Chapter 44 Backing Up

Chapter 44: Having His Back

Last year, Teacher Wang had also spoken to Lin Lu, urging him to persuade Jiang Ruotang to stop his idol-chasing antics—if he didn’t want to study, fine, but he shouldn’t drag other students into his frivolous star-chasing nonsense.

That day, as Teacher Wang passed by the first-year classroom window, he overheard Lin Lu advising Jiang Ruotang not to make such a public display of his idol worship. Teacher Wang felt somewhat relieved.

To his surprise, Jiang Ruotang snapped back, “If you don’t want to hold an umbrella for Yingchuan, must you tear down the ones others hold for him?” From that moment on, Teacher Wang was convinced Jiang Ruotang was a hopeless case and secretly wished he’d leave school to avoid hurting Beicheng Guangyao’s college admission rates.

Now, Jiang Ruotang stared coldly at Teacher Wang. “My Chinese scores haven't slipped, while my math and science grades are showing steady gains. Seems the problem is your teaching.”

Teacher Wang slammed his enamel mug onto the desk. “Jiang Ruotang! How dare you speak to me like that? Teacher Song, call his parents—immediately!”

Song Qinghe hesitated, trying to defuse the situation. “At this hour, his parents are probably at work. Besides, we have no evidence Jiang Ruotang did anything wrong. Why call them?”

“So they can see what kind of son they’ve raised!” Teacher Wang thrust a finger at Jiang Ruotang’s forehead.

The English teacher exchanged a glance with Song Qinghe and shook her head helplessly.

The biology teacher, who had just returned from washing his lunchbox, overheard Teacher Wang’s outburst and grumbled quietly, “What’s the big deal? You accused him without proof, and now you’re upset he defended himself?”

But Teacher Wang was determined to put Jiang Ruotang in his place and insisted Song Qinghe summon his parents.

Song Qinghe had no choice. He first dialed Jiang Huaiyuan’s number, only to hear the recorded message: “The subscriber you dialed is not in service. Please try again later.” Jiang Huaiyuan was off fishing in the mountains with some producer, completely unreachable.

Jiang Ruotang exhaled quietly. Thank god his father was unavailable.

That man was utterly weak-willed outside of his director role. Even if he showed up, he’d just wilt under pressure.

Song Qinghe also felt some relief himself. Failing to reach Jiang Ruotang’s father at least gave Teacher Wang a face-saving way out.

But Teacher Wang wouldn't drop the matter. “Then call Zhao Yunshu—his stepmother! If we can’t reach his father, let’s see if she cares either!”

Thanks to Lin Lu’s earlier tales about “a stepmother’s heart being as bitter as coptis root,” the entire school believed Jiang Ruotang and Zhao Yunshu were on bad terms. Bringing her in now would be like oil meeting fire!

Meng Yang and the others smirked, leaning forward eagerly for the drama.

At least Jiang Ruotang had redirected Teacher Wang’s fury onto himself.

In her office, Zhao Yunshu answered Song Qinghe’s call, grabbed her bag, and left immediately.

Fortunately, the company’s internal audit had just wrapped up, leaving her with a lighter workload. As she headed to the parking lot, she briefed her deputy manager over the phone and rushed to the school. Her instincts told her Jiang Ruotang was in trouble.

She knew Jiang Ruotang was quick-witted and unlikely to be bullied by teachers. But the power imbalance between students and faculty meant some issues required parental intervention.

By the time Song Qinghe hung up, Teacher Wang noticed the other teachers’ expressions and realized he’d acted rashly.

His long-standing dislike for Jiang Ruotang had clouded his judgment, leaving him in an awkward position.

Less than half an hour later, Zhao Yunshu arrived at the grade office in a tailored black suit.

The moment she stepped in, she saw Jiang Ruotang, Cai Ji, Meng Yang, and a dozen other students lined up for punishment.

Jiang Ruotang stood with his hands in his pockets, scowling, clearly having been annoyed for a while.

