Love's Affliction - Chapter 6-1

Cai Yucai, Class 3’s homeroom teacher, was a kind-hearted person. He taught Chinese and constantly educated his students with the “Disciple’s Rules.” He had a good temper, and even when he got angry, there were not many students who fear him.

The students of Class 3 stood in a loosely organized line in the middle of the field, looking crooked and disorganized. Jiang Ling and Shi Nian Nian were at the front of the line, while Cheng Qi and his friends were already sitting on the grass, chatting.

Wang Jianping, the head of the department, stood on the stage, delivering his weekly speech. The sun was scorching, and Shi Nian Nian squinted her eyes, with Jiang Ling standing behind her, his finger hooked around her hand on her back, whispering to her.

Wang Jianping first praised the recent exam results of the third-year students, then encouraged the first and second-year students to study hard.

“Nian Nian, which university do you plan to attend in the future?” Jiang Ling asked, her forehead against her back.

Without hesitation, she replied, “B University.”

Jiang Ling exclaimed, “Wow!” B University was the best university in the country, and with Shi Nian Nian’s grades, there should be no problem getting in. Jiang Ling’s grades had always been average, so she was a bit amazed to hear it coming from Nian Nian.

“Have you thought about what major you want to pursue?” she asked.

Shi Nian Nian shook her head.

As the flag-raising ceremony was about to end, everyone was already getting drowsy from listening. Wang Jianping said, “In addition, a new experimental building is being constructed in the south square of the school. Do not approach the construction site.”

He paused for a moment and continued, “This building is a donation from our school director, Jiang Chen, who is also the father of our student Jiang Wang. Jiang Wan returned to campus this week, and teachers, I hope he has truly turned over a new leaf and will study hard to bring honor to our school!”

He took a breath and continued with his long speech.

Jiang Ling muttered under his breath, “Damn, this is so awkward.”

“People are not saints, everyone has their faults…” Wang Jianping’s words were interrupted when Cheng Qi, who was sitting at the back of the line, lazily raised her hand.

“Teacher!”

Wang Jianping paused and looked over.

Cheng Qi, not even wearing her school uniform, was about to speak up, but then she spoke in a sarcastic tone, “The son of the school director skipped class today, he didn’t come to school.”

For a moment, there was silence, followed by an explosion of laughter.

Wang Jianping couldn’t just pass over the comment, and he furrowed his brow as he looked at Cai Yucai. “Teacher Cai, what is going on? It’s already second period, and Jiang Wang still hasn’t shown up?”

Cai Yucai wiped his forehead with a sweat. “I’ve already called him, but no one answered. I’ll try calling again when I get back.”

Laughter continued to fill the air as everyone discussed the situation, as if a bomb had been dropped into the drowsy line.

Wang Jianping scolded them a few times with the microphone.

The monotonous flag-raising ceremony finally ended amidst the uproar of laughter.

Shi Nian Nian and Jiang Ling held hands and followed the crowd towards the classroom. After walking a few steps, Jiang Ling suddenly squeezed her hand tightly and inhaled sharply.

“What’s wrong?” Shi Nian Nian asked.

“Shh!”

Jiang Ling put his index finger to his lips and then bent down, pulling Shi Nian Nian towards a nearby path paved with cobblestones.

They hid behind a tree, with leaves shielding their faces.

“Do you see that person? There’s a hot guy over there!” Jiang Ling extended a finger through a gap in the leaves.

Shi Nian Nian looked in the direction he was pointing.

She saw a boy… no, a man?

Wasn’t he the new math intern teacher at school? Sometimes he came to their class and sat at the back of the classroom.

Jiang Ling’s eyes sparkled as he cupped his face. “I introduced him to you before, Xu Zhilin, my future boyfriend!”

Shi Nian Nian was a little dumbfounded and blinked her eyes. “Ah?”

Jiang Ling glanced at her. “I’m not joking with you. I have to create opportunities for him to develop a good impression of me. After all, we’re in the same school. A closer view gives you a better chance, and sooner or later, I will win him over.”

As she spoke, she clenched her fist in the air.

Shi Nian Nian was speechless and surprised. He’s a teacher, after all…

Jiang Ling tapped her head with her finger. “Besides studying, what else is in that brain of yours? Teacher-student relationships are trendy now, don’t you understand? And we have so many couples in our class.”

