He calmed his mood, with only a faint sense of regret left in his heart.
It's a pity that during the long break today, the other person came downstairs wearing a scarf. Li Yipeng could only take action on the blocks. If that scarf had been torn... He smiled in his heart, that would have been truly interesting. The girl's reaction would have been different, but things can't be perfect. It was just a little bit off.
Zhou Ziheng thoughtfully closed the office door.
"What's wrong, teacher?" he asked in a perfectly honest student's tone.
"Ziheng," the homeroom teacher seemed to be spacing out just now, and beckoned to him, "don't be nervous. I have something to ask you."
Song Nanshan's face was grim:
"You guys in the class must already know, so I'll be brief. Regarding the incident of smashing the blocks this morning, Qiumian now suspects that Zhang Shutong did it. Did you see anything at that time?"
"No."
Zhou Ziheng shook his head in confusion, but he was almost laughing his head off inside. He looked at Zhang Shutong, really wanting to see what expression he had now, and if he still had the calmness he had when he questioned him this morning. However, the other person was facing the bookshelf all the time, so this thought was dismissed.
"I was chatting with a classmate at that time. I only saw it after I entered the classroom..."
"I see." Song Nanshan was a little disappointed upon hearing this and did not continue to press the matter. Instead, he waved his hand tiredly, "Alright, you can go back."
But Zhou Ziheng knew he couldn't leave.
Although he really wanted to see how the two would erupt into a bigger conflict, like last time, it would be best if it could alarm the leaders and parents and make them completely turn against each other... but disappointingly, for his father's plan, he had to help the two of them clarify this "misunderstanding," otherwise, how could Li Yipeng's mother play her due role?
It was just one step short again.
This made him clench his fist unhappily, feeling somewhat wronged. What was this, him helping them two to reconcile?
But he knew he had to endure, to serve the bigger picture, and for the "profound lesson" that would come soon. So Zhou Ziheng took a deep breath and pretended to suddenly realize:
"That's not right, teacher. Did you get it wrong? I remember Zhang Shutong went to the flag-raising platform to give a speech during the break. How could it be him?"
"You're quick to react, but the problem is here," Song Nanshan sighed, "I also don't think it's him, but look at Qiumian... never mind."
With that, the homeroom teacher shouted, "Qiumian, you speak for yourself."
The girl spoke with a cold face, the chill in her voice was enough to freeze people to death:
"Who knows when he returned to the class."
"See." Song Nanshan spread his hands, "It really might have been the first one. I didn't lead the team that day. The few of them ran off after they finished speaking."
"Then why would you suspect Zhang Shutong?" Zhou Ziheng couldn't help but question. In his opinion, this was a bit unusual.
"Well, this, he was overheard when he was badmouthing someone behind their back," Song Nanshan seemed not to want to mention it too much and could only hint with a headache, "It was during the first class break, when fetching water. It must have spread in the class by now."
So this was the fuse.
Everything made sense now.
Zhou Ziheng suddenly understood.
No wonder they suddenly suspected Zhang Shutong.
He sneered in his heart, but his face was innocent:
"Actually, I don't think classmate Zhang Shutong is that kind of person..."
"So who do you think it is?" Song Nanshan anxiously grabbed his shoulder.
"I don't know."
Zhou Ziheng shook his head, patiently leading the suspicion in the direction he wanted.
In fact, this was a bit different from his plan. He had originally planned to report Li Yipeng tomorrow, but today, there was a sudden snowstorm. Taking advantage of the fact that there was not too much snow on the road, he decided to turn the plan around:
"But I think... maybe we can check outside the class. After all, they have more opportunities to do it. For example, did someone used to have a conflict with classmate Gu Qiumian?"
"That's right!" Song Nanshan slapped his thigh heavily, but then he pursed his lips, "But here's the problem, Ziheng, Zhang Shutong he..."
"What about him?"
"He has already admitted it himself."
"What?" Zhou Ziheng was stunned and finally couldn't maintain his composure, "Impossible!"
"What did you say?"
"I mean... he, he couldn't have just admitted it, right?"
Song Nanshan explained:
"I didn't expect it at first either. I just said I was going to call Gu Qiumian's dad, and he got flustered himself, saying that he had been holding a grudge against Qiumian because of the scarf incident last time. You should remember this, right?"
Of course, Zhou Ziheng remembered, and he nodded subconsciously, because he had planned this incident himself.
He saw Song Nanshan slap the table, the sound was so loud that the entire office trembled. His face was so dark it seemed to drip water:
"Just because of this small matter, this bastard could actually do something to threaten a classmate to die. I'm not hiding anything from you, teacher. I used to have different expectations for him, but I really didn't expect him to be such a..."
"Bastard."
He was interrupted coldly by Gu Qiumian before he could finish his sentence.
Song Nanshan was stunned and softened his tone:
"Qiumian, don't worry. I will definitely give you an explanation for this matter."
"I want him to be suspended."
"This..." Song Nanshan sighed, "Didn't I just try to call his mom but couldn't get through? I'll call again now."
As he said that, he pressed the call button and waved to Zhou Ziheng, motioning:
"You go back first. Tell the classmates in the class to study well and not to come again..."
But how could Zhou Ziheng just leave like this?
