After The Honest Person Was Discovered For Simultaneously Pursuing Three People - Chapter 76.1

Chapter 76.1: The Genius Transfer Student

Liu Yuliang’s impassioned speech stirred up people who were previously just neutral observers. Many of them were also transfer students, and even though they were now official Oksonte students, the memories of being treated “unfairly” were still vivid. They immediately spoke up to support him:

“I feel you. This is my first time posting on the forum, all for the LZ (author of the post). This time, I’m on the LZ’s side!”

“LZ, don’t be afraid of retaliation from those rich kids. The world still has more common people. They’re just useless parasites living off their parents.”

“What’s the update? Has the cheating report been announced?”

“The LZ’s words remind me of something. When I was a transfer student, a rich student of mine complained that I smelled and wouldn’t let me study… I almost dropped out. Glad I made it through. Hang in there, LZ.”

“Was the LZ’s ranking suppressed by TN’s cheating score? If so, I also support the LZ.”

…

This post once again surged to the top of the hot topics. Some people who didn’t fully understand the situation also joined the crusade. The matter even reached the teachers of the senior grades, until it was eventually brought to the attention of Teacher Yang, the homeroom teacher of Class 2.

“What?!” Teacher Yang shot up from his desk. “Tao Ning cheated? Why haven’t I received any news from the Academic Affairs Office?”

The teacher who told him was the homeroom teacher of the neighboring Class 1. He showed Teacher Yang the forum page. “Oh, you know how slow the Academic Affairs Office is. Look, the student forum is all abuzz. Did he really cheat?”

Class 1 and Class 2 were known as the two best classes in the whole school, and they also received the fewest transfer students. However, Class 1 only had two students in the top five of the grade, ranking second and fifth. The rest of the top students were in Class 2. The homeroom teacher of Class 1 already felt unbalanced, and now another transfer student in Class 2 had come out of nowhere to take the second place in the grade, so the Class 1 homeroom teacher was naturally happy to see Teacher Yang flustered.

Teacher Yang said sternly, “Don’t say anything until the results are out. I’m going to the Academic Affairs Office first.”

He also called Tao Ning’s cousin. The phone rang a few times and was answered, though it was still early and the voice on the other end was a bit hoarse. “…Teacher Yang? What’s the matter?”

Teacher Yang was about to talk about Tao Ning’s cheating scandal, but the voice on the phone suddenly said, “Sorry, please wait a moment.”

“Oh… okay, okay.” Teacher Yang had just met Tao Ning’s cousin not long ago. He had been given very expensive tea and a calligraphy set, with the cousin saying it was to thank him for his guidance.

Although Tao Ning’s cousin looked like he smiled often, he was very tall and dressed in all black. The aura he unintentionally exuded was extremely oppressive.

Concluding that this was a person of power, Teacher Yang was subconsciously a little intimidated. But then, Teacher Yang heard the voice on the other end become incredibly gentle, seemingly coaxing someone in a low voice.

He could only vaguely make out words like “be good,” “go back to sleep,” and “go outside.”

Who was this person? Teacher Yang was surprised but quickly figured it out. It must be his girlfriend, as only a girlfriend would be by his side so early in the morning.

After a while, the voice on the phone seemed to have moved to a different location and came through clearly and deeply: “Teacher Yang, please continue.”

“Here’s what happened…” Teacher Yang briefly explained the situation about the forum and Tao Ning’s alleged cheating.

There was a silence on the other end of the phone. Teacher Yang quickly added, “I’m going to the Academic Affairs Office now to verify the situation. Mr. Tao Ning’s family, please don’t worry. But if Tao Ning is feeling better, I suggest he come to school. This matter has become quite big, and it would be best for Tao Ning to come to school and prove himself. If it turns out to be a misunderstanding, the Academic Affairs Office will definitely punish the students who spread the rumors.”

Zhao Jingqun agreed and hung up the phone. His face instantly turned dark. It wasn’t just this matter, but also what Old Second Sun had recently relayed to him from Song Yucong. Tao Ning was still in the observation period and needed to rest. Zhao Jingqun originally wanted to keep him at home for a while, but now it seemed Tao Ning had to go out.

But he would absolutely not let go of the people who dared to spread rumors about Tao Ning cheating. Zhao Jingqun immediately called Old Second Sun, “Find some people to look into the matter of Tao Ning’s cheating. Give me a list of the people behind the rumors.”

After yesterday, Zhao Jingqun had taken Tao Ning back to the apartment and put the two giant Optimus Primes in the study. Tao Ning said he wanted to assemble them, but Zhao Jingqun, seeing the bluish-purple needle marks on his hands, refused without a second thought.

As a result, his little baby was unhappy and threw a tantrum on the spot. It took Zhao Jingqun a long time to calm him down, and he even bought him a less complicated, basic Lego set that night. Only then was this little ancestor, whose temper had grown, satisfied enough to go to sleep, and he had slept all the way until now.

Zhao Jingqun pushed the door into the bedroom. A small bundle was tucked under the soft comforter.

