Chapter 42: Female Principal

"Top Ten Beauties?"

“Such an old trope?” Zu An couldn't help but complain. “That’s a novel cliché from over ten years ago, isn’t it?”

“What novel?” Wei Suo was also taken aback, but continued, “Who cares if it’s old or not? If the common people enjoy it, then it’s a classic.”

Zu An chuckled, “You have a point. Go on, go on, who are these Top Ten?”

Wei Suo put on an expression that seemed to say, 'Ah, a teachable student.' Promptly, he played the straight man, realizing this was the professional etiquette a listener should have, otherwise he'd be prattling on like an idiot by himself: “The first beauty, of course, is Miss Chu Chuyan, the eldest daughter of Duke Mingyue's family. She truly is like a fairy descended to earth, draped in white as snow. She’s beautiful, and her cultivation is high. She's the dream girl for ninety-nine percent of the entire academy.”

Then he let out a long sigh: “It’s just a pity she got married a few days ago. I heard she even married a well-known good-for-nothing in the city. So many young talents in the school were furious and wanted to challenge him to a duel. I really don’t know what kind of ancestral luck that guy had.”

Zu An’s knuckles cracked as he gripped Wei Suo’s shoulder, a wide smile plastered on his face. “What did you just say? Say it again.”

“Ouch!” The sharp pain in his shoulder made Wei Suo instantly remember what he had just heard at the school gate. He quickly forced a laugh, “I almost forgot you were that good-for-nothing… ah, ptooey! Brother, you truly are a handsome and elegant man, charming and distinguished. You’re at least seventy to eighty percent as dashing as I am, so it’s no wonder Miss Chu took a liking to you.”

Zu An couldn't help but glance at Wei Suo’s two rather unsophisticated buck teeth, thinking to himself that the guy’s thick skin actually had a bit of his own flair. At the same time, he asked curiously, “Why do only ninety-nine percent of people like her?”

“Mainly because Miss Chu’s personality is too cold,” Wei Suo replied. “She naturally gives off a feeling of keeping people at arm’s length.”

“Is that so?” Zu An thought of the romance comic book she secretly read, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. “That’s because you don’t know her well enough.”

“Of course, we don’t know her as well as you do,” Wei Suo said, a hint of jealousy in his voice. You’ve already had 'zero-distance contact' with her, how could you not know her?

“Besides Miss Chu, who else is on the list?” Not aware of Wei Suo’s thoughts, Zu An continued to ask. It was always good to gather more information about the academy.

Wei Suo then said, “The second is Pei Mianman, who recently transferred from another school. Her figure, tsk, tsk, tsk, let me put it this way: any man who sees her will immediately think of a bed. She’s the dream girl for every man in the academy.”

Zu An recalled the scene of their close-quarters struggle last night and subconsciously agreed, “Indeed, her ‘weapons’ are formidable.”

Wei Suo couldn't help but feel a little contemptuous. You haven’t even seen her, so what are you getting all excited about?

Zu An suddenly noticed the distinction: “Why is she liked by a hundred percent of men, yet ranked second?”

“That’s where you don’t understand,” Wei Suo lectured him with the air of an experienced man. “A peerless beauty like her is suitable as a lover, but not as a wife. Miss Chu is the type who’s suitable for that, which is why she’s ranked first.”

Zu An couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up. “Brother, excellent insight! Who’s third?”

Wei Suo replied, “The third beauty is the school’s foreign language teacher…”

“What? A foreign language teacher?” Zu An was utterly bewildered. “Do they learn foreign languages in this world too?”

What kind of fate was this? In his previous life, he was tormented enough by foreign language classes, and now they exist in this world too? He recalled hearing about a novelist named Mars or something, who was supposedly a top scholar but failed his foreign language exam for the college entrance exam, so he could only attend Nan University.

