The Modern Immortal

Enjoying Lunch

As they were about to clean up before eating, they heard someone on the door.

"Brother Daemon, are you and aunt all right, I'm just coming from your restaurant, I saw that the restaurant was bashed by someone, what happened," as soon as Edward arrived inside he started asking worriedly. 

"Nothing happened, just some utensils were damaged, and nobody was hurt."

I should have somehow helped you, what kind of a brother I am that I didn't even help you when I could have done something".

“This thing does not have anything to do with you. You don’t need to blame yourself.” Upon seeing Edward’s apologetic and regretful expression, Daemon’s heart also melted as he patted Edward’s shoulder before he curiously asked, “Anyways, as long as I’ve recalled, I have never given my address to you or anyone, how did you find it?”

“Eldest Brother, what about the matter at the restaurant? That group of thugs had bashed the restaurant without reasons or cause. Do you need me to deal with it?” As he simply shifted to the matter with the restaurant, Edward asked in an excited manner.

“The restaurant matter has been resolved, but thanks for your concern though. Anyways, it’s the second day of our month vacation, you’re not going back to accompany your father and mother?” Seeing his mother become motionless and speechless after having heard of the matter with the restaurant, Daemon didn’t hesitate to shift the topic.

“I… I… Eldest Brother, I have yet to prepare my mind and heart, I just want to wait until the end of the college entrance examination, and then I will consider this matter afterward.” Having raised the subject about his parents, Edward’s mood suddenly became gloomy and dejected.

Ten minutes later, the room had been cleaned up and got a new look from Caroline, and then the three of them took the leftover dishes in the kitchen and had dinner.

At the dinner table, Caroline threw full praises towards Daemon’s cooking skill while Edward was devouring it as he himself almost wolfed down more than half of the dishes. Caroline and Daemon could only look at him with dumbfounded expressions.

With Edward’s funny gags, the originally cold, dull, and sad atmosphere soon became cheerful and lively.

“Eldest Brother, I remember that yesterday you said that this month you’ll take the first grade, and now since all the tests have been finished, how much of a chance is there that you will take first grade?” The topic unknowingly shifted around to the Monthly Test, Edward asked with a nervous expression.

“Don’t worry, when have I spoken empty words to you?” Seeing Edward’s caring looks, Daemon nodded and answered confidently.

Just when Daemon’s words had finished, “clang” sounds were heard.

As Daemon followed the sound’s direction, it turned out that the bowl suddenly fell from his mother’s hands as she stared blankly at him.

“Son mo, did what you say just now is true? You can take this Monthly Test’s first grade?” Caroline didn’t clean up the bowl on the floor as her hands grabbed Daemon’s arm and asked with an excited expression.

“Mom, the Monthly Test’s results should be coming out in 3 days, you will know the results then.” Daemon was naturally aware of the concern in his mother’s heart.

Daemon knew that his mother had basically pinned almost all of her hopes on him. The car accident more than a year ago had almost devastated all the hopes his mother had. She always blames herself for that.

For more than a year, he had always been looking after her with meticulous care even though he had never shown any restlessness in front of her, but Daemon also knew that his performance grades fell rapidly. The one who truly suffered from the pressures was not him alone, but his mother too, who was unconditionally bearing the pressure.

And now, having suddenly learned that his performance grades had returned to his previous achievements, it was only natural for his mother to be excited.

“So you only need a month to catch up to your previous grades?” Upon hearing Daemon’s affirmative answer, Caroline was more excited.

“It’s a given though. Whose son you are looking at anyway?” Daemon put on a smug face and replied.

“Great, great, I know that once you are back to normal, your grades would soon also be coming back. Then, your father’s soul in heaven will rest in peace.” As Caroline said these words, two lines of tears welled up although a smile covered her face this time.

Having thoroughly understood Caroline and Daemon’s expression from their eyes, Edward at the side seemed to want to speak but hesitated as worries were drawn on his face.

In this month’s time, Edward was also fully immersing himself into study. He was perfectly aware of the difficulties of how to improve one’s grades. He had originally wanted to speak to Caroline about the difficulty degree of improving the Monthly Test’s grades from the bottom grade to reach the first grade. However, after seeing the joyful tears from Caroline’s face, he didn’t have the heart to say it.

