The classroom became unusually quiet, and even the cheerful afternoon sunlight that poured through the windows seemed to lose some of its warmth as the teacher's gaze slowly rested on Zhao Yichen.
All the children turned their heads to look at him, their small faces filled with curiosity, confusion, and a little nervousness, because they could feel that something serious was happening even if they did not fully understand it.
Zhao Yichen stood calmly in his place, his small hands resting by his sides while his expression remained gentle and harmless, like an innocent child who had done nothing wrong.
But Gu Wen's eyes remained fixed on him.
Calm.
Steady.
Cold.
The teacher spoke softly.
"Zhao Yichen, do you know what happened when Liu Ruyan dropped her drawing?"
Zhao Yichen lowered his head slightly, pretending to think carefully before answering in a quiet and obedient voice.
"I… was behind her in line," he said slowly.
The teacher nodded gently.
"And did you see someone bump into her?"
Zhao Yichen hesitated for a moment, as if he were unsure what to say, and then he shook his head softly.
"I didn't see anyone bump her."
The classroom became even quieter.
Liu Ruyan's small face immediately turned pale, and her fingers tightened around the corner of her clothes as her eyes slowly filled with tears again.
Above her head, the captions flickered weakly.
[Trust Crisis Detected]
[Emotional Stability Falling]
[Anxiety Increasing]
Her heart began trembling again.
She didn't know how to explain it.
She didn't know how to defend herself.
All she knew was that something felt wrong, and the pressure in the classroom made her chest feel tight and uncomfortable.
The teacher sighed slightly and looked at Liu Ruyan.
"Maybe it was an accident," she said gently. "Next time, be more careful, okay?"
Liu Ruyan lowered her head.
"…Okay."
Her voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible.
A small tear quietly fell onto the floor.
Gu Wen saw it.
And at that moment, something inside him became colder.
The system notification quietly appeared again.
[Perfect Life System Alert]
[Emotional Damage Increasing]
[Target: Liu Ruyan]
[Cause: Zhao Yichen]
[Protection Priority Rising]
[Suggested Action: Direct Intervention]
Gu Wen stepped forward calmly.
"Teacher," he said again.
The teacher looked at him with slight surprise.
"Yes, Gu Wen?"
Gu Wen's voice remained steady and calm.
"Zhao Yichen bumped her."
The words were simple.
But they carried a quiet certainty.
The classroom atmosphere immediately changed.
Zhao Yichen's eyes narrowed slightly for a moment, but he quickly returned to his innocent expression.
The teacher looked confused.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
Gu Wen nodded.
"I saw it."
Zhao Yichen spoke immediately.
"I didn't bump her," he said softly.
His voice was calm, without panic, like someone telling the truth.
Gu Wen turned his head slowly and looked directly at him.
Their eyes met again.
This time, there was no friendliness.
Only silent confrontation.
"You were behind her," Gu Wen said calmly.
"Yes," Zhao Yichen replied.
"You stepped forward," Gu Wen continued.
"I was walking," Zhao Yichen said.
"You touched her shoulder."
"I didn't."
"You picked up her drawing."
"I wanted to help."
Every sentence was calm.
Every answer was smooth.
But the air between them became heavier and heavier, like two invisible forces pushing against each other.
The teacher watched them with slight surprise because this kind of conversation did not feel like a normal argument between children.
It felt… controlled.
Careful.
Almost like two adults speaking.
Gu Wen slowly walked closer to Zhao Yichen and stopped in front of him.
Then he spoke quietly.
"When you gave the drawing back, it was already torn."
Zhao Yichen's fingers tightened slightly.
But his face remained calm.
"Maybe it tore when it fell," he said.
Gu Wen shook his head slightly.
"It didn't."
He then gently took the drawing from Liu Ruyan and held it up.
"The tear is on the corner," he said calmly.
"It's folded first, then torn."
The teacher leaned closer and looked at the paper carefully.
And she noticed it.
The tear did not look like it came from falling.
It looked like it was folded and pulled.
Her expression slowly became serious.
Zhao Yichen felt it.
Gu Wen continued speaking in a calm voice.
"When it fell, it was flat on the floor."
"You picked it up."
"And then it became like this."
The classroom became completely silent.
Liu Ruyan slowly looked at Gu Wen with wide, tearful eyes, as if she did not fully understand what was happening but felt that he was protecting her.
Above her head, new captions appeared.
[Protection Detected]
[Trust Increasing]
[Safe When Near Gu Wen]
The teacher looked at Zhao Yichen.
"Zhao Yichen," she said gently but seriously, "did you tear the drawing?"
Zhao Yichen remained silent for a moment.
His mind was moving quickly.
If he denied it too strongly, it would look suspicious.
If he admitted it, he would lose.
So he lowered his head slightly and spoke in a soft voice.
"I… didn't mean to."
The classroom gasped slightly.
The teacher frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Zhao Yichen looked up with slightly teary eyes, pretending to feel guilty.
"When I picked it up… I held it too tightly… and it tore."
His voice sounded weak and apologetic.
"I'm sorry."
The teacher sighed softly.
"Then you should have told us the truth earlier."
"I was scared," Zhao Yichen said quietly.
The teacher nodded.
"Next time, be honest, okay?"
"…Okay."
The tension slowly disappeared.
But Gu Wen's eyes remained calm and cold.
Because he knew.
This was not fear.
This was strategy.
Zhao Yichen quietly returned to his seat, but before sitting down, he looked at Gu Wen for a brief moment.
And in that short glance, there was no innocence.
Only silent hostility.
Gu Wen looked back calmly.
The message between them was clear.
I know what you are doing.
And I will stop you.
Meanwhile, Liu Ruyan quietly held Gu Wen's sleeve again, her small fingers trembling slightly as if she had just escaped something dangerous.
"Gu Wen…" she whispered.
He gently patted her head.
"It's okay," he said softly.
"You didn't do anything wrong."
Her eyes slowly filled with tears again, but this time they were not tears of fear.
They were tears of relief.
Above her head, the captions glowed softly.
[Emotional Stability Restored]
[Trust in Gu Wen Increasing]
[Dependence Strengthened]
[Favorite Person: Gu Wen]
She leaned slightly closer to him, quietly standing beside him as if his presence was the safest place in the world.
At the same time, the system notification appeared.
[Mission Completed]
[Protected Liu Ruyan's Emotional Stability]
[Reward: Relationship Bond +10]
[New Ability Unlocked]
[Emotional Protection Field (Passive)]
Gu Wen's eyes moved slightly.
New ability unlocked.
And far away in the classroom corner, Zhao Yichen sat quietly, his fingers slowly tightening around his toy car again.
So direct confrontation failed.
Then I will use a bigger misunderstanding next time.
His gaze slowly turned toward Liu Ruyan again.
This time…
I will make her cry harder.
The silent war between the two boys had officially begun.