Protagonist? Antagonist? I Reject Both

Leon emerged from the tent, blinking against the bright sunlight as he stretched his arms overhead. As he took in the surroundings of the campsite, he spotted a familiar woman with an expression filled with relief and concern.

"Leon!" The woman exclaimed, leaping to her feet and pouncing over to him. Without hesitation, she enveloped him in a tight hug, her arms wrapping around him as she buried her face in his chest.

"Hmmm!"Leon's throat became dry seeing the woman shedding tears.

"Mrs Su, what are you doing here?"

Leon's voice cracked a bit seeing her eyes filled with worry.

"Leon, just where did you disappear? Do you know how worried I was?"

"Some said that you were killed due to offending someone while some say you ran away in fear, unable to bear it anymore. And no matter how I searched, I wasn't able to find it."

"You are so cruel. Disappearing just like that."

Leon listened to her complaints one by one and returned a soft smile, and returned the embrace as he felt the warmth of Su Lin's presence wash over him. "Hey, Mrs Su Lin. I didn't mean to worry you," he reassured her, his voice filled with genuine concern.

Su Lin pulled back slightly, her hands reaching up to gently caress his hair. "I was so worried when you disappeared like that. Where did you go? Did something happen? And are you okay now" she asked, her eyes searching for any sign of distress.

Leon smiled reassuringly, grateful for Su Lin's unwavering support. "I just needed some time alone to clear my head. I'm fine, really," he replied, his voice soft and reassuring.

"But how did you find me?"

Su Lin nodded, her expression softening with relief. "I hired people to search you but there was no sign. I was at the end of the ropes cause as you said I didn't have enough influence so I tried to train and gain some influence. Later,I decided to join the army and just as I was starting to get worried, I found your mother and had a brief discussion. And yesterday, your mother informed me about you."

Leon sucked in the cold air.Seeing him acting so obsessed, Leon decided to cut straight to the chase" Mrs. Su, can you calm down? You aren't acting like a teacher now?

"I know that but I just missed you. Every time I taught the class, I felt your absence. It was daunting and suffocating when I saw people laughing around and mocking your names and as time went on, instead of forgetting about you my longing for you deepened. All I wished for was to get a chance to see you and thankfully God seems to have listened to my call. I know this isn't normal but I can't just suppress my feelings," Su Lin admitted, her voice tinged with emotion and a reddish blush crept on her face.

Leon's back was drenched in cold sweat seeing her blushing and flustered expressions.

He might have averted her if she was still delusional by just thinking of him as her student but it seems she knows her feelings.

'Did I pluck some unwanted wires that stirred her during that short period or was she already infatuated by Leon?'

'I hope Sophia doesn't kill her,'

Wiping the sweat, Leon freed himself from Su Lin's grasp and both of them took a seat nearby.

The soldiers peeked at them in between but Leon's cold gaze made them turn away.

Su Lin filled Leon in on everything he had missed during his absence, from the latest developments in the college to her frantic search along with the disappearance of the servants who worked for him. Leon listened intently, grateful for Su Lin's companionship and the sense of belonging she brought to their group.

Hearing this Leon couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for her who went beyond her means to help her. And Leon knew that she would also do the same for her other students who asked for help genuinely.

Maybe her effort would have toned down a bit but she would have done the same.

However, Leon couldn't help but sink into their unsavory memories of his past life.

After he was discharged and fit to go back to school, the gazes of teachers would always haunt him with weariness and prejudice.

Few even called him a bastard from a criminal family who might endanger lives just like his parents as the media distorted his parents' social image into vile people.

'If the teachers in my life were even a little like her and sympathized with me, maybe my childhood would have been bearable enough.'

Su Lin spends a part of her fortune to find him, going as far as getting rid of her Princess lifestyle to come here to this shit hole where you can't even pee comfortably.

"Mrs Su, I am grateful but was there any need to do all this," Leon asked in a grave solemn voice.

Su Lin's whole body froze when she heard this question and raised her chin to take a look at Leon's eyes.

The eyes that have been so nonchalant seem to be weighed down by bafflement. There was a sign of overwhelming in those eyes.

Su Lin clenched her fist averting her gaze for a moment.

"Honestly, I don't know why. At times I even asked myself the same question again and again. Like why am I going to such lengths for you whom I barely know long enough? For someone who was bothersome and destroyed the peace of my class before. And what do I feel about you?"

After a moment, Su Lin raised her head and tucked her hair behind her ears.

"I knew times had been quite hard for you. You always acted like a hooligan and playboy but I knew all of this was a lie. During the council session, you always laughed but your eyes were moist and filled with sadness."

Leon's eyes widened seeing the sunlight bathing her and a distant blurry image started to resurface.

It was a memory of when he sat in a sullen atmosphere while Su Lin stood near the window while Leon would smile hearing her lecture.

It was a rare time when he would act as his true self.

Su Lin pausing a bit spoke, "Despite going through so much, I can see that you never hated your mother. Though you pretend to hate her really, you love her greatly and you are always anxious that something might happen to her in your absence and when I asked her why don't try to contact her then you would always say that it's not the time yet."

"Really?"Leon blurted out with a sudden premonition.

"Yeah, you said that a certain time will come until then please let me grieve and dive into the sorrow. Let me enjoy and reign free until that time..." Su Lin paused and took out a black box from her inner vest.

"This is the second reason I was looking for you madly. To give you the thing you asked me to give you."

"Hun?"Leon made a confused expression.

"When I saw you after Christmas, those eyes of yours, that indifference filled with eeriness, were screaming that the time had come when you asked me to give you this after your personality changes."Su Lin muttered, handing it over to Leon.

Leon subconsciously raised his hand to hold the box but his hands were trembling. He could even hear faint whispers asking him to open the box.

Trying to hide his uneasiness, Leon opened the box and saw a parchment with something written on it.

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