The homeroom teacher seemed to notice that Wan Qiu's behavior and expression were somewhat off.

"Wait here for me."

The homeroom teacher went to the class he was about to teach and told the students that they would be studying on their own during the class, and asked the English class representative to maintain order.

The homeroom teacher returned to Wan Qiu's side and gently patted Wan Qiu's back with one hand.

"Is there anything you need to tell the teacher?"

Wanqiu trusted his teacher and, stammering, explained what he could understand.

He pointed to the women's restroom.

The homeroom teacher thought for a moment, then took out his phone and made a call.

Soon a female teacher came downstairs, said a few words to the homeroom teacher, and then went into the women's restroom.

"She's a teacher from the counseling center; she'll have a good talk with the class representative," the homeroom teacher reassured Wan Qiu.

Wan Qiu's gaze remained fixed on the women's restroom, never wavering.

The door to the women's restroom was pushed open.

The female teacher emerged from the women's restroom with one arm around the class monitor's shoulder and the other holding his hand.

Wan Qiu subconsciously wanted to say something to the class monitor.

But she didn't look at him.

“I’ll take her to the counseling room first. This student…” The female teacher hesitated and looked at Wan Qiu.

"I'll take it with me first. If things get worse, I'll have to trouble you again."

"OK."

Wan Qiu watched as the female teacher left with the class monitor.

The class monitor had hunched shoulders, giving her back a strange, downcast look.

"Would you like to come with the teacher for a moment?" the homeroom teacher asked Wan Qiu.

Wan Qiu followed behind the homeroom teacher.

Since it was morning, all the teachers in the office had gone to teach, and the office was almost empty.

The homeroom teacher dragged a chair from the corner for Wanqiu and poured her a cup of tea.

Wan Qiu stared at the somewhat familiar cartoon-themed custom paper cup, looking somewhat dazed.

"Could you tell the teacher what exactly happened?"

Wan Qiu explained the situation, but the word order was somewhat disordered.

The homeroom teacher listened quietly. Wan Qiu spoke intermittently, as if she was talking about whatever came to mind.

The homeroom teacher asked, "I won't tell anyone what I'm about to say, so tell me honestly, when you said you liked the class monitor, was it just a friend's affection, or something else?"

"We're friends," Wan Qiu replied firmly.

"So you didn't have any special contact in the classroom, it was just the other students making a fuss, right?" the homeroom teacher asked carefully.

Wan Qiu nodded and added, "Last semester when I was waiting for Yi Gui, she would wait for me. This semester I'm not waiting for Yi Gui anymore, so we haven't spoken much."

The homeroom teacher, with mixed feelings, asked, "Do you like your classmates?"

"like."

Do you like your deskmate?

"like."

Do you like your teacher?

"like."

The fact that the student liked the program three times in a row made the homeroom teacher sigh.

Wanqiu refers to anyone she has feelings for as "like," regardless of the nature of those feelings.

"Should I not say I like you?" Wan Qiu suddenly asked.

The homeroom teacher was taken aback. He stepped forward to shake Wan Qiu's hand, but then paused and patted Wan Qiu's shoulder instead.

"Listen to your teacher, you have the advantage of being brave enough to express your feelings."

The homeroom teacher met Wan Qiu's bewildered eyes and realized that Wan Qiu was truly blaming herself for what she had just said.

"Expressing your feelings is never wrong. You are more genuine and bolder than others. As a teacher, I admire your ability to say the word 'like' so naturally."

"Then why..." would it make the class monitor unhappy?

"This is not your fault, nor is it the class monitor's fault. Many times, rumors are just baseless."

Having taught students for over a decade, the homeroom teacher has seen and learned a great deal.

Things that are difficult to define even in society are even more difficult to control among children whose concepts of right and wrong have not yet been fully developed.

"What should we do?" Wan Qiu unconsciously clenched her teeth.

"Do you trust your teacher?" the homeroom teacher asked.

Wanqiu was somewhat bewildered.

