Chapter 94 (Combined with Chapter 94)
Ninety-four:
When Mu Shaoyan returned to the classroom, it looked almost exactly the same as before he left.
Some people were chatting with their friends, some were engrossed in doing practice problems, everyone was busy with their own things, as if nothing had happened.
Mu Shaoyan sat back down in his seat, took out the paper he hadn't finished, and prepared to continue writing.
Duan Yi then opened the forum and observed the prevailing sentiment.
Wow! Mu Shaoyan actually dragged the person who accused him of cheating to his office and said he wanted to confront the proctor! So cool!
"Ahhh, Mu Shaoyan is so handsome! He definitely didn't cheat! Who would dare to do that if they were cheating?!"
Shocking! It turns out that Mu Shaoyan's classmate spread rumors that he plagiarized! How terrifying!
"I don't understand why someone in the same class would spread rumors about their classmate cheating? Mu Shaoyan's ranking was clearly lower than his!"
"What?! I skipped class?! What are you talking about? So, did Mu Shaoyan cheat or not?!"
Someone quickly replied: "Probably not. His posture doesn't seem like that of someone who's cheating!"
[Besides, his grades improved in every subject. It's impossible that he cheated in four subjects in a row and didn't get caught by the teacher, right?]
[I've already asked Gao Heng, who sits behind him, and he said that Gao Heng didn't even turn around to look at him once.]
Someone in our class was in the same exam room as him, sitting diagonally behind him, and said they didn't see him turn around, at least not when he looked up!
[Just saw this, and I think what Mu Shaoyan's homeroom teacher said makes a lot of sense. His grades were consistently excellent in his first year of high school, and he was also among the top ten in his class in the second year's placement exam. Besides, he's been studying hard at school for the past month because of his baby, so isn't it normal for him to improve?]
To be honest, given Mu Shaoyan's previous attitude of not even taking the test seriously, it's normal for his score to improve if he just puts in a little more effort.
[Just because he stayed at school for his nephew, I don't think he would cheat.]
[Me too! What's the point of him cheating? What's the big deal if he doesn't do well on the test? He did badly on tests all year last year, and he still did fine, didn't he?]
Regardless, I still believe it's wrong to accuse someone of cheating without evidence! It's only because of Mu Shaoyan's character that he's like this; someone with a weaker constitution might have jumped off a building after being accused and talked about like that!
[Exactly! He has no evidence, so what makes him accuse Mu Shaoyan of cheating? Did he see it? If he did, why didn't he just catch him red-handed?!]
[To catch someone in the act, you need to be caught red-handed. He has no evidence whatsoever, how dare he accuse Mu Shaoyan of cheating! Doesn't he have any conscience at all?]
[This kind of person has no conscience! I'm terrified of them. They just throw mud at me without saying a word; I definitely couldn't handle that!]
【Ahhhh, who are you talking about? Who's spreading this rumor? Why hasn't anyone told me their name?】
[The abbreviation is HG, from Class 1. You can guess what it is.]
If I were his classmate, I would definitely stay far away from him now. Otherwise, what if he takes a liking to me one day and frames me?
[Exactly! I'm most afraid of people who are quiet most of the time, but then suddenly stab you in the back.]
As the conversation went on, the focus shifted from Mu Shaoyan to He Guang.
After all, they didn't actually see Mu Shaoyan cheating on the exam, but who hasn't had a few people stabbing them in the back and hurting them on their path to adulthood?
Why would anyone spread rumors that someone cheated? I just don't understand!
"Just came from the thread next door, this guy is really scary, he reminds me of my junior high classmate."
I really want to ask his friends if they're okay now? Are they scared?
"If you ask me, you should go see a doctor first. There are still hundreds of days until the college entrance exam. Don't make yourself sick!"
This is purely out of jealousy; it's pointless to even look at it.
"Thinking back to when a friend framed me for stealing, I almost didn't make it through. Shouldn't people who frame others just die first?!"
He Guang: ...
