Yang Liu pointed at Jiang She with trembling fingers, but after his rebuttal, she was left speechless, unable to say anything.

Several police officers arrived, shining bright flashlights and directing the students to go back with them.

There were so many people that some might try to escape halfway. One of the officers threatened, “If anyone tries to run, you’ll have a record, you won’t be able to take the college entrance exam, and no one will hire you for a job!”

It was half true and half a bluff, but the students didn’t know better, and for the moment, no one dared to cause trouble.

The police station was near Huainan No. 1 High School, and it wasn’t far to walk, but throughout the journey, no one spoke. Yang Liu followed behind, watching for cars on the road to help ensure their safety.

Although none of them were easy targets, the traffic at the intersections was heavy, and she still had to worry about their safety.

When they arrived at the police station, the lobby was nearly full, and they had to stand in three rows.

The high school boys were already tall and strong, and the three rows of students stood rigidly, giving off a strong presence.

The officer on duty lit a cigarette and paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.

He glanced at the group intermittently, leaving them waiting for over ten minutes before asking, “What happened? Why were you fighting?”

Everyone looked at each other, and no one spoke at first.

The vocational school leader wiped his nose, the blood now coagulated. He looked disheveled but wasn’t seriously injured—no broken bones, just bruises. A couple of days of rest, and he’d be fine.

Although there had been a conflict with the students from the high school, it was internal, and it really shouldn’t have escalated to the police station.

In Huainan, everyone in the twelve schools valued loyalty. If someone tried to shift the blame first, they’d be looked down upon by everyone, and would probably get beat up when they returned to school.

The officer, getting impatient, said, “Hurry up and speak, or you’re not going back!”

Yang Liu, with a stern face, turned to Jiang She, “I say, Young Master Jiang, aren’t you the one who dares to take responsibility? If they won’t speak, you should!”

Jiang She smiled calmly and waved his hand, brushing away the smell of low-quality cigarettes in the air.

“Alright, I’ll speak. They posted online insulting an Omega from No. 1 High School. We were bored, so we thought we’d teach them a lesson. They weren’t happy, so they arranged to meet up and spar.”

The officer scoffed, “You seem proud of yourself?”

Jiang She wasn’t trying to argue; he was just giving Yang Liu face. After speaking, he stopped talking.

The officer continued, “Who are the people from the vocational school? Who posted the message? Who allowed you to post it? Who organized it? Don’t you know that the internet isn’t a lawless place?”

The vocational school leader took a deep breath and raised his hand, “I posted it. I thought it was fun, just saying it casually.”

He kept his head down, his eyes flickering with both defiance and obvious panic.

Now that both big shots had spoken, the others started to murmur.

“It’s not like we actually fought, right? It’s not a big deal.”

“We were just chatting in the alley, didn’t mean to fight.”

“Come on, let us go, we didn’t even throw a punch.”

“Yeah, we haven’t even had dinner yet, I’m starving.”

“Prestige high schools are always causing trouble. They call the police over something so small.”

“We won’t fight again, there are so many people here, they can’t even ask us all. The law doesn’t punish the majority.”

The police officer could no longer tolerate it. He picked up a steel pipe that one of the vocational school students had brought and slammed it onto the ground with force. “Shut up! I can’t deal with you all anymore! If we had been a little later, would you have still fought? And you, look at you! Who were you fighting with?” He pointed at the bruised vocational school leader.

The vocational school leader paused for a moment and stole a glance at Jiang She.

Chu Tao quietly pushed through the crowd and stepped out.

Out of everyone, he seemed the least like someone who would get involved in a fight.

Yang Liu, still angry, almost forgot about Chu Tao after venting her frustration.

As soon as Chu Tao stepped out, she quickly pulled him over to her side and explained to the officer, “This is my class president. He came to find them for me, he’s not with them.”

Chu Tao furrowed his brows and raised his eyes, “Teacher, I—”

“I was the one who fought,” Jiang She said as he slapped the vocational school leader’s shoulder casually, flashing a smile at the officer. “The student from Huainan No. 1 High School came with me. These guys all listen to me. If I tell them to go east, they won’t dare to go west. It was my idea to set up this fight.”

Chu Tao’s eyes widened in shock, staring at Jiang She in disbelief.

The officer sneered at Jiang She, “You look familiar. Aren’t you the one…?”

The officer on duty today just so happened to be the one who had handled the laundromat break-in case.

The reason he remembered Jiang She so clearly was because of Jiang She’s mother.

Although the officer had received verbal praise after Jiang She left, he knew the praise wasn’t for catching anyone, but for letting someone go.

He chuckled, “No wonder you’re so tough, leading a group and making trouble, really not afraid of embarrassing your parents.”

After saying that, he whispered something into his colleague’s ear and instructed them to call Jiang She’s mother.

When the colleague heard who Jiang She’s mother was, his eyes went wide in shock, but he didn’t want to show too much in front of the students. He merely shot Jiang She a meaningful glance before hurriedly leaving to make the call.

“It wasn’t him who fought. It was me,” Chu Tao pushed Yang Liu’s hand aside and glared fiercely at Jiang She.