He was completely stunned, not knowing how things had deviated from his plan. What kind of joke was this? If the so-called cold case was solved now, would Li Yipeng's mother still come? What would happen to his father's plan?
Calm down, calm down...
He inherited his father's character, acting after thinking. Although he knew there was something fishy about Zhang Shutong, and he knew that Li Yipeng was the culprit, he absolutely could not mention the real culprit of the "castle incident" at this time, otherwise, the more he said, the more likely he was to expose himself.
His brain was working fast, and his feet had already cooperated, taking a few steps, and then he suddenly turned back:
"Teacher, I suddenly remembered something. Do you know the name on the partition in the toilet? I even reminded Gu Qiumian about it this morning..."
"You mean that, I know," Song Nanshan stopped his hand from dialing the phone, "Ziheng, continue."
Zhou Ziheng was suddenly a little glad that he had kept a hand back then. He couldn't mention the castle incident, but there were other clues he could use, and then divert the blame:
"I suddenly know who did it. It was during the morning reading. I arrived early today, and there were only Li Yipeng and I in the toilet..."
At this point, he was actually a little hesitant, because the more details he said next, the more wrong it would be. But at this time, he looked at the snow falling outside the window and knew he couldn't wait any longer. If the bomb that was Li Yipeng's mother was not detonated today, and the road became icy and impassable tomorrow, his father's arrangement would be completely meaningless. So he gritted his teeth:
"He did it. I saw him coming out of the bathroom with a very short stick in his pocket. I didn't think about what it was at the time, but it should be a marker pen..."
The more he spoke, the calmer he became, and he analyzed:
"I didn't suspect him at first, but with this Zhang Shutong incident today, teacher, think about it. Maybe there are other people who want to take revenge on classmate Gu Qiumian. That name represents a certain kind of symbol."
He said this with a somewhat wronged tone:
"I know you probably didn't take it seriously. I clearly went to remind her this morning, but classmate Gu Qiumian didn't listen to me. But even so, I still have to say it. For her safety, no matter how small the suspicion is, we should call Li Yipeng over to confirm it..."
He knew what kind of psychological state Li Yipeng had. As long as he could successfully arouse the homeroom teacher's suspicion and get him to the office, and then he fanned the flames a little on the side, the plan could still be carried out;
At this point, he looked at Gu Qiumian, hoping she could show some sign. He had been reminding her since the morning, although it was to clear his own suspicion and to see her panic but still gratefully thank him;
But what he didn't expect this morning was that the girl found him annoying at that time.
Now it was even worse. Even if she just nodded to him, the homeroom teacher's level of attention could be raised. However, what angered him was that Gu Qiumian didn't move at all, not even blinking. He held back his anger and continued to maintain the persona of a secret admirer:
"So I suggest calling Li Yipeng over now. We'll confront him face to face to see what's going on, even if I end up wronging him, it's for classmate Gu Qiumian..."
"Ziheng, you are a good child." Song Nanshan interrupted with a look of relief, "But you also know that he is not in our class now. We can't just go to another class and drag someone out without any evidence, so... are you sure you saw Li Yipeng writing the name?"
"I'm sure!"
"I know." Song Nanshan suddenly stood up.
The relief was gone, replaced by a suppressed anger:
"Then you listen to this first."
With that, the homeroom teacher took out a phone, not his own, but an iPhone. Song Nanshan pressed the play button:
"I just recorded it."
Everything caught Zhou Ziheng off guard. Before he could even speak, a somewhat familiar, intermittent voice came out of the speaker:
"It really wasn't just me... I had a stomach ache and went to the toilet at that time. There was no one else, but suddenly a note was passed from underneath, asking me if I wanted to take revenge on Gu Qiumian... He said his family was also on the commercial street. I still have that note. If you don't believe me, you can go and compare the handwriting..."
There was no need to listen to the rest.
Because Zhou Ziheng could no longer hear what was being said inside. His ears were buzzing, like a fly buzzing around, but it was clearly winter;
The heating was on inside, but his heart felt like it was in an ice cellar.
So it was a ploy to get information!
So they had been trying to get information out of him all this time!
There was no misunderstanding at all. Li Yipeng had already been caught. But why would they suspect him...
Every step was only one step short, but why did it suddenly completely deviate?!
His body was stiff. He woodenly turned his face and looked at the back that had been facing the cabinet, as if in self-reflection. The other person also turned around at this time. It turned out that he wasn't being punished at all, but had been holding a lollipop in his mouth.
He was eating candy!
The other person took the lollipop from his cheek, his indifferent expression unchanged, and rotated it in his hand like a conductor waving a baton. The candy was aimed directly at him:
"We all know your dad's plan. Commercial street, getting away, you can explain the rest to the police."
"You..."
This string of words made him feel dizzy, as if he was about to fall to the ground.
But the other person didn't even look at him after he finished speaking, as if he was insignificant and far less important than his next question. Zhang Shutong looked at the girl with the cold face and asked in confusion:
"Did you add a line just now? Who is the bastard?"
And in Zhou Ziheng's line of sight, the girl who had never looked him in the eye suddenly broke into a smile, as if the ice had finally melted, and then she glared back at the boy without showing any weakness:
"Who else could it be?"