He Guang gripped his phone, feeling as if the words before him were knives.
He quickly clicked to report each post, but the posts kept popping up like mushrooms after rain, no matter how many he clicked.
He Guang was so angry he almost threw it away!
His deskmate sat next to him, barely daring to breathe, afraid that he might offend him and cause him to spread rumors about him on the forum.
"I should tell the teacher to let me change seats," his deskmate thought. "Otherwise, what if He Guang takes a dislike to him one day and stabs him too?"
After all, given Mu Shaoyan's status and the fact that he rarely comes to school throughout the year and has little interaction with him, it's surprising that He Guang could and dared to frame him.
For an ordinary student like him to sit next to him, it's like he'd die without even knowing why he died.
Thinking this, He Guang's deskmate went to find the homeroom teacher after class.
Mu Shaoyan was looking at his phone.
He was so busy writing the test paper that he hadn't checked his phone until he finished and wanted to relax. When he took out his phone, he discovered that Mu Zheng had sent him two WeChat messages while he was arguing with He Guang, but he hadn't noticed them.
Mu Zheng: [Is the classmate who tutored you named Duan Yi?]
Mu Zheng: [Your friend is pretty good; he even helped you post a thread about how not to cheat. [Link]]
Mu Shaoyan: ? ? ?
Duan Yi actually helped him post the message?!
No way?
Isn't he the kind of person who hates trouble the most and turns a blind eye to other people's problems?
Could it be that someone suspected him of cheating, thus challenging his dignity as a teacher?
Thinking of this, Mu Shaoyan chuckled.
but……
Mu Shaoyan looked at the word "friend" that Mu Zheng had sent. Were the two of them friends?
Mu Shaoyan looked up and gazed in Duan Yi's direction.
If the two of them become friends, what will others think of Duan Yi?
Do you think Duan Yi is willingly degrading himself?
Mu Shaoyan blinked, lowered his head, and replied to Mu Zheng: "Why are you still investigating him? You're violating his privacy!"
Mu Zheng: ...So you're starting to understand the right to privacy now?
Mu Zheng: [This was sent by Xiao Zhang; I saw it by accident.]
Mu Shaoyan: [Then delete it quickly, and have Xiao Zhang delete it too. He Guang deserved what he got, but the others are innocent. Delete it now.]
Mu Zheng: [Hmm.]
Mu Shaoyan put down his phone and slumped onto the table.
He looked at the link Mu Zheng had sent him, clicked on it, and saw the title: "Mu Shaoyan Didn't Cheate, He Wouldn't Do Such a Thing."
It's rare that he would actually post about himself.
Mu Shaoyan raised his head, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards Duan Yi.
Are they friends? The question resurfaced in his mind.
Would Duan Yi want to be friends with him?
The answer to this question was quickly obtained.
Because when school let out at noon, Duan Yi turned around and called out to him.
"Mu Shaoyan." His voice was indifferent, cold and aloof.
Mu Shaoyan immediately stopped what he was doing—packing up the papers—and looked up.
Even the students who hadn't completely left the classroom couldn't help but look at the two of them.
What are you doing?
Everyone was puzzled.
Why did Duan Yi suddenly call out Mu Shaoyan's name?
Mu Shaoyan was even more puzzled than they were. What was he doing?
Then he heard Duan Yi say to him, "Let's have dinner together."
Mu Shaoyan: ? ? ? ! ! !
classmate:? ? ? ! ! !
Mu Shaoyan thought he was hallucinating!
My classmate also thought he was hallucinating!
Fans who ship Mu Shaoyan and Duan Yi as a couple feel like they've gone crazy, as if they're hallucinating.
"Hurry up." Duan Yi said again when he saw that he didn't speak.
Mu Shaoyan quickly said "Oh," put his test paper down, and walked towards him.
Everyone: !!!
No? What's going on here?!
Their school bully just agreed!
You agreed?!
Are they that close?
How did we end up eating together?
Mu Shaoyan walked to Duan Yi's side, and Duan Yi took a step forward.
