Chapter 17
Her skin was very fair, but she had dark circles under her eyes, and her eyes were swollen when she looked up. She looked exhausted, as if she hadn't slept all night.
Jian Sheng shook her head; she was thinking about how to return the milk...
"Are you in a bad mood?" he asked again.
“No.” Jian Sheng retorted instinctively.
Chen Zhoujing nodded: "Oh, so you're in a bad mood."
"This milk is quite sweet, you should try it, I really like it." He put the steamed bun back in, took a bottle of the same milk, unscrewed the cap, and tilted his head back to put it in his mouth.
Jian Sheng didn't speak. Her eyes were sore and her back ached. She could have ignored this discomfort, but for some reason, after coming to Jiangzhou, she amplified these pains, making her feel useless.
“Really? You should try it.” Chen Zhoujing took another sip.
Jian Sheng stopped and looked up at him: "Here, take it back."
Chen Zhou was taken aback: "What? You're arguing with me over a bottle of milk?"
“I can’t even afford to pay back a bottle of milk, so why can’t I complain?” Jian Sheng’s eyes were cold, and his words were stubborn.
This time, Chen Zhoujing was speechless. She shoved the milk in her hand into his arms, then turned and walked into the campus. The bottle of milk was like a hot potato, so hot that he wanted to throw it away.
"Holy crap..."
"What rubbish did I just spout?"
Back in class, Chen Zhoujing stared blankly at the milk placed in the upper right corner of the desk until ten minutes before the start of morning self-study, when everyone hurriedly carried their schoolbags into the classroom.
"Damn, I'm starving! I didn't have breakfast." He Shang rushed in through the back door, threw his backpack on the chair, and saw the milk on Chen Zhoujing's table. "Give it to me."
"Get out." Chen Zhoujing snatched the milk away and took it back.
"No, why are you suddenly being so stingy?" He Shang was taken aback. Seeing the complicated expression on Jian Sheng's face, he instantly understood. "Sigh~ Feelings are such a complicated thing."
"What?" Chen Zhou glanced at him sideways. "You talk too much nonsense."
"Some people turn around and reject a beautiful woman who has been pursuing them for a year, and then they're heartbroken over another beautiful woman." He Shangzei chuckled and whispered in his ear, "You're really lucky, bro."
The next thing he did was kick Chen Zhoujing, and He Shang punched him: "Out of embarrassment and anger."
"You two are on a date, but you can't even give away a bottle of milk?" Xu Yanghe put down his schoolbag and suddenly said.
"What?" Chen Zhou turned his head in surprise. "How come I didn't know? Who told you?"
"You're spreading rumors!" He glanced hastily at the figure in front of him.
The next second, the three of them heard a piercing sound, the sound of a chair scraping against the ground. Jian Sheng moved the stool closer to her desk, leaving about a meter between herself and Chen Zhoujing.
"You two had a fight?" Xu Xiao joined the fray.
"No, who told you that? It's pure fabrication." Chen Zhou swallowed hard.
"It was Yu Chao from Class 7 who said it, and it's been all over the place downstairs..." Xu Yanghe smiled awkwardly.
"You two are both well-known at No. 7 Middle School..." he added.
"That idiot." Chen Zhou exclaimed. Putting aside the fact that she couldn't deliver the milk in her hand, this rumor was causing her even more trouble.
“When you play with him, remind him that if he keeps spreading rumors, I’ll go after him,” he said.
"I know, but watch your temper. He heard you made He Man cry and he's going to get someone to deal with you." He Shang patted his shoulder, giving him a "good luck" look.
"........." Chen Zhou was speechless with shock.
Zhong Mei, who had been observing from outside the window for a long time, slowly walked into the classroom and patted the desk: "What are you all doing gathered around here?"
As soon as she spoke, Xu Xiao and He Shang quickly returned to their seats.
“The morning study bell has already rung. I think you guys are getting tired of this. The exam is next week, and you're still chatting here. You're living too comfortably.” Zhong Mei walked back and forth on the podium with her back to the teacher.
“The atmosphere in the class has been a bit off lately…” Zhong Mei paused, her gaze sweeping over a few people.
"I can't interfere in your private affairs, but it's not good to rely on your power and waver like a weather vane. You're all grown up now, you should have the ability to distinguish right from wrong. Don't just believe what others say. You should know the facts yourself. Sometimes rumors can kill people. A few words may not seem like much, but they can be a devastating blow in the end."
"No one wants to be behind rumors, so let's not let rumors exist."
"Did you hear that?" Zhong Mei slapped the table, making a few loud thuds against the tabletop, startling everyone into sitting up straight.
She slowly walked downstairs: "It's human nature to watch the excitement and gossip. It's your conscience not to amplify the excitement or gossip, regardless of whether the excitement is good or bad, or whether it concerns you or others."
"Everyone, memorize it," she reminded them.
Once everyone had started reciting their lessons, she slowly walked to the back row and touched the shoulder of Jian Sheng, who was almost buried in his book: "Come out for a moment."
This action drew everyone's attention, and the students who had been feeling sleepy suddenly perked up. Some secretly glanced at Chen Zhoujing, while others whispered among themselves.
"What's going on?"
"It seems that she got together with Chen Zhoujing, and He Man cried because she couldn't have the love she wanted."
"When did they get together? Their stock prices are like opposing forces on the battlefield, how could they possibly be together?"
"I don't know, everyone downstairs is talking about it."
