A Little Heavy-Handed

Gu Zi watched Su Bing. She could see his eyes brimming with unshed tears. Her first instinct was not to blame, but to feel a pang of heartache. Su Bing was not a child who acted recklessly. He understood restraint and propriety, and would not instigate such an incident. Therefore, she needed to understand what had truly transpired.

Su Bing, fearing his mother's reproach, spoke up before she could ask. His voice wavered with emotion, "Mom, I didn't start the fight. Jiang Ping and his friends were bullying me. I was merely defending myself."

Upon hearing this, the physical education teacher's anger flared. He seemed only willing to believe what he had witnessed, and he barked at Su Bing, "Su Bing, how dare you lie so blatantly? I clearly saw you pinning Jiang Ping down and hitting him. Your eyes were so cold, as if you wanted to beat him to death. Are you suggesting I saw wrong?"