Chapter 89

Chapter 83: The Next Trap

The fourth period was Physical Education, with Class 3 and Class 4 combined, along with a class from Grade 11 and a class from Grade 12, totaling nearly three hundred people gathered together. The large playground was in chaos, with dust flying on the inner field that had no grass, and the noise of people was even louder than a market. The PE teacher for Grade 10 was a middle-aged man in his forties, surnamed Gao, named Sheng, with a very rough temper. After blowing the whistle a few times and still unable to control the order, he shouted in anger, "Form up! Class 3 in front, Class 4 in back, run ten laps!"

Amidst a chorus of complaints, the line began to move slowly. Ren Yi whispered, "Is this guy in menopause? He never lets us have a good time in class. Look at the Grade 11 students; they run three laps and then get to play basketball and soccer, how cool is that!"

Wen Liang smiled and said, "More exercise is good, but this teacher is indeed a bit harsh. How about this, today is basketball class, and he has a habit of not touching the ball himself..."

By the time they finished the ten laps, Ren Yi had already passed on Wen Liang's idea to the last row. Gao Sheng, seeing the group panting and out of breath, looked extremely pleased and said, "With this kind of physique, you're a disgrace to our school. The boys are as weak as the girls, and the girls fall over with a breeze. Just a slow jog for ten laps, and you're all exhausted like dead dogs. Tell me, what will you amount to when you grow up?"

Wen Liang always believed that respecting teachers and valuing education was a fine tradition of the Chinese nation, and every teacher should be respected and admired. In reality, there were many good teachers, but there were also many bad ones.

It might take many good teachers to turn a bad student into a good one, but it might only take one bad teacher to turn a good student into a bad one.

Wen Liang deliberately looked for Liu Zhihe from Class 4. He stood at the far end of the last row, his plump figure very noticeable, seemingly oblivious to the teacher's scolding, and idly picking at his nails. Wen Liang smiled; in a certain sense, Liu Zhihe was even more mature than himself.

"Class 4, practice the standing long jump. Class 3, come to the basketball court."

Gao Sheng stood under the basket, briefly explaining the shooting technique. The students from Class 3 formed a semicircle in three rows, with a dozen or so of the more daring ones holding balls. Gao Sheng demonstrated once without a ball, then waved his hand and said, "Give me a ball."

Wen Liang whispered, "Give!"

A dozen basketballs flew over at once, and Gao Sheng, unable to dodge, was hit from head to toe, the thuds and slaps echoing. Seeing Gao Sheng's狼狈 (embarrassed) state, the girls couldn't help but laugh, followed by the boys, and the students from Class 4 practicing the long jump nearby also saw this. Youth is the best contagion, and within a minute, all the students from Class 3 and Class 4 were laughing uncontrollably. Gao Sheng stood there, embarrassed, with his white Li Ning sportswear covered in ball marks.

Pranks are also a memory of youth!

After a moment, Gao Sheng reacted, pointing at the group and shouting, "What are you laughing at? Are you all brainless? I asked for one ball, and you all throw them over. I've been a teacher for thirty or forty years, and I've never seen such stupid students!"

Perhaps seeing his clothes dirtied, Gao Sheng ordered free play and turned to leave the playground. The boys let out a whoop and jumped up, several of them pairing up and bumping hips, which made Wen Liang feel a bit uncomfortable. But it was 1995, and no one raised two fingers and shouted "yeah," which was a fortunate thing.

After the excitement, people occasionally patted Ren Yi on the shoulder, praising his courage and strategy. Ren Yi kept declining, saying it was Wen Liang's idea, but the poor Wen Uncle, due to Ji Su, had become almost a public enemy among the boys, and no one wanted to give him the credit. Since Ren Yi had organized it, they insisted on putting it on him.

What kind of face did Ren Yi have? After a couple of attempts to decline, he immediately accepted, giving Wen Liang a defiant look and shrugging his shoulders. Wen Liang, who was already wary of the attention, mischievously leaned in and whispered, "Heroes always pay a price, be careful, brother!"

Liu Zhihe waved at him from a corner nearby. Wen Liang ignored Ren Yi and walked over. Liu Zhihe leaned against the wall, his small eyes squinting, and asked, "Was that your doing just now?"

"Idle time is for playing, right? Zhihe, don't always be so aloof. You need to blend in with the class and share the fun."

Liu Zhihe slapped his forehead, looking extremely speechless, "Nonsense! I'd believe anyone else, but not you. You're already notorious among the boys in Class 3, and even the students in Class 4 talk about you like this: 'Who? Wen Liang? Pfft!'"

First doubt, then surprise, and finally disdain, Liu Zhihe used his chubby face to express the three stages of the sentence vividly.

