Chapter 59: Why Are You So Good to Her?
Ruan Xi stood at the school gate, watching the students enter one by one. She couldn’t move her feet, her legs feeling as if they were filled with lead, making it impossible to take a single step.
Will Director Zhang leave if I wait a few minutes?
Why is Director Zhang here for inspection today of all days?
Or perhaps, she hadn’t been fully prepared from the start. She had never left the school at noon before. Maybe Director Zhang was here every day at noon.
There wasn’t enough time. She still had to go back to her dorm to change into her school uniform before class. She could only brace herself and walk towards the school gate.
As she passed by Director Zhang, she feigned calmness and took out the ID card. Director Zhang took it, looked at it, and narrowed his eyes.
“What were you doing outside?”
“Helping… Teacher Tong with something.”
“Dressed like this? Where’s your school uniform?”
Director Zhang’s square face seemed to be composed of only horizontal and vertical hard lines. He looked grim, feeling that the girl in front of him looked somewhat familiar. In his experience, a student who specifically changed clothes to go out of school was most likely heading to an internet cafe.
And so, he did something that made Ruan Xi’s breath stop—
He took out his phone.
“Hello, is this Teacher Tong? Sorry to bother you.”
“A student said she went out to run an errand for you at noon. Is that true?”
“No, right.”
Ruan Xi’s heart was pounding. Director Zhang looked at her with a sneer, having easily seen through her clumsy act.
“What were you really doing outside?”
“I…”
Ruan Xi’s hands were fidgeting with the hem of her clothes. What should she say? That she had impersonated an adult and gone to her brother’s school? At a time like this, perhaps only telling the truth would prevent the situation from worsening.
Anyway, the situation wouldn’t change at all.
She hung her head, like a puppet with its strings cut, and recounted the events of the noon, one by one.
She omitted the part about her debate with the teacher.
“Not bad,” Director Zhang said after listening, almost wanting to applaud her. “After helping your brother get his punishment, you’re back to receive your own.”
“Leaving school without permission. Do you think you can just leave the school whenever you want? No discipline at all!”
“Not handing in your phone, who taught you that? Who’s your homeroom teacher?”
“And impersonating a parent. I was too embarrassed to even call and verify! This is a disgrace to No. 1 High!”
Ruan Xi lowered her head, her face pale.
She had no complaints. She had indeed done something wrong and needed to take responsibility for her actions.
She thought she had grown up and could handle life’s matters, but not only had she failed to lighten her brother’s punishment, but she had also dragged herself down. Things hadn’t gotten better because of her; they had gotten worse.
In the mature and orderly world of adults, her self-righteousness seemed so ridiculous.
“Come with me to the Student Affairs Office.”
Director Zhang looked at her with cold eyes.
Student Affairs Office.
Director Zhang asked about her class and grades. When Ruan Xi said she was in the top two hundred in the mid-terms, Director Zhang was a little surprised. He hadn’t expected her to be a mid-to-upper-level student. His attitude changed slightly. Although it was still a critical tone, it was clearly not as impersonal as before, but a “this child can be taught” attitude, wanting to reform her.
It was the first time Ruan Xi had experienced the privilege of a top student.
As a student, grades were the best weapon.
If her brother’s grades were the best in the city, with the school’s emphasis on the top scorer of the middle school entrance exam, would a teacher still threaten him with punishment?
Probably a “not again” would have lightly covered it up.
This was not about connections; it was that outstanding people deserved to have privileges.
“The teacher believes you didn’t go out to play, but the school has its rules… I have to take a call.” As Director Zhang spoke, he took out the vibrating phone from his pocket and answered it.
“Hello, Teacher Tong. Yes, at the Student Affairs Office.”
Ruan Xi’s eyelid twitched. She looked up, staring at the phone, trying to hear every word.
At this moment, Tong Yao was rushing from her dorm to the Student Affairs Office. She hadn’t been awake when she received the first call and had just given a random reply. Now that she thought about it, she felt uneasy.
“Um, Director Zhang, is that student a girl? If so, I did ask her to go out and help me…”
“Ha, Teacher Tong, don’t cover for her,” Director Zhang smiled. “She’s already confessed.”
Tong Yao on the other end of the line was silent for a moment, then gave an embarrassed cough.
“I see… I’ll be right over.”
Director Zhang hung up the phone, looked at Ruan Xi, and threw the confiscated ID card on the table.
“Look, think about whose trust you’ve betrayed. You think you can take responsibility? In the end, who helps you solve your problems? You and your brother just get a scolding. In the end, it’s the parents and teachers who worry! Your brother is suspended for a month. He’ll need a tutor, right? That costs money, right? Who’s going to pay? You?”
“You high school students, you all think you’re so capable. What can you do without your parents? Students should just study honestly. Do you think you have to hold up the sky if it falls!”
Every word was like iodine on a wound, so painful it made you want to cry, but you knew it was good for the wound’s healing.
Ruan Xi thought, I’ve done something wrong again. She thought she could handle the problem properly, but it turned out she was still far, far from Teacher Tong.
Self-blame and guilt, like two insects gnawing at her, had bitten her full of holes.
The door of the Student Affairs Office opened. Tong Yao came in, greeted Director Zhang, then looked at the young girl and said softly, “Come with me.”
Ruan Xi’s eyes widened. She looked at Director Zhang, and then Director Zhang made a “please” gesture to her.
He didn’t plan on pursuing the matter.
The mistakes the young girl had made were not major. Leaving school without permission at noon would at most result in a public criticism. Bringing a phone was the student average, and impersonating a parent was another school’s business. Besides, it wouldn’t look good if this matter was reported—why did this girl have a teacher’s ID card?
