The proposer was immediately "roughed up" on the spot.
But by the next morning, when the agreed-upon training assembly time arrived, none of yesterday's "newcomers" showed up.
The students knew full well that, although very reluctant, they really had to go "test" Wen dog.
Lin Wanxing thought they would directly go to Wen Chengye's class and ask: "Do you want to join our football team?"
But she never expected these kids to be much more cowardly than she imagined.
Class 1 of Grade 12 were the main force in the school aiming for top universities, with a strong academic atmosphere that easily made people feel out of place. Because of this, the boys were unwilling to go directly to his classroom to find him.
"I feel suffocated and can't breathe as soon as I reach their classroom door," Lin Lu told Lin Wanxing.
Lin Wanxing: "How about waiting for him at the school gate after school?"
The boys: "No rush, let's make a plan first."
The boys took half a day off to observe Wen Chengye's daily routine, preparing to find an opportunity to win him over.
Thus, an operation roughly named—"Wen Chengye Capture Plan"—officially began.
Wen Chengye was driven to and from school by his family's private car.
Every morning around 7:00, a black sedan would drop him off near the school gate.
After getting out of the car, Wen Chengye would go directly to the classroom, just in time for the morning self-study session starting at 7:10.
School ended at 12:30. Wen Chengye wouldn't leave campus but would obediently go to the cafeteria with his meal card, just like all the model students in the template.
After half an hour for lunch, Wen Chengye would return to the classroom around 13:00, take a half-hour nap, and afternoon classes would begin at 13:30.
As for Wen Chengye's specific behavior in the classroom... he listened attentively during lessons, kept his head down doing exercises, no different from anyone else in the class.
"I fucking feel like this guy is putting on an act, but I can't explain why."
"He's definitely putting on an act. Since when has Wen dog been like this?"
"It's just weird, just an act."
In the school sports equipment storage room.
The operation temporarily paused, and the students began their summary meeting.
Lin Wanxing listened to their arguments while snacking.
When she heard Yu Ming's final comment, Lin Wanxing was biting on a Pocky stick: "Weird... what does that mean?" she asked.
"Tch! It's just... weird!" Qin Ao said.
"Feels like a ghost."
"Giving off a cold aura, floating around!"
Lin Wanxing was confused by the boys' creative vocabulary. Remembering Wen Chengye's performance during the three days of proctoring, she asked: "Was Wen Chengye not like this before?"
"He was like this before too!" Qin Ao came over and naturally took one of the snacks from her hand.
"Oh..."
"But before he was just aloof, speaking purely to show off, really annoying. It's still different from before." As Yu Ming spoke, he also came to take a Pocky stick.
"So, specifically what's different now?" Lin Wanxing asked.
As soon as she said this, the boys all made complicated expressions.
They used various small movements to finish her matcha-flavored Pocky sticks, chewing while thinking, but hemming and hawing, unable to articulate it.
"He used to talk nonsense, now he doesn't even speak," Qi Liang said.
"Anyway, he's changed," Zheng Feiyang said.
"I just want to ask when he changed, and specifically how has he changed?" Lin Wanxing felt that her language education might need further strengthening."From... from when he got into Class 1." The usually quiet Zhi Hui suddenly spoke up.
Lin Wanxing looked over: "He wasn't in Class 1 before?"
"He used to be a complete loser, no idea why his grades suddenly improved. Then he went to Class 1 and stopped hanging out with us," Lin Lu said.
Lin Wanxing sucked on her finger, a strange answer forming in her mind.
"So you mean, his grades were bad when he was with you, but improved after he left you?" Lin Wanxing asked.
"Teacher, are you implying that we were a bad influence on Wen Chengye?" Yu Ming suddenly asked.
"She's basically saying it outright, okay?" Qi Liang said helplessly.
"Teacher, your logic is flawed. He suddenly got good grades, entered Class 1, and then stopped being with us."
"Not exactly, it seems like it was actually because..." Zheng Feiyang started, but Qin Ao punched his arm.
Qin Ao glanced at Fu Xinshu, signaling Zheng Feiyang to shut up.
The small storage room fell silent, and Fu Xinshu began awkwardly wiping his school uniform hem again.
Lin Wanxing observed the students' reactions but didn't press further. Instead, she smiled and said, "So, after observing for so long, when are you going to 'graciously' forgive Wen Chengye and allow him to rejoin our Hongjing No. 8 Middle School football team?"
—
No matter how reluctant they were, the boys knew they had almost recorded every time Wen Chengye went to the bathroom. If they continued, it would turn into "Princess Wen Cheng's" daily chronicles.
It would be truly unreasonable not to approach him directly.
Thus, through multilateral negotiations (mainly consisting of passing the buck to each other).
They finally settled on the fairest method: drawing lots, where the unlucky chosen one would go find Wen Chengye. That person turned out to be Lin Lu.
Lin Lu, being relatively simple and kind-hearted, took the lead and went to the Class 3-1 classroom.
The whole process was quick—basically, Lin Lu walked straight into Wen Chengye's classroom and then walked straight out.
