Chapter – 58
Luo Shuxin hadn’t participated in the fight. By the time he returned, the PE teacher had already taken control of the situation.
Jiang Jian: ?
Jiang Jian: “Why are you here?”
Luo Shuxin showed him a glance at the iodine and cotton swabs in his hand.
Jiang Jian’s upper lip was bruised and cracked, dark and swollen. At first, someone had grabbed him from behind, and at that moment, he didn’t even know which kid from Class 8 had done it.
Jiang Jian scanned the students from Class 1—some had bruises, some injuries—but most had received care from the “academic god.”
Jiang Jian had been made to stand as punishment. Luo Shuxin applied the ointment and, after finishing, left the cotton swabs and bottle with him, saying that if more students from Class 1 showed up with injuries, Jiang Jian should help them as well. After that, he went downstairs first.
Xia Yiming whispered to someone nearby, keeping his voice very low:
“I told you, Shinxin came up here for our Jianjian, and you didn’t believe me. Come on, a cup of milk tea! Who bet just now? Don’t try to back out!”
Jiang Jian: “?”
Jiang Jian: “You’re doing what… for fun?”
Betting?
Xia Yiming was smug. “This is called business opportunity. Since I made money with your help, you get a cup of milk tea too.”
Jiang Jian: “Two cups! The ‘academic god’ helped too, doesn’t he deserve one?”
Xia Yiming: “…You rich second-generation kid trying to extort milk tea from a poor girl?”
While they were talking, the door suddenly opened. Principal Fei said,
“Speak any louder, and the class opposite will hear! Let everyone see just how shameless Class 1 really is! Still talking casually after a fight, huh? Say another word and I’ll listen!”
For a moment, everyone outside fell completely silent.
Fei slammed the door shut with a “bang!”
Many parents of Class 1 students were receiving calls from teachers for the first time. Their children had always been top students, so receiving such a call felt like the sky had fallen.
In Principal Fei Zhiguo’s office, there were constant cries—some parents were crying because their child was acting stubborn, some parents cried until their children cried too.
Even before the official punishment for the fight was decided, Fei Zhiguo had already made many Class 1 students deeply aware of their mistakes in his own way.
When facing the teachers, they could still stubbornly claim they were right, but once the parents cried, they were powerless.
Gradually, all the students outside the office were taken away, leaving only Jiang Jian standing there.
Fei Zhiguo came in and out several times. It wasn’t that he had no sympathy—he did.
He had a child of his own, and could relate: if his own son got into trouble at school, and all the other students were taken away while his son was left alone, it would be unbearable. The thought alone made his heart ache.
Yet every time he felt inclined to be lenient and let Jiang Jian wait in the classroom, he remembered all of Jiang Jian’s past misdeeds.
This child simply didn’t learn from experience. He could act obedient and pitiful, but in reality, he didn’t think he had done anything wrong—didn’t take it to heart at all!
So Fei Zhiguo forced himself to be strict, making Jiang Jian stand outside his office until the penultimate evening self-study session.
Jiang Jian was bold. As he left, he even asked if he had to continue standing tomorrow. Fei Zhiguo almost choked on the words.
Fei Zhiguo poured out his heart:
“I know your family situation is special. Your dad’s busy, and your mom… your mom wouldn’t want to see you like this. Standing here alone all afternoon—if she could see you from heaven, wouldn’t she be heartbroken? Can you just think about making her feel at ease?”
Jiang Jian: “…”
Jiang Jian suddenly thought: maybe Principal Fei was disliked by students because of this tendency to hit right at the painful spots with his words?
Many times, people can recognize the good intentions rationally, but when it’s the kind of good intention that drives a knife straight into your chest, it’s hard to take calmly.
Fei Zhiguo waved his hand. “Go on, go. No need to come tomorrow. Just focus on your classes.”
Contacting parents was only part of the process. The actual disciplinary decision for the fight still needed the school leadership to discuss before issuing a verdict.
When Jiang Jian returned to the classroom, most of the students were gone.
Since day students weren’t strictly required to stay for the last self-study session, many had left after the second-to-last period.
However, his deskmate was still there, as usual, a relentless problem-solving machine.
Jiang Jian walked into the classroom, and while packing his bag, unexpectedly found a few golden monkey candies in his desk.
He stopped packing and started eating the candy, waiting for Luo Shuxin to finish the problem he was working on.
They exchanged no words, but their coordination was perfect.
Once Luo Shuxin finished the problem, he packed up, and the two left together.
Only after leaving the teaching building did Jiang Jian speak first:
“Are you mad?”
Luo Shuxin didn’t look at him or respond.
Jiang Jian stopped in place, but Luo Shuxin kept walking.
After a few steps, Luo Shuxin was the first to relent. He stopped and turned to look at Jiang Jian.
Jiang Jian: “Mad?”
Luo Shuxin: “How could you tell I’m mad?”
He couldn’t explain—it was intuition.
Luo Shuxin: “I’m not mad at you. You weren’t wrong at that time.”
Jiang Jian’s childhood friend, Shao Xing, had been involved, and although his arm was fine after the check, Luo Shuxin had heard what happened and could completely understand why Jiang Jian had acted.
For some reason, Jiang Jian felt unexpectedly happy—happy for no reason at all.
“Then who are you mad at?” he asked, moving closer to Luo Shuxin.
“I’m mad at myself for not being there at the time, for not helping you.”
Luo Shuxin glanced at him.
Jiang Jian, unabashed, said, “I’ve always been this narcissistic.”
They walked side by side out of the school, and Jiang Jian suddenly flipped the switch, chattering endlessly.
He talked about how irritating the PE student who provoked them was, how cowardly the kid was who ambushed him.
After leaving the school, as usual, they went to the coffee self-study café.
