When he returned to the classroom, his classmates looked at him with strange expressions, but unlike before, this time they were as silent as cicadas in winter. No one dared to whisper about him.
Yang Haoran scanned the classroom, his gaze lingering on an empty seat for a few seconds before he walked to his own seat and sat down calmly, his expression composed as if nothing had happened.
Fortunately, not long after the class had begun, Liu Ruoxi arrived at the school to resolve the matter. After hearing what had happened, she simply compensated for the medical expenses without offering any apologies. She then went directly to the classroom and called Yang Haoran away.
As for Yang Mengyao, she had woken up shortly after fainting that morning and was now attending classes as usual.
Outside the school, inside a black BMW 7 Series sedan.
Liu Ruoxi held the steering wheel with both hands, her slender fingers tapping rhythmically. She didn’t speak, but in the oppressive atmosphere, Yang Haoran, sitting in the back seat, felt uneasy and restless, like a death row inmate awaiting judgment. Every passing moment was torture.
After enduring the tension for what felt like an eternity, Yang Haoran could no longer hold back. Forcing an exaggerated smile, he spoke in a theatrical tone: “Ah… my dear mother~… I must painfully and regretfully confess to you that I have committed a heinous crime today that has angered both gods and men.”
As he spoke, he put on a sorrowful expression, pretending to be heartbroken and filled with remorse. Meanwhile, his eyes shifted slyly as he observed his mother’s reaction.
Liu Ruoxi glanced sideways at her dramatic son, her red lips parting slightly as she said calmly, “Do you think I’m angry because of this?”
Yang Haoran cautiously asked, “Isn’t that the case?”
“How many fights have you gotten into since you were little? If I were to get angry every time, wouldn’t I have been angered to death long ago?”
Liu Ruoxi spoke in a neutral tone.
Yang Haoran understood her meaning—she was still angry.
But trapped in the car, he couldn’t use his usual shoulder-massaging tactics to win her over.
The atmosphere grew tense again. Just as Yang Haoran was becoming increasingly restless, his mother’s slightly cold voice reached his ears.
“Then tell me, what part of today’s incident has made Mom angry?”
Yang Haoran pondered for a few seconds. Zhao Jun had insulted him first, and he had retaliated. Given his mother’s personality, she shouldn’t blame him for fighting—after all, she herself had a strong and assertive nature.
So where did the problem lie?
He recalled the sequence of events: he had picked up a stool and swung it at Zhao Jun. To an observer, it might have looked like he was trying to kill someone, but given his extensive experience in fights since childhood, he knew how to control his strikes. Although it seemed like he was aiming for the head, his actual target was Zhao Jun’s back. Unexpectedly, Zhao Jun dodged, causing the stool to hit his head instead.
“My dear mother, I must explain the situation to you. This is a complete misunderstanding, a tremendous injustice, even worse than the wrongs suffered by Dou E.”
Yang Haoran spoke in a pitiful tone: “At the time, I was aiming the stool at his back, not his head. But who could have known he’d be such a fool? He dodged straight into the stool, putting his head right in its path. How can you blame me for that?”
As he spoke, Yang Haoran gestured animatedly, describing the scene in detail, doing his utmost to prove his innocence.
His exaggerated words and performance inadvertently amused Liu Ruoxi, bringing a faint smile to her lips.
But this matter could have serious consequences, and she felt the need to reprimand her son to prevent him from becoming too reckless in the future.
“But what was the result? Didn’t you still end up hitting him in the head?”
Liu Ruoxi spoke in a chastising tone: “What if you had seriously injured him? What would you have expected me to do then?”
“Uh…”
Yang Haoran’s countless excuses were stifled by her words. Indeed, no matter how he looked at it, he had hit Zhao Jun in the head with a stool. Although Zhao Jun had deserved it and brought it upon himself, from his mother’s perspective, this was an unavoidable fact.
“In the future, don’t be so reckless with your actions.”
Liu Ruoxi glanced back at her son and warned him.
“Hehe… yes, yes, of course.”
Yang Haoran quickly nodded and bowed, knowing that with these words, his mother was letting the matter go.
Just then, he noticed a black camera on the passenger seat. Curious, he leaned forward and reached for it, saying, “Mom, when did you buy a camera?”
The moment he said this, Liu Ruoxi’s heart skipped a beat, and a faint blush inexplicably rose to her cheeks. Just as Yang Haoran’s hand touched the camera, it was swatted away by a slender, fair jade-like hand.
Yang Haoran looked at his mother in confusion. Liu Ruoxi pretended to be calm and said, “Aunt Shen invited me to go hiking on Sunday, so I bought one on a whim to take some scenery photos.”
“Really?”
Yang Haoran was somewhat doubtful but didn’t dwell on it. He then said, “Then I’m going too.”
“Go where? Stay home and focus on your studies. You just started school and already got into a fight.”
Liu Ruoxi shot her son a dismissive glance.
“That won’t do! If you and Aunt Shen are going hiking, someone needs to hold the camera and take pictures of you together! Besides, I’m not comfortable with you and Aunt Shen, two great beauties, going hiking alone. It’s too dangerous.”
There was no way Yang Haoran would easily pass up such an opportunity. He muttered righteously, making his case with solemn conviction.
“Will it be less dangerous if you come along?”
“Of course! I’ll protect you, Mom. I may not be good at much, but when it comes to fighting, I can take on two at once.”
“No.”
“Hey… Mom, you can’t be unreasonable about this.”
“I said no, and that’s final. Stop nagging.”
“Mom… my dear mother, please let me go, let me go…”
Seeing that a direct approach wasn’t working, Yang Haoran immediately switched to a softer tactic, hugging his mother’s arm and whining like a child.
Looking at her son’s shameless behavior, Liu Ruoxi relented. She pushed his hand away and said, “Alright, alright, I’ll take you, I’ll take you. You’re so grown up now, yet you’re still acting like a spoiled child.”
At that moment, Liu Ruoxi felt a twinge of regret. She wished she had left the camera at Shen Qing’s place. Now that she had made up this story about going hiking, it seemed she had no choice but to go through with it.
Liu Ruoxi glanced at her watch. It was already past 12 o’clock. She started the car and began driving, making casual conversation with her son along the way.
“Have you eaten yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Then I’ll take you to get something to eat first.”
Shortly after, the car turned at an intersection and headed in another direction.