Early the next morning, the air still carried the fresh scent of rain, but the temperature had risen quite a bit compared to recent days.

The “autumn tiger” heat wave arrived right on schedule. Zhu Wenshu had changed back into a summer shirt dress before heading out, yet it was still a bit stifling.

She hadn’t slept well the night before, so she’d gotten up a bit late today, arriving at school just barely in time.

Passing by the classroom door, she found most of the students had already arrived.

The first class was English, and Zhu Wenshu said nothing, just standing by the window to take a look at how things were going.

Dozens of children were running around everywhere, and Ling Siyuan, dressed in a British-style outfit, stood out especially among the crowd of kids.

He seemed to be in a particularly good mood, holding a pile of snacks and sharing them with his classmates.

Watching Ling Siyuan’s lively, bouncing figure, Zhu Wenshu still felt a bit dazed inside.

From last night until now, she still hadn’t figured it out—she’d clearly just gone to do an ordinary home visit, so how had she ended up stumbling onto a superstar’s shocking secret?

And this superstar had been her classmate for three years of high school, no less.

Thinking of this, Zhu Wenshu smiled self-deprecatingly.

She recalled how, the night before, she’d had to spell out her name syllable by syllable before Ling Chen could barely remember her.

And he clearly had no particular memory of her at all—the two of them had stared awkwardly at each other for a good while without managing any real small talk.

Fortunes really did take turns.

Before, it had been Ling Chen who was unremarkable, while Zhu Wenshu had been popular at school.

Now Ling Chen was at the height of fame, while Zhu Wenshu herself had become an utterly ordinary person.

Someone in the classroom spotted Zhu Wenshu and called out, and the classroom immediately fell silent, everyone scrambling back to their own seats.

Ling Siyuan also turned to look, and upon meeting Zhu Wenshu’s gaze, gave her a smile.

Only then did Zhu Wenshu snap back to attention. She waved him over, calling him out to the corridor outside the classroom.

She bent down and patted Ling Siyuan’s head.

“So, how did it go? After teacher left yesterday, did your dad scold you?”

“No, no.” Ling Siyuan smiled, two little dimples appearing. “Dad even dropped me off at school today!”

“What?”

Zhu Wenshu instinctively turned to look back toward the school gate.

Though it was early morning, this was the time when parents dropping off kids streamed steadily past the school entrance.

Ling Chen really was bold—wasn’t he afraid of being spotted?

“Really!” Ling Siyuan said. “He even got up early to make me breakfast!”

It seemed her talk with him last night had actually had some effect.

She just didn’t know how long this effect would last.

“Good, teacher understands. Go back to the classroom and get ready for class.”

Back in the office, the warning bell for the first class rang out right on cue.

Zhu Wenshu opened the pile of homework on her desk and was just about to start grading when a woman’s voice suddenly rang out behind her.

“Teacher Zhu, you don’t have class right now, do you?”

Zhu Wenshu turned around and saw a woman in her thirties standing at the door, somewhat unfamiliar.

It wasn’t until the little boy behind the woman poked his head in that Zhu Wenshu suddenly realized this must be Wang Xiaopeng’s mother.

Uh oh.

Even before the woman had said anything, Zhu Wenshu could already foresee that her morning was about to be anything but peaceful.

“Wang Xiaopeng’s mother? What can I help you with?”

Wang Xiaopeng’s mother wore red-framed glasses, her hair combed neatly into place, walking at an unhurried pace with a slight smile on her face—yet something about her made Zhu Wenshu inexplicably uneasy.

“It’s like this—yesterday Wang Xiaopeng was hit by someone at school, and today I’ve come specially to get an explanation.”

Zhu Wenshu: “…”

Once Mrs. Wang finished speaking, the other teachers in the office all turned their heads to glance at her.

Upon seeing that this parent had the look of someone not easily placated, they all shook their heads and went back to their own business, and one female teacher even shot Zhu Wenshu a look of sympathy.

“Mrs. Wang, please have a seat first.”

Zhu Wenshu fetched a chair for her, and only after she sat down did she say, “The matter isn’t as serious as you might imagine. It wasn’t really being hit—the kids were just roughhousing. I already spoke to them about it yesterday, and I called Xiaopeng’s father to explain the situation.”

