DTTCM Chapter 53

“What?”

Sheng Yuan looked at Tang Tang’s immature and pitiful face, thinking he had misheard.

“Tang Tang.”

Teacher Wang has returned, holding teacher’s meeting notes in her hand. Tang Tang, upon seeing her mother, instantly forgot about talking to Sheng Yuan and happily jumped off the office chair, bouncing towards Teacher Wang.

“Mama!”

She was ecstatic, with both pigtails swaying along. The happiness of a child is so simple, so simple that she would be delighted upon seeing her mother.

Teacher Wang looked at Sheng Yuan standing in front of her desk, and lowered her head to ask Tang Tang.

“Were you playing with the big brother just now?”

The little girl nodded obediently, “Mmm.”

She took the lollipop out of her mouth and ate for a while, but the candy doesn’t seem to diminish.

“The big brother also helped me open the lollipop.”

Teacher Wang picked up her daughter, “Did Tang Tang say thank you to the big brother?”

“Yes!” The little girl patted herself, “Mama taught me to be grateful.”

The mother and daughter chatted, creating a warm scene.

Yet, there was an indescribable sense of oppression, as if something weighed down on them, making it hard to breathe.

Teacher Wang: “Sheng Yuan, thank you for keeping Tang Tang company.”

“It’s nothing. The little girl looks adorable.”

Tang Tang looked up upon hearing this, giving Sheng Yuan a big smile.

She smiled so forcefully that her nose and eyes crinkled together, exuding childlike innocence and cuteness.

Sheng Yuan imitated her, lowering his head and returning her smile. Tang Tang burst into laughter.

“Big brother, why do you look like that when you smile?”

“Tang Tang, why do you look like that when you smile?”

The next class was about to start, so Sheng Yuan said, “Teacher, I’ll go back first.”

Teacher Wang wanted to thank Sheng Yuan for keeping Tang Tang company. “Sheng Yuan, wait a moment. I have some cookies here. If you don’t mind, you can take them and share with your classmates.”

“Hmm, strange, where did I put them?”

She opened a drawer but didn’t find the cookies.

“Sheng Yuan, please wait a moment.”

She bent down in front of her desk, checking if they were in the cardboard box underneath. Finally, she found them in a corner.

“Found them. They’re chocolate-flavored. Sheng Yuan, you can take them and eat.”

Sheng Yuan didn’t take them. His gaze trembled as he looked at her neck.

Teacher Wang was puzzled, “Sheng Yuan, what’s wrong?”

The scarf shook and finally fell from her neck.

Teacher Wang froze in an instant, as if trapped in an ice cellar. Her blood froze, losing all sensation, and she became motionless.

Two dark handprints were on her neck, horrifying and terrifying, as if an evil spirit possessed her, ready to snap her delicate neck.

Teacher Wang panicked, quickly wrapping her neck with the scarf.

The class bell rang at that moment, and Teacher Wang pushed Sheng Yuan out.

“Sheng Yuan, hurry back to class.”

Sheng Yuan returned to the classroom, his brows tightly furrowed, filled with unrelenting anger that spread like growing vines within his heart.

The math teacher was running late due to a meeting, and Jin Anzhu was chatting with the girl in front of her.

Both of them had gloomy expressions.

“I just passed by Teacher Xiao Tao’s office, and she was discussing with some teachers to persuade Teacher Wang.”

“What happened to Teacher Wang?”

“She met a beast; her husband is treating her poorly.”

“Why doesn’t Teacher Wang get a divorce?”

“I heard from those teachers that Teacher Wang comes from a single-parent family, and she had a tough time without her mother when she was young. She’s afraid her daughter will also grow up in a single-parent household and have an incomplete childhood. Plus, there’s no one in her family supporting her to get a divorce, they all tell her to endure it.”

“Teacher Wang is so kind, how dare that beast!”

Jin Anzhu slammed the table in anger.

Soon, the math teacher rushed in after finishing the meeting.

“Sorry, everyone, the meeting took some time. Take out your exercise books, and let’s go through the final question on page 58.”

