You're my wife, don't doubt it!

Before going to sleep, Xiao Yao spent half a day texting with Shen Jie.

After saying goodnight to each other, Xiao Yao turned off the lights.

He felt a faint orchid fragrance on his pillow, where Shen Jie had tossed the small shawl.

Thinking about Shen Jie's outfit today, the boy twisted into a ball on the bed.

--split line--

When Xiao Yao arrived at school on Monday, he felt that the atmosphere was a little... unusually lively.

"Have you heard? Zhou Qi has been found."

"I know, she's still in the hospital, right?"

"What happened to her? Where has she been all this time?"

"I don't know, but according to reliable rumors," a boy said mysteriously in a low voice, "this matter is related to Teacher Yao."

"Huh?" a girl asked incredulously, "I just saw Teacher Yao. If this is true, will he still be allowed to teach?"

"Nonsense, Teacher Yao doesn't seem like a bad person, why would she do such a thing?"

"They didn't say he kidnapped her. Anyway, Zhou Qi herself can't say where she went during the time she was missing, and the police haven't found out either."

"What's going on? What are these police officers doing?"

"Homework." The class monitor coldly tapped Xiao Yao's desk corner with a stack of notebooks.

“I didn’t bring it,” Xiao Yao leaned back in his chair with ease. “No, I didn’t write it down.”

"Tch." The class monitor rolled her eyes and walked away.

The class monitor brushed past Yu Luying, who walked up to Xiao Yao's desk, tossed an envelope on it expressionlessly, and left without a word.

A small commotion arose around them, and the topic of conversation shifted from Zhou Qi and Teacher Yao to Xiao Yao and Yu Luying.

Xiao Yao opened the envelope, completely bewildered. The ribbonfish peeked out, and Xiao Yao quickly stuffed the letter into the desk drawer and buried his head in reading it.

Yu Luying always avoided direct contact with Xiao Yao on campus, especially in class. Why did she do it in front of the whole class today...?

"My mom confiscated my phone; she knows I spent the whole day with you the day before yesterday."

I'm so sorry I couldn't get you to come to my cello performance last time. To make it up to you, may I treat you to a movie?

Mom won't be home tomorrow night, so regarding the time..."

Xiao Yao stared blankly at the pink Hello Kitty letter paper, the delicate handwriting on it, and the movie ticket voucher attached to the letter paper with a paperclip, his mind completely blank.

What's going on? Yu Luying asked me out to a movie. She took the initiative?

Chapter 71 Public Execution

2023-01-07

How is this going?

what's going on?

Ah, right, it must be to thank me for saving my life, right?

Before Xiao Yao could even sort out his thoughts, he heard the most annoying music coming from the radio.

That is, the Athletes' March.

Because this melody was so closely associated with morning exercises, Xiao Yao developed a Pavlovian aversion to it.

Teacher Yao did not greet everyone as usual. The students looked at each other, and no one moved.

In the end, it was the class monitor who urged everyone to line up and go down.

The weather is great today, with not a cloud in the sky. Although it's only morning, the bright sunlight has already filled the entire playground.

There wasn't even a tree or any other shelter.

"It's like hell on earth," Xiao Yao muttered to himself.

"It's so hot..." Zhang Jialong cursed.

Complaining was useless. Xiao Yao stood listlessly in the line, looking like a spineless shrimp.

"Raise the national flag, play the national anthem, salute!"

Oh right, there was this on Monday too.

Xiao Yao felt a stinging sensation at the junction of his lower abdomen and stomach.

It's like the acupuncture I had as a child, with very fine needles that sting in waves.

His waist and buttocks ached at the junction, and he subconsciously rubbed it.

"The ceremony is complete!" Upon hearing these two words, Xiao Yao suddenly raised his head.

"Next, we will have a speech under the national flag. Please welcome Zeng, the outstanding student representative from Class 3, Grade 11..."

A surge of anger suddenly erupted from his dantian and welled up in Xiao Yao's heart.

What the hell are you talking about? Are you trying to dry all the students in the school into dried-up dregs?

Xiao Yao felt like his crotch was covered in sweat, and he squirmed in frustration.

After another ten minutes or so of agonizing waiting, the girl finally finished speaking.

