Rectification

The chestnut-haired boy who had stepped forward first in the audience had lost all color in his face.

He placed the basin there.

There were quite a few people making a fuss at the time; almost half the class saw it.

He thought it would end like countless times before, with the new teacher's embarrassed anger and the classmates' laughter, or even become another of his defeats.

But this new teacher doesn't play by the rules.

Instead of pressing for answers or getting angry, he casually tossed the question to Ye Dian Shang, who neither could nor dared to get involved, and then distributed the deductions equally among the entire class.

It’s over.

The chestnut-haired boy could clearly feel that the gazes around him, which had initially been amused and even encouraging, were gradually turning cold and angry, like countless fine needles pricking his skin.

Those gazes silently conveyed the same message: You caused this mess, but we're all going to have to pay the price.

He could foresee what he would face after the bell rang.

Isolation, ridicule, and perhaps more practical lessons.

The pitiful prestige built up through these little tricks will collapse instantly, replaced by the accumulated anger of the entire class.

Why...

Why is this teacher different?

He dared to use the Night Palace to exert pressure, and dared to use a method like deducting points that directly hits everyone's sore spot, turning what was originally a prank targeting the teacher into a public execution directed at himself!

His back was soaked with cold sweat.

"Alright, that's enough about that." Yu Fuli picked up her lesson plan with a calm expression, her tone as relaxed as if the incident had never happened. "Now, please turn to Chapter 1 of your textbooks..."

"teacher--!"

A sharp shout interrupted him.

The chestnut-haired boy suddenly stood up, his face flushed, his fingers gripping the edge of the table tightly: "It was me! I put the water basin there!"

The whole class fell silent instantly.

Yu Fuli looked up, and a glint of triumph flashed across her eyes behind her glasses, so fast that it was impossible to catch.

He then feigned just the right amount of surprise and disapproval: "My dear student, I understand your desire to maintain class unity, but there's no need for this. How can you take the blame for something without evidence? Please sit down."

"It really is me, teacher!" The chestnut-haired boy almost ground his back teeth to powder.

Feelings of frustration, panic, and anger surged to the top of my head.

He was the one who was pressing me relentlessly just now, and now he's the one casually saying it's over!

This new teacher did it on purpose!

Facing the astonished, mocking, or urging gazes of his classmates, he steeled himself and repeated, word by word, "I admit, I put the basin there. It has nothing to do with anyone else."

Yu Fuli gently pushed up her glasses, revealing a helpless expression that said, "Why are you so stubborn, kid?" She sighed and said, "Classmate, we need evidence and motives to do things. You seem like a good student, how could you do something like this that disrupts class order?"

"No! I did it all by myself!" The chestnut-haired boy was on the verge of a breakdown. This feeling of being put on the spot and admitting it but being refused to believe it was a hundred times worse than being directly scolded.

He was so anxious that beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and he wished he could swear an oath to the heavens on the spot.

"It really was me who did the prank! I like to play pranks, as my classmates all know. I've realized my mistake now, and I will correct it."

The chestnut-haired boy's voice was tinged with tears.

"Sigh, alright." Yu Fuli finally shook her head, seemingly in resignation, and lightly tapped the roster with her pen. "Since you insist... then please go to the Dean of Students' office after class and have a detailed talk with Director Wang. As for the other students..."

He raised his eyes, looked at the crowd below the stage with their various expressions, and a very faint smile appeared on his lips.

"While the student's motives and methods in taking responsibility are debatable, this sense of duty warrants us temporarily suspending the point deduction decision. Now, can we focus on our studies?"

After saying that, he ignored the various expressions on everyone's faces and picked up the roster.

"Now, let's begin taking attendance."

The class resumed in a strange, oppressive, and turbulent atmosphere.

During roll call, Yu Fuli merely nodded slightly to each student's response, until—

"Lin Xun".

The boy in the corner responded softly after a few seconds: "...Here."

Yu Fuli ticked a box on the roster without giving him a second glance, as if he were no different from the other students.

