Chapter 40: Good People Deserve to Have Guns Pointed at Them
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“Slow-witted woman, can’t you tell that was just diplomatic language?”
“Oh, it was nothing.”
I was no longer an eight-year-old child. Not a single word a woman said could be trusted. Could you promise that after I finished telling you everything, you wouldn’t report me to your husband, the one who practiced martial arts?
Eighteen years old, afraid of Dongda selfie sticks.
“Ahem. Teacher, you’re stunningly beautiful. You really look damn amazing,” Jiang Nian said vaguely. “It’s only the school rules holding us back. Otherwise, every last one of us would have no mind left for studying.”
Zhuang Wenqian always felt that he was swearing rather viciously, but she had no proof. Narrowing her eyes, she stroked her chin and said, “Jiang Nian, you’re no good person yourself.”
“Teacher, do you know what this is—the aluminum-copper gesture?” Jiang Nian said, making a finger-gun with the hand stroking his chin and abruptly changing the subject. “Could it be that…”
“What?” Qianbao could not keep up with the leaps in his thinking and was left bewildered.
“I don’t know either. I saw it on Rednote.” Seeing that she was interested, Jiang Nian pushed the topic even farther away. “Just open Rednote and…”
Ten seconds later.
Jiang Nian leaned back in alarm. “Teacher, your username is Momo?”
“What of it? It’s the system default.”
“Last time, I was relentlessly cursed out by a woman named Momo. Let me see if it was you.” As he spoke, Jiang Nian reached for her Rednote message list.
“Wh—what are you doing?” Qianbao’s face flushed. She immediately covered the phone on the desk with her hand. “Are you the teacher, or am I? Stand properly! We haven’t even discussed your blank exam paper!”
Ah, damn it, what a shameless woman!
Panicking now, are you?
She clearly did this sort of thing all the time. A graceful female teacher in real life, and a vicious online troll in the virtual world. Very good, very good—truly worthy of being society’s purple doom-shroom.
“Fine, fine,” Jiang Nian surrendered.
He had no choice. Homeroom teacher Old Liu had come in, probably drawn by the scent of trouble. Damn it, why did it feel as though everyone was protecting that bastard Yu Tongjie?
Even if he jumped off a building, it would have nothing whatsoever to do with me.
Mentally one hundred percent healthy.
“Teacher Zhuang.” A faint smile appeared on Old Liu’s face as he greeted Qianbao. “Are you finished talking? I need to discuss something with Jiang Nian.”
At that, Jiang Nian turned to Qianbao and began frantically signaling with his eyes.
Qianbao, you’re the most beautiful woman in the world!
“We didn’t discuss much. I just brought him to the office to sit for a while,” Zhuang Wenqian said with a smile. “We’re done. Go ahead, Teacher Liu.”
Qianbao, you really are one hell of a wicked woman!
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Ring, ring, ring.
The class bell rang, and homeroom teacher Old Liu waited by the door for a while. Only after the students had cleared out did he lead Jiang Nian into the office and find him a stool.
“Have a seat. Would you like some tea?” Old Liu asked.
A genuine office tea session.
Zhenan Middle School was the education bureau’s favorite child, positioned diagonally across from it, and the alma mater of countless successful alumni. Its budget was generous enough to make it practically rolling in money.
The office was fully equipped, with desks, chairs, computers, and a water dispenser.
“Sure.” Jiang Nian nodded.
Old Liu took a tin of tea leaves from his drawer. “Then make me a cup while you’re at it.”
Jiang Nian: “?”
Were all you teachers exactly the same?
“All right, Teacher.” Jiang Nian smiled, thinking that at least he would get to drink a cup himself.
Three minutes later, Jiang Nian and Old Liu were drinking hot tea in perfect synchrony. At the first sip, their eyes narrowed at once. After swallowing, they let out long sighs and slowly closed their eyes.
It was the fourth period, and nearly all the teachers without classes had left the office. Only the two of them remained.
