"Brother Tian, good morning." Fatty Huang saw Lin Tian come in, stopped the earlier conversation, and cheerfully greeted him.
"Fatty, what were you just talking about? You got hit?" Lin Tian frowned and asked.
With things happening continuously, Lin Tian couldn’t help but take it seriously. If even the students from Class One of senior year three were getting beaten, that would be unacceptable. He’d dig three feet into the ground to find the person behind it.
"No, Brother Tian, hear me out. Last night I went out, encountered some thugs who recognized my school uniform. They wanted to beat me up, but of course, I wouldn’t just stand there and be caught without a fight. That would shame our class. So I yelled, ’There are only three of you. If my Brother Lin from Class One were here, he could knock you down with a single finger!’" Fatty Huang passionately recounted, even reenacting the scenario.
This sounded eerily familiar. Lin Tian was stunned for a moment, remembering the young men who had blocked his path the night before had said the same thing. Has everyone been watching too much TV these days? Why were their lines all the same?
"What happened after that?" someone asked eagerly.
Fatty Huang glared at his classmate, annoyed by the interruption of his performance, and continued, "Do you even have to ask? The moment I mentioned Brother Tian, those guys said, ’You’re from Class One of senior year three?’ Then they just walked away."
"Fatty, you’re so heroic, not losing face for Brother Lin. If you had chickened out and begged for mercy, we wouldn’t let you play in the next basketball game," a girl in the class stood up and said coquettishly.
"Of course, Brother Lin is our idol. You all should strive to be like him, understand?"
With more girls in the class, their discussions became bolder than the boys, chirping away like happy little birds. It’s said that ’three women make a market,’ but the women of this class were even more so; eventually, even Manxuan and Lingyu joined in.
Initially it was a guys’ matter, but in the end, it seemed to involve everyone but the guys. Lin Tian didn’t consider himself thin-skinned, but even he couldn’t withstand these daring remarks from the beauties. Some female classmates even threw him flirtatious glances; Lin Tian could only pretend to lower his head to read, thinking, My goodness, am I in Silk Cave? Even Iron Man would melt under their smoldering gazes.
Lin Tian had never so eagerly anticipated the start of class, only Director Gao could manage these elfish girls. When the bell finally rang, Lin Tian let out a sigh of relief. Manxuan returned to her seat with a flushed face.
"Second Miss, did you argue with someone? Why are your face and neck all red?" Lin Tian asked curiously.
"Not at all. They said they never see you with a girlfriend and wondered if you don’t like women. I couldn’t accept that, so I spilled the beans about you sneakily ogling girls, teehee, you should thank me, really, because I saved your image," the little girl chuckled.
Good Lord, is that what you call saving my image? Sure, my sexual orientation is cleared up, but now I’m pegged as a bad boy. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Lin Tian felt extremely conflicted.
"Lin Tian, isn’t what Sister Xiao said accurate? You’re just a big bad guy," Zhang Lingyu added teasingly.
"Great, there goes my glorious image. How unjust the world is. Won’t you even let a guy flirt in peace!" Lin Tian lamented.
Just then, Fang Ming walked in, catching Lin Tian’s complaint, and gave him a stern look. Indeed, it was an unlucky year for him, Lin Tian sighed, wondering how much of his good student image remained in Aunt Fang’s mind.
But knowing Fang Ming could glare at someone probably meant she was moving on from her sadness. Seeing her drunk the night before had indeed been worrisome.
The first two periods were language classes, where Fang Ming had the students practice essay writing for exams. Speed in essay writing was crucial, not only to stay on topic and maintain quality, but also to ensure completion—it was no easy task. Fang Ming’s role was to help students adapt to the pace, enabling them to produce good essays under high pressure.
Writing essays required a vast amount of reading and life experience, so that the outcome wouldn’t seem like mere whining. For Lin Tian, this task was quite easy. Ever since becoming a zombie, Lin Tian’s reading volume had, daringly, surpassed the total of his previous decades combined. He now saw issues with greater clarity, making essay writing a breeze.
After submitting the essays, Fang Ming read Lin Tian’s essay as a model to the class. This time, it was an argumentative essay that was logically clear, sharply insightful, and rich with references. The entire class marveled at it. Ultimately, at the unanimous request of the students, they decided to print the essay and distribute copies for everyone to study closely.
As for Lin Tian, he was indifferent. Not just an essay, if he were to write about the events in his own life, it could become a fascinating autobiography.
During the break, the students were still discussing the essay when Director Gao, who hadn’t been seen for days, suddenly appeared in senior class one.
"Lin Tian, hello. Principal Yan would like to see you, please come with me," Director Gao said politely.
Although they had previously witnessed Director Gao’s unusual enthusiasm, the students of senior class one still found it odd and wondered if he had been momentarily possessed, as he had transformed into a completely amiable person upon arrival.
"Sure, Director Gao, please lead the way." Lin Tian responded, holding to the proverb that one does not slap a smiling face; he was not the type to stir up trouble without cause.
Following Director Gao to the principal’s office, Lin Tian entered after knocking, allowing Director Gao to return to his own office having accomplished his task.
"Principal Yan, I’m Lin Tian. Director Gao mentioned you wanted to see me?" Lin Tian inquired.
"Heh, yes, you’re right. Please, have a seat," Principal Yan said as he got up and settled on the sofa for guests.
On the coffee table was a set of tea ware, and Principal Yan patiently prepared tea and offered it to Lin Tian. Brewing kungfu tea could cultivate one’s patience, though such was considered lower class. Elder Zhou, for instance, preferred to drink directly from a large tea bowl, embodying a tranquil mind that could not be mimicked by merely putting on airs with tea.
The principal wasn’t hurried, and neither was Lin Tian. If he wanted to drink tea, Lin Tian would oblige, even until the school day ended, since this was a legitimate excuse to skip class.
After drinking three rounds of tea, Principal Yan was the first to break the silence, chuckling, "Lin Tian, your patience truly embarrasses me. I don’t understand how someone as young as you could possess such composure, an exceptional person recommended by Mrs. Xiao indeed."
"Principal Yan, you flatter me. I just think the tea here is quite nice and wanted to enjoy a few more cups," Lin Tian replied casually with a smile.
"Since that’s the case, I’ll get straight to the point. Lately, some students have been harassed by unsavory individuals from outside the school, and supposedly, you’re connected to these incidents," Principal Yan stated diplomatically.
Labeling them as unsavory individuals sounded too euphemistic and awkwardly formal.
"Principal Yan, you’re talking about local thugs, right? Yes, this does involve me, but I’ve been framed," Lin Tian confessed honestly.
Principal Yan, smiling, said, "Of course, Lin Tian. You are known in our class as an exemplary student both in conduct and academics, and I am aware of that. You are also a victim. However, the situation is escalating, and the school prefers to resolve this quietly. Could the Xiao family possibly..."
New novel 𝓬hapters are published on (f)re𝒆web(n)ovel.com