"Teachers are adults, and they are your teachers. I have the right to take care of each of my students, to teach and nurture them, including you and the class representative. How about we try to resolve these issues with me first?"

Wan Qiu looked at her homeroom teacher.

An adult, a mature person—someone you can rely on.

As autumn faded into the distance, having found some solace in this completely bewildering situation, Wanqiu's mood calmed considerably.

"Thank you, teacher."

As Wan Qiu thanked them and left, the homeroom teacher watched her go with a smile.

In the end, only a sigh remained.

Rumors are often difficult to trace back to their source, and they can change a lot as they are passed on.

Wan Qiu's overly straightforward emotional expression naturally became a topic of gossip among students who were already sensitive and restless under the pressure of studying.

Moreover, Chu Yigui was also implicated...

The homeroom teacher rubbed his temples, feeling genuinely annoyed.

All he could do was talk to each student individually to understand the situation and offer simple criticism.

Even if the person who first started the rumor can't be found, this method can at least tell the troublemaking students that the teacher is watching and they should be careful.

When Wanqiu returned to the classroom, he saw that some of the students in the class had been called away by the homeroom teacher after class.

But from that point on, no one spoke to Wanqiu during any of the breaks between classes.

It's like...

It seemed as if they were hiding from something.

Although Wanqiu really wanted to find Chu Yigui, he restrained himself.

Chu Yigui is studying very hard right now, and Wan Qiu doesn't want to disturb her at this time.

After school, Wan Qiu did not go to say goodbye to Chu Yigui as usual.

After Wan Qiu returned home, he did not pick up Chu Yigui by tricycle after school.

Wanqiu was doing his homework in his room, but today's homework time was longer than usual.

Upon hearing the door open, Wan Qiu's heart skipped a beat, and he stopped writing a single word with his pen.

He could hear Chu Yigui's voice. Chu Yigui was changing her shoes. His footsteps led her to the bathroom, where she washed her hands, and then she went to the bedroom...

Wan Qiu closed his bedroom door because he didn't want Chu Yigui to discover his condition.

Chu Yigui was too smart; she could see through his thoughts at a glance.

I remember the college entrance exam when I returned home.

You must not disturb Yi Gui.

Suddenly, there was a knock on Wanqiu's door.

Wan Qiu suddenly jolted, curling up in pain. Unconsciously, the pen in her hand scribbled across her leg with a bit too much force, causing a slight stinging sensation.

The knocking was rhythmic and not loud.

Wanqiu didn't want to respond, but the knocking continued in the same tone, persistent and showing no sign of stopping.

Wanqiu curled up, even wanting to quietly turn off the light and pretend that she was already asleep.

Just as Wanqiu's hand was about to touch the lamp, he suddenly heard Chu Yigui's voice: "Wanqiu, the way to avoid making me worry is not to say nothing, but to let me know."

Wanqiu choked up.

Chu Yigui found out as expected.

Even without seeing him in person, Chu Yigui knew that something was wrong with him.

It was expected that the housekeeper who was supposed to pick up Chu Yigui would try to find a reason to cover it up.

When Wan Qiu opened the door, he saw Chu Yigui still wearing her school uniform.

Wanqiu guiltily looked away.

Wan Qiu could sense that Chu Yigui was sizing him up.

"May I come in?" Chu Yigui's voice was calm, which soothed Wan Qiu's emotions.

Wan Qiu moved aside and returned to his seat.

Chu Yigui did not sit down, but took the pen from Wan Qiu's hand and placed it on the desk with a click.

While Wan Qiu was puzzled, Chu Yigui squatted down and grasped Wan Qiu's calf.

His fingers gently stroked the spot where Wan Qiu had just been scratched.

When Wanqiu looked over, he noticed that a red bump had formed where the wound had been.

Wan Qiu was stunned.

Chu Yigui went out, retrieved her medicine box, wiped away the marks Wan Qiu had made, and after confirming that there was no broken skin, simply applied some ointment to reduce swelling.

