Su Qing looked at the mischievous friends surrounding her and thought of a saying popular online.
When you were young, your first love really had to be kept secret, it was best not to let your friends know.

— Because heaven knew when this person would become a part of your criminal record.

Now, Zhou Mu was that criminal record.

After the broadcast incident, Su Qing’s rose-colored glasses about Zhou Mu completely shattered.

She was just rebellious, but she was not a fool.

How her brother treated her, and then how Zhou Mu treated her—the difference was clear.

Her brother respected her opinions on everything, unlike Zhou Mu, who forcibly imposed things on her regardless of her willingness—things that were not even good.

When Yan Yinan and Ye Wangxing, those brothers, quarreled, they also forcibly gave things to each other, but whether it was a plane ticket back and forth or a trip to Mount Tai, those were universally good things!

Most importantly, how could a normal relationship ever feel embarrassing?

Besides…

Su Qing narrowed her eyes, thinking.

Did Zhou Mu really love her?

Or was he just treating her as an ornament to show off?

“…Alright, alright, so Miss Rose has really broken up for good this time?”

Zhao Xiaxia asked with a smile.

Su Qing pulled back her thoughts and smiled at her friends, saying: “Yes, I have completely broken up with him. Although I put it in a more poetic way, he should understand. We just had incompatible personalities. Being together would only torment each other. It’s better to separate cleanly now, so I can focus more on the college entrance exams.”

Su Qing had truly woken up.

With her brother and Ye Wangxing as examples in front of her, seeing Ye Wangxing celebrating with his friends after improving his grades, she was determined to break up.

True affection was about giving the best of oneself, not dragging the other into the mud.

“Phew, breaking up is good. I thought you were still hung up on him before. But are you sure this breakup is really clean? I feel his gaze towards you is a little off.”

Zhao Xiaxia was happy for Su Qing but soon asked with some worry.

Looking in the direction Zhao Xiaxia pointed, Zhou Mu returned looking sullen, sitting in his seat with a clearly bad mood.

But Su Qing did not mind.

“Don’t worry. He always got like that when angry but wouldn’t do anything. Before, his uncle got him some height-increasing insoles. The most he could do was skip class.”

Su Qing calmly took the homework from Zhao Xiaxia.

Though it seemed Zhou Mu had the upper hand in their relationship, with Su Qing not daring to go opposite his wishes and appearing lovestruck, in reality, Su Qing held the dominant position.

Without her approval, Zhou Mu couldn’t take her out of school, nor could he even get close to her.
Zhou Mu’s reputation was bad enough that if Su Qing told the homeroom teacher, Zhou Mu would just get called home by the principal.

But Su Qing still agreed at first. Why?

Su Qing thought and remembered it was her first curious agreement to go out with Zhou Mu when he took her to his brothers’ gathering place.

Everyone called her “sister-in-law,” some even respectfully, giving Su Qing a feeling of being respected—a feeling of superiority she had never experienced before.

Looking back now, that sense of superiority was an illusion, like a bubble that broke with a light touch.

While helping Zhao Xiaxia draw a few auxiliary lines to solve her math problem, Zhao Xiaxia excitedly hugged Su Qing in thanks.

Though she said she was about to suffocate, Su Qing’s lips curved up.

Although the friends thought the situation might not be so optimistic, seeing Su Qing’s firm attitude temporarily eased their worries, and they decided to keep a close watch on her for a while.

They then continued the previous topic, discussing which parents would be invited to the upcoming parent-teacher meeting.

“I guess my brother will come. My mom doesn’t have time, and my dad is busy,” Su Qing said, resting her chin on her hand.

Meanwhile, the other four gossip friends also discussed whose family member would attend this time.

“…It’s still Old Li who comes to the parent meeting. I even want to hire someone to pretend to be a parent,” Zhang Le said, somewhat overwhelmed.

“You better not, Old Li’s gaze could tell at a glance whether you two were really related.”

Li Jun beside waved his hand and said.

“Sigh, so couldn’t Old Li just wait until the end of term to talk about this!”