“Teachers, I’m Zhao Yunshu, Jiang Ruotang’s mother. If I understand correctly, parents are usually called in when a child has caused trouble. But before coming here, I received a text message from him saying his exam scores improved. So… what exactly requires my coming here?”

Zhao Yunshu’s tone was precise and authoritative, like a CEO making her appearance. Gone was the deferential posture she’d adopted when dealing with Zhao Zhangfeng’s poor grades. This time, she projected pride for Jiang Ruotang.

The office fell silent. The English and physics teachers, free for the next period, watched intently.

Privately, they agreed Teacher Wang had jumped to conclusions without evidence. His rigid teaching methods and condescending attitude toward younger colleagues had long grated on them. They secretly hoped someone would straighten him out.

Teacher Wang expected Song Qinghe to smooth things over, but the latter stood aside, staying out of it.

The air grew thick with tension.

Zhao Yunshu pressed on. “I was at work when Teacher Song called, yet I dropped everything to come here. I’d say that shows strong support for the school’s work. But now that I’m here, no one will explain what happened? Are parents’ time not valuable?”

Teacher Wang’s lips pressed into a thin line. In the past half-hour, the only fault he could pin on Jiang Ruotang was his attitude.

Harrumphing loudly before speaking, he said stiffly, “The grade is investigating exam cheating. We called Jiang Ruotang in for questioning, but he repeatedly talked back and refused to cooperate. That’s why we summoned a parent—to discipline him properly!”

Zhao Yunshu saw through the pretense instantly: this was less about Jiang Ruotang’s wrongdoing and more about the teacher saving face.

Meng Yang chuckled under his breath. As Zhao Zhangfeng’s basketball teammate, he knew all about Jiang Ruotang’s past clashes with Zhao Yunshu. Surely this stepmother wouldn’t pass up a chance to humble him?

To his shock, Zhao Yunshu fixed Teacher Wang with a steely gaze. “From what Teacher Song told me, our Ruotang has repeatedly denied cheating. If a student feels unjustly accused yet still answers respectfully instead of walking out, isn’t that a good attitude? Or did he fail to meet your expectations? Do teachers have the right to humiliate students?”

Her last sentence struck like a gavel.

The English teacher’s eyes widened. Meng Yang and his friends stared in shock. If their parents were here, they’d automatically side with the teacher, apologizing profusely without question.

Cai Ji glanced at Jiang Ruotang with awe and envy. Zhao Yunshu hadn’t been his mother for long, yet she defended him so fiercely.

Teacher Wang opened his mouth, but no words came out. Flustered, his voice trembled. “Then how does he explain jumping from the bottom hundred to 250th place in just a month?”

Without hesitation, Zhao Yunshu replied, “What else could it be? Hard work! Is that so hard to believe? Or do you think students at the bottom don’t deserve to improve?”

Meng Yang and the other boys burst out laughing.

Backed into a rhetorical corner, Teacher Wang lost his composure. “A hundred-place leap in a month? Where’s the proof it wasn’t cheating?”

Even he realized how unreasonable that sounded, but the words were out.

The English teacher, who’d been silent until now, spoke up. “Director Wang, that’s not how it works. If someone accused you of theft, would you have to prove your innocence? Normally, the accuser provides evidence. By your logic, every student who improved must prove they didn’t cheat. If this gets out, we'd be ridiculed!”

Song Qinghe added, “Director Wang, I already explained Jiang Ruotang’s classroom performance. Why won’t you believe me?”

News of the confrontation spread back to the classroom.

Lu Guifan was reviewing Jiang Ruotang’s draft notes when a classmate burst in, excited. “You won't believe this! Director Wang accused Jiang Ruotang of cheating with Meng Yang’s group! He wouldn’t let it go and even called his stepmom! They’re going at it in the office!”

The class erupted.

“Jiang Ruotang? Cheating? He naps through exams if he’s stuck!”

“Yeah, he can’t even be bothered to copy homework!”

Zhao Zhangfeng slammed his desk. “That old windbag has too much time on his hands! Lin Lu, you’ve seen how diligently Ruotang’s been studying lately, right?”