“Spoke to them?”

Mrs. Wang’s eyebrows immediately shot up. “It was Ling Siyuan who hit him first—why would you need to speak to Xiaopeng about it?”

“Because Xiaopeng said…”

“All right, teacher, no need to explain.” Mrs. Wang raised a hand, cutting off Zhu Wenshu’s explanation. “I already found out what happened last night. My husband doesn’t handle things properly, so you don’t need to go by whatever he told you. Right now what I want is for Ling Siyuan’s parent to give me an explanation. Otherwise how could I feel at ease letting my child stay in the same class as someone so crude and violent? What if he gets led astray in the future?”

As a teacher who had only recently graduated, Zhu Wenshu really hadn’t encountered this type of parent before.

Utterly baffled, unable to grasp where Mrs. Wang’s logic was coming from, she turned her head, intending to ask Wang Xiaopeng what he’d told his mother the night before.

But the moment Wang Xiaopeng caught her eye, he immediately hid behind his mother.

“How about this.”

Zhu Wenshu, having no other option, said, “Xiaopeng, go to the classroom and bring Ling Siyuan here.”

Once Wang Xiaopeng had left, Zhu Wenshu said, “Mrs. Wang, children roughhousing is quite common. They already shook hands and made up yesterday, so I don’t think there’s a need to bring up the unpleasantness again.”

“They only shook hands and made up because you smoothed things over, teacher.”

Mrs. Wang said righteously, “Xiaopeng had several scratch marks drawn on his face until they bled. When I asked him what happened, he cried his heart out—clearly the child isn’t at peace with it inside. So today Ling Siyuan’s parent absolutely must give me an explanation.”

Zhu Wenshu had indeed only focused on Ling Siyuan’s bloodied nose the day before, and had only later noticed that Wang Xiaopeng had also been injured—there were indeed two scratch marks on his face, so faint you’d miss them if you didn’t look closely.

In any case, no matter what Zhu Wenshu said now, Wang Xiaopeng’s mother insisted that Ling Siyuan’s parent come in person to apologize, and flatly refused to admit there was anything wrong with what Wang Xiaopeng had done.

Given this, Zhu Wenshu felt that Ling Chen would inevitably need to have a conversation with Wang Xiaopeng’s mother.

As for exactly how that conversation would go, she’d figure that out later.

“All right, I’ll contact Ling Siyuan’s parent for you.”

Zhu Wenshu said, “But Ling Siyuan’s parent is extremely busy, so he might not be free right away.”

“No wonder.”

Mrs. Wang gave a cold laugh and said nothing further, but her tone left a distinctly unpleasant impression.

As if Ling Siyuan’s family had touched on some issue of poor character.

Just then, Ling Siyuan arrived together with Wang Xiaopeng.

The two children evidently hadn’t managed to sort things out clearly on the way over—the moment Ling Siyuan came in, he blinked his big, confused eyes and asked in a panic, “Teacher Zhu, why do you need to call my parent again?”

Before Zhu Wenshu could get a word in, Mrs. Wang completely ignored Ling Siyuan’s presence and said flatly, “I don’t care how busy his parent is—if you hit my child, you have to give an explanation. How about this, Teacher Zhu, you call his parent, and I’ll speak with them myself.”

Zhu Wenshu ignored her, digging her phone out of her bag while comforting Ling Siyuan.

“It’s nothing, just a simple chat. Look, teacher talked with your dad yesterday, and he wasn’t harsh with you afterward, right?”

Seeing that Zhu Wenshu wasn’t moving fast enough, Wang Xiaopeng’s mother, wearing a cold expression, quickly pulled out her own phone and thrust it in front of Ling Siyuan. “Here, call your parent yourself.”

Ling Siyuan naturally didn’t take the phone, instead looking at Zhu Wenshu helplessly.

“Why do you need to call my parent?”

“Yuanyuan, about what happened yesterday, Wang Xiaopeng’s mom wants to talk with your dad about it. Don’t be afraid, go ahead and call. Teacher’s here, and I won’t let your dad scold you.”

