The person who made the suggestion was immediately “beaten up” on the spot.

But when the scheduled training assembly time arrived the next morning, none of yesterday’s “newcomers” showed up.

The students knew very well that, despite their reluctance, they had to go find “Wen the dog” to “give it a try.”

Lin Wanxing thought they would directly go to Wen Chengye’s classroom and ask: Do you want to join our football team?

But she hadn’t expected these kids to be much more timid than she imagined.

Class 3(1) students were the school’s main force for aiming at 985 and 211 universities. The study atmosphere was intense, easily giving outsiders a sense of not belonging. It was also because of this that the boys were unwilling to go directly to the classroom to find him.

“When I reached the door of their classroom, I felt stifled, couldn’t breathe.”

That’s what Lin Lu told Lin Wanxing.

Lin Wanxing: “How about catching him at the school gate after class?”

The boys: “No rush, let’s make a plan first.”

The boys took a half-day off to observe Wen Chengye’s daily routes, preparing to find an opportunity to get him.

Thus, the action plan roughly named “Wen Chengye Capture Operation” officially began.

Wen Chengye was picked up and dropped off by his family’s private car.

Every morning around 7:00, a black sedan would punctually drop him near the school gate.

After getting out of the car, Wen Chengye walked directly to the classroom, just in time for the self-study period that began at 7:10.

School let out at 12:30, and Wen Chengye wouldn’t go off campus. He would obediently take his meal card to the cafeteria, just like all the good students in the template.

After a half-hour lunch, Wen Chengye would return to the classroom around 13:00, rest for half an hour, and afternoon classes would begin at 13:30.

As for Wen Chengye’s specific situation in the classroom… listening to lectures, and looking down to do problems, with no different from anyone else in the class.

“I keep feeling this guy is putting on airs, but I can’t explain why.”

“Putting on airs. When has Wen the dog ever been this type of person?”

“Just strange, just pretending.”

In the school sports equipment warehouse.

The operation temporarily concluded, and the students began their summary meeting.

Lin Wanxing listened to them argue while eating snacks.

When she heard Yu Ming’s last sentence, Lin Wanxing was biting on a Pocky stick: “Strange… what does that mean?”

She asked.

“Tsk! It’s just… strange!” Qin Ao said.

“Feels like a ghost.”

“Emanating cold air, floating about!”

Lin Wanxing was confused by the boys’ creative vocabulary. Thinking of Wen Chengye’s behavior during the three days of exam supervision, she asked: “Wasn’t Wen Chengye always like this?”

“He was like this before too!” Qin Ao came over and naturally took a stick from her snack.

“Oh…”

“But before, he was high and mighty, spoke just to put on airs, very annoying. Now it’s different from before,” Yu Ming said as he also took a Pocky stick.

“Then, specifically, what’s different now?” Lin Wanxing asked.

As soon as she said this, the boys’ expressions became complicated.

With various small gestures, they depleted her matcha-flavored Pocky, chewing and thinking, but hemming and hawing, unable to articulate what they wanted to say.

“He used to say creepy things, now he doesn’t even speak,” Qi Liang said.

“Anyway, he’s changed,” Zheng Feiyang said.

“I just want to know when he changed and specifically how he changed?” Lin Wanxing felt that her language education might need to be further deepened and strengthened.

“Since… since he got into Class 1.” The usually silent student Zhi Hui suddenly spoke up.

Lin Wanxing looked over: “Wasn’t he always in Class 1?”

“He used to be just a loser. Don’t know why his grades suddenly improved. Then he went to Class 1, and he separated from us,” Lin Lu said.

Lin Wanxing sucked on her fingers, with a strange answer in her mind.

“Do you mean that his grades were poor when he was with you, and they improved when he left you?” Lin Wanxing asked.

“Teacher, are you implying that we corrupted Wen Chengye?” Yu Ming suddenly asked.

“This is more like stating it explicitly, isn’t it?” Qi Liang said exasperatedly.

“Teacher, your logic is flawed. He suddenly improved his grades, got into Class 1, and then stopped being with us,” one argued.

“That’s not right either. It seems like first there was that… not because of…” Zheng Feiyang said, but Qin Ao punched him at this point.

Qin Ao glanced at Fu Xinshu, signaling Zheng Feiyang to shut up.

The small warehouse suddenly fell silent, and Fu Xinshu again awkwardly started wiping the hem of his school uniform.

Lin Wanxing observed the students’ reactions but didn’t pursue it further. Instead, she smiled and said: “So, after all this observation, when are you planning to ‘mercifully’ forgive Wen Chengye and allow him to rejoin our Hongjing No. 8 Middle School football team?”

No matter how unwilling they were, the boys knew they had documented almost every movement of Wen Chengye, down to when he went to the bathroom. If they continued, it would turn into the “Princess Wen Cheng’s Daily Record.”

If they didn’t go find the person himself, it really wouldn’t make sense anymore.

Therefore, through multilateral negotiations (mainly mutual evasion),

They finally chose the fairest method of drawing lots, with the unlucky one who drew the short straw going to find Wen Chengye. That person was Student Lin Lu.