The boy was wrapped up like a hibernating animal, but his posture was still perfectly upright, with only his little head showing. His breathing was even, and the small tantrum from being woken up was gone.

Shaking his head helplessly, Zhao Jingqun pecked the boy’s pouting lips like a butterfly. “Baby, time to get up.”

The boy visibly frowned but said “Oh” with his mouth. Seeing him still half-asleep, Zhao Jingqun’s heart ached again.

Zhao Jingqun was the person who knew best how much Tao Ning had suffered. He swallowed dozens of pills and capsules the size of a thumbnail, and his IV drip never stopped day or night. Because he couldn’t be given anesthetic or painkillers all the time, Tao Ning endured all the pain alone. When he was occasionally awake, he would still read books.

How could such a good and strong baby cheat? Zhao Jingqun’s heart ached so much he wanted to shoot the people who spread rumors about Tao Ning cheating, but he would also respect Tao Ning’s wishes and not use brute force to quell the matter. He could silence people, but he couldn’t change their biased hearts.

Besides, Zhao Jingqun believed Tao Ning had the ability to prove himself.

He gently touched Tao Ning’s soft cheek. “Silly baby, if you don’t get up, the sun will be on your butt.”

Unexpectedly, Tao Ning burrowed his head into the covers like a snail. A muffled voice came from inside: “…The apartment’s location won’t let the sun shine on my butt.”

Zhao Jingqun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He took off his shoes and burrowed into the comforter too. In the dim light, his eyes met a pair of hazy ones, and his heart completely melted. He pulled Tao Ning into his arms and, while kissing him, said, “Teacher Yang called. He said there’s something you need to handle.”

Hearing it was something from school, Tao Ning woke up a lot. He still said “Oh” slowly, but he didn’t throw a getting-up tantrum anymore.

He crawled out of the comforter, sat up, and stretched. He was immediately pulled into the man’s arms to be dressed. He had slightly resisted this a few times, but seeing that the man genuinely enjoyed dressing him, he stopped struggling.

The boy’s skin was fair and rosy. A few teardrops from waking up still clung to his thick, long eyelashes. He sat languidly on the man’s muscular thighs, being served as he put on his school uniform, looking like a beautiful, miniature porcelain doll.

Seeing Tao Ning’s alluring appearance, Zhao Jingqun’s blood rushed down. His five fingers couldn’t help but tighten on the soft flesh of the person’s waist in his arms. He leaned in close to Tao Ning’s lean, smooth collarbone, sniffing and kissing eagerly. From a distance, it looked like a huge wolf dog humping on a soft, innocent young man, with its big wolf tail wagging like a propeller.

Tao Ning, who was pinned in the comforter: “…”

Finally, after Tao Ning reasoned with him, he managed to escape from the mountain-like weight. He quickly washed up, grabbed two steamed buns with vegetable filling, and went downstairs.

The man following behind him was nagging like a mother: “Baby, put on your glasses… Is that little bit for breakfast enough? I also brought a small bowl of porridge. Finish it in the car, silly baby. Let the driver drive today. We’ll sit in the back. Baby, did you hear me…”

When the two arrived at the school, it was just at the end of morning self-study. People were coming and going. When they saw Tao Ning, they stopped, covered their mouths, and began to whisper to their companions. “Hey, look, it’s that person from the forum.” “Are they going to the Academic Affairs Office?” “Let’s follow them.”

Some people wanted to stare at Tao Ning brazenly, but their eyes met the cold, gloomy gaze of the man behind Tao Ning, and they instantly backed down.

Zhao Jingqun was tall even by northern standards, let alone in the generally shorter south. He stood behind Tao Ning, towering over everyone. His fierce gaze swept over them, scaring those with bad intentions into shrinking their necks back.

But just for a moment, the cold gaze disappeared, replaced by a worried one: “Ning Ning, are you really not going to let me go in with you?”

Tao Ning didn’t know if Song Yucong and Xu Jun were at school. If they were, it would be bad if the three of them ran into each other at the same time. Tao Ning was determined not to let that happen and simply replied with a firm “Mhm.”

Zhao Jingqun couldn’t argue with him and reluctantly handed him the half-empty bowl of porridge. “You didn’t eat much this morning. There’s a microwave at school. Ning Ning, warm up this porridge and drink it later. It’s full of supplements and good for your body.”

Tao Ning nodded, thinking that’s why it tasted so strange, he didn’t like to drink it.

Zhao Jingqun saw through his thoughts with a single glance. “I’ll tell your Teacher Yang to watch you drink it. If you throw it away behind my back, I’ll cook you supplement porridge every night when you get home and make you eat a bowl of chicken soup.”

Tao Ning: “…Got it.”

The two of them stood there for a long time, arguing over whether to drink the bowl of porridge, completely unaware that the Academic Affairs Office was about to erupt into a huge fight. Liu Yuliang entered the office before Wang Peng. He bypassed Wang Peng and went directly to Teacher Zhang from the office. “Teacher, are the investigation results out?”

Teacher Zhang glanced at him. “They’re out, but did you post an inflammatory thread on the forum?”