Jiang Ling flipped her hair and spoke with emphasis, “It’s normal during adolescence.”

Shi Nian Nian felt like she was in a different universe than Jiang Ling.

“Is it… really?”

Jiang Ling counted on her fingers, telling her who liked who in their class, and who didn’t like them back but liked someone else.

The relationships were as complicated as a spider’s web.

As Shi Nian Nian listened to her, they walked back to the classroom.

Then she shook her head.

She was convinced that Jiang Ling was just making up gossip to fool her.

Jiang Wang hadn’t gone to school all day.

He had slept the entire day and only woke up in the afternoon, with his phone silenced and dozens of missed calls from Cai Yucai.

Jiang Wang had actually liked Cai Yucai when he was his teacher for two years.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he supported his head with one hand, pressing his temples with his thumb and middle finger.

After a moment, he lifted his hand and removed the bandage from his chin.

The bedroom was simple, with almost no furniture except for a bed. It was empty, with the curtains tightly drawn, blocking out all the light from outside.

It was dim inside.

He sat alone for a moment before picking up his phone and replying to Cai Yucai.

By the time he left the office, the sun had already set. After a while, the school bell rang, and the students went to the cafeteria in groups of two or three to have dinner. There weren’t many people in the teaching building.

Wang Jianping didn’t scold him. Jiang Chen had just donated a building, so he didn’t dare to scold him either. He just gave him a few instructions and ended the conversation.

Outside, Jiang Chen portrayed the image of a successful businessman, elegant and passionate about education and charity. He received rave reviews, and the outside world had no idea what he was really like in private.

He had a tendency for violence, domestic violence.

Jiang Wang’s fighting skills had been the results of Jiang Chen’s violence since he was young.

He entered the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. Water droplets gathered and slid down his face. He wiped them off with the back of his hand, his eyes not very clear.

He didn’t plan to stay at school for evening self-study. He went back to the classroom to grab the cigarette he left behind yesterday and walked out of the teaching building.

The evening glow spread across the sky, casting a dreamlike pink hue.

He stood in front of the wall, took three steps back, accelerated suddenly, kicked off the wall with his foot, and flipped over.

The wind blew, muffling the noise outside the wall.

Jiang Wang squinted his eyes.

Outside the school wall, there was a dead-end alley where a girl was being blocked by several other girls. She stood straight, clenching her fists, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, revealing a fair and slender forearm.

She slightly bent her back, like a small beast preparing to strike.

Jiang Wang’s long leg crossed over the wall.

With a cigarette in his mouth but not lit, he crossed his arms and watched the scene indifferently, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Cheng Qi stood in the middle, her stance relaxed, her red lips curling up. “Stutter girl, didn’t I warn you to stay away from Fang Cheng? You’re so despicable. How dare you touch my ex-boyfriend and hit Lu Ming? I don’t think you know who’s in charge here!”

Cheng Qi was arrogant, even though she was only sixteen, seventeen years old. Her malice was blatant and unrestrained.

Shi Nian Nian remained silent, which further infuriated Cheng Qi.

She grabbed Shi Nian Nian’s arm and yanked her forcefully, causing Shi Nian Nian to stumble and almost fall.

In the next moment, her jawbone was firmly held and lifted, and she tightened her grip. Shi Nian Nian felt like her bones were about to be crushed.

She reached out to pry Cheng Qi’s fingers, struggling backward, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break free. In the end, she stopped struggling and looked straight ahead with a cold gaze.

Cheng Qi’s smile faded, and her gaze turned icy.

“How dare you look at me like that? How dare you?!”

She raised her hand, about to slap Shi Nian Nian, but Shi Nian Nian suddenly grabbed her school uniform and lunged forward.

Cheng Qi didn’t expect her to fight back, lost her balance, and fell backward, landing on the ground.

She looked disheveled.

The girl lowered her eyebrows and looked down at her, her jawbone red from being held, her breathing erratic and rapid.

But the slight upward curve at the corner of her eyes was sharp and narrow.

It revealed her true nature.

Jiang Wang suddenly realized that his desk mate was not some docile, obedient, and timid little rabbit. She was a naive kitten with sharp claws.

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