“Really? Isn’t that guy just a small-time thug who only got a job as a teacher at our school through connections?”
Gu Chen was skeptical, feeling like it sounded a bit alarmist.
She figured he was just cautious, taking the opportunity while Wang Jun was acting as the exhibitionist pervert to try and muddy the waters, effectively becoming a copycat.
“He definitely is that.”
Li Yanqiu changed the subject and continued, “I’ve investigated his identity thoroughly. Wu Peng has been a troublemaker since he was a child, and his reputation among his relatives is terrible. When he was twenty years old, he got into a conflict with a relative and actually tried to dig up their ancestral grave to vent his anger. Pretty ruthless, right?”
“Holy crap!”
“He actually did something like that? Is he really not afraid of losing his moral merit?”
Gu Chen couldn’t help but cry out in surprise.
That was the kind of thing one only did out of a blood feud. Looking at it now, it wasn’t strange at all for him to be a copycat.
“Exactly. But the funny thing is, the guy got the location wrong and ended up digging up his own family’s ancestral grave…”
“Hahaha!”
Gu Chen had been quite angry, but hearing this, she couldn’t help but let out a mean-spirited laugh.
‘If I were his ancestor, I’d probably have taken him away with me already.’
“His parents couldn’t take it anymore and gave Wu Peng a beating. In a fit of rage, he ran away from home. I heard he later went to a South Asian country to develop his career, and he did occasionally send money back home. He didn’t return until five years ago. After that, he was idle for a long time before the Dean of Instruction recommended him to the school to be a PE teacher.”
Li Yanqiu had indeed gathered a lot of new information this time.
“What did he go to a South Asian country for? Telecom fraud?”
Gu Chen paused.
Given Wu Peng’s track record, going to such a chaotic region and not doing something illegal would be a waste of his character.
“Heaven knows. He probably came back because he got into trouble. So, a person like that is likely even more dangerous than we imagine. We must catch him as soon as possible.”
“I know, but we don’t have any evidence right now. It’s not like we can report him for digging up his own ancestral grave.”
Gu Chen felt helpless about the situation.
Even if the guy had committed crimes abroad, they couldn’t do anything without proof.
“That’s why I wanted to discuss it with you. The Class Monitor is coming back tomorrow, so how about the three of us work out a plan then?”
Li Yanqiu said.
“That fast?”
Gu Chen remembered that Tang Ziya had gone to the countryside for her Second Grandpa’s funeral.
She thought Tang Ziya would stay for a few more days.
“Yeah, the burial was on the second day. In this heat, it isn’t suitable to leave a body out for long.”
“Alright then, we’ll talk tomorrow.”
Although Gu Chen had a lot on her plate right now, she had to give her Homeroom Teacher some face, so she could only agree.
After they finished talking, she headed home.
Dad hadn’t come back yet; he’d likely be very late.
Only when she lay down on her own bed did she feel incredibly comfortable, eventually drifting off into a deep sleep.
***
The weather on Saturday didn’t look good.
There was no sun, and the sky was filled with gloomy clouds.
Checking the forecast, it was supposed to rain tonight.
In this kind of weather, nesting at home to play games or watch television was definitely the most comfortable way to enjoy oneself.
Unfortunately, not long after dinner, Li Yanqiu called. She said Tang Ziya had already arrived at school and told her to hurry over.
“Teacher Li, didn’t you see the weather forecast? It might be a torrential downpour soon. How about we skip today? Have you ever seen a pervert commit a crime in heavy rain, right?”
Gu Chen looked out the window, really not wanting to go.
“Pfft, how ignorant. Haven’t you ever heard of the Rainy Night Butcher?”
Tang Ziya’s voice came through the phone, sounding like she was seriously educating her.
“I swear, would it kill you not to undermine me?”
Gu Chen was so annoyed that her eyes rolled back.
She grumbled to herself for a long while before reluctantly leaving the house, praying that it wouldn’t rain.
Otherwise, she’d turn into a drowned rat by the time she got home.
***
Below the old rental house, Wang Meng had been negotiating for a long time before she finally got the rent deposit back.
Because her parents had left in a hurry, they hadn’t had time to handle the move-out, so they asked her to handle it on their behalf.
At first, the landlord was unwilling, feeling that the people attracted by this family had caused a scene and that the money should be withheld to cover damages.
But Wang Meng, who now knew how difficult life could be, maintained a firm attitude.
Only then did she manage to get those several hundred yuan back.
It wasn’t much, but it was good for supplementing her living expenses.
After finishing her business, she planned to take the bus back to school, only to realize she had just missed the last bus.
She felt a bit frustrated. A taxi was too expensive, leaving her conflicted for a moment.
Gu Chen’s face suddenly flashed through her mind.
She wondered where he was.
In the past, she definitely wouldn’t have wanted to trouble him, but after what happened last time, a strange sense of dependence had emerged.
She subconsciously sought his help.
“Gu Chen, I’m over at the rental house. I missed the last bus. If you’re free, could you give me a ride to school?”
After thinking it over, she realized she couldn’t bring herself to call him directly.
She simply sent a message instead.
If he saw it, he would probably reply.
Of course, if he was unwilling, that was fine too.
And so, Wang Meng stood at the bus stop, waiting for a reply.
*Honk honk — *
A car stopped in front of her and honked its horn.
Wang Meng thought she was blocking someone and took two steps back.
However, she was surprised when she saw the person who got out.
“Teacher Wu, why are you here?”
“Isn’t this Wang Meng? I thought you looked familiar just now.”
Wu Peng greeted her with a smile.
He hadn’t expected to run into the class beauty while out.
Naturally, he stopped to strike up a conversation, maintaining a warm facade.
After learning she hadn’t caught the bus, he suggested driving her back to school.
“No, thank you. It’s too much trouble. I’ll figure something out myself,”
Wang Meng waved her hand, politely refusing.
It wasn’t that she was on guard against the PE teacher; it was just that the two of them had only ever interacted during PE class.
They weren’t very familiar with each other, so she felt embarrassed to hitch a ride.
“Why are you being so polite with your teacher? Let’s go. It’s hard to get a taxi at this hour. It just so happens I’m heading that way, so it won’t delay anything.”
After several persuasions from Wu Peng, Wang Meng finally agreed somewhat bashfully and sat in the passenger seat.
Her movements were stiff, and she kept her head slightly bowed without speaking.
“By the way, it’s so late. What are you doing here?”
Wu Peng asked as he gripped the steering wheel, not forgetting to find a topic to chat about while the car was moving.
“Just handling some business…”
Wang Meng pursed her lips.
She couldn’t tell a stranger such private matters, so she could only give a vague response.
“I see. Alright then.”
Seeing that she didn’t want to talk to him, Wu Peng felt a bit awkward and could only stare ahead and continue driving.
A special pendant hung by the car window, making a *clinking* sound.
“Hmm?”
Wang Meng’s gaze drifted, and she noticed the item.
A familiar feeling washed over her.
“What’s wrong? Interested in this thing?”
“I bought this in a South Asian country as a souvenir and hung it in the car. The totem on it is a local specialty. It’s quite interesting.”
Seeing her staring at his pendant, Wu Peng finally found a topic to talk about and began prattling on.
“Yes, I’ve seen this before,” Wang Meng answered subconsciously.
“Oh? You’ve been to a South Asian country too?”
“Yes, I went there once five years ago…”