"good."
Shen Jintang nodded in agreement. Her voice was gentle yet firm, which gave Gu Zhixing more confidence.
When class started, the teacher was already waiting upstairs. When he saw Gu Zhixing and Shen Jintang come in together, he frowned slightly, but didn't say anything. He just started the class with a cold face.
At first, the master explained some theoretical knowledge about the qin music, but Gu Zhixing was completely confused. The complicated scores and profound theories left him feeling lost.
He looked at Shen Jintang pleadingly, his eyes full of helplessness.
Seeing this, Shen Jintang could only quietly provide Gu Zhixing with further explanation from below.
She used simple and easy-to-understand language to simplify those complex theoretical concepts.
After hearing this, Gu Zhixing understood and found the lesson much easier to follow.
But gradually, the Master noticed the commotion. He stopped what he was doing, looked at Shen Jintang and Gu Zhixing, and said coldly, "What are you two whispering about down there?"
Upon seeing that the speaker was Gu Zhixing, the teacher was furious. He had long heard of this notorious playboy from the capital.
In the past, Gu Zhixing would skip class and he would just turn a blind eye. But now he actually came to his class to cause trouble, which is simply unforgivable!
"Young Master Gu, it's you again!" The teacher's voice was tinged with anger. "You never listen to the lessons properly, what are you up to now?"
"This is a classroom, a place for studying the classics. What are you doing bringing a woman here?"
The teacher's gaze swept over Shen Jintang, his eyes filled with contempt and disdain: "You lust after women and even bring it to the school. How absurd are you?"
Hearing the teacher's words, which were all directed at Shen Jintang, Gu Zhixing frowned deeply. His face turned somewhat ugly as he retorted, "What's wrong with me bringing a woman here? What business is it of yours?"
"Your Highness, please be quiet." Shen Jintang pressed down on Gu Zhixing's hand, her voice gentle yet firm, soothing him.
Then, he stood up and apologized to the teacher: "Our discussion in class was due to our lack of consideration. The teacher's reprimand is correct. Please calm down."
The Master snorted coldly, feeling he had the upper hand, but he continued to reprimand Gu Zhixing, saying, "Someone as unambitious as you, relying on your family's influence to act so arrogantly, is destined to be a hopeless case. What are you talking about studying? To me, you're just indulging in romance, a disgrace to scholarship!"
Gu Zhixing casually picked at his ear. He was already used to these words: "good-for-nothing", "idle", "uneducated", "fighting and causing trouble". He had heard these accusations so many times that he was already used to them and didn't care.
“Sir, your words are somewhat biased,” Shen Jintang suddenly spoke, his voice clear and firm.
"Shen Jintang?" Gu Zhixing was taken aback and looked up at Shen Jintang. He saw that her eyes were cold and she was obviously angry.
Why didn't she let him act impulsively, but instead she herself acted impulsively?
"As the ancient saying goes: 'Observe what a person does, examine his motives, and scrutinize his comforts; how can a person conceal himself? How can a person conceal himself?' You, sir, have judged a person's entire life based on just a few words?"
"If we had your abilities, why would we need to study? We could just have you write a few words on our calligraphy and then we could rest easy. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Shen Jintang's words were so sarcastic that even the most thick-skinned teacher couldn't withstand such ridicule.
"You! How dare you speak so arrogantly! Where have you learned the proper etiquette of respecting teachers?"
The teacher pointed at Shen Jintang, unsure of what to say in rebuttal, and could only try to suppress her with the principle of "respecting teachers and valuing the Way," his face full of anger.
"Respect for teachers and the Way? Sir, you should first ask yourself if you are worthy of being a teacher?"
Shen Jintang sneered, "A person's lack of sincerity cannot be the foundation of goodness. To correct the symptoms, one must first correct the root. Has the teacher cultivated his moral character? He speaks ill of his students at every turn and says that his students are useless. How can such behavior be worthy of being a teacher?"
The Master was furious at Shen Jintang's words, but he was unable to refute them.
"I am not worthy to be a teacher, so who are you? If you're so capable, then you teach me!" The teacher was so angry that he was incoherent, completely losing his previous dignity.
"If I can teach you all, please apologize to the young master," Shen Jintang said, each word distinct and firm in his voice.
Hearing this, Gu Zhixing was somewhat stunned.
He hadn't expected Shen Jintang to be so angry, especially since it was because of him.
Just because the Master said he was "a hopeless case", Shen Jintang argued so vehemently and even demanded that the Master apologize to him.
A bittersweet feeling welled up in Gu Zhixing's heart.
He thought he had long since stopped caring about those harsh words, but he never expected that those words were just forcibly suppressed in his heart. On the surface, they seemed to have scabbed over, but in reality, the wound was still bleeding profusely.
Shen Jintang's protection was like a good medicine, gradually healing his inner wounds and allowing him to feel a long-lost warmth and comfort.
“You…” The teacher pointed at Shen Jintang, his eyes wide with anger, his body trembling slightly with rage, but he could no longer utter a single word.
"Very well, if you are capable of teaching everyone the piece we are to learn today, I will do as you say and apologize to him."
"If you can't do that, then cripple these hands and never touch the zither again! How could someone like you possibly have the right to touch such an elegant instrument?"
Is his hand ruined?
This punishment is far too harsh.
Hands are not just for playing the piano.
If her hands are crippled, how will Shen Jintang, a young woman, survive in this world?
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
