**Comforting**

Under the direction of Director Wang, the details of this incident were only known internally within the police station and among the school's leadership, with no public announcement. Therefore, there was no mention of it in Songjiang City's media.

However, Ethan Parker felt a heavy burden in his heart. After all, he had killed someone! This was fundamentally different from ordinary fights. Though, in a certain sense, the person Ethan killed was a heinous criminal who deserved it. If he hadn't killed him, there was no telling how many more atrocious acts he would commit!

The phrase "acting for heaven" seemed so laughable! Ethan didn't consider himself a cold-blooded person, nor a hero. He could stand up for justice, but fighting crime should be left to the police!

While he had been calm and collected when defending himself at the police station, now, fear was quickly taking over his entire being.

Ethan felt as if his legs were weighed down with lead, making it hard to move.

"Ethan, are you okay?" Amelia, who had come out with him, noticed his pale face and asked worriedly.

"Huh? I... I'm fine..." Ethan glanced at Amelia and forced a smile. Those who haven't experienced it themselves can never understand what it's like to be in the middle of it. To Amelia and Principal Li, Ethan had done a good deed by killing a despicable criminal. It was like watching a movie where the audience feels no sympathy for the criminal shot by the police, thinking he deserved it.

But Ethan wasn't a police officer or a cold-blooded killer; he was just a student. He couldn't have that kind of mental toughness. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw Ji Shuisheng's blood-soaked, pale, and twisted face.

"Ethan, wait a moment!" came a voice from behind. It was Ava Fay. "Ethan, hold on. I have something to discuss with you. Principal Li, Ms. Amelia, you can head back. I'll make sure Ethan gets home safely."

"Alright then, Captain Ava. Since you have something to discuss, Amelia and I will return to school. You know how busy I am," Principal Li said with a smile.

Amelia felt a twinge in her heart at the mention of her name, wondering if the principal had noticed something between her and Ethan. Over the past few days, her relationship with Ethan had grown beyond that of teacher and student. Though she was a few years older than Ethan, it often felt like he was protecting her, almost like an older brother. Calling them friends seemed more accurate, but were they just friends? Amelia wasn't sure. However, seeing the principal's calm demeanor, she realized she was overthinking it.

"Principal Li, don't worry. You and Director Wang are old classmates. If anything happens to your student, Director Wang would tear me apart!" Ava Fay joked.

After Principal Li and Amelia left in the school car, Ava Fay patted Ethan on the shoulder. "Feeling down, huh? Come, let's talk."

"I..." Ethan didn't know how Ava Fay had seen through him. He had been so composed at the police station!

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. Come on, let's sit over there," Ava Fay said, pointing to a bench in the police station courtyard.

Ethan glanced at Ava Fay, nodded, and followed him. Indeed, Ethan needed someone to talk to. He had wanted to share his feelings with Amelia but didn't want to worry her. Mainly, he knew she wouldn't fully understand his fear.

"Kid, are you scared?" Ava Fay leaned on the bench, lit a cigarette, and offered one to Ethan.

Ethan was puzzled as to why Ava Fay thought he smoked but accepted it anyway, lit it, and took a deep drag before speaking slowly. "I was really scared at first, but I'm better now." Ethan didn't want to seem weak.

"Oh? Heh, you're quite something. To be honest, when I first graduated from the police academy and killed a criminal on my first mission, I threw up all night and was terrified for a week. I even had nightmares!" Ava Fay said, patting Ethan's shoulder.

"Captain Ava... I..." Hearing that Ava Fay, even as a police officer, felt the same way, Ethan couldn't hold back his emotions any longer. "I'm so scared! That night's scenes keep flashing in my mind. I try not to think about it, but those images keep popping up, as if they're engraved in my brain!"

Ava Fay laughed heartily. "Kid, you did well. You held it together in the police station. If you had shown fear, your hero image would've been laughed at! Don't feel ashamed. Everyone feels like this the first time they kill someone. But remember, the person you killed was a bad guy, so you don't need to feel guilty. Think about it: if Ji Shuisheng had continued his rampage, imagine the harm he would've caused to society."

"But... Captain Ava... though that's true, isn't it better for the police to handle these things? If I could choose, I'd rather have let Ji Shuisheng go," Ethan said, shaking his head.

"Kid, you're thinking about this the wrong way! A real man takes responsibility for his actions. From a police perspective, yes, we should handle it. But think about it: if you had backed down, Ji Shuisheng would have continued his crimes, possibly targeting your friends, classmates, teachers, or even family! If someone close to you got hurt, would you still regret it?" Ava Fay continued.

Ethan nodded. If he had backed down, Ji Shuisheng would have become more brazen, and the consequences in Songjiang would be unimaginable. If his family, Amelia, or Ava Bennett had encountered him, Ethan would never forgive himself!

With this thought, Ethan felt a weight lift off his shoulders and a smile appeared on his face. "Thank you, Captain Ava! I've figured it out!"

"Yes, it's good you've understood. I'm not encouraging you to kill, but I hope you'll always stand up when someone needs help!" Ava Fay said, putting out his cigarette. "Kid, you're still a student. Smoking occasionally is fine, but too much will harm your health!"

"Got it, Captain Ava! Thank you!" Ethan nodded sincerely.

"Let's go. I'll take you home. Get a good night's sleep and go to school relaxed tomorrow!" Ava Fay said, standing up and heading toward the police car.