Chapter 26 - A Dire Punishment
The following morning, Jiang Wei and Tang Zihe walked into the classroom one after the other, their eyes still heavy with the remnants of sleep. The early morning light filtered through the windows of No. 4 High School, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air, but the atmosphere felt uncharacteristically heavy for Jiang Wei.
"Good morning. Did Xia Shan break the news to you yesterday?" Shen Yannan’s face was practically a billboard for his desire to watch the drama unfold. He leaned back in his chair, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"He did," Jiang Wei replied, sighing as he began rummaging through his desk for his homework, his movements sluggish. "I nearly showed up today with dark circles under my eyes from worrying about it."
"It’s not that bad. Being handled by Boss Shi is a mercy compared to being hauled straight to Director Li’s office," Shen Yannan remarked.
Just then, Yang Xiangtong happened to pass by Shen Yannan’s seat. She reached into both of her jacket pockets and pulled out two large handfuls of candy, dumping them onto his desk before tossing two individual pieces toward Jiang Wei and Tang Zihe.
"Thanks," Shen Yannan said, casually grabbing a few pieces of bubblegum and handing them back to Yang Xiangtong. "Consider this your courier fee."
"How does everyone already know about this?" Jiang Wei felt a wave of helplessness wash over him. It had been a long time since he felt this exposed. "Director Li isn’t that bad, is he? A three-thousand-word self-reflection essay is easy enough to fluff up if you try."
"No, you don't understand. That three-thousand-word essay you wrote last time was only because you were new and a first-time offender. That was a slap on the wrist," Shen Yannan said, pinching his thumb and forefinger together to illustrate a tiny amount. "Have you ever heard of a student being forced to perform a talent on the flag-raising platform as punishment?"
He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "And after the performance, they had a formal notice of criticism pinned right on the black bulletin board for the whole school to see."
"That’s right," Yang Xiangtong added, nodding solemnly. "And that poor soul was none other than Ye Feiyang."
Jiang Wei’s jaw dropped. The legendary school bully, forced to perform a talent in front of the entire student body? The world was a cruel place. Far too cruel.
"Was it... singing?" Jiang Wei asked tentatively.
"Yeah."
"Was it because he sang poorly?"
"Probably not. Personal bias aside, I’d say he was about average," Shen Yannan replied.
"Then Boss Shi really is the better option." Even though he hadn't faced the music yet, Jiang Wei’s heart was already racing toward Boss Shi’s office. He would rather double the word count of a reflection essay than step onto that platform. The reason was simple: he was painfully average when it came to performing arts. Besides, he had no desire to follow in the footsteps of a traitor like Ye Feiyang.
"Hey, do you know what Boss Shi’s usual punishments are?" Jiang Wei nudged Tang Zihe with his elbow.
"No idea," Tang Zihe said, shaking his head with a faint, amused smile. "Why ask me? I’ve never been through it."
"You’ve never skipped class before?" Jiang Wei looked at him with pure skepticism.
"Brother Tang really hasn't... or at least, he's never been caught. He’s basically the poster boy for a model student with impeccable conduct," Xia Shan chimed in as he stepped into the classroom just as the bell for morning self-study rang. He let out a massive yawn, his jaw stretching so wide Jiang Wei feared it might actually dislocate.
"Why are you so tired? Insomnia?" Shen Yannan asked from the front. "Surely you aren't that stressed about the physical fitness test."
"It’s not that..." Xia Shan stammered, casting a furtive glance toward the back of the room before cutting himself off.
"My apologies. Based on your proficiency at scaling school walls, I truly couldn't tell you were such a high-achieving, law-abiding citizen. My mistake," Jiang Wei said, narrowing his eyes at his seatmate.
"It’s Xia Shan who’s mistaken," Tang Zihe said, adopting an air of exaggerated humility. "I’ve just had exceptionally good luck before I met you. I simply never got caught."
*So, it's not that I'm unobservant, but that the problem lies with me?* Jiang Wei thought, his fist tightening. *Thanks a lot.*
"It’s not your fault; I think I’m just having a bit of a retrograde lately," Tang Zihe added, as if reading Jiang Wei’s mind. "A little bad luck is fine. It won't have any major consequences."
"Really?" Jiang Wei was puzzled. From Tang Zihe’s tone, it sounded like they were just going to Boss Shi’s office for a casual chat over tea.
"Really," Tang Zihe said, glancing at him. "At least for me."
Jiang Wei was speechless. *What? You think you're so much better than me that you can be this smug?* His irritation was beginning to cloud his judgment.
Tang Zihe shrugged, seemingly oblivious. "Because I’m the top of the grade. In situations like this, teachers subconsciously grant a certain level of leniency. They won't completely tear off the mask of civility. Why else do you think I fight to keep that rank? Do you think I do it for fun?"
*Fine, you are better than me. No one is better than you.* Jiang Wei mentally cupped his hands in a gesture of surrender. *I yield.*
Perhaps seeing "You are truly shameless" written all over Jiang Wei’s face, Tang Zihe decided that out of sight was out of mind. He looked down and pretended to be deeply engrossed in studying classical poetry.
Jiang Wei slumped back against his chair, looking utterly drained of ambition. He muttered under his breath, "Other people come to school to study hard; I’m here just trying to survive. Is this fair? No. Is it logical? Absolutely not."
***
As expected, during the last ten minutes of morning self-study, Boss Shi summoned both Jiang Wei and Tang Zihe.