With Tong Yao stepping in, in the end, only a demerit was given to the class.
The young girl silently followed behind Tong Yao. Teacher Tong didn’t speak, and she didn’t dare to either. Teacher Tong was probably really angry with her this time. The ID card in Teacher Tong’s hand seemed to symbolize the withdrawal of her favoritism.
She was really panicked.
Since she had known Teacher Tong, she had only brought her trouble. No matter what she did, Teacher Tong would dote on her, but she could rarely bring anything to Teacher Tong. That little bee? The money she had saved was because of Teacher Tong’s ID card.
From beginning to end, she was a parasite who depended on Teacher Tong.
“Teacher Tong…”
After she spoke, she bit her lip, both expectant and afraid of the response.
Tong Yao stopped. In the empty hallway, she turned around and looked at the young girl.
“Why did you leave the school?”
“Because… my brother, he…”
The young girl lowered her head and explained everything clearly, even recounting the part where she had debated with the teacher.
Tong Yao took a step closer and asked in a low voice, “Why didn’t you tell me beforehand? You think you handled it very cleverly, very proud that you could defeat a teacher in a debate?”
Ruan Xi was taken aback, her eyes lowered, her eyelashes trembling.
“Because… I was holding onto a fluke, thinking I could solve it myself. I wasn’t… proud. I know I didn’t handle it well…”
As she spoke, her eyes were a little wet, but she held back her tears, blinking hard to keep them in, her voice trembling slightly.
“But… I didn’t know what to do… Should I have let Xiaobei expose his classmates? He’s an out-of-towner. I was afraid he would be ostracized by his classmates in the future… He should be punished by the school rules for going to an internet cafe, but, exposing a friend…”
Her words were interrupted by a light flick on her forehead.
Tong Yao’s finger stopped between the young girl’s eyebrows and poked gently.
“Sometimes I really want to knock some sense into your head like this.”
Ruan Xi was stunned, looking at her blankly.
“Betraying a classmate to reduce the punishment, or not betraying and debating with the teacher. Are these your only two choices? Lowering your stance and begging for mercy. Your brother doesn’t have a computer, right? Isn’t that a reason? Teachers are easily soft-hearted. Considering your brother’s family situation, it’s not difficult to get the teacher to be lenient.”
“Besides, when you can’t make a choice, why do you have to endure it alone? Why not consult an adult, why not…”
Tong Yao paused, a hint of sadness in her eyes, and said softly, “Why not call me?”
“Although I don’t want to tell you this kind of thing, but many times, you can use connections.”
The young girl was silent, biting her lip until it bled. She just… didn’t want to cause trouble for Teacher Tong, didn’t want Teacher Tong to think her family was terrible, but in the end, things went against her wishes. Why is Teacher Tong so good to me? She was already hopelessly in love with Teacher Tong. Now… she just wanted to quickly become someone worthy of Teacher Tong.
Tong Yao took the ID card, stood on her tiptoes, hung it around the young girl’s neck, tucked it into her jacket, and said, “No next time, okay?”
She tilted her head and blinked. Ruan Xi looked up, their eyes met, and then she answered in a hoarse voice, “Mhm.”
“Then let’s go. Go back to your dorm and change.”
“Teacher Tong,” Ruan Xi stood there, opened her lips, and as if with great effort, said dejectedly, “Am I very disobedient?”
Tong Yao was taken aback at first, then smiled.
“No, I think you’re very well-behaved.”
Ruan Xi’s nose tingled. She lowered her head and continued to ask, “Then… why are you so good to me?”
Tong Yao tilted her head, thinking. Why did she favor Ruan Xi? At first, it was indeed because she pitied the child’s family, felt sorry for this sensible child. Then it was surprise at the child’s progress, her struggle and persistence for her dream, and… a little bit of a selfish reason she couldn’t say.
“I’m good to everyone,” she said.
Ruan Xi was disappointed. Clearly… Teacher Tong was different with her. Everyone could see it, but she couldn’t get an answer.
**
For middle school students, most punishments are to scare them. Saying “it will be in your file for the rest of your life” is to make the students revere it. In fact, it won’t be recorded in their file and will be completely cleared before graduation, and it certainly won’t be brought to university.
It was the first time Tong Yao had entered the principal’s office since she started working.
She didn’t want her family to know about the school’s affairs, so she had to ask her uncle for help—
Vice Principal Tong Jiansheng.
Tong Yao had been well-behaved since she was a child and had won the affection of the entire family. Basically, all the children of her relatives had grown up hearing “learn from your sister/cousin Yao Yao.” Her uncle was close to her family and had always been responsive to her requests.
“Yao Yao, this matter shouldn’t be difficult to solve. Your student’s brother, you tell him to keep a low profile. I’ll communicate with the other side and cancel the suspension. Just a major demerit, is that okay? It can be cleared in the future.”
Tong Jiansheng wiped his glasses and said confidently after putting them on.
“Thank you, Uncle.”
Tong Yao let out a sigh of relief. It was the first time she had used connections to get things done. Not only was she not skilled, but she also felt a little guilty.
“We’re family, what are you saying?” Tong Jiansheng chuckled. “You and that student of yours are really close. It’s not a boy, is it?”
Tong Yao quickly said, “It’s a girl! By the way, you must not tell my mom about this.”
If Jiang Wu knew that she had used connections for a female student, she would definitely be suspicious and think there was something fishy going on.
She was afraid.
Because there really was something fishy going on.
**
Author’s Note
PS: Tong Jiansheng goes home.
Uncle: “Yao Yao came to find me today… by the way, you must not tell your sister-in-law.”
Aunt: “Okay.”
