Teacher Zhou held Chang Jing's hand publically and tenderly blessed her and Ruan Zeer. The normally iron-faced teacher smiled like a flower during this particular moment, as gentle as water. The students who came to the class were shocked and felt uneasy.

Teacher Zhou did not seem to think that there was anything wrong with this and continued chatting casually with Chang Jingwan. The class bell had not yet rung.

​​

The students witnessed the tragedy that was Chang Jingwan conversing with the demon lady.

It was mostly Teacher Zhou doing the talking; Chang Jingwan had no chance to refute. It was because of this that the students were casually brainwashed to think that Chang Jingwan had consented.

Xu Lele thought that not only was Ruan Zeer god-level academically, but even his way of getting the girl was also god-tier.

Staying calm and collected further established Chang Jingwan's identity. There was no doubt about it.

Chang Jingwan finished the class under tremendous pressure. Teacher Zhou was particularly disgusted with students who get distracted in class. For even such a large class, she would not allow students to fall asleep in class and whoever fell asleep would be asked to answer questions.

The Iron-faced Demon Lady was by no means a title bestowed without merit.

During this particular class, however, all the other students' attention was focused on Chang Jingwan but Teacher Zhou did not get angry. She did not even take attendance. They breezed through the class without incident.

It was after class that the rumor-mills started working. Initially, it was only said that Ruan Zeer and Chang Jingwan had an ambiguous relationship.

It had then turned into Chang Jingwan having a crush on Ruan Zeer.

There were also rumors that the earlier rumors were started by Chang Jingwan because Chang Jingwan had a crush on Ruan Zeer. Moreover, they were acquainted and saw each other regularly. Despite this, Chang Jingwan still could not snatch Ruan Zeer.

Therefore, Chang Jingwan deliberately started a rumor that she was in a relationship with Ruan Zeer to deter any girls interested in Ruan Zeer.

Chang Jingwan was instantly known as a scheming b*tch.

As neither Chang Jingwan nor Xu Lele lived on campus, they really had no first-hand knowledge of these rumors.

When both of them were in class one day, there were people talking about this behind them. Although they were talking in a low voice, Chang Jingwan and Xu Lele could make out clearly what they were saying.

It was not known if it was intentional but they did not care that the volume of their voice gradually got louder. It was just a tad softer than their normal talking voice, as though wanting Chang Jingwan to hear it.

"When did this happen?" Xu Lele was shocked. When did the gossip in school evolve this rapidly and this drastically?

Chang Jingwan: (⊙ˍ⊙)

Chang Jingwan sighed out loud helplessly, especially since she had Ruan Zeer's class tomorrow. She hoped that Ruan Zeer would be busy with work and took the day off so that a substitute teacher would take over. It was not the first time anyway.

However, as Chang Jingwan was still praying, Xu Lele could not take it anymore.

The gossipers were sitting directly behind them. Xu Lele turned and stared at them. "What did you say?"

"What? We were just chatting, why are you interrupting us?" said the girl wearing glasses as she stared back at Xu Lele and the back of a dazed Chang Jingwan.

Obviously, she did not know that Chang Jingwan was in a daze. She thought that Chang Jingwan felt guilty and dared not refute. This gave her a boost in confidence.

Xu Lele chuckled. "Were you just chatting or talking behind someone's back? If you were just chatting, I wouldn't be bothered to interject. I don't know you so I have no reason to chat with you. However, you're now backbiting to the person's face. If you had lowered your voice, we would've pretended not to hear it. Did you think we're that easy just because we're not saying anything? Your conversations got louder and louder, didn't you think we'd hear it? You were talking about us, so can't the person concerned be allowed to comment? Talk about being impolite. It's more impolite to talk behind a person's back!"

"Who are you? We weren't talking about you. Why are you so anxious?" sassed the ponytailed girl next to the girl wearing glasses.

She paused then suddenly snorted, "Could it be that you like Senior Ruan too? Are you trying to establish your presence here? Give it up!"

Chang Jingwan barely snapped out of her daze, not knowing what was going on. She heard the argument and confusingly turned to look.

After a while, Chang Jingwan realized what was happening and pulled Xu Lele back. It was her personal matter; there was no need for her friend to defend her while she hid behind.

She initially thought she would just bear with it. If she had been alone, she would have just pretended nothing happened.

Although she was the heiress of the Chang family, Grandmother Chang had an iron-willed and unreasonable personality so she was used to tolerating and giving way. Even though she was an only child, she did not have the spoilt nature of an only child due to the family environment. On the contrary, her temper was a little cowardly, and she was not considered a brave person.

However, when she heard what the other two girls said were getting more and more overboard and even scolded Xu Lele, she could not bear it anymore.

"This fellow classmate, do you know me well?" asked Chang Jingwan calmly.

