You Fought Someone Over a Girl?

Bang—!!!

At the deafening crash, even the students who had been resting with their heads on their desks could not help but look up.

Dong Chengze's desk had been overturned onto its side. Textbooks, exercise books, and test papers lay scattered everywhere, while his pencil case had landed crookedly nearby, several pens rolling far away.

Jiang Yubai stood before the mess, dusting off nonexistent dirt from his hands.

Dong Chengze, who had been muttering moments ago, had frozen in place. His face was filled with shock and fear, and he could not utter a single word.

Gradually, his face went from pale to red. The humiliation of having his desk overturned in front of everyone made him leap to his feet.

"Jiang Yubai—!!"

"What are you shouting for? Why didn't you shout like that when you were spreading rumors about people getting together?" Jiang Yubai's face remained expressionless. "Who are you putting on this act for now?"

"What, you want to fight?"

Dong Chengze clenched his fists tightly, but he did not dare actually make a move.

With everyone watching, he was caught between advancing and retreating, frozen where he stood.

"What are you doing?!"

To be honest, when the homeroom teacher's angry voice came from the doorway, Dong Chengze instinctively felt relieved.

In the hallway, the homeroom teacher known as "Nun Zhang" strode in.

Her gaze swept over the toppled desk and the books scattered all over the floor, then shifted to the two boys facing each other like fighting bulls. Her brows immediately drew together.

"Jiang Yubai, Dong Chengze, what are you two doing?!"

Homeroom teacher Zhang Shufang's tone turned stern as her gaze moved between them.

Dong Chengze was about to speak when Jiang Yubai rushed forward first, saying indignantly,

"Ms. Zhang, I've only changed seats for a few days, and Dong Chengze has already been spreading rumors in class that Lin Tingwan and I are dating."

"I went to reason with him because I was angry, but he even said... said Lin Tingwan had hearing problems, so what was wrong with talking behind her back? I lost my temper for a moment and then..."

As he spoke, his voice gradually lowered, carrying a trace of remorse.

"I was impulsive. I shouldn't have overturned his desk."

After hearing that, Zhang Shufang shot Dong Chengze a sharp look, her tone abruptly turning severe.

"Is that true?!"

"I... I..."

Dong Chengze opened his mouth, but his eyes instinctively fell on Jiang Yubai.

What?

Something about that sounded completely wrong, yet he could not find any grounds to refute it. After all, everything he said... seemed to be true.

But the problem was...

Why did you look like you were the victim?!

Hadn't you just rushed over, cursed me out, and then overturned my desk without another word?

Where had that whole "You want to fight?" attitude gone?!

Zhang Shufang saw his hesitant manner and immediately came to a conclusion.

"If it's lunch break, go rest. If it's time to study, go study. What are you all staring at?!" Her gaze swept around the room. "You two, come with me."

Jiang Yubai glanced at Dong Chengze and followed behind the homeroom teacher.

Dong Chengze's face turned green, then white, but in the end, he followed as well.

In the office.

Zhang Shufang sat behind her desk, her hands folded atop it.

"So what exactly happened? Which one of you wants to go first? Explain everything clearly from beginning to end."

"There are cameras in the classroom, so don't even think about lying. If you do, the punishment will only be harsher."

Hearing that, Jiang Yubai began with how he had heard the rumor and recounted everything exactly as it had happened.

This time, he did not conceal anything. He merely added at the end,

"Ms. Zhang, you said back in our first year that no matter who it was, no one in our class could look down on others or gossip about them because of certain special circumstances. I still remember that clearly."

The implication was that someone else had forgotten.

Zhang Shufang said nothing, merely turning to Dong Chengze. "What about you? Do you have anything to add?"

Dong Chengze's lips moved, but in the end, he only offered a pale defense.

"He... he was the one who started it."

"I did make the first move," Jiang Yubai admitted readily, nodding. "I was too worked up at the time and couldn't hold back from overturning the desk."

"Ms. Zhang, that shouldn't count as fighting, right?"

Zhang Shufang fell silent for several seconds, then pushed up her glasses. Her tone immediately became stern.

"No matter what, it was wrong of you to overturn the desk first."

"Violence cannot solve problems. If classmates have conflicts, they should communicate first or come to a teacher to handle it."

Jiang Yubai nodded, looking thoroughly sincere in admitting his mistake.

Zhang Shufang paused, her gaze passing between them.

"Jiang Yubai, overturning the desk disrupted class order. Your punishment is five laps around the track. Go now."

"As for Dong Chengze..." She looked toward the other boy.

"You stay in the office. I have something to say to you alone."

By the time Jiang Yubai returned to the classroom, Li Yang, who had been waiting nearby, hurried over and asked nervously,

"Brother Jiang, what did she say?"

"Made me run laps," Jiang Yubai said lazily.

"Run laps?" Li Yang froze, looking incredulous. "That's it?"

Holy shit, Brother Jiang had overturned someone's desk right in front of everyone. The noise had probably been loud enough for the next class over to hear, and he did not even get a warning?

Jiang Yubai could not be bothered with him. He simply walked back to his seat, picked up his water bottle, and gulped down several mouthfuls.

He subconsciously glanced at his deskmate.

Lin Tingwan was still quietly reading with her head lowered, as though the commotion just now had nothing to do with her.

Jiang Yubai did not think much of it. He tossed the water bottle back into his desk and waved at Li Yang.

"Bye. I'm going out for some air."

After Jiang Yubai left the classroom, the students whispered among themselves for a while before gradually quieting down.

Amid the silence, the girl slowly raised her head and silently stood up.

She walked slowly to the window, her calm gaze settling on the field.

In the middle of the vast field, only one figure was jogging at an unhurried pace.

He ran leisurely, occasionally looking up at the birds passing overhead. Every now and then, he slowed down, half walking and half running as he slacked off for a bit.

The sunlight was just right, and the breeze was gentle.

The early summer wind passed through the gaps between the branches and leaves, gently lifting the fine strands of hair over the girl's forehead by the window, revealing a pair of clear amber eyes.

They sparkled.

After Jiang Yubai leisurely finished his five laps—and even stopped by the school store to buy a bottle of water—he finally sauntered back upstairs.

But as soon as he rounded the corner, he saw his homeroom teacher standing at the entrance, talking on the phone.

Their eyes met, and Zhang Shufang waved at him, signaling for him to come over quickly.

Jiang Yubai swiftly hid the mineral water behind his back and put on an awkward but polite smile.

"Ms. Zhang, were you looking for me?"

Zhang Shufang glanced at him.

"Strictly speaking, this doesn't count as fighting, but according to school rules, we need to notify the parents about this kind of conflict."

Hearing that, Jiang Yubai nodded readily. "It's fine, Ms. Zhang. You can call my mom."

"I already did." Zhang Shufang handed him the phone, which was still connected. "Your mother said she wants to talk to you."

Huh?

Jiang Yubai blinked and reached out to take it.

"Hello, Mom?"

A leisurely female voice came from the other end of the line.

"Son, I heard from your homeroom teacher..."

"You fought someone over a girl?"