Chapter 1

Chapter 1

My name is Xu Anzhen. I’m twenty-four years old, and I work as a psychology teacher at a prestigious private high school.

Today, I was accused of seducing a student and having an improper relationship with him multiple times.

In the principal’s office, I pointed a trembling finger at the forged chat records and begged Jiang Yubai to tell them the truth.

The boy, shielded at the center of the crowd, lowered his head.

“Teacher, what we’re doing is wrong.”

The blood in my body seemed to freeze. I nearly collapsed on the spot.

The eyes of my colleagues, the school administrators, and several parent committee representatives snapped onto me like arrows, full of contempt, anger, disgust, revulsion…

Madam Jiang let out a grief-stricken wail.

“He’s only seventeen!

“You were a teacher he respected! He was a clean, innocent boy who hadn’t even gone out into society yet, and you ruined him! Are you even human?”

The chat records that the Jiang Family parents had discovered by accident showed me flirting with Jiang Yubai in all sorts of ways, using psychological counseling as an excuse to lure him into my counseling room again and again for an illicit relationship.

The Jiang Family parents had brought a group of people with them and stormed into the principal’s office, furious and aggressive.

…

Jiang Yubai first came to see me two months ago.

The students at this high school were either rich or powerful, and the school paid very well.

I came from an ordinary family. After graduation, I applied for this job, which was also in my field, so I had always treasured it.

Jiang Yubai was a second-year high school student. He was tall and handsome, the perfect image of a first love in any girl’s eyes.

He told me, deeply troubled, that ever since he was young, girls had constantly confessed to him and harassed him. He was so tired of it that he had developed a disgust toward all girls and a tendency to avoid them.

I received him in the school counseling room more than a dozen times, and I also counseled him over WeChat whenever he needed it.

During that time, I patiently listened as he talked about his experiences growing up, objectively analyzed his emotions and psychology, and encouraged him to face interpersonal relationships in a healthy way.

He had always appeared honest, rational, obedient, and cooperative.

Because of that, I had a very good impression of him.

…

At that moment, I stared straight at Jiang Yubai, who was being protected in the middle of the crowd. My voice shook uncontrollably. “Student Jiang, are you afraid of something? It’s all right. Tell them the truth. Tell them the chat records are fake. We only had a proper relationship between a psychology teacher and a student.”

Jiang Yubai kept his head slightly lowered, the hair over his forehead hiding his eyes.

He did not move at all.

“Student Jiang…” In my panic, I took two steps forward.

“Enough!”

Father Jiang’s tall frame blocked his son from me. He shoved me to the floor and spoke in a dark, threatening tone.

“Are you still trying to pressure him in front of everyone?

“Put away those filthy little tricks of yours. They might fool a child, but that’s all! We’ve already checked the school’s surveillance footage. Every time he entered your counseling room matches the times in the chat records. We have witnesses and physical evidence. What else do you think you can deny?”

After roaring at me, he turned to the principal.

“This scandal happened in your school. I have three demands.

“First, fire this scum immediately.

“Second, you and she will issue a public apology, state the facts clearly, and make sure someone like this never appears in the teaching profession again to harm other children.

“Third, my son’s privacy must be protected.”

The principal and several administrators bent at the waist again and again, hastily agreeing.

My mind was in chaos. I struggled to my feet, held my phone high, and gripped it so tightly my fingertips turned white.

“You can look at my phone!

“My phone doesn’t have any of those records. That proves they’re forged. Someone is framing me!”

In a panic, I opened my chat with Jiang Yubai.

All at once, my fingers froze.

It was true that the obscene messages were not there.

But the conversation was filled with gray notices showing one deleted message after another.

A chill swept through me as I remembered something.

Jiang Yubai had once casually made a request of me.

He said he felt embarrassed and ashamed of his psychological issues and did not want there to be any chance of them leaking out. He hoped that every time we finished chatting on my phone, I would delete the conversation immediately.

It was a very common concern, so of course I agreed.

Every time we met, he even asked me to show him the screen after I deleted the messages.

As I thought of this, it was as if I had been plunged into an icy pond.

I stiffly turned my neck and looked at Jiang Yubai, who, from beginning to end of this chaotic scene, had spoken only one sentence.

It was that one sentence of his that had confirmed all the evidence and nailed me to a pillar of shame.

At that moment, Jiang Yubai slowly raised his head.

Through the strands of hair falling over his forehead, he silently met my eyes.

Faintly, the corner of his mouth curved.

Not quite a smile, but close. Cruel, malicious amusement.