Mu Shaoyan: ...
Mu Shaoyan felt that something was off about his actions.
"What do you want to eat?" he asked.
"What do you want to eat?" Duan Yi asked in return.
Mu Shaoyan thought for a moment, "Let's have stir-fried dishes."
Duan Yi had no objection, "Okay."
The people they passed by: ...
No, you two actually ate together?
When did you two become so close?!
So, that noon, the school forum exploded again!
Mu Shaoyan's name once again filled the homepage.
Everyone is discussing what exactly happened between him and Duan Yi.
How did we end up eating together?!
[I hope my pairing up doesn't actually happen!]
[Ahhhh, my ship finally has some interaction!]
[I mentioned before that I saw Mu Shaoyan corner Duan Yi at the stairwell and question him, and I said he definitely didn't cheat!]
Absolutely not! Someone as proud as Duan Yi would never have dinner with someone who cheated!
Is Duan Yi making his stance clear? Is he showing strong support for Mu Shaoyan?!
[Ahhhhh, this is so sweet! My ship is just too good!]
Do you guys remember Mu Shaoyan's baby? When he came to pick up Mu Shaoyan that day, he called Duan Yi "brother" and gave him a grilled sausage!
[Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! For such a little baby like him to know Duan Yi, it can only be because of Mu Shaoyan!]
[Furthermore, he was willing to grill sausages for Duan Yi, indicating a good relationship between them. Does this mean that Duan Yi and Mu Shaoyan also have a good relationship?]
[Ahhhhh, are you Sherlock Holmes upstairs?! Now I understand! Mu Shaoyan's improved so much this time must be because Duan Yi secretly tutored him!]
[So much sweetness! Suddenly my ship has started producing lots of sweet moments!]
[No wonder Duan Yi spoke up for Mu Shaoyan today. You all don't know, but when Mu Shaoyan and HG were arguing in class today, Duan Yi suddenly started speaking up for Mu Shaoyan. I was quite surprised.]
[And neither of them came back for the third period! It's reasonable to suspect that Duan Yi is with Mu Shaoyan!]
【!! I remember now! They did come back around the same time!】
[Eat candy like crazy! Suddenly there are so many candies I can't even count them all!]
[I knew it! Duan Yi suddenly invited Mu Shaoyan to dinner. He must have been fed up with that idiot HG and was afraid that others would frame Mu Shaoyan again, so he just revealed his hand. That way, if Mu Shaoyan improves in the future, with him as his trump card, no one will accuse him of cheating.]
Good heavens! Everyone says he absolutely loves him! Duan Yi, you really love him!
[My goodness, all I see when I log in is Mu Shaoyan. He's really popular these days!]
[There's no way around it; he's already a prominent figure, and now he's teamed up with another prominent figure. Isn't that bound to attract attention?!]
Hehehe, hehehe, top student x school bully, so sweet and I love it, wishing them a long and happy life together!
For a time, all the discussions about Mu Shaoyan on the forum turned into his relationship with Duan Yi. After all, what's more interesting than gossip than false rumors?
The false rumor that Mu Shaoyan cheated was thus completely put to rest.
While the forum discussion was in full swing, Mu Shaoyan, walking beside Duan Yi, was still pondering, "Why did you suddenly call me for dinner?"
This doesn't immediately reveal that they have a private connection.
"I can't?" Duan Yi asked.
"No, it's not like that." Mu Shaoyan looked at him. "I'm doing this for your own good."
Duan Yi: ...
Duan Yi recalled the word "implicate" that he had said on the rooftop.
He always thought Mu Shaoyan was heartless, but in fact, Mu Shaoyan's heart was far more delicate than he thought.
"No need," Duan Yi said calmly.
Mu Shaoyan nodded. Okay, if he thinks it's not necessary, then it's not necessary.
So, are they friends?
Mu Shaoyan thought, "If we can have lunch together, we must be friends, right?"
Thinking this, Mu Shaoyan nudged his arm with his elbow, "This meal is on me."
