Establishing Credibility

"Teacher Zhou..."

The other teachers gave her a few half-hearted reprimands.

Zhou Yi had heard this sort of thing plenty of times, yet hadn't she still always gone her own way?

But hearing it now, Zhou Yi felt her face burn as if she'd been stripped bare in front of everyone.

Damn it!

When had she ever suffered like this?

When had she ever been so humiliated?

It was all because of that Nyarlathotep!

If he hadn't suddenly interfered, those cowards would have obediently listened to her after she'd made an example of one of them!

By the time this batch of students passed the entrance exams for the Inner Court, her teaching career would have gained another impressive achievement.

But this damn Nyarlathotep had ruined everything!

Xia Linyuan had no idea Zhou Yi's inner monologue was so elaborate. His All Words Spoken Shall Be Known ability wasn't mind reading.

"Gu Qingqi, is that any way to speak to Teacher Zhou? Hurry up and apologize to her!" he chided him, feigning reproach.

After Xia Linyuan scolded him, Gu Qingqi looked a little aggrieved. "Teacher Naiya, everything I said is true! Before you arrived, she called us trash and idiots. Just because we didn't fight during registration, she called us useless!"

"Teacher Naiya, what did we do wrong? Why should a stranger call us trash and idiots for no reason? Why should we be called useless just because we didn't fight? Is it just because she's our homeroom teacher?"

"Even our mothers, who carried us for ten months and went through so much to bring us into the world, wouldn't call us useless when we did something wrong. And we haven't even done anything! Does being our homeroom teacher mean she can say whatever she wants and insult us?"

"She was the one who started this from beginning to end. It wasn't your fault at all, Teacher Naiya. Why should you bear undeserved blame to protect her?"

Gu Qingqi spoke with such sincerity and heartfelt conviction that his words struck a chord with many of the students.

"Exactly, Teacher Naiya!"

"Teacher Naiya, she isn't worth you bearing undeserved blame to protect her!"

"Teacher Naiya, I, Gu Qingqi, refuse to accept this!!!"

Gu Qingqi had practically roared that last sentence, his voice even trembling with a hint of a sob.

It was clear just how deeply aggrieved they really were.

The students who felt the same exchanged glances. They saw the glimmer in one another's eyes, then declared firmly in unison, "We refuse to accept this!"

At the last row, at the desk by the door,

Gu Yuena nudged Xia Linyuan with her elbow. "I was wondering. So this was the little scheme you had in mind. Did you know something like this would happen?"

"More or less," Xia Linyuan replied carelessly.

"By the way, how did you do that?"

"My clone ability. Is that strange?"

Of course it was strange! Even the Dragon God couldn't make clones. Wasn't it perfectly normal for her to find it strange?

"Oh, I forgot you're from the sewers," Xia Linyuan said coolly.

Gu Yuena almost couldn't stop herself from sewing that infuriating mouth of his shut.

Zhou Yi and the other teachers never would have guessed that "Nyarlathotep" had won the approval of so many students in such a short time.

Hearing the chants grow louder and louder, Zhou Yi finally panicked. "Have you all turned against me?"

The moment she spoke, the atmosphere in the classroom grew increasingly tense.

If so many teachers hadn't been present, Zhou Yi probably would have slammed the door and left long ago.

One teacher saw that things were going badly and hurriedly signaled with a look for her to stop adding fuel to the fire. Only then did Zhou Yi reluctantly fall silent.

Zhou Yi really had no idea how to read the room.

"Quiet, quiet!" Xia Linyuan said in a low voice, and the whole class finally settled down.

Xia Linyuan said, "Teacher Zhou was indeed out of line first, but I think she's simply grown accustomed to the teaching methods she's used for years. She didn't do it on purpose. I hope everyone can be understanding. I'm sure Teacher Zhou will adjust her teaching methods and teach each student according to their needs."

This new teacher really knew how to handle things. He seemed like someone they could get along with. Zhou Yi, on the other hand, only knew how to make things worse. Even a new teacher did a better job than her, knew when to stop, and was generous enough to give her a way out.

That was what all the teachers thought at that moment.

None of them noticed the faint, chilly smile at the corner of Xia Linyuan's mouth, full of scorn.

He had given Zhou Yi a way out only to cultivate a favorable image in front of everyone and establish his credibility, making things easier for his plans in the future.

Otherwise, what would be the point of deliberately stirring up conflict between Zhou Yi and the students of Class One, only to resolve it for them afterward? That would be pure idiocy.

The incident had already taken root in the hearts of Zhou Yi and the students of Class One. Even if a shattered mirror could be pieced back together, the cracks would remain. Without turning back time, it was impossible to restore it to how it had been.

With his guidance, this incident had surely taken root in Zhou Yi's and the students' hearts for good.

All he had to do was add a little fuel to the fire, then reap the benefits. Why not?

"Teacher Zhou, apologize to the students," one of the teachers said quietly.

This was your fault in the first place, and he'd already given you a way out. If you wouldn't even apologize, you'd be showing a real lack of gratitude.

"Teacher Zhou, just apologize and let it be over."

"Teacher Zhou, apologize. They're still your students, after all, and you'll be teaching them for years. An apology won't cost you anything."

The others joined in, whispering to her.

"I..." At that moment, Zhou Yi felt utterly humiliated.

Being asked to apologize was more painful to her than being asked to die.

She knew she could simply turn on her heel and leave, letting the matter blow over. But if she didn't apologize now, the resentment would only deepen, eventually leading to unpredictable consequences.

Besides, after what had just happened, the students of Freshman Class One had formed an absolutely terrible impression of her—and even of Shrek Academy as a whole. If someone with an agenda exaggerated the story and spread it around, it could deal a devastating blow to the reputation Shrek Academy had built over ten thousand years.

Although Shrek Academy had always prioritized respecting teachers' judgment, she was the one who had caused all this. How would an academy that had always guarded its reputation handle her?

By then, even Fan Yu might not be able to protect her.

Apologizing and winning the understanding of the students in Freshman Class One was her only way out now.

After considering the pros and cons for a long while, Zhou Yi's expression, which had shifted between pale and flushed, returned to normal. She forced down her humiliation and stepped back onto the platform. Under everyone's watchful gaze, she bowed deeply to the students, then bowed to Xia Linyuan as well,