C5 A Hero's Father

At that moment, it never crossed her mind that the very person standing before her, the one with poor grades and an off-putting demeanor, was none other than Xia Liang—the sole child of her savior, the hero known as Amber Great Wall, Xia Quanhai.

So, when the teacher scornfully berated Xia Liang, labeling him societal trash and scum, she reached her breaking point and rose to his defense. She couldn't stand idly by as the son of her esteemed Uncle Xia, her life-saving hero, was verbally abused by a teacher who only valued grades.

"Teacher Yao, I insist you apologize to Xia Liang! If not, I cannot stand by a teacher who so brazenly insults a student. I will request to either withdraw or transfer classes," Gu Wenying declared, her grip tightening on Xia Liang's chair, her tone resolute.

"I..." Chair Yao was at a loss for words, his mouth agape, unable to formulate a response.

"Mind your own business!" Xia Liang suddenly interjected, casting an annoyed glance at Gu Wenying. "Who asked for an apology? What good would that do?"

With that, Xia Liang released the chair and strode toward the podium, hands empty.

"Come on, do you really think teachers are pushovers? Just so you know, I play basketball daily—I'm in great shape..." Chair Yao, mistakenly thinking Xia Liang intended to physically confront him, issued a warning while simultaneously backing away. He retreated until he was at the podium's edge, where he misstepped and tumbled backward in a clumsy fall.

"Ouch!"

As he struggled to his feet, he realized Xia Liang had merely gone to the blackboard to retrieve his phone. After tinkering with the device, Xia Liang, realizing it was beyond repair, extracted the SIM card. He gave the teacher a fleeting, indifferent look before exiting the classroom.

"Is it finally over?" The teacher sighed in relief, rubbing his sore backside, only to turn and see his flushed face reflected in the eyes of his students.

The classroom was filled with stares, having witnessed his fall and subsequent behavior. The expressions on most students' faces were unfamiliar to him—some barely containing their laughter, others outright snickering behind their hands.

Some students who normally gazed at him with respect now had a look of confusion in their eyes, and a few even showed a hint of scorn.

The homeroom teacher realized that the reputation he had long cultivated was now in ruins.

"What are you staring at? Let's get back to the lesson."

He snatched up the eraser and slammed it down on the podium, sending a plume of chalk dust into the air.

The students fell silent at once, each burying their noses in their books with earnest, serious faces. A few who couldn't contain themselves any longer twisted their faces in discomfort and stealthily pinched their own thighs.

Gu Wenying watched in a daze as Xia Liang walked away, feeling suddenly awkward, unsure whether to sit or stand, and just stood there frozen.

"Gu Wenying..."

Chair Yao came to his senses, glanced at the student with bright prospects for Redwood University, and managed a strained smile. Choosing his words carefully, he said:

"I got a bit carried away just now, and I was harsh with my words, but it's only because I'm frustrated! I want Xia Liang to mend his ways; it's all for his own good. I hope you can appreciate the depth of my concern!"

The homeroom teacher held a hand to his bleeding forehead, yet his face bore a tender smile. "Please, take a seat. We'll continue with the class. The school will handle Xia Liang's situation."

"..."

For some reason, Gu Wenying found the homeroom teacher's smile repulsive. She glanced involuntarily at the classroom door, and the thought of Xia Liang's unhesitant exit sparked a wildly daring thought in her mind:

"What if I just ran out of the classroom, skipped class with Xia Liang?"

The idea startled her, "No, what am I thinking? Xia Liang can afford to skip class because of his unique situation. How could I possibly follow his lead?"

"Besides, I barely know him. If I left with him, he'd probably not even acknowledge me, right?"

Recalling her repeated offers to help him with his studies, only to be met with his indifferent, poker-faced rejections, Gu Wenying felt her spirits deflate.

"Gu Wenying?"

Noticing she was still standing, the homeroom teacher, unable to guess her thoughts, gently prodded once more.

"Hmm? Oh, right, okay!"

Gu Wenying's train of thought was abruptly halted by the teacher. She noticed many of her classmates staring at her as she stood there, frozen in place. Scrambling to her seat, she snatched up her textbook, but the words swam before her eyes unread.

"Is he Uncle Xia's son? Why is he so against anyone mentioning his father is Uncle Xia?"

"And, there's something hauntingly familiar in the depths of his eyes, which seem to push everyone away."

"Why did my heart ache when I saw him get angry earlier?"

As the lesson droned on, no one saw the top student's mind had already soared far beyond the confines of the classroom.

...

Exiting the classroom, Xia Liang caught sight of two campus police officers hurrying in his direction. With a quick pivot, he ducked into the nearby restroom, feigning the urgency of a student with a stomachache.

Once the officers had passed, he dashed out of the restroom, descended the stairs, and left the academic building behind.

He purchased a pack of cigarettes at the snack shop, casually tossed them to the security guard at the school gate, and slipped away from school grounds.

Xia Liang headed straight for what he called home—a modest single apartment rented for him by his father's superior close to the school.

Standing at the apartment's threshold, Xia Liang fished out his keys and unlocked the door.

The door swung open to reveal a room strewn with dirty laundry and litter, the air tinged with the stale scents of sweat and instant noodles.

With a "snap," Xia Liang stepped into the mess and shut the door behind him.

He made his way to the small bedroom and collapsed onto the bed, the sheets unwashed and musty. Staring at the bland ceiling, his furrowed brow soon smoothed out.

"That damn old man..."

He muttered under his breath, reflecting on the day's events.

The class teacher, barely in his forties, had somehow aged into an "old man" in Xia Liang's eyes.

But he didn't dwell on the insult; the anger had drained from him.

Deep down, he knew his resentment wasn't truly aimed at the teacher, but at "that man."

"A hero father? Hah!"

As Xia Liang clenched his teeth, memories of that fateful night five years ago flooded back uncontrollably...

His mother had been gravely ill that night, her face etched with agony as she lay on her deathbed, and try as he might, he couldn't reach that person on the phone.

Her complexion was ghostly pale, her forehead beaded with cold sweat, and every so often, her trembling hand would grip Xia Liang's own, her eyes a mix of pain and a longing to cling to the world.

Finally, with faltering breath, his mother imparted her final words:

"I've never regretted... marrying him..."

"Liang, you... you mustn't harbor hatred for your father..."

"He's a soldier; there are many things... beyond his control..."

"If I pass on... you need to look after yourself... never hold it against him."

"Thank goodness, you didn't inherit his supernatural abilities, otherwise... otherwise..."