When the bell rang, Yu Fuli decisively announced the end of get out of class, grabbed her lesson plan and the basin of water, and left the classroom first.

As soon as he left, the classroom erupted in a buzz.

"Damn, who's this new guy? So arrogant?"

"Hilarious, does he think he's S-class?"

"But his appearance is a bit intimidating..."

"Hey, Sirius, are you really going to the office?" someone asked, leaning closer to the chestnut-haired boy.

The chestnut-haired boy, named Sirius, had a grim expression and kicked a table leg hard: "Fine, I'll go! Let's see what he can do to me!"

……

Strolling along the cherry blossom avenue, petals swirled and fell, landing on Yu Fuli's shoulder. He reached out and picked one up, his gaze darkening slightly.

"System," he said in his mind, "Lin Xun's reaction is strange."

At first, he thought it was just the silence and self-protection typical of children in the lower city.

But the boy in the original timeline, with his bright core who would stand up against oppression, shouldn't be like that.

Yu Fuli recalled those raised eyes—too calm, like a frozen lake, with no warmth or ripples that should belong to Lin Xun beneath.

That wasn't the look a soul that hadn't yet been crushed by fate should have. It was too dull, too...empty.

"Scanning results indicate that key figure Lin Xun's vital signs are stable, with no external abnormalities, and his behavior is consistent with his current situation." The system's electronic voice was calm and even.

"It matches the setting?" Yu Fuli released her hand, letting the petals drift away from her fingertips, her voice filled with doubt. "Someone destined to ignite a flame seems to have had the light in their heart extinguished before they could."

"No contradictions were found in the data."

"...Alright then."

Yu Fuli stopped asking questions and continued walking forward.

The petals beneath my feet were soft, but doubts were quietly building in my heart.

"Are you the teacher who questioned Yoru-dono in class?"

Yu Fuli was pondering Lin Xun's unusual behavior when, without stopping, several tall figures suddenly blocked her path.

Five or six male students dressed in Saint Laurent College uniforms quietly surrounded the cherry blossom avenue, silently blocking the way.

They didn't deliberately make fierce expressions, but their well-trained posture and the pressure exerted by their silence already conveyed an unusual meaning.

Standing in front of the group was a girl wearing a school uniform that was extremely well-tailored and had an expensive feel to it.

She was extremely beautiful, with her long red hair tied up, revealing her graceful neck, and her fingertips casually twirling a strand of hair.

She raised her eyes, her critical gaze sweeping over Yu Fuli from head to toe as if evaluating merchandise.

Her rosy lips parted slightly, and sarcastic words were about to spill out, but she paused subtly the moment she touched Yu Fuli's face.

The harsh words the girl was about to utter abruptly changed direction. She awkwardly looked away for a moment before glaring back, her tone still arrogant, but her confidence had weakened slightly.

"Looks like... Hmph, apart from that face being somewhat presentable, the rest isn't that great."

She seemed somewhat annoyed by her sudden change of heart, raising her chin even higher as she tried to compensate for her momentary lapse in speech with an air of arrogance.

She stiffened her neck and added dryly, "Don't...don't think that just because you have a pretty face, I'll let you off the hook!"

Yu Fuli looked at her silently, then glanced at the few silent but very noticeable boys behind her.

He clicked his tongue softly in his mind.

"System," he said uncertainly, "What's this? Have I stumbled upon a classic school bullying scenario? Or am I paired with a rich young lady and her loyal dog?"

The girl's eyes flashed, and she swung her hand down suddenly, her voice shrill:

"Go get him! Make sure he remembers that the Night Prince is protected by our support group! It's not up to someone as ignorant as you to interfere!"

As soon as the order was given, the eyes of the five tall, strong men behind her, who had been poised to attack, suddenly turned fierce, like hunting dogs that had received a command, and they pounced on her from several directions in an instant!

The force of the punch pierced the air, and the towering shadow instantly enveloped Yu Fuli.