Duan Yi: ?
"Why?"
"My grades have improved, so let's treat this as a thank-you dinner for my teacher."
Duan Yi: ...
Duan Yi looked at the lighthearted smile in his eyes, thought for a moment, and did not refuse.
The two walked towards the school gate.
Meanwhile, He Guang's friend said apologetically, "I have something to do, so I won't be able to eat with you at noon today. You go ahead and eat."
After saying that, the other person looked very anxious and left first.
They waited until they reached a place where He Guang could no longer see them.
My friend scratched his head, looking somewhat troubled.
Why would He Guang do such a thing?
He was even a little afraid of him because of his appearance.
She feared him, and treated him the same way she treated Mu Shaoyan.
As He Guang watched the other person leave, it would be a lie to say he didn't have any doubts.
He keenly sensed the change in the attitude of his classmates and friends towards him since he returned from the homeroom teacher's office. Although it was very slight and seemed no different from before, he felt that they were talking about him behind his back, criticizing him, and avoiding him.
He unconsciously clenched his fist, feeling wronged and resentful.
Sure enough, that evening, He Guang received a call from his friend, who said that it was getting cold and he would no longer ride his bike but take a bus instead, so his friend didn't need to wait for him the next day.
He Guang gripped the phone tightly in an instant.
He heard the busy tone on the other end of the phone.
He simply couldn't believe it!
Why?
What did he do wrong?
Why did you do this to him?!
He Guang wanted to yell at the other person and grab their shoulders to question them.
But in the end, he just put down his phone.
His friends started to dislike him. He Guang thought they disliked him because he was in the eye of the storm, because his reputation was bad, and because the forums were full of posts criticizing him.
It's all Mu Shaoyan's fault!
He violated his privacy, checked his IP address, and then said it in public.
If he hadn't said anything, if he hadn't violated his privacy, then no one would have known, and no one would have looked at him with scrutinizing disgust because of it.
His classmates and friends wouldn't avoid him like the plague.
It's all his fault!
It's all his fault!
Mu Shaoyan was, of course, completely unaware of this.
He and Ye Qingxi had just left Duan Yi's house.
The heating in Duan Yi's house was good, and the house was very warm. Ye Qingxi felt the warmth in the house and listened to Duan Yi explain the difficult points of the science exam. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
They were still sleepy and leaned lazily against Mu Shaoyan, being held by him.
Mu Shaoyan looked at his droopy eyelids, said nothing, and carried him all the way to the car.
Ye Qingxi leaned against him and slept for a while longer.
After waking up, they arrived home. Mu Shaoyan carried him out of the car and advised him, "It's getting colder and colder. You should stay home from now on."
Ye Qingxi shook her head, "I'm going."
Mu Shaoyan had no choice but to agree, saying, "If you ever feel tired or unwell, just tell me, and you can rest at home."
"Mm." Ye Qingxi nodded.
Mu Shaoyan lowered his head and kissed him on the cheek. "Good boy."
Ye Qingxi smiled, thinking that her uncle had been quite well-behaved lately.
“Uncle, you’re a good boy too,” he said.
Mu Shaoyan was amused by his words, but then he thought about it again and realized that he had been behaving well lately.
They went back to the bedroom together, all lovey-dovey.
Mu Feng stood not far away, watching quietly, a hint of tenderness in his eyes.
He never thought that having another child in the family would make any difference.
But now, Mu Feng finds that the changes are quite obvious.
Ye Qingxi's arrival ended Mu Shaoyan's self-imposed exile. He finally began to grow up and learn to be a responsible person.
This was something he had never expected.
This was something that made him very gratified.
Mu Feng didn't disturb them. He quietly walked to the side and poured himself a glass of water.
The next day, all the homeroom teachers of the senior year notified the students that a parent-teacher meeting would be held two days later.
Mu Shaoyan's homeroom teacher called Mu Shaoyan out specifically, "If possible, I hope your parents can come this time."
Mu Shaoyan: ...