The morning classes were rushed, and for the students in their final year of high school, practicing and reviewing were crucial.

Xia Zhiqi, driven by his ambitious goals, became more attentive in class. By noon, his fully charged battery had dwindled to a mere sliver.

“Brother Sheng, let’s go out for lunch today.”

Cun Tou chimed in, “Yeah, I also want to go out and eat.”

Jin Anzhu interjected before they left, “I’ll come too.”

Everyone was already accustomed to Jin Anzhu’s omnipresence.

Sheng Yuan had no objections. They had been eating in the cafeteria for too long, so it would be a nice change to go out for a meal today.

Lin Xiaoyuan and her deskmate recommended, “Let’s go have some wonton noodles. You guys should come along. The wonton at that place is delicious.”

Looking at the group of twenty people led by Sheng Yuan, “The restaurant is spacious and can accommodate us.”

It was just perfect, they didn’t need to worry about where to eat. Sheng Yuan stood up and said to his little brothers behind him, “Let’s go.”

The group walked to the school gate, only to find a commotion and a small crowd gathered about five meters to the right of the gate.

“You damn woman, you think hiding in the school means I won’t find you! Go home!”

Teacher Wang, with Tang Tang behind her, wore a somewhat embarrassed expression. Even if the man yelled at her, she only lowered her head to comfort her daughter.

She looked extremely weary, and with a strained voice, she said, “Don’t cause a scene at the school gate.”

The man, as if his tail had been stepped on, retorted, “Do you fucking think I want to be here? I haven’t even asked you yet. What do you mean by bringing the child to school?!”

Tang Tang was visibly frightened, tightly clinging to her mother’s leg for comfort.

“Tang Tang doesn’t feel well today and doesn’t want to go to kindergarten… Ah!!!”

Suddenly, a grotesque and terrifying hand emerged and with a malicious grip, it viciously pulled her hair towards the ground.

The man completely disregarded whether there were students or onlookers nearby.

This was the school gate, and Teacher Wang became anxious, “What are you doing?!”

“What am I doing? You didn’t come back to cook lunch. You tell me, what am I doing?!”

“You damn woman, you have no shame.”

He raised his hand and slapped Teacher Wang’s face forcefully, creating a crisp sound that left the students on the roadside dumbfounded.

Teacher Wang’s hair was being pulled like a rope on a cow or sheep, and she bent over in embarrassment.

Tang Tang was frightened and burst into tears.

“Mama!! Mama, let go of Mama!”

“Get lost and stop crying… damn it!!!”

The man had barely finished speaking when a figure suddenly emerged from the crowd and knocked him down with a single punch.

His speed was astonishingly fast. Before anyone could see who it was, the man was already lying on the ground.

“What gives you the right to hit her?”

The man’s face swelled instantly, and he spat out a mouthful of blood and saliva as he looked at Sheng Yuan.

“Where did this little rascal come from?”

“I’m asking you, what gives you the right to hit her?!”

Sheng Yuan grabbed the man’s collar, his eyes staring at him fiercely.

The black handprint on Teacher Wang’s neck felt like a shackle, firmly clasped around her throat.

In all his education, he had never hit a woman.

Only the most inept of beasts would dare to strike a woman.

Teacher Wang was so frightened that she couldn’t even speak, and she hurriedly tried to step forward to pull Sheng Yuan away.

She was anxious, her hair disheveled and her white dress stained with dirt, but she was stopped by Lin Xiaoyuan, who had arrived.

“Teacher Wang!”

Teacher Wang looked at her in a flustered manner.

Lin Xiaoyuan held her hands. “Will you continue to endure?”

The sound of the child crying still echoed in her ears, and Teacher Wang couldn’t find the words to respond.

Did she want to endure?

Everyone had advised her to endure, and she had considered divorce at first, but everyone said the child was too young and couldn’t be without a mother.

–Wang Wen, you also grew up without a complete family, without a mother, and it wasn’t easy for you. It won’t be easy for Tang Tang without a father either.