Xiao Yao heard a small commotion coming from the front. He looked up in confusion and saw that Teacher Yao had walked to the center of the stage and reached out to take the microphone.

"Hello, hello." Teacher Yao gently patted the microphone.

"Whoosh—" The microphone emitted a burst of static.

Xiao Yao noticed that the principal was whispering with the grade director, Teacher Lin.

"Students and teachers, I am Yao Qi. I would like to take a few minutes of your time today because I have some things I would like to say to you."

The noise on the playground disappeared for a moment, and Xiao Yao had a bad feeling.

“I am not a good teacher. During my time at school, my mind was always filled with impure thoughts. I coveted and fantasized about the girls in the school. Today I want to confess my sins to everyone.”

The students on the playground erupted in a commotion. Director Lin was the first to react, jumping up and running towards the center of the stage.

"Because of my insatiable desires, one girl's personal belongings were stolen, and another girl went missing. I bear undeniable responsibility for this—"

The microphone went silent after he had only said half of the word "Ren".

"I hereby publicly repent my sins and beg for the forgiveness of my fellow students!" Several school staff rushed onto the stage to drag Teacher Yao away, but without a microphone, he shouted hoarsely, "My personal mistake is not the school's responsibility, nor is it the system's responsibility. I will resign from my teaching position and turn myself in to the police!"

Xiao Yao saw Xiong Ji turn around and give him a smug V sign.

"Hello, hello." The microphone was reconnected, and once again emitted a "whoosh" of static.

Teacher Yao had already been dragged away with her mouth covered. Now, the principal spoke: "Perhaps due to the hot weather, Teacher Yao's mental state... has been somewhat agitated. Now, please return to your classrooms in an orderly manner..."

"Who would believe that?" "There's something fishy going on." "Explain yourself!" The shouts from the audience rose in waves, drowning out the principal's voice.

"The school guarantees to investigate this matter thoroughly. Please refrain from making any unfounded comments! Classes, homeroom teachers!" The principal gave Director Lin a wink, and the latter, understanding the signal, took on the role of Teacher Yao and led Xiao Yao's class back to their classroom.

The moment Director Lin left, the classroom erupted in chaos.

"I never imagined that Teacher Yao would be this kind of person!"

"What do you mean I didn't expect it? Didn't I already say so?"

"Yes, yes, you all said not to spread rumors, but now it's all confirmed by the person involved, right?"

“That matter…we really wronged Xiao Yao—” a timid little girl said.

“Oh, there’s no need,” a weasel-faced fellow named Wang Ming advised.

“Last time I said I saw him hugging Zhou Qi, you didn’t believe me and said I was slandering the teacher.”

"Zhou Qi is really a jerk. I went to the same junior high school as her, and she already had a bad reputation back then... Wasn't she the one who bullied the most in our class?"

"What a hypocrite! He's been tutoring girls all day long. I knew he had no good intentions!"

"You can't say that!" Xiao Yao's blood rushed to his head, and he finally couldn't help but stand up: "Teacher Yao doesn't just tutor girls. He cares about both boys and girls. Have you all forgotten that?"

"Have you all forgotten that Teacher Yao used her own money to subsidize the class expenses and take us on extracurricular activities?"

"Teacher Yao provided us with a relaxed environment, encouraged each of our individualities and allowed us to develop freely. She also enthusiastically helped each of us with the difficulties we encountered in life and in our relationships. Have you all forgotten all of this?"

The class was silent for a few seconds, then Wang Ming, with his pointed face and monkey-like features, stood up: "Xiao Yao, you're getting cocky, aren't you? Don't think you can..."

"Shut up!" Zhang Jialong, who had been sitting silently in the last row of the classroom, suddenly slammed his hand on the desk: "Sit down!"

Wang Ming opened his mouth, then sat down.

Xiao Yao gave Zhang Jialong a grateful look, but the latter simply held his head in his hands.

"Class begins." The English teacher walked in, carrying a stack of test papers.

--split line--

"Why are you two so gloomy?" Little Bear asked.

At lunchtime, Xiao Yao sat together with Yu Luying and Xiao Xiong in the cafeteria.

"Did Teacher Yao really deserve to end up like this?" Xiao Yao asked. "Did we do something wrong?"