It was quiet from beginning to end, and Chu Yigui didn't ask him anything immediately.

In this quiet, Wanqiu's tension seemed to be soothed by the tranquility.

"What is it?" Wan Qiu heard this question only after Chu Yigui closed the medicine box. "Could you tell me in detail?"

In the dim light of Wanqiu, it seemed as if she could see her homeroom teacher.

However, unlike when facing the homeroom teacher, Wan Qiu realized that she was facing Chu Yigui and found that she seemed to be losing control of her emotions.

He did something wrong.

He did something that would make things difficult for others.

Wanqiu spoke haltingly.

Chu Yigui cupped Wanqiu's cheeks in her hands.

Wan Qiu was only trying to be as comprehensive as possible and didn't notice Chu Yigui's actions.

Chu Yigui's fingers gently brushed across Wanqiu's eyes. Although there were no tears, the light from the desk lamp seemed to suggest that there were tears welling up in those eyes.

Wanqiu was truly filled with remorse.

Even if the homeroom teacher affirms him and says he did nothing wrong, the root of the problem ultimately stems from him.

Wanqiu won't cry; he wasn't bullied.

Chu Yigui embraced Wan Qiu.

Wan Qiu buried her face in Chu Yigui's arms.

The zipper on the school uniform was a bit uncomfortable, but Wan Qiu didn't care at all.

Chu Yigui rested her chin on Wanqiu's head and patted Wanqiu's back repeatedly.

Enveloped in a familiar scent, a scent that would put Wanqiu at ease.

“I like it very much.” Chu Yigui’s voice came from above Wan Qiu’s head, carrying Chu Yigui’s unique gentleness. “Every time I hear you say you like me, I am very happy. I really like it when you say that.”

Wan Qiu wrapped her arms around Chu Yigui's waist, her expression unconsciously becoming slightly coquettish.

"Um."

"Don't care what others say; no matter what you do, they will still say it."

Chu Yigui lifted her hand and stroked Wanqiu's hair, bringing warmth to Wanqiu.

"Just focus on the people who are most important to you. Those who truly care about you will never have the heart to hurt you."

Wanqiu cannot describe how she feels right now.

It's like a sense of security.

Chu Yigui only said a few words, but Wan Qiu didn't seem so conflicted.

Chu Yigui was always very good at comforting him.

Wan Qiu was also habitually comforted by Chu Yigui.

"Um."

When Wan Qiu's emotions had completely stabilized, Chu Yigui made Wan Qiu a glass of juice.

Normally, you should drink milk at this time.

But the juice was sweeter, which Wanqiu liked even more.

The cool, sweet juice felt like a reward for Wanqiu's ability to soothe her emotions, creating a sense of ease and pleasure.

"This matter can be handled by Uncle Chu and Aunt Yang."

Wan Qiu shook his head.

“Then, I’ll do it,” Chu Yigui said.

Wan Qiu shook his head again.

"The teacher said he'll take care of it." Wan Qiu held the cup, scooped out a piece of fruit and put it in his mouth. "A teacher is a teacher, he'll definitely have a way."

Chu Yigui didn't say anything.

He just patted Wanqiu's back lightly, intermittently.

The air was quiet, save for the sound of Wanqiu biting into fruit.

Suddenly, Wanqiu felt a soft, fluffy touch on his forehead.

Wan Qiu looked up and saw Chu Yigui kissing his forehead.

"I hope you can get a good night's sleep tonight," Chu Yigui said.

"Mmm." Wan Qiu nodded obediently.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Chu Yigui asked.

Wan Qiu shook his head.

"Sleep well, study hard, and become the top scholar." Wan Qiu rested his head on Chu Yigui's stomach as he stood. "I feel much better now."

Perhaps because things were brought up openly, neither Wan Qiu nor Chu Yigui were significantly affected.

However, after several days of this, the situation did not improve.

Things became more complicated.

Some inexplicable comments gradually emerged.

"I saw Chu Wanqiu's mother before. She's incredibly rich. I guess that woman only started currying favor with Chu Wanqiu's mother after she arrived."

