The principal hid behind the trunk of a tree, attempting to use the dangling branches to cover his face.
"Good day, Principal!" A student, nearly bumping into him while reading a book, quickly stood at attention.
The principal nodded and waved his hand, signaling for the student to move further away.
The student left, confused as a monk encountering a riddle,
thinking how unfathomable the principal was, could it be an incognito inspection?
But why the need to adorn his head with green leaves?
Could that really make him more inconspicuous?
Unbeknownst to the principal, his own mind was full of question marks, observing the old man who was pacing back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back nearby.
What was Mr. Qian thinking?
Weren’t you supposed to be a person of high moral standing? Why does it feel no different from an old mischief-maker?
The principal felt as if his own knowledge was being ground into the floor by the other party.
Qian Zhengxin walked along the path, as if bathed in the light of the Righteous Path.
Watching the bustling students, he pondered.
Which one should he set his trap for?
Ye Chunxiao passed by with her head down.
Lately, she had been keeping to herself, her face no longer bearing even the pretense of a smile.
Everyone fears having a venomous snake lurking nearby.
Ye Chunxiao was severely reprimanded by the school, and during the flag-raising ceremony, she had to confess before the entire school.
This immediately made her infamous, even students preoccupied with their own concerns knew of this person.
Zhou Xitong at least had the wealth and background of her family, others were willing to flatter and cajole for potential benefits.
Ye Chunxiao, however, was completely ostracized, with no one even willing to exhange a few words with her, fearing they might become the target of such a person.
Seeing Ye Chunxiao approach, Qian Zhengxin couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows.
This girl seemed somewhat gloomy.
At this age, kids are usually quite upbeat and sunny, but she was an unusual case.
Mr. Qian slowly approached, and the principal hiding in the shadows muttered, "Oh no."
Mr. Qian seemed to accidentally come closer.
Ye Chunxiao looked up abruptly, only to see an old man trembling and tumbling to the ground before her.
Qian Zhengxin clutched his knee, wincing in pain and sucking in a cold breath.
His acting was exaggerated to the fullest.
Ye Chunxiao was startled, "What are you doing? I didn’t touch you."
Qian Zhengxin had grey hair, and his clothes were unremarkable, making him look like an ordinary old man.
"Young lady, could you help me up?"
Ye Chunxiao frowned warily, "Can’t you stand up by yourself?"
"I think I broke my leg and can’t get up. Could you be so kind to help me to a shaded spot and call an ambulance for me?"
The old man’s white hair was fluttering in the wind, his wrinkled face expressing such distress that one couldn’t help but feel compassion.
But Ye Chunxiao’s mind was full of Lu Zhu’s case.
"Are you trying to scam me?"
"Miss, you misunderstood. I assure you I won’t blame you. I just need some help getting to a shaded area, could you call an ambulance for me?"
Qian Zhengxin said pitifully, but Ye Chunxiao felt increasingly suspicious.
"Just because you say you won’t blame me, should I believe that? What if you cling to me and don’t let go?"
Qian Zhengxin asked her, "So in the future, if you see someone in my situation, will you just ignore them?"
Ye Chunxiao looked at him, eyes furrowed, "I can’t afford that risk, and why should I help you? We are strangers after all."
Qian Zhengxin had initially thought that if she was traumatized by recent events, it might be understandable if she didn’t help.
But upon hearing her speak, he felt that this young lady was a bit cold-hearted.
"Shouldn’t people in society help each other?"
"Why should they? Haven’t you heard ’Each man sweeps the snow before his own door and does not worry about the frost on his neighbor’s roof’? I’m just a poor student, I can’t help you."
Ye Chunxiao was about to leave when Qian Zhengxin felt something was off with the girl’s way of thinking and insisted on proving a point.
"What would you do if you were in trouble? Wouldn’t you hope someone would lend you a hand?"
Ye Chunxiao grew even more convinced that the old man was trying to scam her, otherwise why would he have so many words to insist on her helping him up?
"Are you so set on imposing this on me today? No matter what you say, I’m not going to meddle," Ye Chunxiao said impatiently, turning away, and right then she saw Yue Qingqing walking by.
Ye Chunxiao’s eyes shifted, "Why don’t you ask her instead? She loves meddling in other people’s business."