But faced with Old Deng’s concerned questioning, Bai Xiruo still firmly answered no.
This made Deng Xianbing feel as though he had strength but nowhere to use it. All his anger could only be bottled up in his chest, and he blamed everything on Zhang Chen!
“I don’t know how you threatened Xiruo, Zhang Chen.” Deng Xianbing was very clear about Zhang Chen’s character. There was absolutely no way he hadn’t bullied Bai Xiruo in private.
On this point, he hadn’t wronged Zhang Chen.
But right now, the victim herself had denied that Zhang Chen had bullied her, so naturally he no longer had proper grounds to expel Zhang Chen.
However, to ensure Bai Xiruo’s safety and prevent her from being threatened by this little bastard Zhang Chen again, he immediately ordered Zhang Chen to go home and stay there for two days!
“But I’m still giving you two days off. Go home and reflect on yourself first! If you want to study, study; if not, have your dad come take you home!”
As usual, this was a mutually welcome punishment for both of them.
As the homeroom teacher, he wouldn’t have to worry about Zhang Chen causing more trouble at school, affecting other students, and adding another mark to his disciplinary record.
And Zhang Chen would be rid of his homeroom teacher… out of sight, out of mind… free from constraints, doing whatever he pleased.
As for Zhang Chen’s father, he had long been disappointed in Zhang Chen and couldn’t discipline him at all.
Case in point: even when he called to summon a parent, it was this girl who showed up again!
This girl named Nan Xingwan seemed to be a student in the honors class at No. 7 Middle School, the best middle school in Tiancheng City.
As a high school homeroom teacher, he had seen this name on the citywide joint exam ranking.
It was just… this girl had already lost count of how many times she’d come to clean up Zhang Chen’s messes in place of his father!
They were clearly the same age, so how could the gap in maturity between the two be so vast…
Hearing this punishment, Zhang Chen hesitated somewhat, but ultimately said nothing.
After all, the original body’s bullying of Bai Xiruo was a fact, and with the original body already burdened with disciplinary actions, not being expelled this time could be considered lucky.
As for why, when he called his father’s number from the contact list Old Deng had given him, the person who answered was Nan Xingwan… Zhang Chen hadn’t expected that at all…
So in the original novel, whenever Zhang Chen caused trouble and always had Nan Xingwan come clean up his messes, she had already been listed as the emergency contact for his high school homeroom teacher…
He just didn’t know how many times Nan Xingwan had covered for him…
At home, although Zhang Chen’s father Zhang Haojun couldn’t control Zhang Chen, he could always restrict Zhang Chen’s living expenses. So no matter what, after getting into trouble, Zhang Chen would still avoid the old man at home.
Nan Xingwan served as the intermediary, covering up a whole series of his secrets.
But in the original novel, Nan Xingwan and Zhang Chen’s relationship gradually deteriorated, ultimately ending in a complete rupture during the expulsion incident.
Nan Xingwan was clearly speaking up and pleading for Zhang Chen, asking the teacher to give him a chance, but Zhang Chen’s mind was consumed only with charging forward for love, heedless of consequences, unable to recognize a kind heart.
Not only did he accept the school’s expulsion, he also pushed the well-meaning Nan Xingwan to the ground, said hurtful things about having hated her since childhood, and scolded a proud girl until she was crying on the floor, full of grievance…
After that, Nan Xingwan truly never appeared before Zhang Chen again.
He didn’t know… just how bad his relationship with Nan Xingwan was now…
Zhang Chen remained silent. Just as he was about to look up and accept Old Deng’s punishment, Nan Xingwan spoke up earnestly on Zhang Chen’s behalf:
“Teacher, could you give him one more chance?”
“We’re already in the second half of sophomore year, and next semester will be junior year. If Zhang Chen’s grades continue like this…”
“I have to be responsible for my students. You don’t know what kind of person he is? You’re a student too… what decisions can you make for him? He’s a grown person; he has to bear the consequences of his actions.”
Deng Xianbing glared at Zhang Chen and said seriously, “It’d be one thing if his grades were just bad, but the key issue is that he’s affecting other students now!”
Nan Xingwan hadn’t looked at Zhang Chen from beginning to end. She just nodded in acknowledgment, apologized to Bai Xiruo, and tried again to get Deng Xianbing to give him a chance.
Perhaps this was already heaven-knows-how-many times Nan Xingwan had pleaded with teachers and classmates on Zhang Chen’s behalf.
Even though she knew full well that pleading might have negligible effect, with a success rate close to zero, she still did it.
If he remembered correctly, in the original novel, Nan Xingwan was very popular at No. 7 Middle School, had excellent grades, and was a somewhat tsundere girl…
Zhang Chen stared at this scene, somewhat dazed. As a proper top student, it had always been teachers and principals begging him not to leave. Now the roles were completely reversed.
And it was a girl pleading on his behalf…
Well… though the whole thing didn’t have much to do with him…
Zhang Chen was somewhat moved. If it had been the original body at this moment, he would have without hesitation thought Nan Xingwan was being a busybody, then gone back to the classroom, packed his things, and left immediately.
Huh? Come to think of it, didn’t Nan Xingwan have classes tonight at No. 7 Middle School?
“Teacher, for the sake of this time…” Nan Xingwan carefully pointed at Bai Xiruo. “She already said Zhang Chen didn’t do anything to her. How about you hold off on punishing him?”
“If he really does something, then you can punish him?”
“Student Xingwan, do you really not know in your heart whether he did anything?” Deng Xianbing sighed. Not catching him red-handed this time was indeed somewhat unexpected, but it didn’t change the fact that he already knew what Zhang Chen had done!
It was just that Zhang Chen’s reactions had been a bit too well-behaved from start to finish this time, making him feel something was off.
Since when had this kid’s reactions been so mild?
“Am I, as a teacher, supposed to wait until he bullies a second classmate, a third classmate? As long as no one dares to speak up, I should just play blind and say he didn’t do it?” Deng Xianbing certainly wouldn’t allow such bullying to happen in his class!
What he needed to do was strictly put an end to this behavior!
“Besides, do you think the way he is now, he can study seriously at school? He still doesn’t focus on anything proper every day!”
“Rather than letting him suffer at school, it’s better to let him go. Causing trouble at school just makes it easier for him to rack up disciplinary marks!”
Listening to Deng Xianbing’s earnest and very reasonable arguments, Nan Xingwan fell silent.
More than once, she had wanted to tutor Zhang Chen, but each time Zhang Chen had shut her out, not even letting her into his room.
She wanted him to study properly… even if he couldn’t get into a prestigious 985 or 211 university, at least getting into some college would be fine. But the current Zhang Chen had no interest in studying at all.
Even if she unilaterally worried about his studies and constantly reminded him not to waste time, if Zhang Chen wouldn’t study, what could she do…
Seeing Nan Xingwan fall silent, Deng Xianbing turned and said quietly to Bai Xiruo, “You can go back first.”
“Okay.” Bai Xiruo nodded. Through her bangs, her bright eyes glanced at the bow-headed Nan Xingwan, then quickly swept over Zhang Chen.
She only hoped that since she had said what she did, Zhang Chen wouldn’t bully her anymore.
But just as she was about to leave the office, she suddenly heard a voice from behind the door…
“Teacher, I can study properly.”