I’ve Got this Cannon Fodder’s Back

Chapter 20 - I’ve got this Scholar’s back (2)

Chapter 20: I’ve got this Scholar’s back

Brought back to his senses by the chime of the elevator, Gu Chuanbai shook his head. He grinned at Lu Deng and pulled the suitcase into the elevator.

New graduate students all register at the third floor of the administration building. But most new students who come in to register first find some place to deposit their luggage. It was rare for someone to drag such a heavy suitcase to register. The other party probably had no idea at all which way to go.

He didn’t know what was in the suitcase but it wasn’t light. Gu Chuanbai worked out all year round but carrying the luggage all the way had been a bit strenuous.

Without ever letting Lu Jingmo take over, Gu Chuanbai helped him drag the suitcase into the elevator. Just as he was about to press the button to the third floor, a group of energetic freshmen suddenly rushed in, and in a blink of an eye, the small elevator room became really cramped.

The admins were on break on Sunday and most who come here were new students coming to register. When the group of freshmen saw that the other two in the elevator didn’t seem too old, they immediately relaxed and started talking excitedly.

The elevator instantly turned absolutely noisy. Lu Deng blinked his eyes and unobtrusively took a half-step back towards the corner of the elevator.

His movements were very slight and it hardly attracted anyone’s attention. However, Gu Chuanbai’s gaze moved and he transferred the suitcase to his other hand and intentionally or unintentionally, propped up his empty hand against the wall of the carriage, partitioning off a small but peaceful space for him.

This movement made Gu Chuanbai’s body lean forward slightly. Their two bodies were slightly drawn closer. The fragrance of Ning Shenmu quietly dispersed.

The elevator doors closed and it ascended slowly.

Lu Deng raised his head and met those eyes and then deliberately looked away.

Suddenly, that exceptionally tall body drew close but he was still considerate and didn’t get too close. He easily encircled him between the walls of the carriage and his arms. An invisible barrier was erected beside him. Instantly the noisy human voices seemed to be separated from his space.

This young man who has just graduated from university was still far from having that practiced calm that he would have in the future. His bright and handsome face was taut and serious, but unexpectedly faintly nervous. The arm he had against the carriage wall was stiff and straight. His eyes remained calm and nonchalant but the base of his ears was faintly turning red.

It seemed that it wasn’t a very common thing for him to tease someone right off the road, like what he’d done just now.

Lu Deng pursed the corners of his lips but was still unable to hold back his smile. Lu Deng moved the hand that was in his pocket and touched the bell tied to his keys, turning it gently between his fingers.

The elevators that ascended so fast before now went up especially slow. Beads of sweat appeared at the back of Gu Chuanbai’s neck. Seeing that Lu Jingmo didn’t object to his actions, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and looked back inch by inch.

Then completely unguardedly, he ran into sleek, dark eyes filled unmistakably with a smile.

Turning his gaze away, Gu Chuanbai took a deep breath, stabilizing his mind once again. He tried his best to focus his gaze on the top of the young man’s head.

The elevator actually stopped on the second floor.

When the door opened, as expected, there was no one there. The freshmen grumbled about who could have pressed the elevator button on the second floor. Gu Chuanbai silently counted his heartbeats, his mind still filled with the glimpse of that smile.

Calm down.

He steadied his breathing. Gu Chuanbai regained cool-headedness and moved his eyes along his hairline back to his eyes.

Lu Jingmo was not looking at him. He was leaning back against the carriage wall, taking advantage of being in his small separated space to take out his mobile phone to flip through his notifications.

Probably because he stayed indoors studying all year round, the youth’s complexion was pale. His eyelashes were especially thick and long. The little sweat he got from the heat of the sun on the way here had already dried up because of the air conditioner. His soft short hair drooped onto his cheeks. His facial features were soft and delicate, and the corners of the lips still titled up into that nice faint curve.

Perhaps it was because the person he was watching was too quiet but his mood gradually calmed down. Gu Chuanbai looked down at him and then turned away in time before Lu Jingmo noticed it.

It would be nice if the elevator also stopped at floor 2.5.

*

His inner wish went unheeded. The elevator stopped on the third floor and the group of freshmen left the elevator, still chatting and laughing. They energetically headed towards the registration office.

Gu Chuanbai sighed a bit regretfully. He put his hand down from the carriage wall and, carrying the suitcase, was about exit the elevator as well when a hand had already pressed another button on the panel.

The shirt sleeve had been rolled up loosely, revealing thin wrists and white, slender fingers.

Gu Chuanbai was momentarily dazed looking at that hand and then he suddenly realized that the other had pressed the button for the seventh floor. “Wait, that’s not right—”

The seventh floor was an office floor dedicated for specially-appointed professors. The facilities there were completely different from those below. Not only was it equipped with a periodicals room and a laboratory room that could be accessed at any time, but each office was also equipped with a private break room and shower room. In terms of living facilities, it was almost comparable to an ordinary one-bedroom apartment.

Anyone could come to the administrative building, but not everyone could go up to the seventh floor. A specially issued access card was required.