Lin Lu nodded. “Yeah, he’s been putting in the work. This accusation must hurt.”

But then, he’d crossed Teacher Wang one too many times. The man was determined to save face—this was just an excuse to put Jiang Ruotang in his place.

Bai Yingchuan stood abruptly, but Lin Lu caught his arm urgently.

“Yingchuan, where are you going? Class is about to start,” Lin Lu asked, looking up.

"Let's go see what's really happening in the grade-level office. We've all seen how Jiang Ruotang has been studying and grinding through practice problems. If the teacher misunderstood, shouldn't we speak up for him?"

Lin Lu was completely dumbfounded.

What? Speak up for him? Why get involved in this mess?

Lin Lu quickly grabbed Bai Yingchuan: "Yingchuan, Teacher Wang is definitely furious right now. If we go to speak up for Ruotang, it’ll only put him in an awkward position."

Lin Lu had worked hard to maintain his good-student image and certainly wouldn’t ruin it for Jiang Ruotang. Besides, Wang Fuzi valued saving face—anyone who spoke up for Ruotang now would be held against them, making life difficult for them later.

Bai Yingchuan said nonchalantly, "If he’s the one who wronged someone first, isn’t it fair for him to lose face?"

Lin Lu’s gaze turned more concerned. "Yingchuan, your mother would be furious if she knew you were doing this. After this, she won’t agree to anything you want."

The words "she would be furious" weighed heavily on Bai Yingchuan’s heart.

Just a few months ago, Bai Yingchuan had refused to accompany Bai Yue to a dinner, and in retaliation, she had his preferred jobs canceled through his agent, Sister Yu.

Seeing Bai Yingchuan stiffen, Lin Lu knew he’d found his pressure point and quickly offered him an out: "Even if we want to speak up for Ruotang, shouldn’t we first understand why Wang Fuzi suspects him of cheating? After all, we weren’t in the same exam hall as him."

Bai Yingchuan sat back down, his expression darkening.

The next second, someone passed by Jiang Ruotang’s desk and coldly tossed out, "He wouldn’t stoop to cheating."

Lin Lu and Bai Yingchuan both looked over to see Lu Guifan’s retreating figure, clutching a thick stack of scratch paper and test papers.

"What hypocrisy," Zhao Zhangfeng snorted, rolling his eyes at Bai Yingchuan and Lin Lu before standing up. "That’s still my brother—I can’t just sit here without having his back."

Unexpectedly, Jian Sha from across the aisle also stood and pushed Zhao Zhangfeng back down.

"Don’t go. You'll just make things worse. I’ll handle it."

As the English Class Representative and a teacher's pet, Jian Sha had more credibility.

Meanwhile, in the grade-level office, the air was thick with tension. Wang Fuzi never expected Zhao Yunshu, usually so deferential in front of him, to come in with such a strong presence this time.

Just then, the office door was knocked—Lu Guifan stood outside, drawing everyone’s attention.

"Teacher Wang, Teacher Song, I have something to report."

Wang Fuzi’s expression softened immediately upon seeing Lu Guifan, his tone gentler.

"Lu Guifan, what is it?"

Lu Guifan walked in, his calm demeanor starkly contrasting with the charged atmosphere. His sideways glance caught Jiang Ruotang’s mix of anger and frustration, but his voice remained steady.

"I heard Jiang Ruotang is being suspected of cheating with Meng Yang’s group due to his rapid improvement. I came to clarify things for him."

"Clarify? What can you clarify?" Wang Fuzi retorted sharply, annoyed.

He’d thought Lu Guifan was a good student, but now even he was causing trouble.

Jiang Ruotang was equally puzzled. What could Lu Guifan possibly clarify? Was he going to ask Teacher Song to give him another test on the spot?

But right now, he was too agitated to think straight.

"Teachers, these are the scratch papers Jiang Ruotang left behind every time he asked me for help. The handwriting is his—there’s no way I could’ve forged all this in half an hour."

Under everyone’s gaze, Lu Guifan placed a thick stack of papers on Wang Fuzi’s desk.

