Chapter 960 The New Year Atmosphere Grows Stronger

The bells had rung across all the colleges of Federation University, marking the arrival of the coldest time of the year. With the exception of those who had to stay on campus due to special circumstances, all the students had already gone home. The teachers had concluded their final meetings of the academic year, evaluating outstanding student representatives from each college and processing transfers, promotions, and other administrative matters. Now, the school’s faculty and professors were officially on holiday.

Of course, there were a few professors who chose to stay behind.

Feathery snowflakes drifted down in a heavy flurry. Teacher Mao, bundled up in a thick down jacket, stood in a pile of snow and looked at his mentor. "Teacher, why don’t you come to my house for the New Year?"

"Are you joking?" Dean Lao Fu rolled his eyes. Away from work, his usually stern face had softened with a bit more humanity. "Do you think it’s just about having a meal? I’m staying right here. Hurry up and go home."

His mentor was growing increasingly old. Time had stooped his posture, and Teacher Mao suddenly felt a prickle of sorrow in his nose. The Dean’s wife had been a frontline soldier, just like his mentor. But while his mentor had honorably retired, his wife... and their only daughter had both passed away in an accident.

He had heard that his teacher had spent the New Year alone all these years. "Teacher, how about I stay and spend the New Year with you? That way, you won’t be by yourself!"

It was impossible for Dean Lao Fu not to be moved, but his student had his own family to attend to. "Are you just afraid of going home and having your mother ask where your wife is? Is that why you thought of hiding out here with me?

"I’m not going to be your human shield. Go back. I’m used to being alone."

After Dean Lao Fu’s repeated refusals, Teacher Mao had no choice but to walk away, feeling slightly disappointed. Truth be told, he hadn’t thought about escaping his family’s nagging for marriage before, but when the Dean mentioned it, staying behind really did seem like the best of both worlds.

Darting back to his dormitory to grab his luggage, Teacher Mao hopped into a hovercar parked at the academy gates and set off for home.

Looking down from high above, Federation Star had transformed into a sea of festive red. Everyone was preparing for the New Year. Teacher Mao lived in a small villa district on the western outskirts of the nearby suburbs, which was quite a distance away. On the way there, he opened his terminal, surfing the web to kill time.

Oh, today’s top trending page was dominated by social news.

The case regarding the high-ranking executive from a Federal Company who had forced female streamers into prostitution had finally concluded. The criminal, Qian Song, had expressed deep remorse and was about to be sent to a Mine Star to serve his time. His father had visited him one last time before his departure, weeping bitterly and expressing that he had failed the public.

Teacher Mao hated this news. He felt that the suicide of the streamer, Qinghong, was a tragic waste, and the sentence given to the perpetrator was absurdly light. To think that committing such heinous acts only warranted a fixed-term prison sentence. He felt the man should have been locked away for life, or even given the death penalty. In his opinion, the authorities never should have abolished capital punishment for such severe crimes.

Swiping past these depressing updates, Teacher Mao couldn’t help but tap into Jiang Qiuqiu’s culinary circle to browse. After all, she was his prized pupil.

Juju’s circle was relatively peaceful and warm. Aside from posts discussing food, there were threads sharing cooking techniques. Recently, however, "surprise posts" had taken over. The final selection for the New Year’s Eve dinner slots had closed two days ago, and this year’s "chosen ones" had just been freshly announced.

Those who had received an invitation were busy showing it off, while those who hadn’t were gearing up to watch the live stream. The two sides were even engaging in friendly negotiations, agreeing to organize a "full banquet tasting and sharing session" so that those without a ticket could experience the New Year’s flavor vicariously.

As everyone chattered noisily online, Teacher Mao let out a soft chuckle and checked his own account backend.

He wasn’t some phenomenally lucky person, but there were indeed six tickets sitting quietly in his inbox. His prized student had secretly invited his entire family.