Chapter Text
It was the lockdown period. Covid-19 had become a global threat and schools and universities had no choice but shut down to avoid the risk of infections.
And of course, resort to online classes.
A few students were not pleased with the method but most were delighted. They were excited because this provided an opportunity for them to have a peek in their professor's personal lives.
And of course, of all professors, the most mysterious one was Professor Lan Wangji.
The students knew that Professor Lan Wangji had been teaching at the university for quite sometime now, but despite all the years he had taught, information about him remained very limited. All they knew was that he was very punctual and very professional. He was also very strict but at the same time, understanding enough to teach and give assignments to students as per their limits.
Naturally, his family life became a hit topic for students and the group chat they had for themselves was being flooded with messages since fifteen minutes before Professor Lan's online class began.
ChickenNuggetYi: Guys!!!! Its Professor Lan's class!!! Do u think we might actually see smth interesting??? Like maybe his pets or kids or-
YoungMasterJin: Wth is wrong with u?? Why do u wanna go around prying into your professor's private lyf?
ChickenNuggetYi: Shut up young mistress u talk like u dont wanna know more abt prof Lan
YoungMasterJin: How dare u!!!! U shut up and NO I do not want to knw anything abt prof Lan and STOP CALLING ME YOUNG MISTRESS
HopelessRomanticZhen @ChickenNuggetYi: I agree with u!!! I wanna see prof lan's house tooo.....imagine if we ger to see his wife looool
HopelessRomanticZhen: get*
QueenQing: @YoungMasterJin quit whining like one and @ChickenNuggetLoverYi bold of u to assume prof lan will let us witness even a glimpse of his priv lyf
GoodBunnyAyuan: What's going on guys? What did I miss?
ChickenNuggetYi: Sizhuiiiiii my friend!!!! My most wonderful and trustful friend whom I love with all my heart!!!
YoungMasterJin: Urgh......brb gonna puke my guts out
GoodBunnyAyuan: I feel threatened
ChickenNuggetYi: T.T
QueenQing: Y'all can keep on chatting while I go listen to prof Lan's class
YoungMasterJin: Did it strt alrdy???
QueenQing: Yea 5 min ago
ChickenNuggetYi: Fu- why didnt u tell us????
GoodBunnyAyuan: Wait, you guys didn't join the class yet? Professor Lan is starting the chapter on Ancient Heirlooms and significance of Hierarchy in the Shang dynasty.
HopelessRomantic: I dint understand even one word of what @GoodBunnyAyuan said
Unfortunately, everyone else had already left the group chat to log into their respective MSTeams accounts to join Professor Lan's class.
As everyone watched in anticipation, Professor Lan's face came into view. All the students were surprised at how neat he looked even while at home. His long hair was neatly tied into a ponytail and his golden eyes behind his steel rimmed spectacles seemed as focused as ever. He was dressed in a formal blue and white suit, which was his normal attire for the offline classes too. Needless to say, his immortal like beauty mesmerised a few students even through the screen.
The students, on the other hand, were glad that their professor had not asked them to switch on their videos. Most of them had just woken up from bed and still had bed head while others were still dozing off with their laptops on.
Meanwhile, in the MSTeams Group chat,
LanJingyi: Okay guys quick take ss b4 we lose the chance
OuyangZizhen: Done
JinLing: U cant be serious
LanJingyi: In a rare moment of having smth more imp to focus on imma ignore young mistress and focus my attention on the situation at hanf
LanSizhui: Shouldn't you be listening to the class right now, @LanJingyi?
XiaoQing: Bold of u to assume he ever listens to class
Meanwhile Professor Lan Wangji had already started explaining his lesson. He had prepared a very well arranged slideshow depicting the important points of the lesson and those who were listening were taking down notes.
Professor Lan's background was a light blue wall decorated with nothing except a painting of mountain tops covered with clouds and a few Chinese characters. He was most probably sitting in a study as there was a book shelf in the background along with set of drawers and a neatly arranged vase placed on it. Lan Jingyi could make out a photo frame resting on on one of the shelves and immediately took a screenshot to zoom into it. Unfortunately all he could make out was a blur of pixels of what seemed like a very small person.
