The entire classroom fell into a heavy silence after Li Shuying finished speaking.
For a moment, no one dared to utter a word.
Students exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions tense and apprehensive.
In these times, who did not understand the gravity of class discrimination?
It was not merely a matter of rude speech. In the political climate of the era, such words could easily be interpreted as feudal thinking or ideological deviation.
At the very least, it could lead to ideological reeducation sessions. At worst, the offender might be dragged before the school assembly and subjected to public criticism and self-criticism.
And if such behavior were officially recorded in a student conduct file, the consequences would follow a person for years. It could affect future job assignments, work-unit recommendations, and even the chance to sit for the college entrance examination.
Just hearing such accusations spoken aloud was enough to make people shiver.
Even Zhao Hongmei, who had moments earlier stood up for Tang Yulan, subtly retreated a few steps, her face paling.
"You're right."
A calm yet firm voice suddenly broke the silence.
"Such behavior should indeed be reported."
The voice was steady and deep.
Everyone turned instinctively toward the source.
It was the class leader—Chen Yongan.
The moment they realized who had spoken, many students stared in astonishment.
Even Li Shuying was slightly surprised.
Earlier, when she had called out to him, she had merely intended to frighten Tang Yulan and embarrass her. She had never expected the usually aloof Chen Yongan to actually respond.
Everyone in the class knew exactly what kind of person Chen Yongan was.
He was quiet, distant, and rarely involved himself in disputes.
In terms of academic performance, he consistently ranked second in the class, just behind Tang Chunlan. His demeanor carried a certain scholarly composure, calm and self-contained.
Even his clothing reflected a different background from most of the students.
He wore a neatly pressed grey Dacron shirt, dark trousers, and on his feet were a pair of almost new Liberation shoes.
Such attire alone was enough to tell that he came from a well-off family, most likely one connected to the county administration or a work unit in the city.
Yet despite this, he never boasted about his background like Tang Yualn, nor did he socialize much with his classmates.
He usually sat alone, quietly reading or studying.
Although he was not exactly handsome, his neat appearance and composed temperament gave him a pleasant and dignified air that was admired by many girls in the class.
Therefore, seeing him openly support Li Shuying's words today caused several female students to feel an inexplicable sting of jealousy.
Tang Yulan, however, was no longer thinking about such matters.
At this moment, she was completely panicked.
"What nonsense are you talking about?!"
Her voice rose sharply, tinged with alarm.
"You can't report me to the teacher!"
"I'm the daughter of the Deputy Director of the Steel Factory!"
Her gaze darted around the room before finally landing on Chen Yongan.
Her arrogance vanished almost instantly.
"Brother Chen…"
Her voice suddenly softened, carrying a trace of pleading.
"Please don't report me."
"I… I was just muddleheaded and spoke carelessly."
Before anyone could react, she abruptly dropped to her knees.
Pa!
Pa!
She began slapping her own face repeatedly.
"I was wrong! I was wrong!"
Her voice trembled as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Please… let me off this once!"
The scene was so sudden that the entire class was stunned.
No one had expected Tang Yulan—who had been arrogant and domineering only moments ago—to collapse into such a desperate display.
Yet despite her frantic behavior, no one stepped forward to stop her.
Instead, everyone's gaze instinctively shifted toward Chen Yongan, waiting to see how he would respond.
But Chen Yongan remained silent.
He merely looked down at Tang Yulan with a slight frown, his expression unreadable.
Tang Yulan continued striking her own face.
Inside, however, she was seething with rage.
Her hatred toward Li Shuying and Tang Chunlan burned fiercely.
If she could, she would have strangled both of them on the spot.
But she also knew that today's disaster had been caused by her own loose tongue.
She had long treated Tang Chunlan as a servant in private, ordering her around as she pleased.
In her anger earlier, she had spoken without thinking.
Now those careless words had become a noose around her neck.
Grinding her teeth, she continued slapping herself.
Yet after several blows, the classroom remained silent.
No one spoke.
Not even Tang Chunlan.
Tang Yulan's eyes flickered with frustration.
Suddenly, she glanced toward the doorway.
Two girls stood there, watching nervously.
Tang Yulan shot them a sharp glare.
