The Truth Comes Out

Behind the bushes outside the school cafeteria, several girls who were usually very naughty in class were chattering away, including Jiang Lin, whom the class monitor had mentioned.

"Lately, Jiang Xueli's been with Lin Zhengran all day. Do you think the two of them have found out something?"

"Probably not. How would they even investigate something like this? When we put the phone in her desk cubby, there wasn't anyone around."

"No one was around, sure, but Lin Zhengran is the top student in our class. I'm scared he might figure out it was us."

"Then what do we do? I never thought this would blow up so badly. If we tell the teacher now, all our parents will be called in. We'll all get expelled!"

The more they talked, the more panicked they became. These past few days, they had been restless because of this matter too.

Around the corner outside the bushes, Lin Zhengran and Jiang Xueli were pressed against the wall.

Jiang Xueli held a recorder in her hand. After listening to the whole thing, she gritted her teeth. "Those jerks! So it really was them! I won't let them off!"

Lin Zhengran shushed Jiang Xueli, signaling for her not to speak, because those people had started talking about Jiang Xiao.

Then they heard the girls say, "Right, what was up with Jiang Xiao that day? Why did she point Jiang Xueli out in class? She wasn't there when we put the phone and money there."

Jiang Lin answered, "I forgot to tell you guys. Actually, when we put the phone there that day, Jiang Xiao saw us. But she said she wouldn't report us and said she'd pretend she hadn't seen anything. I didn't expect her to point Jiang Xueli out in class either."

"That makes sense. Jiang Xiao likes Lin Zhengran, doesn't she? She doesn't like Jiang Xueli."

At the corner, Jiang Xueli heard this and hadn't expected that she really had guessed right. She turned off the recorder and said quietly to Lin Zhengran, "Now everything's clear. The evidence has been saved too."

Lin Zhengran smiled. "You'll be able to clear your name right away. Now, are you planning to go straight to the teacher, or scare them a little here first? If you walk out now holding that recorder, do you believe all of them will cry?"

Jiang Xueli clenched her fists angrily. "Of course I'm going to scare them first! Even if they're classmates, this is way too bullying! I can't just swallow this anger for nothing!"

Jiang Xueli flicked her twin ponytails, held her head high, puffed out her chest, and walked out from around the corner holding the recorder.

Her voice rang out like daybreak. "Don't you think what you did was going too far?!"

Her shout really scared those girls so badly that each of them trembled, their eyes panicked. "J-Jiang Xueli?! And Lin Zhengran. Why are you two here..."

Jiang Xueli raised the recorder. "What do you think? I've already recorded everything you just said. After doing so many awful things, you can just wait for the teacher to call your parents!"

Lin Zhengran naturally walked out too, but before the two of them could say anything else...

More than half of those girls suddenly went pale with fright and burst straight into tears, sobbing one after another as they said sorry, sorry, and that they hadn't expected things to become this serious and so on.

In particular, Jiang Lin, who was the ringleader, was even the first to cry.

Lin Zhengran was speechless. Kids really were kids. They couldn't hold it together at all.

Of course, no matter how loudly they cried, it was useless. This matter definitely had to be told to the teacher and made known to everyone. At most, depending on Jiang Xueli's mood, the punishment could be adjusted according to whether Jiang Xueli forgave them or not.

But before telling the teacher, Jiang Xueli also went to find her deskmate, Jiang Xiao.

This time, Lin Zhengran didn't go, because Jiang Xueli said, "If you say this has nothing to do with her, it does. If you say it does have something to do with her, it also doesn't. I'll go talk to her myself."

Lin Zhengran shrugged. "Up to you. I'm just helping out anyway."

Jiang Xueli found Jiang Xiao alone and told her that she already knew everything, and had even gotten a recording of those people chatting.

Jiang Xiao lowered her head. She did not cry, but her expression was extremely conflicted and pained.

It seemed she had long known it would turn out like this.

She even said to Jiang Xueli, "I knew this couldn't stay hidden. Since Lin Zhengran was helping you investigate, he's so smart that he definitely would have found out. I'm sorry."

