After Being Taken by the Eldest Young Lady - Chapter 7

When Fang Yize arrived at Class 10-2, a large crowd of students was gathered at the door. The classroom itself was in a state of absolute chaos; chairs and desks had been overturned and were strewn across the floor.

Chen Xinyi and Jin Shengtan were locked in a physical struggle, wrestling with each other. None of their classmates stepped forward to intervene; instead, they sat on their desks, clapping and cheering. The sight immediately ignited a flare of anger in Fang Yize.

Several scratch marks were already visible on Jin Shengtan’s face, while Chen Xinyi’s high ponytail had been tugged into a messy ruin. While other headteachers were worrying about potential teenage romances between their male and female students, Fang Yize was facing a full-blown physical brawl.

Even though Fang Yize was standing right in front of them, the two continued as if she were invisible. This was a stark testament to how much she had failed as a headteacher. Perhaps it was her usual relaxed and easygoing demeanor that gave the students the illusion that she was a pushover, or perhaps it was simply because she possessed a face that looked “easy to bully.”

Fang Yize didn’t say a word. She pulled out her phone, opened the camera, and aimed the lens first at the two students still fighting, and then at the boy sitting on the desk clapping and cheering.

She remained silent. Only after she had finished filming the video did she return to the podium. The classroom, which had been like a pot of boiling water, saw its ripples dissipate into a dead silence.

Fang Yize wasn’t particularly skilled at handling these types of disputes, but she knew exactly what these students feared most. At an age where their self-esteem was higher than the sky, they were terrified of their parents being called or having their misconduct exposed to the public eye.

The silence lasted barely three seconds before the class bell began to ring. Chen Xinyi and Jin Shengtan obediently started walking toward the back of the classroom.

“Who told you to stand in the back?” Fang Yize asked.

Usually, because these students stayed up too late studying and would doze off in class the next morning, Fang Yize would let them stand at the back to stay awake. Over time, they had developed the habit of assuming that standing at the back was the standard punishment for doing something wrong.

“Jin Shengtan, why did you snatch Chen Xinyi’s test paper?”

“Teacher, she got the highest score in English for the whole class. The highest! Has she ever even been in the top five for English before?” Jin Shengtan stood with his hands behind his back and one leg bent, looking utterly defiant.

Fang Yize replied, “Does the fact that she hasn’t made it before mean she can never make it in the future? Is it right to baselessly deny another student’s hard work?”

Jin Shengtan countered, “Then she should prove that she didn’t cheat!”

“Why should she have to prove her innocence? Shouldn’t the person pointing out the problem be the one to prove she cheated?”

Fang Yize tapped on the blackboard and stepped to the side. “Come, I’ll hand the podium over to you. You come up here and analyze exactly how Chen Xinyi cheated.”

“How should I know?”

“Then how do you know she only got first place by cheating?”

At that moment, Chen Xinyi raised her hand. Her eyes were steady, and her voice was full of confidence. “Teacher, since he has no evidence to prove I cheated, I can prove myself. I can retake the test right now in front of the whole class.”

Hearing this, Jin Shengtan let out a disdainful sneer. “Who wants to waste time watching you do that?”

“What’s the matter? Are you afraid that if I finish it and rightfully claim the top spot, you’ll feel embarrassed?”

“Tch, fine. Go ahead. If you get the exact same score as the last exam, I’ll call you ‘Dad’!”

“Don’t,” Chen Xinyi snapped back disdainfully. “I don’t want such a useless son. A public apology will suffice.”

The remark sent the entire class into fits of laughter. Fang Yize found it amusing too, but she held it in. In a situation like this, she could not let her guard down or lose her aura of authority for a single second.

Thus, Fang Yize obtained another copy of the previous exam from the English teacher. Using the time allotted for Chinese class, she allowed Chen Xinyi to prove her innocence. The English teacher also stayed in the room, curious to see the outcome.

Chen Xinyi wrote furiously. From the listening section onwards, she was at ease, never glancing sideways. In the end, she achieved a score two points higher than her previous attempt.

“Perfect score, except for two points deducted from the essay,” the English teacher said, holding up the paper for the class to see.

Fang Yize spoke up: “Jin Shengtan, you must pay the price for your words and actions. A one-thousand-word self-reflection. Next Monday, after the flag-raising ceremony, I will arrange five minutes for you to read your reflection and offer a sincere apology to Chen Xinyi.”

