Chapter 54: Becoming a Hero Once More

This time the shock was even greater than before. Everyone's eyes were wide open, but each person's mood was different—Liu Fan was gloating, while Gong Xiang was anxious and worried.

For a long moment, Wen Miejue finally came to herself, and slapped out angrily, “You little delinquent, how dare you hit me…” But before her hand landed, Jiangxi Wen caught her wrist. Then came his cold voice, “Wen Miejue, don’t overstep your boundaries. Zhang Ya entered right as the bell rang; according to the student regulations, she wasn’t late. You slapped her, and I’ve already returned the favor.”

With that, he flung her wrist aside forcefully.

Calling Zhu Wen by her nickname was taboo among ninth-grade students. After Jiangxi Wen had embarrassed Wen Miejue in class last time, this incident sent an even greater shock through all the students.

A moment ago, Zhang Ya had been furious at Jiangxi Wen, but now all her anger turned to worry. Treating Wen Miejue like this would surely have consequences. Even if he wasn’t expelled, he’d probably be kept under observation at school.

She hurried to say, “Teacher Zhu, it’s all my fault. Please don’t blame Jiangxi Wen. I’m willing to accept punishment.”

“You?!” Wen Miejue’s face flushed and paled by turns, her cheek aching from the slap. She gritted her teeth and looked at Zhang Ya, saying, “We’ll deal with your matter later.”

Then she raised her voice and shouted, “Someone go call security! Arrest this little delinquent! I’ll have you sent to the police for hitting a teacher!”

Liu Fan instinctively started to rise, but recalling his father’s warnings, he sat back down. Just a few weeks ago, his dad had told him not to provoke Zhang Ya, Jiangxi Wen, or Gong Xiang. After this semester, he would find someone to teach Jiangxi Wen a lesson to vent his anger.

“Wen Miejue, who are you trying to scare? The police? If I should go to jail for slapping you, then the slap you gave Zhang Ya is enough to put you behind bars. Don’t forget you’re an adult—I’m not even eighteen yet.”

“You—you little brat, scoundrel!” Wen Miejue’s twisted face was speechless with rage. After a moment, she finally said, “Jiangxi Wen, don’t get cocky. If I, Zhu Wen, can’t get you expelled, I’ll change my surname. I have connections!”

Jiangxi Wen sneered, “Wen Miejue, you must be out of your mind. Upstairs is the senior class four, of course you have connections. But what does that have to do with expelling me?”

A few of the most unruly students in the class couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Even Zhang Ya, who had held back her tears earlier, let them spill now as she laughed.

“Anyone else who laughs will be expelled! I, Zhu Wen, have expelled students before!” Wen Miejue began to lose control.

Ning Yan, who had been standing silently all this time, spoke up again, her voice cold and sharp: “Wen Miejue, if you’re expelling Jiangxi Wen, then you’ll have to expel me as well.”

Those who didn’t know Ning Yan could never have imagined she had such a character. Jiangxi Wen, probably the person who understood her best in the class, felt moved by her words and turned to smile at her.

Ning Yan saw Jiangxi Wen’s smile. Her expression remained cold, but her heart raced uncontrollably. He smiled at me—should I smile back, like he taught me in that English passage?

“Wen Miejue, count me in too,” Gong Xiang could no longer hold back and stood up with a shout. Jiangxi Wen was his brother; how could he watch his brother be bullied by Wen Miejue and not stand up?

“Me too, me too—if you expel Jiangxi Wen, expel me as well…” Voices rose one after another, from the troublemakers to the good students. Though it eventually became a trend, a way to join the crowd, Jiangxi Wen was still deeply moved. Friendship in school days was indeed the purest and most precious in life.

“Teacher Zhu, if you really expel Jiangxi Wen, then I, Zhang Ya, will leave with him.” The clear voice of a girl rang out after the others had quieted. Zhang Ya looked firmly at Jiangxi Wen. For a moment, it felt like the day he helped her escape from the thieves’ lair—nothing else mattered.

Jiangxi Wen smiled and said, “Thank you, everyone. But Wen Miejue is such a minor character—why should we be afraid of her? If she can really expel me, then I don’t deserve to have slapped her.”

He then turned to Wen Miejue and said, “Let’s go, Teacher. To the principal’s office. Whatever happens, let the principal decide.”

Jiangxi Wen’s move caught Wen Miejue off guard, but it suited her intentions. She rubbed her cheek and replied, “Fine, you said it, let’s go!”

Jiangxi Wen ignored her and strode out of the classroom.

“Xi Wen is amazing! How did he get so tough? Wen Miejue really got it this time.”

“Xi Wen can get the principal to personally grant him leave to attend the computer competition—that means he has connections too.”

“Come on, don’t we all have connections? Senior class four…” Laughter and chatter filled the room. Gong Xiang anxiously watched Jiangxi Wen’s retreating figure outside the window, determined that if Jiangxi Wen was expelled, he would beg his father for help—his dad worked at the education bureau, after all.

Amid the noise, Ning Yan walked to the podium and gently asked, “Zhang Ya, does it still hurt? I have medicinal wine here—go back to your seat.”

“Mm…” Zhang Ya, who had been lost in thought, finally returned from the romantic ‘alternate dimension’ where only she and Jiangxi Wen existed. She nodded and smiled, “Thank you, Ning Yan. I’m grateful you were the first to stand up today.”

“No need to thank me. If not for Jiangxi Wen, we’d all be in trouble today. But when we see the principal, who knows what will happen.” Ning Yan’s words were full of concern, though her tone remained calm.

“It’ll be fine, don’t worry.” Zhang Ya was confident—the principal knew her father, and she was sure today’s incident would be handled lightly out of respect for him.

As they spoke, the two returned to their seats. Ning Yan took a small bottle of medicinal oil from her jeans pocket, something she always carried—her father had prepared it for bruises, and it was very effective. She rubbed it on Zhang Ya’s face, and it felt soothing.

“Ning Yan, you’re usually so quiet—I didn’t expect you to be so brave today.” Zhang Ya smiled and asked, “By the way, I remember in first grade you saved Jiangxi Wen. Are you two close friends?”

Zhang Ya was probing. She sensed that Ning Yan’s concern for Jiangxi Wen was unusual, and for some reason, she felt a pang of jealousy. She didn’t dwell on whether she liked Jiangxi Wen—she only knew that being with him brought a happiness she’d never felt before.