Chen Weiwei stepped into the office, saw Zheng Shanshan standing stiffly with her arms crossed, her face dark with frustration—and immediately rolled up her sleeves.
Her tone turned sharp:
"Li Chen, what did you do to Teacher Zheng?"
Jiang Chen looked over with an innocent expression, speaking slowly and solemnly,
"Nothing much. Just gave her a kind reminder. A minor gesture. No need to thank me."
Chen Weiwei blinked, stunned.
A reminder? No need to thank you?!
If she didn't know her limits, she would've already grabbed a chair and swung it at him.
Before she could explode, Zheng Shanshan quickly stepped in, her voice hurried, "Weiwei, it's not what you think. There's been a misunderstanding!"
Hearing that, Chen Weiwei's anger subsided a bit—but she still squinted at Li Chen like she was debating whether to slap the truth out of him.
Li Chen, unfazed, casually continued, "See? I said it was just a kind reminder. But you doubted me."
He folded his arms and took a half-step back, as if ready to launch into a lecture.
"The Buddha once said—through a person's words and actions, you can glimpse their inner world."
Chen Weiwei's eyebrows twitched.
Li Chen continued, totally serious:
"If your heart holds blue skies and white clouds, the world will be peaceful, like a serene landscape painting.
But if your heart is full of pollution and trash, then what you see around you… is just garbage."
Zheng Shanshan covered her mouth and stifled a laugh.
Chen Weiwei, on the other hand, looked like she was about to explode.
"You—this—this is nothing but idealist nonsense!"
Jiang Chen nodded sagely, then tilted his head innocently.
"Oh? Then enlighten me, Teacher Chen. What is idealism? And what is materialism?"
"You—!" Chen Weiwei pointed at him, her fingers trembling.
But she couldn't answer.
Zheng Shanshan burst into laughter, no longer able to hold it back.
Seeing Chen Weiwei's red face and clenched fists, she waved her hands hurriedly, "Okay, okay, stop it, both of you!"
Li Chen gave an exaggerated bow. "As you wish, Teacher Zheng."
Chen Weiwei rubbed her temples.
"Li Chen, go back to class. And try—just try—not to give your teachers a heart attack for one day."
Li Chen clicked his tongue and swaggered toward the door.
"Fine, fine. I'll go maintain world peace elsewhere."
Just as he stepped out, he looked back and added with a cheeky grin:
"Remember, if you see garbage in the world—it's probably your heart."
"You little…!" Chen Weiwei lunged at him, but he had already slipped out of the office like a breeze.
Zheng Shanshan smiled helplessly.
"Is he always like this?" Chen Weiwei asked.
Zheng Shanshan looked down at the grade sheet in her hands, then toward the door where Jiang Chen had vanished.
"Always. But somehow… he's kind of impossible to hate."