Chapter 044: The Bear Has Strength Lu Yun trailed behind Ling Xiaoman, utterly enchanted by her graceful and elegant figure. He waved his arms vigorously, sighing with frustration. "This weather’s been wild—last afternoon it was blowing hard, but now there's not a single breeze! If only a tiny tornado could rise up just then, wrapping Ling Xiaoman right in its swirl—I’d be certain she'd be completely speechless, her beauty spilled out in the sheer elegance of her short skirt!" And indeed, fate had been kind—what could be more coincidental than that? As Lu Yun’s thoughts were still swirling, a slender tornado suddenly sprang up and spiraled toward Ling Xiaoman. Ling Xiaoman was walking along with her usual calm and ease, utterly unaware that the next moment might bring about a wardrobe mishap. Lu Yun held his breath, eyes fixed on the path of the little whirlwind. As he watched, the swirling wind carried bits of grass and paper scraps straight toward Ling Xiaoman. Without thinking, Lu Yun suddenly leaped forward and pushed her slightly off balance. "Ah!" Ling Xiaoman steadied herself, turned sharply to glare at Lu Yun, and said, "Lu Yun—what on earth are you doing?" Now regretting his hasty action, Lu Yun cursed under his breath: *What a fool! How could he have pushed her? He had such a chance to enjoy the view!* Facing Ling Xiaoman’s sharp inquiry, Lu Yun stayed silent. Instead, he pointed toward the tornado that had just passed by, then quickly glanced at the folds of her skirt. How clever was Ling Xiaoman! As she followed his gesture, she instantly understood what had happened. When she saw the swift glance at her skirt, she realized perfectly well that it wasn’t an accident—she’d merely mistaken Lu Yun’s actions for clumsiness. With a deep sense of embarrassment and humility, she said, "I’m sorry, Lu Yun—I misunderstood you entirely." "Never mind," Lu Yun replied with his usual composed dignity, waving her off. But inside, he felt deeply regretful—he was practically lamenting the loss of his own stomach! Ling Xiaoman smiled gently, revealing a bright set of white teeth, and reached out to take Lu Yun’s hand. "I first saw you being asked to stand by your teacher, and I thought you were just some jolly, mischief-loving boy. Now I see—you're actually quite thoughtful." Lu Yun bowed his head slightly. The smooth sensation of her hand on his was both refreshing and subtly warm. He stammered, "Thank you, Teacher Ling. I have one question for you." Ling Xiaoman’s expression brightened at the question. "Go ahead," she said with a light smile. "Teacher Ling—how did you end up teaching here in this remote town school? You’re so accomplished and talented!" As soon as Lu Yun asked, Ling Xiaoman’s expression dimmed slightly—but quickly returned to its usual warmth. She smiled brightly and said, "Well, the country air is just so much better than city life nowadays—do you know how polluted the urban air has become?" She released his hand and gestured dramatically. Lu Yun couldn’t help but roll his eyes—*You’ve already given away your secret!* That expression had clearly revealed her true feelings—perhaps she’d even come to escape an unwanted wedding! Yet, as he listened to her soft, melodic voice, he felt a genuine sense of admiration. "Lu Yun," she said, looking at him now, "I’ll head off to eat now—I’m getting hungry." "Wait—you haven’t eaten yet? Neither have I. Would you like to go together?" Lu Yun thought quickly—what better opportunity was there than to deepen their connection a little more? "Sure!" Ling Xiaoman responded readily, completely unaware that the seemingly small boy before her was quietly plotting something behind his eyes. They both arrived at the canteen just as most students had finished dinner. Only a few remained scattered around. Lu Yun was so absorbed in chatting with Ling Xiaoman that he’d forgotten to fetch their trays. Likewise, Ling Xiaoman had only recently arrived and hadn’t yet gathered her belongings. The two of them stared at each other, smiling slightly—caught between the simple elegance of the moment and a mutual awareness of the awkwardness. It was Lu Yun’s cleverness again—he realized that if he returned to fetch their trays, they’d have to share one bowl together. Even if Ling Xiaoman didn’t mind him being a bit messy, would she be comfortable sharing her plate with someone like him? After all, it wasn’t as though they were married! "Teacher Ling—hold on!" Lu Yun said, quickly heading off to find some tableware. "I’ll go see if I can locate some utensils." Ling Xiaoman smiled softly and nodded in agreement. Lu Yun didn’t linger—he strode toward the back of the canteen, muttering under his breath about how poorly the school handled hospitality. *How could they expect such a delicate, graceful woman like this to be invited to dine at the town’s restaurant? The headmaster is practically stingy!* In fact, since Ling Xiaoman had joined the school, every male teacher—everyone from the principal down to the deputy director—had extended invitations for dinner. Yet each time, she had politely declined. Inside the canteen, Lu Yun found Zhang Yi, the black bear, dozing off just as no one else was around. His deep, rumbling snoring sounded like thunder—a sound that would surely wake up any sleeping beauty nearby. Lu Yun had been utterly surprised—how could he have missed such a soothing rhythm? He’d only ever seen Li Yun, the lovely young woman, grow more graceful and confident with every passing day. Just thinking about her, he imagined how well she must sleep now—with all those deep, steady snoring rhythms providing just the right kind of background music! And then—Lu Yun noticed: people like Li Yun were already being satisfied in the most intimate ways. She surely had her share of romantic fulfillment—and with such a peaceful sleep schedule to match! "Hey, Zhang brother!" Lu Yun called out, gently nudging him. Zhang Yi simply pushed aside, and with his arm still slightly off-kilter, Lu Yun’s body tipped back—just barely avoiding a head-bump against the floor. *This bear has incredible strength!* He thought. *Thank goodness Zhou Quan hadn’t gotten into a fight with him or he’d have been flattened like pancake!* … Chapter 044: The Bear Has Strength – Updated!