Chapter 50: So Tired [(－－)] zzz

The medicinal smell of the infirmary mixed with the faint warmth of the heating, making He Rou want to just fall asleep.

Dr. Ke kept talking about Cheng Ruo, her expression gentler than it had ever been.

It was clear she really liked that always-energetic girl.

Just as Dr. Ke was about to continue, the infirmary door was pushed open again.

Bang—

This time the force was strong, nothing like Cheng Ruo’s light touch.

He Rou flinched, shrinking her neck.

In walked He Rou’s class teacher, a middle-aged woman who normally seemed strict, but now her face was full of helplessness and anger.

“Teacher Li?” Dr. Ke stood up, setting down the writing board she was holding.

“What brings you here? And this is the infirmary—please don’t make such loud noises.”

Teacher Li didn’t answer Dr. Ke first.

She strode quickly to the hospital bed.

She looked at He Rou lying there, her face pale as paper, her hair dry but messy, and let out a heavy sigh.

“That friend of yours just came to my office and told me what happened in the restroom.”

Teacher Li’s voice was a little hoarse, as if she had just been yelling.

He Rou opened her mouth, wanting to say sorry.

But something stuck in her throat, and she couldn’t get a single word out.

She lowered her head, rubbing her hands together, her heart pounding.

She tattled.

Cheng Ruo actually went and tattled.

He Rou didn’t know if she should be happy that justice was being served or worried about what came next.

Would this punishment make her safer afterward, or would she have to face even worse harm?

She had no way of knowing. She could only guess.

“Change your clothes. Come with me for now.”

The teacher didn’t pay attention to He Rou’s expression.

She just wanted to finish this troublesome task quickly.

Go through the motions, give proper punishment to the ones He Rou pointed out, make both sides write a self-criticism, and it’d be done.

“I… I don’t have clothes.”

“Then just wear that. I’ll give you my coat.”

The class teacher draped her down jacket over He Rou’s shoulders, then pulled her up from the bed.

“I don’t want to leave…”

Leaving the warm bed, He Rou felt reluctant and uncomfortable.

“Running away won’t solve anything.”

The teacher said as she kicked He Rou’s shoes under the bed.

Dr. Ke, who had been watching from the side, shook her head and went back to her workstation.

Students and teachers—this wasn’t something she could interfere with.

Even though this was the infirmary…

But she had no power beyond telling patients not to move, to apply their medicine properly, and to remind them when to take their pills and rest.

…

Once outside the ward’s smell of medicine and warmth, the corridor’s wind immediately crawled up through her pant legs.

The oversized down jacket the teacher had draped over her hung down to her thighs.

It helped a little, but not much.

She was still cold.

Seriously, if they could put air conditioning in the restroom, why couldn’t they put some in the hallways?

Teacher Li didn’t say a word the whole way, only occasionally glancing at her watch.

For her, this was just dealing with an ordinary student dispute.

As long as the school bullying didn’t get too out of hand, it wouldn’t cause major trouble.

Soon, the classroom’s black wooden door came into view.

Teacher Li walked over, didn’t even knock, and pushed it open.

Inside, the students who had been whispering fell silent instantly.

Dozens of eyes turned to the doorway.

He Rou stood behind Teacher Li, half her body hidden in the shadows, clutching the down jacket’s hem tightly, looking very nervous.

“Stop the lesson for now.”

Teacher Li walked up to the podium, tossed her phone onto the desk with a loud clatter.

“This morning, some unpleasant things happened in the restroom on this floor. I hope the students involved will step forward immediately and not try to avoid responsibility.”

A low murmur of laughter spread through the classroom.

He Rou kept her head down.

She could feel Ling Jie and the others glaring at her with mocking, contemptuous eyes.

Teacher Li slapped the desk, her expression twisting slightly.

“What’s so funny? What is there to laugh about? School is a place for studying, not for messing around. He Rou, come here.”

Hearing her name, a surge of tension rose in He Rou.

Being stared at by the whole class was still unbearable.

She felt like a defective product set out on a shelf.

“Point them out. Who was involved? After that, we can get back to class.”

Teacher Li crossed her arms and stood by the podium.

He Rou stood there, looking down at everyone from above.

She didn’t feel like a grand general on high.

More like a poor civilian about to be executed at noon.

‘It’s already like this…’

She raised her hand.

It was trembling slightly.

Her finger pointed at a short-haired girl sitting against the wall.

Even though she had rarely interacted with He Rou.

Then the large-bodied girl sitting in the back row.

That one was a pure lackey.

And finally… the one sitting in the seat Luo Yun had told He Rou to “win.”

Ling Jie…

“It was… her who led it.”

Ling Jie listened, her lips curling into a slight smile, leaning back in her chair, her eyes full of disdain.

“I’m sorry, He Rou. I was impulsive this morning. So let’s just let this go, okay? We’re all seniors this year—we shouldn’t affect the other students’ class.”

Teacher Li frowned.

“Those He Rou pointed out, don’t attend this class. Come with me. And… He Rou, you too.”

…

He Rou didn’t attend any of the morning classes.

Everyone involved in the morning’s incident was kept in the office by the class teacher.

Her method was simple.

First, make both sides apologize to each other.

Then, everyone write a self-criticism. Case closed.

But He Rou didn’t understand this punishment.

What did “both sides apologize to each other” mean?

And “everyone write a self-criticism”?

When she heard this, He Rou stood frozen.

“I’m sorry!”

As soon as the teacher announced the punishment, Ling Jie immediately apologized to He Rou.

But her tone and gestures were completely mocking.

After she spoke first, the other two followed behind her, also saying “I’m sorry.”

“Why…”

He Rou listened.

There was no remorse or sincerity at all.

“What are you standing there for? It’s your turn. Hurry up!”

Ling Jie looked at He Rou impatiently.

“Why do I have to apologize?”

“You were involved too, weren’t you?”