“Of course there are foreign languages,” Wei Suo said, looking at him as if he were an idiot. “After the great war in the early days, the other races were driven by our human race to the four bitter and cold lands. However, there are still many non-human races in our society, and they all have their own customs, languages, and cultures. Naturally, we need to understand them. Otherwise, if we encounter people from other races in the future and can’t understand what they’re saying, wouldn’t we be at a disadvantage?”

Zu An was startled. He had just arrived in this world and didn’t yet fully understand the war between humans and other races a thousand years ago. But he could feel a deep sense of pride and confidence emanating from every human, like the people during the glorious Tang Dynasty.

“I’ve arrived in a prosperous era,” Zu An thought with relief. “A prosperous era is good; that’s how I can easily be a pampered young master living a life of leisure.”

“Where was I?” Wei Suo pondered for a moment before remembering. “Third is the foreign language teacher, Shang Liuyu. Not only is she beautiful, but her personality is also refined and serene. In my opinion, such a gentle and mature older sister should be ranked first. All those little brats in the school only like people their own age.”

Zu An really wanted to ask, 'And how old are you, sir?' He was clearly a young kid himself, yet he preferred the 'mature woman' type. Hmm, wait, did he just say the foreign language teacher’s name was Shang Liuyu?

Isn’t that the one Ji Dengtu mentioned? Hmm, it seems I should try to get to know her better if I get the chance… to see if there’s an opportunity…

“What cultivation rank is Teacher Shang?” Zu An felt it was important to do his intelligence work well, lest he get caught and suffer a terrible fate.

“Cultivation?” Wei Suo frowned. “Teacher Shang doesn’t seem to be known for her cultivation. I haven’t heard any news about that. I suppose she’s probably around Rank Four at most.”

“Rank Four?” Zu An’s eyes lit up. The gap didn’t seem that big. Did that mean he still had a chance?

Wei Suo continued speaking to himself, “Ranked fourth is our principal, Jiang Luofu. A peerless mature woman, a true queen. Not only is she beautiful, but she’s also the strongest person in our academy.”

“The principal is a woman?” Zu An was surprised.

“Who said a principal has to be a man?” Wei Suo said, looking at him as if he lacked common sense. “Principal Jiang could have been ranked first. I guess it’s because her imposing aura is too strong, which is why she’s only fourth. I have to say, this batch of young kids really isn’t up to par.”

“Ahem, slandering the principal behind her back? Boy, do you have a death wish?” The school staff member, who had been listening intently with pricked ears, couldn’t help but interject.

Wei Suo immediately put on a fawning smile. “Don’t worry, don’t worry, I won’t talk about the principal anymore.”

The staff member then turned away.

Wei Suo then turned to Zu An and said, “Number five on the Beauty Register is Wu Qing, the daughter of Duke Yangquan from the neighboring city. She’s quite beautiful, but apparently, her temper isn’t so good.”

“Number six on the Beauty Register is Xie Daoyun, the City Lord’s daughter. She’s Xie Xiu’s older sister, the one you just saw at the school gate. Unlike her brother, she’s a great scholar and also powerful in cultivation, with a gentle and fluid personality. In my opinion, Wu Qing being ranked ahead of her is entirely due to her father’s influence.”

“Number seven is Ji Xiaoxi, who I think is the daughter of the divine physician Ji Dengtu. She’s petite and exquisite, truly adorable. Her fans in the school are no fewer than Chu Chuyan’s and Pei Mianman’s. She’s a loli-con’s favorite, but unfortunately, not my type.”

Zu An’s heart stirred. He hadn’t expected the little girl he met in the valley to be studying at this school. What a coincidence! It seemed he should interact with her more in the future, as his happiness for the rest of his life depended entirely on her father.

“Number eight is Zheng Dan, the young lady of the Zheng family in the city. In the entire Brightmoon City, besides the Chu family, the Zheng family is probably the wealthiest. Whoever marries her could at least save thirty years of struggle, though that’s nothing compared to you, who married Miss Chu and can save fifty years of struggle.”