"I heard he's already eighteen. Why is he only starting high school at eighteen?"

"I heard that Chu Wanqiu goes to XX Elementary School, that notorious troublemaker school. It's said that he's really arrogant there, and he even bullies his classmates' parents. His mother also has a bad attitude towards the principal at that school, and she does whatever she wants because she's rich."

The rumors not only didn't disappear, but they even started to spread to Wanqiu.

Wanqiu didn't care about these trivial remarks.

It seems that because Wanqiu shifted the focus of the conflict, the situation on the class monitor's side looks much better.

Although everyone refrained from isolating Wanqiu because of her sharing of snacks, things didn't turn out to be as simple as they seemed.

Wanqiu was marginalized, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Wanqiu didn't care much about this.

However, the homeroom teacher, who had been closely monitoring the situation, realized that things were getting out of hand and had to turn to Wan Qiu again.

"You mean you suffered bullying at your previous school, and then your mother went to the school with you and was quite forceful in her stance, which led to this incident?"

Wan Qiu nodded.

The homeroom teacher frowned.

"The teacher might ask other students some questions about you, is that okay?"

Wan Qiu nodded.

Wan Qiu felt that the homeroom teacher must be very worried right now.

Even though Wanqiu didn't feel like she was being bullied.

Just like Chu Yigui said, there's no need to always care about what others are thinking.

At least the situation of the class monitor is much better now.

"I'm fine," Wan Qiu said after thinking for a moment. "I don't care about this."

However, the homeroom teacher's expression became somewhat subtle after hearing Wan Qiu's words.

"As a teacher, it's only natural to protect my students," the homeroom teacher told Wan Qiu. "I'll think of another way."

Wan Qiu nodded.

I just felt that his homeroom teacher seemed to be a very responsible homeroom teacher.

Although the homeroom teacher had anticipated this might happen and had given Wan Qiu a heads-up, she never expected it to actually happen.

Unlike the completely chaotic and speculative account surrounding the class monitor, this time the rumors about Wan Qiu have a very clear basis in reality.

One is about the last time Wanqiu's mother, Yang Xiaoyu, came to the school.

Secondly, there were some things that happened when Wanqiu's mother transferred Wanqiu to another school.

Given the specific nature of the matter, the homeroom teacher couldn't help but suspect that someone had deliberately spread the rumor.

For example...

The parties involved, etc.

The homeroom teacher asked several students where they had heard the rumors. Surprisingly, unlike last time, this time everyone's rumors pointed to a female classmate in his class.

The homeroom teacher kept the female student after school.

The homeroom teacher unconsciously pinched his brow. The female student in front of him had her head down. Although she tried to remain calm, the stiff arms behind her back betrayed her unsettled feelings.

He has been very worried about this matter during this period, and he feels very depressed.

Are you still going to lie to me now? Do you think that if you don't speak, I can't confirm that it was you who did it?

The female student still refused to speak.

“If you continue to be so stubborn, I won’t even have a chance to speak up for you. Neither the school nor Chu Wanqiu’s family will let this go so easily.”

A hint of unease finally appeared on the female student's face.

"It's best to make this clear now. You are also my student, and I hope you can do even better."

In the end, the female student could only stammer that she was in contact with the boy who had been expelled from school.

The boy said that Chu Wanqiu deliberately retaliated against him.

She had a good relationship with that boy. At first, the class representative thing was just something she said casually out of a little bit of revenge. She didn't expect it to develop so dramatically.

As for what happened to Wanqiu later, it was that boy who told her about it over the phone.

He said he met Wanqiu's elementary school classmate at his new high school.

She simply helped the boy tell others about the incident.

"Teacher, I'm sure I'll be alright. I just said a few words casually. I didn't expect it to be spread so wildly."

The female student was clearly also very anxious.

She didn't expect her homeroom teacher to actually investigate so thoroughly.