Li Shuying noticed the exchange clearly.
Just as she expected, the response came immediately.
The two girls hurried forward.
They were none other than Tang Yulan's loyal followers—Ma Zhenzhen and Xu Lanlan.
Both girls rushed toward her with exaggerated concern.
"Sister Yulan, stop!"
"It's not your fault!"
Their voices trembled as if they were about to cry.
"Please don't punish yourself like this!"
They grasped Tang Yulan's wrists tightly, pretending to restrain her from further slapping herself.
But Tang Yulan did not stop her performance.
"No… this is my fault," she cried hoarsely, still struggling in the grip of the two girls. "I should never have let my tongue run loose."
Her voice trembled with exaggerated remorse.
"In this new society, how could I dare spread such feudal thinking?"
With those words, she tried desperately to wrench her hands free, as though determined to continue punishing herself.
The scene might have moved an outsider to sympathy.
But Li Shuying merely watched with a faint smile.
She did not expose the act. Instead, she turned her gaze toward Tang Chunlan.
Tang Chunlan stood frozen beside the desk, staring at Tang Yulan in stunned disbelief. Her pale face showed both confusion and shock, as if she could not comprehend how the situation had twisted so suddenly.
Ma Zhenzhen immediately noticed her expression.
Her eyes flashed with irritation.
"What are you staring at?" she snapped harshly. "Why didn't you stop that shameless friend of yours earlier?"
She pointed accusingly at Tang Chunlan.
"This is all your fault!"
Xu Lanlan quickly chimed in, her voice filled with righteous indignation.
"Exactly. It's all Tang Chunlan's fault."
She sighed dramatically, shaking her head.
"Sister Yulan is already pitiful enough. Because of this girl and that shameless mother of hers, she can never live the life of a normal family."
Her tone grew more bitter as she continued.
"That woman seduced Deputy Director Tang and destroyed Sister Yulan's family. Every time Sister Yulan sees this so-called stepsister, how could she not feel miserable?"
She lowered her voice slightly, as though sharing a tragic truth.
"No one can truly understand the pain Sister Yulan endures."
Ma Zhenzhen nodded vigorously.
"Exactly!"
"I truly pity Sister Yulan."
She glared at Tang Chunlan again.
"So what if Sister Yulan wants to drive you out of the school?"
"She just wants a few peaceful hours in class without seeing your face."
Her voice dripped with disdain.
"After all, in the steel factory residential compound, you and your mother are always there, provoking her and her mother every single day."
A soft chuckle suddenly interrupted her.
"Aiya…"
Li Shuying clasped her hands behind her back and spoke in an exaggerated tone.
"So pitiful."
She shook her head slowly, as if deeply moved.
"I must admit, I had never considered it from that angle before."
She looked thoughtfully at Tang Yulan.
"But after hearing your explanation… even I feel that Tang Yulan is quite pitiful."
For a moment, the classroom fell into confused silence.
Ma Zhenzhen, Xu Lanlan, and even Tang Yulan all stared at Li Shuying in surprise.
None of them had expected Li Shuying to suddenly speak in her defense.
Encouraged by this apparent support, Ma Zhenzhen opened her mouth to continue elaborating on Tang Yulan's "tragic circumstances."
But Li Shuying spoke again before she could finish.
"Just look at Tang Yulan," Li Shuying said solemnly.
"She suffers so much."
She gestured toward Tang Yulan with theatrical seriousness.
"She has to wear Dacron clothes every day… red ribbons in her hair… new shoes on her feet."
She continued calmly.
"She eats meals regularly in the school canteen."
"And when she travels, she rides a Flying Pigeon women's bicycle."
Li Shuying sighed dramatically.
"I'm certain she must be suffering terribly."
Then she turned slowly toward Tang Chunlan.
"And look at Tang Chunlan—the one responsible for all this suffering."
Her gaze swept over the thin girl's appearance.
"Patched cotton clothes… a body clearly weakened by malnutrition…"
"And being slapped in front of the entire class while being called a servant."
Li Shuying shook her head in mock anger.
"You are truly vicious."
By now, the entire class understood the sarcasm behind her words.
Li Shuying let out another long sigh.
"To be honest…"
"I would very much like to suffer the way Tang Yulan does."