Gu Chuanbai only came up there once with a professor when he was in college. When he saw Lu Deng press the button for the seventh floor, he was halfway through telling him to stop him. He watched Lu Deng fumble around in his pocket and take out a bunch of keys. He picked out a blue round card and pressed it against the panel.

The access card wasn’t the only thing attached to his bunch of keys. A small golden bell was also attached and it swayed and jingled with his movements.

As if noticing his gaze, Lu Jingmo flipped his wrist lightly and put away his keys. He looked back at him, a mellow smile appeared across his face.

Gu Chuanbai suddenly felt that something was wrong.

He was a graduate student who had continued on in the same university he went to as an undergraduate. He was very well-informed about the goings-ons. Rumor was that the Department of Biology has recently hired a particularly young Botany professor. But for professors, forty years old was considered young and promising. No one would ever think of someone below thirty.

The access card was easy to use. The elevator doors closed once again and the elevator slowly moved up, going straight up to the seventh floor.

Looking at his slightly changed expression, the smile in Lu Deng’s eyes deepened. He took out a piece of candy from his pocket and handed it to him.

Looking at the young man who was likely the youngest professor in the history of Z University, Gu Chuanbai’s palm suddenly oozed sweat. He thanked him in a low voice and took the white and fat piece of toffee candy.

——Just now, he had used a can of soda to tease the professor. He had reported his name and department, hooked his arm around the professor’s shoulders, and told him all about his laboratory violations that were probably enough to get him penalized ten times over.

He had also, unexpectedly, kabedon-ned the professor in the elevator.

Gu Chuanbai felt that things were anything but reassuring.

“Is the ice cream delicious?”

Seeing his sudden show of restraint, Lu Deng decided to say something to alleviate the atmosphere. After thinking about it for a while, he picked out a topic that interested him the most.

The staff members were very sensitive to the rules. It was not that he has never entered a laboratory but he has never tried using liquid nitrogen to make ice cream. Although there are many delicacies in the system world, this one alone sounded quite novel.

Gu Chuanbai was thinking on how many botany courses he had this semester when he heard the ice cream he had previously mentioned. A chill similar to liquid nitrogen suddenly ran down his back. “Actually—this is just some of our after-school discussions. It was about molecular gastronomy, we hadn’t yet put it into practice…”

Lu Deng blinked and nodded, noncommittal. A light flashed across his eyes and the corners of his lips curled slightly.

Stopping his intention of taking the conversation from ice cream to fluid dynamics, Gu Chuanbai met those clear eyes and his heart jumped twice. He silently squeezed the handlebar of the suitcase.

“In fact, you just need to mix cream and milk, add vanilla and a flavoring agent and then add liquid nitrogen while stirring. The method is very simple.”

Gu Chuanbai spoke softly as the elevator doors opened and he walked out with the other, dragging along the suitcase.

“The temperature of liquid nitrogen is -196℃, but the vaporization point is also low. You won’t be injured by short-term contact if you wear protective gear. Under rapid freezing, the condensed crystal particles can be on a nano-scale. It will taste softer and finer. The milky taste will be denser and it’s slower to melt.”

Attracted by the taste he described, Lu Deng listened closely to his introduction as he took out his keys.

The young man’s appearance was delicate. His black eyes were shining with a clear and focused light. Listening to him like this, the young professor seemed particularly simple and gentle.

Gu Chuanbai couldn’t help the corner of his lips from ticking up. He resisted the urge to raise his hand to rub his head. His tone became warmer. “As long you’re practiced in the technique, the taste you create will definitely be good.”

Lu Deng blinked, He was now looking forward to it even more. “Can you make some?”

“I–”

Gu Chuanbai opened his mouth to admit that he could when his eyes fell on the nameplate marked with [Specially-appointed Professor Lu Jingmo] at the door of the office. He suddenly remembered his four-credit botany course this semester. He instantly sobered up. “…I’m not very good at it.”

The professor in front of him seemed pure and honest. He must be a model of strict compliance with laboratory rules. Regardless whether it was letting him know that he’d violated disciple or taking him to violate discipline, either of these was inappropriate.

The overly young Botany professor sighed lightly and nodded, seeming to be a bit disappointed. He raised his hand and pushed the door open.

On the bright side, at least, he didn’t need to do any homework.

He didn’t let himself feel disappointed for too long at not being able to eat a softer, finer, milkier-tasting ice-cream. Lu Deng quickly cheered himself up and raised his hand to pick up his suitcase. However Gu Chuanbai had already lifted the excessively heavy suitcase and helped him carry it through the door.

The layout of the office was sedate and stylish. The mahogany desk was located by the window. There was a pure black leather sofa and a metal desk lamp. Bookshelves occupied the entire wall. The whole room exuded a distinct scientific air.

Specially-appointed professors were all provided with high resettlement fees. They were also specially prepared with housing outside the school. This was only for studying and preparing lessons at school and the occasional short stays. Naturally, everything was chosen for its convenience of use.

But it seemed rather lonely.

