061 â Listen and distinguish!
Truth was a shameless prostitute. It always stood on the side with the greatest force and with the highest number of people or on the side of the rich and powerful.
Perhaps you have also experienced something like this before. Most of the time it is not the argument which makes the most sense that is right, but rather those who speaks in a loud tone, those with an important status and high ranking are the ones who are correct.
Li Shinian is innocent and has the mind of a child. Sheâs beautiful, smart, and her temper is somewhat arrogant and willful. She had always thought that between students there will inevitably be arguments and fights. Sometimes you will bully him and sometimes he will bully you back.
Is this not the campus? Isnât this what youngsters do?
People bullied her beloved brother, so she will bully them back on behalf of her brother. Because sheâs worried her brother does not have the strength to protect himself, worried that her brother would just suppress everything in his heart.
The simplest and most pure way of thinking.
But she underestimated the evil of people, underestimated the dangers of the world.
While sheâs still using a childâs way to play games of vengeance with other people, these senior students, who are on the verge of walking into prestigious houses and universities and colleges, are already using other more mature and cruel methods to force her to grow up.
They used their influence to manipulate the publicâs opinion, to form a devastating storm of words thatâs difficult for anyone to even contend against.
Repeated rumours becomes a fact. Because everybody is spreading rumours that Li Muyang is a bad student, the suspicion of Li Muyang hitting people became more and more real with every passing moment.
Thus, being in the centre of the storm, how would Li Muyang find a way to break out? Under the pressure of the publicâs opinion, what would Lin Zhengyin final judgment be?
Li Muyang really doesnât want to explain. A fail is a fail, even if he explained thousands of times or ten thousand of times those who look down on him, will still despise him.
His bodyâs condition is getting better now, and his ability to learn is getting stronger. He only needs to study and work hard for one more year. All the famous schools in the kingdom, which one he canât enrol into?
As to his promise with Cui Xiaoxin, although he still keeps it in mind, but when Cui Xiaoxin was leaving Jiangnan he had already broken the promise in advanceâ-On the contrary this matter is irrelevant. Because even by thinking about this, it simply just brings worries to himself and nothing more.
Li Muyang wants to be calmer and more composed.
If he wins he has to win gloriously, if he loses he has to lose gracefully.
Just as how he handsomely waved at Cui Xiaoxin and said: âDonât worry, even if I attend West Wind University I wonât chase after youâ.
However, why did the situation become like this?
What did they want to achieve? They wanted to ruin him.
Ruin his reputation, ruin his image, and ruin his future.
Seeing Li Shinian crying and her pitiful little face wanting to pull him away, wanting to break away from this storm, the vicious tendencies in Li Muyangâs heartâs rapidly surged up, and streams of blood rushed wildly to his head.
The vicious tendencies inside his body were roaming all over the place, the blood inside his blood vessels boiling rapidly.
They pounded Li Muyangâs body, hit Li Muyangâs nerves, they wanted to tear open his head. Perhaps, only through this way could they freely take a breath of fresh air.
At the bottom of his hearts was a desire to destroy everything, he does not know where did that feeling came from, but there is nothing he could do to extinguish it.
The scales on the back of hand were pitch-black like ink, but his eyes were once again wrapped in red clouds.
With Li Shinian staying behind him, he forged ahead towards the surrounding crowd.
âEveryone run, he wants to hit people againâ-â Wu Man shouted out loud. He actually wants to escape, he took a step back and tried to retreat. But the crowd behind was huge; there was no way he could move back.
âLook, his eyes turned all red, one glance and you can tell this person is very violentâââ
âLi Muyang, what do you want?â Zhang Chen loudly yelled: âYou dare to harm the headmaster?â
With Zhang Chenâs â reminderâ, the guards by Lin Zhengyin side immediately came around.
This guy actually dares to hurt the headmaster? They immediately dashed towards Li Muyang who was heading forward in big strides.
Two security guards, one from the left and one from the right, tried to grab Li Muyangâs arms. Li Muyang completely does not care; he continued to advance in big strides, his both hands exerted strength and pulled, and both of the two bodies flew out.
More guards rushed over, some self-assured students also wanted to show-off their good skills in front of the headmaster came forward to help.
âLet him come here.â Lin Zhengyinâs stood still with her back straight, and thundered in a stern voice.
âHeadmaster, you must not let him get too closeâ-â Zhang Chen shielded in front of headmaster, and said, concern in his voice: âMe and him were classmates for many years, this man can do anything.â
âMove aside.â Lin Zhengyin chose not to believe in this. Her eyes were fiercely staring at Li Muyang, then shouted in a deep voice: âLi Muyang, what are you trying to do? Are you still a student of this school? Do you still want to come back to this school and retake the year? Are you still going to sit the entrance examinations? Do you still want there to be a future for you?â
Li Muyangâs footsteps paused for a moment, the red clouds within his eyes scattered, and his black pupils were like a cold puddle closely watching Lin Zhengyin.