The homeroom teacher was stunned. He had only suspected that the rumors about Wan Qiu were related to female students, but he did not expect that she was involved in the matter of the class monitor.

"Words can hurt people. One person can hurt another, and no one can predict what the consequences will be if many people do these things. When you did these things, did you think about how the other two classmates felt?"

"I was wrong, teacher..." the female student couldn't help but ask, "I should be alright, right? I only said a few words..."

"Go home first today, we can talk about it tomorrow." The homeroom teacher was a little annoyed.

Clearly, this girl never considered the consequences of her actions from beginning to end; in fact, it was all out of fun and loyalty.

After the female student explained herself, she didn't get angry at the homeroom teacher, and she became much bolder.

"Teacher, I really didn't mean it. It shouldn't be a big deal, right? It was just a few words, and they didn't do anything to us, teacher..."

"You can go back now." The homeroom teacher seemed a little annoyed.

"Okay, goodbye then, teacher."

The female student realized that things seemed unlikely to make any further progress, and although she was unwilling, she still turned and left.

When she opened the door, she suddenly saw Chu Yigui standing in the doorway.

The female student was stunned for a moment.

She also knew Chu Yigui; he was the school heartthrob, ranked first in his grade, and had a gentle demeanor.

But now, when I see Chu Yigui, a strange, icy feeling rises from the soles of my feet into my heart.

But he clearly had no expression.

The female student was already feeling guilty because she had just been criticized by the teacher, and she was also apprehensive when she suddenly faced Chu Yigui, who was also affected by the rumors.

Chu Yigui didn't speak to her, and she bypassed Chu Yigui and left immediately.

Chu Yigui watched the girl's retreating figure.

Her short ponytail swayed lively in the air, and she didn't even look down.

Chu Yigui turned her gaze from the doorway into the office. At that moment, the homeroom teacher was leaning precariously against the desk, pressing her temples.

Chu Yigui and the homeroom teacher met eyes, and the homeroom teacher looked somewhat surprised.

"Chu Yigui, come in," the homeroom teacher said.

Chu Yigui did not refuse and went into the office.

"Did you hear everything just now?" the homeroom teacher asked.

Chu Yigui did not answer, but the homeroom teacher obviously knew that he must have heard her.

"How did you end up in my office?" The homeroom teacher thought of something, then answered himself, "Okay, Wan Qiu told me, didn't he?"

Chu Yigui remained silent throughout, seemingly with no intention of speaking.

"You heard it all from beginning to end, what do you think?"

Unable to get a reply from Chu Yigui, the homeroom teacher continued speaking on his own.

"Whether intentional or unintentional, her spreading rumors cannot be tolerated. I will call her parents tomorrow. According to school rules, the lightest punishment is a demerit, and the most serious punishment is a major demerit. After all, she is a student, and we cannot go too far. Last time, we went too far and left behind problems..."

The homeroom teacher kept rambling on, but noticed that Chu Yigui remained silent.

The homeroom teacher raised her eyes and looked at Chu Yigui.

For some reason, whenever he met this student's eyes, he couldn't treat him as a student.

It seems that when they look at each other, their identities cease to be teacher and student.

"The teacher seems to care a lot about Wanqiu's matter." Finally, the homeroom teacher heard Chu Yigui's words.

“Chu Wanqiu is my student, this is what I should do,” the homeroom teacher said.

"Would a typical teacher go to such lengths for their students? Every break between classes, every time they leave work."

Chu Yigui's voice was somewhat cold, like a mountain spring in winter, both cold and noisy, the only striking noise in this tranquil place.

The homeroom teacher looked at Chu Yigui.

Finally, he let out a long sigh.

"Do you... like Chu Wanqiu?" the homeroom teacher added, "Like him in a different sense."

Chu Yigui did not answer, but changed the subject: "Do you like Wan Qiu? In a different sense."

The homeroom teacher was momentarily speechless. After understanding Chu Yigui's question, the teacher's eyes widened, revealing undisguised shock.

"Are you kidding me? Chu Wanqiu is my student!"