Shen Zhe had sensed something wrong when the other students eavesdropped them, but he didn't know that the rumor would escalate to such a point!
"You've got to be kidding me…"
"I'm a man as straight as iron. Why would I be interested in another man?"
He thought that the students were only into books, but they were obviously fond of gossip, too!
"Who told you that?"
Shen Zhe frowned.
"Me!" Cui Xiao went closer and said in despise, "Shen Zhe, you seem to be a normal guy, I didn't know that you had such a quirk. You've embarrassed Class Three!"
He had always liked Ling Xueru but never confessed his love because his family was too common.
He had been studying hard to make a name for himself so that he could later tell Ling Xueru he liked her.
Seeing that Ling Xueru had been talking to and even following Shen Zhe in the past days, Cui Xiao was infuriated.
Not knowing any of that, Shen Zhe frowned and asked, "Why did you slander me?"
"Slander?" Cui Xiao sneered, "I heard and saw you enter Zhao Chen's room. Then, he screamed and ran out half naked! Quite a few people from our class witnessed it. Why? You dare not admit it?"
"I saw it!"
"I was there. It was most intimidating…"
"Zhao Chen's clothes were torn when he fled. He was panicking…"
…
Another few students stood up.
Shen Zhe remembered they were outside of Zhao Chen's dormitory, but he was too angry to talk to them back then.
"I was only helping Zhao Chen to improve his strength! He tore his own clothes apart…" Shen Zhe shook his head.
"Is that so? Haha! You're at the last place in school, and you were helping other people to improve their strength? You'd better improve yours first!" Cui Xiao sniffed.
The other people burst into laughter.
They could believe that Shen Zhe helped someone else skip a class, but certainly not that he helped someone improve their strength.
Did he even know what strength was?
"What's the evidence for your statement?" Shen Zhe shook his head and asked, not enraged, "Do you have any images taken by crystal recorder? Do you have Zhao Chen's confession?"
"Well…" Everyone was stunned.
It was just a rumor, and rumors didn't require any evidence!
Shen Zhe chuckled, "You're accusing me without any evidence? Cui Xiao, you are so strict when you solve questions. I didn't know that you were so bad at slandering. If an indictment can be made so easily, can I claim that you hit on a lot of girls?"
"I do not!" Cui Xiao, relieved to see that Ling Xueru didn't take what Shen Zhe said for real, gnashed back, saying, "I don't have any evidence, but I'm told that the patriarch of the Zhao family burst into fury and sent bodyguards to execute Zhao Chen last night. Why would a father do that if his son hadn't humiliated the family?"
The Zhao family was not far away from the school. The dog barks and the battle noises could be heard very clearly.
What could a son possibly have done to make his father that determined to kill him?
"Dogs? Bodyguards?" Shen Zhe was stunned.
He fell asleep too fast the night before and didn't know the fuss that Zhao Chen had caused.
"What do you have to say for yourself?"
Cui Xiao sneered and went on, "I suggest you admit it now! Otherwise, after Zhao Chen returns and confirms it, you will be expelled for disrespecting the school rules!"
"Will I?"
"The school rules must be respected…" Cui Xiao was about to continue, when another student came and whispered something to him. His eyes glowed as he declared, "Haha, Shen Zhe, you're screwed! Mr. Zhao Fan has come to see Ms. Bai Yu with Zhao Chen. They will be here soon!"
"Ms. Bai Yu… is back?"
Shen Zhe's heart palpitated.
Her return meant that the field trip was over. So, she then knew that he had secretly changed the guidance book. It was possible that he would be punished more badly!
It was true that misfortunes didn't arrive alone!
Shen Zhe rubbed his eyes, clueless about what to say.
Was that day going to be the end of his new life in that world?
However… Wasn't Bai Yu on a field trip?
How could she have returned so quickly?
"She returned last night!" said an informed student, "She only needed to prove that it was impossible to carry an iron-toothed wolf back to the school in four hours. It was unnecessary for her to carry it back in four days!"
Patting his forehead, Shen Zhe was enlightened.
It was much easier to prove that his answer was incorrect than to prove that it was correct.