Although normally a peaceful person with little disputes with others, she was also a person who had experienced various aspects of the world. If Chang Jingwan really wanted to show her imposing character, she was still quite an intimidating Paper Tiger1.

The two girls choked on their words. Chang Jingwan then sneered, "I believe you didn't even know what I look like prior to this. What right do you have to be talking about my business? I don't know where these rumors came from. Did you verify it? Do you know me? If you don't know anything, don't speak about unconfirmed rumors."

"You think you're so self-confident that you're in the right, that you can say these things behind my back but still refuse to apologize when I hear it. Do you mean that I'm guilty?" mocked Chang Jingwan. She tauntingly pursed her lips and added, "I'll return what you said to my friend. If you like Ruan Zeer, please confess to him yourself and don't try to establish your presence here. He won't know. You wouldn't expect me to praise you in front of him, that you were so fearless?"

Chang Jingwan was quite angry at this moment, as it was also fueled by her anger toward Ruan Zeer as well.

If it were not for him, there would not have been so many rumors in school.

She did not plan to continue her studies after graduating, could not even leave her in peace for two years.

It was all because of Ruan Zeer's popularity in the school, Ruan Zeer pulling off that one stunt in class, and the many misunderstandings by the teachers. There would not be so many problems if these did not happen!

"You …" The ponytailed girl was rendered speechless by Chang Jingwan.

Chang Jingxuan pulled Xu Lele up. "There are other seats available. We're moving."

Chang Jingyi glanced back coldly. "It'll be more convenient for both of them to continue talking bad about me."

It could be that Chang Jingwan was too imposing. When Chang Jingwan dragged Xu Lele to the three empty seats in the middle, she did not even ask the classmate sitting at the outer seat to make way. The other party had already stood up very consciously and was still trembling when Chang Jingwan passed by.

Chang Jingwan was silent for a moment.

Dear classmate, was I that terrifying? (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

After they sat down, Xu Lele quietly gave Chang Jingwan a thumbs up. "You usually have such a good temper yet you're very imposing when angry! Classmate Xiao Chang, keep it up!"

Chang Jingwan failed to muster a reply.

...

After class, Chang Jingwan began to pray that Ruan Zeer would miss his class tomorrow. Not to curse him to the point where he met with an accident, but just be too busy!

God apparently did not hear Chang Jingwan's prayer.

To be on the safe side, Chang Jingwan came extremely early to reserve a seat. She had chosen the corner seat of the last row near the window. The sun shone in and it was warm and suitable for sleeping.

Xu Lele came later but also arrived before class started.

On her way here, she received Chang Jingwan's text message specifying the location of her seat. Otherwise, in such a large classroom, It would be difficult to find Chang Jingwan curled up in the corner.

From the moment Xu Lele sat down, she heard Chang Jingwan mumbling something.

After carefully listening for a long while, she finally made out that she was mumbling, "Please don't come to class. Please don't come to class. Please don't come to class…"

Xu Lele was speechless.

She wondered how she was best friends with this piece of work.

Unfortunately, Ruan Zeer stepped into class just as the bell rang.

As soon as he entered, the class turned silent. The students' eyes scanned the classroom for Chang Jingwan like radars.

The high-level gossipers had already locked on to Chang Jingwan's position way before class started and had revealed her position to their fellow neighbors around them.

Chang Jingwan was discovered and her hard work to find the most inconspicuous location was in vain.

In a class of over a hundred students, that humble corner had become the most conspicuous place at this moment.

"..." Chang Jingwan flipped open her brand-new, rarely opened textbook, grasped the edges with both hands and shielded her face with it like a screen.

It was self-deception. Let them stare; she would act as though nothing happened as long as she did not see them.

"Class is now in session. I'll now mark attendance," Ruan Zeer began as he usually would.

He did not even need to search; he found Chang Jingwan easily just by following the other students' gaze.

The upright book was useless!

The corner of Ruan Zeer's lips curled. He glanced toward Chang Jingwan's direction. His eyes softened.

Chang Jingwan did not see it, but everyone else did.

The other students' hearts could not take it. What a flirtatious gaze!

Ruan Zeer took out the name list but did not even look at it. The first name he called out was, "Chang Jingwan."

Chang Jingwan thought she was hearing things. Otherwise, how could she have even heard a hint of a smile in his voice?

However, the looks from her other classmates indicated that she was not hearing things.

Most of the students in the class had no targets of affection. Faced with Ruan Zeer's one-sided public display of affection, they were highly unsatisfied and condemning it.

This flirtatious gaze and name-calling… Are you sure you are here to teach, Teacher?!

Someone started a 'wooing' noise as though it was a soccer match.

Ruan Zeer did not get angry; his expression showed that he did not mind. This resulted in the other students chiming in as well.

