Obviously, a witness had seen the entire process of Zhang Chen bullying Bai Xiruo and told Old Deng about it.
Old Deng was a very responsible teacher. In the original novel, he had a good relationship with the protagonist Ye Fan and also cared deeply for Bai Xiruo.
Although he shared the same snobbery as most teachers when it came to grades, naturally giving preferential treatment to students with good grades…
…he had never thought of giving up on a bad student like Zhang Chen, and had even given him multiple chances to turn over a new leaf.
It was just that by giving Zhang Chen those chances, he had inadvertently become an accomplice to Zhang Chen’s bullying of Bai Xiruo…
The original novel didn’t describe Bai Xiruo’s bullying in much detail before the protagonist appeared; it only briefly mentioned her tragic experiences later on.
But those few brief lines, when they fell into the reality that actually happened, were like a great mountain pressing down, truly suffocating.
Zhang Chen calculated in his heart. Looking at it this way, he should currently still be in the early or middle stage, still in the phase of bullying Bai Xiruo.
At least he hadn’t reached the late stage yet.
Because once it reached the late stage, that would be when the protagonist appeared, and his expulsion would already be a done deal.
“Lost your tongue!? Did she provoke you?”
Seeing Zhang Chen rarely staying silent without speaking, Deng Xianbing actually found it strange.
In the past, before he could even open his mouth to question Zhang Chen, Zhang Chen would pull out a chair, completely ignore him, and sit off to the side, slouching and loafing around. Where would there be even half a trace of respect for teachers?
Now he was actually standing obediently to the side, not shaking his leg, not wearing a punchable expression. Deng Xianbing was actually a little unaccustomed to it.
His tone naturally softened a bit as well.
He didn’t immediately tell Zhang Chen to call his parents and pack up to go home. Instead, he asked coldly.
Interrupted from his thoughts by Deng Xianbing’s words, Zhang Chen finally snapped back to attention.
He hurriedly explained, “I didn’t… I didn’t do anything.”
“Didn’t do anything!?” Deng Xianbing repeated, sighing as he said in a deep voice, “You didn’t do anything and she was crying for fun?”
“Uh…”
“Tell me, why did you drag someone into the alley? What does she have to do with you?”
Deng Xianbing wouldn’t believe a single word Zhang Chen said. In fact, Zhang Chen’s bullying of Bai Xiruo was already out in the open. His sophistry was useless!
But as a homeroom teacher, he still needed to understand the full story and resolve the conflict between two students in his class.
At the same time, he especially didn’t want a good kid like Bai Xiruo to be poisoned by Zhang Chen…
“I… I treated her to a meal,” Zhang Chen said truthfully.
“Treated her to a meal? She doesn’t have her own food? She needs you to treat her?”
“She… she really doesn’t.”
“Cut the crap with me!” Deng Xianbing slammed the table in anger, and a few drops of tea splashed out of the cup.
“Zhang Chen, do you know you’re currently on probation! And you still dare to bully other students!”
“What exactly did Bai Xiruo do to provoke you, that you have to bully her like this? Do you know her family is in a very difficult situation…”
Deng Xianbing was truly furious. He warned Zhang Chen on one hand while earnestly explaining Bai Xiruo’s hardships on the other, wanting him to stop making things worse for Bai Xiruo…
This was the classic office talk that basically every student experiences during their school years.
Its duration was typically one entire evening self-study period…
All the way until the bell rang and classes ended, Zhang Chen still hadn’t returned from Old Deng’s office.
“Brother Chen is Brother Chen. What did Old Deng call you to the office for this time?” The flat-topped fatty sitting next to Zhang Chen couldn’t help but laugh the moment he heard the dismissal bell.
The two girls sitting in front of Zhang Chen turned around and shrugged. For their high-pressure high school lives, gossip about someone like Zhang Chen was actually pretty good conversation material during breaks.
Seeing this, the flat-topped fatty turned to look at Skinny Monkey in the corner on the other side. Skinny Monkey had been following Zhang Chen this afternoon.
“Li Junhao, what’s up?” he asked, lifting his chin.
As soon as those words came out, many curious students in the class looked at Li Junhao.
After all, they were the ones who hung out with him the most. Any news would definitely be known by them first.
Li Junhao glanced at the fatty dismissively, then stood up, walked over to his side, propped his arm on the fatty’s neck, and gestured with his eyes in a certain direction.
“There.”
The fatty understood and looked toward Bai Xiruo’s seat. At the same time, the two girls in front of the fatty had a big reaction and also turned to look at Bai Xiruo.
