Chapter 20: Despair in Heart 2

  Seeing Xia Qian Ning, Song Xi Wei was like seeing a lifesaver. Heaven has eyes, and it actually let her meet the lifesaver: "Qian Ning! My stomach hurts so much. But Teacher Qi asked me to go to the gym to fetch sandbags for him, can you help me send the sandbags to Teacher Qi?"

  "Does your stomach hurt? Do you want to go to the infirmary?"

  "I can go alone, it's fine. Can you help me carry sandbags?" Song Xiwei said with a half-true and half-false tone of suffering.

  "No problem, I'll go now. Be careful on your way to the infirmary!" Xia Xianying took the keys from Song Xiwei's hand and went with a sandbag.

  Song Xiwei looked at Xia Qianying's back: Sorry! Who made you come so coincidentally.

  Xia Qian Ning walked into the office with a sandbag, saw Ling Shui Yao standing there, and her reaction was as surprised as Song Xi Wei. She handed the sandbag to Teacher Qi, but Teacher Qi didn't take it, pointing at Ling Shui Yao: "Tie him up."

  "Huh?" Xia Qian's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at him, wondering how he ended up here. She looked down at his hand, still wrapped in gauze, and her expression softened with concern.

  Mr. Qi just realized someone had been replaced: "Where's Song Xiwei?"

  "She has stomachache and went to the infirmary."

  "You're new here, haven't seen it before. Go! Tie the four sandbags to Ling Shuiyue's left and right elbows."

  Xia Qian Ning looked at the sandbag. Although she had never used it before, she also knew that this was tied to her leg, how come now it's tied to her arm. She carefully stood in front of Ling Shui Yao, took a sandbag and put it on Ling Shui Yao's left arm, very seriously tying it up, but somehow couldn't tie it up.

  Ling Shuiyue looked at Xia Qianying's serious attitude, and couldn't help but want to knock some sense into her: Everyone knows this is a trouble-making thing, they can't even hide in time, you're still taking the initiative to get involved. Do you really want me to be punished?

  "You silly girl, how can you be so clumsy? Can't even tie a sandbag properly? Ling Shuiyue. Stretch your arm out flat." Qi teacher said impatiently.

  Ling Shui's eyes did not react, and his arm remained hanging down.

  Xia Qian Ning still said unknowingly: "Teacher Qi! Don't worry. I'll handle it."

  Seeing Xia Wen's serious look, Teacher Qi smiled. There really is someone who isn't afraid of trouble.

  Xia Qian Ning continued to wrap the sandbag around Ling Shuiyue's arm, but Ling Shuiyue shook his arm and refused to cooperate. Xia Qian Ning whispered: "Don't shake it, what if you bump into the wound on your hand?"

  You're really something! You know you've got an injury on your hand and yet you still do this, what's the point of tying a sandbag? He said in a low voice: "Then why are you still tying this?"

  It's just that, why do we have to tie sandbags. It's not like it's physical training. Xia Xianjing looked at Teacher Qi with a soft but firm voice: "Teacher Qi! Why do we have to tie sandbags?"

  "Punishment! You'll be punished for not doing your homework. Last time, you lost your homework notebook, and since you're a transfer student and didn't know the rules, I let it slide without physical punishment."

  "No corporal punishment!"

  Teacher Qi smiled and said: "Why?"

  "There are rules, you know. Schools have rules, and they're not just for students, but also for teachers."

  "Teacher Qi sneered, 'Why do I punish you? For myself? Or is it for your own good? A student's duty is to study, and studying is for your own benefit, not for mine. Punishing you doesn't take up my energy or time, does it? Do you think teachers want to be executioners? It's all because I'm afraid you won't amount to anything!'"

  "As far as I know, he's doing pretty well, and" Xia Qian Ning wanted to continue, but saw Ling Shuiyue pick up the sandbag and tie himself up.

  "You" Xia Xian Ning stretched out her hand to stop him: "You have an injury on your hand, if you move again it will bleed."

  If she continues to speak so recklessly, the one who will be punished soon won't be Ling Shuiyue. It'll be Xia Qianying. Ling Shuiyue pushed Xia Qianying away with his arm, using his usual cold tone: "Don't stand there being an eyesore. You're ugly and talkative, it's infuriating. Hurry up and leave. You're affecting the school's appearance!"

  Xia Wen Ning was furious: He! He simply doesn't know what's good for him.

  Teacher Qi's smile faded. Usually in such situations, the one who tied the sandbag would hastily leave, afraid of being implicated if they didn't do a good job. But today, for the first time, someone spoke up for the punished person, and for the first time, someone wasn't afraid of being implicated. It's different, it has some meaning.

  He looked at Ling Shuiyue, who was busy, and then at Xia Qinger, who was standing aside with a look of righteous indignation. Ah, it seems that someone likes to be tied up in a sack today! He pointed at Xia Qinger with his whip: "You, go stand over there, next to Ling Shuiyue. Ling Shuiyue! Don't tie her up yourself. Tie her up!"

  Ling Shuiyue ignored Teacher Qi's words and continued to tie sandbags around herself. Xia Qianjing heard Teacher Qi say this, her body stiffened in place, not moving: What's going on, what did she do wrong that she needs to be punished?

  "Are you two dating? I remember now, the video that was circulating wildly in school last time was of the two of you. Well! You've brought your romance to my doorstep. You're quite bold!" Teacher Qi stood up.