While he was in a daze, a paper cup had been handed to him. Gu Chuanbai raised his head. Lu Deng smiled at him. Now that he had forced a cup of water on him, he pulled him to rest on the sofa, then turned around to tidy up his suitcase.

In order to make his identity appear more realistic, the system truly didn’t skimp on his props. He took out professional books one after another along with a stack of neatly printed documents. No wonder it had been so difficult to carry.

Had it not been for Gu Chuanbai, he would have carried the suitcase up himself and even with an elevator, his arm would have ached for a long time.

He had long been used to the quiet and he wouldn’t usually live here so Lu Deng didn’t realize there was anything wrong with this office. He took out the books one by one and moved them to the bookshelf, arranging them carefully, mind still filled with thoughts of making ice cream.

With his current status, he should be able to apply with the Main System to get a private laboratory sponsored.

Liquid nitrogen also wasn’t too difficult to buy.

Molecular gastronomy sounded good. Gu Chuanbai still didn’t dare to trust him completely. When the two of them become more familiar with each other, he will surely get a lot of new things to eat.

He tucked a heavy book filled with pages of glossy coated paper into the bookshelf. His finger streaked across the gold-plated difficult Latin words. The corners of Lu Deng’s lips ticked up, his brows smoothened. A plan had began forming in his mind.

Most scholars who have reached the professorial level wouldn’t like outsiders to casually move those precious books. Gu Chuanbai sat on the sofa holding a paper cup, his eyes fixed on the young man’s busy figure.

The summer sun was dazzling, and through the clear glass windows, it spilled onto the little professor’s gentle and soft features, setting off the curve of his eyebrows, making them especially beautiful.

Lu Jingmo was so focused on tidying up that for the moment, he wouldn’t notice his gaze. The expression in Gu Chuanbai’s eyes were slightly warm. He plucked up his courage and stared at that silhouette. He moved the hand hidden in his pocket and held the piece of toffee in his palm.

There were many famous experts in Z University, but the professors he had seen were all over middle-aged, serious or gentle, wholeheartedly dedicated to academics. This kind of office seemed to be well-suited to them. But looking at the young man in front of him, Gu Chuanbai’s heart was still filled with thoughts of that crystal clear light in his eyes as he listened intently to his explanation about ice cream.

Still struggling between his course credits and the smile in those eyes, Gu Chuanbai put the paper cup aside and began to calculate, mind weighed down with anxiety. Suddenly, from out the corner of his eye, something seized his attention.

That Latin book he had set up on the shelf couldn’t stand firmly and after a couple wobbles, began to fall down.

Lu Jingmo was placing a book on the next shelf. He hurriedly moved sideways to try to avoid it, but because his arm was full of books, he hesitated for a moment between receiving the book or avoiding it, and his movements slowed down.

“Be careful!”

The book was filled will thick glossy pages and was leather-bound with sharp metal decorations on each corner. Having that come smashing down was definitely enough to cause injuries.

Gu Chuanbai hurriedly called out. He dashed forward. With one arm, he held the other protectively against his chest. Then, taking advantage of his height, he raised his other hand to catch the book first.

Lu Jingmo was holding books in his arms. In order not to let the books fall to the ground because of excessive movements, Gu Chuanbai encircled him with his arm, steadying the books but also holding the other firmly against him.

Quick as lightning, the office was quiet once again.

The young professor in his arms didn’t seem to have been frightened by such an incident. He raised his head from within his embrace. A smile appeared across his face and he said softly, “Thank you.”

The two of them were so close to each other that he could even smell the fresh scent of plants and trees on Lu Jingmo’s body.

The danger had passed but Gu Chuanbai’s heart was still beating so fiercely. He was even more stunned by that smile; the arm he had around the other started to grow numb before he suddenly snapped out of it. He quickly withdrew his arm and took a few steps back. “Sorry, Professor Lu—— ”

“Jingmo.”

Lu Jingmo gave a shallow smile. He patiently corrected him and put the books in his arms down. He took the book he was holding. Seeing that Gu Chuanbai still had no reaction, he raised his hand and shook in front of his eyes. He then repeated, “Just call Jingmo.”

The book was heavy. Lu Jingmo took it with both hands and his warm fingertips lay on top of Gu Chuanbai’s fingers that had gone cold from holding on to it so tightly. Seeing that he still didn’t let go, he raised his eyebrows and lightly tapped twice.

The force was extremely light, but it gave Gu Chuanbai a start. He handed the book back, his eyes fixed on Lu Jingmo’s soft short hair.

He’d been led astray a bit but he still seemed to be ok.

Lu Deng tidied up the bookshelf and was about to continue to tidy up the desk when he turned around and Gu Chuanbai suddenly gripped his arm: “…Jingmo.”

No matter what he used, he loved hearing this man earnestly calling his name. Lu Deng raised his head slightly and met Gu Chuanbai’s particularly solemn look. He turned serious as well and quietly waited for his next words.

Gu Chuanbai’s heart beat faster. He took a deep breath and spoke slowly, “Actually—I’m very good at making ice cream…”