Fate Trading System – Chapter 313

Plan A

Running with the Ball 17

That wave continuously rocked in Feng Linhan’s mind, making his entire mind and spirit sway.

“What are you talking about? You two, have your parents come see me tomorrow.”

Feng Linhan said loudly, the dark night concealing the stiffness of his expression.

How could my own student possibly know about my affairs?

Feng Linhan only knew that if others found out about his affair, his reputation would be utterly ruined, and a teacher’s reputation is extremely important.

Some things, some bad secrets that should never be known by outsiders and should be hidden forever in a dark corner, become leverage the moment they are discovered by others.

For Feng Linhan, having someone on the side—cheating—was a scandal that absolutely could not be associated with him as a teacher.

“Teacher, you’re feeling guilty, aren’t you? You yourself are dating, and even dating two women. You’re already married and still cheating, having an extramarital affair. What right do you have to lecture us?”

That male student was already a bit of a troublemaker, always violating discipline, but he was quite smart and had good grades. Feng Linhan previously felt that although he violated all sorts of rules, it was just the rebellious behavior of a teenage boy. But now, hearing this person speak this way, Feng Linhan felt a fire ignite in his heart.

As a teacher, it was still very easy to make things difficult for a student. Although Feng Linhan had never done such a thing and disdained it, if it was necessary…

Parents always believed the teacher more than they believed their child and themselves, because the teacher was always right; they were the ones who imparted knowledge.

“I don’t know where you heard these rumors and slander. Not only are you in a puppy love relationship, but you are also slandering your teacher. You don’t need to attend the evening self-study¹ anymore. You two, go straight home for me. Come back with your parents tomorrow.”

“Bring them then, bring them. If my parents find out it’s a cheating teacher educating us, who knows what they’ll think.”

“I don’t know on what basis you’re talking nonsense from all eight directions². Who doesn’t know how to start a rumor, huh?”

Feng Linhan sneered. With a flap of his lips, he could still shape this into a story about a bad student.

“The whole class knows. Even people in other classes know. You think that little mess of yours is some kind of secret?”

“Don’t think you can just say whatever you want because you’re a minor. Go home for me right now. Don’t enter the classroom. Tomorrow, I need to talk to your parents about your problems. And yours too.”

Feng Linhan pointed at the girl behind the male student and left the sports field angrily.

Feng Linhan walked toward the academic building, his mind in a complete mess.

What does he mean the whole class knows, what does he mean people in other classes also know?

Feng Linhan thought of the gazes he felt when he was in the classroom, during class, like thorns on his back. Could it be…

Impossible.

How could those students possibly know? He had clearly hidden it so well.

The bell for the third period of evening self-study rang. Feng Linhan stood on the podium, looking at all the students below.

Carefully, from the first one, he sized them up to the last one.

Do all these people know?

Feng Linhan’s hands, clasped behind his back, clenched into fists. He had already thought of a preliminary countermeasure.

No matter what happens, I just need to seize the moral high ground first. There can’t possibly be any evidence. I was very careful and never revealed any flaws.

I just have to bite the bullet and not admit it, and I must be open and confident about it.

Feng Linhan closed the classroom doors, locking both the front and back doors from the inside. Some students had their heads down, while others were secretly watching him.

“Everyone, stop what you’re doing. I have a few words to say.”

Everyone looked up at the sound of his voice, some still holding their pens as they looked at him.

“You all know that the school prohibits puppy love, as well as playing on phones and reading miscellaneous books. One time gets you a demerit, twice gets you a major demerit, and two major demerits will result in being ordered to withdraw from school, or suspension.”

“Whether you yourselves have violated discipline, you know in your own hearts. Just because you haven’t been caught doesn’t mean you haven’t done it. I have a pretty good idea of your situations.”

“Just now, I caught a couple dating on the sports field, from our class. You all know who isn’t at their seat right now. And I also heard some bad rumors about me from that student’s mouth.”

“I don’t know who spread that news, or why they are targeting me like this. I just want to say, if you have the guts, stand up and say it to my face. What kind of skill is slandering someone? Is this how the school teaches you to be a person? To move right and wrong around³ like this?”

Feng Linhan slammed the table in anger, the sound echoing throughout the classroom.

“I don’t know which one of you spread things related to my private life, and it’s even a rumor. I come here to work, to teach you lessons, not for you to gossip about my private life! Not for you to think about this!”

Feng Linhan’s face was grim. All the students below were so thoroughly yelled at that they were silent and didn’t make a sound.

“If you have any dissatisfaction with me, you can say it directly. If that’s not enough, go report it to the Director⁴. If you really don’t want to show your face, there’s the complaint box. Talking about my private life here, and it’s even spread everywhere, calling it ‘my little mess’! You tell me! What do you know about me? What do you understand about me?”

“I’m truly baffled. Just because I don’t lose my temper like other homeroom teachers, you think I can be bullied so easily?”

Many people below were so scolded they didn’t dare to raise their heads, reflecting on their own mistakes.

