Chapter 26

Both of them froze, staring at Yin Fang with wide eyes.

Yin Fang took a deep breath, slamming her hand on the desk. "The anonymous letter was well-detailed. I didn't want to believe it, but what were you two doing just now?"

Xuejiao blinked in confusion. "I was explaining a problem to him..."

Yin Fang glanced at the boy and girl standing in front of her. One was the top student of her grade, a young girl who was exceptionally beautiful. The other was Yi Tianyu, with his strikingly handsome face. Together, they looked like the perfect pair.

And that was exactly the problem.

Teenagers at this age were prone to losing focus, especially under the immense pressure of school. The forbidden nature of "puppy love" often made it all the more tempting.

Yin Fang sighed and turned to Xuejiao. "Gu Xuejiao, you got first place in the last exam, but we all know there were some lucky factors involved. You pushed Chu Sheng from next door to second place, but that doesn't mean you can relax. You need to dedicate all your time to studying. Learning is the most important thing right now. The harm of puppy love, I'm sure, doesn't need further explanation. After you graduate, I won't care what you do, but right now, it's not acceptable."

She then turned her stern gaze to Yi Tianyu, her tone much less friendly. "Yi Tianyu! What did you promise me last time? You said you'd focus on basketball and academics. Do you even remember that? If you don't want to study, at least don't drag others down with you!"

Her eyes widened, glaring at him as if he had committed a terrible crime.

"Teacher, we're really not in a relationship!" Xuejiao said seriously. "I don't know who sent that letter, but it's slander."

Her sincerity was evident, and Yin Fang hesitated slightly. After all, Xuejiao's recent behavior and achievements had been commendable.

"Really?"

"Yes, really," Xuejiao affirmed, her tone firm.

Yin Fang relaxed slightly, though she still had her reservations. "Gu Xuejiao, you must stay focused on your studies. Don't get complacent just because you got first place last time. That was likely a coincidence. Maintaining first place in the next exam will be much harder. At the very least, aim to stay in the top three. Don't let anything distract you."

Her words carried an assumption that Xuejiao's previous success wouldn't last. Xuejiao lowered her head without responding.

"Alright, you may go back now. I'll rearrange your seats on Monday," Yin Fang said dismissively, though her tone was still skeptical.

"Why?" Yi Tianyu's voice rose sharply.

"Because I'm your teacher!" Yin Fang snapped. Despite being shorter than Yi Tianyu, her presence was commanding.

"No! I don't agree!" Yi Tianyu's face darkened, and he looked furious.

Yin Fang gasped, clearly unused to students defying her so directly. "You don't have a choice! Whether you agree or not, this is my decision! Puppy love never lasts! Do you know how many couples I've seen break up after graduation? It never works out. At best, you'll regret it, and at worst, it'll ruin your futures!"

Her words hit a nerve. Yi Tianyu clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white, the veins in his hands bulging. His face twisted in anger as he ground his teeth audibly.

Yin Fang instinctively took a step back, startled by his reaction. Then her temper flared. "Call your parents! I want to speak to them immediately!"

That Thursday, Xuejiao and Yi Tianyu sat in the office, waiting for Yi Tianyu's father to arrive.

Yin Fang was fuming. She didn't even want to listen to explanations, convinced that their reactions confirmed the anonymous letter's accusations.

Yi Tianyu, calmer now, turned to Xuejiao and whispered, "I'm sorry..."

Xuejiao shook her head slightly but kept her gaze lowered. She didn't respond.

She already knew Yin Fang's attitude toward these matters. Explanations were useless. Instead, she lowered her head further and began silently reciting the English essay she had memorized that morning.

Not long after, a short, stocky man burst into the office—Yi Dafa.

"Teacher! What happened? You weren't clear over the phone. I'm so worried!" he exclaimed, panting heavily.

Yin Fang stood up, visibly agitated. "Yi Tianyu nearly attacked me just now!"

"What?!" Yi Dafa's eyes widened in shock. He turned to his son, grabbed his ear, and yelled, "You little brat! You dared to raise a hand against your teacher?!"

He landed a light kick on Yi Tianyu's backside, followed by a loud slap on his shoulder.

"Ouch! Dad, stop!" Yi Tianyu dodged, yelping.

"I sent you here to study, not to beat up your teacher!" Yi Dafa continued his theatrical scolding, though the hits were more for show than actual punishment. Yi Tianyu knew his father's style and exaggerated his cries to match.

"Son, just apologize first!" Yi Dafa whispered under his breath, leaning close to his son.

Though uneducated, Yi Dafa had been in business long enough to read the room. Whether or not Yi Tianyu actually hit the teacher didn't matter—Yin Fang believed it, and that was enough. It was better to apologize and smooth things over than to argue.

"Stop hitting him!" Yin Fang finally said, her anger ebbing slightly.

Yi Dafa turned to her with a sheepish smile. "Teacher, are you still upset? If you are, I'll keep going!"

"No need!" Yin Fang waved her hand. She took a deep breath and said, "Yi Tianyu's father, I called you here because I suspect your son of being involved in a romantic relationship."

"Puppy love?" Yi Dafa's voice rose sharply.

"Yes."

Yi Dafa's face darkened for a moment, but then he composed himself. "What exactly happened to make you think that?"

"I received an anonymous letter detailing his behavior. When I questioned him, he reacted aggressively, almost attacking me!"

Yi Dafa furrowed his brow. "What did you say to him, teacher?"

Yin Fang straightened up. "I told him that relationships at their age don't last. It's a waste of time, and they're bound to break up sooner or later."

Yi Dafa paused, his expression suddenly shifting. "Who is he supposedly dating?"

Yin Fang hesitated before answering. "Gu Xuejiao."

Yi Dafa's gaze shifted to Xuejiao, who had been quietly standing in the corner. She was composed, her school uniform neat, her ponytail tidy, and her face clean and innocent.

Suddenly, Yi Dafa's face lit up. "My son managed to woo Gu Xuejiao?!"

His tone was filled with disbelief and excitement, as if he had just won the lottery.

Yin Fang froze, stunned by his reaction.

"Teacher! Is it true?" Yi Dafa beamed, his wide smile revealing two rows of teeth.

The two other teachers in the office, who had been silently grading papers, raised their heads in surprise, equally dumbfounded.

Yin Fang frowned. "Yi Tianyu's father, this is a serious issue—"

"Teacher, don't worry!" Yi Dafa interrupted. "I understand how important academics are, but if Gu Xuejiao's influence motivates my son to study harder, isn't that a good thing?"

Yin Fang was left speechless.

At that moment, a voice came from the door.

"Teacher!"

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