Chapter 125: You Owe Me an Explanation

The three of them walked straight toward the classroom.

As soon as he entered, Zhang Shen felt an urge to collapse onto the desk for a rest, but the class bell rang almost immediately. Beside him, Wang Ying whispered, "Zhang Shen, what's wrong with you? Didn't you sleep last night?"

Although Zhang Shen had seemed lively enough when they were downstairs, his physical state had wilted within mere minutes. To Wang Ying’s query, he only squinted his eyes and replied, "Well, wasn't there that test paper to finish?"

"Didn't Meng Ran help you?"

At the mention of such a sensitive topic, Zhang Shen’s mind instantly sharpened. He hurriedly said, "He did, and he was a huge help."

Wang Ying sensed that there was more to his words. She probed further, "Tell me! I only remembered I was supposed to help you with the test when I got to the dorm last night, but your phone was switched off. That’s when I remembered to call Meng Ran. But he promised me he would help you, didn't he?"

Zhang Shen understood that Wang Ying’s earnest explanation stemmed from gratitude; she had wanted to work overtime to help him with the assignment. Yet, how could he, Zhang Shen, bring himself to impose on her? While he had cured her father of the toxins in his body, using that as leverage felt like "using the heart of a villain to measure the stomach of a gentleman." Still, seeing her sincere desire to help moved him deeply.

However, the rhythmic "clack-clack" of Hao Lei’s high heels entering the room signaled that the "baptism" before the storm was about to begin for Zhang Shen.

Hao Lei walked to the podium and simply said, "Look over your books for now; I will start the lecture in a moment."

She began flipping through the test papers. Zhang Shen knew full well that the masterpiece he and Meng Ran had labored over all night was lying right there before her. If there was one distinct feature of that masterpiece, the only thing Zhang Shen could think of now was Meng Ran’s drool.

Just as Zhang Shen was silently speculating, Hao Lei slammed the papers down onto the podium with a loud "thud."

"Zhang Shen, stand up!"

The room fell into an instant, dead silence. Zhang Shen stood up from his seat, trembling with apprehension.

"Teacher Hao!"

Zhang Shen realized he was only seconds away from the full force of her fury.

"Zhang Shen, don't you think you owe me an explanation?"

"W-what for?" Although he had already guessed what had displeased her, he could not admit it and could only stammer in response.

"You have the nerve to ask what for? What did you tell me downstairs just now? Didn't you say you did all these papers by yourself? Then why are there two different sets of handwriting here?"

*Oh no! How could I have forgotten that?*

Zhang Shen inwardly cursed his own negligence. He hadn't even realized such an obvious sign of forgery existed, and instead, he had presented all the "evidence" right to her. Now, he had no way to justify himself.

Yet, for Zhang Shen, one wave had barely settled before another rose. Hao Lei did not stop at accusing him of cheating; she continued, "That’s not all. Take a close look at this paper. Don't tell me you were sleeping on it last night—look at these drool stains yourself!"

She waved the paper in the air. The very thing Zhang Shen had feared had finally come to pass.

"This..." Zhang Shen was at a loss for words, feeling utterly miserable.

"Sit down for now. We will discuss the matter of these papers after class."

Zhang Shen sat down mechanically as Hao Lei began her lecture. However, his mind was entirely elsewhere, imagining the ordeal that awaited him. The class passed quickly; the final bell rang, signaling the start of a new round of suffering for Zhang Shen.

Following a look from Hao Lei, Zhang Shen caught her drift and followed her out of the room. By the time he reached her office, the demeanor of the "miracle doctor" was gone, replaced by a timid and submissive expression.

"Zhang Shen, I truly didn't expect you to learn how to lie. That, at least, is an eye-opener."

Zhang Shen understood her sarcasm; the phrase "eye-opener" felt like a lash against his conscience.

"Teacher Hao, I didn't want to, but..."

Before his defense could truly begin, Hao Lei cut him off.

"This is not the time for excuses. What I want to say is that you are studying medicine. No matter what field you enter later, you must at least be honest. If you are constantly lying, how will you ever establish yourself? I am truly worried about your future."

Zhang Shen hadn't expected this to be her true intention. In his heart, the image of this woman suddenly grew much taller.

"Teacher Hao, I was wrong!"

A complex swirl of emotions collided within him—a clash of sentiment and reason. It was true; the most critical thing for a medical practitioner was to speak the truth. If he were to continue like this, he would only create unnecessary conflicts between doctor and patient.

Hao Lei was not the type to be unreasonable once she had made her point. Seeing his sincere admission, she decided to let him off the hook.

"Since you can admit your mistake, it shows your heart is not yet corrupted. I hope you remember what I said today. I believe this will become your motto in the future."

"Yes, Teacher!"

"Go on out now. You still have classes to attend; don't let this weigh too heavily on your mind."

Zhang Shen nodded, turned, and walked out. Back in the classroom, he walked straight to Meng Ran’s seat. Seeing him, Meng Ran hurried to stand up. "Brother Zhang, I am truly sorry. I really didn't mean to."

Looking at Meng Ran, Zhang Shen mimicked Hao Lei’s earnest tone. "Fatty, you can't do this again. We were lucky to run into Teacher Hao today. If we were already out in the world practicing medicine, we’d be finished."

Meng Ran, not realizing the gravity of the situation, wondered how his "finishing touches" on the test paper had escalated into a matter of professional ethics.

"Brother Zhang, don't scare me like that!"