He wasn’t that weak, to the point of not even owning up to his actions.

Especially, he didn’t want Jiang She to take the blame for him.

The officer shifted his gaze back to Chu Tao.

He didn’t have much of an impression of Chu Tao, only that he seemed somewhat familiar.

But seeing the way the homeroom teacher was protecting him, it didn’t seem like he was someone who would get into fights.

“You?”

Yang Liu scolded sharply, “Chu Tao! Stop causing trouble! Come here quickly, this isn’t the time for you to play the hero!”

Chu Tao felt apologetic toward Yang Liu.

She had hoped that he would mediate the fight, but instead, he became the one fighting.

When Yang Liu chose him as class president, it was because she trusted his maturity and steadiness, but now it seemed that trust wasn’t deserved.

Chu Tao smiled bitterly, “It really was me. He insulted my brother, and I couldn’t hold back, so I acted.”

The officer looked at Yang Liu skeptically, waiting for her to explain.

It wasn’t uncommon for two students to argue over taking responsibility. At this age, the sense of loyalty to friends often outweighs everything else.

Seeing the miserable state of the vocational school leader and then glancing at Chu Tao’s fair, unscarred face, Yang Liu spoke softly, “Stop it, Chu Tao. Go back to school and help the rest of the class with self-study. I’ll come back after I finish here.”

She didn’t want Chu Tao to get mixed up with these people; she felt like Chu Tao had been led astray by Jiang She and the others.

After all, Chu Tao had no history of misconduct, and given his delicate and slender appearance, it seemed impossible that he could beat up the burly vocational school thug into a bloody mess. It felt almost absurd.

But Chu Tao didn’t realize that Yang Liu’s trust in him had become blind.

He turned to the vocational school leader, “You tell me, did we fight or not?”

If the other party spoke, someone would surely believe it.

But to his surprise, the vocational school leader lifted his eyes and glanced at Chu Tao with disdain. “You? Stop kidding. I fought with him,” he said, pointing at Jiang She.

Jiang She smiled faintly, accepting the accusation as if it were a matter of course.

Chu Tao’s face turned pale in an instant. His blood rushed to his head in his agitation, and he felt light-headed.

He couldn’t believe that the person who should have told the truth was now helping Jiang She lie.

He strode forward and grabbed the vocational school leader by the collar, his fingers clenched tightly, knuckles protruding as he ground his teeth. “You’re talking nonsense!”

Chu Tao was genuinely angry; he didn’t even have the energy to figure out how everything had unfolded.

The officer had enough. He pointed his chin at Chu Tao and exhaled a puff of smoke, frowning. “Alright, enough, now’s not the time for you to show off. Go back to studying!”

At this point, disrupting the law enforcement process and confusing the facts was just making things worse.

If someone else jumped in to admit to hitting, would they have to go to the traffic police to review the security footage?

What should have been a simple matter was now being treated as if it were some great act of justice.

Chu Tao released his grip on the vocational school leader’s collar, the veins in his neck throbbing rapidly. He spoke again with a questioning and confused tone, looking back at Jiang She, “Jiang She?”

Jiang She looked back at him deeply, his eyelids fluttering slightly, as if giving him some kind of signal. He spoke vaguely, “You remember, I’ll be fine.”

He was referring to the time when they were both taken to the police station. One phone call from Jiang She, and he had been able to walk out with Chu Tao.

It was Jiang She’s doing, so the consequences would be much lighter. If it had been Chu Tao, the cost would have been too great.

It was only because Yang Liu had arrived early with the others that the fight hadn’t broken out yet, and what could have been a messy battle involving everyone had turned into a one-on-one fight for Chu Tao.

Everyone else could easily get away, but the two who fought wouldn’t—they would serve as an example, and there was even a chance it would be recorded in their permanent records.

Permanent records stay with a person for life, and Chu Tao couldn’t bear the consequences.

Even without considering personal feelings, Jiang She wouldn’t let any of the class 3 students take the full responsibility for this.

If it had been Fang Sheng, Xu Yuan, or even Pang Cai, Jiang She would have been willing to shoulder it.

But for Chu Tao, there was an inexplicable tenderness.

However, Chu Tao had his own stubbornness. He avoided Jiang She’s gaze and looked at the thirty or so people behind him.

“You all saw it. I fought him. It has nothing to do with Jiang She.”

The others exchanged glances, but when their eyes met Chu Tao’s desperate look, they all lowered their heads in silence.

No one spoke up for Chu Tao.

Naturally, the students from the class 3 followed Jiang She. They would never defy anything he said. The vocational school students followed their leader, and since their leader had pointed to Jiang She, that was who they would blame.

Chu Tao’s hand slowly fell to his side.

Clearly, he had never been through such a situation before, as if his punches were landing in cotton, having no real effect.

Jiang She looked at Chu Tao’s dazed expression and almost felt like laughing.

He really was both cute and pitiful.

Yang Liu pulled Chu Tao over, her voice full of frustration, “What’s going on with you today? Are you scared? Should I schedule a session with the school counselor to help you process this? Never mind, just go home and rest for the night.”