  "We don't have a teacher," Xia Xianying said, unable to continue.

  "What is it?"

  Is that so? What's wrong with it? Is it just because you can't stand the teacher beating students? If I go on, I'll definitely be beaten to pieces by Teacher Qi. Xia Xianying lowered her head and didn't dare to answer.

  "Now you want to behave like a good student? Too late. Where did that righteous indignation go just now? Tie up, tie each other up, one person two ties. Stand for an hour and then leave. Hurry up, do I need to do it myself?" Teacher Qi said, tapping Ling Shuiyue's shoulder with his ruler.

  Five minutes later, the two people stood side by side with their arms stretched out. Teacher Qi took a sip of hot tea: "Good tea! Usually don't think this tea is particularly fragrant, but today it's different, someone added spices. Drinking it is especially refreshing. Stand up straight! Don't sway, stretch your arms straight down and hold for an extended period." He tapped the desk lightly with his pointer: "I'm an excellent teacher, right? I thoroughly understand my students and am very considerate of their feelings. You two aren't in a romantic relationship, are you? I've given you ample reason to be together, don't you want to thank me?"

  Xia Qian Ning couldn't hear what Teacher Qi was saying. It had only been a minute, but her arms were already sore. An hour, heaven knows how many seconds she could hold on. What was she proud of just now, why didn't she listen to Ling Shuiyue and leave obediently? She glanced at Ling Shuiyue with the corner of her eye, he seemed fine, probably used to such physical punishment, it looked like standing for two hours wouldn't be a problem either.

  Teacher Qi was pacing back and forth in his office, narrowing his eyes, humming a tune, shaking his head with great satisfaction.

  Ten minutes later, Xia Qian's arm began to sink downwards, she really couldn't hold on any longer. Her hand slowly fell down, but was caught by a hand wrapped in gauze.

  No need to look, it's obvious who it is. Xia Qian Ning quickly looked for the teacher's gaze. Fortunately, Teacher Qi was just about to turn around with his back facing them. She hastily moved her hand away, she had to hold on, his hand was injured. This teacher seemed quite perverted, if she didn't do well this time, she would inevitably be punished again.

  Endure! Endure! Endure! Xia Xian's face was flushed, and sweat began to trickle down her forehead, hairline, behind her ears, and neck. Teacher Qi sat in a soft chair, sipping what he thought was fragrant tea, occasionally glancing at the clock on the wall. Thirty minutes had passed, and they hadn't made a peep; this punishment was really boring.

  "Teacher Qi!" The director of studies stopped at the office door, helplessly crossing his arms over his chest: "Is it convenient? I have a small matter that I'd like to interrupt you with, and it's something that requires your departure."

  "Convenient, convenient. You two should remember this and next time if you make the same mistake again, you will only receive a more severe punishment than this one. Send the sandbags to the gym, and lock the door on your way out." With that, Teacher Qi and the Dean of Studies left the office.

  Just as Teacher Qi left the office, Xia Xianjing had already collapsed to the ground. The arrival of the Director of Studies was truly timely, her savior.

  Ling Shuiyue sat on the floor, removed the sandbag from Xia Qian's arm and then stretched out her own arm.

  "Thank you!" Xia Xianying muttered while removing the sandbag from Ling Shuiyao's arm, "Bad teacher! Too bad! Too despicable!"

  "It's not him being annoying, it's you being annoying! If you don't have the ability, then don't show off blindly. What was originally a 10-minute matter was dragged out by you, and if it weren't for the head teacher finding him to discuss something, who knows how long we would have stood there?"

  "You" Xia Wen's originally rosy face turned even redder: "A dog bites Lu Dongbin, not knowing the kindness of others": "I'm not clever enough, not shrewd enough, not capable enough," she huffily took off Ling Shuiyue's sandbag: "You carry the sandbag yourself."

  "Why? It wasn't me who brought it."

  "Why am I taking this? Isn't it because of you?"

  "Why is it because of me? Didn't you say so yourself, that it's because you're not clever enough, not..." Ling Shuiyue covered her mouth.

  Xia Xian Ning's tears welled up in her eyes and hovered on the brink of falling.

  "It's all my fault, I'm the one who's wrong. I'll go deliver the sandbags, you should hurry back to class." Ling Shuiyue didn't know what to say to make those tears stop.

  Those transparent tears, how can they be retrieved once they have filled the eyes? They have no choice but to fall.

  Ling Shui's day started off on the wrong foot. On his way to school, he ran into Li Qiang and his two friends, and they almost got into a fight before arriving at school. Before he could even catch his breath, Teacher Qi came looking for him again. And if that wasn't enough, Xia Xianying had to go and provoke Teacher Qi, and now she's crying after being punished.

  Seeing Xia Qianying still sitting there silently shedding tears, Ling Shuiyue took a deep breath and hugged her into Teacher Qi's soft chair. With both hands on the armrests, he leaned in close to Xia Qianying and whispered: "There are still classes ahead, do you want to go out like this and be laughed at?"

  Xia Qian's eyes widened as she was suddenly transferred by Ling Shuiyue, and she took a fright, her tears were even scared back. Does he do everything so coolly? Others would be disheveled when punished, but he was still cool when punished. His resolute facial features enlarged before her, and she suddenly leaned back.

  "Shall we go out together? I'll take the sandbag and you lock the door? OK?" Ling Shuiyue loosened his grip on the armrest.

  Xia Xian Ning mechanically nodded her head.