Chapter 38: Such Aggression

Zhuang Wenqian was, after all, no longer young — a tender twenty-eight years old.

She had been standing on that three-inch podium since her university internship. From junior to wife, she'd taught batch after batch of students — what storm hadn't she weathered?

The little schemes of high school boys — she'd seen plenty, no matter how bizarre.

If one were to start from impressions of the science-class boys as a group, and then conclude that all science boys were straightforward creatures with no beating around the bush and simple interpersonal relations—

That would be pure stereotype.

One could only say most science-class boys came with a natural dullness to them, easy-going and good to get along with — but wherever there are people, there's the jianghu.

If "science student ≠ no bad intentions" holds, then "student who says (Big sis, I'm a student, can you let me copy?) = innocent" also holds.

How is that any different from the line "he's still a child"?

Zhuang Wenqian was steady as an old dog at this moment. She'd been teaching at Zhennan Middle School for six years now — her conscience had shrunk to the same size as her salary.

A rookie teacher would probably have already gone with the flow and let Jiang Nian start translating on the spot. When he got stuck, she'd seize the chance to lecture him with a stern face.

That would really be over.

Making someone ranked among the top in English in the class develop a rebellious streak — they'd be down here opposing you every single day. And if you happened to bump into a rebel ringleader, that's truly game over.

"Is that so?"

"Then please, Jiang Nian, translate it for us — it just so happens we need to go over this reading comprehension in detail." Zhuang Wenqian's voice was sweet, then she suddenly turned her head toward Yu Tongjie.

"That student, come up and translate together. We'll go sentence by sentence, compare, and explain."

At her words, Yu Tongjie froze on the spot.

Wait — it wasn't me who didn't write the test, so why is the English teacher calling me up to translate? On this reading comprehension, he'd only half-guessed his way through a third of it.

On the podium, Zhuang Wenqian saw Yu Tongjie hadn't moved, and her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

"That new student, please come up to the podium, alright?"

Qian-bao, whose bottom line was flexible, put on her pretty little face. She knew full well that throwing a cold look at a thick-skinned student like Jiang Nian was useless — he took soft and never hard.

But that trick worked like a charm on the honest, plain-looking, average-grades student whose name she couldn't even remember. This was the moment to bring out the teacher's authority!

Sure enough, after being scolded, Yu Tongjie stood up, face pale as a sheet. Test paper pinched in hand, he left his seat and walked up to the podium with his head lowered.

The class looked on — oh-ho, the fire-starter and the fire-target, competing on the same stage.

Jiang Nian stood on the podium, to Qian-bao's right, near the window of the third row. He turned to look at the nervous Yu Tongjie and thought, Qian-bao sure knows how to play!

If he couldn't translate it, he'd only lose a bit of face. But Yu Tongjie wouldn't fare much better either — that way, each gets fifty lashes, and he wouldn't blame her.

If he could translate it, then that cheap bastard Yu Tongjie would be the one embarrassed.

Jiang Nian was sharp-witted to begin with, and with the memory bread absorbing knowledge from six subjects, the memory palace that took others massive training to build, he completed with ease.

After filling in his vocabulary, looking at an English test paper was as simple as drinking water.

He glanced expressionlessly down at the blank paper — no different from reading an elementary school essay. The moment his eyes swept over it, his mind automatically translated it into sentences.

He thought, Yu Tongjie, you son of a bitch, targeting me.

This time I won't wreck you!

"Alright, students, look at the first sentence." Zhuang Wenqian read it aloud, then turned to look at her two "guardian generals" on either side. "Who's going first?"

"Ohhh!!" A group in the class immediately got hyped up — anyone could tell Yu Tongjie's provocation had some personal grudge behind it. "I want to see blood flow like a river!"

Holy crap, it's a real-life PK — Qian-bao really knows how to put on a show.

Jiang Nian said coolly, "Let him translate first. He can't stand my 140 anyway, goes around telling everyone I cheated. If he gets it wrong, I'll correct him on the spot."

"Holy shit!"

"Holy shit!!! That's insane!"

"Too strong, too explosive — going straight for the throat!"

The moment Jiang Nian's words fell, the class erupted with unprecedented enthusiasm. Eating melon was human nature, and a public catfight was the king of kings!

There were always a few students in the class who, no matter when, kept their ears deaf to the world outside and buried their heads in their own work. Now they too looked up, faces instantly flushing red.

The affliction of feeling embarrassed for others — truly...

Qian-bao was also cringing — a direct frontal attack, right to the face!

Chinese people are reserved by nature; even the biggest conflicts, they're used to resolving privately. A single "everyone's watching" can soften someone who was about to curse out loud.

Valuing face, fearing embarrassment — not wanting to lose face themselves, nor wanting the other to lose face publicly.

According to the standard Chinese campus script—

The proper flow should be: Jiang Nian already knows about the grudge but doesn't go public. Instead, he proves with his real strength that he didn't cheat.

Then he gives Yu Tongjie a contemptuous smile, while Yu Tongjie can only grit his teeth and admit defeat. The teacher then vindicates Jiang Nian, and classmates gossip about Yu Tongjie.

Afterward, surrounded by a circle of friends, Jiang Nian tosses out a light line.

"Just a touch of frost, that's all."

His friends all give a thumbs-up — Brother Nian's got real skill, real class. In ancient times he'd definitely be a scholar-general — a fierce scholar-general!

But now, who expected Jiang Nian to play by a different script.

He went straight for the throat.

One sentence, information overload — the classmates clearly received several pieces of intel: Yu Tongjie was jealous, spread rumors everywhere, that's why he provoked just now.

Beaver, truly beaver.

Jiang Nian's response was hard too — every sentence Yu Tongjie translated, he'd correct. Wasn't that just saying Yu Tongjie couldn't cut it, once again confirming the above intel? Aggression maxed out.

Oh, I see.

When had the academic champions of the honors class ever seen such a fierce, vicious person — tearing into someone right in their face? The excitement was no less than watching a foreign paternity-test show.

English teacher Qian-bao was now the judge.

Truth or fake, decided in one second.

Anticipation maxed out — every face in the class was flushed, spirits running abnormally high. Some stood right up, some were slapping their desks.

Li Hua stood right up on the bench. "Nian-ge! Awesome!!"

How was Jiang Nian's English? How could their whole circle not know? Sometimes even Zhang Ningzhi, when she forgot a word, would turn and ask Jiang Nian directly.

Holy shit! Eighteen years alive, and this is the first time I've watched a power-fantasy scene in real life!

The big fatty Ma Guojun stood up too, his face flushed with excitement to the point of overheating, his blazing intensity on par with Brother Jujube. He pushed his glasses up three times in a row and shouted.

"Nian-ge, awesome!"

Ma Guojun was over the moon. Who the hell could've imagined this, let alone have it happen to them? Plenty of people wanted to stir up drama, but none had the guts — they could never pull off something like this in their whole life!

Yao Beibei was egging him on too. Who the hell is Yu Tongjie? She only recognizes Jiang Nian!

Zhang Ningzhi's eyes had a physiological film of tears in her seat — her old habit of feeling embarrassed on other people's behalf had flared up again. She thought to herself that if she put herself in that position, no matter which side, she would definitely have burst into tears by now.