Mu Shaoyan nodded and agreed.
After returning to the classroom, he sent Mu Zheng a WeChat message: "I have a parent-teacher conference in two days."
Mu Zheng replied very late, not until after the second period in the afternoon, saying: "The day after tomorrow? I'm abroad right now, I probably won't be able to get back in time."
Mu Shaoyan: ? ? ? ! ! !
Mu Shaoyan was shocked: [When did you go abroad?]
Mu Zheng: [Last night.]
Mu Shaoyan: ...
Mu Zheng: [You talk to Dad and let him go.]
Mu Shaoyan: ? ? ? ?
Mu Shaoyan thought his idea was outrageous.
When he had good grades, his dad never came to parent-teacher conferences. Now that he's like this, why would his dad possibly come?!
Mu Shaoyan: [Never mind, I'll tell the homeroom teacher you went abroad, we can do it another day.]
Looking at his words, Mu Zheng asked, puzzled, "[You don't want Dad to go?]"
Mu Shaoyan: [He simply won't come.]
Mu Zheng: ...
Mu Zheng: [You didn't even tell him.]
Does this even need to be said? Mu Shaoyan thought, even a child could figure this out, so why would it need to be said?
Mu Shaoyan: [You can focus on your business trip. Don't worry about it.]
Mu Zheng: ...
Mu Zheng patiently replied to him: "Shao Yan, he's your father, you're his son. If you need him, he won't refuse."
Mu Zheng: [Go tell Dad that there's a parent-teacher conference coming up.]
Mu Shaoyan: ...
Mu Shaoyan looked at his message, edited and deleted it repeatedly, but in the end he said nothing.
How should he talk to his dad?
Mu Shaoyan said with a worried expression.
Ye Qingxi felt that Mu Shaoyan had been acting strangely these past two days.
Specifically, he would always sneakily look at his grandfather when he was around, and sometimes he would deliberately get close to his grandfather as if he had something he wanted to tell him, but he wouldn't say it.
What did he do?
Ye Qingxi worriedly wondered, "Could he be secretly doing something bad behind my back?"
So, as Mu Shaoyan silently looked at Mu Feng again, wondering how to tell him, and whether he really wanted to tell him, Ye Qingxi tilted her head and brought her small face close to his.
"Uncle, are you hiding something from me?"
Mu Shaoyan was startled and subconsciously shook his head.
Ye Qingxi didn't believe it. "I've noticed. You've been secretly looking at Grandpa these past few days. Is something wrong with him? Or do you have some surprise for him?"
Mu Shaoyan: ...What surprise? More like a shock.
Mu Shaoyan had a headache, so he reached out and pulled Ye Qingxi into his arms.
"We have a parent-teacher conference coming up," he whispered.
Ye Qingxi understood, "You want Grandpa to attend your parent-teacher conference."
Mu Shaoyan: ...
Mu Shaoyan stubbornly replied, "The main reason is that your uncle is away on a business trip; otherwise, he would usually be in charge of my parent-teacher conferences."
Looking at his stubborn expression, Ye Qingxi thought, "Uncle, are you trying to crack walnuts by being so stubborn?"
"Then I'll go and say it for you?" Ye Qingxi said considerately.
Upon hearing this, Mu Shaoyan's eyes lit up instantly!
He nodded quickly and hugged Ye Qingxi tightly. Who is the most lovable person in the world? Of course, it's his little nephew who saved him from suffering!
His little nephew is so nice!
Mu Shaoyan kissed his soft little face hard, "Xiao Xi, you're just like your uncle's little cotton-padded jacket, how could I live without you?!"
Ye Qingxi: ...That's true. Without me, wouldn't you just die in the original book?!
Ye Qingxi sighed silently in her heart. Sigh, her troublesome uncle.
After he finished kissing her, Ye Qingxi pushed him away and said, "Let go."
Mu Shaoyan nuzzled his little face, "I won't let go."
"How am I supposed to tell Grandpa if you don't let go of me?" Ye Qingxi protested.