A few students could no longer hold back their laughter.
Some covered their mouths, sniffling as they tried to suppress their amusement.
Others simply burst out laughing.
Tang Yulan's face turned crimson with rage.
By this point, she had already abandoned her self-slapping act.
She glared at Li Shuying furiously.
"You—!"
Just as she was about to explode—
A voice suddenly shouted from the corridor.
"The teacher is on her way! Everyone return to your seats!"
The effect was immediate.
Like startled sparrows, the students scattered back toward their desks.
The crowd surrounding Li Shuying dispersed in an instant.
Tang Yulan slowly rose to her feet, her eyes burning with resentment.
She shot Li Shuying a venomous glare.
"This isn't over," she said coldly.
Then she turned and strode out of the classroom, followed closely by Ma Zhenzhen and Xu Lanlan.
There was no way she would remain in class in such a disheveled state.
Li Shuying watched them leave without concern.
Her gaze then shifted toward Zhao Hongmei.
Zhao Hongmei stood nearby, nervously fiddling with the hem of her shirt while staring toward the direction Tang Yulan had gone.
Li Shuying smirked faintly.
"You really think Tang Yulan would spare you even a glance?"
She looked Zhao Hongmei up and down with obvious amusement.
"Just look at you."
She chuckled lightly before turning and returning to her seat.
Zhao Hongmei's face stiffened.
For a moment, anger surged through her chest like boiling water.
What is wrong with her?
Why wouldn't Tang Yulan even spare her a glance?
But she quickly suppressed the irritation rising within her.
Lowering her head, she quietly returned to her seat as well.
Even as she sat down, her thoughts were still occupied with the mission that her system had given her earlier.
Originally, when she had entered the classroom, she had no intention of involving herself in the confrontation between Tang Yulan and Li Shuying.
After all, everyone in the class knew Tang Yulan's temper.
And recently, Li Shuying had been behaving strangely as well.
So Zhao Hongmei had simply stood among the onlookers, watching the spectacle unfold.
Deep down, she had even hoped that Tang Yulan would teach Li Shuying a harsh lesson and remind her of her proper place.
But just as she was enjoying the show—
A familiar notification had suddenly echoed in her mind.
[Ding…]
[New Weekly Mission Unlocked]
[Become good friends with Tang Yulan and utilize her connections.]
[Reward: 15 Protagonist Halo Points.]
The moment she saw the reward, Zhao Hongmei had nearly gasped aloud.
At present, she possessed very few Protagonist Halo Points.
This mission had arrived at the perfect moment—and the reward was exceptionally generous.
Without hesitation, she had stepped forward to intervene.
Yet who could have imagined…
This damned Tang Yulan would be such a difficult person to deal with.
Not only had she failed to appreciate Zhao Hongmei's assistance, she had even shoved her aside violently.
Zhao Hongmei's head had nearly struck the sharp corner of a desk.
At that moment, she had been so furious she had almost slapped Tang Yulan across the face.
But she restrained herself.
She knew very well that she was no match for that spoiled young lady.
This mission was proving far more difficult than she had expected.
Still…
Zhao Hongmei slowly clenched her fists beneath the desk.
Fine.
No matter what it takes…
She would definitely find a way to complete it.
The first period of the morning belonged to their homeroom teacher.
As soon as the teacher stepped into the classroom, the lingering whispers immediately died down. Chairs scraped softly against the wooden floor as students straightened their backs and faced forward.
In an instant, the room returned to the disciplined silence expected in a school of the new era.
Amid the quiet recitation, Tang Chunlan hesitated for a long moment before turning slightly toward Li Shuying.
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Shuying… you really shouldn't have done that earlier."
Her fingers nervously twisted the edge of her sleeve.
"Tang Yulan was already angry with you for secretly helping me escape her last week."
She lowered her gaze.
"After what happened today… she definitely won't let the matter rest."
Li Shuying glanced at her and smiled reassuringly.
"It's fine."
Her tone was relaxed, almost casual.
"She can't really do anything to me."
After a brief pause, she added calmly,
"Her father's influence only extends to the Steel Factory. As for me, it won't affect me very much."
Tang Chunlan thought about it for a moment.
The reasoning seemed sensible enough.
