Chapter 126 Seeking Out the Source

Looking at Xiaoyu's reddened eyes, Chu Dong felt a pang of heartache. Had he been wearing more, he would have let her hop into bed with him long ago. He nudged the quilt aside and said, "Why are you being so formal with me? Since when did you become so sensible? Tell me."

"Brother-in-law, you have to promise me first." Pouting, Xiaoyu hopped onto the bed and lifted a corner of the quilt to tuck her cold little feet inside.

Feeling the chill against his legs, Chu Dong remained still. "Alright, go ahead." Seeing how wronged the girl looked, he nodded in agreement.

"Help me deal with a few people. They’ve been saying such horrible things that Teacher Xiao was moved to tears and didn't even come to teach today." As she spoke, Xiaoyu looked ready to cry again.

"Don't cry. Tell me, what happened? If you keep crying, I’m not going to help," Chu Dong said, flicking her nose as he tried to coax her.

"This morning at school, people were saying that Teacher Xiao became a mistress for some rich man to pay for her brother’s medical treatment. They were saying things like 'being a mistress is a legitimate profession nowadays,' and 'people laugh at poverty but not at prostitution.' It was so disgusting. Teacher Xiao is absolutely heartbroken," Xiaoyu sobbed, wiping away her tears.

"Who said that?" Chu Dong was enraged. Wasn't this just driving a living person to their death? "Didn't you tell them the money came from me? Wouldn't that have settled it?"

"I don't know, but that's what everyone is spreading. The students are gossiping too. They won't listen to me; they even say I'm in cahoots with the rich man and that I’m the one who set it up. I... I just want to fight them all!" Xiaoyu leaned over and wiped her eyes with Chu Dong's quilt. "These people need a lesson. Brother-in-law, come with me tomorrow and 'set them straight'."

"Alright, don't worry. I'll get even for you tomorrow. It's not that big a deal, so stop being angry. You won't look pretty if you keep crying. Be good and go back to sleep." Chu Dong gently wiped the tear tracks from her face, patted her rosy cheeks, and sent her back to bed.

"Okay, so you'll come with me tomorrow?" She climbed out of bed, put on her shoes, and asked one last time, still looking worried before she left.

"You go first, I'll come a bit later." He waved her off. Chu Dong knew that someone must have seen him dropping Teacher Xiao off last night, and that woman was likely the source of the rumors. Once he knew the root of the problem, it would be easy to handle. Chu Dong wasn't worried at all.

The next day, when Tan Xue was sending Xiaoyu off, Xiaoyu caught Chu Dong's eye, and only after receiving a confident nod did she get in the car, feeling at ease.

After a light workout, a cautious run, and a quick shower, Chu Dong enjoyed a leisurely morning tea before getting dressed and heading out. He drove Qiangzi's Audi today; the SUV had been taken by Mouse, and Qiangzi never asked for his Audi back, even though he was still driving the old Songhuajiang van that Chu Dong usually used to drop off laundry. He really was a good friend.

It wasn't even ten o'clock when he reached Xiaoyu's school. The playground was nearly empty, with only one or two classes having PE. After parking, Chu Dong walked through the school gate.

"Hold on, what are you here for?" A security guard stepped out to block his path.

Xiaoyu’s school was an elite institution. While there might be occasional scuffles between students, the security was extremely strict regarding outsiders.

"Hard work, brother." Chu Dong pulled out a cigarette and lit it, but made no move to offer one to the portly guard. "A friend of mine teaches here. There have been some malicious rumors about her lately, and it’s taken a toll on her. I’m here to see her. Are there any procedures I need to follow?"

"Who is your friend? And how come I've never seen you before?" The fat guard looked Chu Dong up and down, his eyes filled with suspicion.

"Teacher Xiao, you know her, right?" Chu Dong smiled, a hint of malice in his expression.

"A friend of Teacher Xiao? She rarely goes out. When did she get a friend like you?" The guard opened the visitor log. "What’s your name? Let me see your ID to register."

Chu Dong tossed his driver's license over and looked toward the teaching building. "How is Teacher Xiao’s reputation around here?"

"Aren't you her friend? You need to ask me that?" The guard was even more suspicious, but couldn't help but answer. "Teacher Xiao's reputation is impeccable. She’s beautiful and kind-hearted. It’s just... sigh, never mind."

"Why stop there?" Chu Dong flicked his cigarette away. "To be honest, I’m here today to stand up for my friend. You must know what’s been happening to her over the last two days. As a friend, I can't just watch her be bullied like this—not even a little. Your job is to ensure the school's safety and stability. We're at odds now. If you try to stop me, you can try, but even if you manage to stop me," he said, revealing the scars on his wrists, "it’s only temporary. You can't stop me forever. If you don't stop me, I’m going in." He tucked away his driver's license and waited for the guard's response.

