I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Vol 2 Chapter 23: Sick

At Old Man Bai’s house, the light cast a faint white glow.

Zheng Fa, Tang Lingwu, and Old Man Bai sat in the living room, the atmosphere heavy and quiet.

"Your mother won’t let you come here anymore?" Old Man Bai asked softly.

Tang Lingwu nodded lightly, then shook her head.

She sniffled, as if trying not to worry them, forcing a strained smile.

"My mom’s condition has been worsening lately. I just… want to spend more time with her."

Zheng Fa’s eyes locked onto hers, studying her closely.

But Tang Lingwu avoided his gaze, lowering her head.

Her side bangs fell over her face, casting a shadow that concealed the exhaustion and helplessness in her expression.

"What's the real reason?" Zheng Fa asked.

A long silence.

Then, in a small voice, Tang Lingwu answered,

"Because of me."

She hesitated, then continued,

"I stayed out too late a few times… My mom got angry."

Zheng Fa remembered—

Back when they were researching the Five Element Sub-Talismans, they had been so excited that several nights ran later than usual.

During that time, Tang Lingwu’s phone had rung a few times.

"Then I stayed up too late one night, and my mom noticed.

"She has insomnia, so once she gets stressed, she can’t sleep at all."

Zheng Fa recalled the notebook filled with talisman patterns—

It was thanks to Tang Lingwu’s late-night efforts that they discovered the Metal Sub-Talisman.

So… this was his fault too.

"That still doesn’t explain why she won’t let you come here," Old Man Bai frowned.

"Is her condition getting worse?"

Tang Lingwu shook her head.

"It’s not that… It’s just that we got into a fight, and she got too upset, so she banned me from leaving the house."

"What were you arguing about?"

"I told her…"

Tang Lingwu hesitated.

"That I wasn’t going to minor in Business Management anymore.

"That I was switching to Computer Science instead."

The room fell silent.

Old Man Bai gave Zheng Fa a side glance, then turned back to Tang Lingwu.

"Wait… Why were you minoring in Business in the first place?"

Tang Lingwu explained,

"My mom decided it for me.

"She said that after I graduate, I should go abroad for a business degree…

"And when I come back, I can take over my dad’s company."

"Then why Computer Science?"

Zheng Fa saw her head tilt slightly toward him—

Like she wanted to glance at him but stopped herself at the last second.

"I recently discovered that I love Computer Science!"

Tang Lingwu raised her voice, as if speaking louder would make it more believable.

Zheng Fa felt complicated emotions rise in his heart.

She was obviously lying.

She had likely realized that Computer Science was useful for studying talismans—

And since Zheng Fa didn’t trust outsiders with cultivation secrets, she chose this major to help him.

Tang Lingwu lifted her chin, sensing their doubt.

So, she quickly added,

"Actually, even if I wasn’t studying Computer Science, I still wouldn’t want to major in Business!

"I just never told my mom before!"

"Why not?"

"My mom never let boys near me—fine, whatever.

"But she followed me around constantly.

"Because of that, I never even had a close friend growing up.

"I have zero social skills."

She sighed, then gestured at them.

"When I’m just with you guys, it’s fine. I can relax."

"But when there’s too many people, I hate it.

"I don’t have the patience for socializing.

"I’m just not suited for business, and I’d be even worse at running a company."

Her expression turned helpless as she continued,

"My original plan was to study Mathematics and go into research.

"And if I turned out to have no talent, I could still just do something like L’Hôpital and survive in the field."

Old Man Bai froze, his pity vanishing instantly.

Zheng Fa completely understood why.

Tang Lingwu had casually compared herself to a legendary mathematician—

A French nobleman who bought a research paper, got his name attached to it, and became immortalized in mathematics history.

Why the hell would you feel bad for her?!

Tang Lingwu noticed their speechless expressions and suddenly grinned mischievously.

She stood up, stretching.

"Anyway, my mom won’t let me study what I want.

"So, I guess I’ll just go back and inherit my dad’s enormous fortune!"

She waved a hand dismissively.

"You guys don’t need to worry.

"My mom’s waiting for me, so I’ll get going now—"

"I learned a new technique recently."

Zheng Fa’s voice suddenly broke the silence.

"…Huh?"

Tang Lingwu’s footsteps stopped.

Slowly, she turned back.

"It’s called the Nourishing Spirit Talisman."

"…Nourishing Spirit Talisman?"

Tang Lingwu repeated the name softly, her voice trembling slightly.

"Are you saying…?"

"I can’t guarantee it’ll work," Zheng Fa said cautiously.

"But it strengthens the spirit, nourishes the soul, and its effects are gentle.

"Even if it doesn’t help… it won’t cause any harm."

This was why he had chosen this talisman—

It wasn’t the most powerful healing talisman for the soul.

But it was the safest.

Even though the Xuanwei Realm had a far deeper understanding of souls than the modern world,

The two realms were fundamentally different.

So, Zheng Fa had opted for caution.

Tang Lingwu slowly nodded.

The forced smile on her face finally faded—

And her eyes shone with new light.

"If you’re unsure, we can test it first," Zheng Fa suggested.

"Test?" Old Man Bai blinked.

"On who?"

Zheng Fa looked at him.