–You’re a single-parent family, and the child can’t be one too.

Those elders spoke with great weight and seriousness.

No one supported her.

It felt like a mountain pressing down on her back, bending her waist and her bones.

It even reduced her knowledge and education to the lowest level.

The murmurs in the crowd grew louder and she felt lost in chaos.

But there was a voice that pulled her back.

Sheng Yuan tugged at the man’s collar.

“I’ve wanted to say this since this morning! The scarf around our teacher’s neck is hideous!”

The crowd erupted, and the noise was deafening.

Brother, is this a good excuse to hit someone?

How could such a young child ask such a question? Sheng Yuan tightly held onto the man, afraid that the child might think it’s right to hit people.

“Our teacher’s neck! It should be adorned with a pearl necklace!”

“Our teacher’s neck! It should be adorned with a pearl necklace!”

Sheng Yuan raised his fist and fiercely struck the man’s face.

“She shouldn’t wear such a damn ugly scarf!”

That woman was always gentle and serene, wearing a white dress and a pearl necklace, reciting ancient poetry with a tender voice from the lectern.

When the wind blew, her fluttering skirt and gentle face made her look like a butterfly.

Tears welled up in Teacher Wang’s eyes.

The man overturned Sheng Yuan, and Xia Zhiqi pounced on him.

“You damn beast, I despise people who hit women the most in my life!”

“Who told you to hit a woman! I’ll make you see why you shouldn’t beat a woman!”

The students of Class 6 all came forward, stacking up like a human pyramid, firmly pressing down on the abuser.

“If you dare to hit her again, I’ll peel your skin off!”

Lin Xiaoyuan held Teacher Wang’s hand tightly, resolutely telling her.

“Teacher, you’re not at fault.”

As a mother, as a woman, she wasn’t at fault. She just lacked some strength, and luckily, they were the strength she needed.

Jin Anzhu may be weak, but he firmly held onto the man’s arm.

“Someday! Our Teacher Wang will return with a pearl necklace to teach us again!”

“I’m telling you, no one can bully her! No one can bully her!”

The man’s face turned red from the pressure, his oxygen supply diminishing, struggling for breath. As if on the verge of fainting, he instinctively went wild, roaring and flinging Jin Anzhu away. Jin Anzhu slipped and fell backward, legs up in the air.

Teacher Wang escaped from the clutches of the nightmare, someone shattered the darkness and gave her a glimmer of hope.

“What gives you the right to hit my student!”

“What gives you that right?!”

“Chen Hang! I want a divorce from you!”

There was a commotion at the school gate, and the police arrived because of the fight. Most of the students from Class 6 had to accompany them.

Teacher Wang cried until her eyes were swollen, unable to stop sobbing, feeling guilty for what was happening to her students.

However, Sheng Yuan and Xia Zhiqi showed no sign of sadness, and they had playful smiles.

“Teacher, why are you crying?”

The relaxed young man turned around.

“Crying is not attractive.”

Teacher Wang’s tears flowed even more fiercely.

The head master arrived after hearing the news. He pretended to be authoritative in front of the police, pointing at Sheng Yuan and Xia Zhiqi, “And you’re still laughing!”

Xia Zhiqi made a face.

Cun Tou was used to carrying his younger sister at home, so he easily picked up Tang Tang.

Tang Tang looked at the bruised Sheng Yuan, and Sheng Yuan also saw her.

He pointed at his blood-stained lips.

“See? Hitting people is wrong. Your dad is wrong, and your big brothers are wrong too. That’s why we have to go with the police officer.”

“But it’s not entirely wrong. When someone bullies you, it’s reasonable to fight back with your fist.”

Tang Tang nodded, still somewhat bewildered.

“Big brother, does it hurt?”

Sheng Yuan exaggerated, “Big brother is in excruciating pain.”

Yi Zuojin returned from outside the school and saw police cars surrounding the entrance of No. 1 Middle School, with Sheng Yuan among them.

“Sheng Yuan?”

