"Damn it, if it is, it fucking is; if it isn't, it fucking isn't. What's with all this 'is it or isn't it' bullshit?"
The big man's voice was like a deafening bronze bell, ringing right in the ears of Teacher Li, who was standing quite close, making her vision go dark.
Combined with his burly build and fierce aura, Teacher Li's legs completely turned to jelly.
"I... I... I... He... I am Teacher Li!"
"Smack~~~" The big man clapped his hands together happily with a loud slap, then casually flicked his cigarette butt away.
He forced out a smile that looked uglier than crying, revealing his large, yellow front teeth, and grabbed Teacher Li's delicate little hand, giving it a rough rub.
"It's fucking great that you're Teacher Li! I'm fucking Gu Yang's guardian, Gu Weiguo!"
"Hiss~~~~" A collective intake of breath swept through the office.
Zhang Weiping looked at Gu Yang in disbelief, then turned to look at Gu Weiguo.
Gu Yang had a neat, crew-cut buzz cut, looking clean and fresh. His facial features were handsome, radiant, and full of youthful vigor, though his expression was cold, giving him a detached air.
But Gu Weiguo? Not only did he look fierce and menacing, but his triangular eyes kept flashing with a murderous light.
How... how could these two be father and son?
Let alone Zhang Weiping, none of the other teachers could believe it either.
Panicked, Teacher Li struggled repeatedly until she managed to yank her small hand out of Gu Weiguo's massive grip.
"Y-Y-You... don't come any closer! If you come another step closer, I'm calling the police!"
Teacher Li scrambled to her feet and hid behind an office desk, putting some distance between herself and Gu Weiguo.
Gu Weiguo bared his teeth. "Damn it... I—"
Before Gu Weiguo could fly into a rage, Gu Yang, who had been sitting quietly to the side for a long time, interrupted him with a frown.
"Can you talk properly or not? If you can't, get lost!"
Everyone froze instantly, their hearts skipping a beat. Looking at Gu Weiguo's ferocious face, they assumed Gu Yang was bound to...
Yet the very next second, everyone was dumbfounded.
Gu Weiguo actually chuckled sheepishly at Gu Yang, using his large hand to rub his bald head to ease the awkwardness. Then he fumbled around inside his oversized shorts for a moment—to the utter disgust of everyone watching—and finally pulled out an ID card.
"Here, Teacher Li, take a good look. I fucking... I—well, I am fucking Gu Yang's old man. Genuine, no fakes!"
Teacher Li and Zhang Weiping exchanged glances, took the ID card, and checked it. It really was...
Yet with Gu Weiguo's appearance and that kind of name... wasn't it a bit... too... fucking wasted on him?
Teacher Li handed the ID card back to Gu Weiguo, gave a dry cough, and forced herself to calm down from her fear.
"Tell me, what the hell... cough, what is this all about?"
Everyone watched as Gu Weiguo turned to question Gu Yang, his nonchalant attitude suggesting he hadn't taken the matter seriously at all.
Gu Yang looked at Gu Weiguo, who was lighting another cigarette. "My business is none of your concern!"
Gu Weiguo's cigarette-lighting motion paused. He opened his mouth, shook his head helplessly, and turned to see Teacher Li, who was on the verge of speaking. He glared at her angrily. "Didn't you fucking hear me asking a question? Speak! What the fuck is going on here?!"
"Thud!" Frightened out of her wits, Teacher Li collapsed right back down into her chair with a heavy plop.
She looked at Zhang Weiping in a panic, but Zhang Weiping hurriedly shook his head.
Teacher Li instantly caught on. She waved her small hands frantically, tears welling up in her beautiful eyes. "N-Nothing... Right, nothing at all. We just asked you to come over, um... yes, just to ask... about Gu Yang's situation at home."
Gu Weiguo narrowed his eyes, staring at Teacher Li's terrified, pale face. "Nothing? I fucking—"
"Are you done yet? Go do whatever you need to do!"
Gu Weiguo pursed his lips, glanced at the coldly indifferent Gu Yang, and silently pointed a finger at Teacher Li and Zhang Weiping.
"Fine, then I'm fucking leaving. If you bastards have any issues, just fucking call my number. Don't worry, once I fucking check where you live, I'll make sure to come pay you a personal visit!"
"Hiss~~~~"
Teacher Li and Zhang Weiping were scared out of their minds. They wanted to stop Gu Weiguo, but didn't dare, so they could only stamp their feet in anxious despair before turning their gazes to the expressionless Gu Yang.
The two of them hurried over to Gu Yang in a flurry of panic.
"Gu Yang, please tell your dad not to come to our home, okay? I'm begging you!"
"Right, right, Gu Yang, let's just let this matter go, alright? We don't want any compensation anymore, just leave it at that, okay?"
Gu Yang looked at the panicked faces of Teacher Li and Zhang Weiping and frowned with displeasure. "He harassed Wang Chenxi, and I stepped in to help. I did nothing wrong!"
The two of them froze for a moment, then glanced sideways at Zhang Xiang, who didn't dare to raise his head.
"R-Right, right, it's not your fault, not your fault at all. You were just acting out of a sense of justice, and the teacher criticized you wrongly just now. I'm sorry!"
"Gu Yang, I'll deal with this little brat Zhang Xiang when we get back. I'm truly sorry for today, and for putting you through this trouble."
Gu Yang waved a hand. "Don't mention it, it was only right. And... it wasn't much trouble. Since everything's settled, can I go now?"
"Yes, yes, of course!"
The two of them nodded frantically, watching Gu Yang leave as they let out a heavy sigh of relief. Then they exchanged a bitter, weary look and shook their heads. He was too much to handle—they truly couldn't afford to cross someone like that!
As soon as Gu Yang returned to the classroom, a pretty girl quietly slipped over to his side.
"Gu Yang, are you... alright?"
Gu Yang shook his head. "I'm fine."
The girl wore her hair in twin ponytails, a white blouse on top, and a pair of shorts below. Her stunning face broke into a relieved smile. "Thank you... for today!"
"Don't mention it. Alright, you should focus on class!"
Wang Chenxi nodded, choosing not to return to her own seat, but instead curiously studying Gu Yang's sunny yet handsome profile.
Gu Yang was twenty-three years old and had transferred into the school during their senior year. Although it had been nearly a year, the two of them had barely exchanged a few words. Gu Yang always sat quietly in the corner of the back row, never speaking to anyone.
She had always been quite curious about him. After all, at twenty-three, most people had already graduated from college, yet he was only just attending high school.
Jianghuai City No. 3 High School was a key municipal high school, and Wang Chenxi was both the school belle and the top academic achiever, holding a place as the idealized sweetheart in the hearts of everyone at the school.
Yet Gu Yang had never spared her a second glance, nor did he ever crowd around her desk after class like the other boys.
Earlier today, when she came out of the restroom, Zhang Xiang had blocked her in the corridor, playfully refusing to let her leave. She knew Zhang Xiang was just relying on his family's wealth to mess around and tease her a bit. But when Zhang Xiang crossed the line and started getting physical, she had genuinely been terrified.