Chapter 63: One Must Bear the Consequences of One's Own Actions

The reason why Tong Wei acted so brazenly was simply because his relative seemed to have a close relationship with the mayor of Yuehu City.

“Classmate, you look shifty-eyed—did you just lay your hands on this female classmate? I swear it looks like she’s crying.”

Hearing Tong Wei say this, he could only smile bitterly. Wang Ying, standing nearby, clearly wasn’t crying—who knew what she was thinking? And besides, how could the teacher assume he was at fault without even asking for the facts?

“Teacher, I think you should investigate what really happened before making any judgments.”

The watching students sensed the powerful presence of this new classmate; none of them expected that the transfer student would dare stand up to the infamous ‘devil’ of the school.

“Fine! You’ve got a stubborn backbone. Do you believe I can have you expelled from this school?”

Frankly, he didn’t believe the bald-headed teacher had such power. If he really did, then he wouldn’t waste time staying here; he’d rather go back to take care of Jiang Muyun, sparing any worry.

“Sir, as far as I know, whether a student stays or leaves isn’t decided by you alone.”

Zhang Shen’s words struck Tong Wei like a heavy blow.

Beside him, Wang Ying tugged desperately at Zhang Shen’s sleeve, signaling him not to argue with Tong Wei any further—it would only make things worse.

Zhang Shen placed his hand over Wang Ying’s, and in that instant, Wang Ying felt a powerful current surge through her body.

Just as Zhang Shen and Tong Wei were locked in confrontation, the bell rang, dissolving the tension as if it were a remedy. Yet, those who knew Tong Wei understood this was only the beginning; many unknown dangers awaited Zhang Shen.

Tong Wei gathered his books from the lectern and strode out of the classroom, a subtle smile curling at his lips.

As soon as Tong Wei left, Ye Qiong hurried over and said to Zhang Shen, “What are you doing? How could you cause such an uproar during class?”

Today, Zhang Shen felt inexplicably wronged.

He opened his book, pointed to the page with his likeness drawn on it, and said to Ye Qiong, “Miss, please look carefully before you jump to conclusions. I just saw something related to me—why shouldn’t I ask about it?”

Ye Qiong knew Zhang Shen was telling the truth, but chose to ignore him. Instead, she snatched the book away and tossed it to Wang Ying.

“Girl, keep your things safe. Don’t let irrelevant people snoop around and stir up unnecessary trouble.”

Zhang Shen, a bit annoyed, retorted, “Explain yourself. Who’s irrelevant? Who caused unnecessary trouble?”

Ye Qiong snorted coldly, “You know full well. Tong Wei is someone who never lets a grudge go. Now that you’ve offended him, do you think anything good will come of it?”

Hearing this, Zhang Shen realized Ye Qiong was worried about Tong Wei. Truthfully, since the day he could remember, Zhang Shen had only ever feared the reprimands of his master, Luo Baiyang—never anyone else.

As he pondered this, a voice came from the door: “Wang Ying, Teacher Tong wants to see you.”

“See? Trouble’s arrived.”

Zhang Shen didn’t fully understand Ye Qiong’s meaning, but he could guess—this couldn’t be good. Was Tong Wei really the rotten apple in the teaching staff?

Wang Ying rose, trembling, for she’d heard the rumors about Tong Wei and knew he wasn’t a decent man. She’d always tried to avoid him—never expecting he would seek her out.

“Ye Qiong, what should I do?” Wang Ying was flustered. After all, faced with such a wolf in sheep’s clothing, how many girls could remain strong inside?

Ye Qiong deliberately said, “Some people like to play the hero, but when trouble comes, they shrink away like a turtle.”

Zhang Shen saw she was clearly trying to provoke him, but he didn’t mind. After all, he shared responsibility for this mess; he couldn’t let Wang Ying face the wolf alone.

“I’ll go.”

“You?”

Ye Qiong yanked Wang Ying back. “Let him go—he caused the trouble anyway.”

Ignoring Ye Qiong, Zhang Shen turned and walked out.

He arrived at Tong Wei’s office and knocked twice. A voice from within called, “Come in.”

On hearing it, one might think well of the teacher’s unseen presence. But the moment Zhang Shen saw Tong Wei, his eyes radiated boundless malice, as if he could devour Zhang Shen whole.

“Teacher Tong—”

Before Zhang Shen could finish, Tong Wei interrupted, “Did I ask you to come? I wanted Wang Ying.”

“I know. I came to tell you something.”

Tong Wei ignored him, insisting, “I don’t need to speak with you. I just want to hear from Wang Ying about what happened.”

Zhang Shen realized that the more Tong Wei insisted Wang Ying come alone, the guiltier he was. He had to be prepared—an idea formed in his mind.

“Sir, what happened just now was my fault. I shouldn’t have contradicted you in class.”

Tong Wei was a man obsessed with saving face. Zhang Shen’s earlier blunt words had made him uncomfortable, and the repeated refusal to back down had sparked his anger. He’d called Wang Ying to frame Zhang Shen, but now Zhang Shen seemed to submit to his intimidation—this surprised him.

“You students are something else—not studying, just challenging teachers. How could I not be angry?”

Zhang Shen could hardly believe this was the same shifty-eyed Tong Wei from before. This man was clearly a petty, unpredictable villain.

As Zhang Shen tried to discern Tong Wei’s character, Tong Wei barked, “Where did you come from, kid? You don’t even know who I am. You must be tired of living.”

“Huh?”

It was Zhang Shen’s instinctive reaction—how could Tong Wei shift from a teacher’s demeanor to outright cursing in a heartbeat?

“What are you huh-ing about? Do you think saying a few nice words will get you off the hook? If that’s what you think, you’re sorely mistaken. Do you know what I really want?”