Chapter 36: Steady, Yet Uneasy

Boom!

Boom, boom!

It was as if thunderclaps were exploding, one more violent than the last, inside the minds of every teacher and student present. One moment, they were stunned to the core by Yan Chang kneeling; the next, the news revealed by Jiang Changyuan left them completely dumbfounded. They had come expecting a public disciplinary hearing for Yan Chang and Zhang Chengliang, but it turned out to be a public execution!

Yet, with things unfolding this way, the news was bound to spread, and the school’s reputation...

Principal Pei accepted the various gazes directed at him with indifference. Not only did he not stop the proceedings, but he personally confirmed the allegations.

"Student Jiang is correct. The school has verified that Yan Chang accepted bribes, and this behavior is extremely serious!"

"Our school will absolutely not tolerate any teacher with such low moral character. Once discovered, they must be severely punished!"

Had this happened before, Principal Pei would certainly have chosen to suppress the matter, handling it quietly to minimize the school's loss. But now, having secured the backing of the richest man in the city, did he really need to worry about a bruised reputation?

Upon hearing this, Yan Chang felt a chill run through his entire body. His frame buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.

It was over!

Everything was finished!

The crowd buzzed with discussion; for the students, this was undeniably a monumental event. Seeing this, Zhang Chengliang panicked.

"Teacher Yan's affairs have nothing to do with me! I... I only reported Jiang Changyuan. I apologize..."

"That won't be necessary."

Jiang Changyuan waved him off. An apology was never what he wanted.

Suddenly, Yan Chang turned his head, staring at Zhang Chengliang with a ferocious, twisted expression.

"I was only a year away from my professional title promotion, and you ruined me!"

"It was you! It was all you! You are the reason I am finished! I’ll kill you!"

Under the crushing weight of his sudden downfall, Yan Chang appeared to have lost his mind. Principal Pei immediately ordered security to restrain the two men. Jiang Changyuan did not specify how to deal with Zhang Chengliang, but Principal Pei, being quick-witted, explicitly named the latter for defamation and framing when he called the police.

Sending both men to the police station served three purposes: first, it quelled Jiang Changyuan’s anger; second, it provided a narrative for the school to protect its reputation later on; and third, since the two families would likely cause a scene, it saved them the trouble of making unnecessary trips to the school.

Just as everyone thought the matter was settled and began to disperse to process the morning’s shocks, Principal Pei had more to say.

"Teachers, students, I would like to offer special praise for Student Jiang Changyuan!"

"In this month’s examinations, he achieved a truly stunning and remarkable result..."

Principal Pei spoke with such fervor and enthusiasm that he was practically spraying saliva, praising everything from Jiang’s grades to his integrity in resisting evil forces, painting him almost as an incomparable hero.

Jiang Changyuan felt embarrassed just listening to it.

*Let’s just say there’s no need to lay it on so thick!*

The teachers’ expressions grew even stranger; the principal clearly hadn't just taken the wrong blood pressure medication.

"Finally, regarding this incident, the Student Union also bears responsibility for its failure to supervise."

"On the contrary, the students of the Student Association, despite being outside the official structure, still labored for the school. This deserves special commendation!"

"Therefore, the school has decided that seven days after the National Day gala, we will hold a new election for the president between Gu Qing and Jiang Changyuan."

After finishing his announcement, Principal Pei looked toward Jiang Changyuan as if expecting a reward. Jiang Changyuan forced a smile, though he secretly wanted to punch the principal's old face.

"Fine! I won't lose this time either!"

Gu Qing said coolly before walking off the stage, his eyes burning with competitive spirit.

Jiang Changyuan took a deep breath, feeling deeply depressed.

*What a perfectly good public execution, did you have to turn it into a hate-magnet for me?*

Even if the whole school could run for president, that would be fine, but he just had to lock him into a one-on-one rivalry!

By the time it ended, the first period after study hall was already halfway over. Students returned to their classrooms, their gazes darting back and forth. Without exception, they were all looking in Jiang Changyuan’s direction.

"Changyuan, you’ve been wronged this time. In the future, if you have any issues, come find me directly in the principal’s office."

"Rest assured, as long as I am the principal of Shi Gao, I will never let anyone trouble you again!"

Principal Pei was acting strangely today, personally escorting Jiang Changyuan back to the classroom—which could be interpreted as appeasement. After all, Jiang Changyuan was innocent, and they couldn't afford to alienate the student body.

But why were the vice-principal and Director Lu also escorting him back with such fawning expressions?!

The three school leaders successfully ensured that anyone who wanted to comfort Jiang Changyuan dared not approach, leaving the teachers to remark on the absurdity of it all.

"Our principal is usually such a slick, smooth operator; what is he playing at today?"

"Slick? You might as well call him a fair-weather opportunist who only acts when there's profit to be made. Would he do anything without a benefit?"

"Hey, hey, I didn't say that. Everyone, witness for me, I didn't say it."

"Tch..."

They couldn't make sense of it in just a few words, so some teachers left first, needing to maintain order in their classes.

Once the three leaders were gone, Jiang Changyuan ruffled his hair, feeling like crying. He knew Gu Qing; if he refused the election, Gu Qing would surely think he looked down on him, and his favorability would drop into the abyss on the spot.

If that happened, he couldn't possibly reveal his identity as a wealthy heir, or else the Student Association’s numbers would surely triple. The Student Union was already struggling against the Student Association; if a bunch of double-agents joined, would he even survive to the series finale?

"Are you unhappy?"

Su Yingying, sitting to his right, asked softly.

Jiang Changyuan glanced at her. He wasn't just unhappy; he was miserable.

He had finally stabilized the situation after the exams and used the cheating scandal to skyrocket his favorability with Gu Qing, only for that old fox of a principal to slash through his plans with one extra sentence!

He could have just walked away after the bragging was done, but he just *had* to add more... Sigh!

"Yan... Yan Chang and Zhang Chengliang have received their due punishment. Why are you still unhappy?"

"They’re finished, sure, but the principal is making me run for president against Gu Qing."

"Oh."

The voice beside him faded, and Jiang Changyuan didn't pay it much mind.

"I believe in you."

"What?"

"If you want to be president, you will definitely succeed in the election!"

Su Yingying clenched her delicate fists, making a cheering gesture.

Jiang Changyuan’s expression cracked instantly. What he needed was a break!

*Female lead, you've changed!*

Even amidst the noisy classroom, their little interaction did not escape Gu Qing’s notice. He pulled the cap off his pen with a sharp click, let out a low huff, and opened his textbook. He looked up, glanced over, looked down, then looked up again...

*As expected, people like Jiang Changyuan are the most annoying!*

*Tap, tap, tap.*

The sound of high heels echoed as Zhou Caiyi walked in clutching teaching materials. The students instantly quieted down. There was no helping it; Zhou Caiyi was notoriously stern, and no one dared to act out in her presence.

Jiang Changyuan sat up straight. Whether it was his imagination or not, he caught a glimpse of Zhou Caiyi glancing at him discreetly from the corner of his eye.

"Starting today, I am the new homeroom teacher for Class One."

"We are already quite familiar with each other, so there's no need for introductions, right?"

Zhou Caiyi made a rare joke, which was met with wails from the whole class—Jiang Changyuan’s being the most painful of all.

She had already brought him trouble twice before; now that she was the homeroom teacher, the future hate-value...

It was steady, and it made him feel completely uneasy!

Jiang Changyuan wanted to transfer classes—to a class far away from the male and female leads, one where he could even avoid them when going to the restroom during breaks!

Forget the favorability points; he wasn't going to farm them anymore. He was going to give up and rot!

"No way!"