Chapter Thirty-Two: Fragmented

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You think you’re worthy? The sheer contempt in that tone made Guo Qingyuan’s eyes flare red with rage. How dare someone speak to him like this? His mind was ablaze, anger flooding every thought until he moved on impulse—his arm shot up, aiming a slap straight at Wang Yiran’s cheek.

But the blow never landed. Before his hand had even closed half the distance—still twenty or thirty centimeters from Wang Yiran’s face—Qin Anyi’s hand caught his wrist in midair. With just a twist, Qin Anyi forced Guo Qingyuan’s hand to snap back, quick and clean, so that the slap landed squarely on Guo Qingyuan’s own face.

A sharp, resounding smack echoed in the office. Guo Qingyuan’s cheek turned as crimson as his eyes. The sudden turn left the surrounding teachers stunned; before any of them could react, Guo Qingyuan had already slapped himself, right in front of everyone.

Qin Anyi hadn’t moved particularly fast, so all the teachers witnessed every detail clearly. They saw Guo Qingyuan, inexplicably furious, attempt to strike Wang Yiran, only to be stopped and redirected by Qin Anyi so that, in the end, his hand landed on his own face.

“Qin Anyi! This is the teachers’ office! How dare you strike someone in front of so many teachers? Do the school rules mean nothing to you?” The young female teacher shrieked as she regained her senses. She wouldn’t dare provoke Wang Yiran, but she had no such qualms with Qin Anyi.

“Teacher, are your eyes painted shut? Guo Qingyuan was the one who attacked first. I simply dislike seeing a man raise his hand against a woman. And as for who struck Guo Qingyuan, it was his own hand—what does that have to do with me?” Qin Anyi laughed coldly.

“Don’t quibble! Guo Qingyuan would never hit someone! He was probably just joking with Yiran. But you—so quick to anger, so prone to violence—I am more convinced than ever that you are unfit to be the school’s representative. If an altercation breaks out because of you, you’ll be the school’s greatest disgrace!” the young teacher declared righteously. After scolding Qin Anyi, she turned to Guo Qingyuan. “Qingyuan, tell us—weren’t you just joking with Yiran?”

Face still stinging, Guo Qingyuan snapped out of his rage and nodded quickly at his homeroom teacher’s cue. “Yes, I was only joking with Yiran. Everyone knows I like her—how could I possibly bring myself to hit her? Qin Anyi, you’re being unreasonable. You slapped me, here in school—I won’t stoop to your level, but you must apologize. If you don’t, I’ll ask the school to punish you for campus violence.”

Seeing Guo Qingyuan’s self-righteous expression, Qin Anyi couldn’t help but feel a grudging admiration; such shamelessness was a rare skill indeed.

“What now? If Yiran really quits the team, how will we explain it to the principal? Mr. Li, you’re one of the supervising teachers and you’re the one who drove her away—you should talk to the principal about this,” a teacher suddenly suggested after a long silence.

“Me? I drove Wang Yiran away? Wasn’t everything I just said reasonable? Yiran may have the right to recommend candidates, but we’re supposed to have a say in it! If we approve just any mediocre student, how are the others supposed to see us?” the female teacher protested shrilly. “No one spoke up earlier, but now you expect me to take the blame? Dream on! If there’s blame to bear, we all share it. Don’t think you can push me under the bus!”

“Colleagues, calm down. The only reason Yiran acts so arrogantly is because you all indulge her. She dares to use this as a threat. But don’t worry, I’ll have my father call the principal when I get home. So what if we lose Yiran? I refuse to believe the sky will fall just because she’s gone!” Guo Qingyuan snorted dismissively.

The teachers cursed him inwardly for a fool. The principal of Changqing First High was a top-tier vice departmental official, on par with Guo Qingyuan’s father in rank, even if their real authority differed. They weren’t even in the same government system. Did Guo Qingyuan really think his father, the city government secretary, could make their principal bow and scrape over a single phone call? That a call would erase the sin of pressuring Wang Yiran to quit?

“The sky may remain, but without Yiran, our results will be disastrous,” Shi Le, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up. “If Yiran leaves, so do I. Without her, we don’t even have a shot at the top three. I refuse to suffer humiliation alongside Guo Qingyuan.” With that, Shi Le turned and walked out of the office.

“This is outrageous! Wang Yiran, Shi Le, and that Qin Anyi are simply too arrogant! They’re still students, yet they show no respect for their teachers! Have they no sense of propriety?” the female teacher fumed, nearly beside herself.

The other teachers were at a loss, never having expected things to spiral out of control so quickly—three core members of the representative team, divided and scattered, with two already threatening to quit. If only Guo Qingyuan was left to lead the team… Would Changqing First High, ranked second in the province, end up at the bottom of this academic competition?

“Zhao, there’s something wrong with Qin Anyi in your class—you must deal with him strictly! And Wang Yiran, too—you’ve spoiled her rotten!” the female teacher shouted at Zhao Guoping.

Zhao Guoping was seething, though his anger was reserved for Guo Qingyuan and the female teacher. He merely snorted at her tirade. “Guo Qingyuan struck himself—everyone here saw it clearly. Slander won’t change the truth. As for Yiran, I believe she did nothing wrong. If our paths diverge, so be it. Your class can take the team to the competition this time. I wish you all the best.”

“What do you mean by that, Zhao Guoping?” the female teacher snapped, getting to her feet.

“Nothing at all. I have lessons to prepare. Please stop shouting; what will the students think if they hear you?” With a dark expression, Zhao Guoping returned to his desk and ignored her completely.