Chapter 699: Such Classmates
"But is he wrong?"
Yu Huaijin's voice overshadowed everyone else.
This senior from the academy surprisingly didn't immediately correct Xiao Hongyu's swearing.
Xiao Hongyu and all the students were suddenly speechless, then exchanged glances, and finally bowed their heads in shame before returning to their seats.
Yu Huaijin turned his head, looked at everyone, and said word by word:
"In this major exam, in Ritual Skill and Calligraphy, Justice Hall was outstanding, with more than half of the students scoring full marks in Ritual Skill, and a significant lead in Calligraphy. Our Calligraphy scores don't even compare with theirs, not even with the neighboring Cultivation Hall. Earlier, Mr. Zhu in Jingchen Hall was puzzled and asked me what happened.
"And the only face-saving aspect was the only student who scored full marks in Calligraphy in our academy. You all know who it is."
She took a deep breath:
"Moreover, taught by the same assistant, I'm really curious why there's such a disparity in Calligraphy results. Is it that you are duller than the students in Justice Hall, or is Brother Ziyu biased? I've attended Brother Ziyu's classes in Justice Hall, and both academies have the same Calligraphy course, but did half of you even listen?"
The stern girl gazed around at the crowd.
The majority of students avoided her gaze, fearing eye contact.
Yu Huaijin asked softly: "Do you want to know how those students at Justice Hall attend Brother Ziyu's Calligraphy class?"
The whole room was silent, no one responded, and Yu Huaijin waited for a long, long time, until the atmosphere in the hall froze into ice, still no one spoke up.
Yu Huaijin lowered her gaze, as if talking to herself or deep in thought:
"So, why should I be angry? Isn't what Brother Gui said a fact? He just repeated what you did.
"You did it, but don't allow others to speak?
"Some of you here don't respect Brother Ziyu, don't respect the classroom, don't respect the academy's regulations, arrogant and overly ambitious... Brother Ziyu can't teach you, and my abilities are limited, I can't manage you either..."
After speaking, Yu Huaijin returned directly to the front row of seats, turning her back to the crowd.
This tone of disappointment was like pouring a ladle of cold water into a hot oil pan, causing the hall to explode.
"Senior Yu!"
"Senior... it's our own lack of ambition, don't get angry with yourself!"
"Xuanji, we made mistakes, we'll fix them, please don't say things out of anger, it's upsetting for everyone. It's all our fault, don't be upset."
"Xuanji, don't be angry..."
Li Xueyou, Xiao Hongyu, Jia Tengying, and other students stood up to admit their mistakes and tried to appease, but Yu Huaijin remained silent, head down reading a book, ignoring them.
Amidst the collective anxiety, a voice suddenly sounded.
"Senior Yu, I'm the one who was the most disobedient, and the one Brother Zhao found most detestable, arrogant, and offended him. Everything is my fault."
Wu Peiliang, who had been silent and downcast, suddenly stood up, walked to Yu Huaijin, and spoke earnestly.
"And me," Brother Qingpu also stepped forward, looking dejected: "I shouldn't have led the disruption and mischief with Brother Wu, I'm largely responsible for this mess too."
"Senior Yu, I am also to blame; laughed the most in the past, and now it seems shameful."
"Senior, count me in too..."
One by one, the remorseful students stood up continuously to admit their mistakes, joining Wu Peiliang and Brother Qingpu.
Yu Huaijin, who had not lifted her head, finally raised her eyelids, though still not looking at these remorseful students.
Xiao Hongyu's face also turned red, looked at both sides, then sighed and stepped forward, whispering in front of Yu Huaijin, "Huaijin, count me in too. I and Xueyou should have been the ones to resolve conflicts earlier, yet I stood by and watched, while only Xueyou helped to put out the fires. I even made sarcastic remarks..."
"Hongyu..." Li Xueyou whispered, tugging at her friend's sleeve.
