Shadows of the Deep Space

At that moment, Mink stood up and grabbed a can of beer, shouting to all the classmates.

"Everyone, listen up. It's rare for our teacher to treat us to a meal, so how about we all toast the teacher together?"

"Yeah!"

Numerous students stood up, each raising their glasses.

Tang Yan also stood up with a big smile and downed his glass before saying,

"Everyone, take a seat. You have all been my hardworking students for three years, and honestly, you're no different from my own children. But alas, no banquet lasts forever, and after the city-wide exams, everyone will go their separate ways, and we may never see each other again in this lifetime. So don't be shy, eat to your heart's content."

However, as soon as Tang Yan finished speaking, the previously lively atmosphere went cold, and the enthusiastic crowd bowed their heads one by one.

Tang Yan watched this scene and immediately felt a chill in his heart.

Great, there goes the mood for the dinner.

And so, he quickly changed his tune,

"Cheer up, don't be so glum! Let's talk about dreams instead. What are your dreams? Mink, you go first."

Mink, asked by his teacher, answered very seriously,

"My dream is to get into Imperial Court Academy's external campus and join the military after graduation, to achieve great things on the frontline!"

"Good, let's give a round of applause!"

Tang Yan immediately led the applause.

"The class leader will definitely make it!"

Everyone joined in the applause, offering sincere wishes.

"Thank you."

Mink responded somewhat shyly.

At this point, Tang Yan immediately called on Blondie to ask,

"Cheng Ran, what's your dream?"

"Me, well, I actually don't want to go to the frontline. I just want to graduate, serve a few years in the reserves, and then come back to open my own bar!"

Blondie scratched his head as he said this.

"Hush~"

The crowd teased with laughter.

"What's with the hushing? You all talk about your dreams too!"

Blondie said, not wanting to be outdone.

"What's the point of talking about our dreams? Let's ask what Teacher's dream is."

Chen Tong asked with a sneaky grin.

All eyes turned to Tang Yan, who was then egged on by the crowd.

"Yeah! What's your dream, Teacher?"

"Come on, tell us."

...

Su Ming also looked at Tang Yan with great interest.

Seeing that everyone wanted to know, Tang Yan said with a smile,

"My dream is to reach a quota of thirty students and transfer to Okega Academy in Rain Capital."

"Ah, teacher, you want to transfer? Isn't it nice here?"

Mink and the others asked, puzzled.

"It's nice here, but I still want to transfer, and I can't tell you the specifics."

Tang Yan replied somewhat nostalgically.

"There must be a catch, is there someone at that school you like?"

The crowd asked with genuine curiosity.

"Don't talk nonsense."

Tang Yan, though he wouldn't admit it, couldn't hide the smile on his face.

"Teacher, you're smiling so sweetly, it must be true. Tell us, who is she?"

Mink and the others asked, brimming with curiosity.

"Alright, I'll satisfy your curiosity. She was my classmate, teaching at that academy, so I wanted to transfer there."

Tang Yan no longer concealed the truth.

"So that's how it is. But, teacher, you're already at this age, and you've been teaching here for many years without ever seeing her. It shows that you probably haven't seen each other for a long time. How can you be sure she isn't married or doesn't have a boyfriend?"

Chen Tong said with a mischievous grin.

Upon hearing Chen Tong's words, Tang Yan's smile instantly stiffened, as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over him, and his mood plummeted to rock bottom. Now it was his turn to feel uncomfortable.

For a moment, the lively atmosphere turned somewhat chilly, but Tang Yan quickly adjusted his demeanor, awkwardly laughing as he said.

"I don't know about that, after all, it's just a dream. Let's not talk about this anymore; eat more."

"Okay."

Mink and the others chimed in agreement.

Elsewhere, Su Ming sat alone in the corner, keeping as far away from them as possible, suppressing his craving for the meat.

He picked up a glass of boiled water and took occasional sips, pondering matters related to Imperial Court Military Academy.

Su Ming had known beforehand that this school was difficult to get into, but after the mockery from Zhang Tai and the others, he had a more direct understanding of the challenges.

At that moment, Tang Yan noticed Su Ming sitting alone in the corner and sighed softly as he looked at the student who didn't quite fit in.

He walked over and sat down next to Su Ming, starting warmly.

"Su Ming."

Su Ming snapped back to reality, looking at Tang Yan with surprise.

"Teacher?"

"Why aren't you joining the group? Are you still struggling to come to terms with things, feeling a bit down?"

Tang Yan asked with genuine concern.

Looking at Tang Yan, Su Ming reflected carefully. He remembered that this Teacher Tang Yan had always been quite nice to him, although it seemed that he might have misunderstood something.

But some matters often become murkier the more one tries to explain, so Su Ming could only respond.

"Not anymore."

Tang Yan took a sip of beer, stirred by reflection and said.

"Su Ming, life will not always be smooth sailing. You'll encounter many setbacks and disappointments. We need to learn to reconcile with ourselves. Understand?"

Tang Yan initially wanted to encourage Su Ming to focus on the city exams first and then to chase love afterward. But, considering the gap between him and Lin Chuyu, he quickly changed his words to avoid overwhelming Su Ming's fragile heart later on.

After some thought, Su Ming shook his head and replied.

"Teacher, I know, but I'm still young, and my future is filled with endless possibilities. I can strive to pursue everything I desire; I don't need to reconcile with myself just yet! However, you should hurry, teacher. It seems you're quite old, and you don't have much time left. If you delay too long and don't get transferred, you might truly miss out."

Upon hearing Su Ming's words, Tang Yan's heart felt like it had been pierced by a blade. He thought about his age and the measly three slots he had, as well as the indefinitely delayed transfer.

For a moment, he felt incredibly down, his mood plummeting.

Tang Yan fell silent and silently pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it and taking deep puffs.

Soon, he had smoked the cigarette down to the butt. He pulled out another and lit it, as if only that could alleviate the pain in his heart.

Su Ming, sitting beside him, sighed and said as he watched Tang Yan smoke so heavily.

"Teacher, smoke less. Most girls really hate guys who smoke. It's not good for you to smoke like this."

Hearing Su Ming's words, Tang Yan felt another stab to the heart. He extinguished the cigarette in his hand and silently picked up his beer, chugging can after can.

His face betrayed his frustration and sorrow.

"Cough, teacher, listen to me, girls also don't like men who drink excessively. Especially those who only resort to drinking to escape their problems."

Su Ming reminded him helplessly.

After listening to Su Ming, Tang Yan felt another sharp pain in his heart. The bitterness and frustration of the years surged up, spurred on by the alcohol.

At that moment, his psychological defenses crumbled like a dam breaking.

"Wuu~"

Tang Yan suddenly leaned on the table and burst into tears.