Old Liu slowly opened his eyes. “Jiang Nian…”
“Your servant is present.”
“Ahem. About what happened in English class… I asked some students about it.” Old Liu set down his teacup. “It wasn’t your fault, but you’re still classmates, after all.”
“If it wasn’t my fault, then I have no problem,” Jiang Nian said. “I didn’t even curse him. I merely stated the facts.”
“I know. But you’re in your final year of high school, and this is a special period.” Old Liu patiently tried to persuade him. “Yu Tongjie was wrong to accuse you of cheating behind your back.”
“Teacher, are you about to say ‘but’ again?”
“Sigh. Just consider it a favor to your teacher. Yu Tongjie is quiet and withdrawn. He may have some psychological…” The homeroom teacher hesitated. “In any case, I’m not blaming you.”
“Just help your teacher out this once. What do you say?”
“Not a chance, Teacher. Actually, I suffer from depression.” Jiang Nian folded his arms and furrowed his brows. “Severe bipolar disorder, too. Whenever someone bullies me, I tend to somatize it.”
Old Liu: “…”
What he feared most were students like Jiang Nian, who feared neither Heaven nor Earth. Such people were impossible to reason with. They would not act unless they saw an actual benefit.
“Yu Tongjie’s mother…”
“Teacher, why are you swearing too?” Jiang Nian interrupted him righteously. “Yu Tongjie may be a piece of trash for accusing me of cheating behind my back, but you can’t curse him either.”
Old Liu fell silent for several seconds.
This damn kid was truly infuriating.
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“His mother is…”
“I know. My mother works at the same institution as she does.” Jiang Nian’s expression remained calm. “I have no idea what his father does, but he probably works for some institution too.”
“A son’s lack of discipline is his father’s fault. What do you think, Teacher?”
“What I mean is that his mother told me Yu Tongjie didn’t have many friends even in his previous class.” Old Liu explained as he rose to refill Jiang Nian’s tea.
Jiang Nian’s expression softened slightly, and his hostility eased.
“Thank you, Teacher.”
“No need. Just consider it a favor to me, all right?” Old Liu remained standing and spoke sincerely.
“Teacher, why don’t you talk to Yu Tongjie?” Jiang Nian did not answer directly. Instead, he looked up and asked, “If he apologizes to me, this matter will be over.”
“He’s not the easiest person to deal with.”
“My personality is twisted too.”
Old Liu looked a little embarrassed. “Your teacher knows you’re a good student. You wouldn’t deliberately make things difficult for someone else.”
“Does being a good person mean you should let someone point a gun at you?” Jiang Nian shot to his feet. “If he was capable of doing something like that, doesn’t he have any idea what kind of person he is?”
The office fell silent. Old Liu let out a helpless sigh.
Jiang Nian remained unmoved. Only dull, honest people obeyed the rules. They merely followed whatever clear path their teachers, elders, or superiors laid out for them. But in this world, there was no path to begin with.
Was saying a few words really enough to end the matter?
Where was the apology?
If Yu Tongjie paid no price, then Old Liu, as the homeroom teacher, would have to compensate for it himself. Jiang Nian dared to make that choice; an honest person would not.
Anyone too ashamed to fight for his own interests and too concerned with saving face would only allow others to disgust him again and again.
If the homeroom teacher had said nothing, it would have been fine. But now that he had brought it up, Jiang Nian was certain to go after that bastard. Unless, of course, there were suitable benefits that could make him abandon the idea.
After two minutes, Old Liu lowered his voice and said a few words. Jiang Nian’s eyelid twitched when he heard them, but his expression gave nothing away. He lowered his voice as well and began bargaining.
“I’ll get a long-term medical record for some chronic illness. From now on, whenever there’s evening self-study, you’ll have to approve my leave.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Don’t even think about it.” Old Liu’s expression turned displeased.
Seeing that there was room for negotiation, Jiang Nian said, “Then let’s discuss it a little more.”
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