His voice was so childish and sweet that it sounded adorable to Mu Shaoyan.
Mu Shaoyan found him even more adorable!
He cuddled with Ye Qingxi for a while before finally letting go of him with reluctance.
"I'll buy you a cake in a couple of days."
"Okay," Ye Qingxi replied.
He jumped off the sofa and found that Mu Feng was no longer standing where he had just been.
"They've probably gone back to their rooms," Mu Shaoyan guessed.
Ye Qingxi nodded and walked towards Mu Feng's study.
Mu Shaoyan had intended to follow him and eavesdrop outside the door, but after standing up, he sat back down.
Ye Qingxi sensed his movement and turned to look at him.
Mu Shaoyan was a little embarrassed. "Go ahead, your uncle will wait for you here."
He wasn't sure if his dad would agree.
Therefore, Mu Shaoyan did not want to hear his father's voice of rejection outside the door.
Ye Qingxi has a pleasant voice and speaks in a pleasant way. Mu Shaoyan feels that he will be more able to accept it if Ye Qingxi relays the message.
"Go ahead," Mu Shaoyan said with a smile.
Ye Qingxi looked at him and saw a hint of bitterness hidden beneath his smile.
Is he afraid?
Ye Qingxi wondered if she was afraid she wouldn't get the answer she wanted.
Ye Qingxi didn't understand. Wasn't it normal for a father to hold a parent-teacher conference for his son?
Why was Mu Shaoyan so hesitant, afraid to tell Mu Feng directly, and even afraid to go with him?
His grandfather wasn't his father, so he didn't care about his child at all.
What is he afraid of?
Ye Qingxi couldn't understand it.
But it doesn't matter, he just needs to tell his grandfather about it and get his grandfather's approval.
In this way, everything is easily resolved.
No matter what his uncle was afraid of, he would automatically disappear.
Ye Qingxi took another light step and walked briskly to the door of Mu Feng's study.
He knocked on the door, pushed it open, and sure enough, Mu Feng was sitting behind his desk.
"Grandpa." Ye Qingxi went inside.
When Mu Feng saw him come in, he stopped what he was doing and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
"I have something to tell you."
"Oh?" Mu Feng asked with interest. "Then tell me."
"My uncle is having a parent-teacher conference, and my other uncle is away on a business trip, so would you like to attend it for him?"
Mu Feng thought it was something else, but it turned out to be this.
"Okay," he replied.
but……
"He sent you to say that?"
Ye Qingxi shook her head, "I asked to come."
Mu Feng leaned back in his chair. Why didn't Mu Shaoyan do it himself?
“Go and call your uncle in,” he said.
Ye Qingxi: Huh?
However, Ye Qingxi didn't ask any more questions, and just nodded and said "Oh".
Just as he reached the door, he heard his grandfather say again, "Never mind."
Ye Qingxi turned around.
Mu Feng had already sat up straight. "Let's talk to him together after I get back from the parent-teacher conference."
Ye Qingxi nodded again, "Then Grandpa, I'll go tell Uncle the good news."
"Hmm." Mu Feng looked at him. "You have a good temper, and you're even willing to be his messenger. Doesn't he have a mouth of his own?"
Mu Feng got a little angry as he said this—he hated people who didn't know how to talk!
I'm talking about his eldest son and daughter-in-law!
Mu Feng changed his mind and said, "You're not in a hurry to leave."
Ye Qingxi: Huh? ???
"Come here, Grandpa will tell you a story about a classic novel today." Mu Feng looked at his adorable grandson and spoke gently.
He stood up and took a copy of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" from the bookshelf.
Ye Qingxi: ...Is it possible that your dear youngest son is still waiting for my answer?
Moreover, don't you think it's a bit too profound to tell a five-year-old the story of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms"?
Ye Qingxi suggested, "Grandpa, I want to listen to 'Journey to the West'."
Mu Feng: ...
Mu Feng looked at his collection of books, and unfortunately, he didn't seem to have a copy of "Journey to the West".
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