Jiang Xueli's face was cold. "It's too late for you to say sorry now. I'll ask the teacher to change seats. In the future, we won't be deskmates anymore."

Seeing that the other girl had nothing to say, she turned to leave, but Jiang Xiao suddenly crouched down crying and covered her face.

"Jiang Xueli, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done something like this. I'll never do it again. I don't even know why I did that that day, but I really don't like seeing you two together."

"Actually..." Seeing her pained expression, Jiang Xueli told the truth. "Actually, my relationship with him wasn't that good at first either. If you hadn't caused all this trouble this time, maybe we wouldn't have eaten and chatted together these past few days, and wouldn't have become this close."

Jiang Xiao cried even harder.

After saying that, Jiang Xueli left, completely unaware that those words hurt far more than directly scolding her would have.

That afternoon, Jiang Xueli did not even bring the recorder. She directly brought those girls, Jiang Xiao, and the class monitor to the Class Teacher's office together.

She explained the whole matter clearly from beginning to end.

It left the Class Teacher stunned. After learning the truth, she harshly scolded the girls and called in the students' parents, except for the class monitor's.

That group of girls then received a second round of scolding. All afternoon, there was nothing but crying in the office.

After the scolding, the Class Teacher also apologized to Jiang Xueli privately. "I'm sorry, Jiang Xueli. Last time, I shouldn't have said that about you in class. I'll help you restore your position as Disciplinary Committee Member. I'm sorry."

Jiang Xueli smiled and nodded.

Early the next morning, all the students of fourth-grade Class Two sat upright in the classroom.

The Class Teacher sternly reiterated the matter from the podium:

"Regarding the theft incident in our class last time, after investigation, it has been proven that Jiang Xueli was wronged! She did not take the class monitor's things or everyone's money at all. As for those who wronged her, I won't mention their names here! If Jiang Xueli hadn't forgiven you, this matter would not have ended so easily!"

"But even if she has forgiven you, you all know very well what you did! I hope you remember this lesson! From now on, keep this matter in your hearts at all times! And properly thank Jiang Xueli! If a similar incident happens in our class again in the future, I absolutely will not let the culprit off as lightly as I did this time!"

The Class Teacher spoke herself hoarse for more than ten minutes. Although she did not name names, everyone knew who it was at a glance, and those who had usually followed along in wronging Jiang Xueli also looked deeply embarrassed.

The Class Teacher said, "I announce that from today onward, Jiang Xueli's position as Disciplinary Committee Member is officially restored. I hope that in the future, she can better carry out the duties of Disciplinary Committee Member in class. Everyone, give our Disciplinary Committee Member a round of applause!"

The applause from the whole class grew from quiet to loud, and Jiang Xueli sat there a little bashfully.

The theft incident was completely over after a week.

Everything returned to normal. Children really did not hold on to things for long, and the theft was soon downplayed by everyone.

Jiang Xueli was still the same as before. Whenever she saw someone talking or chatting, she would swiftly write their name on the blackboard.

A mischievous boy asked, "Disciplinary Committee Member, do you really like Lin Zhengran? If I say I'm close with him, can you not write my name down?"

Jiang Xueli blushed and said, "What nonsense are you talking about?! Who said I—"

She shut her eyes and suddenly changed her words, saying shyly, "I can like whoever I want! What's it got to do with you?! I'm going to write your name right at the very top!"

As soon as the class heard that, even more people started teasing her. "The Disciplinary Committee Member really does like Lin Zhengran! Look, she's blushing!"

Jiang Xueli stood there, embarrassed and angry. She even looked back at the indifferent Lin Zhengran, which made her even angrier. In a rush of blood to the head, the words slipped right out:

"What's it got to do with any of you?! So what if I do like him?! Anyone who keeps making a fuss, I'll write all your names on the blackboard! I'll put every single one of you on the blackboard!"

The whole class froze a little, and Jiang Xueli froze there too.