I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Vol 2 Chapter 80: Adaptability

Modern times.

As the days passed and the one-month deadline approached, Zheng Fa could clearly sense Old Bai’s growing anxiety.

But the old man never once urged him, as if afraid of adding pressure.

Over the past month, Old Bai had spent less and less time at the nursing home and more time at Teacher Tian’s house.

That weekend, he wasn’t at the nursing home at all.

"Grandpa Bai is worried that Grandma Wu can’t handle everything alone, so he goes over to help every day," Tang Lingwu whispered to Zheng Fa.

Zheng Fa nodded slightly, took out his phone, and sent Old Bai a message: "I’ve found a way to treat Teacher Tian."

Less than three seconds later, his phone started vibrating like crazy.

As soon as the call connected, Old Bai’s voice came through, trembling slightly with emotion.

"Yeah, I’ve successfully condensed a Taiyi Talisman. It should work."

The Taiyi Talisman was one of the most famous healing talismans in the Xuanyi Realm—an incredibly complex one. Even most Mysterious-Grade talisman masters struggled to draw it.

Zheng Fa himself had failed once before finally managing to condense the talisman inside his dantian.

But its effects were unparalleled—saying it could cure a hundred ailments was no exaggeration.

That was why Taiyi Talismans sold for an exorbitant price in the market.

On the other end of the line, Old Bai fell silent, as if suppressing his emotions.

"Teacher Bai, should Tang Lingwu and I come to Teacher Tian’s house to see you?"

"Alright," Old Bai said softly.

Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu booked a ride, and after about half an hour, they arrived at Teacher Tian’s home.

The moment they stepped inside, they understood why Old Bai’s emotions had been so turbulent.

Teacher Tian could no longer get out of bed.

She lay there, her eyes still sharp, but her face had become gaunt and withered.

She looked much worse than she had a month ago.

When she saw them enter, she smiled, but there was a strange look in her eyes—part unease, part doubt.

Zheng Fa hesitated and glanced at Old Bai.

Old Bai nodded at him, signaling for them to step outside.

"You told her everything?" Before Zheng Fa could even ask, Tang Lingwu had already spoken, sharp as ever.

"I did…" Old Bai answered dejectedly. "She wouldn’t believe me no matter what I said, so I had no choice but to tell her everything."

"…"

Zheng Fa didn’t particularly mind.

At this point, he had enough strength to protect himself—but still, Old Bai was seriously unreliable.

Even Tang Lingwu had managed to keep things from her own mother.

"I figured… If I couldn’t cure her, she’d just think it was a joke—no harm done. And if she… if she passed away, then it wouldn’t matter either way."

Old Bai was trying to justify his actions.

Zheng Fa nodded in understanding.

"If the treatment works, then she’d be my wife, and she’d have to know everything anyway. So whether I told her or not, it wouldn’t make a difference."

Zheng Fa shook his head.

That logic was a serious stretch.

Old Bai grew anxious. "If you don’t believe me, use a Great Dream Talisman on her!"

"…Did Teacher Tian agree to that?" Zheng Fa was speechless. "I was planning to heal her first—whether she joins the nursing home can be decided later."

To be honest, the Great Dream Talisman was meant to guard against enemies, not to be used on close acquaintances.

It felt a little… intrusive.

"But she won’t let you treat her unless she understands everything!" Old Bai was equally frustrated. "I’ve seen plenty of researchers like her—they need everything to be clear-cut. They’re fine with dying, but they refuse to live in ignorance."

"…"

After a few more words, they went back inside.

Teacher Tian seemed to have guessed what they had been discussing. Her voice was weak, but she still smiled. "Don’t blame Old Bai—it was my choice to ask."

"I’m not blaming Teacher Bai," Zheng Fa said sincerely.

He glanced at Old Bai, who looked a little embarrassed, then turned to Teacher Tian and asked, "So, do you believe now?"

"I do."

"Huh?"

"When you walked in, didn’t you notice something missing from the yard?"

Zheng Fa turned around—only then did he realize that the stone table in the courtyard was gone.

No, not gone.

It had been shattered into pieces and stacked pitifully in a corner.

Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu exchanged glances, both coming to the same conclusion…

"You’re right—it was Old Bai’s doing," Teacher Tian sighed, looking exasperated. "He smashed the table with a single punch. Good thing my mom was out grocery shopping at the time…"

"…"

"I still haven’t figured out how to explain it to her."

Old Bai, hearing this, looked aggrieved. "You wouldn’t believe me, so I had to prove myself! The table just happened to be in the perfect spot!"

Wait a minute—

You’re the oldest person here…

Why are you the most reckless one?!

Zheng Fa thought for a moment. Given the circumstances, this was no longer just about treating an illness.

"Then… Teacher Tian, would you be willing to join our nursing home?" he asked.

"Yes."

Her answer was immediate and firm.

"Huh?"

Zheng Fa hadn’t expected her to agree so quickly.

"I get to live, don’t I?" Teacher Tian chuckled. "And according to Old Bai, that herb from before was altered by spiritual energy? I’m curious about that too."

"Besides… there’s that saying—‘marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog.’"

"…Huh?"

Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu both made a startled noise, utterly caught off guard.

Where did this sudden display of affection come from?!

What was with these two?!

Off to the side, Old Bai grinned triumphantly and announced, "We got our marriage certificate two days ago."