“Now, let’s continue with the lesson.”

After the final period, the rain outside was still falling, though it was much lighter than in the morning.

In this kind of weather, the school corridors were inevitably damp and slippery. Students were often in a rush to get to the cafeteria, and it was common for them to slip and fall. In the short time after school let out, Fang Yize had already helped several students up in the hallway.

The reason she was standing in the noisy corridor was that she was waiting for someone.

Chen Xinyi and Jin Shengtan walked out separately from the front and back doors. Fang Yize intercepted them immediately.

“Teacher, I’m in a hurry to eat. If there’s something to say, let’s talk after I eat, or there won’t be any food left,” Jin Shengtan said.

Fang Yize replied, “It’s fine. You two are coming with me to the faculty cafeteria.”

And so, Chen Xinyi and Jin Shengtan followed on either side of Fang Yize like bodyguards. Since they couldn’t stand the sight of each other, they both stared straight ahead as they walked resolutely into the faculty cafeteria.

Once they had gotten their food and sat down, Fang Yize took out two small white jars of ointment from her bag and placed them in front of the two students.

“Teacher Fang, what is this?”

“Ointment. Applying it to the wounds will prevent scarring. It’s very effective,” Fang Yize said, taking a sip of her Americano.

Chen Xinyi noticed the jars were unopened and asked, “How do you know it’s effective? Have you used it?”

Fang Yize set down her coffee and shared her experience with a touch of humor. “Of course! When I was your age, I was just like you—fighting with classmates. My back was accidentally slashed with a knife, leaving a very long gash. It was thanks to this ointment that it didn’t leave a scar.”

“Ah… Teacher Fang, you don’t look like the type who would get into fights,” Jin Shengtan said, casting a disdainful glance at the person sitting next to him before adding, “Usually, girls who like to fight are very fierce.”

Fang Yize clicked her tongue. “Don’t speak about girls that way. That was her way of protecting herself. Besides, the fact that she could beat you until you were forced to back down is a skill in itself.”

“However, in the future, if you can use your words, don’t use your hands. If I see a fight like this again, I won’t hesitate to post the video to the parents’ group chat and invite your parents to the office for tea!”

“Alright, I know I was wrong.”

Jin Shengtan was a bit mumble-mouthed, but Fang Yize didn’t force him to repeat it. She knew he was simply trying to save face and was too embarrassed to admit his mistake openly.

Fang Yize then turned her gaze toward Chen Xinyi and advised gently, “Xinyi, it’s best not to keep your nails that long. Not only might you scratch others, but you might even scratch yourself if you aren’t careful.”

“Teacher, long nails look good.”

“It’s a good thing for girls to love beauty. You see, I love getting my nails done too. But you are still a student right now. Every stage of life has its appropriate activities. You can do them after the National College Entrance Examination. At that time, you can even come and discuss with me which styles look the best.”

It was hard to tell if Chen Xinyi truly took the advice to heart, but she nodded thoughtfully with her eyes cast down.

Most students at No. 1 High School were boarders, with very few day students. Fang Yize hoped that by the time they went home for the weekend, the scars would have faded quickly so their parents wouldn’t worry. That was why she had bought the high-quality ointment.

Of course, the story about her back being slashed with a knife wasn’t a lie made up to prove the ointment’s effectiveness; it was a true experience. The scar was still on her back, though it was much lighter than before and invisible from a normal social distance. Their scratches were very shallow; if they applied the ointment daily, they would surely disappear within a week.

At 8:30 PM, a weary Fang Yize dragged herself from the underground garage into the elevator. From the garage to her front door, her feet practically shuffled against the ground; they felt too heavy to lift.

The first thing she did upon arriving home was order takeout. Then she went into the bathroom to shower. By the time she finished, her food had just arrived at the door. She found a show to watch while she ate, then began grading assignments and preparing for tomorrow’s classes while wearing a face mask.

Suddenly, it was 11:00 PM.

Even when busy, one could not forget skincare. She peeled off the mask and spent another half hour on her routine. Just as she was about to climb into bed, her phone rang.

It was her dear mother.

“Hello, Ms. Guo. Still awake this late?”

Guo Jingxian’s familiar laughter came through the phone. “I just finished work. What about you? You sound so exhausted.”

While pulling the air-conditioning quilt over herself, Fang Yize said, “Tomorrow is another day full of classes. I’m just getting tired in advance.”