"I can feel you're nervous," Tang Zihe whispered into Jiang Wei’s ear as they stepped out of the classroom.
"No kidding! It’s been ages since a head teacher scolded me. I’ve forgotten what it feels like. How could I not be nervous?" Jiang Wei hissed back through gritted teeth.
Tang Zihe let out a low, soft chuckle.
The two of them soon stood before Boss Shi. The teacher looked at his watch, then looked up at them. "I’ll give each of you one chance. Explain what happened during last night’s evening self-study. Go."
"Teacher, if I said we both had upset stomachs and spent a very long time in the restroom, would you believe me?" Jiang Wei asked.
Tang Zihe shot Jiang Wei a look that clearly asked: *Where did that nervousness from a second ago go? Did the dog eat it?*
"Stop talking nonsense. An entire evening self-study session in the bathroom? How are you not dehydrated and in the emergency room by now?" Boss Shi waved a hand dismissively before gesturing toward Tang Zihe with his chin. "You. Speak."
Tang Zihe remained silent, which was as good as a confession.
Boss Shi took a deep breath, likely reciting a mantra in his head to stay calm. "You are in your senior year now, not fresh-faced tenth graders. You should know the school rules by heart; I shouldn't have to repeat them. If this had happened before, I wouldn't have much to say. But now—this year—is the most critical, most pivotal time for your lives. And what are you doing? If you can skip evening self-study today, you’ll be skipping classes tomorrow, and by the day after, you’ll be dropping out entirely!"
The logic felt a bit familiar... Jiang Wei thought to himself. *That’s a bit extreme. If I weren't at school... I’d literally have nowhere else to go.*
"Tang Zihe, I don't understand. You made it through tenth and eleventh grade without a single ripple. Are you trying to find some excitement in your senior year? Is this how you look for thrills? I always thought you were the student I had to worry about the least in this class—maybe even the least in my entire career. And yet? Do you know how I felt when Director Li informed me about this last night?"
"Who’s Li Zhuang?" Jiang Wei mouthed silently to Tang Zihe.
"Director Li," Tang Zihe mouthed back.
"...And Jiang Wei! I put you in Class 1 because I didn't want to see a talent like yours go to waste. And what happened? It’s only been a month! How much trouble have you caused in just thirty days? I thought that reading your self-reflection under the national flag would have made you reflect, turn over a new leaf, and focus on your studies. I thought you’d let the past be history. But no! That was just the beginning!"
"Is it honorable to read a reflection in public? Is it cool to skip self-study? If you put half this energy into your academics, do you think you’d still be outside the top ten in the grade?"
Boss Shi was clearly worked up. He paused to catch his breath before continuing.
"Both of you are excellent students. If these antics affect your primary responsibilities, it will have a qualitative impact on your future lives—an impact that is entirely irreversible. Do you understand? Therefore, this cannot end with just a lecture. There must be a punishment, or you will never learn your lesson."
The conversation finally circled back to the core issue. Boss Shi cleared his throat, glanced at Jiang Wei, and asked, "So, who was the mastermind, and who was the accomplice?"
By all appearances, Jiang Wei looked the part of the mastermind. And honestly, as he thought about it, he was the one who had mentioned wanting wontons. He really was the culprit.
Just as he was about to confess, he felt a tug on his sleeve. It was light, yet carried a sense of undeniable resolve.
"It was me," Tang Zihe answered.
Under the shocked gazes of everyone present, he repeated himself in a tone that brooked no argument. "The idea to skip evening self-study was mine."
Tang Zihe desperately wanted to remind Jiang Wei that if he kept looking at him with an expression more horrified than if Boss Shi had suddenly started dancing the Yangko, the teacher wouldn't believe a word he said.
Fortunately, the tacit understanding they had built over the years held firm. Jiang Wei turned his head away and remained silent, effectively confirming the lie.
Boss Shi was silent for a long time—so long that Tang Zihe probably could have told him he wanted to skip the next class too, and the teacher would have had the psychological fortitude to handle it.
Finally, as the bell for the next class rang, Boss Shi spoke slowly.
"Tang Zihe, next Monday, you will perform a talent on the flag-raising platform and submit a three-thousand-word self-reflection essay to me. Jiang Wei, you will submit a three-thousand-word self-reflection essay."
Now, the shocked gazes were directed entirely at Boss Shi.
*So much for Boss Shi’s punishments being 'better' than Director Li’s!* These two administrators were clearly in cahoots.
Whether Tang Zihe regretted his decision was unknown, but Jiang Wei was genuinely sweating for the guy. At the same time, a wave of profound gratitude washed over him. Looking at the shift in Tang Zihe’s expression, Jiang Wei was certain the boy hadn't expected a public talent show to be part of the deal. But that didn't stop Jiang Wei from being moved.
If the situation allowed, Jiang Wei would have given Tang Zihe a full ninety-degree bow right then and there.
*Thank you, Brother Tang, for sacrificing yourself to save me from the depths of misery.*
***
**NEW GLOSSARY TERMS:**
| Chinese | English | Notes |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 扭秧歌 | Yangko dance | A traditional Chinese folk dance; used here to describe something absurdly unexpected. |
| 串通 | In cahoots / Colluding | Acting together secretly for a deceitful purpose. |
| 捏了把汗 | Sweating for someone | Idiom meaning to be very nervous or worried on someone else's behalf. |
