Teaching Class Two was much easier for Jiang Ye, as the material had already been covered once. It was merely a matter of repetition, and he felt no pressure.
Unlike the silent and orderly Class One, students in Class Two frequently raised their hands, confidently asking questions.
Many of these questions were sharp and insightful, but fortunately, Jiang Ye was experienced enough to handle them.
The morning passed quickly. Jiang Ye left the classroom, went to the cafeteria to pack a few simple dishes, and ordered two meat buns, which he brought back to his dormitory.
As he reached the corridor outside his dorm, Jiang Ye froze.
A tall, slender girl was standing by the dormitory door.
It was the girl who looked very much like his wife. She was dressed fashionably, her long boots and black stockings accentuating her incredibly long legs. Her red sweater outlined a fiery figure. Her hair was alluring, her eyes expressive, and she exuded youthful vitality, undoubtedly a model-level beauty.
Jiang Ye considered himself an older man. Seeing a girl with such near-perfect looks and figure, it was impossible for his heart to remain a calm, clear pool. Ripples immediately began to form.
However, his feelings were kept in check by propriety. Thinking of his wife, busy on the refugee planet, Jiang Ye instantly calmed down.
"Hello, student," Jiang Ye said, striding over.
The girl had been looking down, waiting. When she looked up and saw Jiang Ye, her face immediately lit up with a surprised smile. Then, she spoke, "Brother-in-law!"
Jiang Ye was stunned, wondering if his hearing had failed him. "What did you just call me?"
"Brother-in-law," the girl smiled. "My name is Cen Zi. Cen Yemeng is my half-sister."
Jiang Ye stared, dumbfounded. "Really? How come I never heard about this..."
"My father was too much of a philanderer and had too many children. Our Cen family is a very large clan, and many siblings don't even know each other," Cen Zi explained with a smile. "Yemeng and I only met a few times when we were children. We lost touch over the years, probably about fifteen years ago. This time, when I came to take classes, I searched for teachers' information and found that your wife's name was Cen Yemeng. I called my father to confirm, and he confirmed it was indeed Yemeng."
"What a coincidence..." Jiang Ye hesitated for a moment, then pulled out his phone. "Excuse me, I'll call your sister to confirm."
Jiang Ye dialed Cen Yemeng's number. She answered almost instantly.
"Husband, husband," Cen Yemeng's voice was laced with a yawn, her tone lazy. "You woke me up right after I fell asleep. Is something urgent?"
"Do you remember Cen Zi?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Cen Zi... Hmm, that name sounds familiar... I remember, I should have a younger sister named that. What's up?" Cen Yemeng asked.
"She's a student in my class," Jiang Ye said.
"Ah!" Cen Yemeng exclaimed. "Such a coincidence? What did she say to you?"
"She didn't say much, just came to recognize a relative," Jiang Ye replied. "It's quite a coincidence. I didn't expect to meet one of your sisters here. I just wanted to confirm if this person existed, to make sure it wasn't a mistake."
"Then, husband, you should talk to her. Since she's your student, she must be a planetary leader, right? We haven't seen each other in so many years. You can invite her to our planet as a guest after the course ends. I'd like to see her too," Cen Yemeng said.
"Okay, you go back to sleep then. I won't disturb your precious sleep time." Jiang Ye hung up the phone.
Cen Zi had been standing by the entire time, watching Jiang Ye with a smile. After he finished the call, she said softly, "Brother-in-law and Yemeng sister have a very good relationship."
"More than just good. My sister and I went through a lot together; it's truly a bond forged in life and death," Jiang Ye smiled, opening the dormitory door. "Come in and sit for a while. Have you had lunch yet?"
"Not yet. Can I eat with Brother-in-law?" Cen Zi entered the room.
"It's just a matter of adding an extra pair of chopsticks. How could I possibly say no?" Jiang Ye chuckled.
After entering, Cen Zi looked around. "Teacher's dormitories are indeed more upscale than student dormitories."
"I lived in student dormitories back in the day. You'll live in teacher's dormitories in a few years," Jiang Ye said, placing the food on the table. He handed Cen Zi a pair of chopsticks, and they sat opposite each other to eat.
"Brother-in-law eats very simply," Cen Zi smiled. "I thought, given Brother-in-law's status, you'd have a table full of delicacies."
"I'm used to it. I can't eat too much. Sometimes I eat luxuriously, but usually, I eat quite simply," Jiang Ye replied. "If you want anything, I can call the cafeteria to have it delivered. I was planning to make do with these myself, but it's a bit humble to host you."
"No need, Brother-in-law. This is very abundant for me. I was a private in the early years, and I wasn't particular about my food," Cen Zi said.
"A private?" Jiang Ye was taken aback.
He suddenly remembered that Cen Zi was not a student in Class Two, but in Class One!
The students of Class One were all planetary leaders who had fought their way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood on the battlefield!
Jiang Ye straightened his back. The Cen Zi in his eyes suddenly transformed. She went from an elegant and charming young girl to a resolute, fierce, and cold general. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that her gaze was indeed different from ordinary people's; it held the steady calm characteristic of someone who had witnessed major events. However, he mused, who among those who came to study here was an ordinary person?
"Did you rise step by step from the grassroots of the military to become a planetary leader?" Jiang Ye asked.
"It wouldn't be accurate to say step by step; it was more like leaps and bounds," Cen Zi replied. "I enlisted at 16 and took fifteen years to reach where I am now. One way was through promotions in combat, and the other was through my father's arms dealing. I supplied a lot of weapons and ammunition to the army, and I also led my troops to win many major battles. Finally, I gained the support of several veteran generals in our planet's high command, who then pushed me to the position of Commander-in-Chief."
"Your Cen family truly produces talent, with two planetary leaders," Jiang Ye remarked. "Your sister, I've helped guide her to some extent, but you have genuine ability. I greatly admire you."
"Brother-in-law is too kind. Brother-in-law is much more formidable than me," Cen Zi chuckled. "When I spoke with my father on the phone, he praised Brother-in-law highly, saying you have boundless potential and are a remarkable individual."
"I relied on luck, truly. You rely on your skills. Your future achievements will surely not be inferior to mine," Jiang Ye said. "Your sister wants to see you. She mentioned on the phone that she hasn't seen you in many years and misses you. After this course ends, would you have time to visit our home?"
"Yes, yes, I miss Yemeng sister too," Cen Zi nodded. "Is my sister currently the leader of Birong Star and the Refugee Star?"
"Yes, she's quite busy," Jiang Ye nodded. "Which planet are you from?"
"Salou Star, a very poor little planet. We just finished a war with aliens a year and a half ago, not very well-known," Cen Zi said, frowning slightly and sighing. "I'm under a lot of pressure now. This is the first time I'm leading a planet. Salou Star has forty-five billion people. Just thinking about it makes the responsibility feel so overwhelming that I can barely breathe. This morning, when Brother-in-law was lecturing about how you governed one planet after another, bringing prosperity to tens of billions of people, I felt immense admiration for you! You're truly amazing!"