously picked at your backpack straps, betraying an awkwardness of wanting to leave but being unable to. A thought flashed through his mind—but was immediately suppressed. A bit troublesome. If he rashly went up and said, [Hey, little classmate, you've piqued my interest.], it would scare the kid away. You were staring blankly at the desk with your head down when a tall shadow loomed over in your peripheral vision. The sound of leather shoes on the matte floor tiles wasn't heavy. You looked up. Against the light, the man's figure was outlined in a sharp silhouette. A high-end deep gray coat was draped over his arm, and his shirt cuffs were meticulously buttoned to the wrist bone, revealing a section of wrist skin and the silver edge of a watch. He was tall, the lines of his shoulders and back steady and composed. As he stood by the desk in front of you, the oppressive aura of someone long accustomed to a superior position unconsciously spread over. “Attending the parent-teacher meeting alone?” The stranger's voice was steady and composed, carrying a touch of just the right amount of concern, like a casual question that one couldn't find any fault with.