"Shen Zhe, is what happened between you and Zhao Chen true?"
While he was upset, Wang Xiaofeng and Liu Pengyue had gone to Shen Zhe's class at some point and were looking at him weirdly.
They were best friends in the school, and they had been shocked after hearing the news.
"Of course not…" Shen Zhe waved his hand. He was about to explain, when someone else entered the classroom.
He saw Zhao Chen, who was covered in bandages like a mummy, behind Ms. Bai and a middle-aged man.
"Haha. Our teacher and the patriarch of the Zhao family are both here. Let's see how you can defend yourself…"
Cui Xiao laughed and was going to relish witnessing Shen Zhe's humiliation, when the patriarch of the Zhao family bowed to Shen Zhe, "Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Shen! Zhao Chen, thank Mr. Shen for giving you a new life!"
"Yes, father…"
Zhao Chen hobbled close and bowed, "Ah Zhe, thank you. It was unwise of me to have misunderstood you. I'm sorry…"
"Huh?"
Cui Xiao's eyes bulged, his laughter choked.
Shouldn't the patriarch of the Zhao family be beating Shen Zhe up in fury?
Why was he bowing and asking Zhao Chen to thank him?
Not just him; everybody else in the room was silent and shocked.
The Zhao family was not among the four greatest families but was still quite influential. And yet, the patriarch of such a major family went there to express his gratitude to a seventeen-year-old boy in person…
Everybody looked at Zhao Chen. Below the white bandages were tooth marks and blade wounds…
It was evident that what Cui Xiao had said was true.
Why would the father thank Shen Zhe when he had released dogs to attack his son?
Everybody was confused.
"Mr. Zhao, this is…"
Ms. Bai Yu was also somewhat puzzled.
"Mr. Shen Zhe helped my son to improve his strength. I'm here specifically to thank him!" explained Zhao Fan.
"He did?" Bai Yu was not convinced. "Are you sure?"
"Since when was Shen Zhe able to help other people?"
"The drug that Mr. Shen made was incredible…" Zhao Fan explained and thanked Shen Zhe once more. He asked Zhao Chen to appreciate Shen Zhe's favor and left.
Bai Yu followed him and saw him off.
"He was indeed helping Zhao Chen to improve his strength!"
"It's normal to tear the clothes apart during body polishing, right?"
"Exactly… It seems that we did misunderstand them!"
"And here I wondered why I never heard that Shen Zhe was gay. It was just a rumor…"
Nobody suspected what Zhao Fan said. They all looked at Shen Zhe full of disbelief.
Ling Xueru's eyes widened.
Reaching an identical answer to the one on the guidance book, beating Lu Zihan up, helping Zhao Chen to build up his body, and receiving Zhao Fan's personal gratitude…
The student whom she had always despised was turning into someone more and more impressive and mysterious.
"Zhao Chen, are you really a good Body Practitioner now?"
After Bai Yu and Zhao Fan left, Wang Xiaofeng and Liu Pengyue couldn't hold it back anymore and looked at their friend.
They had envied Shen Zhe when he rose and had beaten Lu Zihan up. However, another person of their gang seemed to have changed, too.
"Yes, I'm an expert in the sixth stage of body polishing now…"
Zhao Chen raised his head proudly.
He had suffered a lot the previous day but gained even more in return. He certainly wouldn't let go of the opportunity to show off.
Wang Xiaofeng and Liu Pengyue were utterly astounded.
Since it was hopeless for them to become Mages or Martial Artists, being Body Practitioners was their only choice. Although they never practiced it, they knew how difficult it was. Reaching the sixth level overnight…
How could he have advanced so fast?
Unable to hold it back, Liu Pengyue asked, "How did you do it? What did you prepare before you started body polishing?"
The other students looked at them, too.
While being a Body Practitioner was the worst choice, achieving such a high level so quickly was still admirable.
"What did I prepare?"
Zhao Chen hesitated for a while. His eyes became distant and blurred, as if tears were flowing out, when he said, "You need to prepare… dogs. The more brutal they are, the better…"
"…"
Liu Pengyue, Wang Xiaofeng and all the other students were at a loss for words.
"…" Everyone was rendered speechless.