Chapter 117: I’ll be inside for a couple of days

The three reached home in the middle of the night.

After having returned, Xu Tingsheng explained to Mr Xu why he had suddenly come back to Libei.

Mr Xu had met Fang Yunyao twice before. The first time had been during the simple celebratory banquet following the release of Xu Tingsheng's university entrance examination results. The second time was after the Xu Family’s crisis had been resolved, when they had specifically invited Fang Yunyao, Vice-Principal Lou, Old Zhou and some others over for a meal.

The Xu Family was indebted to Fang Yunyao. When crisis had befallen the Xu Family at the start of the year, Fang Yunyao had been one of those who had lent them a helping hand in their dire hour.

Mr Xu would go all out in exerting pressure on the relevant agencies in this matter.

It was somewhat harder for Fu Cheng. If he was candid with some things, it might instead come to serve a negative effect. Yet if all that was mentioned was their relationship as student and teacher, Mr Fu, an old, slick hand in bureaucracy, would obviously be unwilling to take a plunge into such a troublesome affair.

The next morning, the three did not go to look for Zhang Junming, instead making a trip to Libei Senior High.

The current Libei Senior High was already overflowing with rumours. Amongst them, other than the various speculations regarding what had happened to Fang Yunyao, there was also a rumour related to the relationship between her and Fu Cheng, the relationship between them being described extremely atrociously.

Meanwhile, in this rumour, Zhang Junming was portrayed to be the victim, a pitiful man who had been hurt by the 'immoral’ teacher-student relationship between Fang Yunyao and Fu Cheng.

This rumour effectively corroborated the testimony of Zhang Junming's mother upon having turned herself in. It was due to righteous indignation over the treatment of her pitiful son that she had acted to stab and injure Fang Yunyao.

This rumour had clearly been spread intentionally by someone. As Fu Cheng walked within the school, numerous students who recognised him were constantly pointing him out and discussing animatedly about him in hushed whispers.

“I still harmed Ms Fang in the end.”

Fu Cheng's emotions were near their breaking point. He wanted to explain the truth to every single one of them. Yet, this clearly wouldn't be any useful at all. Xu Tingsheng and Huang Yaming had to persuade him to the contrary for a long time. Not having made any gains in this visit to Libei Senior High, the two guided Fu Cheng firmly along in their departure from the school.

It was evening when the trio began stalking Zhang Junming.

Zhang Junming still appeared as refined and elegant as ever. It was just that upon meeting others, a perfectly primed desolate and worried air would appear about him, buying him sympathy.

In his previous life, Xu Tingsheng had read many newspaper articles about spurned men who had hurt or even killed their ex-girlfriends or former spouses before. From his understanding of things, such people tended to be moody social deviants who flared up easily.

Yet, Zhang Junming did not appear to be like that at all. From his exterior alone, there was no one who would be able to tell that he was actually such a terrifying person.

Fang Yunyao had technically never actually been his girlfriend at all. However, he had retaliated so intensely and viciously against her, even having personally sent his mother to jail afterwards to take the rap for him.

If this was not terrifying enough, most terrifying of all was how calm and composed he still had been afterwards. This could be seen from his daily 'performances’ as well as his intentional fabrication and spreading of rumours.

In Xu Tingsheng's previous life, after Fang Yunyao, able to stand the familial violence no longer, had left for elsewhere with her child, the people of Libei County had virtually all been sympathetic towards Zhang Junming. Through rumours, Fang Yunyao had been portrayed by him as a vain, greedy woman.

Those such as Xu Tingsheng who had known the truth had been few and far between.

That was Zhang Junming.

Following from a distance, before the trio showed up in front of Zhang Junming, Xu Tingsheng turned on the voice recording function on his phone first just in case they got lucky.

Zhang Junming was trapped by them in a dead corner. Recognising Fu Cheng and Huang Yaming, he naturally knew what it was that the trio had come for.

Fu Cheng couldn't hold himself back as he was about to dash over, but Huang Yaming held him back.

“I know why is it that you're here…still, you're really mistaken. I really love Yunyao, love her more than anyone else does. Even if she and you...however much she hurt me, I would definitely never hurt her.”

“I didn't know that my mother would do that, I really didn't. If I had known that things would turn out like this, I definitely wouldn't have told her about the matter between the two of you.”

“I'm hurting more than any one of you right now. I've lost the two people I love the most at the same time.”

Zhang Junming spoke sincerely and agonisingly with no flaws in his words at all, perfectly conforming with the image of a victim that he was currently 'performing’.

It was just that Xu Tingsheng, Huang Yaming and Fu Cheng were all able to see the derisive, mocking sneer on his face as he said this.

He had never intended to conceal his wrongdoings in front of Fu Cheng at all.

The smile on his face was a very candid admission that he was the one who did it, also acting as provocation towards Fu Cheng. However, his tone as well as words held no flaw at all.

