Don’t Try To Corrupt Me

Chapter 38

Upon seeing the headmaster patting Yu Zuojin’s head, Xia Zhiqi and Cun Tou felt a shiver run down their spines.

Iron Head was truly fearless, living up to his reputation.

Conflicts and clashes between delinquent youths and teachers were not uncommon in many schools, not just in No.1 Middle School.

As a result, most teachers actively avoided interactions with delinquent youths, fearing any unfortunate incidents that might befall them.

But Iron Head was different. The more he was challenged, the more resolute he became, bravely scaling new heights.

He devoted his life wholeheartedly to the cause of education.

He moved the hearts of a hundred outstanding figures in China. Who could compare to him?

Cun Tou: “Do you think Iron Head is not afraid of Yu Zuojin hitting him? After all, Yu Zuojin transferred here because he assaulted a teacher.”

He truly feared that Yu Zuojin might strike him with a counter punch and knock him out. After all, the person who had suffered from his punch earlier became delirious while lying under the table.

Xia Zhiqi looked at Cun Tou as if he were an idiot. They were in a police station, and Yu Zuojin wasn’t a fool. How could he possibly start a fight here?

He cleared his throat and melodiously sang, “Those who are favored always have confidence without fear~”

As the song ended, Xia Zhiqi asked, “Do you understand now?”

Cun Tou showed a disdainful expression, “Understand what? Your singing is horribly off-key.”

Xia Zhiqi: “…”

The headmaster was seething with anger when a police officer approached him and asked him to sign a document at a nearby window. He put on a polite smile and said, “I’ll be right there.”

Afterward, he nudged Yu Zuojin with his arm. The two little cabbages from No. 12 Middle School and their parents hadn’t left yet.

“Stay out of trouble and behave yourself. Do you understand?”

Yu Zuojin didn’t reply, leaning against the wall, seemingly not taking him seriously at all.

As the headmaster went to sign the document, Sheng Yuan also finished his psychological counseling from the police. He turned around and naturally walked toward Yu Zuojin.

“Who is this?” Sheng Yuan stood in front of him and asked, “Why is this classmate here?”

Yu Zuojin averted his gaze, clenching his fists, feeling somewhat guilty.

Sheng Yuan looked at the man in the suit who had crawled out from under the table and was sitting in pain beside them.

His eyebrows raised slightly. “Did you hit him?”

Yu Zuojin’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he swallowed silently. With his tongue pressed against his teeth, he struggled to speak, “I only hit him once.”

His flat and raised tongue caused his speech to be inaccurate.

Under normal circumstances, Yu Zuojin’s emotions were mostly apathetic, but he also had another extreme when it came to people or matters he cared about. He became extremely irritable, even to the point of losing control.

Yu Zuojin: “I saw your video online.”

Sheng Yuan remembered. When the Class Six Studio team clashed with the man in the suit while getting off the bus, there were indeed many onlookers taking photos and videos.

He had also instructed Xia Zhiqi to upload the evidence online.

His beautiful eyes blinked. “So, you’re here to stand up for me.”

Yu Zuojin neither nodded nor shook his head. Instead, he stared behind Sheng Yuan with unwavering determination.

“So you got angry,” suddenly, Sheng Yuan found him somewhat adorable. “And then you came over and hit the person?”

If anyone knew that someone found Yu Zuojin adorable, they would probably be scared to death.

Just like herbivores never find the mighty lion adorable.

Yu Zuojin remained silent.

Sheng Yuan looked into his eyes. “Yu Zuojin, I haven’t treated you in well all this time.”

Yu Zuojin’s black pupils stared at him, and there was a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, barely perceptible.

Still, it was the same indifferent face.

But he was happy inside.

All emotions were mutual.

Yu Zuojin stood up for him, and Sheng Yuan didn’t immediately condemn his violence.

It wasn’t because it happened to him, so it didn’t matter if someone got revenge against others because of him.

It was because emotions were mutual.

Yu Zuojin came to the police station for no other reason but for him.

If he responded with incomprehension and condemnation, it would be like pouring cold water on someone’s sincerity.

But Sheng Yuan still had to warn him to be mindful of boundaries and risks in everything.

He looked at Yu Zuojin’s reddened knuckles.

He hit someone, but his own fist was also injured.

That’s what boundaries and risks meant.

“You hit someone, and your hand got red too. I’m glad you’re here, but if you don’t suffer losses, I would be even more satisfied.”

Yu Zuojin stood there obediently, nodding his head and listening attentively, looking serious.

It was a stark contrast to the scene of him talking back to the headmaster just a moment ago.

Earlier, he had ignored the Headmaster completely, irritated and uninterested.

The headmaster finished signing the document and returned, only to see Yu Zuojin standing meekly by the wall, not leaning against it anymore, with his long legs straightened, exuding humility and politeness.

The headmaster: “…”

This kid has two different faces!

“I heard Headmaster Pan say that you went to Chinese class just now?”

Yu Zuojin looked into the distance, casually saying, “Just went.”

The delinquency points, which had dropped by over a thousand points from when they were studying under the camphor tree at noon, were still decreasing.

The effects of being a celebrity in the delinquent circle were vividly reflected on him.

Sheng Yuan looked at his steadily decreasing delinquency points and felt like he was witnessing a bright future for himself.

A reduction in ten points meant one life point. If they were all gone, perhaps he would still be alive in the next century.

But Sheng Yuan didn’t have such grand dreams. A hundred years would be enough.

Seeing Yu Zuojin now was like seeing an envoy who would add years to his life. The more he looked, the more pleasing he became.

