The Cheers of the Whole Class

After Huang Haoyang left the classroom, Chen Xiaoya stepped out into the corridor, her eyes following his retreating figure. It wasn't until he disappeared through the office door that she finally let out a long, heavy breath.

Dealing with a student like him drained far more mental energy than teaching an entire class.

Gathering her composure, she pushed open the classroom door and walked back in.

The gossiping atmosphere from earlier had mostly dissipated. The students were busy snacking or drinking water, completely unprepared for Chen Xiaoya's return.

"Alright, let's move past what just happened," Chen Xiaoya said. Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to everyone's ears. "Now, I have some good news to announce."

More good news?

The students below barely reacted. Even Su Mingzhao, who had been excitedly cursing just moments ago, had reverted to a listless slouch.

All they really cared about was having enough time to grab a drink, have a snack, and hit the restroom before the next class.

Not one to keep them in suspense, Chen Xiaoya pulled a beautifully packaged gift box from beneath the podium. Two large, gold-stamped characters reading "Yinsheng" stood out prominently on the cover.

"Because Lin Mo and Chu Miaomiao won first place for our class in the recent competition, the event's sponsor, Yinsheng Catering, has decided to gift every student in Class Eight a zongzi gift box."

Her words were met with dead silence.

Zongzi? How was that good news?

It wasn't like they ever lacked zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival. They were just cheap snacks worth a few bucks each, anyway.

Sitting off to the side, Lin Jiajun spoke up.

"Yinsheng's zongzi gift box... isn't that the one that sells for over three hundred yuan?"

That question was like a stone tossed into a tranquil lake.

Instantly, all eyes locked onto Chen Xiaoya.

Chen Xiaoya smiled and nodded.

Since Li Ming was an alumnus, every teacher in the school had received one of these Dragon Boat Festival gift boxes.

Furthermore, because Lin Mo and Chu Miaomiao had brought glory to the class, she, as their homeroom teacher, had received an extra box. Naturally, she couldn't be more pleased with the two students.

With her confirmation, Class Eight immediately exploded into an uproar.

"Holy crap! Over three hundred yuan for a box of zongzi? Are you serious?"

"I actually saw an ad for it a couple of days ago! They said it's handmade by master chefs, and a single zongzi goes for eighty-eight yuan!"

"Eighty-eight for one? If I bring this gift box home, my mom will literally put me on a pedestal!"

"Brother Mo is awesome! Miaomiao is awesome!"

Only then did the students truly realize just how tangible the benefits of Lin Mo and Chu Miaomiao's first-place victory were.

A few boys who had previously shown zero interest in the competition were now excitedly slamming their desks, looking at Lin Mo with sheer delight.

"Alright, settle down," Chen Xiaoya said, clapping her hands. She opened the box to reveal a stack of beautifully crafted cards.

"These are redemption cards for the gift boxes. They are unregistered, meaning anyone holding a card can redeem it at any Yinsheng branch. Keep them safe, because they won't be replaced if lost."

She handed the stack of cards to the class monitor, Ma Ruixiang.

"Hand them out. One for each person."

"You got it!"

Ma Ruixiang enthusiastically agreed and began passing them out.

The cards, each carrying a value of over three hundred yuan, were carefully passed down the rows.

The students treated the cards like precious treasures, turning them over and over in their hands before solemnly tucking them away into the deepest pockets of their backpacks.

A joyous atmosphere rapidly swept through the classroom, the excitement so palpable it could almost blow the roof off.

Once he finished, Ma Ruixiang realized he still had one card left. He glanced back at the empty seat in the back row and asked hesitantly, "Ms. Chen, what about Huang Haoyang's card?"

The chatter in the classroom died down a bit as many students turned to look.

Chen Xiaoya's expression remained neutral as she held out her hand. "Just give it to me."

It wasn't that Chen Xiaoya wanted to pocket Huang Haoyang's redemption card for herself. However, if the boy truly proved unteachable, it would be better off given to Lin Mo.

After all, this honor and the resulting reward were earned through the hard work of Lin Mo and Chu Miaomiao. Why should someone who actively tarnished the class's reputation get to enjoy the fruits of their labor with a clear conscience?

If Huang Haoyang continued to act like useless mud that couldn't stick to a wall, she would rather hand the card straight to Lin Mo.

Everyone had a scale in their heart; they knew exactly when to keep things perfectly balanced and when to tip the scales in someone's favor.

Without asking any further questions, Ma Ruixiang handed the card back to his teacher.

The classroom atmosphere instantly livened up again. Everyone excitedly discussed which branch they would go to and what flavors the zongzi might be.

Many of them were acutely aware that they only had this Dragon Boat Festival gift because of Lin Mo and Chu Miaomiao.

Quite a few students were already calling out in their direction, "Thanks, Lin Mo! Thanks, Chu Miaomiao!"

The boys were much more direct about it, whereas the girls planned to express their gratitude after class.

Amidst the commotion, a few hushed murmurs drifted from a corner of the room.

"Thank god Huang Haoyang wasn't the one who went to the zongzi-making competition this time. Otherwise, these redemption cards would have definitely ended up in another class."

"No kidding. With his half-hearted attitude, letting him make zongzi? He'd probably run off to brag to the girls before he even tied the first string."

A nearby boy chimed in with a wicked grin, "If that happened, we wouldn't be getting redemption cards. We'd be getting mystery boxes of horror—you'd open it up to find zongzi stuffed with Play-Doh."

The group of boys burst into laughter.

Though harsh, their words were nothing but the truth.

Huang Haoyang never applied himself to anything worthwhile; his only hobby seemed to be harassing the female students.

In the previous life, the ones who had participated in the competition were Huang Haoyang and another girl.

Huang Haoyang actually did know how to make zongzi, but he was incredibly slow, and he spent the entire time flirting with his female partner.

It got to the point where, upon their return, the girl furiously chewed him out in front of the entire class.

Being utterly shameless, Huang Haoyang hadn't cared in the slightest.

Naturally, the reward had ended up in another class's hands back then.

Once the redemption cards had been distributed, Chen Xiaoya clapped her hands to quiet the room.

"Alright, if you need to use the restroom, go now. If you're heading to the school store, hurry up. You must be back before the next class starts."

With that, she turned and walked out of the classroom. The faint smile that had graced her face due to her students' victory had completely vanished.

Once Huang Haoyang's parents arrived, she needed to have a serious talk with them about his behavior.

More than one girl had already reported that Huang Haoyang was relentlessly trying to add them on QQ, sending them inappropriate messages, and verbally harassing them on a daily basis.

This was no longer just a simple case of a student acting out.

The moment she stepped into the office, a suffocatingly tense atmosphere washed over her.

Huang Haoyang was standing against the wall, while the Dean of Students, Li Yan—who was widely known as the Buzzcut Fiend—was pointing a stern finger right in his face.

"Who told you that you could sit in a teacher's chair? Huh?! And you even had the nerve to cross your legs! Do you think this is your living room?!"

Li Yan's booming voice was so loud that it made the windowpanes rattle.

Huang Haoyang was clearly terrified of him. His head drooped, and he didn't dare make a single peep.

Who knew what was going through his head? He probably wasn't even listening to Li Yan; the words were likely going in one ear and out the other.

The other students who had come into the office couldn't help but tremble, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.