Seeing that Ling Siyuan still wasn’t moving, Wang Xiaopeng’s mother said, “If you won’t call, then I’ll just look up your dad’s contact information directly in the DingTalk group, and then…”

“I’ll call!” Ling Siyuan quickly reached out, practically snatching the phone from Wang Xiaopeng’s mother’s hand.

Seeing him flustered, Wang Xiaopeng’s mother gave a smug little laugh, crossing her arms and watching him closely.

As he pressed the keys, Ling Siyuan kept sneaking glances at Zhu Wenshu’s expression, and in his fluster he got the numbers wrong several times.

It took him quite a while before he finally managed to dial the call.

Certain that no one would answer the call, Zhu Wenshu kept her eyes lowered, mentally calculating how to handle Wang Xiaopeng’s mother.

But unexpectedly, a few seconds later—

“Dad…” Ling Siyuan’s timid voice rang out, “Can you come to school…”

Zhu Wenshu’s head shot up.

It had actually gone through, just like that?

But the next second, Ling Siyuan said “Hello” twice, then, blinking, his hands trembling as he gripped the phone.

“He hung up…”

Zhu Wenshu: “He—he hung up?”

“What kind of person does that?!”

Wang Xiaopeng’s mother slapped the table and stood up. “Call again!”

Having intimidated Ling Siyuan, Mrs. Wang turned to Zhu Wenshu and said, “You saw that yourself—with an attitude like that, how could I possibly feel at ease letting my child stay in the same class as his?”

Zhu Wenshu knew that if Ling Chen didn’t show up and address this today, Mrs. Wang would not let the matter drop.

So she took the phone and called him herself.

After a few seconds of ringing, the call connected.

Before Zhu Wenshu could speak, Ling Chen said, barely holding back his temper, “Do I look like I have time to spare, Ling Siyuan? If you have something to say, go find your—”

“Ling Siyuan’s father.”

Zhu Wenshu cut him off. “This is Teacher Zhu, Ling Siyuan’s homeroom teacher.”

There were two seconds of silence on the other end of the line.

Then Ling Chen’s voice dropped lower, though it still carried a trace of sleepy grogginess. “Did he get into another fight at school?”

“No, he was very well-behaved today.”

Zhu Wenshu glanced at Mrs. Wang, cleared her throat, and said seriously, “But regarding yesterday’s fight, another student’s mother would like to talk with you. Would you be able to find time to come to school?”

She knew Ling Chen definitely wouldn’t come, but she still needed to say her piece in full.

“It won’t take up much of your time, and it would help Ling Siyuan get along better with his classmates. Please, no matter what, do try to find some time to come, okay?”

“I really am busy, I don’t have time.”

Ling Chen was quiet for a moment, then sighed. “I’ll come after school lets out.”

“Mm-hm, I understand you’re busy too—” Zhu Wenshu suddenly stopped short, unsure if she’d misheard. “What did you say?”

“I said,” Ling Chen enunciated each word, “I’ll come after school lets out.”

“…All right, understood.”

After hanging up, Zhu Wenshu stood stunned for a couple of seconds before handing the phone back to Mrs. Wang.

Why did this man never do things the way you’d expect?

Confused as she was, Zhu Wenshu still dutifully relayed the message: “His father can’t get away during the day, but he’ll come to school after classes end. Is that all right?”

Mrs. Wang wasn’t entirely satisfied, but remembering she herself had some matters to attend to later, she reluctantly nodded.

“Fine then, I’ll come back after school. Make sure he’s on time.”

For the rest of that day, aside from teaching her two classes, Zhu Wenshu was a bit distracted the whole time.

Ling Chen had actually agreed to come to school.

Zhu Wenshu had no real experience handling disputes between parents to begin with, let alone when one of them was a superstar at the height of his fame.

She had no idea how things would unfold once Wang Xiaopeng’s mother recognized Ling Chen.

Would everyone soon find out that Ling Chen had a seven-year-old child?

Would Ling Siyuan still be able to live and study normally after that?

And as a teacher, how would she handle the curiosity of classmates and the whole school toward Ling Siyuan?