Professor Lan's class, to Jingyi's disappointment, came to an end. Needless to say, he could not find out anything about Professor Lan that was worth sharing in their personal group chat.
YoungMasterJin: Where the hell is Jingyi? By now he must be goin crazy with everything he found out abt prof lan
HopelessRomanticZhen: Wdym did u see prof lan's room it was like he had intentionally removed all personal items so that we dont find out anyhting abt him
HopelessRomanticZhen: anything*
YoungMasterJin: Heh
QueenQing: What can I say except
QueenQing: Told u so
GoodBunnyAyuan: Wait is this what your earlier discussion was abt? Trying to find out about Professor Lan's private life?
GoodBunnyAyuan: laughingoutloud.jpg
YoungMasterJin: clown.jpg for @ChickenNuggetYi
ChickenNuggetYi: SHUT UP YOUNG MISTRESS JUSY BECAUSE I EAS GINE FOR A WHILDE DOEDNT MESN U CAN MAKR FUN OF ME LIKR TGAT
QueenQing: Oof Jingyi ur spelling is hurting my eyes
HopelessRomanticZhen: I had a strokw reading that
HopelessRomanticZhen: stroke*
YoungMasterJin: Ooohhh whats the matter? Are u embarrassed jingyi? That all ur excitement was for nothing what a shame
ChickenNuggetYi: AFHCOY ISTG ILL JUMP THRY TGE SCREEN ANG KILL U
YoungMistressJin: Learn how to spell first
GoodBunnyAyuan: Guys calm down
GoodBunnyAyuan: Its not a big deal Jingyi, learning about Professor Lan's private life is not very necessary, is it?
ChickenNuggetYi: AFFCH IT IS SIZHUI, IT IS FOR MY SURVIVSL I THRIVE ON GOSSIP
QueenQing: I-
QueenQing: Istg every moment in this gc is taking out my braincells more and more
HopelessRomanticYi: U say that but u enjoy the drama
QueenQing: IDK WUT U TALKIN ABT HEY Y'ALL PROF WEI'S CLASS STRTED BTW
QueenQing: BYE I AM GOING TO CLASS
HopelessRomanticZhen: U talk like the class is in the uni and not online
Once again, Ouyang Zizhen's message recieved no replies as everyone else had already left the group chat to join Professor Wei's class.
In the MSTeams chat,
LanJingyi: Come to think of it, we dont much abt prof wei either
LanSizhui: JINGYI
LanJingyi: Lol Sizhui calm down, prof wei's the tyoe of guy who will tell us anything willingly if we ask for it so i am not interested in his family stuff
JinLing: Well its a shame u couldnt find out abt anything abt prof lan smirk.jpg
LanSizhui: JIN LING
LanJingyi: AKJBCHHHF Y ARE U BRINHINF THAT UP YOUNG MISTRWSS DONY TEST MY PATIENVE
XiaoQing: Jingyi are u planning on giving a headache to me with that spelling of urs
NingYingYing: Guys sry for being rude but ur chats are disturbing everyone
LiuMingyan: Yingying is right why dont u chat on a private chat or smth
ShaHualing: Pshhh bookworms acting all diligent like u arent curious abt these stuffs too
LanSizhui: That's enough guys, Ning Yingying and Liu Mingyan are right, we should be focusing on the class right now
Professor Wei had already turned on his camera and greeted everyone with his characteristic blinding smile, "Hello my lovely students~" he greeted everyone in an excited voice. Unlike Professor Lan, Professor Wei was much easy going and friendly so the students were immediately alert in his class.
"Hello Professor Wei!"
"Good morning, Professor Wei!!"
All the voices of the students were overlapping over each other but Professor Wei Wuxian did not seem to mind.
"I see all of you are in good spirits, hm.....but I bet some of you haven't even got off the bed yet! Hahaha"
While the students laughed along with him, they realised that Professor Wei's background was light blue too but it had several decorations. There were medals and awards hung on the wall and even a very cute photo of a black bunny and a white bunny snuggling against each other hung in the middle of it all.