Zhao Xiaxia wailed and said.

But for Head Teacher Li, waiting until the end of term was impossible, absolutely impossible.

Li Qiang strictly followed the principle that all problems had to be extinguished at the bud to prevent bigger troubles later.

— Especially the matter of Ye Wangxing and those two little brats.

Head Teacher Li sat at his desk, grinding his teeth and thinking.

After the sports meet, those two little brats Yan Yi and that second one seemed quiet for a while because Ye Wangxing had not caught on yet, which gave Head Teacher Li some relief. But before long, Head Teacher Li realized that relief came too early.

They had not given up at all, they were simply boiling the frog slowly!

Fortunately, what those two kids did was not too obvious. Except for a few sharp ones in Class Three, the rest still believed it was just brotherly affection.

Even Su Qing and Zhou Mu, who were in an early romance, didn’t notice that the three’s relationship was off.

Thinking of Su Qing and Zhou Mu, Head Teacher Li not only had a headache, but his teeth began to hurt as well.

If the three might still have, had a chance not to break the window paper, then Su Qing and Zhou Mu were like window paper soaked with saliva, unable to be restored at all.

The fact that Su Qing and Zhou Mu were a couple was not a secret in the whole grade.

If that were all, it would have been fine — but Su Qing and Zhou Mu had broken up!

Don’t ask Head Teacher Li how he knew, it was because he had informants among the students.

Of course, that wasn’t the main point.

The main point was that once they broke up, there would definitely be some curious classmates running to ask them why they had broken up.

Even if only two or three curious students from each class asked, together there would be dozens.

Head Teacher Li could not bear to imagine if those dozens of students actually came to Su Qing or Zhou Mu to ask about their breakup.

If even one of them could not control their emotions, how big the trouble would be!

— The incident at the sports meet, if it were not for Director Wang’s leniency and the full cooperation of the veteran teachers, the punishment they would have received was unimaginable.

“Ugh—”

The sharp pain at the root of his tooth made Head Teacher Li involuntarily hiss, and his face twisted hideously.

“Report!”

At that moment, someone shouted “Report!” at the door. Head Teacher Li was somewhat puzzled, and then a furry head popped out from the wide-open door.

Ye Wangxing smiled cheerfully at him.

He held persimmons in his hand that he had picked from the school’s persimmon tree earlier.

“Hehe, Old Li, look what I brought you, ta-da-da-da! The persimmons I promised you more than half a month ago! The ones before didn’t marinate well, but this batch tastes pretty good. Oh, this one is for Principal Zheng, remember to peel it. I marinated it, it’s definitely delicious.”

Head Teacher Li looked at this youthful, energetic boy proudly holding up the persimmons as if presenting treasure. His previously irritated heart gradually relaxed like being soaked in warm water.

Clearly, this kid was one of the trouble sources, but honestly, Head Teacher Li really could not bring himself to dislike him.

‘What fault could this kid have? Isn’t it just that he’s too lovable…’

Head Teacher Li sighed as he watched the boy place the persimmons on his desk.

The words ‘Don’t keep them to eat yourself on the way back’ hovered on the tip of his tongue for a while but ultimately were not said aloud. Instead, they turned into action.

Ye Wangxing was still reminding Head Teacher Li how to eat the persimmons when, in the next moment, a big arm hooked around him and vigorously started ruffling his head.

“You little rascal! You just know how to cause me trouble!” Head Teacher Li said through clenched teeth.

He tousled the boy’s hair into a mess before finally letting go of the lovable yet exasperating kid.

Turning away as if he had finally vented some pressure, Head Teacher Li walked happily toward the principal’s office carrying the persimmons.

Before leaving, he threw a sentence to Ye Wangxing.

“I got the persimmons. You can go back to class now. Oh, and remember to tell your classmates — don’t try any tricks during the parents’ meeting. I remember perfectly what all your parents look like.”

The boy, looking like a little golden retriever with messy fur after being roughed up: “…”

Head Teacher Li finally couldn’t stand his tormenting any longer. Was he crazy?

 

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