With all these thoughts swirling in her mind, school dismissal time arrived before she knew it.

Less than two minutes after the bell rang, Wang Xiaopeng’s mother was already waiting in the office with her child.

A little while later, Ling Siyuan also came to the office.

The two adults and two children sat facing each other, not much in the mood for pleasantries, the atmosphere somewhat tense.

With his mother backing him up, Wang Xiaopeng leisurely began doing his homework.

Ling Siyuan, on the other hand, was quite anxious, holding his pen and pretending to doodle, occasionally sneaking glances at Zhu Wenshu.

Half an hour later, most of the students had left, and the campus was as quiet as a small suburban park. Thick dark clouds on the horizon pushed back the daylight, and in the blink of an eye the sky had turned as gloomy as night.

Wang Xiaopeng’s mother, growing impatient with waiting, tapped the table. “Didn’t he say he’d come right after school? It’s been over half an hour already—Teacher Zhu, call him again!”

Zhu Wenshu thought Ling Chen was probably going to stand them up, and felt relieved rather than anything else.

Just as she picked up her phone, there was a knock at the office door.

Zhu Wenshu looked toward the door, froze for a moment, and said a bit awkwardly, “Ling Siyuan’s parent is here…”

Mrs. Wang immediately turned around, about to say something, but the word “you” got stuck in her throat the moment she got a clear look at who had arrived.

With the sky already dim, Ling Chen, dressed in a black hoodie and black pants—thin yet tall and upright enough—blocked out the last remaining rays of the setting sun, making the small office feel even heavier.

What’s more, he was also wearing a black face mask.

Most of his face was covered, leaving only a pair of dark eyes visible, yet this did nothing to conceal the distinctive air about him.

He inexplicably drew the eye, not looking at all like an ordinary person one might see going about daily life on the streets.

Mrs. Wang clearly hadn’t expected Ling Siyuan’s father to show up looking like this.

Moreover, she kept feeling that this man’s features looked somewhat familiar, yet she couldn’t recall where she’d seen him before.

In any case, this was quite different from the parent she’d imagined, and it left her inexplicably deflated.

As Ling Chen approached, Mrs. Wang stood up, chin raised, and said, “I’m Wang Xiaopeng’s mother. Hello.”

Passing by her, Ling Chen glanced sideways at her, tossing out a fairly polite “Hello,” then, without even looking at Zhu Wenshu, walked straight over to Ling Siyuan and flicked his forehead with a bent finger.

“You’re quite good at causing trouble for me, aren’t you?”

Feeling guilty, Ling Siyuan didn’t dare look him in the eye, instead quietly hiding behind Zhu Wenshu.

“He didn’t cause any trouble today,” Zhu Wenshu said, shielding Ling Siyuan, and gestured for Ling Chen to look at Mrs. Wang. “It’s Wang Xiaopeng’s mother who wants to talk with you about yesterday’s fight.”

Only then did Ling Chen slowly turn around, facing Mrs. Wang directly.

Mrs. Wang immediately spoke up. “Your child hit mine and scratched up my child’s whole face. This is a civilized society—I’ve never seen anyone so uncivilized. How is that any different from a savage? And furthermore—”

Ling Chen nodded. “Mm, but I’m busy. Just say it plainly—how would you like to talk this through?”

Mrs. Wang: “…”

For some reason it sounded to her like he was asking whether she’d prefer a knife or a gun.

“You—” After glancing at Ling Chen a couple of times, Mrs. Wang lost some of her nerve, but unwilling to concede any ground, she switched to criticizing him instead. “What time is it now? You said you’d come right after school—don’t you have any sense of time?”

“Sorry,” Ling Chen said sincerely. “I went to the wrong school by mistake just now.”

Mrs. Wang: “…”

Zhu Wenshu: “………”

The situation seemed to have taken a bizarre turn.

Wang Xiaopeng’s mother’s mouth twitched, and once she recovered, she said, “And what’s the meaning of you wearing a mask? Is that polite of you?”

Zhu Wenshu’s scalp suddenly tightened, and she looked nervously at Ling Chen.

What if he took off the mask…

“I’m sick. It’s contagious.”

