Chapter 49: In a State of Extreme Anger - I Forged Them in Darkness, and They Buried Me in It

Chapter 49: In a State of Extreme Anger Arriving at the schoolhouse, the sky was still early, and the room was empty, not a soul in sight. Chen An sat at the lectern, took out his prepared lesson plan, and began to read. Standing beside him, Luo Cong An glanced over curiously but quickly lost interest, her attention shifting instead to watch Chen An with great enthusiasm. She fetched a wooden stool from behind a nearby desk and moved it next to the lectern, leaning her upper body on it, her head tilted as she watched the teacher. Chen An turned a page and commented offhandedly, "What is it, do I have a flower on my face?" "Teacher, you're much better looking than any flower." Luo Cong An replied almost instinctively. Even without any filters adding to his charm, he was undoubtedly the most handsome person she had ever seen in her life. But the moment the words left her mouth, she felt something was amiss, and her cheeks flushed a bit. It almost felt as though she were flirting with him. Fortunately, the teacher didn't seem to mind, only smiling lightly and steering away from the topic. For some reason, Luo Cong An felt a pang of inexplicable disappointment at this. She reached out a finger, tracing circles on the lectern. "Teacher, what do you plan to teach today?" Chen An paused in flipping through his book and replied, "Arithmetic, which you can also call mathematics." Luo Cong An responded with a soft "oh." She hated arithmetic the most. It was utterly dull and tedious, and more often than not, she couldn't get the answers right. Even when she occasionally managed, it was mostly wrong. Unlike poetry, which she loved hearing the teacher discuss. His voice was always calm and measured, like a soothing, gentle melody, and Luo Cong An found herself deeply immersed. The girl asked no more questions, and Chen An continued reading in peace. The schoolhouse gradually fell into silence, the only sound the occasional rustle of pages being turned. This peaceful morning, however, did not last long. A lively voice called out from outside, arriving before its owner. "Teacher!" Soon after, a sturdy, handsome young boy stepped over the threshold. His face bore a goofy smile, but it froze there unexpectedly when his peripheral vision caught something strikingly white. He was taken aback, pointing at Luo Cong An as he asked, "Teacher, who is she?" Chen An looked up and introduced, "This is Luo Cong An. She will be attending classes here from now on. You can get to know each other." Yet, the girl clearly had no intention of engaging, keeping her head turned towards Chen An, not sparing the boy a glance. The boy didn't feel awkward, merely scratching his head and thinking she was a peculiar girl. Not only was her hair odd, but her personality too. He mentally added. Avoiding the situation, he headed to his assigned desk. Just as he was about to sit down, the boy suddenly exclaimed in surprise. "Hey, where's my stool?" Ahead, Luo Cong An's shoulders twitched, and she covered her mouth, giggling quietly. Chen An rolled his lesson plan and lightly tapped her on the head. Luo Cong An winced with a soft cry, clutching her head in mock grievance. "Teacher, why..." Chen An sighed helplessly, "You're here to make friends, not just keep staring at me." Luo Cong An huffed, "I don't need friends." As they conversed, other students began to trickle in. Upon seeing Luo Cong An, they were quite astonished—not only because it had been a while since they'd seen a new student, but also because her long silver hair was too eye-catching to ignore. However, given Luo Cong An's clear disinterest in interacting, they quietly took their seats, refraining from approaching her. The last to enter was a boy with a slightly gloomy demeanor, his head lowered. As soon as he spotted the petite figure below the lectern, his pupils contracted sharply. Wasn't this the harbinger of misfortune driven out by his father? How was she still alive? Luo Hao could hardly believe his eyes. If it weren't for that distinctive white hair, he nearly wouldn't have recognized this jinx. The delicate, porcelain-like face and adorable features looked nothing like the ugly girl who had once been in their family home. His expression suddenly darkened. ... ... The class ended soon enough. Chen An concluded the session and gave Luo Cong An a reassuring look, encouraging her to take the break as an opportunity to make friends. But Luo Cong An simply looked down, not acknowledging it at all. Next to the room serving as the classroom was a small side room—Chen An's 'office' for rest. He opened the office door to reveal simple furnishings: a bookshelf, a desk, and a bamboo chair he had specifically requested from Master Ma. Familiar with the routine, he sprawled on the bamboo chair and placed a book over his face, stretching comfortably. Such a leisurely life was not too shabby. Chen An was deep in thought when he suddenly heard rapid footsteps outside, followed by a knock at the door. He had no choice but to get up and answer it. At the door stood a girl around Luo Cong An's age, with a round face and an anxious expression. He recognized her—Wang Ling Ling, the daughter of the Wang family from the west of town, always enthusiastic in class. Chen An frowned slightly and asked, "What's the matter?" In a hurry, she stammered, "Teacher, there... there's trouble." She was prone to stammering when anxious, which only made her more flustered. Chen An placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and said, "Ling Ling, don't worry. Take your time to speak, okay?" "Okay!" Wang Ling Ling nodded vigorously, calmed herself, and slowly began, "It's the new student you brought today. She got into a fight with Luo Hao." Hearing this, Chen An was taken aback, then asked, "Did she win?" Wang Ling Ling blinked in confusion, wondering if that was the point. However, she still answered honestly, "She... she probably won?" Chen An sighed in relief. Wasting no time, he followed Wang Ling Ling straight to the classroom. Inside, silence reigned. Near the door stood Luo Cong An with a cold expression, hands on her hips. Opposite her was an enraged boy—Luo Hao. He clutched his swollen cheek with one hand and pointed at the white-haired girl in front of him, speaking with venom, "Did I say anything wrong? You're a monster, a symbol of doom, wasn't enough that you killed your parents, now you want to bring harm to the teacher and the rest of us?" As Luo Hao spoke, his anger flared further, causing him to take several bold steps forward. Luo Cong An raised her hand and slapped him again. The slap resounded crisply. The onlookers' eyes widened in shock. (End of chapter)