âA failure is not terrible, whatâs terrible is when youâre unable to recover after a minor hitch, to the extent of being jealous of and blaming others. Those who had became a general, who hasnât been pierced by sharp blades? Those who accomplish something great, who hasnât experienced torment? â
âThe sharpness of a sword results from sharpening on a grindstone, the fragrant of the plum blossom arrives after the bitter cold. I have said this sentence over and over again, this sentence is also the schoolâs mottoâ-Have you ever read these words? Have you never properly thought about the deep meaning contained within these words? â
âHeadmaster, donât waste your breath talking to these kinds of people, he wonât listen at allâ-â Zhang Chen saying in a âfriendlyâ reminder, hoping that Lin Zhengyin will quickly make a decision.
Lin Zhengyinâ gaze swept across Zhang Chen, and said with a stern expression: âWhat do you have against him, that you want to ruin him like so? â
Zhang Chen was startled, he hastily tried to explain: âHeadmaster, I did notâ-Iâm not trying to defame him. Although me and him have a little tiny past, but every word I say was true. As you can see, everyone said he cheated, and not only just me.â
âPeople have eyes, not only to let you see, but to allow you to distinguish right and wrong. People have ears, not just to let you listen, but so you can to listen to both sides. Did you see his eyes? His eyes were filled with grief and indignation, would a bad student who used a brick to hit people have this kind of expression in their eyes? Did you hear what he said to his sister? The older brother is caring and kind and the younger sister is a virtuous person, when they came across danger and when they know there is a possibility of being punished they desperately tried to push each other awayââSomeone who cares so much for their loved ones, how could their character be that bad?â
âBut you, you can easily swear on your parentsâ health and safety, and use such a cruel asseveration to curse your parents to have a tragic death. This is enough to make people shudder. You donât even respect or love your own parents, then the way you treat outsiders, how could it not be cruel and merciless?â
âBut headmasterâââ
âAt the moment when I heard you say his character is bad and he hits people, I also believed it was true. But after carefully thinking about it, I noticed many things are suspicious. You all speak unanimously, trying to stir up a wave to form a storm, so Li Muyang canât say anything and canât argue backââThe words are becoming clearer and clearer, the truth is becoming more and more obvious. You are trying to block his mouth, trying to block that little girlâs mouth. This proves that you are up to something, and thereâs something wrong. A scheme like this, you can only use it to bully a bunch of children, donât tell me you want to deceive me too? â
âHeadmaster, youâve mistaken, we donât even want to bully him, we justââjust said the truth.â Zhang Chen felt weak. How come this old woman would not react in a conventional manner?
Lin Zhengyin swept her eyes over all the students in the crowd, lifted up her sleeves and dusting it. The veins across her forehead were throbbing as she yelled loudly:
âAt such a young age, you are all so ruthless, where is your moral integrity? How can you carry any responsibility? Youâve been learning in this school for many years; propriety, righteousness, honesty and sense of shame, have you ever understood one of these four words?â
âAnd also you, you, you there, and youââYou thought by not saying a word, and by just sitting on the sidelines and simply watching, you can have a clear conscience? Seeing good but donât try to emulate him, seeing evil but not obstruct, you are just the same as the murderer and their accomplices. You are the accomplices to this crime.â
âââââ
The entire crowd became silent, even the falling of a needle could be heard.
Zhang Chen, Wu Man, and the others face reddened in embarrassment, their eyes evading any eye contact. More students also felt ashamed and were afraid to directly meet Lin Zhengyin in the eye.
âItâs my sin.â Lin Zhengyin directly faced Li Muyang, then bowed with both her hands in front, and whispered hoarsely: âAs the proverb says, a teacher for a day, a father for life. As half your teacher, the headmaster of the school, I was not able to teach them well. Itâs my fault they did such a heartless and shameless thing, as the headmaster I did not do enough, I am an incompetent headmasterââ-After what happened, Iâm going to notify the ministry of education and resign from the post of headmaster as a punishment.â
âHeadmaster, itâs not your faultâââ someone exclaimed aloud.
âHeadmaster, I need to testify.â Zhao Mingzhu squeezed through from the back of the crowd, because of running too quickly she was gasping for breath.
Zhao Mingzhu stood by the headmasterâs side, looked at Li Muyang opposite of her and said: âOnce I was prejudiced against him, and when he achieved good grades I suspected him of cheatingââthe reason why there are rumours of him cheating at school was because I suspected him. So, I would like to publicly apologise to Li Muyang.â
âAfter later investigation, Li Muyang did not cheat in the exams. He relied on his own efforts to achieve that kind of result. Without any evidence I still suspected him; although he has not appear on the list of heroes above this time, but he is still a good student in my heart. â
Zhao Mingzhu looked at Li Muyang with a sincere face and said: âLi Muyang student, if you wish to continue to stay in my class, I will certainly do my best to help you get on the hero list next year.â
Yes, like this.
This was the recognition he wanted, the respect he wished for.
This is what he worked so hard for. Not for special treatment nor special attention, but just to be treated and looked at in the same way as other students.
The evil tendencies in Li Muyangâs heart evaporated, but his blood is still boiling.
His fist relaxes then clenches tightly again, clenches then let go.
His throat choked back the urge to burst into tears.
âThank you, teacher.â Li Muyang deeply bowed down, lowering his proud head that he held high all long.