Chapter 106: The Dust Settles
Seeing Yang Xiao and the others walk into the office, Shen Mingzhe knew immediately that there was no way to suppress today’s incident.
His heart was pounding, his face no longer able to fake a smile, and his tone turned serious: “Do you know why I called you here?”
Yang Xiao quickly took the lead, lowering his head obediently and responding: “Yes, we know.”
Hong Yi actually wanted to scold Xie Xiangxue and the others for being pathetic, only knowing how to snitch to teachers. But they were all high school students now; saying that would be far too childish.
The surrounding teachers watched quietly. The pressure finally forced Hong Yi to lower his head and follow silently behind Yang Xiao.
Cui Loulan and Du Xianhui didn’t even need to say anything. Seeing Yang Xiao take the lead, they knew he had a plan, so they just stayed quiet and observed.
Their cooperation made Shen Mingzhe feel a little relieved, thinking there might still be room to maneuver.
He continued asking: “Why did you say that Class 3 cheated on the midterm?”
“Wait a moment!” Chen Zelin interjected, his gaze sharp. “Teacher Shen, that’s not exactly how you should ask it, right?”
“How would you like me to ask?” Shen Mingzhe’s tone was not pleasant.
“This way, you’re asking about their intentions,” Chen Zelin explained. “The reason is obvious, even without asking me.”
The other teachers nodded silently. Jealousy over Class 3’s good grades, resentment over their praise—there were plenty of possible motives.
“What our students want to ask,” Chen Zelin continued, pretending to be calm as he recited, “is why they think our class cheated. They want evidence.”
“It’s just jealousy over your good grades,” Yang Xiao quickly said, “so they made up this excuse.”
“Our class ranked third this time, and there are still two ahead of us,” Chen Zelin snapped, his tone suddenly sharp. “If it’s not about other classes, but just ours, there should at least be a reason, right?”
“Think our class is easier to bully than Classes 6 and 4?” Jiang Chuchu sneered.
The students of Class 3 exchanged glances: did that mean, “You look down on the class I’m in”?
Jiang Chuchu’s statement was increasingly villainous!
The onlooking teachers pretended not to hear.
Yang Xiao tensed up, forcing a dry smile: “H-how could it be? We just happened to see people from Class 3 and… got carried away…”
Unexpectedly, Jiang Chuchu said coldly: “It’s not because last time you failed to cause trouble for Xie Xiangxue and now want revenge?”
Yang Xiao’s scalp went numb. If he said more, Yan Zhengqing would be dragged into this!
Yan Zhengqing’s pursuit of Lin Xiaoxue was not exactly a secret, and Mingde High, out of respect for the Yan family, wouldn’t care.
But if Yan Zhengqing got involved in this awkward situation, it would be humiliating—and then they were doomed!
Yang Xiao shot a desperate glance at Shen Mingzhe. Shen Mingzhe didn’t yet know what the “last time” referred to, but just from Yang Xiao’s expression, he had a bad feeling.
The next second, he heard Yang Xiao say: “It has nothing to do with the last time… actually…”
Yang Xiao hesitated deliberately, avoiding Shen Mingzhe’s gaze, and whispered: “Actually, our homeroom teacher… Teacher Shen said your progress wasn’t normal.”
Gu Qinghuan wanted to exhale but restrained herself. If she were in class, she would have celebrated with everyone.
Qin Yue jumped up from his chair, almost tripping: “He said it! He really said it!”
Ming Xiaolan pushed up her glasses: “Abnormal? The plan the Discipline Committee gave us already mentioned this.”
She said it so calmly, yet nearly poked her own eye while adjusting her glasses.
Yu Xin rubbed her forehead, unsure whether to feel admiration or pity: “To protect Yan Zhengqing, he sacrificed his own homeroom class, huh?”
Abandoned Shen Mingzhe felt as if struck by lightning, his face pale.
He almost reflexively shouted: “I didn’t!”
Yang Xiao lowered his head, sounding both like a rebuttal and a complaint: “Teacher Shen, you always say in class that Class 3 only has an average grade, few top students. The school’s ranking system, based on averages, isn’t fair.”
“You also always brag about Class 3’s academic achievements in the office and compare our class to theirs.”
“Teacher Shen said he tried reasoning with us a few times, but it didn’t help much. He blamed himself for not helping us vent our frustration.”
“He even said Class 3’s homeroom teacher was incompetent, that high class averages were just internal standards, and they’d fail at the college entrance exam.”
“So… we just wanted to help Teacher Shen vent, which is why we falsely accused Class 3…”
The onlooking teachers were stunned. Yang Xiao had suddenly dropped such a bombshell—they could hardly catch it all.
If there weren’t classes in session, they’d be pulling out their phones to blast messages to the absent teachers.
Shen Mingzhe felt the other teachers’ gazes pierce his skin. He gritted his teeth, his face flushed, and almost at the top of his lungs shouted: “I didn’t! This is slander!”
Gu Qinghuan stared at Shen Mingzhe steadily. Yes—slander.
She felt that some of Yang Xiao’s embellishments had been added, but it was all based on Shen Mingzhe’s original words.
He wanted to use the students’ power to slander Chen Zelin, to slander Class 3. Now, the tables were turned, and he was the one being slandered.
Yang Xiao closed his mouth, no longer speaking.
Shen Mingzhe reached out to grab Yang Xiao’s clothes: “Say it! I never said those things! I just… I just…”
“Just what?” Just jealousy, thinking poorly of Chen Zelin, believing Chen Zelin only got lucky; Class 3’s grades had nothing to do with him—if it were him, he could have done better.
Chen Zelin forcefully took Shen Mingzhe’s hand, slowly prying his fingers apart, and calmly said: “Teacher Shen, as a teacher, you shouldn’t use violence on students.”
Yang Xiao staggered back a step, avoiding Shen Mingzhe’s gaze.
“You all may return to your class. I’ll handle the rest. Also, don’t spread what happened today outside our class,” Chen Zelin said.
“Understood,” Gu Qinghuan, Jiang Chuchu, and Xie Xiangxue said in unison, quickly leaving the office.
“You should go back too, and don’t falsely accuse others again,” Chen Zelin said, looking at Yang Xiao and the others.
Shen Mingzhe didn’t reply, just turned his back and sat down at his desk.
Yang Xiao and the others exchanged glances and quickly ran off.
Chen Zelin lingered by Shen Mingzhe’s desk for a moment. This outcome had been part of the plan, and he wouldn’t sympathize with Shen Mingzhe.
After all, if not for his outstanding students, the incident about Class 3 cheating would have spread throughout the school.
Shen Mingzhe had simply been hit by the bullet he himself had fired—the outcome was of his own making.
Even so, witnessing Shen Mingzhe being abandoned by his own students, Chen Zelin still felt a trace of sadness.
He was a teacher, and silently reminded himself: he participated in his students’ growth, and could greatly influence them.
To prevent a future regret similar to Shen Mingzhe’s, he must hold himself to even stricter standards.
Chen Zelin returned to his seat, preparing for the afternoon classes.