“Since you went to class properly, after I’m done with these busy days, I’ll take you to have candied hawthorns. Will you come?”

Yu Zuojin looked at him. “Just one?”

He wasn’t asking if there would be only one candied hawthorn but if he would be the only person taken.

Perhaps because they had been together for a long time, Sheng Yuan understood his meaning very well. “Just you.”

He took a step closer, and the fragrance of laundry detergent on his school uniform wafted into Yu Zuojin’s nostrils.

“Would you like to?”

Yu Zuojin looked into his beautiful eyes.

“Yes.”

With everything settled, the Class Six Studio Team bid farewell to the headmaster and the others.

“Teacher, we still need to borrow costumes and props for the school anniversary celebration, so we’ll leave first.”

The headmaster said, “Alright, you can go. Be careful on the road and when crossing it.”

Then, he glanced at Yu Zuojin. “Where are you going?”

Sheng Yuan also looked at him.

Yu Zuojin said, “To school.”

The headmaster was shocked.

The world was ending, truly ending.

Not only did this kid go to class, but now he voluntarily returned to school after going out.

A wave of bittersweet tears gathered in his heart. His hard days had come to an end.

Yu Zuojin had finally grown sensible.

Sheng Yuan and the others left and boarded the bus to the photography studio.

The headmaster watched them safely board the bus before planning to leave.

“Let’s go, Yu Zuojin. Let’s go back to school.”

He turned around, only to find no one behind him.

Yu Zuojin silently left without making a sound, but there seemed to be his disdainful voice lingering in the air.

–Who the hell is going back to school with you? Old man, it was just a casual remark, and you actually believed it?

The headmaster: “…”

You brat!

You brat, Yu Zuojin!!!

The Class Six Studio Team successfully got off at the designated location and walked for five minutes to reach the photography studio.

Lin Xiaoyuan spoke loudly, “Our class funds are limited, but every student in Class Six must be properly dressed. We cannot mistreat anyone.”

“So, everyone! Put aside your pride! You, me, and Class Six will have a bright future.”

Clap clap clap clap clap—

Applause filled the room.

“Class Six needs people like you!”

“With you, Class Six will thrive!”

“Class Six has hope!”

One might think it was a rebellion against feudalism or something.

For the sake of the tribe, the Class Six Photography Team had people like Xia Zhiqi, whose words and brain were disconnected, making an effort. When sweet words didn’t work, he resorted to cheesy pickup lines.

However, he hadn’t managed to get a single discount after all this time.

Cun Tou said, “Should we go and see how Brother Sheng is doing? It seems to be going smoothly over there.”

The two of them went over and saw Sheng Yuan holding the police officer rabbit costume, looking radiant and charming. “Sister, can it be a little cheaper?”

“Of course, of course!”

Xia Zhiqi: “…”

He should have said he was an orphan.

After a series of events, the owner of the photography studio looked at the seven or eight “orphans” from the Class Six Studio Team.

“You’re all orphans?!”

Xia Zhiqi nodded. “That’s right!”

“Are you trying to deceive me by pretending to be orphans to get a lower price? It’s impossible to have this many orphans.”

“Hey, Boss, you don’t understand this,” Xia Zhiqi said. “Birds of a feather flock together.”

Cun Tou: “People naturally segregate into groups.”

The boss: “…”

Where there are a hundred meters of dragons, there will inevitably be phoenix chicks.

By the time the group came out of the photography studio carrying their belongings, it was already 5 p.m. Despite the physical exertion, everyone was spirited and energetic, and the trip went smoothly.

Lin Xiaoyuan counted the class funds and found that there was still two hundred yuan left, just enough to buy mineral water for the Class Six rehearsal.

To prevent the students from getting too excited about the school anniversary and neglecting their studies, Teacher Xiao Tao specially obtained the key to the empty classroom on the north side of the first floor of the high school building from the security guard who patrolled the building daily. The props and costumes rented by the photography studio team were stored there, to be retrieved whenever needed for rehearsals.

In the evening, after the evening self-study session, Sheng Yuan rode his bike as usual to pick up Yu Zuojin.

Parking his bike at the entrance of the alley, he instinctively lifted his left wrist to check the time.

His slender and fair wrist was empty.

Only then did Sheng Yuan remember that his electronic watch, which he often wore, was broken. When he was at the police station earlier, the display didn’t show the time. He wasn’t sure if it was out of battery or if it was damaged, so he asked Sheng Chenggong to take it home and see if it could be recharged and fixed.

During the costume rental in the afternoon, Sheng Chenggong sent a message.

“Sorry, it’s broken. Even after charging, the display doesn’t work.”

A digital watch that cost over a hundred yuan wasn’t worth repairing. After all, the repair cost could buy half a new one.

Sheng Yuan took out his phone to check the time. It was ten past ten.

Footsteps could be heard in the alley. First, the old man left with his corgi, followed by Aunt Chen. Then came the familiar footsteps of Yu Zuojin.

After dropping Yu Zuojin off at No.1 Middle School, Sheng Yuan once again instinctively lifted his left wrist to estimate the time he would arrive home.

But upon seeing the empty wrist once again, Sheng Yuan paused.

He had forgotten again.

His watch was broken.

Yu Zuojin stood beside him, observing him closely. Sheng Yuan had a very healthy physique, with well-defined bone structure in his joints, giving him a slender appearance.

Looking at his empty left wrist, Yu Zuojin asked, “Where’s your watch?”

Without the watch, his left wrist felt strangely light.

“It’s broken.”

———————-

Author’s note:

Boss Yu: I just like being controlled.

The headmaster who had been nagging in his ear for two years: It turns out I’m not worthy!!!