Shi Yao immediately sat up straight, scowling. "You're getting addicted to hitting me, aren't you?"

Alaricka glanced at Shi Yao’s increasingly red ears and reminded him: "Remember what you promised me just now?"

Shi Yao glanced sideways at her and snorted lightly: "I remember. I have a good memory."

Alaricka was satisfied: "Alright, I’ll notify you later. Then you have to listen to me, but you’ve got to make sure you’re actually capable of teaching me."

Shi Yao raised his eyebrows: "Teacher Shi’s first lesson for you is: don’t question the teacher’s ability, got it?"

Alaricka said: "Fine."

Jaylene tilted her head, looking at them puzzled: "What are you doing? Hiding from someone? I don’t get it."

Alaricka jerked her chin toward her side: "Ask him. It’s his business."

Shi Yao looked outside.

Jaylene blinked.

She seemed to see Shi Yao’s face turn gloomy for an instant.

Not just annoyed, but gloomy.

Shi Yao said vaguely, "Nothing. There are two people chasing debts."

Jaylene didn’t quite trust this explanation, but she could tell Shi Yao didn’t want to talk about it, so she didn’t press further.

She said excitedly: "Teacher Shi, I forgot to ask: which university are you from? Did you study computer science too?"

Alaricka looked over.

She happened to see the corner of Shi Yao’s mouth turn up.

One could tell Shi Yao was very pleased with himself, but he was trying hard to restrain it, attempting to make it seem like a casual display.

Shi Yao raised his chin, tapped his fingers on the table and said: "I graduated from university at nineteen. I studied computer science at NTG."

What the hell is NTG?

Jaylene didn’t understand at all: "What is NTG?"

Alaricka had a vague impression, half-understanding, and also looked at Shi Yao with a puzzled expression.

Shi Yao looked at their two clueless expressions and his face darkened.

The effect he wanted was to see three pairs of shocked and admiring eyes after he said it, especially Alaricka’s admiring look.

But there weren’t.

His interest vanished in an instant, and he didn’t even want to explain.

Jaylene suddenly slapped the table, raising her voice: "But you graduated at nineteen? That’s amazing! Let me calculate: you started university at fifteen? You’re a child prodigy! We ordinary people start university at eighteen or nineteen, but you graduated at nineteen!"

Alaricka’s grades had always been far ahead at school. Even when she made the absurd request of not wanting to attend classes, the principal agreed. You could say it had always been smooth sailing for her.

This was the first time she faced pressure: a top student who graduated at nineteen, while she was just an ordinary person who started university at eighteen.

A world of difference suddenly appeared. Alaricka felt quite pressured, and her look at Shi Yao was far from admiration.

Shi Yao regretfully withdrew his gaze again.

"No, it was sixteen. I graduated in three years by finishing my credits early."

This subtle showing off made Alaricka grit her teeth, doubling the pressure.

Only Nie Guanyu’s eyes instantly lit up: "I know. It’s the world’s top-ranked university in soft science rankings (author’s fictional creation). Their computer science program has brutal admission standards and insanely tough graduation requirements. Graduating from NTG’s CS program at nineteen? You must be incredible."

Alaricka nodded thoughtfully.

Admittedly, Nie Guanyu’s words restored some of Shi Yao’s confidence.

Satisfied, Shi Yao tapped the table with a finger and gave a haughty “hmph.”

Nie Guanyu’s eyes shone brighter. "I’ve always idolized NTG."

He scratched his head sheepishly. "But I wasn’t even qualified to apply."