In the MSTeams group chat,
NingYingYing: Awww......did anyone see the pic of cute bunnies hung on Prof Wei's wall??!!
OuyangZizhen: Yeah!!! They were so adorable!!!
Sha Hualing: @NingYingYing someone told the chats are disturbing
XiaoQing: @ShaHualing Hm....i wonder who
As Wei Wuxian's enthusiastic class carried on, every student could not help but keep looking at the awards behind him. At the back of Jingyi's mind was the thought that Professor Wei and Professor Lan had the same coloured walls in their houses but he dismissed it as not a big deal and began to wonder about the awards again.
LanJingyi: Bunnies aside did u see all those medals and awards its like he wants us all to see them
OuyangZizhen: And they are all his awards? Woah
JinLing: They are not smh
XiaoQing: How are u so sure
LanJingyi: Yeah young mistress how are u so sure
JinLing: I just said it like that not a big deal jeez
XiaoQing: idk man that sounds suspicious
LanJingyi: +1
OuyangZizhen: +1
ShaHualing: +1
LanSizhui: Its because Professor Wei is not the type of person to show off his achievements
LanJingyi: Come to think of it, Sizhui is right. That man barely takes any credit for himself
NingYingYing: Professor Wei is always like that, but then to whom those awards and medals belong?
ShaHualing: Y dont of u ask him
LanJingyi: Good idea
LanSizhui: What???
LanSizhui: Jingyi no-
But Lan Jingyi had already unmuted his mic and started speaking, "Hey Professor Wei! To whom do all those awards and medals belong?"
Wei Wuxian who was in the middle of telling everyone to stay safe and healthy in the middle of the pandemic before ending his class, stopped when he heard Jingyi's question.
He gave a dramatic gasp, "Jingyi, don't you know its rude to ask about your teacher's personal life?"
The students all laughed at Wei Wuxian's over exaggerated reaction. Wei Wuxian's grin was back in place and spoke, "But since you are one of my favourite gremlins, I'll tell you."
"These," Wei Wuxian gestured to the awards and medals on the right side, "Belong to my husband."
There was a sudden uproar among the students the group chat was bursting with messages.
ShaHualing: Husband???!? Husband??!!? Did he say husband????
LanJingyi: I thought I heard I wrong!!!?!!! Professor Wei is married???
QinWan: He is married to a man?!!? For real??
JinLing: Its the 21st century, grow up, him being married to a man is no big deal
ShaHualing: What's the big deal is him being married!!!! Professor Wei!!! Married???
NingYingYing: I mean he is very dashing and handsome but I never expected him to be married and it seems like his husband is a very talented person
MingFan: Dont worry YingYing, u will find someone too, infact he maybe closer than u know
Everyone rolled their eyes at Ming Fan's another attempt to unsuccessfully flirt with Ning YingYing
BanYue: I wonder when they got married?
BanYue's text was followed by several texts from the other students speculating about exactly when their professor's could have gotten married.
The only two people who did not take part in the discussion were Lan Sizhui and Jin Ling.
"Hm? What happened? Why did all of you become so quiet? Jingyi?" Wei Wuxian called out playfully.
"Y-yes Professor Wei! I am right here!!!" Jingyi replied in a panicked voice.
Professor Wei laughed when he heard Jingyi, "Weren't you the one who asked me the question? Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Oh, yeah, that...um....CONGRATULATIONS PROFESSOR WEI!" Jingyi felt stupid the moment he let those words out of his mouth but he was just too shocked okay?
Following him, several students unmuted their mics and started wishing him, "Congratulations Professor Wei."
Wei Wuxian smiled and thanked them for a while but after sometime he finally couldn't hold back and started laughing, "Kids...this is so sweet of you, really, you are all so cute wishing me like this but......my wedding was thirteen years ago."
Everyone who had unmuted themselves to wish Wei Wuxian immediately muted themselves out of embarrassment and pretended like the last fifteen minutes did not happen.