Lin Wanxing was quite curious at the time, so she followed the students and hid with them uniformly around the corridor corner.
They saw Lin Lu strut in with his hands in his pockets, then stride out with his head held high.
"How did it go?" Fu Xinshu asked nervously.
"What did Wen dog say?" That was Qin Ao.
"Nothing," Lin Lu said.
"What do you mean nothing?"
"He didn't say anything."
"Are you an idiot? Of course I'm not asking if he actually said nothing!" Qin Ao flicked Lin Lu's forehead.
"No, boss, I mean he didn't say anything at all."
"He didn't say anything?" Chen Jianghe frowned.
"Yeah, that's right," Lin Lu said matter-of-factly.
"Then what did you go in for?" Qin Ao immediately raised his voice.
"Me? I just went in, patted his shoulder and said, 'Wen dog, want to join our football team? I'll carry you!'" Lin Lu said.
"And then?"
"And then he didn't say anything, just acted like I was air."
"And then you just walked out?"
"Yeah, should I have knelt and begged him? I'm not that kind of person. Wouldn't begging him make us lose face?" Lin Lu said very righteously.
Lin Wanxing couldn't help but laugh heartily.
The students immediately caught her with warning looks.
"I have class this afternoon, you handle this yourselves," Lin Wanxing made a cheering gesture and quickly slipped away.
By the time she finished her work, three hours had passed.The afternoon classes were nearly over, yet the students still hadn’t come to report the latest updates.
She first went to the designated takeout spot by the back gate’s railing to pick up the Hongcha Macchiato she had just ordered.
A large tear had split a poster stuck to the railing by students, and it fluttered in the autumn breeze.
Lin Wanxing averted her gaze, sipped her milk tea, and began to “stroll” around the school.
She first inspected the large equipment on the sports field, taking photos to document their condition, then surveyed the campus.
Recalling the school’s floor plan in her mind, Lin Wanxing headed toward Xinyuan Building.
It was class time, and the campus was exceptionally quiet.
Lin Wanxing checked the small garden between the teaching buildings and the rooftop terrace—spots where the boys often hung out—but found no sign of them.
She went up to the fourth floor, where a connecting corridor linked two teaching buildings.
Finding a suitable vantage point, she stood in the corridor, enjoying the breeze.
Not far away was Class 1 of Grade 12. From her position, she could clearly see the blackboard newspaper at the back of the classroom. As Lin Wanxing scanned the room, she noticed an empty seat—Wen Chengye was not there.
After observing for a while, Lin Wanxing suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder.
“Teacher Lin?”
A stern middle-aged woman’s voice came from behind. Lin Wanxing turned and saw the grade leader, her brow slightly furrowed, her gaze fixed on the milk tea in Lin Wanxing’s hand.
“Hello, Teacher Lu,” Lin Wanxing said, unable to hide the milk tea, and could only greet her awkwardly.
Teacher Lu had clearly rushed over, her expression anxious. “I was just looking for you. Where did your students take Wen Chengye?”
Lin Wanxing’s heart skipped a beat before she registered the meaning.
“Your students” referred to the boys from the football team.
“Is Wen Chengye missing?” She straightened up.
“Yes. My students said that during the last break, your students came and called Wen Chengye away. It’s English class now, and he still hasn’t returned.”
The campus was silent, a strong wind sweeping through the corridor.
Below the teaching building, autumn leaves from the plane trees rustled as they fell one after another.
Lin Wanxing said, “Don’t worry, I’ll call them right now.”
“Hurry up and find him. Don’t let this escalate into something serious.”
Lin Wanxing nodded repeatedly, trying to reassure Teacher Lu and promising to handle the situation. But Teacher Lu, still uneasy, decided to go downstairs and seek help from the security office to join the search.
—
The students’ update came faster.
The location they reported was near the school’s newly constructed science and technology building.
Afraid that security would arrive first, Lin Wanxing hurried along a narrow, dark green construction site fence. When she reached the end, the scene opened up before her.
It was the ideal setting for a group fight.
The setting sun cast long shadows over the yellow sand covering the ground. On one side stood a collapsed brick wall, and further away was an old school building, half-demolished.
Wen Chengye stood alone in front of the dark green construction fence, his expression cold and aloof, facing the other boys from a distance.
Qi Liang stood at the forefront of the group, closest to Wen Chengye, as if negotiating with him.
Lin Wanxing didn’t catch the specifics of their “negotiation.”
The moment she stepped into the alley, the boys ceased all communication and turned to look at her in unison.
The atmosphere was tense, yellow sand swirling at their feet—the scene resembled something out of a Japanese violent school drama.
The only difference from such scenes was that neither Wen Chengye nor the other boys from the football team had disheveled uniforms or injuries on their faces.
Clearly, no one had thrown a punch.Lin Wanxing set down the heavy load in her heart a little. However, it was clear the boys had no intention of making things easy for her. Just then, Qin Ao stepped into the role of the campus tough guy.
