Who Do You Say is a Dog?

Teacher Ke, at the podium, certainly didn't miss the subtle interactions between Wen Leyu and Li Ye.

She didn't deliberately stop their note-passing, as they had known each other before, and in her impression, Li Ye was a bit of a "simpleton" but an extremely kind child.

This was very important, very important for her own daughter.

She was just a little puzzled; after only a few months apart, Li Ye's entire demeanor felt different.

His earlier denunciation of the class monitor, Xia Yue, was clear, sharp, and hit its mark precisely. It was hard to reconcile that with the shy boy she remembered.

Honestly, if Li Ye's face wasn't so distinctive, Teacher Ke might have thought she'd mistaken him for someone else.

Perhaps Lu Jingyao's departure isn't a bad thing for this child.

Teacher Ke graded the tests quickly. Students from Class One handed in their answer sheets one after another, and by the time everyone had submitted theirs, she had nearly finished grading.

Through reading aloud and the quick classroom quiz, she had gained a preliminary understanding of Class One's English proficiency.

Then, Teacher Ke erased the blackboard and rewrote a full board of English problems, beginning a detailed explanation.

This time, most students in Class One could understand. When Teacher Ke occasionally asked students questions, she received good feedback.

A master!

Li Ye couldn't help but admire Teacher Ke's precise control. He believed that with her arrival, the county's second high school's English scores would see a significant improvement this year.

As class was about to end, Teacher Ke assigned some homework and then asked who the English Class Representative for Class One was.

Xia Yue proudly stood up. "Teacher, I'm the English Class Representative."

Teacher Ke motioned for her to sit down and said, "Remember to hand in the homework to me by tomorrow morning. Class dismissed!"

"Stand up!"

"Goodbye, Teacher!"

As soon as Teacher Ke left the classroom, Xia Yue quickly rushed to the podium.

On the lectern were the test answer sheets the students had just submitted. Teacher Ke hadn't left any instructions, so Xia Yue, as the English Class Representative, naturally assumed it was her duty to announce the scores.

"Wu Chi, 31 points."

"Liu Mang, 34 points."

"Hu Man, 49 points."

"Jin Shengsheng, 50 points."

"Xia Yue, 55 points."

As Xia Yue read out her own test score, the corners of her mouth curved upwards.

Hu Man, the former monitor of Retake Class Two, had now been surpassed by her. Who else had the qualifications to compete with her for the Class One monitor position?

"Li Dayong, 33 points."

"Hong Zhiyuan, 26 points."

As the test answers on the lectern dwindled, Xia Yue grew more and more smug. The most elite students in the county were all here, and in English, no one was her match.

Until Xia Yue revealed the last two answer sheets.

"Wen Leyu."

Xia Yue stared in surprise at the paper filled with red checkmarks. After a few seconds, she managed to utter two words with difficulty: "100."

What followed was even more shocking.

The last answer sheet belonged to Li Ye. It was also filled with red checkmarks, not a single one crossed out.

Xia Yue instinctively turned to Li Ye and questioned, "Li Ye, did you cheat?"

Li Ye, who was writing his English homework, looked up at Xia Yue's accusation and coldly replied, "Can you speak like a human? Stop barking like a dog all day."

"..."

It took Xia Yue a full two seconds to understand Li Ye's meaning, and then she exploded.

"Who are you calling a dog? Who are you calling a dog? Who are you calling a dog?"

Li Ye slowly capped his pen and calmly said, "Anyone who bites when provoked is a dog. I was just bitten by a dog, so who am I calling a dog?"

"Li Ye, I'll f*** your mother, you stepchild!"

Overcome with rage, Xia Yue lost control and started spewing curses. (Don't assume girls don't curse.)

Then, she saw a book fly through the air and hit her forehead with a thud.

Xia Yue was stunned. Ever since she became the class monitor, no one had ever defied her, let alone inflicted physical harm.

"You wait, you just wait..."

After a brief moment of confusion, Xia Yue bolted out of the classroom and headed straight for the teachers' office.

Reporting to the teacher was a tactic she was all too familiar with.

No matter how capable or strong you were, as long as you were still a student, you had to bow down before a teacher.

Seeing Xia Yue storm out, Li Dayong sidled up and whispered worriedly, "Brother, that woman Xia Yue is trouble. She can twist anything. You should coordinate with Little Mute first."

"Colluding?" Li Ye blinked in surprise. "You think I cheated too?"

"It wasn't me."

Li Dayong was speechless, unable to utter a word.

You have no idea how capable you are, do you? Your college entrance exam score is worse than mine! Copying sixty or seventy points is one thing, but copying 100? Do you really think people are blind?

Li Dayong grumbled inwardly, but he couldn't really argue with Li Ye, leaving him feeling frustrated.

Suddenly, he felt a chill and looked up to see Wen Leyu staring at him coldly.

"Who did you call Little Mute?"

Wen Leyu's lips, normally a healthy 37 degrees, parted to unleash the biting cold of deep winter, yet her voice remained as melodious as a warbler's.

"..."

Li Dayong had accompanied Li Ye to Liuqiao Township Elementary School and had seen Wen Leyu before, but he had never seen her this sharp.

Why is it okay for others to call her Little Mute, but not me?

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I misspoke."

Confused, Li Dayong repeatedly apologized. But Wen Leyu continued to glare at him fiercely until Xia Yue returned to the classroom.

Xia Yue held her chin high and addressed Li Ye, "Li Ye, Wen Leyu, the teacher wants you in the office."

Li Ye had been mentally prepared, but upon hearing that Wen Leyu was also summoned, he immediately grew displeased. "What does this have to do with Wen Leyu? Don't just accuse anyone you see."

Xia Yue gritted her teeth, her chest heaving. "You copied Wen Leyu's answers, so how is it unrelated? She's a key witness."

Li Ye finally understood why Xia Yue was so certain he had cheated. It was because both his and Wen Leyu's answers were completely correct, and they were desk mates. Furthermore, Li Ye had been a poor student before. This series of suspicious points, when connected, formed a complete chain of evidence.

As they walked to the office, Xia Yue, leading the way, was clearly in high spirits, as if she could sentence Li Ye and execute him with the "dog-head guillotine" at any moment.

Perhaps she was thinking, Li Ye reported me for opening mail privately, so I'll report him for cheating. They cancel each other out... No, Li Ye's actions are more serious.

Watching her retreating back, Li Ye couldn't help but let out a silent chuckle.

You think you're the one scheming against me? Don't you know it's me scheming against you?

In fact, as soon as Li Ye knew he would be entering Retake Class One, he had decided to deal with Xia Yue.

Having someone like her, who constantly tried to gaslight others, as the class monitor? She would surely abuse her petty authority to the fullest.

Like a toad squatting on your foot, it might not bite, but it's disgusting enough to make you sick.

She had to be dealt with.

So, Xia Yue thought she had caught Li Ye red-handed, but she didn't realize that the moment she started hurling insults, she had already lost.

Li Ye might get a few reprimands for his insults, but how would the teacher view it when a class monitor curses?

It's like that question a seemingly fragile young girl asked online in later years.

"I want to go to ZB for barbecue. Is it safe there at night?"

"Extremely safe, because everyone there has to take the civil service exam."

Therefore, different identities come with different self-expectations.

What's the point of petty squabbles that don't hurt? Making a big deal and going to the office is the way to solve problems!

The teacher appointed you, Xia Yue, as the class monitor to help them resolve and eliminate trouble within the class, to lighten their burden. Are you constantly bothering the teachers with these pointless issues? Don't they need to rest?

What good are you then?