Ling Chen raised his hand, making a gesture as if to remove the mask. “Do you mind? Then I’ll take it off.”

“Don’t!”

Mrs. Wang pulled Wang Xiaopeng back a sharp step, eyeing Ling Chen and Ling Siyuan both with alarmed uncertainty.

“…”

So it really had been unnecessary worry after all.

Zhu Wenshu frowned and said, “Speak properly. Don’t scare people.”

Hearing this, Ling Chen turned to glance at Zhu Wenshu, the impatience between his brows fading, his tone leveling out. “Oh, understood, Teacher Zhu.”

This brief back-and-forth between the two of them made Mrs. Wang feel, no matter how she listened to it, that she’d been made a fool of.

But her momentum had already dropped, and it was hard to pick it back up midway, so she had no choice but to put on an understanding air.

“I’m not one to make a fuss over nothing either. How about this—regarding the fight, whoever needs to apologize should apologize properly, and I won’t pursue it further.”

“Fine.”

Ling Chen stepped back, leaning against Zhu Wenshu’s desk, and bent down to ask Ling Siyuan, “Who hit who first?”

In these brief few minutes, Ling Siyuan had actually already vaguely sensed how the situation now stood. Without realizing it, his back had straightened and his head had lifted, and he declared with full vigor, “Me!”

Zhu Wenshu: “?”

And you’re actually proud of that?

Ling Chen said “Mm,” and tilted his chin toward Wang Xiaopeng.

Not understanding what Ling Chen meant, Ling Siyuan blinked in confusion. “Huh?”

The next second, Ling Chen grabbed Ling Siyuan by the collar and shoved him forward, planting him directly in front of Wang Xiaopeng.

“Apologize to him.”

This action startled Wang Xiaopeng and his mother into retreating another two steps.

Was he really a savage after all???

Zhu Wenshu, standing off to the side, was also stunned into silence.

Is this how you normally treat him?? Is he even your biological child??

She felt as though it wasn’t Ling Siyuan being grabbed by the collar, but her own heart, and she was even afraid that Ling Siyuan would burst into loud sobs the next moment.

But the reality was that Ling Siyuan not only wasn’t afraid, he even straightened his rumpled collar with a spirited, sturdy air, then puffed out his chest, lifted his head, and declared, “Wang Xiaopeng, I’m sorry! I’ll never hit you again!”

Wang Xiaopeng’s mother: “?”

That counted as an apology?

But Wang Xiaopeng himself, the one directly involved, looked like he was about to cry from fright, waving his hand and choking out, “It’s, it’s fine.”

Ling Chen watched the whole thing calmly, even casually picking up one of Zhu Wenshu’s pens and spinning it in his hand.

Once Wang Xiaopeng, at a complete loss, resorted to tugging at the hem of his mother’s clothes, Ling Chen finally asked Mrs. Wang with great sincerity, “Are you satisfied with this?”

There was no way Mrs. Wang would dare say she wasn’t satisfied.

She was afraid that if she said so, he’d ask “then what more would you like,” and things would spiral in a direction she couldn’t control.

Of course, the main reason that made her give up entirely was that when Ling Chen had reached out to grab Ling Siyuan, she’d noticed his wristwatch.

She wasn’t afraid of forceful people, nor of wealthy people.

She was only afraid of someone who was both forceful and wealthy.

“Oh, well, the kids are classmates after all, roughhousing is only natural, let’s not any of us take it to heart. They’ll still be good friends going forward—let’s just not bring this up again.”

After saying this, she actually felt awkward herself, unable to save face, so she turned her head and, as if putting on a different face entirely, looked at Zhu Wenshu with an arrogantly raised chin.

“But Teacher Zhu, as the homeroom teacher, you can’t even handle children roughhousing properly. How are you fit to be a teacher?”

Zhu Wenshu: “…?”

Didn’t I already handle it properly yesterday?

“You—”

She’d barely opened her mouth, the word not even fully out, when there came a soft “clack”—a pen being gently tossed onto the desk—and the Mrs. Wang before her flinched.

Ling Chen’s voice sounded out from behind Zhu Wenshu.

“So what more would you like, then?”