You are all bad women! Don't come over!

"Shen Mochen, we are going to conduct the test soon, and in the next two days, we can start assigning teams... Oh, do you have any specific requests for the team?"

Accompanying Catherine downstairs was Du Ziqi, who was there to pick up Shen Mochen on behalf of the Buque Military.

"Requests?" Shen Mochen frowned slightly.

"Typically, it's about the location of the Buque Team, like proximity to home or if there's a particular place you wish to go to... We will fully consider the thoughts of the Buque candidates, but if you don't have any particular requests, we will prioritize assigning you to a team in Gaotang State."

"I don't have any specific requests, being close to home is quite good," Shen Mochen waved his hand and bent down to get into the back seat of the car, "Let's get in the car first."

Du Ziqi nodded and sat in the driver's seat.

Cai Yuncui, with her head hanging, was also about to enter the back seat but was stopped by Catherine extending her hand. Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire

"Teacher Cai, please sit in the passenger seat. I can sit in the back," Catherine smiled.

"It doesn't matter, you sit in the front... It's the same," Cai Yuncui hesitated.

"It's against our Alexandrov Family's upbringing to let a teacher sit behind students."

"Uh... you really don't need to worry, it's okay with me."

At that moment, Du Ziqi stuck her head out from the driver's seat, her expression odd: "The back seat can fit three, you can all sit in the back!"

The vehicle started slowly, and Shen Mochen looked left and right, feeling a bit cramped.

Of course, it wasn't because they were fat, but rather both women had a figure that was too luxurious, creating a strong sense of pressure in the space.

"I was just joking before, please don't take it to heart," Shen Mochen spoke up.

He leaned back in his seat honestly, not moving his arms around. It wasn't that he was afraid of taking advantage of the two; he was more afraid of getting beaten up by Catherine after doing so, which wouldn't be worth it.

"...I know," Cai Yuncui lowered her head and tidied her hair, speaking softly, her face flushed red.

She actually didn't know what Shen Mochen was thinking; her mind had been filled with wild guesses until now.

Shen Mochen used to like her, that was what Yin Caiyu had said. Even though he later dated Catherine, he had said he didn't like Catherine, and now they had broken up.

So Shen Mochen did like her, didn't he? Maybe he wasn't lying in front of those relatives and perhaps he really considered her his girlfriend; after all, he had seen her body.

Maybe he wanted to take responsibility, or maybe he really thought that seeing someone's body meant dating them...

Cai Yuncui kept thinking, if that really was the case, what should she do?

She was a teacher... Oh, Shen Mochen was about to no longer be a student. She was four years older than him... Oh, now it's only three years. She wasn't thinking about undressing earlier... Oh, although it was voluntary. She hadn't thought about dating him before... Oh, but with things as they were, since he had already said it, there seemed to be no other choice.

But then again, it was just her own wishful thinking; he didn't have that intention at all; he was simply looking for an excuse to help her.

Right, he wasn't even interested in a girlfriend like Catherine, so he probably wouldn't really be interested in her either.

Cai Yuncui bit her lip lightly, feeling a wave of shame for no apparent reason.

In truth, she quite liked being in Shen Mochen's arms, it felt as if hiding in his embrace would shield her from the pointing fingers of thousands.

But now she wanted to sit in the front row; the back seat was not for her.

"What just happened?" Catherine asked.

"Nothing much, just her family wanting her to meet a man she doesn't like, and I helped her reject him," Shen Mochen said offhandedly.

He had intended to lie casually, but Catherine was a human lie detector, so he had no choice but to give up and respond vaguely. He also had no intention of sharing the details with anyone else; partly because he couldn't be bothered, and partly because remembering the scene just made him sick.

"So that's it, you pretended to be Teacher Cai's boyfriend to stop her from meeting with a man she doesn't like," Catherine nodded to herself, a mocking smile curling at her lips. She seemed to be trying to restrain herself, but eventually, she couldn't help but add with an inexplicably sarcastic tone, "You treat Teacher Cai even better than your girlfriend."

Du Ziqi shivered, feeling as if the temperature inside the car had suddenly dropped a few degrees. How strange—where did this bone-chilling cold come from on such a sunny day?

Shen Mochen's mouth twitched slightly; he hadn't explained how he helped Cai Yuncui, but Catherine's intuition was as sharp as ever.

Speaking of which, it was indeed a coincidental absurdity. The other party had once traded her third wish for Shen Mochen to attend her birthday party as her boyfriend, in order to fend off suitors.

And at that time, Shen Mochen had refused.

"This is not the same thing..."

Shen Mochen blinked. He thought Catherine, with her intelligence, would be able to rationally evaluate the situation.

"Is there any difference?" Catherine turned her head coldly and looked out the window.

"First of all, it was an emergency, and secondly, the difficulty of the two situations is not..."

"That's true, a mere ex-girlfriend out of a contract surely can't compare with the girl next door. Although this ex-girlfriend has been dealing with a trivial matter these past few days—somebody went mad and sent the son of the Deputy Chief Justice of Gaotang State to the ICU—but what of it? She's just a dispensable minor character after all."

Was this jealousy? It shouldn't be, maybe she just felt it was unfair. That's what Shen Mochen thought.

But now, after being verbally sniped at, Shen Mochen could only pretend he hadn't heard. Catherine was tough-talking but soft-hearted; letting her vent should be enough.

"What's... going on between you two?" Cai Yuncui sneakily peered up, then ducked down and asked.

"Nothing's happened, just a bitter creature wallowing in self-pity," Catherine clicked her tongue and scoffed. "But she deserves it."

"Cough, cough, cough. Speaking of which, this village has developed quite well, hasn't it!"

Du Ziqi forcibly interrupted the conversation and changed the subject. She felt really cold in the car; it was like being in the middle of flashing knives and flying swords in the dead of winter. If she didn't intervene, she might be the first to crack.

"Because a fool pumped all her Buque earnings into it," said Shen Mochen.

"I am not a fool..."

Cai Yuncui gently punched Shen Mochen, but then quickly withdrew her hand, feeling as if she were being affectionately coquettish, and tucked her hand into her chest.

Catherine raised an eyebrow provocatively, "A foolish girl is endearing, right? Stupid and naive is best—easy to trick, easy to control, totally effortlessly."

"That's not true," Cai Yuncui, realizing Catherine was referring to her, objected subconsciously. "Xiaochen isn't like that!"

"Teacher Cai knows my ex-boyfriend so well," Catherine chuckled, "even though you've only known each other for half a month."

Du Ziqi silently continued driving, not speaking again, thinking, did I have water on the brain? Why did I personally drive to pick them up today... Oh, it's my fault, it's because I coveted the younger brother Shen's good looks, wanting to steal a few more glances.

Is this the punishment from the heavens? I'm feeling so awkward now; my stomach hurts!

Shen Mochen, you've really done all the wrongs!