Chapter 192 Don’t Tell Anyone I’m Your Teacher

Chapter 192: Chapter 192 Don’t Tell Anyone I’m Your Teacher

The small kitchen dropped into total silence.

​The raised golden seal of the university glistened brightly under the warm yellow ceiling bulb. Professor Julian’s chopsticks remained frozen in mid-air right above his bowl, his graying eyebrows knit tight together. His lower lip gave a small, nervous tremble as his eyes scanned the formal text printed across the page.

​Then, out of nowhere, he let out a sudden laugh.

​It was a short, dry sound that cracked through the quiet room. It was not the sound of a happy man celebrating good news, but the sound of someone who simply could not bring himself to believe what was right before his eyes.

​"You forged it," he declared, nodding slowly to himself as if everything suddenly made sense. "You actually sat down and forged an entire official admission letter."

​Veyra blinked in complete surprise, tilting her head. "What are you talking about?"

​"The letter. The raised seal. The dean’s signature at the bottom." He set his chopsticks down on the edge of his bowl with a soft clatter. "You made this whole fake document just to try and lift my spirits up today. That is very sweet of you, Veyra, but you really did not have to go through all that trouble for my sake."

​Veyra stared straight at him, her voice remaining perfectly steady. "Professor, I did not forge a single word on that paper."

​"Oh, come on now." He waved his thin hand dismissively through the air. "I know how talented you are with your hands and your mind. I know you are sharper than most adults twice your age. But getting accepted into the Etland University of Medicine? Without a proper high school diploma on record? Without taking their standard entrance exams first?"

​He shook his head, leaning back against his wooden chair.

​"That is completely impossible in this city."

​Veyra kept her composure, her voice dropping into a quiet, firm tone. "It is not impossible."

​Professor Julian’s small smile began to fade away. He looked directly into her face, taking in the calm, steady look in her eyes and the fact that she was not cracking a joke or smiling back at him.

​"Veyra," he started slowly, his posture stiffening. "Are you really being serious right now?"

​"I am completely serious," she answered without blinking.

​He reached out with a trembling hand and picked up the paper once again. This time, he held it right under the table lamp, inspecting every inch of the white sheet. He looked at the crisp ink of the signature, the formal letterhead, and the embossed crest pressed into the corner.

​He ran his calloused thumb gently over the surface of the seal. It was clearly raised, thick, and unmistakably genuine.

​His hand began to shake so much that the paper rustled in the quiet room.

​"This... this is actually real," he whispered, his voice catching in his throat.

​"It is real," she affirmed gently.

​He slowly raised his head to look at her. His eyes were wide and glossy with unshed tears.

​"How on earth did you manage this?"

​Veyra pulled out the chair across from him and took a seat.

​"It is a very long story," she said, leaning her arms on the edge of the table.

​"I have all the time in the world tonight," he replied, setting the paper down carefully as if it were made of delicate glass.

​She took a slow breath, settling her thoughts, and began to tell him everything that had taken place over the past several months.

​She told him about her failed marriage to Caspian, the cold neglect she faced in that house, the secrets hidden away in their basement, and the bitter divorce that followed.

​She spoke about the Solenne family, describing how her biological father, her calculating stepmother, and her selfish half-sister had treated her like a burden and tossed her aside the moment she was no longer useful to them.

​She explained her current situation with Dorian Thorne, detailing the private contract marriage they had signed, the complex arrangements involving the child, and the unusual life she was currently living inside the Thorne estate.

​Then she moved on to her professional breakthroughs, telling him about her collaboration with Dr. Harrison, the successful heart serum they developed together, the lucrative licensing deal that followed, and how that exact research paved her path straight into the university board’s good graces.

​Finally, she brought up her personal herbal shop, along with the loyal team she had gathered around her, including Mia, Megan, and Jade.

​She held nothing back, laying out the entire truth of her life before the old man.

​Professor Julian sat completely still, listening to every single word that came out of her mouth.

​As she spoke, his weathered face shifted through a dozen different emotions. He went from utter shock to deep disbelief, his eyes darkening with sudden anger when she mentioned her ex-husband, before softening into profound sadness over the struggles she had quietly endured alone.

​By the time she finally finished speaking, he remained silent for a very long minute, staring blankly at the wooden grain of the kitchen table.

​"That is..." He shook his head, running a hand over his messy gray hair. "That sounds far too wild to be real life."

​"I know it does," Veyra admitted quietly.

​"A secret contract marriage? A powerful billionaire husband? A breakthrough medical serum? Opening a business and landing a direct university admission without taking exams?" He let out a faint, breathless laugh. "If someone wrote all of this down in a book, people would call it a terrible, unbelievable story."

​Veyra offered a soft, amused smile. "I know."

​"But..." He paused, searching her calm expression. "You could not have made all of this up on the spot. It is far too detailed. Too specific. It has too much..." He paused, searching his mind for the right term. "...too much weight to be a lie."