"All… these are Jiang Ruotang’s?" Wang Fuzi picked them up, incredulous. The usually slacker Jiang Ruotang had written this much?

Jiang Ruotang himself was stunned. He’d thought Lu Guifan had thrown away all the papers he’d left behind. But not only had Lu Guifan kept them, he’d even organized them—just like he’d promised when he mentioned compiling a mistake log.

Lu Guifan then pulled up screenshots of their chat history from the past month in front of Teacher Song.

"Teacher Song, this question type matches the first calculation problem in the math exam, this one matches the third multiple-choice, and this one the fourth… Basically, every question he got right in the exam was a type I’d explained to him in detail."

"These do match, and the handwriting is indeed Jiang Ruotang’s," Song Qinghe confirmed.

Lu Guifan had clearly prepared thoroughly, presenting his case with flawless logic to each subject teacher.

"And this corresponds to the physics problem about electron movement in a magnetic field. Teacher Chen, this scratch paper shows he got stuck figuring out the electron’s direction at step five. He didn’t cheat—his ranking of 250th is his actual ability."

Teacher Chen agreed, even praising Lu Guifan: "You’ve got a sharp eye, you nailed the predicted problems so accurately."

The English teacher chimed in enviously, "Jiang Ruotang’s put in real effort in STEM. If he’d done the same for English, he’d easily break into the top 200."

Jiang Ruotang stared at Lu Guifan. At just eighteen, the boy handled things with more composure and wisdom than he, someone who's lived through two lifetimes. Instead of stirring the pot, Lu Guifan had calmly gathered evidence and reasoned with the teachers—neither submissive nor arrogant even before Wang Fuzi. Most impressively, he’d matched every scratch note and chat screenshot to the exam questions in such a short time—a level of quick thinking rare in high schoolers.

Song Qinghe turned to Wang Fuzi. "Director Wang, you see? Jiang Ruotang’s progress is clearly reflected in a clear trail of evidence! Every question has its paper trail!"

Wang Fuzi took a deep breath. He hadn’t expected Lu Guifan to be the one to completely undermine his authority. Unable to resist, he jabbed: "Lu Guifan, you’ve tutored Jiang Ruotang so meticulously—has he become your new client? One more step like this, and it won’t just be a warning!"

The insinuation was obvious: *Are you being paid by Jiang Ruotang? Are you on his payroll now?*

Before Lu Guifan could respond, Jiang Ruotang snapped.

"Wang Fuzi, we call you ‘teacher’ out of respect for your experience and contributions. Even if you suspect me, wrong me, check my phone, or call my parents, I’d just be annoyed—I never thought of cursing you! But now I really have to ask: *What the hell is wrong with you?*"

"Y-You—what did you say?" Wang Fuzi’s face turned beet red.

Zhao Yunshu pulled Jiang Ruotang back, patting his shoulder to calm him.

But Jiang Ruotang was fuming with rage. "Yesterday in essay class, you lectured us about not judging people like the ‘suspicious neighbor who lost his axe.’ But now, just because I improved a bit faster, I’m a cheater? No evidence, no witnesses—you can just make snap judgments? You’ve labeled me, and now anyone who defends me is suspicious too? Are you encouraging the whole school to isolate me? If he *were* charging me for tutoring, he’d be rolling in money by now! He’s the most upright person I know, and you’re *threatening* him?"

Every word left Wang Fuzi speechless, his finger trembling as he pointed at Jiang Ruotang, spluttering, "You—you—you—"

Lu Guifan watched Jiang Ruotang’s outburst wordlessly. This was the first time he’d seen him lose his temper—not for himself, nor for Bai Yingchuan, whom he’d once adored, but for *Lu Guifan*.

A cough interrupted them. Song Qinghe looked toward the door, surprised. "Principal Han… you’re here…"

All eyes turned. Wang Fuzi froze—*how long had Principal Han been standing there? How much had he heard?*

Principal Han walked in, his behind him were Jian Sha and Bai Yingchuan.