Student Lin Lu, being relatively pure-hearted and kind, took the lead and headed to Class 3(1).

The entire process was quick, basically just Lin Lu walking directly into Wen Chengye’s classroom and then directly walking out.

Lin Wanxing was quite curious at the time, so she followed the students, all neatly hiding around the corner of the corridor.

They saw Lin Lu walk in casually with his hands in his pockets, then stride out with his head held high.

“How did it go?” Fu Xinshu asked somewhat nervously.

“What nonsense did Wen the dog spout?” This was Qin Ao.

“None,” Lin Lu said.

“What do you mean, none?”

“No nonsense.”

“Are you an idiot? Of course, I’m not asking if he spouted nonsense!” Qin Ao flicked Lin Lu’s forehead.

“No, boss, I mean he didn’t say anything.”

“Didn’t say anything?” Chen Jianghe frowned.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Lin Lu said righteously.

“Then what did you go in there for?” Qin Ao immediately raised his voice.

“Me? I just went in, patted his shoulder, and said, ‘Wen dog, want to join our football team? I’ll carry you,'” Lin Lu said.

“And then?”

“Then he didn’t say anything, just treated me like air.”

“And then you walked out?”

“Yeah, was I supposed to kneel and beg him? I’m not that kind of person. Begging him would be embarrassing for the brothers, wouldn’t it?” Lin Lu was completely self-righteous.

Lin Wanxing was greatly amused listening to this.

The students immediately captured her with warning glances.

“I have a class this afternoon. You handle it yourselves,” Lin Wanxing made a gesture of encouragement and quickly slipped away.

By the time she finished her work, three hours had passed.

The afternoon classes at school were almost over, yet the students hadn’t come to report the latest situation.

She first went to the railing by the designated takeout spot at the back gate, where she picked up the milk tea she had just ordered.

The poster the students had attached to the railing had torn with a large gash, fluttering in the autumn wind.

Lin Wanxing turned her gaze away, sipping her milk tea, and began to “stroll” around the school.

She first checked the large equipment on the field, took photos to record the condition, and then surveyed the campus.

Thinking about the school’s floor plan in her mind, Lin Wanxing walked toward the Xinyuan Building.

It was class time, and the campus was very quiet.

Lin Wanxing went around the small garden between the teaching buildings and the rooftop terrace where the boys usually hung out but didn’t see any sign of them.

She went up to the 4th floor, where there was a connecting corridor between two teaching buildings.

She found a suitable angle and stood in the corridor to enjoy the breeze.

Not far away was Class 3(1), in a good position where she could see the bulletin board on the blackboard at the back of the classroom. Lin Wanxing scanned the classroom but found that a seat was empty—Wen Chengye wasn’t there.

After just looking for a while, Lin Wanxing was suddenly tapped on the shoulder.

“Teacher Lin?”

Behind her was a serious middle-aged female voice. Lin Wanxing turned around to see the grade leader with slightly furrowed brows, her gaze falling on the milk tea in her hand.

“Teacher Lu, hello.” Lin Wanxing couldn’t hide the milk tea and could only greet her awkwardly.

Teacher Lu had come in a hurry, looking anxious: “I was just looking for you. Where have your students taken Wen Chengye?”

Lin Wanxing’s heart skipped a beat, and then she realized.

“Your students” referred to the football team boys.

“Is Wen Chengye missing?” She stood up straight.

“Yes, our class students said that during the break, your students came and called Wen Chengye away. Now it’s English class, and Wen Chengye hasn’t returned yet.”

The campus was quiet, and a long gust of wind blew through the corridor.

The phoenix tree leaves below the teaching building gradually fell in autumn, making rustling sounds.

Lin Wanxing: “Don’t worry, I’ll call them right now.”

“Quickly find him for me, don’t cause any trouble.”

Lin Wanxing nodded repeatedly, reassuring Teacher Lu. She said she would handle it, but Teacher Lu wasn’t at ease and prepared to go downstairs to find the security teachers to search together.

First-hand information is faster.

The location reported by the students was near the new Science and Technology Building under construction at the school.

Lin Wanxing was afraid the security would arrive first. Rushing as fast as she could, she ran through a narrow dark green construction barrier. When she reached the end, the scene suddenly opened up.

This was the ideal place for a group fight.

The sun was setting, the ground was covered in yellow sand, with collapsed brick walls on one side and half-demolished old school buildings further away.

Wen Chengye stood alone in front of a magenta construction barrier, his face cold and arrogant, facing the other boys at a distance.

Qi Liang stood at the forefront of the group, closest to Wen Chengye, as if negotiating something with him.

Lin Wanxing didn’t hear the specific content of the “negotiation.”

Because the moment she entered the alley, the boys stopped all communication and unanimously looked toward her.

The atmosphere was tense, with yellow sand swirling at their feet, like a scene from a Japanese school violence film.

The only difference from those shows was that neither Wen Chengye nor the other football team boys showed any injuries on their neat school uniforms and faces.

Neither side had come to blows.

Lin Wanxing felt some relief. However, the boys didn’t want her to be at ease, and at this moment, Qin Ao played the role of the big brother from a campus film.

