No. 65 Wiping Away the Sleep of Time
“This is outrageous!”
The morning reading session ended, and Xiaodie and I were summoned to the office of our new homeroom teacher.
She was a formidable woman in her forties, a senior teacher with a stern expression and a reputation for having powerful connections. I remembered her vividly from my past life—she was the only teacher who had ever truly scolded me. It had been over a minor test, a single careless mistake that cost me my top ranking in the class.
Humans were strange creatures. Eighty percent of the class had answered that question incorrectly, but I, the top student, was the only one who received her wrath.
“Explain yourselves! What were you thinking this morning? Do your parents know about this? You two might look innocent, but your behavior is anything but! Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves?”
As in my memory, she launched into a tirade the moment we stepped into her office.
The reason for her anger, of course, was our little display of affection in the bicycle shed that morning.
Normally, such incidents, even if witnessed by multiple students, wouldn’t reach the ears of the teachers. No student would bother to snitch, knowing it would only bring them trouble. But our kiss had been witnessed by one of the teachers in the office, and it had quickly made its way to our homeroom teacher.
“Yi Yao, what have you been doing during your absence? Seducing your classmates? Are you a boy or a girl? Have you no shame?”
Her ignorance of my extended absence was understandable, but Xiaodie…
“Excuse me, teacher, but what are you talking about?” Xiaodie asked calmly, her gaze unwavering despite the scrutiny of the other teachers in the office. “I’m afraid I don’t understand your accusations. Yi Yao is my good friend, and I won’t tolerate any slander against her.”
“Don’t understand?!”
The teacher’s face flushed red, her veins bulging. “Alright, Huang Yingdie, let me ask you this. Are you and Yi Yao in a romantic relationship?”
“Yes.”
To my surprise, she admitted it outright.
“Bang!”
The teacher slammed her hand on the desk and stood up. “And you claim you don’t understand? Am I wrong to call you in here?”
Xiaodie opened her mouth to retort, but I stopped her with a gesture. “Teacher, I’m not sure which school rule we have violated.”
“You…”
She sputtered, speechless, her anger growing.
I suspected it was more frustration than anything else.
“The school rules prohibit students from dating!” she declared, as if clinging to a lifeline. “You two are dating, which is a clear violation! I can call your parents and have you expelled!”
“Chapter 3, Article 12 of the Upper Capital City No. 3 Middle School Rules and Regulations states: ‘Students are expected to focus on their studies and complete all assigned work. Tardiness and early departures are prohibited. Mutual support and cooperation between male and female students are encouraged, but romantic relationships are strictly forbidden.’” I recited the rule flawlessly. “However, both Huang Yingdie and I are female. Therefore, technically, we haven’t violated any rules.”
I had memorized the school rules, just in case.
“So you’re playing word games with me now, are you?”
She pointed a trembling finger at us, her expression darkening. “Let me tell you, Yi Yao, with this attitude, I can send you both to the disciplinary office. And even your father won’t be able to save you then.”
“Go ahead.” I yawned. “If you think Xiaodie and I are a burden on this class, that we’re somehow hindering the academic progress of these 700 other students, then by all means, expel us. Oh, and my father’s business is struggling lately. He doesn’t want me to continue my education anyway. If you call him, he’ll probably come and take me home right away.”
I knew the rules of the game.
When a single individual’s value exceeded 30% of the group’s total worth, the leader of that group would grant that individual considerable leeway.
My words were a subtle reminder of our value to the school.
What did schools care about most?
Grades. Nothing else mattered.
Suicides, teenage romances—they were all insignificant compared to academic performance.
As long as the school could boast a high university acceptance rate, with students getting into prestigious institutions like Tsinghua and Peking University, negative press was a small price to pay.
They claimed to care about the well-being of their students, but in reality, it all boiled down to money.
The teachers and staff needed to be paid. The principal had a business to run.
High academic performance attracted more students, which translated into higher revenue.
A student with the potential to be the top scorer in the entire city was a valuable asset, even in a prestigious high school. In a regular middle school like ours, she was practically a gold mine.
The teacher’s threat of expulsion was just that—a threat.
My relationship with Xiaodie was out in the open now. I wasn’t going to humiliate her by claiming it was just a joke. I would stand my ground.
Just like Liang Zhenyi had said, if you didn’t like someone, you confronted them head-on.
Submissiveness only invited further bullying.
Every success story was built on a mountain of failures.
“Are you threatening me?”
She had caught on to my implication. Her tone softened slightly.
It was all about saving face.
Our transgression wasn’t that serious. Two girls kissing in school. The rule against dating was meant to prevent distractions from academics. But we were both top students. What did it matter if we were dating? It was our parents’ problem, not the school’s. And who said a kiss between two girls automatically implied a romantic relationship? It wasn’t exactly a scandalous headline.
The real issue was that we had been seen by another teacher, and our homeroom teacher’s pride had been wounded.
“If you perceive it as a threat, then so be it.” I glanced at the teacher who had reported us. “I don’t see the point of studying alongside 700 other students who are barely scraping by, even with me carrying the class on my back. If you expel me, maybe I can explore other educational options.”
My message was clear: I wasn’t backing down.
Expelling me would give her a momentary sense of satisfaction, a chance to assert her authority in front of her colleagues. But keeping me would earn her favor with the administration, perhaps even a bonus.
No one could resist the allure of money.
“Fine, fine, fine. You win, Yi Yao.” She gritted her teeth and sat down. “But what if you don’t get first place in the next monthly exam?”
“If that happens, I’ll transfer ten times the bonus you would have received to your Alipay account.”
“You think teachers get bonuses for good grades? Let me tell you, even if you all fail miserably, I’ll still receive my full salary!”
And I bet your next line is, “Once you get into university, you can do whatever you want. You can date whoever you want.”
“Then I’ll transfer ten times your salary.” I smiled. “Is it 4,000 yuan?”
She blinked, caught off guard. “No, it’s 3,200.”
“Alright, if I don’t get first place, I’ll transfer 32,000 yuan to your account. Deal?”
“You’re just a child. Why are you so obsessed with money?”
“It’s settled then. Class is about to start. We’ll be going now. Goodbye, teacher.”
Before she could recover, I grabbed Xiaodie’s hand and fled the office.
We didn’t stop running until we reached our classroom.
“Yi… Yi Yao, you seem… different,” she said, her eyes wide with surprise.
“Do I?” I took out my textbook and pen.
“Yes. You’ve always been strong-willed, but I’ve never seen you stand up to a teacher like that. Why did you do it? Why did you say those things?”
“Because she insulted you.”
“I…”
She looked touched.
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.” I pulled out a playing card from a hidden slot in my skirt and studied the pattern. “When you kissed me this morning, I realized something. It’s one of Pai Ge’s life lessons.”
“What is it?”
“Success is the only measure of a hero.”
…
The incident quickly blew over. News of our relationship spread through the school, but since we had always been close, no one treated us differently. Tan Lijiang and the others occasionally joked about attending our wedding, but that was the extent of it.
As the school day drew to a close, I received a text message.
It was from my father. Four simple words: “Your mother’s surgery was successful.”
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