When he saw Caroline’s pure concern and happiness for Daemon and seeing the caring attention of a mother and child between Caroline with Daemon. At the same time, a slight envy filled Edward’s heart.

It reminded him about when his mother decided to leave home. Gradually, Edward’s eyes became moist.

When the students in the S City were enjoying a rare two days’ holiday this month, the high school’s teachers for the third year had already reviewed the test papers.

For these third year’s teachers, this was a painful and joyful pleasure.

It’s painful because they had to sacrifice their time and holiday time with their family to mark the test papers. It was joyful because they could see little improvements from their students’ results. They were seeing the College Entrance Test, like a bonus to entering higher education.

“Leo’s results are really good, his Literature and Languages’ test scored 130 points, Mathematics 129 points, his Comprehensive Science test also got 244 points, if he can get more than 110 points in his English test, then he could pick most of the country’s major universities.” Teacher Lin read a few top students’ statistics’ grades in the class with a satisfied expression.

Actually, it was almost impossible for the third year’s teachers to completely review the examinees’ tests’ papers in one day. But this didn’t prevent the teachers in charge of their respective class to review the top students’ tests in advance.

“Leo’s English results came out, 128 points; his total score has reached 631 points. Teacher Lin, congratulations! The two months he has spent working hard on this one finally bears fruit. Leo is likely to be admitted to the Blue Star University.” Quickly, the Class 5 English teacher handed Leo’s English exam paper to Teacher Lin.

Upon hearing Leo got 631 points in the second Monthly Test, other teachers in the office could not help but look toward Teacher Lin with envious eyes, and then spoke words of congratulation to him one after another.

“Hey, Derek from our class only got 610 points, it seems he only got second place again.”

“Teacher Xiao, you don’t need to sigh, even the first genius in our class only got 599 points, I don’t know whether he would be able to enter the top ten or not.”

“This time, the degree of difficulty for this Monthly Test was really raised too high compared to the last month’s. Its degree of difficulty is already close to the College Entrance Test. The students who are able to get more than 550 points should be able to enter prestigious universities.”

****

During most of the time today, these third year’s teachers had arranged the last month’s highest scorer in the forefront on top of test’s papers that had been marked, they also basically knew quite well about this time’s Monthly Test’s results.

All the tests’ papers had been marked, and there were 27 students who got 550 points or more, of which 12 of them came from Class 5, which was almost half of the total number. This made everyone become more envious to Teacher Lin’s good luck, and at the same time, they also had no choice but to congratulate him one by one.

“Everyone still remembers my bet with Teacher Emma, right?” Having been flattered by numerous teachers for a while, Teacher Lin then spoke with a smug and conceited tone with a face full of an excited expression.

Teacher Lin’s words were like a pair of giant invisible hands that grabbed down on everyone’s neck, making the office instantly quiet down.

Looking at Teacher Lin’s expression which was seemingly blown up with success, everyone in the office subconsciously frowned with knitted brows. Never did they feel so disgusted with someone like this before.

“Oh, my wife has been calling me several times that I should go home quickly for dinner, see you everyone.”

“It’s too late today, if I don’t go home, my wife will be angry again. I can’t continue reviewing the test papers again, see you everyone.”

“Since the marking for top 20 students for each class' test papers have basically been completed, let’s review the rest of the test papers tomorrow. Today everybody has worked hard, so let’s go home to rest first.”

****

Under Teacher Lin’s stunned and dumbfounded gaze, the room which was previously full of people, was instantly emptied by the people who went home, leaving only him and Miss Emma.

“Teacher Lin, you want to go home with everyone now, or do you want to personally mark Daemon’s test paper, and then rig it again?” Miss Emma looked at Teacher Lin and faintly smiled, with a ridiculing expression.

“You… you…” Teacher Lin was almost unable to breathe from a few words from Miss Emma, as he sprouted out these “you” words and pointed to Miss Emma’s nose for a long time. Unable to speak a complete sentence, he finally gasped for a breath and slammed the door when he went out.