Having entrusted the private matter to Houzi and indulged in a few drinks at the bar, Xiang Ri realized it was already lunchtime. Hurriedly, he rushed back home.
To his dismay, the two women had not yet returned. Clutching his stomach, which felt glued to his back from hunger, Xiang Ri sighed wryly. *How could shopping for lingerie possibly take an entire morning?*
Pulling out his phone, he dialed.
"Hello? Xiang Kui? What's up?" Chu Chu's voice brimmed with excitement.
"Hey, it's nearly midday, and you're still out? I'm starving over here!" Xiang Ri grumbled, clearly annoyed.
"It's still early, isn't it? Let me check… What?! It's already half-past twelve?! How could that be? Just a moment ago, it was only a little after nine! I'm so sorry; we'll head back right away."
"Don't worry about it. Stay as long as you want. I'll grab something to eat outside. Just enjoy yourselves," Xiang Ri muttered with a hint of resignation, wondering if they'd somehow forgotten how much time had passed since they'd left.
"Really?" Chu Chu sounded tempted.
"Yeah, take your time. I'll go have lunch."
"Wow, you're the best! Here's a kiss for you—mwah!" With that playful farewell, she hung up.
Xiang Ri shook his head with a bitter smile. *If I'd known this, I wouldn't have bothered coming home. Next time they go shopping, I'll make sure to call and confirm they're back before heading over. No point sitting around alone.*
After a quick and simple lunch outside, Xiang Ri returned to school. However, as soon as he stepped into the classroom, he noticed an atmosphere even stranger than the one earlier that morning. What was even more unsettling was that all the attention seemed to be focused on him.
Although thick-skinned enough not to care about such things, he couldn't ignore the fact that everyone was whispering behind his back and avoiding him as if he carried some contagious disease. Given his established relationship with Chu Chu and the familiarity of seeing him with his "disciple," Shi Qing, such behavior was baffling.
"What's going on? Why is everyone acting so weird?"
As Xiang Ri reached the back corner, Da Suan Tou darted over, looking overly dramatic. The boy's fresh outfit and unblemished face, clearly prepped with care, stood out.
"Boss, you're in trouble!" he declared.
"What trouble?" Xiang Ri raised an eyebrow at the exaggerated tone.
"You don't know?"
"If I knew, I wouldn't ask. Spit it out—what happened?"
"Boss, you're the talk of the school right now!" Da Suan Tou exclaimed, his voice dripping with theatrical exaggeration. "There's a big notice up, detailing your glorious deeds from this morning. But as your loyal follower, I'd never believe it!"
"Can you drop the nonsense and get to the point?" Xiang Ri's patience was wearing thin.
"Right, Boss. So, the notice claims that this morning, you not only harassed our school's most beloved teacher, Song Qiuheng, but also assaulted Teacher Ma Rong when he tried to intervene heroically. The school's already decided on your punishment: you're required to write a formal apology, admit your wrongdoing publicly, and compensate Teacher Ma with 3,000 yuan for medical expenses. On top of that, this incident will be recorded as a major demerit on your record. If you refuse…"
"They'll expel me, right?" Xiang Ri's expression remained calm, his tone casual, as though discussing someone else's predicament.
"Yeah." Da Suan Tou gawked, marveling at his boss's composure. For most people, such news would be a thunderbolt from a clear sky, leaving them in a daze or utterly panicked. Yet Xiang Ri seemed completely unfazed.
"If he wants to play games, I'll play along," Xiang Ri murmured, a glint of cold determination flashing in his eyes. *I was looking for a reason to deal with him, and here he is, delivering himself on a silver platter. Perfect.*
"Boss, are you okay?" Da Suan Tou couldn't comprehend his cryptic words. If it weren't for Xiang Ri's calm demeanor, he might have thought his boss had gone mad from fear.
"Don't worry about it! You keep writing your love letter—I'll go take a walk," Xiang Ri said, rising to his feet. Just then, a sharp female voice rang out from the doorway. "Is Xiang Kui here?"
"I'm here," Xiang Ri responded, looking up to see a middle-aged woman in her forties peering into the classroom. Although they hadn't interacted much, he vaguely recalled that she was his homeroom teacher and that her surname was Chen.
"Come with me," she instructed curtly before turning and walking away.
Without a word, Xiang Ri followed her, already sensing trouble on the horizon.
"Xiang Kui, I heard you got into a fight this morning?" Teacher Chen Xiaofen asked, her gaze fixed on the unassuming student before her.
His attire was modest: a plain black short-sleeve shirt, dark gray slacks, and sneakers flecked with white and red. He seemed thin, with a scholarly air enhanced by his black-framed glasses. There was no trace of the rowdy arrogance typical of other city youth. However, his right hand, heavily bandaged and stained with dried blood, caught her attention—it looked like an old injury.
Unbeknownst to Xiang Ri, Teacher Chen was silently assessing him. She hadn't anticipated that his quiet demeanor and the way he stood silently by would leave her with such a positive impression: honest, sincere, and free from any pretense. His wounded hand only deepened her sympathy.
"Can you tell me what happened?" Chen Xiaofen's tone softened as she spoke. Based on her first impression, it was hard to believe that someone as seemingly reserved as him could have harassed a female teacher and assaulted another male teacher, as the rumors suggested. Especially when compared to the burly, teary-eyed Teacher Ma Rong, who claimed to be the victim. And judging by the severity of Xiang Ri's injured hand, it seemed improbable he could even lift it, let alone use it to strike someone.
Hearing the gentler tone, Xiang Ri felt it would be rude to remain silent. Besides, he had a deep respect for women of her age, as they reminded him of his own mother, Tie Wan's mother, who had returned home. After a moment of contemplation, he replied softly, "Teacher, would you believe me if I told you the truth?"
The low timbre of his voice carried a hint of grievance, tugging at Chen Xiaofen's heartstrings. She responded warmly, "Of course. As long as you're honest, I'll believe you. Besides, I can tell you're not the type of student to do something like that."
"Teacher, here's what happened…" Xiang Ri recounted the story, detailing how a certain Teacher Ma had harassed a female colleague. Of course, he added some embellishments where necessary and conveniently "forgot" to mention that he had nearly crushed Ma's wrist. He also casually let slip information he'd overheard from a basketball manager regarding Ma's unsavory behavior.
The more Chen Xiaofen listened, the angrier she became. She couldn't fathom how such disgraceful conduct could occur within the hallowed halls of education. A teacher, not only harassing a colleague but then playing the victim? Worse still, taking advantage of female students, leaving them pregnant, and abandoning them afterward? It was a disgrace to the noble title of "teacher."
She slammed her hand down on the desk. "Don't worry, Xiang Kui. As long as you're my student, I won't let you be wronged. I'll bring this matter to the school leadership myself. Forget about writing that self-criticism. I'd like to see what right Ma Rong thinks he has to expel you. Having an uncle as the principal doesn't make him untouchable—this school doesn't belong to the principal alone!"
"Thank you, Teacher," Xiang Ri said sincerely, deeply moved. Teachers like her were truly rare these days.
Chen Xiaofen gave him a kind smile. "What's there to thank me for? If you're ever wronged, don't keep it bottled up. Whether you're at school or outside, you can always come to me, understand?"
"Yes, I—" Xiang Ri began, but before he could finish, the office door flew open with a loud bang.
"Mom, I need to tell you something about the school—" A young woman burst in but froze when she noticed Xiang Ri standing there. She shrieked in shock, "What are you doing here?!"