The class bell rang as Huang Haoran returned to the classroom.
Meanwhile, Fang Yan stayed seated on the stone bench, looking slightly unsettled.
Qin Yitian… were you sent to save the day like the Monkey King's reinforcements?
"Thinking about me?" A girl's voice broke his thoughts. Fang Yan looked up to see Qin Yitian sitting beside him.
"Yeah," he admitted. "What are you… What are you doing out here?"
It was class time, and here she was, skipping class to find him? This girl really was something else.
"There are probably some things that Huang Haoran didn't explain clearly," Qin Yitian said.
"I didn't ask him anything!" Fang Yan quickly denied. What was with this girl? Did she think she could read everyone's mind?
"Do you realize there's an invisible sign on your forehead that says, 'I swear I'm not hiding anything'?" Qin Yitian teased. "That little denial—well, that just gave you away."
"Fine," Fang Yan sighed. "What is it that he didn't explain?"
"I have a special arrangement with Suzaku. I'm allowed to attend any class as I please and skip whenever I want," Qin Yitian said. "Haoran didn't know that, and I'm sure you didn't either."
"With an attitude like that, how do you expect the teachers to feel?" Fang Yan asked.
"That's their business." She laughed. "At first, they might be uncomfortable, but eventually, they'll get used to it. If you can't change others, then change yourself."
Fang Yan observed Qin Yitian's nearly flawless profile. "What I don't understand is why you transferred from Class One to Class Nine. What difference does it make to you? Isn't Class One a better fit for someone like you?"
"When you took Class Nine to the riverbank to study Farewell to Cambridge, I happened to be lying nearby in the grass, napping. You were the first to stand up, balancing on that old boat. The sun was shining, casting a golden glow on you."
"You read poetry and made these funny gestures. It looked a bit silly, but there was a hint of… sadness. For a moment, I couldn't tell if I was dreaming or awake."
"So, you decided to follow an inspirational teacher like me?" Fang Yan couldn't help feeling a bit proud. It seemed Farewell to Sparrow Bridge had given him a burst of popularity at Suzaku. He might as well organize a few more "farewells."
Qin Yitian shook her head. "You're not capable of teaching me."
"——"
Fang Yan could swear on Ye Wenrou's honor that if this girl weren't a girl, he'd have jumped up and given her a piece of his mind.
What do you mean I can't teach you?
So, you think you're better than me?
"I came because…" Qin Yitian bit her lip, her gaze direct and sincere. "I think I might like you."
"——"
Was this… a confession? It had to be.
"Qin Yitian, don't joke about things like that with your teacher," Fang Yan said firmly.
"Fang Yan, there's no need to test me." Qin Yitian's gaze was steady, with no hint of embarrassment or hesitation. "I know how I feel, and I've never had a reason to hide it."
"But I'm your teacher—" Fang Yan began.
"So?" she scoffed, as if the title "teacher" meant nothing to her. "Throughout history, how many teachers and students have ended up together?"
"——"
"Besides," she continued, "I just feel like I might like you. You're different from other guys. Whether that feeling will grow stronger or fade over time depends on what I see from you." Her tone was relaxed. "This might develop, or it might just disappear. Who knows?"
"And just because of this… you transferred classes?" Fang Yan found it hard to understand girls these days. What went on in their minds?
"Ah, love…" Qin Yitian looked up at the sky, murmuring softly, "It's not like I think it's that important. But isn't it nice to experience a bit of excitement now and then?"
"Sorry," Fang Yan said, "I have neither the time nor the obligation to entertain you."
Qin Yitian burst into laughter.
"What's so funny?" Fang Yan's irritation was growing.
"Fang Yan, how can you be so sure you won't end up liking me?" she asked.
"I won't, ever."
"Oh, really?" Qin Yitian clapped her hands, standing up. "While I'm observing you, you'd better take a good look at me too. Some things just happen, whether you want them to or not. When that day comes, you'll see that your title of 'teacher' doesn't mean a thing."
"——"
Qin Yitian waved at him. "See you next class, Fang Yan."
"Call me Mr. Fang," he insisted.
"No," she refused. "I'm never calling you that."