Xiao Hongyu shook her head and, like Wu Peiliang and others around her, continued to stare at the silent stern girl.
More than half of the students at Shuaixing Hall stood out, and the remaining Jia Tengying, Zhong Delu, and others exchanged glances, sighed, and joined in: "Senior Yu, actually we are responsible too, as you always say, we're classmates and should help each other, being bystanders is a passive attitude. Moreover, we did underestimate Brother Zhao before... we have really let you down."
Only Fan Yushu remained sitting in the audience. He glanced around, then at Yu Huaijin's forlorn back, reluctantly got up, walked over, and mumbled, "Alright, maybe I do bear a little responsibility too. Wu Peiliang and I couldn't see eye to eye, Ziyu befriended me when he first arrived at the academy, making him look bad to Wu Peiliang too, kind of starting the conflict."
Wu Peiliang couldn't help but take the initiative: "Fan, if we count it in the past... that was my mistake, both you and Brother Zhao are part of our Shuaixing Hall, just like other classmates, I shouldn't have held biases."
Fan Yushu pursed his lips but said nothing, just nodded and joined the group, focusing his gaze on the stern girl.
The entire Shuaixing Hall, except for the stern girl quietly flipping through a book, her eyes lingering on the same page, all stood up.
Yu Huaijin pursed her lips, remained silent for a while, then finally lifted her head and looked at them.
Both sides quietly stared at each other, with seriousness and a sliver of hope in the eyes of Xiao Hongyu, Li Xueyou, Wu Peiliang, Brother Qingpu, and others.
The stern girl quietly looked at them for a while, suddenly stood up, and began heading outside, causing the students to panic and hurriedly grab her:
"Senior, where are you going?"
"Xuanji, calm down."
"Senior Yu, what can we do to make you forgive us..."
Yu Huaijin approached the door, stopped, turned, and asked: "I'm going to bring back Brother Ziyu. He belongs to our Shuaixing Hall, you yourselves said we're classmates, so how can we let him be taken away by outsiders?"
Seeing Yu Huaijin's impatient frown, the students were first stunned, then immediately relieved, with no fear at all, but rather joy.
Senior Yu's anger dissipated!
Wu Peiliang stepped forward, his tone firm: "Senior, I'll go. I'll bring him back. It's all due to me, so I should go."
"It's better if Xueyou and I go, with Xueyou there, Brother Ziyu would certainly come back," Xiao Hongyu volunteered, with Li Xueyou first nodding positively, then suddenly hesitating as she shook her head wanting to speak, but luckily Fan Yushu spoke too, relieving the situation.
"I could go too, just like Brother Xueyou, Ziyu would give me some face," Fan Yushu said confidently.
Even the most laid-back Fan Yushu chimed in, and others were also actively asking to go together to Justice Hall to fetch 'Little Brother Zhao.'
This long-unseen scene of unanimous determination almost stunned Yu Huaijin at the door, causing her some silence.
"Alright." Yu Huaijin nodded seriously, "Let's go together."
Just then, footsteps sounded outside, and a tall, slender figure reappeared at the entrance of Shuaixing Hall.
"Uh, where are you all planning to go together? Won't you include me?" The voice paused, then asked.
A young Confucian scholar stood at the door with hands folded inside his sleeves, slightly leaning, and curiously peeked inside the door.
The energetic students at Shuaixing Hall and Yu Huaijin were all momentarily stunned, watching the returned young scholar with open mouths.
The person smiled again: "Wait a minute, isn't class still ongoing? What a pity that just halfway I felt guilt-ridden, dismissed Brother Gui, and rushed back to continue the lesson, only to find you all thinking of sneaking off early?"
As he spoke, he walked into the quiet hall, hands folded, "Not surprising it's you, but with me here, not today."
Yu Huaijin and the students all watched Zhao Rong who just walked up to the podium and resumed his lecture, momentarily lost for words.
…
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PS: Finally stayed up late to finish this, though late, it arrived... Goodnight, brothers.
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