Scratching his head, the guard looked at Chu Dong, clearly conflicted. "You put me in a tough spot. If I don't let you in? I also think Teacher Xiao is being wronged. There are always those annoying people wagging their tongues; they really need to be taught a lesson. But if I let you in? I'll lose my job..."

"You seem like a stand-up guy. Tell you what, if you're only worried about your job, that's easy to fix." Chu Dong grabbed the pen the guard had been using, tore a strip of paper from the back of the logbook, and wrote down a phone number. "Call this number and say I sent you. You'll be hired as the head of the security department, starting whenever you want."

He handed the note to the guard. "If you're still unsure, just call and verify it first."

"Alright, I, Old Zhu, will trust you. Besides, this job is boring anyway. I'll take the gamble. Come on, I'll take you to see Teacher Xiao." The fat guard took off his cap, tossed it on the table, and led Chu Dong toward the teachers' dormitory.

"Teacher Xiao should be in her room. I heard she hasn't come downstairs for two days. I don't know how she's holding up. You should have come to see her sooner..." Old Zhu rambled on as they walked.

When they reached the dormitory building, Old Zhu stopped. "I won't go up. I'll tell the lady who manages the dorms for you, and I'll wait here."

"Alright, thanks, brother." Chu Dong had a decent impression of the man, so he pulled out another cigarette and lit it for him this time. "I'll buy you a drink later."

"Don't mention it. I'm sick of this place anyway. It's a dump, not many people, but plenty of trouble, and none of these little brats are easy to deal with." Old Zhu spoke to the woman at the entrance for a moment, then turned to Chu Dong. "Go on up. I'll wait here. Just, don't make too big a scene; even if I'm quitting, it wouldn't be a good look."

"Understood." Chu Dong patted his shoulder and headed upstairs.

Teacher Xiao was on the third floor. Chu Dong walked down the long corridor to room 306. He paused, looked at the cigarette butt in his hand, then walked back to the stairwell to extinguish it in a bin before returning to the door and knocking.

"Who is it?" After a moment, Teacher Xiao’s voice drifted through.

"It's me, Chu Dong."

"Brother Chu? You... please wait a moment. I... I'll be right there." Xiao Rou hadn't even gotten out of bed. She hadn't been to the hospital for two days, having arranged for the restaurant by the hospital to deliver meals to her brother. In her despair, she had been hiding in her room, not opening the door for anyone. She had been living on crackers, and the room was a bit messy. Hearing it was Chu Dong, she scrambled to tidy up, feeling flustered.

After a few minutes, Xiao Rou opened the door, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry, it's so messy. I, I... please, come in, Brother Chu."

Chu Dong saw her eyes were still swollen, but he didn't say anything, just smiled and stepped inside.

The single room was modest—about a dozen square meters with simple flooring, a bed, a sofa, and a television cabinet holding an old, bulky TV. A wardrobe was built against one wall. There wasn't much else.

Xiao Rou invited Chu Dong to sit on the sofa, but then she noticed a pack of sanitary pads on the bed. Blushing, she sat on the edge of the bed and secretly pulled the quilt over them.

Chu Dong pretended not to notice. "Teacher Xiao, I heard you haven't been feeling well?"

"Oh, it's nothing, just a cold. I'm much better now. Thank you, Brother Chu." Xiao Rou put on a brave face.

"Haha, that's good. By the way, the person we ran into the other night—they're also a teacher at your school, right?" Chu Dong asked casually, his hand moving toward his pockets for a cigarette before he caught himself and pulled back.

"Yes, Teacher Qin teaches mathematics and lives here too," Xiao Rou replied innocently. Then, realizing Chu Dong was just sitting there, she remembered to offer him a drink. "Would you like some water, Brother Chu?"

"No, no, don't trouble yourself." Chu Dong stopped her. "How would one go about finding Teacher Qin?" Seeing the confusion in her eyes, he quickly added, "Xiaoyu's math grades have been slipping lately, and I wanted to ask him how she might improve. Nothing serious, haha."

"Oh, I see. Teacher Qin lives on the fifth floor, in room 7, I believe. He should be back by noon." Her worries gone, Xiao Rou shared what she knew.

"Oh, good, I understand. How is your brother doing? Any problems lately?" Chu Dong changed the subject, seeing that she was still a bit tense. They chatted back and forth.

As lunch hour approached, Chu Dong stood up to leave. He declined Xiao Rou's offer to walk him out and headed downstairs. Once he reached the second-floor landing, he heard the sound of her door closing, so he turned around and headed back up to the fifth floor. He stood at the end of the hallway, lit a cigarette, and waited quietly.

Ten minutes later, footsteps approached. It was the Teacher Qin he had seen two nights prior—a man in his thirties, looking somewhat arrogant and clearly full of himself. He was carrying a bag of groceries.