​"It is all the absolute truth, Professor."

​He looked at her, his eyes warm with deep sympathy and pride.

​"You have been forced to carry an overwhelming weight on your shoulders for a long time, haven’t you?"

​"I survived it," she replied simply.

​He picked up the acceptance letter one more time, his old eyes reading through the lines for a third time. He traced the bold letters spelling out the official name of her assigned program.

​Medicinal Chemistry.

​He set the document back down with great care, folding his hands together on the table.

​"You really made it happen," he said softly, a genuine look of awe spreading across his face. "You actually pulled it off."

​"I did."

​He shook his head, letting out a long, heavy breath. "I honestly never thought I would live to see the day you stepped foot into a proper academic institution."

​"To be completely honest, neither did I."

​Professor Julian suddenly pushed his chair back and stood up from the table. He turned around and walked over to the small kitchen stove.

​"Well then," he announced, his tone suddenly shifting to something much brighter. "A huge milestone like this definitely calls for a proper celebration."

​He pulled open the small refrigerator door, bending down to pull out a bowl of fresh eggs, a handful of green vegetables, and a small piece of fresh chicken.

​Veyra watched him with raised eyebrows. "Are you planning to cook right now?"

​"I am indeed," he said, setting the ingredients down on the cutting board.

​"You?" She gave him a skeptical look. "The same man who relies on instant sodium noodles for almost every single meal of the week?"

​He turned his head to look at her over his shoulder, puffing out his chest slightly. "I know how to cook perfectly fine, young lady. I simply choose not to waste my precious energy on it most days."

​"Because you are far too lazy," she pointed out smoothly.

​"Because I am practical and value my time," he corrected her instantly.

​She couldn’t help but laugh out loud at his defensive tone. "Practical?"

​"Preparing instant noodles takes a total of three minutes," he argued, holding up three fingers. "Preparing a full meal from scratch takes at least thirty minutes of standing around."

​"So you willingly compromise your bodily health just to save twenty-seven minutes of work?"

​"I trade physical nutrition for maximum convenience," he declared with a completely straight face.

​Veyra shook her head in amusement, a warm smile lingering on her lips as she leaned back in her chair.

​Despite his complaints, the old professor moved around the stove with surprising skill.

​Within half an hour, he had whipped up a simple yet comforting spread. He set down a plate of fluffy scrambled eggs, a bowl of lightly seasoned stir-fried vegetables, and a sizzling skillet of chicken cooked with fresh garlic.

​It was basic home cooking, but the savory aroma filling the small kitchen made it infinitely better than any packaged noodle box.

​The two of them sat side by side at the small wooden table, eating their dinner and chatting comfortably about the future.

​"Director Hayes actually recommended me for a direct interview," Veyra mentioned between bites, setting her chopsticks down for a moment. "She wants me to apply for a research position at the university’s main institute."

​Professor Julian’s hand froze instantly, his fork stopping inches from his mouth.

​"The research institute?" he asked, his voice suddenly dropping low.

​"Yes. The main one located right on the university grounds."

​The cheerful mood in the room vanished in a split second. The old man’s expression hardened, the light in his eyes dimming as a heavy, dark look washed over his features.

​"The research institute," he repeated quietly, staring down at his plate as if he had just heard bad news.

​Veyra picked up on the sudden shift in his demeanor immediately.

​"Is something wrong, Professor?"

​He did not answer her right away, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on the table.

​"Professor Julian?" she pressed gently.

​He slowly put his fork down and leaned back, his face turning unusually grim.

​"There is a long, ugly history there," he said softly. "A very deep conflict between the central university administration and the heads of that research institute."

​Veyra frowned slightly. "What kind of history?"

​He shook his head, letting out a tired sigh.

​"If there is trouble there, I should know what I am walking into—"

​"Veyra," Professor Julian interrupted, holding up his hand to stop her words. He looked her straight in the eyes, his tone completely serious. "I need you to make me a firm promise right now."

​She paused, sensing the urgency in his posture. "What promise?"

​"When you officially step foot onto that campus and start your classes, you must never tell a single soul that I was the one who taught you," he said, his voice laced with intense caution.

​Veyra blinked in confusion. "Why would I keep that a secret? You are the reason I know half of what I do."

​"Just promise me that you will keep my name out of your mouth," he insisted, leaning forward. "No matter what happens, do not let anyone there know about our connection."

​She studied his face carefully. There was no sign of hesitation or hyperbole in his eyes. He was not trying to be mysterious for effect; he was genuinely uneasy about her safety.

​"Alright," Veyra said softly, nodding her head. "I promise."

​Professor Julian let out a long breath of relief, his shoulders visibly relaxing as he picked his chopsticks back up. He took a small bite of chicken, chewing slowly