“Your voice isn’t in great shape either. You must have had many classes today,” Guo Jingxian said. “After I finish up these next two days, I won’t have much to do for a while. When the time comes, come over, and I’ll cook a meal for you myself.”

“Okay. How’s Sister?”

“Your sister is busy rejecting suitors.”

Fang Yize burst out laughing, thinking to herself: Compared to my full schedule, Ms. Fang Xize, who has to deal with work while fending off the opposite sex, is probably even more tired.

Guo Jingxian added, “What about you? You’ve been working at the school for over a year now. Have you met anyone you like?”

“Definitely not! If I make a friend like that, I’ll tell you immediately!”

“Good, good. It’s late; get some rest.”

“Goodnight, Mom.”

Whenever Fang Yize finished a call with her family, her tensed nerves would relax slightly. This went to show how important mutual care between people truly is. For tomorrow’s packed schedule, she was suddenly filled with vitality again.

At the same time, the sudden torrential rain in Yuegang City had left some people’s rooms looking like they had been hit by a home invasion!

Before Jiang Xule even opened her front door, she saw water flowing out from underneath it. The flow wasn’t large, but it clearly indicated that things were not good.

She quickly twisted the door open. What met her eyes was an unclosed balcony door and cheap curtains that were being whipped around by the wind after being soaked.

Trash that hadn’t been cleared from the living room was blown everywhere. Rainwater had poured in through the open door, leaving the room flooded. The television, which hadn’t been turned on since she moved in, was completely ruined.

Worst of all was the bed near the balcony. The quilt was sopping wet—so much so that you could wring a whole bucket of water out of it. The sofa, the clothes on the rack, the walls, and the ceiling—nothing was dry.

What absolute goddamn bad luck…

Jiang Xule stood frozen at the door for a good while. Only when she heard the footsteps of other residents did she quickly step inside and close the flimsy door, locking it behind her.

The splashing sound of her feet hitting the floor caused a nameless fire to surge up from her heart. But this mess was the result of her own carelessness. She couldn’t very well direct that anger at herself and throw a tantrum, could she? So, she stood there, took a series of deep breaths, and forced herself to calm down.

Then, she took a photo with her phone, posted it to her WeChat Moments, and rolled up her sleeves to get to work.

The caption for the photo read: After a long day of work, my exhausted heart finally died when I came home to see this landfill.

Because she had attended a class reunion recently, she had added many old classmates on WeChat. Some had reconnected over the past few days, so the number of likes and comments on her posts had increased.

Jiang Xule had been an orphan since childhood. She lived with her grandparents from primary school until the second year of junior high. After they passed away, she supported herself. Which classmate didn’t know she was a “poverty student”? Which classmate didn’t know she had been receiving financial aid throughout school? She had long ago endured the judgmental looks and the vaguely meaningful “concern” of others, so she no longer cared.

Even if she had to put her suffering on display for others to see, it didn’t matter, because she firmly believed that one day, through her own hard work, she would live in a luxury penthouse.

And so, she spent the night cleaning until 2:00 AM. Coincidentally, the courier’s shift coverage had ended; she would give herself a day off tomorrow and get some good sleep.

She spent that night sleeping on the floor, using musty sheets pulled from the cupboard. Fortunately, it was summer. Sleeping on floor tiles that had just been mopped with cold water felt much more comfortable than the air conditioning.

The next morning, Fang Yize saw a yellow alert for heavy rain in the weather forecast. She looked at the downpour outside, struggled internally for a moment, and then quickly packed up to head out, fearing the rain would get even worse.

Along the way, she could hear students who lived off-campus complaining. In such heavy rain, some students, for the sake of convenience, didn’t even use umbrellas and just ran toward the school through the deluge.

In any case, you could see anything on the roads on a rainy day—even a strange middle-aged man standing in the rain using shampoo to wash his hair.

Her car stopped in the parking shed. Fang Yize had worn flip-flops specifically to avoid getting her shoes wet. Holding a large black umbrella, she walked toward the teaching building.

As it turned out, plans couldn’t keep up with changes. She had just sat down at her desk when she heard other teachers standing up from their chairs in excitement, holding their phones and shouting, “The school just sent a notice! Because the alert has been upgraded to red, classes are canceled!”

After seeing the notification, Fang Yize truly regretted not struggling at home for a little while longer…