All-around teacher at the magic academy

On his way back, Leon felt a sudden urge to visit Philippe's residence, filled with curiosity about his mysterious colleague.

Leon felt it would be impolite to go empty-handed, especially knowing that Philip had a sister. Even in his current predicament, he felt he should at least bring a gift. With this thought in mind, he turned and headed towards the fruit shop.

Inside the store, a dazzling array of fruits was neatly arranged, attracting Leon's attention. He carefully selected some brightly colored, high-quality apples, and then noticed the neatly arranged bananas by the door, so he casually bought some as well.

After asking the shop owner for a beautiful fruit basket, he carefully arranged the fruit inside, and left the fruit shop satisfied with this simple yet heartfelt gift.

As he walked, Leon's gaze was drawn to a flower shop. A thought struck him; he felt he needed to buy a bouquet. Although Leon knew very little about floristry, he at least knew that roses weren't suitable for this occasion, as he was somewhat familiar with the symbolism of roses.

After hesitating for a moment in front of the flower shop, Leon decided to seek professional advice from the shop assistant. He briefly explained his purpose, and the shop assistant enthusiastically explained the meanings behind the different flowers.

After some consideration, Leon finally chose carnations. The shop assistant told him that carnations symbolize health and beauty, especially the pink and red varieties, which are often used to express wishes for a speedy recovery to patients.

Leon didn't know Philip's sister's preferences, so he hesitated for a long time when choosing a color. In the end, he chose a soft pink carnation instead of a bright red. He felt that the soft pink color would create a warm and comfortable atmosphere, avoiding being too dazzling, and was more suitable for the occasion of the visit.

After finishing his shopping, Leon, with one arm around the carnations and the other carrying a fruit basket, walked towards where Philip lived.

Last night, Leon specifically asked Philip for his address. Upon hearing this request, Philip couldn't help but shudder. He solemnly clarified that he had no homosexual desires and half-jokingly suggested that Leon consider someone else, such as Kate, the head of the night watch, praising her maturity, stability, and considerable masculine charm.

Upon hearing this, Leon couldn't help but kick Philip twice, emphasizing that he didn't have the kind of fetish Philip imagined.

"Then why are you asking me for my address? Two grown men, no wonder I misunderstood," Philip asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

Leon was somewhat amused and exasperated by Philippe's erratic thinking, and patiently explained that he actually wanted to visit Philippe's sister. After some explanation, Leon finally got the address he needed from Philippe.

...

This is a working-class neighborhood on the outskirts of Barton. When Leon stepped into this area, he didn't see the chaos and filth he had expected. Although the houses here lacked the hustle and bustle and sophistication of the city center, each house appeared neat and orderly. While the environment wasn't exactly superior, it was by no means the slum people described, and the scene of garbage everywhere was nowhere to be found.

Leon crossed two street corners and arrived at a courtyard at the end of a street. The ground in front of the courtyard gate was swept spotless, and some flowers and plants were carefully planted on both sides of the ground. Clearly, the owner of the courtyard was a diligent person who paid attention to the details of life.

Leon couldn't help but wonder why Philip would choose to buy such a complete courtyard instead of an apartment in the commercial district. That would have made his daily life much more convenient, without him having to spend so much time commuting. But then he thought, perhaps he was thinking of his sister; such an environment might be more suitable for her to rest and recuperate, and better for her health.

Leon stood in front of the courtyard gate, took a deep breath, composed himself, and then gently knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" A gentle but slightly weak female voice came from the courtyard. Judging from the voice, Leon guessed that the person was about seventeen or eighteen years old.

"Is this Mr. Philip's home? I'm his colleague, and I've come to visit him today." Leon briefly explained his purpose, not giving his name directly, but mentioning Philip first, believing that this would make it easier to gain the other party's trust.

As he expected, the person inside the door responded to his answer, "Please wait a moment, I'll be right there."

A moment later, the courtyard gate slowly opened, and a woman poked half her body out. Leon reiterated his identity: "I work with Philip in the law enforcement division. My name is Leon Gurn, you can call me Leon."

Hearing the words "law enforcement officer," the woman visibly felt more at ease. "Hello, Mr. Leon. Please come in. My brother is still working outside, but he should be back soon." She politely invited Leon into the yard.

Leon stepped into the courtyard and looked around. Although the courtyard was not large, it was well-organized and the clean environment made people feel particularly comfortable.

"Please make yourself at home. We don't have anything prepared to offer you anything," the girl said somewhat shyly.

Leon studied her closely. She was beautiful, but her skin was pale, giving her a sickly appearance. Her voice was soft and weak, which was perhaps a sign of her illness.

“You’re welcome,” Leon replied gently, trying to ease the girl’s tension. He guessed that she might not be very familiar with outsiders.

"Since this is my first visit, I wasn't sure what gift to bring, so I just picked some fruit. I hope you don't mind."

"You're too kind," the girl replied somewhat awkwardly.

“Philip often brags to me about having a beautiful sister. I wasn’t sure what color flowers you liked, so I chose pink. I hope you like them,” Leon continued.

"Is this for me?" The girl's face lit up with surprise. Knowing that her brother often mentioned her to his colleagues, her eyes welled up with tears. "Thank you so much, I really like it."

Leon handed the bouquet to the girl and gently placed the fruit basket on the table beside him. He felt a little speechless, unsure of what to say next. Suddenly, he realized he hadn't asked the girl's name yet, so he asked, "I haven't asked your name yet."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I was a little nervous and forgot to tell you. My name is Ilya," the girl apologized repeatedly.

"Don't worry about it," Leon said with a smile, trying to comfort her.

Just then, Philip's voice came from the doorway, interrupting their conversation: "Leon, you really came. Do you have some designs on my sister?"

Leon shook his head helplessly. He was used to Philip's behavior. Philip would either falsely accuse him of having homosexual tendencies or of having improper thoughts about his sister.

"I have to remind you, if my sister is to get married, it will definitely be to a rich man. Don't let your position as a college professor fool you; you still need to work part-time as a law enforcement officer to earn money. I will never agree to any future relationship between my sister and you."

Upon hearing Philip's words, Leon felt a surge of urge to punch him. However, before he could retort, Ilya shyly stopped him, saying, "Brother."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Philip immediately realized his slip of the tongue and quickly apologized to his sister. Leon could also see that this guy was a complete siscon.

“Stay and have dinner with us. It’s almost lunchtime, and we’d feel bad if you went home on an empty stomach,” Philip suggested, though he seemed a little reluctant.

Leon did not refuse. He already considered Philip a friend, and he maintained this friendly attitude regardless of how the other party viewed him.

Instead of sitting there waiting for the brother and sister to get busy, he chose to help. He felt there was nothing wrong with that; he felt a little uncomfortable just sitting there watching.

Philip didn't show any awkwardness, but Ilya felt bad the whole time.

The three of them chatted as they busied themselves preparing, and bursts of laughter occasionally drifted from the kitchen, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

...