The students clapped politely. It was not the first time he had taken the podium, but this time, his eyes swept the room until they landed on Gu Jin.

"Gu Jin," he said loudly, "come sit beside me on the podium."

The whole class froze. Heads turned, eyes wide, and whispers broke out immediately.

Gu Jin blinked in surprise. "Why?"

Long Yifan smiled. "With you beside me, I will be able to teach better. Your presence will motivate me. And more importantly, if the students can see their idol up here, their attitude toward studying will improve."

The classroom erupted in excitement.

"Yes, yes! If Goddess Gu sits on the podium, I will finally have motivation!" one boy shouted.

"Please, let her! If I can look at her beauty while learning, I'll definitely remember every word of the lecture!" another laughed.

Some were even bolder. "Finally, we can ogle our goddess openly!"

Long Yifan's smile froze, and a cold sneer twisted in his heart. 'Ogle her? You fools. You think I will let you look at her like that?'

Gu Jin, however, felt disgust rise inside her. She looked at Long Yifan sharply. He knew very well what kind of comments others would make if she sat on the podium. Yet he still asked her to.

"Is this love?" she thought bitterly. "To let others objectify me and use me as a tool to motivate them? Or is he just selfish, trying to keep me near him no matter what?"

Still, she wanted to see how far he would go. So she stood and walked up slowly, sitting down beside him on the podium.

The class erupted again.

But then something strange happened.

"Wait," one student muttered, squinting. "Where is she? I can't see her at all."

"What do you mean?" another asked. "She's right there!"

"No, I swear, I can't see her body at all. It's like she disappeared."

Others gasped. "Me too! I can't see her either. My eyes are clear, but she's invisible."

Gu Jin's eyes widened. 'What? Invisible?'

Then Long Yifan chuckled softly. "Ah, so it looks like today we will be conducting a special test. Whoever has precise control over the thunder element will be able to see Gu Jin clearly. If you can see her, you get an A. If not, you fail."

The classroom exploded into protests.

"What? That's unfair!"

"How can you just make this up on the spot?"

But others, desperate for a good grade, shouted quickly.

"No, I can see her! She's sitting right there!"

"Yes, I can see her too! Perfectly clear!"

More and more voices joined in, all claiming they could see Gu Jin, even though their faces betrayed their lies.

Gu Jin sat still, her lips parted slightly in shock. This man… he had schemed against the entire class in an instant. He had trapped them with his words, forcing them to lie just to save their grades.

Her heart thudded in her chest. She did not know whether to be angry, disgusted, or impressed.

Long Yifan stood tall, his eyes cold as he surveyed the class.

"Very good. If you all claim you can see her, then prove it with your control of thunder. Those who are lying will be exposed instantly."

A heavy silence fell over the room. The students who had just shouted loudly now looked pale.

Gu Jin glanced at Long Yifan from the corner of her eye. He wasn't even looking at her. He was looking only at the students, his expression sharp, almost cruel.

And for the first time, she wondered.

"Just what kind of man is he becoming?"

During the entire lecture, Long Yifan sat on the chair right beside Gu Jin. From the moment he started speaking, his eyes did not leave the students.

He did not walk around, did not move much, and did not even try to step away from the chair.

It was almost like he wanted to make sure that Gu Jin stayed hidden and that no one dared to stare at her again.

But even though he stayed seated, his teaching was sharp.

His voice was steady, his control over the thunder element was perfect, and he explained every point so clearly that even the most confused students slowly nodded their heads.

One by one, the students began to focus on the lecture. At first, many of them were still sneaking glances at the chair where Gu Jin sat.

They wanted to see if they could catch her shadow or outline. But the more Long Yifan spoke, the more they forgot.

His words captured their minds, his examples made sense, and his energy made them feel like they were watching thunder itself come alive.

Soon, all of them were writing notes, solving problems, and whispering to themselves, "Oh, so that's how it works."

Gu Jin too was drawn in. At first, she had been annoyed with him. She thought he was shameless for making her sit on the podium.

She thought he was selfish for using her presence as some kind of game. But now, watching him teach, she couldn't deny it.

"Even though he is too flimsy," she thought, "his mind is sharp. His way of teaching is… amazing."

She sat straighter. Even though she didn't like admitting it, she felt like she might learn something useful. And she did not want to neglect him.

But then she noticed something strange. Among all the students who were focused, there was one boy who was not. His head was slightly tilted. His eyes kept moving toward her direction, over and over again. It was like he could really see her.

Gu Jin felt uncomfortable. She frowned slightly and shifted her body, trying to move away from his line of sight. She was just about to open her mouth and say something when suddenly Long Yifan spoke.

"Chen Liang," Long Yifan called out loudly.

The boy jerked like someone had pulled his tail. "Y-yes, teacher?"

"Did you understand the concept I just explained?" Long Yifan asked calmly, his eyes sharp.

Chen Liang forced a smile. "Yes, of course, teacher. I understood everything clearly."

"Good," Long Yifan nodded once. "Then explain it to the class."

The boy froze. His lips trembled, and the color drained from his face. Everyone turned to look at him.

"I-I…" Chen Liang stuttered.

Long Yifan's voice turned cold. "You cannot? But you just said you understood. Why are you lying in my class?"

The boy's face burned red. He clenched his fists and lowered his head.

"Since your attention is not on the lecture," Long Yifan said firmly, "then it is better if you leave this class. I do not need students who do not respect their teacher."

The classroom gasped.

Chen Liang's head snapped up. "What? You cannot expel me from the class without any reason!"

Long Yifan chuckled coldly.

"No reason? You ignored my lecture, you lied in front of me, and you dared to let your mind wander toward something else while I am teaching. That is enough. If you, as a student, do not act like a student, then I, as a teacher, have no reason to treat you like one."

The boy's lips trembled with anger. His eyes turned red as if he wanted to argue again, but the weight of Long Yifan's words crushed him. Deep down, he knew Long Yifan was right. He had been distracted. He had lied.

"I…" His voice was small now. "…I am sorry, teacher."

"Good," Long Yifan said. "Remember this. If I see any boy or girl turning their head toward this chair again, I will deduct your marks immediately."

The class went silent. No one dared to look at Gu Jin again.

Every head turned back to their notes, their eyes locked onto their papers, their pens scratching fast as if their lives depended on it.

Gu Jin tilted her head slightly. She did not say a word, but in her heart, she was surprised.

He had not only protected her from being stared at, but he had also done it so cleverly that no one could complain.

Long Yifan, seeing the students return to their work, nodded in satisfaction and continued teaching. His words flowed like lightning, sharp and bright.

Slowly, the unpleasant event faded away, buried under the weight of more lessons.

But Chen Liang could not forget. His heart burned with humiliation. His jaw clenched so tight it hurt.

"He made me apologize in front of everyone," Chen Liang thought angrily. "He humiliated me. I will not forgive him."

The lecture ended. The students stood, bowing politely, and filed out. But Chen Liang did not follow them. He stormed out in another direction, his footsteps heavy.

He went straight to the principal's office.

Inside, the principal was sitting behind a large desk filled with scrolls and reports. He looked up as Chen Liang burst in.

"What is the matter?" the principal asked with a frown.

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