Sheng Yuan heard someone calling him and turned around.

Yi Zuojin’s brows furrowed instantly at the sight of Sheng Yuan’s cracked lips and cuts on his hand.

Sheng Yuan was somewhat surprised to see Yu Zuojin.

In his impression, this seemed to be the first time the other person called his name.

However, he didn’t have time to talk to him now.

He gestured towards the crowd, “If there’s something, we can talk about it later. I have to go with them.”

Yu Zuojin, as if he hadn’t heard, walked through the crowd and approached him, his eyes never leaving the wound on his lips.

Sheng Yuan, Xia Zhiqi, and their group went to the police station, and Yu Zuojin followed along.

The head master and Teacher Xiao Tao checked on the students as Teacher Wang still hadn’t regained control of her emotions and could only sob.

The police looked at Chen Hang and Sheng Yuan, “Who made the first move?”

Sheng Yuan: “Between him and me, I made the first move.”

“Why did you hit him?”

“He was physically abusive towards our teacher, hitting her at the school gate. I couldn’t tolerate it and took action.”

The police officer’s gaze towards Chen Hang instantly changed, “Is what he said true?”

“Officer, don’t listen to his nonsense. What does it have to do with him about our personal matters?”

Xia Zhiqi and Jin Anzhu stood behind Sheng Yuan, never expecting this man to be so shameless.

“He was the one being physically abusive. We all saw it at the school gate just now!”

“Yes!”

“You’re talking nonsense. I didn’t hit her!”

Sheng Yuan: “Not only did you hit her, but you also choked her. There are still marks on her neck!”

With everyone pointing fingers at him, one sentence from each person could condemn him. The man became desperate and cursed at Sheng Yuan.

“You little bastard, do you even know how to speak!”

“How were you raised by your parents? You have no manners!”

“I hit her? I hit her!” The man admitted, “Yes, I hit her.”

“But do you know why, Officer?!”

“It’s because of him!”

The man pointed his finger at Sheng Yuan.

“That bitch and her student were having an affair, a teacher-student relationship. I was infuriated, so I hit her.”

Sheng Yuan stood up in anger, “You’re talking nonsense!”

No one expected the other party to be so despicable, fabricating rumors without a just cause.

Rumors are terrifying. Once they spread, regardless of their truth, they can bring devastating consequences to people.

Even if the subsequent victims clarify, no one would care.

Moreover Wang Wen was a teacher, if she got the stain of being involved with a student, her career would be over in an instant.

These false claims must be immediately extinguished, or they would spread like locusts across the sky.

“Officer, I haven’t spoken a single false word!”

“That bitch Wang Wen has no shame. She indeed had an affair with her student.”

Sheng Yuan’s hands clenched as he stood up and walked away.

Yu Zuojin was behind Xia Zhiqi, with Jin Anzhu in front. Seeing Sheng Yuan approaching, he bumped into Jin Anzhu who was in front of him, and pushed him away.

Jin Anzhu couldn’t maintain his balance and fell down on the ground.

‘Why did he push me?!’

He looked up and saw Sheng Yuan pull Yu Zuojin by his collar, and took him out of the crowd.

The man continued to blabber.

“It’s because of their relationship that I acted. I’m usually a very rational person.”

“Tell me, if they don’t have an improper relationship, why did he come out and hit me? They’re-”

Sheng Yuan interrupted him as he pulled Yu Zuojin in front of him.

The youth’s voice pleasant voice rang out.

“Watch closely.”

The man: ?

Sheng Yuan pulled Yu Zuojin, tilted his head back and kissed him.

The man: !

Jin Anzhu: !!!

Author’s note:

Wildfire: He’s mine! Clearly, he was coming for me!!! He’s mine! (Rolling on the floor) (Throwing a tantrum)

Boss Yu: Pouting.

(Firecrackers resound, gongs and drums clamor!!!)

PS: Brother Sheng went for Boss Yu, but Boss Yu and Wildfire thought Brother Sheng’s target was Wildfire.