Li Xueyou felt somewhat surprised that Sima Duyi seemed not to be angry.
Although his face was still cold, according to her understanding, it was just Sima Duyi’s habitual expression that kept people at a distance.
The way he was now, his eyelids drooping as he turned to look at Zhao Rong, did not seem like the angry demeanor Li Xueyou remembered.
It was more like when he had just come in, mistaking her for being bullied, that he seemed a bit angry.
But then again, it was hard to say...
Li Xueyou cautiously took a few more glances at Sima Duyi’s profile, only to see him still looking half-asleep.
Like her, most of the students inside Shuaixing Hall were also sizing him up.
Because just a moment ago, Zhao Rong had called Sima Duyi out without hesitation, a move that blatantly disrespected him.
This was, after all, one of the few "Reading Seeds" of Linlu Academy.
Several Shuaixing Hall students secretly clicked their tongues in amazement.
Unlike Li Xueyou’s understanding, Wu Peiliang noticed the look on Sima Duyi’s face and his silent attitude,
and seemed to grasp something.
This somewhat effeminate-looking Shuaixing Hall student felt a surge of secret delight.
He turned to look at Zhao Rong and shook his head.
"Class? It’s not even class time; it’s just your own wishful thinking,"
Wu Peiliang chuckled softly.
"Mr. Zhao himself is just a half-baked scholar, needing to be tutored by senior Yu. And now, look at this, can’t bear to see others doing well, petty enough to want to tutor senior Yu and the rest of us. It’s personal vendetta in disguise."
He paused, then waved his sleeve.
Wu Peiliang snorted softly and looked around at all the students in Shuaixing Hall.
"The Academy has only one rest day every ten days; every fellow student has important things to do. If you mess around during regular classes like before when you took us wandering around, well, that’s tolerable. But on the rare rest day, still causing trouble... sigh,"
He shook his head, looking disappointed.
Zhao Rong, seeing Wu Peiliang creating momentum and rallying all the Shuaixing Hall students against him as if separating classes, took a defiant stance against him, the teaching assistant.
He raised an eyebrow and took a few more glances at Wu Peiliang.
Couldn’t help but speak out:
"Oh, is there anything else?"
Wu Peiliang’s smile stiffened slightly, and his right eyelid twitched uncontrollably.
Are you fucking serious?
After I’ve said all this, are you still looking for a scolding?
For some reason, whenever Wu Peiliang saw that indifferent look on the man’s face on stage, compounded with that current aggravating tone, it seemed like he was saying, ’Just this, Brother Wu?’
It really made his blood boil.
Wu Peiliang took a deep breath and held back because, from his experience in these days of struggle, he knew very well that it didn’t matter who was right or wrong; whoever got angry first would lose.
Breaking the opponent’s defense, making him irate, was the most important thing,
At this moment, Wu Peiliang’s smile was bright, he nodded, "If Mr. Zhao wants something, then even if I don’t have it, I must find it, just to satisfy your strange request."
He stared at Zhao Rong, word by word:
"I’ve never seen anyone as shameless as you, Zhao Ziyu. Do you think everyone is as free as you? On a rest day, having important things to ignore, everyone has to waste time with you?
Let’s leave us out of it, just take Sima, our Academy’s face. He is incredibly busy, usually handling more Academy matters than you could imagine. Now, he finally took some time to come and see Xueyou brother, but here you are, shamelessly demanding him to wait outside. Can you take responsibility for the time Sima is delayed?"
Sima Duyi glanced at Wu Peiliang but said nothing.
Floating between praise and criticism, Zhao Rong blinked his eyes.
He glanced at the many students behind Wu Peiliang who seemed to agree.
Zhao Rong nodded slightly, thought for a moment, "I have just two points to make. After hearing them, Mr. Wu, please take a seat. We are in class right now; why are you still acting like a mischievous child?"
Without waiting for Wu Peiliang’s expression to change, he began speaking earnestly:
"First, the matter of tutoring was something I had planned well in advance. It’s not that I needed to be tutored by brother Yu and took it out on you; and given her nature, avoiding Music Art tutoring is inevitable."
"Second, actually... I’m also very busy on rest days, not any more relaxed than anyone else. So, for the sake of the mid-month exam, let’s be understanding of each other..."
Wu Peiliang interjected, "What are you so busy with, let’s hear it?"
Zhao Rong sighed, lowered his head to adjust his sleeves, seeming to be formulating his words.
Wu Peiliang, Sima Duyi, Yu Huaijin, and a crowd of students all waited for him to reveal this troublesome busy matter.
At a certain moment, Zhao Rong raised his head, looked at everyone sincerely, and said:
"My wife is coming to check... no, to visit me. Isn’t that busy enough?"
The hall fell silent suddenly.
All eyes focused on the young Confucian scholar standing on the stage with a difficult expression on his face.
Many students could not help but twitch their mouths.
Is this even human talk?
However, some experienced students looked at Zhao Rong with a touch of closeness and emotion. Their earlier displeasure had evaporated.
They fully understood the ’busy’ Mr. Zhao referred to.
It appeared Mr. Zhao was indeed not having an easy time; they really should be understanding towards each other.
These students deeply sympathized...
"Cough, cough," Zhao Rong, embarrassed by so many gazes, looked out of the academy gate.
The morning sunlight was bright, the sky clear and the air crisp, inducing a good mood just by looks, but what was even more anticipated was the unexpected arrival of a loved one, and a tender call suddenly slipping into one’s ear amidst the busyness.