âNow that weâre friends, can I ask you why you stood up for me back then?â
No one in the class dared to stand up for her, except for her.
âBecause you were the first person who dared to stand against Teacher Wang.â
âHuh?â
âTeacher Wang has always been domineering in school, and no one dares to provoke him. Over time, it has become an unwritten law that no one dares to break!â
âHeh, should I feel honored then?â
âI donât know, all I can say is I really admire your courage.â
âSo thatâs why you stood up to help me!â
âMaybe itâs because Iâve been trapped in these prescribed roles for too long, wanting to break free but never finding the way. Your arrival brought hope.â
âNot everyone has such courage!â
âYouâre right, everyone has the right to choose their own path in life.â
âBut most people choose to follow the rules!â
âI have no right to interfere with othersâ choices, but I can decide for myself!â
âWell said, for your choice, I must toast to you!
Hey boss, two colas!â Jian Dan waved.
âCola?â In a situation like this, shouldnât we be drinking alcohol? Why cola?
âHehe, Iâm a total lightweight with alcohol, so letâs stick to cola!â
âHehe~â
When the auntie came over to deliver the cola, she scrutinized Jian Dan, âAuntie, youâve been looking at me for a while now, is there something on my face?â
âNo, itâs just that Xiaoting used to always come here alone. Today is the first time sheâs brought a friend, so⦠you two chat, you two chat.â
âOh~â Jian Dan cast a meaningful look at Yang Xiaoting.
âStop looking at me like that, itâs creepy!â
âThen Iâll stop!â Jian Dan said with a laugh, shifting his gaze away and continuing to eat his rice noodles.
When the two finished their rice noodles and were heading back to school, they encountered their class monitor, Zhang Yang.
âHello, Teacher Zhang!â
âHello to you too!â
âTeacher Zhang, thank you for speaking up for us today!â
âIâm your class monitor; itâs what I should do.
Butâ¦â Zhang Yang hesitated.
âIf thereâs something you want to say, just say it!â Jian Dan sensed Zhang Yangâs difficulty.
âI donât know what Teacher Wang might do next, so you two better be careful,â Zhang Yang spoke in a veiled manner.
âThank you, Teacher Zhang, for telling us. Weâll be careful!â
âHmm, if thereâs anything, you can tell me. Iâll try my best to help you solve it!â
âThank you, Teacher Zhang. Youâre really a responsible class monitor.â
âI just hope all of you can graduate smoothly!
Come on, itâs getting late, you should head back to the dorms now!â
âOkay! Goodbye, Teacher Zhang!â
Having taken just a few steps away, Jian Dan suddenly turned around and ran back, whispering to Zhang Yang, âTeacher Zhang, you donât have a girlfriend, do you?â
âAh?â Clearly, Zhang Yang hadnât expected Jian Dan to ask him this question.
âI can tell by your reaction that you donât. Let me tell you, you have a nice face, but you lack a bit of masculinity. Girls like brave men because it makes them feel safe, you know?â
Jian Dan didnât even know why he said these things; it just seemed to him that for someone almost thirty years old without a girlfriend was a bitâ¦
With that said, Jian Dan ran offâ¦
Zhang Yang stood there, watching Jian Danâs retreating figure, momentarily stunned, then quickly shook his head.
That was his student, how could he harbor such inappropriate thoughts about a minor female student?
No, no! Absolutely not!
He stepped away from thereâ¦