Chapter 111: Argument in the Private Room

Chapter 111: Chapter 111: Argument in the Private Room

"Hey, look, it’s Murong Feifei! I’m a fan. She’s my favorite!"

"She’s so beautiful! I like her too!"

"Tch, you’re so superficial. I like her for more than just her looks!"

"Oh, come on. Besides her looks, what else is there to like?"

"She’s a great singer, and... hmm... and also... Ugh, forget it, I’m not talking to you about this... Anyway, I’m her die-hard fan. She’s my goddess!"

"Goddess? Heh heh, the entertainment industry is a shady place. Maybe your ’goddess’ has already... you know!"

"The casting couch? Are you a fucking idiot? You have no idea what Murong Feifei’s background is, do you? Who would dare try that with her? Those directors?"

"Er..."

"Hahaha! Old Peng, you moron. You don’t even watch the entertainment news, and you’re still talking out of your ass."

"Old Peng, you’re so behind the times. Murong Feifei is Murong Bo’s daughter. Those directors, record companies, and all them? They all work for her family."

"Murong Feifei is no ordinary celebrity. Since her debut, she’s basically stayed out of scandals and hasn’t relied on hype, yet she’s still a top star. Aside from her astonishing family background, she’s also incredibly talented in her own right and very popular."

The classmates watched the TV, discussing the entertainment world. Ye Xing also glanced at the celebrity on the screen, Murong Feifei. ’She looks a little familiar,’ he thought. It was a strange feeling, as if he’d actually met her in person before. But he was sure he never had. In the end, he just chalked it up to her being a public figure. He’d probably seen her on TV enough times that she just seemed familiar.

In the private room, the old classmates chatted and ate, making polite conversation to keep their connections alive. After all, having a wide network of former classmates could be useful. Someone like Wei Junchao, who was doing well for himself, was naturally the center of attention. The others would, intentionally or not, say a few flattering things, subtly trying to get on his good side.

"Junchao, you’re doing the best out of all of us from our year. You’ve gotta help us out if you get the chance!"

Wei Junchao laughed. "Haha, of course! We’re all classmates, after all. I just helped Lin Guishan out with a huge favor not too long ago! It was nothing, really."

"Speaking of which, it’s already been half a year since we graduated. Has anyone gone back to visit the old campus?" a classmate asked.

"Nah, I’m always swamped with work. Who has the time to go back to campus?" Peng Youliang sighed. "It’s tough just trying to make a living."

"I actually went back a few days ago and ran into Teacher Chen Wenhang," said Liu Hou’er.

Faan Meixiang said, "It’s been a while since I’ve seen Teacher Chen, too. Maybe I’ll get a few of us together to visit him next weekend—"

"Tch. Chen Wenhang? Some teacher he is. The guy’s a piece of trash!" Wei Junchao sneered. "If I saw him, I wouldn’t even give him the time of day."

At Wei Junchao’s words, the classmates in the private room exchanged uneasy glances. A few of them looked like they wanted to speak up but stopped short when others shot them a warning look. They all knew, more or less, about the bad blood between Wei Junchao and Teacher Chen Wenhang. Chen Wenhang was a very stern teacher, dedicated to his job and strict with his students. While many of them had given him nicknames behind his back, deep down, they still respected him.

During college, Wei Junchao had spent most of his time chasing girls and fooling around. He was also obsessed with his image and loved to make a scene. One time, he was more than ten minutes late for Teacher Chen Wenhang’s class. Just being late might not have been a huge deal, but the real problem was that he hadn’t done a single bit of the homework. Faced with both offenses, an enraged Chen Wenhang made him stand in the corner. Plenty of students had been punished by Chen Wenhang like that, but Wei Junchao was obsessed with saving face. The public punishment made him feel completely humiliated, and his shame turned to a furious, bone-deep hatred for the teacher.

The truth was, while Chen Wenhang was strict, he was undeniably a good teacher. The classmates wanted to say something to counter Wei Junchao’s slander, but they were afraid of offending him. After all, they were all in Fu City, and they were bound to cross paths. Besides, Wei Junchao was the most successful and influential among them. If they ever needed a favor, he might be the one they’d have to ask, so making an enemy of him was a bad idea. Thus, by unspoken agreement, everyone remained silent.