With his eyebrows raised high, he was very much in character: “What are you doing here?”

When Lin Wanxing was asked like this, her previous anxious emotions immediately bubbled up again.

She imagined herself grabbing Qin Ao’s ear and starting to rap, “You brought Wen Chengye here during class time and you ask what I’m doing here?”

Then she took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in her heart, and smilingly pointed at Wen Chengye: “Wen Chengye’s homeroom teacher said her student is missing, she’s very worried, and asked me to find him.”

Hearing this, Wen Chengye glanced at her, put his hands in his pockets, and turned to leave.

This was a signal that the negotiations had broken down.

The other boys remained expressionless, watching him leave.

Lin Wanxing stood at the entrance of the alley, and Wen Chengye brushed past her.

At this moment, Lin Wanxing reached out and grasped the boy’s arm.

Wen Chengye’s entire body tensed, and he cast a knife-like glance at her.

Lin Wanxing said very gently: “Since you’ve all skipped class already, there’s no need to be in such a hurry to go back.”

The football team boys, who had been trying to act cool, were instantly dumbfounded at this sight. Each of them leaned slightly backward, giving her a “you’re so brave” look.

“Does the Teacher have something to say?” Wen Chengye asked.

“Let’s talk,” Lin Wanxing said.

“Teacher won’t let me go back to class. Have you cleared this with Teacher Lu?” Wen Chengye asked.

“You’re not a good student who wants to go back to class, and I’m not a small teacher who’s afraid of superiors,” Lin Wanxing said. “Since we’ve rarely gathered together, why not chat a bit more? For example, you can tell us why you don’t want to play football with everyone?”

Wen Chengye seemed to hear something incredible. He looked back at the others, then said word by word: “Teacher, I don’t play football with trash.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the young men behind Lin Wanxing naturally erupted.

“Damn, asking you is giving you face.”

“Don’t waste our goodwill.”

“We honorably made it to the group stage. Who are you, you piece of trash, to talk?”

The boys immediately became agitated.

Wen Chengye turned to look at them, his gaze full of disdain: “Idiots.”

Qin Ao immediately clenched his fists: “Watch your mouth!”

Seeing his former teammates’ emotions being provoked,

There was a hint of satisfaction on Wen Chengye’s face, then his phoenix eyes lowered slightly, and his gaze fell: “Teacher.”

“Yes?” Lin Wanxing slightly raised her head.

“Let go,” Wen Chengye leaned in and said in a very cold voice, “Then, control your dogs.”

Lin Wanxing: “…”

Behind her, Qin Ao and the other boys were like ignited charcoal, crackling.

“You’re the dog.”

“You’re not even as good as a dog, pure animal.”

Lin Wanxing could hardly imagine how the boys had to restrain themselves earlier when she wasn’t there to avoid fighting with Wen Chengye.

Lin Wanxing released her hand, suddenly realizing what Wen Chengye wanted to do: “You want to see them angry, don’t you?”

Wen Chengye stopped in his tracks and cast a cold glance at her.

“You came out with them and didn’t return to class on time, provoking them with your words—you want to see them angry, then provoke them to hit you?”

She thought for a moment and continued, “Then teachers will surely come looking, see you fighting, and punish them, right?”

Her tone was both light and slow. Finally, she looked at Qin Ao: “You’d be expelled if you fight again, right?”

“You don’t need to tell me that. I know exactly what tricks Wen the dog is up to,” Qin Ao shouted from behind. “Sparing his dog’s life, and he’s still arrogant!”

“Despicable!” Yu Ming also shouted, following his boss.

Wen Chengye’s face darkened, but he didn’t show any embarrassment at having his intentions exposed.

Perhaps for him, this was just a spur-of-the-moment action to deal with annoying former teammates. If it failed, it didn’t matter.

The boy yanked his hand away from her and walked straight toward the other end of the narrow path.

Lin Wanxing waved to the students, indicating she would escort Wen Chengye back to the classroom.

She followed behind him, taking light steps, talking to herself: “Your plan was like this, but you didn’t expect that my ‘puppies’—oh no, my students—they’re different from before. They didn’t attack you this time? Your plan failed, so you could only say some harsh words, vent your emotions, and curse at them a couple of times. Is that it?”

By the last sentence, Wen Chengye’s body had stiffened, but he made no response, just kept walking with his head down.

Just as Qi Liang had said, perhaps Wen Chengye used to say creepy things, but now he was accustomed to not speaking.

Lin Wanxing stroked her chin, following Wen Chengye as they walked faster and faster: “I don’t quite understand. A good child like you, if you don’t want to play football, could just refuse directly. Why must you think about setting them up and cursing at them?”

“Teacher,” Wen Chengye stopped in his tracks.

“Yes?” Lin Wanxing almost bumped into him. She touched her nose and looked at her student with great curiosity, waiting for an answer.

“Why would you think I’d be willing to play football with a bunch of trash?”

The boy’s voice was very cold, with a kind of high and mighty cruelty.

His face was coldly austere, with anger burning in his narrow phoenix eyes.

Looking at the student’s face, Lin Wanxing smiled and said with a sudden realization: “I understand now. So you care about them a lot, don’t you?”