Chu Tao’s lips were dry, and he struggled to swallow. “Teacher Yang, don’t you believe I was the one who hit him? Jiang She didn’t do it. He’s taking the fall for me.”

Yang Liu was silent, but it was clear from her eyes that she didn’t believe him.

She even regretted asking Chu Tao to help. He was just a student, his main job was to study, how could she ask him to stop someone like Jiang She, who was uncontrollable?

“Teacher Yang, I’ve fought Pang Cai before, you know that,” Chu Tao insisted.

“Pang Cai isn’t even as tall as you,” she said. “Just because you can beat Pang Cai doesn’t mean you can beat this guy from the vocational school.”

“I didn’t use my full strength last time, actually, I—”

Yang Liu interrupted him, lowering her voice, “Since you’re thinking about Pang Cai, aren’t you afraid of getting caught by Director Cai for showing off?”

At that point, it wouldn’t just be a private lecture.

Chu Tao froze.

As long as no one else spoke up, no one would believe him.

Or rather, no one would believe Jiang She.

The teacher didn’t believe him, and neither did the police. They all thought Jiang She was the one who could fight, while the thin, studious Chu Tao could never be the one to do such a thing.

This was his first time standing in a position where he was looked after, believed in, and protected.

Chu Tao even looked at Jiang She with a somewhat desolate gaze.

Jiang She really wanted to go over and hug him.

The person who had been so domineering in the alley, now looked pitiful and heart-wrenching.

He wanted to speak up for Chu Tao, but unfortunately, it wasn’t the right time.

With so many students crowding at the door, taking up resources, the police had no choice but to make each of them write a 1,000-character self-reflection before they could leave.

Of course, Jiang She and the vocational school bully couldn’t leave yet.

Fang Sheng whispered to Jiang She, “Bro, are you okay?”

Jiang She remained calm and nonchalant, casually copying a couple of sentences from Xu Yuan’s reflection: “Just finish writing and leave quickly, don’t worry about me.”

Xu Yuan: “Then send me and Fang Sheng a message when you get home tonight.”

Jiang She: “Mm.”

One by one, several students finished writing their reflections, handed them in, and fled with their tails between their legs, not even daring to take the sticks they had brought.

Chu Tao insisted on not leaving and stayed beside them, writing his own self-reflection while others did the same.

The others just copied words from the internet, but his reflection was simple, with only one sentence:

“I was the one who hit him.”

This sentence, repeated over and over, filled an entire page, leaving the police officer on duty speechless.

The school day was over, and only a few people from the police station remained.

Chu Tao took a moment to think—Chu Xingning must be waiting for him to go home together, but unfortunately, he couldn’t leave Jiang She here.

Eventually, only Jiang She, the vocational school bully, Yang Liu, and Chu Tao remained.

A gust of wind blew in from the door, causing Chu Tao to shiver slightly.

With fewer people around, the air felt colder.

He had sweated during the fight earlier, and even the scent of the suppressant had dissipated.

Alpha pheromones drifted out, carrying the faint scent of tea.

He was used to drinking tea to stay awake, so his pheromones also carried the scent of tea.

His pheromones made the other alphas stir restlessly, and the police officer frowned, tossing a bottle of confiscated suppressant toward him.

“Quick, spray this.”

Chu Tao was about to argue that he had his own, but when he reached into his school uniform pocket, it was empty.

It must have fallen out during the fight.

“Use mine.” Jiang She took out his own suppressant and handed it to Chu Tao, then tossed the police officer’s bottle back.

Jiang She’s was in a metal bottle, gold in color with English letters on it.

Just the feel of it in his hand was far more high-end than regular suppressants.

Chu Tao opened the cap, gently pressed the milky white button, and a soft, fine mist sprayed out, cooling slightly when it touched his skin.

The scent was a light hyacinth and white musk, instantly covering up his own pheromones.

Chu Tao handed the bottle back to Jiang She. As their fingertips brushed, Jiang She couldn’t help but pull him back, unwilling to let him go.

Before Chu Tao could fully recover from the moment, the sound of tires screeching on the asphalt outside the police station broke the stillness.

Whoever was making such a loud noise in the parking lot wasn’t someone with a low profile.

Chu Tao quickly turned to look, and a middle-aged woman in leather, walking with an air of authority, appeared at the door.

She climbed up all three steps in one stride, not even a hint of breathlessness or clumsiness.

The woman was very refined, and if not for her overly stern and rigid appearance, she would have been exceptionally beautiful.

But it was exactly this stern expression that gave her an extraordinary sense of intimidation.

The police officers present immediately stood up, straightened their uniforms, and greeted her respectfully, “Hello, Director!”

Shen Qing nodded slightly, her gaze landing directly on Jiang She’s face.

Yang Liu had never seen Jiang She’s mother before. Usually, during parent-teacher meetings, it was Jiang She’s father, Jiang Qifeng, who attended.

But she had heard about what Jiang She’s mother did, and seeing her for the first time today, even Yang Liu, a seasoned class teacher, felt a shiver down her spine.

She stammered, “This is…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Shen Qing completely ignored her and walked straight up to Jiang She, raising her hand and slapping him.

“Useless brat! What else can you do besides fighting?!”