Immediately, the students who had originally been looking at Skinny Monkey all turned their gazes to Bai Xiruo.
Even though most of them had no idea what had happened.
The fatty covered his mouth and whispered, “You guys go mess with her…”
Li Junhao nodded, gritting his teeth in frustration. “Damn it, she actually dared to tell on us.”
“Then Brother Chen…”
Sitting in front, Bai Xiruo, feeling the many gazes around her, pursed her lips. Her intuition told her that Zhang Chen being called to the office was definitely because of what happened this afternoon.
But she hadn’t told on anyone at all…
Now if Zhang Chen was punished by the teacher, he might take his anger out on her again…
Because of this, her hand holding the pen trembled slightly, and her mind could no longer stay calm.
Then, she suddenly heard a student at the classroom door call out, “Bai Xiruo, office.”
As soon as those words came out, the students who had already been intentionally or unintentionally looking at Bai Xiruo became even more curious.
Among them, also looking at Bai Xiruo, was Su Yu, the instigator of the whole incident.
It was just…
“Little Yu, even you don’t know what Zhang Chen did?”
“Did he not tell you?”
The fact that Zhang Chen liked Su Yu was basically common knowledge, so they naturally assumed that Su Yu should be in the know about certain things Zhang Chen did.
At least she knew more than they did.
But Su Yu shook her head, not even looking up as she seriously read her book, drawing a clear line between herself and Zhang Chen:
“I don’t know.”
At the same time.
Bai Xiruo, having arrived at the office, had just pushed open the door when she saw a girl who looked about her age and was exceptionally beautiful stand up from her seat. The girl had her small brows furrowed, looking nervous and aggrieved, with a hint of pleading in her eyes as she looked at her…
Before she could even call out a report, Deng Xianbing spoke in a gentle tone, “Xiruo, come here, and close the door behind you.”
“Oh.” Bai Xiruo obediently did as told, passing between Zhang Chen and the unfamiliar girl to reach Deng Xianbing’s side.
“Teacher, please give Zhang Chen one more chance…” the unfamiliar girl said earnestly.
“Whether or not he gets a chance isn’t up to me. Let the victim decide,” Deng Xianbing said coldly, then turned to look at Bai Xiruo, his tone doing a complete one-eighty.
He said gently, “Xiruo, Zhang Chen dragged you into the alley today. Did he do anything to you?”
As soon as the words fell, Bai Xiruo looked at Zhang Chen and the girl. She saw Zhang Chen frowning, staring at her with a very “gloomy” expression.
And the unfamiliar girl beside him looked extremely nervous, her pink lower lip pressed so hard it had gone white, looking at her with deep worry…
Getting expelled on the very first day here? Zhang Chen thought to himself.
That didn’t make sense. Wasn’t he supposed to only be expelled after the male lead Ye Fan arrived?
He remembered that when he was expelled, he would also completely sever ties with his childhood sweetheart.
Under the guise of charging forward for love, he showed not the slightest remorse for bullying Bai Xiruo. Everything was for Su Yu.
And his childhood sweetheart Nan Xingwan… the girl standing beside him right now… would be thoroughly disappointed in him and never care about the original body again.
If it followed the original novel, the original body would probably start acting up right about now. Not only would he refuse Nan Xingwan’s goodwill, he would even tell her to get lost.
After breaking Nan Xingwan’s heart, he would also happily receive his expulsion, and from then on, the two would be like strangers.
It seemed… the real world would always have some deviations from the novel…
But in this current situation, he was about to be expelled on his very first day here. Wasn’t this the end…?
Looking at the hesitant Bai Xiruo, Zhang Chen frowned deeply, feeling utterly powerless, like a defendant waiting for the judge’s verdict.
Full of talent, yet starting off with a completely doomed situation…
But the next second, the death sentence Zhang Chen was waiting for did not arrive.
“Y-no.” After glancing at Zhang Chen, Bai Xiruo actually did not say what had happened the way he had expected!
“Xiruo, don’t be afraid. If anything happened, teacher will stand up for you, okay?” Hearing that, Deng Xianbing frowned tightly and looked even more angrily at Zhang Chen!
How could he possibly believe something like “nothing happened”!
There was no way it could be anything else. Zhang Chen must have threatened her!!
Zhang Chen instantly felt wronged. He really hadn’t done anything!
Wait a second! Could it be…
Was it because he had given her money to buy food and casually asked about the bullying? Had she really caught on and gone along with it???