Now, a mocking smile on his face, Zhang Junming mouthed, “Happy with my performance? ...Go turn off your phone recording function.”

Xu Tingsheng took out his phone and turned off the recording. Zhang Junming was clearly not foolish at all. He was being very cautious.

A furious Fu Cheng attempted to rush over once more. Huang Yaming had to use all his strength in order to hold him back.

“Right, stay calm. You've definitely got to stay calm,” Zhang Junming said with a mocking smile on his face.

“I know,” Xu Tingsheng said as he walked towards Zhang Junming, “I know that attacking you now would be of no use to us at all. It would only make things even more troublesome.”

Zhang Junming smiled and nodded, provocatively flashing Xu Tingsheng a thumbs up.

Arriving beside Zhang Junming, Xu Tingsheng said nothing at all as he just stomped him in the groin.

“Ow!”

Having totally let his guard down, being completely unprepared, Zhang Junming took a firm, solid hit. He groaned tragically, his body doubling inwards before he raised his head and stared bemusedly at Xu Tingsheng.

He could not comprehend why Xu Tingsheng who had only just been restricting Fu Cheng by asking him to stay calm moments earlier, even having said 'I know that attacking you now would be of no use at all. It would only make matters even more troublesome’, would suddenly begin attacking him now, even having launched such a vicious move from the get go.

“It's nothing, it's just that I can't hold myself back,” Xu Tingsheng smiled coldly to Zhang Junming's bemused expression, “Let's care about how troublesome it may be only later. For now, just allow us to vent our emotions first.”

Still doubled over in pain, Zhang Junming stumbled as he tried to flee. Xu Tingsheng grabbed him by the hair, following up on his momentum by kneeing him directly in the face.

Zhang Junming's spectacles shattered and his nose broke, the blood flowing freely down his face.

Xu Tingsheng turned and said, “I was afraid that he might have brought a knife, so I sneak attacked him first...now, it's your turn.”

Huang Yaming let go of Fu Cheng.

Xu Tingsheng no longer attacked Zhang Junming, and Huang Yaming stopped after a few good stomps as well, because they were really no longer needed. Fu Cheng was currently crazed like the devil possessed. If he was left to himself, Zhang Junming would definitely not be leaving this place alive.

Fu Cheng would rip him to shreds.

“Help watch over them. Don't let Fu Cheng accidentally kill him,” Xu Tingsheng told Huang Yaming before walking over to the side and quietly smoking a cigarette.

Today’s beating was a little bit of ‘interest’ for all the pain that Fang Yunyao had suffered. Meanwhile, it was naturally best for Fu Cheng to be the one to collect this ‘interest’.

Of course, this was not foolhardy recklessness.

When Xu Tingsheng had proposed borrowing the influence of the Xu and Fu families to resolve the matter the previous night, Fu Cheng’s reply had been ‘If that’s the case, it’s all the more so that I should think of a way to find Zhang Junming first then’.

Therefore, this beating had really been all part of the plan.

While the Xu Family possessed great strength, it was still ultimately not directly involved in the bureaucracy, needing to draw on the strength of its connections in order to exert pressure there. It was not the same for Fu Cheng’s father, however. Having been part of Libei’s bureaucracy for so many years, he was inextricably linked in a mutually beneficial relationship with the other members of his governmental faction.

If he were to go all out, it would prove to be even more direct and forceful than the Xu Family.

Fu Cheng had no way of convincing his father, Fu Qizhi, to assist him, yet could also not tell him about the relationship between him and Fang Yunyao. If he did so, Fu Qizhi would only distance himself even more emphatically from the matter, at the same time restricting him as well.

Fu Cheng’s plan was to involve himself in this matter. Unless it could ultimately be proven that Zhang Junming was a criminal, he would otherwise be guilty of intentionally wounding others.

He had put himself on the line for this, wagering his own fate in order to ‘tie’ his father down, forcing him to have to go all out.

Perhaps even without him having to do so, Xu Tingsheng would still be able to resolve the matter in the end. However, this matter involved Fang Yunyao, and Fu Cheng felt that he himself was responsible for it to some extent as well. If he didn’t try to do anything about it now, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

Therefore, Fu Cheng was now beating Zhang Junming up to an extent where the law would determine it to be light injuries at the very least.

How awesome this request was.

When Fu Cheng was finally dragged away by Huang Yaming in a job well done, Zhang Junming was already soaked entirely in blood, having been rendered immobile.

“I’ll be inside for a couple of days. I’ll hand the rest over to you. Also, if there’s any news about Yunyao, you’ve definitely got to tell me about it.”

Fu Cheng sat by the roadside and lit up a cigarette, inhaling deeply before he said, “You guys can go first. I’ll finish this cigarette before I go call the police for him.”