"Because I can't teach you?"
"Not exactly. The teachers in Class One couldn't teach me either, yet I still showed them due respect," she said, her flawless face growing serious as she explained. "If I don't call you 'teacher,' it means we're on equal footing. But if I call you 'teacher,' it only increases the distance between us. Didn't Haoran tell you I'm not stupid? That question's easy for me."
Having said her piece, Qin Yitian lifted her head high and walked off with the proud grace of a swan.
Fang Yan lay back on the stone bench, plucking a blade of grass and chewing it thoughtfully. With a sarcastic chuckle, he muttered, "Qin Yitian, challenging my authority… I must really be something."
After school, the area around the school gate was bustling.
Of course, Fang Yan had no intention of pushing through the crowd with his students. He made it a habit to "clock out" a little early.
With his Suzaku High School teacher's ID pinned to his chest, he walked past the security guards with pride, savoring their envious looks. He felt like his life had leveled up—before, he had to sign in and out at the guard post, even wait while they called the school to confirm. It had been such a hassle.
But his good mood didn't last long.
As soon as he stepped out of the school gate, he found himself surrounded.
"It's that guy—Fang Fire!" a blond kid shouted, pointing at him.
Smack!
Blondie got a slap on the back of the head as Brother Wolf and his gang approached, smirking. "He's not called Fang Fire; he's called Fang Yan."
"Right, right. Fang Yan." Blondie sneered. "Sitting here with your real name, shameless, huh?"
"I never said I wasn't Fang Yan." Fang Yan chuckled. He recognized these hooligans from the bar incident, the ones who'd tried to harass Yuan Lin. It wasn't surprising they'd come for revenge—thugs like them had nothing but their pride, so of course, they'd come for payback. And the fact they tracked him down so quickly showed they had some skill. "If I'd told you my name was Fang Yan, would you even know how to write 'Yan'?"
"Boss, he's insulting us for being illiterate!" a bald thug fumed.
Smack!
Baldie got a slap too.
"I know what it means," Brother wolf grumbled. He fixed Fang Yan with a murderous glare. "Fang Yan, we meet again."
"Don't act like we're friends. Do I know you?" Fang Yan sneered.
"But I know you," Brother wolf said, pointing to his chest. "You remember putting your foot right here, don't you?"
Fang Yan laughed. "Now that you mention it, I do remember. How could I forget? When you were lying on the floor, didn't you think I looked pretty cool standing over you?"
"Fang Yan—"
"Shhh—" Fang Yan raised a finger to his lips, signaling them to be quiet. "Keep it down."
"What, are you scared?" Brother wolf jeered, misinterpreting Fang Yan's gesture. "Afraid that causing a scene here will ruin your reputation? Afraid of losing your job?"
Brother wolf seemed pleased with himself.
Exactly. That's what we're after. You hurt me and thought you'd get away with it?
Not a chance.
"You're overthinking it." Fang Yan waved dismissively. "But your yelling makes it look like we're both low-class. How does that saying go? A man's opponents define his achievements. If you want to know how great someone is, look at their rivals. So, whatever beef you have with me, let's handle it in private. Trying to humiliate me at the school gate like this isn't a good look for you."
"——"
What does it mean to have a razor-sharp tongue?
After all his years as a thug, Brother wolf was beginning to understand.
In their circle, insults revolved around mothers and slurs, always crude yet somehow ineffective. The words had become so familiar, they were like missing the spice in a meal, lacking any punch if they didn't include a few expletives.
Today, though, right here, right now—
The man in front of them hadn't used a single curse or dragged anyone's parents into it, yet… his words made their blood boil, triggering an overwhelming urge to hack him to pieces and turn him into meatballs.
Brother Wolf wanted to respond, to throw back something meaner, something nastier. But his face grew red, his cheeks twitched, and his eyes welled up with unshed tears, yet no words came out.
For the first time, he realized just how foolish it had been to drop out of school so early.
The terror of ignorance!
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𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮. 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚!
𝗔𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸:
• 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 advanced chapters of this novel 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.
• 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁-𝗢𝘂𝘁: 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩!
𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗲𝘁, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀!
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