Wen Liang smiled bitterly, "Alright, I get it. You guys are all smart when it comes to criticizing me. Let's get to the point, no time for chitchat!"

Liu Zhihe glanced around and whispered, "I have news. This Saturday night... Why are you so calm, no expression at all?" He tried to pull Wen Liang's chin to create a shocked expression.

Wen Liang pushed his hand away and sneered, "Of course I'm calm. Bai Huan used the excuse of a singing competition with a group of girls from Class 1 and Class 2 to invite the school beauty from No. 19 High School, right?"

Liu Zhihe's jaw dropped in shock, "Damn, do you have a mole in there?"

Wen Liang smiled coldly, no wonder he was puzzled this morning about why Bai Huan was about to make a move but still had the heart to play with those girls. Hearing Liu Zhihe, he immediately understood. It had been several days, and Bai Huan hadn't made a move, indicating that the girl from No. 19 High School, Xie Yan, was not easy to invite. Without a good reason, even using the lure of helping her mother's stall, he couldn't get her to come out. The girls' quarrel gave Bai Huan the opportunity. With so many girls singing together, Xie Yan's guard would be down, and Bai Huan and his group could wait until after the event, offer to take her home, and slip her a drugged drink to ruin her life.

Wen Liang thought for a moment and said, "They will choose a karaoke bar in the West District for the singing on Saturday night. Bai Huan has a VIP card for a hotel in the West District. You need to have your guys mention the hotel at an appropriate time, like how luxurious it is, or if they'll ever get to see it. Understand?"

Liu Zhihe knew Wen Liang wanted to lure Bai Huan and his group to the hotel, nodded, and couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "Boss, can I ask two questions? First, how do you know they'll go to the West District? Second, damn, are you a god, knowing he has a VIP card for that hotel?"

Wen Liang's lips curled into a mysterious smile, and he said calmly, "I know because I chose the karaoke bar and the hotel!"

Liu Zhihe was speechless, staring in shock for a long time before extending his thumb and repeating Wen Liang's praise, "You're amazing, you really are amazing! I'm impressed!"

After school, waiting for Xu Yao at the gate, Wen Liang looked behind her and frowned, "Where's Coach Ning?"

Xu Yao walked forward, turning to look at him, "I heard you did something bad this morning, leading the charge to throw basketballs at Gao Sheng?"

Wen Liang was about to lose it, clenching his fists and glaring, shouting hoarsely, "Who, who is spreading lies about me? If I find out, I'll strip them naked and hang them on the flagpole!"

Xu Yao tilted her head, teasing, "Would you really? She's a beautiful girl, you know?"

It turned out Ji Su was the little spy. Wen Liang stood firm, "Xu Yao, you're being unfair! Who else would dare call themselves beautiful in front of you? Saying such things is deliberately humiliating others. I represent all the girls of Qingyi High School in despising you!"

Xu Yao laughed, "Alright, what do you want? I knew you wouldn't just wait for me at the gate."

"Have you decided on a place for the singing?"

"Not yet, why?"

Wen Liang clapped his hands and smiled, "The nickname 'Knowledgeable, Considerate, and Gentleman' given to me by Class 3 isn't for nothing! I've already found you a top-notch venue, modern and trendy, safe and clean, especially with an excellent sound system."

Xu Yao jumped with joy, grabbing Wen Liang's arm, "Really? I was just thinking of asking Xiao Ning to help me find one. Her sister is very capable..."

"Coach Ning has a sister?" Wen Liang asked casually, not really paying attention, "Of course it's true, just like how your heart is racing now while you're holding my hand."

"Ah, pfft!"

After seeing Xu Yao off, Wen Liang thought about whether to call Zuo Yuxi or meet her in person. Although nothing was explicitly said last night, for psychologically mature young men and women, that kiss had fundamentally changed their relationship. Wen Liang really wanted to see her again, but he didn't dare to come home late again, as Ding Mei's anger could be catastrophic.

While he was hesitating, he heard Ren Yi's voice from a distance, "Brother, in the world of martial arts, the most important thing is trust. Those who break trust will have no good end!"

Ji Su walked up to Wen Liang and smiled, "Alright, I've caught you. Go to tutoring."

Wen Liang smiled bitterly, "Okay, wait a moment, I need to make a call."

Zuo Yuxi's voice on the phone was as usual, showing no particular change. After Wen Liang finished giving his instructions, just as he was about to hang up, her hesitant voice came through, "You... you're not coming over?"

Wen Liang suppressed his warmth and teased softly, "Do you miss me?"

"Pfft!"

Listening to the beeps on the phone, Wen Liang pursed his lips. Perhaps because of his tendency to be a smart aleck, Uncle Wen had often been spat at since his rebirth. But it didn't matter, as the old saying goes:

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