"Not me!" Old Man Bai waved his hands frantically.

"My brain works perfectly fine—nothing wrong at all!"

"I’ll do it," Tang Lingwu said, gritting her teeth.

Zheng Fa pointed his finger, activating the Nourishing Spirit Talisman.

The golden rune formed in midair, then flew to Tang Lingwu’s forehead.

She tensed, instinctively shutting her eyes.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly.

As soon as the talisman merged into her, her body went limp, and she collapsed backward.

Zheng Fa quickly caught her, gently laying her on the sofa.

"What happened?!"

Old Man Bai jumped up in alarm, thinking something had gone wrong.

But then, they both realized—

Tang Lingwu was fast asleep.

Her breathing was steady, and because of her slight congestion, she even let out a soft snore.

She only slept for fifteen minutes before waking up.

The difference was immediately obvious.

When she arrived, Tang Lingwu had been exhausted, her complexion pale, her eyes shadowed with fatigue.

Now, she looked completely refreshed—her cheeks rosy, her eyes clear, her entire presence radiating energy.

Old Man Bai leaned in, examining her curiously.

"You look completely different!

"How do you feel?"

Tang Lingwu grinned.

Zheng Fa could almost see the happiness bubbling off Tang Lingwu.

With a dreamy voice, she sighed,

"It felt like my brain was soaking in a hot spring…

"And my soul was basking in the sun…"

"I WANT TO TRY!"

Old Man Bai, listening from the side, suddenly blurted out, his face full of longing.

"I thought your brain was fine?" Zheng Fa squinted at him.

"…Anyone who studies mathematics is at least a little crazy!" Old Man Bai retorted righteously.

"Come on! Let me have a go!"

—

"My mom doesn’t believe me."

Tang Lingwu sighed, setting down her phone.

Zheng Fa wasn’t surprised.

He was just a classmate to her mother—why would she believe him?

"I’ll handle it!"

Old Man Bai reached out.

Tang Lingwu hesitated, then reluctantly handed him the phone.

"Hello? Hey, hey—yeah, it’s me."

Old Man Bai greeted her mother like an old friend.

"Yeah, yeah, I called about your daughter."

"It’s true! This kid is seriously amazing!"

"Don’t doubt it! I tested it myself!" he declared.

"Yeah, yeah! I’ve got a condition! Been taking meds for years!"

The person on the other end paused, seemingly considering his words.

"Think about it! I charge you for tutoring, but I teach your daughter for free!

"Why do you think that is?"

"Exactly! Because of this!"

"Tomorrow? After school? At your place? Sure, sure—perfect!"

Hanging up, Old Man Bai turned to them with a smug grin.

"…Teacher, how did you do that?"

Tang Lingwu looked at him with admiration.

"Sick people assume everyone else is sick too."

Old Man Bai shook his head.

"You really think I was joking when I said every math student is at least a little crazy?"

"…"

"I've seen too much. I have experience!"

His tone carried the weight of years of suffering.

—

The next day, as soon as the final bell rang, Tang Lingwu sprinted over to Zheng Fa’s desk.

Her eyes were shining, filled with anticipation—as if she was afraid he would back out.

Zheng Fa sighed, shaking his head.

Without even packing up his papers, he stood up and followed her out.

"My mom sent a driver to pick us up. It’s only about twenty minutes from school to my house," Tang Lingwu chatted cheerfully.

"She’ll drive you back later."

They walked out of the classroom together.

Behind them, Wang Chen, who sat behind Zheng Fa, stared in shock.

He turned to his deskmate, his voice filled with disbelief.

"…Did I hear that right?"

"You heard it right."

His deskmate looked equally stunned.

"So Zheng Fa is… going to Tang Lingwu’s house?"

"…Yeah."

"And her mom sent a driver to pick him up?"

"…Yeah."

"That’s… meeting the parents, right?"

"…Seems like it."

"I DON’T UNDERSTAND!"

Wang Chen’s voice carried a trace of righteous indignation.

"WHY HIM?!"

His deskmate nodded slowly, then pointed toward the door.

"Look at Old Chen.

"He looks even more confused than you."

Wang Chen turned and saw Mr. Chen, their teacher, standing in the hallway.

The man was smoking furiously, scratching his bald head, his face full of pure bewilderment.

It was the expression of a man who had just seen an alien.

—

Zheng Fa wasn’t going alone to Tang Lingwu’s house.

As his referral and guarantor, Old Man Bai had already been waiting in the backseat of the car.

The driver looked nothing like a typical chauffeur from a wealthy family—

Instead of a suit, he wore baggy shorts and a T-shirt.

He also didn’t say a word during the ride.

But Zheng Fa noticed—

The man kept glancing at him through the rearview mirror, clearly curious.

The twenty-minute drive wasn’t exactly short for a city of this size.

Eventually, the car pulled into a villa district.

It wasn’t like the luxurious mansions on TV—

No grand estates, no massive iron gates.

Instead, there were spacious three-story villas, built far apart from each other.

The buildings weren’t particularly new, either—

From the architecture, they were at least ten years old.

But because the neighborhood had been developed early, it sat right in the city center—a prime location.

Behind the villas, a small hill stood, adding a natural backdrop to the area.

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