"Teacher Zhong just said not to believe or spread rumors, be careful you don't get scolded."
The classmate shut up.
“Look.” He Shang pulled his head back from between the shoulders of the two people in front of him and reached out to Chen Zhoujing, whose face was dark with shock. “They really talked.”
"Get out." Chen Zhoujing was a little annoyed. He didn't expect that the last time would cause such a thing. He looked out the window, feeling upset.
Outside the window.
Jian Sheng clenched her hands, staring down at the tips of her shoes. The blank spaces where the paint had chipped off her feet were like her exposed shame, just like that.
Zhong Mei sighed and adjusted her glasses: "Don't get nervous every time I call you."
After saying that, Jian Sheng was even more devastated. He gripped the ground with his toes and lowered his head even further.
Zhong Mei said, "After you fainted last week, I spoke with your grandmother on the phone. Are you feeling any better now?"
She raised her slightly rounded hand and placed it on Jian Sheng's shoulder. Her voice was calm, and she shed the seriousness she had shown in class as she continued, "Next time you feel unwell, you can just say so. I'll give you a sick note, and you can go home and rest."
Jian Sheng opened her mouth, but found her throat was hoarse and uncomfortable. She said bitterly, "I understand."
"Thank you, Teacher Zhong." Her voice trembled slightly as she tried her best to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.
"I have nothing else to say..." Seeing her distress, Zhong Mei couldn't help but say, "Actually, some rumors are just unintentional actions by the public. Don't listen to them; they won't do you any good. You don't need to try to prove anything from such inferior information, and don't try to prove how bad you are by listening to rubbish. The fact is, that's not you. You know yourself in your heart."
“Although Class 13’s grades aren’t great, the students are all pretty good. It’s just that some of them are a bit naive and easily influenced. If they say anything that affects you, it’s my teaching problem,” Zhong Mei continued. “I might not be able to manage other classes, but Class 13 is still manageable.”
Jian nodded, and tears streamed down her face.
Once those pent-up emotions find an outlet, they can't be contained anymore and burst out along with the emotions.
A mix of soreness and resentment rushed to my head, leaving me with a complex mix of emotions.
The bell rang.
Zhong Mei raised her hand to look at her watch: "You go in first. The next class is English. Study hard. You've made great progress recently. You get almost all your homework right. You're very impressive."
Jian Sheng hummed in agreement, nodded, and then wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"Holy crap, it looks like she even cried."
"I hope he won't get a really bad scolding. Old Zhong may be gentle when he scolds people, but every word he says is like a knife to the heart."
As Jian Sheng entered the room, he overheard someone whispering.
At this moment, Zhong Mei had already taken the water cup from the podium. After she left, the classroom was not as relaxed as it usually was after class. Instead, it was somewhat oppressive. Not many people were talking. Everyone's voices were hushed and whispering. They would occasionally look at Chen Zhoujing and occasionally turn to Jian Sheng.
"What's there to cry about?" a sarcastic voice suddenly rang out.
"I don't know what he's pretending to be," he said again.
"You stole someone else's boyfriend and you still have the nerve to cry..."
Jian Sheng stopped walking.
The murmurs in the classroom ceased, and suddenly, it became completely silent.
Chen Zhoujing shifted his gaze from Jian Sheng to Zhao Chengyang, who was sitting in the back seat near the door.
Sensing that gaze, Zhao Chengyang didn't back down and met it head-on: "Is there a problem with what I said?"
Smoke billowed, and someone in the back seat moved forward a little.
"Say it again if you dare." Chen Zhou stood up, leaned against the table, and moved casually.
His height and imposing presence instantly intimidated Zhao Chengyang, but the stares of the crowd gave him a strange courage. He spat and pointed at Jian Sheng's back: "I said she's pretending..."
Before he could finish speaking, Chen Zhoujing threw his schoolbag at Zhao Chengyang's head, the zipper leaving a bloody mark on Zhao's cheekbone.
"Holy crap, they've started fighting."
"You son of a bitch, Chen Zhoujing, you think I'm being too nice to you?" Zhao Chengyang clenched his fist and was about to punch him.
Chen Zhoujing pulled Jian Sheng aside, grabbed the stool in his hand, and slammed it down on him with a bang.
Fortunately, He Shang blocked it, otherwise Zhao Chengyang's head would have been cracked open.
Everyone sighed.
"Holy crap, that's terrifying."
"What's going on?"
"Chen Zhoujing, what are you doing?" He Shang shook his arm, which had been hit and turned red, and went up to pull Zhao Chengyang away.
"Yeah, Chen Zhoujing, don't do it! If you hit him like that..." Xu Xiao was about to finish speaking, but when he met a pair of scarlet eyes, he was startled and didn't say anything. He also pulled Zhao Chengyang away to prevent the two from having another conflict.
"Go to hell! I told you she was faking it, so what? Are you going to kill me?" Zhao Chengyang was startled by the chair, his chest pounding, but He Shang and Xu Xiao pulled him up, and he glared at Chen Zhoujing, saying, "You fucking bastard, you like her, you won't admit it."
"Coward, you're just like her, both of you pretending, I spit on you." Zhao Chengyang got more and more worked up as he spoke, "After being hurt by your white moonlight, you're too scared to talk about anything, coward!"
The sounds echoed throughout the building, and gradually a crowd gathered outside the windows, all eager to watch the spectacle.
But everyone in the class silently swallowed.
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