With his eyebrows raised high, he fully embraced the part: "What are you doing here?"
His question instantly rekindled the anxiety she had felt earlier.
In her mind, she pictured herself grabbing Qin Ao by the ear and launching into a rap—"Class is in session, and you brought Wen Chengye here. What do you think I'm doing here?"
Then she took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and pointed at Wen Chengye with a smile. "Wen Chengye’s homeroom teacher said his student went missing and was very worried, so she asked me to come find him."
Hearing this, Wen Chengye shot her a glance, shoved his hands into his pockets, turned, and walked away.
It was clearly a sign that negotiations had broken down.
The other boys remained expressionless, watching him leave.
Lin Wanxing stood at the entrance of the alley as Wen Chengye brushed past her.
Just then, she reached out and grabbed the boy’s arm.
Wen Chengye stiffened, his gaze sharp as a blade as it swept over her.
Lin Wanxing spoke gently, "Since you’ve already skipped class, there’s no need to rush back now."
The football team boys, who had been trying to act cool, were instantly stunned. They leaned back slightly, their eyes conveying, "You’ve got guts."
"Teacher, is there something you need?"
"Let’s talk," Lin Wanxing said.
"If you’re not letting me go back to class, have you cleared it with Teacher Lu?" Wen Chengye asked.
"You’re not really the type of student who wants to go back to class, and I’m not the kind of teacher who’s afraid of my superiors," Lin Wanxing replied. "Since we’ve gathered here, why not chat a bit more? For example, you could tell me why you don’t want to play football with everyone else."
Wen Chengye looked as if he’d heard something unbelievable. He glanced back at the others and said, word by word, "Teacher, I don’t play football with trash."
As soon as these words were spoken, the boys behind Lin Wanxing exploded.
"Damn, we came to find you as a favor."
"Don’t push your luck."
"We fought our way into the Group Stage fair and square. Who are you, trash, to talk?"
The kids were instantly riled up.
Wen Chengye turned to look at them, his eyes full of disdain. "Idiots."
Qin Ao immediately clenched his fists. "Watch your mouth!"
Seeing his former teammates provoked, a hint of satisfaction flashed across Wen Chengye’s face. He lowered his phoenix-like eyes and said coldly, "Teacher."
"Huh?" Lin Wanxing looked up slightly.
"Let go," Wen Chengye leaned in and added in an icy tone, "And keep your dogs in check."
Lin Wanxing: "..."
Behind her, Qin Ao and the other boys crackled like ignited charcoal.
"You’re the damn dog."
"You’re worse than a dog—you’re a pure beast."
Lin Wanxing could hardly imagine how the boys had managed to hold back from fighting Wen Chengye earlier when she wasn’t there.
She released his arm and suddenly realized what Wen Chengye was trying to do. "You really want to see them get angry, don’t you?"
Wen Chengye paused and cast a cold glance her way.
"You came out with them but didn’t go back to class on time. You provoked them with your words, trying to make them angry so they’d hit you, right?"
She thought for a moment and continued, "Sooner or later, a teacher would come and see you fighting. They’d definitely punish them, wouldn’t they?"Her tone was light and unhurried as she cast a final glance at Qin Ao. "If you get into another fight, you'll be expelled, won't you?"
"Like I need you to tell me. I already know Wen dog's tricks," Qin Ao shouted from behind. "I spared his miserable life, and he still acts arrogant!"
"Despicable coward!" Yu Ming echoed his leader.
Wen Chengye's expression darkened, though he showed no signs of being exposed or humiliated.
Perhaps to him, this was just a spur-of-the-moment attempt to deal with his annoying former teammates. If it failed, it didn't matter.
The boy shook off her hand and strode straight toward the other end of the narrow corridor.
Lin Wanxing waved to the students, indicating she would escort Wen Chengye back to the classroom.
She followed behind him with light, brisk steps, talking to herself. "Your plan was like this, but you didn't expect my little 'dogs'—oh no, my students—to be different this time. They didn't lay a hand on you, did they? Your plan failed, so you could only vent your frustration by hurling insults at them. Am I right?"
At her last words, Wen Chengye's body stiffened, but he offered no response, merely trudging forward in silence.
Just as Qi Liang had said, perhaps Wen Chengye used to spout nonsense, but now he had grown accustomed to silence.
Lin Wanxing rubbed her chin, quickening her pace to keep up with Wen Chengye. "I don't quite understand. A good kid like you—if you don't want to play soccer, you could just refuse. Why go through the trouble of scheming against them and cursing them out?"
"Teacher." Wen Chengye stopped abruptly.
"Ah?" Lin Wanxing nearly bumped into him. She touched her nose and looked at her student with curiosity, waiting for an answer.
"Why do you think I would ever be willing to play soccer with a bunch of trash?"
The boy's voice was icy, carrying a condescending cruelty.
His face was stern and sharp, his narrow phoenix eyes blazing with anger.
Gazing at her student's expression, Lin Wanxing smiled, suddenly understanding. "Oh, I see. So you actually care about them a lot, don't you?"
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