Jian Sha had originally intended to speak up for Jiang Ruotang too, but on the way, she’d received a message from Lu Guifan:

*[Please fetch Principal Han. Bring Bai Yingchuan if possible.]*

Jian Sha was quick on the uptake—she immediately understood Lu Guifan’s reasoning.

If she, a mere English Class Representative, went to get the principal, he might avoid intervening to save Wang Fuzi’s face.

But if *Bai Yingchuan* went, Principal Han would have to consider his celebrity status. If Bai Yingchuan spoke publicly about this, it could damage Beicheng Guangyao’s reputation—so the principal had no choice but to get involved.

Jian Sha turned around to the classroom and challenged Bai Yingchuan: "Hey, superstar—if you’re too scared to confront Wang Fuzi head-on, how about getting the principal instead? I’ll take the blame if teachers or your mom come down on us."

Zhao Zhangfeng, watching from the back, was gobsmacked—mentally giving Jian Sha silent props.

Sister Sha is badass—even when asking for help, she has the vibe of a loan shark.

"Alright."

Bai Yingchuan got up with everyone watching.

Lin Lu wanted to pull him back but understood that this time, Bai Yingchuan wouldn’t sit down again—after all, changing his mind back and forth so many times would only make him the class clown.

Just as Lu Guifan had predicted, when Jian Sha first reported the matter to Principal Han, he brushed it off as just another teacher-student spat.

But the moment he saw Bai Yingchuan behind Jian Sha, he immediately stood up and said he’d check it out.

When Principal Han followed Jian Sha to the grade office, he happened to hear Jiang Ruotang’s accusations and quickly put two and two together.

Under the watchful eyes of Jian Sha and Bai Yingchuan, Principal Han cleared his throat and asked, "Director Wang, after hearing Jiang Ruotang’s complaints, I just want to ask—did Jiang Ruotang cheat on this monthly exam?"

Hearing the question, Wang Fuzi’s fury, which had been ready to erupt into a confrontation with Jiang Ruotang, instantly plummeted to rock bottom, and he came to his senses.

Even if unwilling, he had to answer: "From what we can tell, he did not cheat."

Principal Han nodded and continued, "Then why did you drag Jiang Ruotang in to grill him, not just once? After working so hard to achieve his results, he wasn’t praised but instead doubted. Director Wang, have you at least said you're sorry?"

Wang Fuzi froze. In his decades of teaching, since when does he apologize to a student? Even if there were misunderstandings, as students, they should just take the teacher's scolding.

Both Song Qinghe and the other teachers in the office showed expressions of agreement.

Lu Guifan and Jian Sha were mostly relieved—Principal Han had already made where he stood clear.

Principal Han sighed. "Director Wang, you’ve been a teacher for so long. Don’t you understand that maintaining authority by suppressing students from up on high doesn’t work? And when you’re wrong, you’re wrong. If you don’t apologize, how can you set an example? If you had doubts about Jiang Ruotang’s results, you could’ve asked Teacher Song or Teacher Chen to whip up some similar problems and test him again. If he couldn’t answer at all, then your suspicions would’ve been justified. But you assumed Jiang Ruotang was cheating from the start, dismissing all his hard work. How would other students feel if they knew?"

Wang Fuzi’s temper eased slightly, but he couldn’t help airing his complaints against Jiang Ruotang. "If he hadn’t been so obsessed with fangirling, dragging other students into it, or using his family’s wealth to organize all sorts of wild extracurriculars that affected others’ studies, I wouldn’t have been so quick to misunderstand him."

Jiang Ruotang was speechless. So, your prejudice is my fault? Isn’t this just blaming the victim?

Bai Yingchuan, standing behind Principal Han, smiled and asked, "Excuse me, Teacher Wang, which celebrity is Jiang Ruotang supposedly obsessed with?"

"Who else? The one standing right in front of me," Wang Fuzi shot back.

Bai Yingchuan lowered his eyes and chuckled self-deprecatingly. "The problem is… since I transferred here, I haven’t felt even a hint of his so-called 'obsession.' Teacher Wang, could there be some misunderstanding?"