In the MSTeams group chat:
BanYue: Huh didn't expect my question to be answered so easily
ShaHualing: WHICH IDIOT'S IDEA WAS IT TO WISH PROFESSOR WEI CONGRATULATIONS I WANNA GO JUMO OFF A CLIFF NOW BUT I AM SURE AS HELL DRAHGING THAT PERSON WITH ME
NingYingYing: +1
MingFan: +1
OuyangZizhen: +1
NieShui: +1
XiaoQing: lol y'all dumb dumb
XiaoQing: It was Jingyi btw
//LanJingyi has left the group chat//
Meanwhile Professor Wei was laughing so hard tears were forming in his eyes. "Hahaha, Lan Zhan is gonna love hearing about this.....hahaha," his voice was low so all the students could not hear him properly.
In the group chat:
NingYingYing: Was that his husband's name? Did anyone hear it properly?
OuyangZizhen: I think it ended with Zha
Sha Hualing: Dont ask me cuz i hear lan smth but that aint possible
ShaHualing: Btw that gremlin Jingyi had the gall to leavr the grp, @LiuMingyan or @LanSizhui quick add him back
//LanSizhui added LanJingyi to the group chat//p>
LanJingyi: Uh.....hi?
That was a mistake.
Professor Wei had finally managed to stop laughing and called out, "Jingyi? Are you still there?"
"Yes Professor Wei....."
"Okay, just checking," Wei Wuxian pointed to the other side of the bunnies potrait and spoke, "Do you know to whom those belong to?" He was gesturing to the other set of medals and awards now.
"Your husband's?"Jingyi had a feeling that he was being pranked by Professor Wei.
"Hm.....nope." Professor Wei said with a grin.
"Yours?"
"Hahaha Jingyi, you really think they would belong to me?"
"Whose are they, Professor Wei?" Ning YingYing had finally asked out of curiosity.
Wei Wuxian's grin became wider as he proudly declared, "Those belong to none other than the light of me and my husband's life, the best thing ever to happen to us, my son!!"
Before anyone could digest the words spoke by him, Professor Wei had already told, "Alright my little gremlins see you tomorrow. Its already time to end the class."
And just like that he logged out of the meeting.
This time even the quietest students were texting in the group chat:
LiuMingyan: what
LiuMingyan: WHAT
LanJingyi: TOO MUCH INFORMATION TO TAKE IN SYSTEM CRASHING JINGYI.EXE STOPPED WORKING BYE Y'ALL
OuyangZizhen: HOLY HELL HE HAS HUSBAND AND A SON HE HAS A WHOLE FAMILY HOLY YDHDDBHGHKSBD
XiaoQing: I thought I was hallucinating when I heard that
ShaHualing: What else is he hiding from us??? That he secretly works for the intelligence agency???
GongyiXiao: At this this point I won't be surprised if that is true
NingYingYing: Ohmygod Prof Wej with a son!!!! Can u imagine that??? That will be ssoo cuteeee especially if his son is still a small kid!!!
JinLing: His son is not a small kid
ShaHualing: @JinLing How are u so sure abt these things
LanJingyi: Yea earlier too u knew the awards werent his
OuyangZizhen: Sus
XiaoQing: +1
MingFan: +1
NingYingYing: +1
ShaHualing: +1
LanJingyi: +1
JinLing: @OuyangZizhen NO ITS NOT ARE Y'ALL BLIND OR SMTH ONE OF THE AWARDS CLEARLY SAYS GUSU HIGHSCHOOL 'HIGHSCHOOL' AS IN A SCHOOL FOR BIG KIDS NOT SMALL ONES FFS
LanJingyi: Huh dint notice that, u sure have sharp eyes young mistress
JinLing: shut up y'all just blind and dumb and stop calling me young mistress
While the group chat continued to burst with various texts, Sizhui had already muted it and thrown (read: gently placed it aside) his laptop to a corner of his bed. He lied down on his bed and covered his face with his hands while groaning into them.
The online classes went alright(read: chaotically).