Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1621: Chapter 348: Flower Mud

With her long-trained sense of balance, even in such sudden circumstances, Lamias quickly corrected her posture, preventing herself from tripping.

However, the heel was indeed broken, and broken so thoroughly that Lamias felt it wasn’t the wooden board that broke it, but rather something directly sliced it off…

In any case, maintaining a smile and upholding elegance and composure, Lamias, as the female teacher, finally stood before Boss Luo and Ms. Ren.

Lamias placed a hand lightly against her hip, pressing down on her dress before sitting down slowly… in a ladylike posture.

Ms. Ren, expressionless behind Boss Luo, then took away the cup Teacher Prin had used, and shortly after returned with a cup of tea, placing it in front of Lamias.

She smiled.

The tea was cold.

The cup wasn’t even replaced.

Lamias remained silent until this busy Ms. Ren was done, then gently parted her lips to say, “Luo Qiu, I thought a powerful magician like you would study something in the engineering field, not the simplest theology.”

Is theology simple?

Perhaps, for a “Non-Human” existence, theology… or mysticism, is something they would come into contact with from the start—more real compared to the academic studies those human scholars in the academy deduce from historical records.

“I have no talent in the sciences,” Boss Luo shook his head, then asked, “Ms. Lamias, is there something you need?”

“As an academy instructor, don’t I have the right to be concerned about my students’ extracurricular activities?” Lamias blinked and said, “Faculty should prioritize student safety.”

Luo Qiu smiled and said, “I’m at the school, so there shouldn’t be any big problems.”

But Lamias replied, “That’s not necessarily true. Even in school, it’s not always safe. Have you heard of campus shootings? A few years ago, a student came in with a gun and shot a classmate; it’s very dangerous.”

As a “Non-Human,” there’s certainly no fear of a mere student’s handgun… this was just to start a conversation.

“Oh?”

Unexpectedly, the young mansion’s owner seemed genuinely interested and began to inquire further.

Indeed, the school shooting a few years ago really happened. But Lamias hadn’t started teaching at the academy then, so she naturally didn’t know much.

“I heard the student involved was let off lightly due to mental health issues and was expelled from the academy,” she explained.

Clearly, she only knew this much—information she had picked up by chance from other academy instructors.

“Ms. Lamias, lunch break is over,” Ms. Ren suddenly reminded, “As an academy instructor, don’t you have those lovely students to teach this afternoon?”

“I’m off today,” Lamias brushed her hair, “Luo Qiu, according to our agreement… during this period, I can freely move about within the town, right?”

“Of course.”

Lamias smiled and said, “In that case, being around you is part of my allowed activity range, isn’t it? After school, would you like a ride in my car? The suspension system is really good and comfortable.”

“No, thank you,” Boss Luo shook his head. “I prefer to wander around the town after school, there’s no rush to go back… Besides, we still have classes in the afternoon. Oh, right…”

Boss Luo suddenly got up, went to a cabinet nearby, and took something out, placing it in front of Lamias before continuing, “Use this; it should temporarily solve your shoe problem.”

Looking at the glue on the table, Lamias’ brows furrowed slightly… she picked it up calmly and said, “Since you have classes, I won’t disturb you… See you later.”

The nun then quickly left, having intentionally broken the heel on the other shoe as well—naturally, everyone knows these high heels are uncomfortable to walk in.

“Let’s go to class.”

Boss Luo acted as if nothing unusual had happened, gently pinching Ms. Ren’s hand, he led her out of the “Butterfly Society”.

…

…

Outside the ICU at the hospital.

Mr. Smith had just returned from the shower room when he saw a man in formal attire sitting on a chair in the corridor outside the ICU.

He appeared to be in his twenties… Mr. Smith felt a sense of familiarity upon seeing the man’s profile, familiar yet unfamiliar.

“You seem to be… a teacher at the academy?” Mr. Smith finally recalled a face he could occasionally see from the past—a customer at his restaurant.

Yet for some reason, Mr. Smith felt the man seemed younger than he remembered… perhaps due to makeup?

Mr. Smith eyed the formal attire, pondering.

Mr. Prin… or Teacher Prin—Mr. Smith finally remembered the name of this restaurant regular.

“I was passing by,” the man in formal attire smiled and said, “I heard your wife is sick, so I intended to visit, but it seems entering isn’t possible.”

Mr. Smith opened his mouth… honestly, they weren’t familiar with each other. In their limited dining encounters, upon recollection, there hadn’t been much conversation.

To say they were friends would be stretching it; at most they knew each other—if it were a good friend saying such things, Mr. Smith might feel thankful… but from this man, the words seemed somewhat abrupt.

“That’s kind of you,” Mr. Smith considered and then sat down beside the man in formal attire. “Deborah would be pleased to know.”

The man in formal wear said, “Indeed, your wife’s smile is the most beautiful thing in the world.”

Mr. Smith furrowed his brow… the man’s tone gave him an inexplicable feeling of strangeness—but he didn’t show it, just nodded and then fell silent… refraining from speaking actively.

He even hoped the man would leave on his own, ending this unexpected meeting.

“I brought some gifts,” the man in formal attire said to Mr. Smith, “I hope you’ll accept them.”

Mr. Smith looked at the box in the man’s hands, resting on his lap—he had actually noticed this box since he first saw the man.

It was wrapped in black paper with a beautiful floral design, a kind of flower his wife, Mrs. Deborah, loved.

How did he know… Mr. Smith’s sense of unease grew stronger, causing him to furrow his brow.

