When Ye Xuan saw them, his instincts told him they must have come because of what happened earlier. Liu Duo must have told them when she got home. Yet he kept his cool and remained unafraid, as he faced them with an indifferent smile.
From the moment he stepped into the classroom, Ye Yang’s icy glare was set on Ye Xuan, while Ye Ling refused to look at him.
Liu Ran heard his brother-in-law calling him. He looked at Ye Xuan first, before approaching Ye Ling. “Brother Yang, Brother Ling, what is it?”
He did not understand why his brothers-in-law, who should be at home and on the farm respectively, would suddenly come look for him at school.
“You can ask your questions later. For now, follow me,” Ye Ling said to him calmly as he kept waving to him.
His classmates witnessed Ye Yang and Ye Ling charge in unexpectedly. Some had begun to exchange whispers among themselves.
“It seems they’re Liu Ran’s brothers-in-law. The one by the door looks scary.”
“Indeed, Liu Ran has four of them. His sister is a shared wife. But I heard his second brother-in-law is the most handsome one, even more good-looking than a woman.”
Some students came from neighboring villages, so they were not familiar with Liu Ran’s family situation. They’d only heard that he had four brothers-in-law, none of whom they had met, other than Ye Mo from a while back.
Liu Ran did not probe further. He turned to Ye Xuan and said, “Teacher Ye, I think my brothers-in-law have an urgent matter to discuss, can I be excused?”
“Sure, go ahead.” Ye Xuan nodded without elaborating.
Upon receiving approval, Liu Ran obediently came to Ye Ling’s side and the two left the classroom together.
Then, Ye Yang directed an order to Ye Xuan. “You, come with me!”
“Brother Yang, I’m teaching here. I can’t leave just like that. Later…”
Ye Xuan tried to find an excuse not to heed him but, before he could finish, Ye Yang barked at him again in the same low, authoritative voice, “Come with me!”
His eyes were particularly cold and stern.
Peering at the cold, emotionless expression in his eyes, Ye Xuan smiled back. “Brother Yang, if you really want me to come with you, why don’t you ask the students if they consent? After all, time and tide wait for no man, and we cannot buy back time! We certainly can’t waste their precious time at school.”
Ye Yang glanced sideways and scanned the classroom and the students in their seats. He said not a word as he walked towards Ye Xuan, gripped him by the arm and dragged him outside.
None of the students made a sound as they witnessed Teacher Ye being dragged out by Liu Ran’s eldest brother-in-law.
“Brother Yang, what has gotten into you? Why are you being just as rough and irrational as Brother Mo?” Ye Xuan frowned, his usual smile apparently gone.
He had struggled with all his might to break free of Ye Yang’s powerful clutches but there was nothing he could do about it.
Ye Yang glared at him in disdain when he heard Ye Xuan criticize his brother Mo. He chose not to argue with him.
In his mind, Mo might be impulsive and reckless at times but at least he was a righteous mind who would not commit immoral acts!
Ye Ling led Liu Ran on the way home while Ye Yang dragged Ye Xuan in the opposite direction to a place further away from the schoolhouse.
“Brother Yang, what business do you have with me? What’s the point of dragging me along?” Ye Xuan exclaimed impatiently.
He had a premonition of what this might be about, but he had prepared his statement. There were no witnesses anyway, so there was no way he would admit his faults!
Ye Yang still said nothing as he kept dragging him along. He only let go of his hold on Ye Xuan when they arrived at a location he was satisfied with.