"Teacher Chen Wenhang is no piece of trash. I think he’s a great teacher! He was very dedicated to his students!" a voice suddenly cut in.

Everyone turned to see it was Ye Xing who had spoken.

Wei Junchao’s expression soured. He snorted at Ye Xing. "A great teacher? What kind of great teacher? He’s a garbage teacher who uses corporal punishment on students!"

"He just made you stand in the corner. It’s a disciplinary tool for teachers. He didn’t hit you or curse at you, so you can hardly call it corporal punishment. Who in our class wasn’t made to stand by him at some point? I was, too. So what? It’s normal to mess up sometimes. Getting punished for making a mistake is no big deal. You’re just too proud and can’t let go of the grudge," Ye Xing stated frankly. Others might be afraid of offending Wei Junchao, but Ye Xing wasn’t. More importantly, he couldn’t stand by and watch a teacher he respected get bad-mouthed. It was only right to speak up for him.

Admittedly, Chen Wenhang’s strictness sometimes made his students, including Ye Xing, grind their teeth in frustration. Ye Xing had even helped coin his nickname: the ’Cold-Faced Demon King.’ But this "hatred" wasn’t true resentment; it was mixed with a sense of respect and even affection. Under Chen Wenhang’s guidance, Ye Xing’s class had a tough time, but their grades steadily improved, and they were consistently the top class in their year.

Hearing Ye Xing say the words they had all been holding back, the other classmates felt a wave of relief. Their pent-up frustration finally had an outlet. Their opinion of Ye Xing shot up, but at the same time, they couldn’t help but worry for him.

Sure enough, Wei Junchao’s face darkened, his expression turning ugly. He chuckled coldly. "Heh, Ye Xing, what’s this all about? Is it really worth sucking up to Chen Wenhang like that? What good did your great grades do you? Aren’t you just working for some small company in a county town? What’s your monthly salary, two thousand? Three? Let’s be generous and say it’s three thousand a month. That’s barely thirty thousand a year. So this is the kind of student your ’great teacher’ Chen Wenhang produces. Heh, real impressive!"

Inside the private room, everyone’s stomach dropped. ’Oh no,’ they thought, ’Wei Junchao is about to lose it.’

"I’m just telling it like it is. I don’t need to suck up to anyone," Ye Xing said calmly. He couldn’t be bothered to explain further. Wei Junchao was used to throwing his weight around and was impossible to reason with.

"Heh, telling it like it is? What kind of truth is that? If Chen Wenhang were such a good teacher, would he produce a student who only makes two or three thousand a month?" Wei Junchao sneered, his face a mask of derision. "A salary like that is barely enough to scrape by in a small county, isn’t it? A truly great student from a great teacher!"

"Exactly! Our Junchao may not have been favored by Chen Wenhang, but he earns hundreds of thousands a year, no problem," Wei Junchao’s girlfriend, You Xiaoli, said haughtily, her gaze filled with an unmistakable sense of superiority.

Hearing the words of Wei Junchao and You Xiaoli, the other classmates looked displeased. Wei Junchao’s insult might have been aimed at Ye Xing, but it hit them all. As far as they were concerned, they were in the same boat as Ye Xing, also making only around three thousand a month in Fu City.

But it was a class reunion, and no one wanted to ruin the mood. They quickly chimed in to smooth things over. "Junchao, Ye Xing probably didn’t mean it like that. Everyone has their own favorite teachers, you know? It’s just a difference of opinion. It’s not a big deal, right? No need to get so worked up..."

"So what do you all think? Is Chen Wenhang a good teacher or a trash teacher?" Wei Junchao suddenly demanded, his gaze sweeping across the dozen or so classmates at the table.

"We think..." The classmates looked at one another, completely stuck. Given the tense atmosphere, if they told the truth, the image-obsessed Wei Junchao would definitely fly off the handle. But if they lied, it would leave a bad taste in their mouths.

"So, no one’s going to say anything? Heh! Fine. Chen Wenhang is trash, and I bet someone here agrees with me!" Wei Junchao’s eyes narrowed. His gaze suddenly landed on Lin Guishan, who was sitting next to Ye Xing. He smiled. "Guishan, what do you think?"