Chapter 115: Tao Yueyue’s Calculation

In Class 2-5 of Zhixin Middle School, the math teacher was explaining the multiplication of exponents with the same base. Some students were sleeping, some were secretly munching on chips from their desks, some were using their textbooks as shields to play mobile games, and others were chatting quietly and laughing.

The teacher was used to this scene. After finishing an example problem, he tapped the blackboard and asked the students to write it down. Among the group, only one student was taking notes, and the teacher felt grateful for at least one attentive student.

He planned to ask her the next question. Glancing at the names on the desk, he noted that the student seemed to be a new transfer, Tao Yueyue.

Just then, a chubby boy stood up, his face red, and said, “Teacher, I need to use the bathroom.”

The teacher nodded, and Liang Zuoming ran out of the classroom clutching his stomach amid his classmates’ laughter. Suddenly, a scream came from outside. The teacher hurried out to see Liang Zuoming had fallen down the stairs, clutching his leg and howling in pain.

The classroom erupted into chaos, with students craning their necks out the windows to see what happened. A few of Liang Zuoming’s friends ran out to him, and the teacher instructed, “Stay here and don’t move him. I’ll go get the school nurse.”

Only Tao Yueyue remained unmoved. She paused her note-taking, a cold smile playing at her lips.

Having avenged herself on the bully, Tao Yueyue was in high spirits for the rest of the day. When she got home, even the dinner Chen Shi made tasted better than usual. After dinner, she put down her bowl and chopsticks, saying, “I’m going to my room to study.”

“There’s a boy in your class who broke his leg?” Chen Shi was looking at his phone, reading about the incident in the parents’ chat group. The teacher had later discovered that someone had placed a glass marble on the stairs, causing the accident.

“He deserved it. That chubby kid is so annoying.”

“Did you do it?”

“No, I was in the classroom. How could it be me?”

Chen Shi asked the teacher why the boy had left during class. The teacher said he had a stomachache, adding that the recent cold weather had been causing stomach issues for several students.

Chen Shi let it go, but Tao Yueyue scoffed, “What a suspicious mind. Occupational hazard!”

The next morning, Chen Shi didn’t make breakfast. Tao Yueyue didn’t say anything, just took some toast and sausages from the fridge. Chen Shi, with a stern face, said, “Sit down!”

“What’s up?”

“Just sit down.”

Tao Yueyue obediently sat across from him, nervously tugging at her clothes. Chen Shi coldly said, “I found out last night that you don’t get along with Liang Zuoming. He bullied you a week ago.”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me or the teacher?”

“What good would that do? I don’t want to deal with those childish boys.”

“So you took matters into your own hands?”

“I didn’t!” Tao Yueyue shouted.

“Your methods might be clever, but your acting is terrible…” Chen Shi threw a notebook with cartoon stickers on the table.

Tao Yueyue’s eyes widened, “You went through my bag?”

“I didn’t want to invade your privacy, but I couldn’t sleep without knowing… This notebook is filled with incomprehensible numbers and symbols, and it stops abruptly the day before the incident. You drew a small knife at the end, signaling some sort of resolution? I asked your math teacher, who said you were two minutes late to class, claiming you went to the bathroom. I deduced you actually placed a glass marble on the stairs right after the bell rang, setting a trap for your target.”

Tao Yueyue bit her lip, showing a defensive look.

“Be honest, and I won’t send you to jail.”

“Yes… I did it, just as you said.”

“What do these numbers mean?”

“The time from ingesting lime powder to having a stomachache.”

“Lime?”

“The lime powder from the walls. I checked, it’s the same ingredient as toothpaste, not deadly… I tested it on his minions, got an average time, and put the lime in Liang Zuoming’s milk tea after morning reading class. I also observed his steps; he likes to take two steps at a time.”

Chen Shi was shocked. This twelve-year-old girl had devised such an intricate plan.

“What if Liang Zuoming hadn’t stepped on the marble?”

“Then I’d wait a week and try again.”

“Did it feel good to succeed?”

“Yes, it felt great. He broke his leg and might miss the final exams. He deserved it!” Tao Yueyue said proudly.

“Tao Yueyue!” Chen Shi slammed the table in anger.

Tao Yueyue shrank back, her smile fading.

“Do you realize how wrong you are!?”

“He bullied me.”

“You could have defended yourself through proper channels. This is a crime, you know?”

Facing Chen Shi’s intimidation, Tao Yueyue felt wronged and teary-eyed, “He always bullied me. Telling you wouldn’t change anything. You’d just scold him, and all the bullying would be for nothing?”

Chen Shi sighed. He realized that if this issue wasn’t addressed at the root, with Tao Yueyue’s intelligence and her past experiences, she could grow up to be a high-IQ criminal.

“You must apologize to him and his parents.”

“No.”

“Then get out.”

Tao Yueyue, feeling wronged, tried to negotiate, “If I get first place in the final exams, can I avoid apologizing?”

“No negotiation!”

Under Chen Shi’s firm stance, he took Tao Yueyue to the hospital after school that day. They saw Liang Zuoming, who had his leg in a cast, and his parents. Chen Shi explained the situation, and the parents looked at the silent girl with shock. Chen Shi paid for the medical expenses, far exceeding the actual costs. Seeing the money, the parents agreed not to pursue the matter but warned that if it happened again, they would report it to the school.

Chen Shi told Tao Yueyue, “Now, go apologize to Liang Zuoming.”

Tao Yueyue walked into the room reluctantly. Liang Zuoming, who had heard the conversation at the door, looked at her with a mix of fear, nervousness, and hostility.

Tao Yueyue lowered her head, “Liang Zuoming, I’m sorry for causing your injury. My uncle has paid a large medical bill and scolded me. I promise it won’t happen again.”

Liang Zuoming looked at her in fear, unsure of what to say, while Chen Shi nodded in satisfaction outside.

But when Tao Yueyue looked up, her expression changed. She coldly smirked, “If you mess with me again, it won’t just be a broken leg next time.”

As they left, Liang Zuoming’s wailing cries echoed behind them. Chen Shi glared at Tao Yueyue, “Did you threaten him?”

“No, he’s crying out of gratitude.”