Zu An secretly sighed. As the son-in-law, he truly knew the bitterness of his situation. Few in the Chu family took him seriously, and the idea of 'saving fifty years of struggle' was just an outsider’s perception.

Of course, a man couldn’t lose face outside, so he naturally put on a humble, 'you flatter me' expression.

“But there are rumors that the Zheng family might be arranging a marriage alliance with the newly appointed Prefect. I don’t know if it’s true or not.” Wei Suo seemed quite displeased talking about this. “It’s infuriating, really. There are already too many monks and not enough porridge, and now all the famous flowers are taken.”

Zu An gloatingly patted his shoulder. “Relax, aren’t there still plenty of single women? I believe with your abilities, brother, you can still easily win someone over.”

“That’s true,” Wei Suo said, lifting his head, but then he remembered that his favorite was actually Principal Jiang, and he immediately deflated. His subsequent words became listless: “Number nine on the Beauty Register is Chu Huanzhao, the second young lady of the Chu family. You can tell she’s been a beauty from a young age, but she hasn’t fully matured yet, and her usual demeanor is like a tomboy, which is why she’s ranked lower.”

“I forgot the name of the tenth. That person seems to have a special aura that makes people subconsciously unable to recall her…”

“Everyone who makes it into the Top Ten on the Beauty Register is an exceptionally outstanding beauty. In my opinion, their looks don't differ much; the main factor influencing the ranking is the combination of other elements.”

Seeing him speak so articulately, Zu An couldn’t help but be impressed. “To have such insight, you truly are an experienced pro.”

Wei Suo, for once, became uncharacteristically humble. “Not at all, not at all. I’m just a theorist; I can’t compare to a practical person like you who gets to personally experience the number one beauty… Hmm, why do I feel like crying as I say this?”

“Alright, alright, you two stop spouting nonsense here. Wei Suo, go to your classroom.” The staff member pointed to a classroom not far ahead. The school was large, and they had walked for quite a while to reach this point.

Then he motioned to Zu An. “Come with me, the principal wants to see you.”

Wei Suo immediately grew anxious. “We’re both new students, why doesn’t the principal want to see me?”

The staff member rolled his eyes. “You got in through regular admission. He’s got connections. Can they be the same?”

Zu An stood awkwardly to the side. Hey, hey, hey, is it okay to say all this in front of me? Don’t I have any dignity?

Hearing this reason, Wei Suo could only resignedly accept his fate. He walked a few steps towards the classroom, then suddenly turned back and said, “Remember to take a good look at the principal. Come back and tell me what kind of stockings she’s wearing today!”

Zu An: “…”

The staff member’s face darkened, and he made a move as if to hit him. Seeing the situation was not good, Wei Suo quickly dodged into the classroom.

The staff member then looked at Zu An exasperatedly and warned, “Don’t listen to that guy’s nonsense. If you provoke the principal, not even Duke Mingyue can protect you.”

Zu An simply uttered an “Oh,” while also growing somewhat curious about this beautiful principal.

Following the staff member, they arrived at a tall building nearby. Unlike the teaching buildings, the stairs here were covered with red carpets, exquisitely patterned and opulent.

“This is sheer luxury!” Zu An couldn't help but exclaim, reflecting on the proverb ‘behind vermillion gates, wine and meat rot away,’ realizing that indeed, no matter the world, the tallest and most magnificent building in any school was always the administrative building.

The staff member reminded him, “All the teachers’ offices are in this building. Even though some people don’t come here often, don’t wander in without permission later, or don’t blame me if something happens.”

Zu An uttered an “Oh,” but was already wondering where Shang Liuyu’s office was. Then, he reconsidered, thinking, *Her personal undergarments wouldn’t be left in the office, would they?*

They ascended the stairs all the way to the top floor. After walking down a long corridor, the staff member arrived at the room at the end, knocked, and said, “Principal, I have brought Zu An.”

“Let him in,” a formal voice came from behind the door. Even so, the unique and melodious tone of her voice was enough to make any man’s imagination run wild.