Maybe it really is just a rumor and a misunderstanding. Maybe it’s someone in the class who hates the homeroom teacher and has a grudge, wanting to frame our teacher?

“Just do your homework. I am truly too disappointed in you all.”

Feng Linhan pressed his temples, pushed the door open, and walked out, leaving the door ajar. It was summer now, so doors and windows were generally kept open.

The class was very quiet. After a short while, it suddenly became noisy. The small voices of people talking converged into a buzzing sound that was very irritating to hear.

“Alright, quiet down. Class is still in session. If you want to talk, use little notes.”

The discipline monitor tapped the table. The noise lessened somewhat, but it still didn’t become completely quiet.

For some of the students who were uninformed, neutral, or just following the crowd, Feng Linhan’s words were undoubtedly like dropping a huge rock into their hearts.

No one in this class had solid proof, but they didn’t know that about each other and were still suspicious of one another.

Feng Linhan returned to his office. There was no one in the office now, because usually only the teachers supervising evening self-study and the director would be there. Occasionally, a homeroom teacher would also stay, but not everyone was present. In their science department office, only the light at his desk was on.

Feng Linhan wanted to call He Qin, but in the end, he didn’t make the call.

Right now, there were likely only two possibilities. The first was that a student saw him and He Qin being intimate before, and thus knew. The second was that the students didn’t know but were maliciously starting rumors.

Feng Linhan couldn’t remember when he and He Qin had been intimate in an obvious place where people could see. They always met at He Qin’s house, with the windows and curtains drawn properly before they started getting intimate.

In any case, no matter the situation, Feng Linhan decided to stick firmly to the second possibility.

When the evening self-study ended, everyone packed up to go home. The last person to leave would turn off the lights and fans and lock the door.

Feng Linhan had been waiting in the office. The students’ evening self-study ended at 10. By 10:10, everyone would probably be gone.

10:12.

“Teacher, I have something I want to say to you…”

“Come in. What is it?”

“Teacher, don’t be angry, and don’t hurt our feelings. I just knew Teacher wasn’t that kind of person. But someone was saying that, and even showed a photo. That photo was blurry, and the person did look a bit like you, but it was nighttime, who could take a clear picture.”

That person could be considered one of Feng Linhan’s confidants in the class, a student from a relatively poor family. Feng Linhan had always taken great care of her and even tutored her for free. As long as she brought questions, Feng Linhan would explain them. Feng Linhan had said in class that anyone with questions could come and ask.

“What photo?”

“It’s the kind that can’t be saved. I only got a glance at it. Teacher, I’m sorry. They were all saying you cheated and are a bad man, but in my eyes, Teacher is a very good teacher. How could you possibly do something like that? Teacher, you must find out who is slandering you, to avoid suffering an unrighted wrong.”

“Mhm, I know. You are all children, and your ways of doing things are still too immature, and your thoughts are very naive. The teacher will figure it out. You all shouldn’t always be thinking about the teacher’s affairs. Studying hard is the most important thing, the most useful thing for yourselves.”

“Mhm, there was a problem you explained today that I still didn’t quite understand.”

“I’ll continue to explain that type of problem tomorrow.”

“Okay, thank you, Teacher. Goodbye, Teacher.”

Feng Linhan leaned back in his chair. It really is the first possibility. I just don’t know who will jump out when the time comes.

Feng Linhan filtered through the list of names in his head but couldn’t come to any conclusion.

He packed his things, walked out of the school, and sat in his car to call He Qin.

“Qinqin, let’s not meet for the next few days.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It seems one of my students saw us together and is now spreading rumors everywhere. I don’t know who it is yet. In any case, let’s not meet for a while. I won’t go to your place for the time being.”

“Alright.”

He Qin also knew that being seen by a student was no small matter and nodded reluctantly.

Feng Linhan drove home, a cold sneer on his face.

He had been a teacher for eight or nine years, after all, and had taught so many cohorts of students. How could he not have a clear grasp of student psychology?

Sooner or later, someone will jump out.

The class group chat for Class 7 of the second year started discussing again. Today, it was about those words from Feng Linhan.

Class Monitor: The two anonymous whistleblowers, come out. Make things clear. If it’s not true, then you two are truly disgusting. If it is true, then come out for a confrontation. Don’t wrongly accuse the teacher for no reason.

Su Xin was just about to take a shower when she saw the chat log that Fourteen had forwarded to her. She had, of course, also seen the part where Feng Linhan had spoken earlier.

Yo, he’s not stupid. He already knows how to whitewash himself this quickly. It helps that he sold his ‘good teacher’ persona so well before; salvaging it isn’t hard.

Familiarity breeds contempt⁵. Losing his temper like this and putting on a disappointed look is simply the best model for whitewashing.

Su Xin smiled, not planning to respond.

What’s so interesting about a plot that’s always smooth? Of course, it’s more fun when there is one wave and three twists⁶. Reversals are the most surprising.

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