Jian Sha chimed in, "Teacher Wang, I can testify! I sit just across the aisle from Jiang Ruotang. Since Bai Yingchuan enrolled, Jiang Ruotang has never once looked in his direction. If Bai Yingchuan doesn’t speak to him first, Jiang Ruotang won’t say a single word to him. During breaks, while other students crowd around Bai Yingchuan, Jiang Ruotang either crashes or grinds practice sets. To him, Bai Yingchuan might as well not exist. To say his 'celebrity obsession' caused your prejudice is truly a total BS accusation. As the saying goes, 'A prodigal son who returns is more precious than gold.' Jiang Ruotang has been 'returning' for over half a semester—haven’t you noticed at all? May I ask who’s been feeding you this crap?"

Wang Fuzi paused, suddenly realizing that Jiang Ruotang hadn’t exhibited any fanatical behavior since Bai Yingchuan arrived.

Bai Yingchuan maintained a calm expression, but his heart ached as if pricked by needles—Jian Sha was merely describing Jiang Ruotang’s moving on, likely for the sake of focusing on his studies for the college entrance exams. It was understandable. Yet words like "nobody," "undeserved accusation," and "prodigal returning" felt like arrows piercing his heart, each one a reminder that he was an addiction Jiang Ruotang had to quit, a distraction from his future prospects.

Principal Han walked up to Jiang Ruotang and said, "On behalf of the school, I apologize to Jiang Ruotang and his mother. I hope you’ll continue working hard to improve your grades even further. At the same time, I hope all teachers, while pursuing academic excellence, will strive to understand and cherish their students rather than oppress them with authority. Tonight, everyone will stay for a meeting to discuss today’s incident. Jiang Ruotang, Lu Guifan, Jian Sha, and Bai Yingchuan—you may all return to class. You’re already missing the first period this afternoon."

Jiang Ruotang closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Since the principal had spoken, there was no point in pushing it further with Wang Fuzi.

The only pity was that Cai Ji remained in the office—probably so the principal could get more details from him.

Once they were all in the hallway, Jiang Ruotang looped his arm through Zhao Yunshu and whispered, "Mom, thank you."

"Don’t mention it. But that classmate—is he Lu Guifan, your class monitor?"

"Yeah."

"Every time you and Chang Feng mention him, I imagined a stiff nerd. I didn’t expect him to be this handsome?"

"You think he’s handsome too?" Jiang Ruotang was surprised their tastes aligned.

In his past life, when Zhao Yunshu met Lu Guifan in the hospital, she’d only praised his demeanor—never outright called him "handsome" like now.

To Jiang Ruotang, "handsome" was a word charged with emotion—it meant "breathtaking."

Zhao Yunshu replied, "Obviously. The way he stood up for you just now was so dashing it made my knees weak."

Lu Guifan, walking ahead, took a deep breath, stopped, and turned to Zhao Yunshu. "Thank you for the compliment, Auntie."

Zhao Yunshu’s embarrassment lasted less than a second before she smoothly continued echoing Jiang Ruotang’s praises.

"This isn’t even a real compliment. Our Ruotang’s words about you are the real deal—he says you’re the Chen Jingrun of mathematics, the Einstein of physics. He admires you endlessly, not just for your brilliant mind but also for your integrity."

"Mom… that’s way too exaggerated!" Jiang Ruotang hadn’t expected this side of Zhao Yunshu.

"How is it exaggerated?" Zhao Yunshu laughed brightly, patting Lu Guifan’s shoulder. "I just hope the class monitor, while guiding Ruotang, can also lend Chang Feng a hand… help him improve a little?"

Jiang Ruotang couldn’t help laughing. So this was Zhao Yunshu’s real agenda after sucking up to Lu Guifan.

"Mom, the class monitor just barely got me into the top 250. If he has to pull Chang Feng up too… wouldn’t that be 'one step forward, two steps back'?"

Even Lu Guifan lost it at that.

Jiang Ruotang’s metaphors were always golden.

Meanwhile, Zhao Chang Feng, still sitting in his seat waiting for the outcome, was sneezing up a storm.