Chapter 51: I Will Be Very Brave, Very Brave

At some unknown moment, a fine rain began to fall from the sky. Jiang Yao rested her head against the cold gravestone, gazing up at the descending threads of rain, yet she had no intention of leaving the cemetery.

Whether in life or death, Mr. Chen had been her last source of warmth.

That day, under the pretense of a home visit, Mr. Chen had come to her house in person. Zeng Qiwen, a man considered somewhat successful in society, received him with utmost courtesy and politeness. But that very same day, after Mr. Chen left, Zeng Qiwen seized Jiang Yao by the throat and snarled, “I don’t like that man. From now on, stay away from him.”

If only Jiang Yao had understood Zeng Qiwen’s words back then, perhaps everything would have been different.

But she didn’t understand. She was like a drowning soul clutching at her final lifeline, like someone who had lingered too long in a frozen pond, longing for one last glimmer of light.

She still clung tightly to Mr. Chen’s hand.

And so, rumors began to swirl throughout the school about Jiang Yao and Chen Zui.

“Did you hear? Jiang Yao and Mr. Chen have that kind of relationship.”

“No way! There’s such a big age gap between them.”

“Why not? Otherwise, why would they always be so close?”

A tidal wave of gossip crashed over the two of them.

“Don’t talk nonsense!” Jiang Yao glared furiously at the classmates who were chattering away.

She could endure anything—anything but seeing filth hurled at Mr. Chen, her dearest Mr. Chen.

“Whether it’s nonsense or not, you know best. If nothing’s going on, why are you so desperate to defend yourself?”

Jiang Yao clenched her jaw, shot them a fierce look, and ran toward the teachers’ office.

She wanted to ask Mr. Chen what to do.

Or perhaps she should apologize to him.

But as soon as she reached the office door, she heard the principal’s voice from inside.

Like all those ignorant of the truth, the principal was loudly berating Mr. Chen. “As a teacher, how could you do such a thing? She’s your student!”

Jiang Yao couldn’t hear Mr. Chen’s reply. Her heart felt as though a heavy stone had been lodged in her chest.

She burst through the door. “Principal, Mr. Chen has done nothing wrong. I’m only close to him because—”

“Jiang Xiaoqing,” Mr. Chen interrupted her abruptly, turning to the principal with a calm smile. “I noticed she loves to read, so I often gave her books and helped her with her studies. All these rumors are baseless and will disappear soon enough.”

“Disappear? This time the matter’s gotten out of hand. Yesterday, Jiang Xiaoqing’s guardian came to the school, demanding an explanation.” The principal’s brow was tightly furrowed as he slapped a disciplinary notice on the desk. “No matter what really happened, the school must give an official response.”

Jiang Yao knew then—Zeng Qiwen had already come to the school.

She lowered her head and looked at the document marked “expulsion.” Tears streamed down her face.

To be expelled for such a thing—no school would ever accept Chen Zui again.

“Principal…” She fought back tears, wanting to explain, but Mr. Chen gently pressed her shoulder.

He smiled at her. “It’s alright. Go back to class. I’ll handle this.”

“Teacher…”

“Let adults handle adult matters. You just need to be a child.” He patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Trust me.”

For several days after, Jiang Yao never saw Mr. Chen again.

Until three days later, when she could bear it no longer and slipped away to his home.

There, at “Hope,” the small eatery run by Mr. Chen’s mother, Aunt Qin.

Hiding outside, she overheard Aunt Qin’s tearful voice, “Our family was doing just fine, and now look at us. You’d only been married a few days, and then this happened. No wonder your wife couldn’t take it and left without a word.”

“Now you’ve lost your job too. What are you going to do? Can’t you just mind your own business for once?”

“As a teacher, isn’t it my duty to care?” came Chen Zui’s upright, unwavering reply from inside. “Isn’t that what you always taught me?”

He pushed open the door and strode out, only to see Jiang Yao standing there, eyes red, looking at him anxiously.

She lowered her head, guilt-ridden, twisting the hem of her clothes.

Chen Zui paused, then smiled at her discomfort. “Are you hungry? Let’s get you something to eat.”

On a park bench, Jiang Yao held a meat bun in her hands and took a small bite.

Chen Zui absentmindedly folded a piece of advertisement paper.

“Is it true?” Jiang Yao found her favorite bun hard to swallow.

“What?” Chen Zui smiled.

“I heard… you lost your job. And your wife… she left you, too.” Jiang Yao spoke slowly, as if dragging out her words could somehow soften reality.

There was a hint of bitterness in Chen Zui’s smile. “So you heard. Do you think your teacher is useless now?”

Jiang Yao shook her head fiercely. “Was it because of me? It’s all my fault.”

Chen Zui’s large, warm hand gently patted her head. He reached into his coat and pulled out a wedding ring. “She heard about the rumors at school and misunderstood me. Maybe she was too hurt—she left without a word, only leaving behind this ring.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Chen.” Jiang Yao bit her lip, holding back tears. “I dragged you into this. From now on, I won’t come looking for you again.”

“What kind of talk is that?” Chen Zui crossed his arms. “Wouldn’t all my suffering be for nothing, then? Jiang Xiaoqing, I’m not just going to help you—I’m going to see it through to the end. Didn’t I tell you before? None of this is our fault. We have to believe that and keep moving forward, bravely.”

Fifteen-year-old Jiang Yao looked up in confusion at twenty-five-year-old Chen Zui.

“One day, the wrongdoers will be brought to justice. And one day, I’ll find her again. She’ll understand everything, and I’ll put this ring back on her finger,” he said.

With that, he tossed the paper airplane he had folded into the distance.

It drifted far away, carried by the wind.

Jiang Yao watched it soar, silently clenching her fists. “Teacher, I’ll be brave—very brave.”

But the best Mr. Chen never lived to see the day when the clouds parted and the moon shone clear.

He died, bearing the weight of everyone’s misunderstanding and slander…

It happened on her birthday, under a dazzling sun.

Chen Zui had taken her out for longevity noodles.

He smiled at her—his brightest, most radiant smile.

He said, “Jiang Xiaoqing, we’ve almost gathered all the evidence. I’m confident we can bring him to justice.”

Then he waved goodbye, and stepped onto the road that would end his life…