But the man in formal attire continued, “I was once downcast and lost. Loneliness nearly consumed my entirety… I endured countless failures… but your wife’s smile saved me. It’s a smile that can warm the heart. So, believe me, your wife is the person I’m most grateful for; she gave me life.”

Mr. Smith couldn’t help but be moved; he could feel the sincerity in the man’s words.

In front of his eyes, he seemed to see a figure worn down by life, lonely and desolate, walking on the street like an empty shell… Suddenly, a smile saved him, who had lost hope in life.

He once had such an experience… when he met his wife.

“I, too, have been saved by such a smile before, as if the black and white time was suddenly dyed with the colors of a rainbow.”

Mr. Smith finally accepted the gift box from the man in the suit, thought for a while and then said: “Do you want to see my wife? I can take you in… but you can only see her once.”

“No need.” The man in the suit shook his head at this moment, “Being able to be here is actually enough… Also, talking with you, Mr. Smith, like this is a first, I’ll remember it.”

“I didn’t say much.” Mr. Smith shook his head.

“If there’s a chance, I’ll come again.” The man in the suit stood up, putting on his tall hat, “I’ve disturbed you today… sir.”

“Really a strange guy.” Watching the man in the suit leave, Mr. Smith was a bit dazed… He shook his head again and then walked into the intensive care unit.

…

After disinfecting and changing into clean clothes, Mr. Smith suddenly glanced at the gift box he had placed aside when he entered the room.

Perhaps when his wife wakes up, it would be a nice gift for her to open it personally?

He hoped that day would come soon.

He came to the bedside, pulled out his wife’s hand from under the blanket, and held it tightly… Mr. Smith began to pray — his wife was a devout believer, and he later became one too.

Unknowingly, Mr. Smith fell asleep at the bedside… He almost always had one or two moments each day where he would suddenly fall asleep from fatigue.

Probably because he was too tired… Every time he woke up from such sudden sleep, Mr. Smith would think like this.

What he didn’t know was that every time he slept like this, someone would gently push open the door to the intensive care unit and slowly walk in… A man in a white shirt, wearing white gloves.

Looking at the two holding hands, Teacher Prin, the man in the white shirt, had a gentle smile on his face.

He really liked the tranquility and the scene before him at this moment — without a doubt.

But in his over thirty years of life, seeing countless landscapes, he only had such a likable feeling with this ordinary couple.

“Should I also find a companion or something…”

Looking at Mr. Smith holding his wife’s hand, Teacher Prin suddenly remembered the pair of students in the Butterfly Society and had a strange thought.

Indeed, being single for too long, seeing this kind of pair would suffer thousands of emotional blows…

He shook his head, opened the gift box given by the student, and gently sprinkled the Mud of the Flower from the Other Shore on Mr. Smith and his wife.

“Mud of the Flower from the Other Shore… This kind of thing, even I have only heard of, never seen.” Teacher Prin sighed as he spoke, “Yellow Springs, a way of saying the Eastern Hell…”

As a professional Theology Institute tutor, with solid theological knowledge, the concept of Yellow Springs flashed through Teacher Prin’s mind quickly.

In mysticism and Eastern legends, there indeed is a far more complete conception of life and death than Western mythology — reincarnation.

But that is just an Eastern legend… For Teacher Prin, after human death, the soul’s destination is probably only one, which is the origin of that power of death he knew.

“I hope to see your birth in the next few days.” Teacher Prin patted the mud layer on his gloves, looking at Mrs. Deborah’s bulging belly, his smile becoming even more gentle, “Small life.”

He quietly exited the ward… Outside the isolation room, a gift box wrapped with floral patterned paper caught his attention.

He paused.

Teacher Prin felt an urge to open this box.

But at that moment, the sound of footsteps came from outside, apparently, the hospital’s nurse was coming for rounds… Teacher Prin hesitated briefly, then simply pushed open the door and walked out.

He happened to meet the nurse face to face.

Without haste, Teacher Prin smiled and nodded, and the nurse instinctively nodded back, then Teacher Prin naturally walked out completely.

After a while, the nurse murmured to herself puzzledly: “That guy, didn’t he just leave… When did he change clothes and come back?”

…

“Otherwise, should I visit another old friend?”

Outside the hospital, Teacher Prin looked at the sky… The sunset in the west was one of the thousands of ordinary sunsets he had seen.

In this small town, the only ones considered as friends, apart from the new student he hadn’t known for long, were probably only Father Stretta in the church who would quietly slip a few pages of erotic novels into the scriptures during sermons for the congregation.

He thought, before leaving, to say hello.

Sunset in the west, he also had moments of thousands of sunsets, placing his silhouette under such an ordinary sunset, stretched across the long street.

…

…

The Maid inserted the key, and the Beetle, resurrected by Da Zhe, started once again, with Boss Luo sitting in the passenger seat, obediently buckling his seatbelt.

So the Maid happily drove out of the parking lot of the institute.

At the same time, in a corner of the parking lot, another black Beetle car suddenly started up… Lamias holding the steering wheel with one hand, while the other hand placed a cup of Happy Water in the cup holder — bought during a boring wait.

Indeed, she had been hiding in the car for a whole afternoon, even dozed off once during that time!

But when Lamias was about to hit the gas pedal to follow the car in front, the car suddenly shook violently, then with a bang… From the car’s hood, black smoke billowed out.

“??”

############

PS1: (11/82)

PS2: Lying down… asleep…