Slowly, she nodded.
A faint smile appeared on her thin face.
Then she carefully pushed the old aluminum lunch box toward Li Shuying again.
"As I already said this is for you, Shuying."
Her voice carried a gentle sincerity.
"Now it's double gratitude.You've helped me twice."
She looked at Li Shuying earnestly.
"So you must eat it today."
Li Shuying remembered the thick paste of wild vegetables she had seen earlier.
A faint discomfort flickered across her expression.
Still, she turned to Tang Chunlan and spoke gently.
"You don't need to feel grateful for what I do, Chunlan.You're my only friend in this school."
She smiled slightly.
"Whatever I do for you is simply because of our friendship."
Her voice grew firmer.
"I won't allow anyone to bully you and walk away unchallenged."
Then her expression became thoughtful.
"But right now, instead of thanking me, you should worry about your safety."
She lowered her voice slightly.
"I'm certain Tang Yulan will come after you."
After thinking for a moment, Li Shuying suddenly said,
"How about I accompany you home after school? That way we can at least avoid a direct confrontation for the time being."
The suggestion seemed reasonable.
Yet the moment Li Shuying finished speaking, Tang Chunlan shook her head quickly.
"No, Shuying!"
Her reaction was unusually hurried.
"It's alright. I can go back by myself."
She forced a small smile.
"As for Tang Yulan… she wouldn't do anything to me in the Steel Factory residential compound. There, she has an image to maintain. She usually doesn't cause trouble for me there."
Li Shuying frowned slightly at the sudden panic in Tang Chunlan's voice.
Something about the response felt strange.
But after a moment, she simply nodded.
"Alright."
Seeing her agree, Tang Chunlan seemed to relax.
She quietly withdrew her hand from the lunch box and turned her attention back toward the teacher, who was now reading a passage from the textbook.
The rhythmic cadence of the lecture filled the classroom once again.
Yet Li Shuying's mind remained unsettled.
Tang Chunlan had always been like this.
No matter how difficult her circumstances were, she never spoke about her family.
She kept everything buried within herself, silently enduring whatever hardships came her way.
On the surface, she always appeared gentle and composed—smiling softly, helping others whenever she could.
Even with Li Shuying.
Although they were considered best friends, Tang Chunlan had never once confided the truth about her family situation.
Everything Li Shuying knew came only from fragments—insults thrown by Tang Yulan, and the scattered gossip that drifted through the classmates.
But Li Shuying had never truly believed those rumors.
Because she had met Tang Chunlan's mother once.
That woman had been quiet, frail, and painfully timid.
At a single glance, one could tell she was the kind of person who avoided conflict at all costs.
How could such a meek woman possibly be the manipulative mistress the rumors described—someone who had deliberately seduced Deputy Director Tang?
If anything, the woman who resembled such a scheming character far more closely was Tang Yulan's own mother.
That woman had sharp eyes and a sharp tongue, carrying herself with the domineering presence of someone accustomed to controlling others.
Throughout these years, Li Shuying had witnessed Tang Chunlan being bullied by Tang Yulan countless times.
The reasons were always different.
Sometimes it was because Tang Chunlan spoke too little.
Sometimes because she talked to someone Tang Yualn doesn't like.
Sometimes for no reason at all.
But recently, the situation had grown even worse.
In the last monthly examination, Tang Chunlan had once again ranked first in the entire class.
Given her family's financial difficulties, the school had awarded her a small scholarship.
The school leaders had even personally praised her diligence and encouraged her to continue her studies.
For Tang Chunlan, this recognition became a source of pride.
But for Tang Yulan, it was nothing but humiliation.
Her jealousy had ignited like dry straw in fire.
She had demanded that Tang Chunlan refuse the scholarship and withdraw from the school entirely.
For the first time, Tang Chunlan had not simply endured the abuse.
She had tried to reason with her stepsister.
That single act of resistance had wounded Tang Yulan's pride.
And thus—
Today's confrontation had erupted.
The entire classroom had witnessed the result.
Yet among everyone present, only Li Shuying knew the true bitterness of Tang Chunlan's future.
A fate far crueler than the humiliation she suffered today.
And every thread of that tragedy…
Led directly back to Tang Yulan and her parents.