Chang Jingwan wanted to hide under her desk. She turned red.

The person sitting in front of her even turned around and said to her face, "Chang Jingwan, Teacher Ruan is calling you!"

Chang Jingwan retracted her neck. Even if she shouted "present" now, it would be drowned out by the noise.

She was so embarrassed that she did not even have the strength to open her mouth anyway.

No idea if Xu Lele had undergone Chicken-blood Therapy1, but she suddenly grabbed her hand and shouted, "Present! Present! Chang Jingwan is present, Teacher Ruan!"

Chang Jingwan was appalled.

Can someone please get this piece of work away from her? She does not want to be in class with Xu Lele.

As her hand was suddenly yanked away by Xu Lele, the A4 sized book lost support on one end and was about to fall. Chang Jingwan narrowly grabbed it, keeping herself hidden behind the book.

Although it was extremely embarrassing and unpoised, she preferred it this way. QAQ.

Ruan Zeer tapped the microphone, signaling for everyone to be silent. He let out a slight chuckle from his throat.

It was this kind of loving sound that almost made every girl in the classroom intoxicated.

Someone made an Erkang's outstretched hand gesture and said to Ruan Zeer, "Teacher Ruan, can you not be so flirtatious? We can't take it anymore!"

Ruan Zeer chuckled softly and ignored her, only to stare towards Chang Jingwan's direction. "Let Chang Jingwan answer herself, I might think that someone else was impersonating her in class."

The classroom became surprisingly silent. The students were extremely cooperative. No one made a sound and uniformly looked at Chang Jingwan.

"..." Chang Jingwan quietly set down her book, raised her hand, lowered her head and blurted, "Present!"

Only then did Ruan Zeer start taking the attendance of the next person.

Fortunately, all was normal during class. No students jeered and Ruan Zeer did not intentionally pick on her.

The class could not have ended any sooner. The ringing of the bell sounded heavenly to Chang Jingwan's ears.

She stood up sullenly and dragged Xu Lele to leave. Even when Ruan Zeer called out to her, she did not listen. The more he called, the faster she walked.

Ruan Zeer stared blankly. What was going on?

So with all gossiping eyes on him, Ruan Zeer gave chase.

"Jingwan!" Ruan Zeer caught up from behind. "Jingwan!"

She did not want to listen to anything. Ruan Zeer yelled, "Chang Jingwan!"

Fortunately, there was still Xu Lele. As Chang Jingwan ran forward, Xu Lele dragged her backward, dutifully providing resistance.

Chang Jingwan finally stopped. Xu Lele whined, "Hey Jingwan, I still need to get back to work. You can't just drag me along like this!"

After she spoke, she abandoned Chang Jingwan. As she turned to leave, she did not forget to give Ruan Zeer an 'I support you' hand gesture.

Chang Jingwan was speechless.

Seeing that she was no longer running away, Ruan Zeer walked toward her in an orderly and relaxed manner.

Chang Jingwan just ran blindly, she had not even noticed that there was no one around anymore.

When Ruan Zeer was chasing Chang Jingwan, there were still many prying students who wanted to tail them. Coincidentally, there were other teachers who came out after dismissing their classes. They quickly used their model teacher's prestige and halted these students.

"Don't mess with our nephew's love life!" said one of the teachers.

Chang Jingwan did not know this. She only saw Ruan Zeer coming towards her with a smirk on his face, "There's a rumor going around that you like me?"

At the mention of this, Chang Jingwan was riled up. "I wonder who has such an ulterior motive. Don't take it to heart. If it weren't for you—"

"—I did take it to heart," Ruan Zeer interrupted her softly.

Chang Jingwan: (⊙o⊙)

Ruan Zeer continued, "I said I did take it to heart. I wanted to give you an answer. Are you telling me it was a lie?"

Chang Jingwan: （´Д`）

Her face turned scarlet. "You... You… What do you mean..."

"Are you not taking responsibility?" asked Ruan Zeer, raising an eyebrow.

"Respo…" Responsibility?

"Very good. I knew you were a responsible girl." Ruan Zeer nodded happily.

Wha… What? What did she say?

There was no chance for Chang Jingwan to say anything further. A shadow loomed over her head. A pair of soft lips were placed onto hers.

So soft…

'Paper tiger' is a literal English translation of the Chinese phrase 'zhi lao hu'. The term refers to something or someone that claims or appears to be powerful and/or threatening but is actually ineffectual and unable to withstand challenge.Chicken-blood therapy was a form of pseudo-medical therapy popular in China during the Cultural Revolution. It was practiced mainly by village doctors in the 1960s. The therapy consisted mainly of simply drawing blood from a rooster and injecting it into the patients. Claimed benefits included making the patient highly aggressive and strong.