"Teacher Tian, that was… really fast!" Tang Lingwu’s eyes sparkled with gossip-loving enthusiasm. "Weren’t you supposed to wait until after you were cured?"

"He came over every single day—even my mom was moved," Teacher Tian said helplessly. "Besides, when you’re this close to death, why wait?"

She glanced at Old Bai.

Old Bai just smiled.

Zheng Fa then heard Teacher Tian whisper, "It’s a good thing I didn’t know about your cultivation before… I didn’t want Old Bai to think I only agreed to marry him because he could cure me."

Old Bai’s eyes practically sparkled.

"…"

Zheng Fa glanced at the two elderly lovebirds and actually felt a little touched.

After that, Teacher Tian seemed a little embarrassed and quickly changed the subject. "I heard from Old Bai that there’s some kind of test to join your nursing home? That you all practice cultivation?"

Zheng Fa nodded. "Let’s heal you first."

"The rules can’t be broken," Teacher Tian insisted. "I already know more than I should. The test still has to happen."

Zheng Fa glanced at Old Bai, who nodded slightly and whispered, "That’s just how she is."

Seeing no way around it, Zheng Fa sighed and flicked a Great Dream Talisman toward Teacher Tian’s forehead.

She immediately fell into a deep sleep.

Above her, wisps of dark energy slowly formed into a swirling vortex.

Zheng Fa didn’t want to intrude too much—he only looked into her most heartfelt wish.

Inside the vortex, a laboratory appeared.

Teacher Tian was wearing a white lab coat, standing in front of a machine that Zheng Fa didn’t recognize.

She was surrounded by a few younger men and women—probably her students.

They spoke about something Zheng Fa could only half understand.

After all, he had only studied high school biology and wasn’t particularly interested in the subject.

But he could tell one thing—Teacher Tian’s face was full of focus and excitement.

She worked the machine skillfully, talking nonstop as she explained things to her students.

"This… is her deepest wish?"

Tang Lingwu didn’t quite understand either.

She asked the question with a bit of confusion.

"Heh…" But Old Bai only shook his head. "This woman’s been obsessed with labs since she was young. Said she felt at home there. If she weren’t, she wouldn’t have delayed getting married."

Zheng Fa nodded slightly, gaining a deeper understanding of Teacher Tian.

"She’s purer than me."

At least Old Bai had some desire for awards and recognition.

Meanwhile, Teacher Tian? Even in her dreams, she was still in a lab.

Just when they thought this was the full extent of her wish, something unexpected happened.

A knock came from outside the lab.

"Professor Tian, your husband is here to pick you up from work!"

Husband?

All three of them froze—wasn’t Teacher Tian unmarried?

But in the dream, Teacher Tian muttered under her breath, "Old Bai’s here?"

Hearing that, Old Bai’s grin grew even wider.

"See? See?! She’s dreaming about me picking her up!" he declared smugly to Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu.

Tang Lingwu thought for a moment before murmuring, "Spending your life doing what you love, and having someone you love pick you up from work… That’s pretty nice."

Her voice was full of envy.

They watched as Teacher Tian left the lab, changed clothes, and went downstairs.

Someone was waiting for her.

"Grandpa Bai…" Tang Lingwu stared blankly at the person waiting for Teacher Tian. "Who is that? He looks… kind of familiar?"

The person standing there was the same height as Old Bai, wearing the same clothes, with the same curly hair and even the same expression—

The only thing missing was Old Bai’s face.

It was a face Zheng Fa also recognized, but because it was attached to Old Bai’s body, he hadn’t immediately made the connection.

"…He’s from your family," Zheng Fa muttered.

"Huh?"

Tang Lingwu finally realized. "Wait, isn’t that…?"

"Yeah, give him a feather fan, and you’d recognize him instantly," Old Bai sighed with a touch of nostalgia. "Decades ago, he was everywhere—famous for being a pretty boy."

In the dream, Teacher Tian walked over, smiling as she said, "Old Bai, didn’t I tell you not to pick me up?"

"…"

Outside the dream, the three of them fell silent.

Zheng Fa and Tang Lingwu exchanged glances, then cautiously turned to look at Old Bai’s face.

This… dream was kind of brutal.

Old Bai frowned deeply, lost in thought, his expression showing a trace of irritation.

"…Zheng Fa."

"Hm?"

"Are there any transformation spells?"

"…What?"

"Teach me one."

"…"

Zheng Fa was silent for a moment before asking, "You’re not mad?"

"Mad about what? You’re not thinking straight," Old Bai waved a hand dismissively. "Who wouldn’t want to date a handsome guy?"

"She doesn’t dislike me—she just doesn’t like my face. So I’ll just change it."

Zheng Fa couldn’t help but feel a bit impressed.

Classic Old Bai—completely unbothered and laser-focused on the real issue.

"Besides, she can practice too in the future."

"Huh?"

Old Bai gave him a side glance, looking a bit disdainful. "I used to be a huge fanboy too, okay?"

Zheng Fa’s respect for him deepened.

This guy was on another level.

…

Teacher Tian slowly woke up, looking a little dazed.

She glanced around the room before settling her gaze on Old Bai. Something flickered in her expression.

"Old Bai… did I dream about you?"

"Yes. We saw it too."

"It felt like something was off, though…"

"There was nothing off. That was me," Old Bai said firmly.