Wang Peng immediately cursed, “This coward only knows how to spread rumors hiding behind his phone. If you have the guts, fight me…”

Teacher Zhang said speechlessly, “Shut up.”

“I’ll take responsibility!” Liu Yuliang’s face flushed. “But all I want is fairness. Is that wrong? I know there are many rich and powerful people at this school, but that doesn’t mean they can sell answers to others and help them cheat. This kind of behavior will break the hearts of students who take the exams fairly.”

He raised his voice. “If the second-place student at Oksonte can get there by cheating, then what’s the point of other students even taking exams? They might as well just cheat! As I suspected, Oksonte is a school monopolized by the wealthy. All that talk about educational authority and being a national school is a lie!”

Teacher Zhang stood up and said, “Don’t talk nonsense…”

Several students who came to watch the commotion were following behind Liu Yuliang. Some of them excitedly chimed in: “That’s so true! Let’s boycott cheaters!” These words instantly ignited the other students watching. Shouts of “Boycott cheating” rang out, one after another. The Academic Affairs Office occupied a whole floor, but there were also many students passing by. When they heard the noise, they all came over.

These noises directly alerted the director of the Academic Affairs Office. The shiny-bald director rushed out. “Which classes are you all from? Who is making a fuss here?!” Behind him, a tall man with long legs walked out, his steps unhurried. The man was wearing a custom-tailored satin gown with a blue ribbon tied around his neck. His features were devastatingly handsome, but he had a foul look on his face.

He stood with his arms crossed. It was Song Yucong.

As soon as the two appeared, the noisy atmosphere instantly died down, but there were still many whispers. Teacher Zhang came up to the director and explained the situation. Mid-sentence, Song Yucong, with his arms crossed, walked toward Liu Yuliang. The crowd automatically made way for the young master, who was famously known for his bad temper.

“You said someone gave Tao Ning answers to cheat,” Song Yucong sneered. “Who was that person?”

Seeing this, Liu Yuliang’s heart began to feel an inexplicable uneasiness, as the man’s aura was too strong, and he knew he couldn’t afford to provoke him. But people behind him were cheering him on, some of whom were not transfer students but other wealthy students who were also part of the elite circles. “Don’t be afraid. Speak up. We’ve got your back.”

At these words, Liu Yuliang instantly felt a surge of confidence. He puffed out his neck and said, “Don’t you already know who it is?”

“Are you saying it was me?”

“It was you and Xu Jun who gave Tao Ning the answers! Who at school doesn’t know that you two are helping Tao Ning?!”

It was a good thing Liu Yuliang hadn’t mentioned Xu Jun, but as soon as he did, Song Yucong’s sneer vanished, and his face turned dark. He took out his phone and said coldly, “I’ve recorded everything. You idiot who overestimates yourself, my lawyer will sue you until you’re bankrupt. Get out of my way.”

Song Yucong felt that even a glance at Liu Yuliang was a waste. He was about to leave, but then he saw the little tuft of hair sticking up on the head of the person in the back of the crowd. He stopped in his tracks and continued to confront Liu Yuliang. “How do you know Tao Ning cheated?”

Liu Yuliang didn’t understand why his attitude had changed so quickly, but he was still impassioned. “I was in the same exam room as him. In the first exam, for math, I saw with my own eyes that his scratch paper was completely blank. If he didn’t memorize the answers beforehand, how could he not use scratch paper for a math exam? If you don’t believe me, bring out his scratch paper…”

Oksonte issued scratch paper for every exam, and each subject had its own specific paper that had to be signed and submitted after the exam. Before long, Teacher Zhang brought a stack of papers. They were Tao Ning’s scratch papers for the six subjects. As Liu Yuliang had said, aside from some drafting marks for the essay in Chinese and a few scattered words on the biology scratch paper, the papers for the other subjects were completely blank.

The crowd erupted, and Liu Yuliang was instantly excited. “I told you it was true!”

Wang Peng couldn’t stand it any longer. He rushed out and grabbed Liu Yuliang by the collar. Someone screamed, and others tried to break up the fight. The scene was chaotic until a soft, clear voice rang out: “That… I didn’t cheat.”

The chaotic scene instantly fell silent. People looked at each other and quickly turned to the source of the voice, watching as the young man said “sorry” softly to the people around him as he entered the center of the crowd.

The young man seemed to have gotten even thinner than before. The custom-tailored school uniform made his frame look even more frail. His complexion was sickly pale, almost transparent, but the eyes behind his black-rimmed glasses were very bright, and his lips were slightly red.

It was as if he rarely appeared in front of a crowd, and surrounded by layers of people, he looked like a lamb that had wandered into a pack of wolves. He seemed a little timid and hesitant but never backed away.

Everyone looked at the suddenly appearing Tao Ning with suspicion. Liu Yuliang pushed away Wang Peng, who was holding his collar, and said angrily, “You say you didn’t cheat, so why is your scratch paper blank?!”

Tao Ning already knew what had happened in the car. Zhao Jingqun had tried to comfort him, but Tao Ning had actually been questioned like this before and was used to it. The reason he was flustered and hesitant was that he wasn’t used to being surrounded by people.

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