Chapter 7: The Beautiful Homeroom Teacher, Qin Fang

"What did you say?"
Shi Shouxin glared furiously at Lu Xuelan.

"Director, give me a little more time—I'll have results from the interrogation soon!"
Lu Xuelan's elegant brows furrowed.

She disagreed with Shi Shouxin's decision, believing he was succumbing to the pressure from the Chu family and thus so easily proposing to release the suspect.
If Chu Tian were let go now, it would be nothing short of trampling the sanctity of the law in her heart.

"Nonsense!"
Shi Shouxin paid no heed to Lu Xuelan's words and snapped, "Release him immediately!"

"Release him?"
Lu Xuelan's brows knitted even tighter, her voice tinged with doubt. "Director, he is the prime suspect in the Eight Days Hotel murder case. Even if we lack sufficient evidence, we have the right to detain him for forty-eight hours. Why release him so easily?"

"Lu Xuelan, don't forget that I am the Director here. I make the decisions. I'm ordering you to release Chu Tian right now."
Shi Shouxin waved his hand, and the two young male officers, previously standing outside the interrogation room, promptly entered.

"I'd like to see who dares."
Lu Xuelan’s expression changed, her gaze fierce as she stared down the approaching officers.

The two officers, poised to release Chu Tian, exchanged uneasy glances, as if struck by lightning, frozen in place, unsure what to do.
On one side was the Director's command; on the other, the formidable background of Lu Xuelan. They were caught in the middle, unable to offend either party.

Chu Tian remained silent, quietly observing the argument between Shi Shouxin and Lu Xuelan.
He simply did not understand: he had never met Shi Shouxin, so why was the Director so partial to him?

"Lu Xuelan, this case no longer requires your interrogation. Leave at once."
Shi Shouxin pointed toward the door, adding, "That’s an order!"

"Very well. I will report today's events truthfully to the headquarters."
Lu Xuelan did not argue further. She pushed past one of the officers blocking her way, her long legs carrying her out of the interrogation room.

"You two, leave as well."
Shi Shouxin’s face was dark as he urged them again.

The two male officers, as if receiving a pardon, quickly turned and left. They had no desire to be embroiled in the conflict between the Director and Sister Lan.

Once everyone had left, Shi Shouxin closed the interrogation room’s door. The gloom on his face melted away like ice, replaced by a sycophantic smile.

"Young Master Chu, I must apologize. Lu Xuelan's temperament is too impulsive; she doesn’t even respect my authority. It was an affront to you!"

Shi Shouxin’s smile was radiant. Before Chu Tian, he was a completely different person from how he’d spoken to Lu Xuelan moments ago.

"It’s nothing."
Chu Tian chuckled, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

Though the Chu family owned a clothing factory worth hundreds of millions, it shouldn’t be enough to make a police director so humble. There must be more to this matter.

And indeed, Shi Shouxin soon revealed the truth.

He weighed his tone carefully, probing, "Young Master Chu, may I ask—what is your relationship with Elder Wei?"

Elder Wei?

Wei Yuansheng?

Enlightenment dawned in Chu Tian’s heart; he instantly understood everything.

"A passing acquaintance."
Chu Tian smiled, finally realizing why Shi Shouxin treated him with such deference—it was because Wei Yuansheng had discreetly put in a word for him.

Although Chu Tian had left no personal information on the high-speed train, the Wei family was among the top three families in Tianmen City. Even the city mayor had to show respect to Wei Yuansheng.
If Wei Yuansheng wanted to find someone in Tianmen City, it would be effortless.

Having discovered Chu Tian's connection to the Eight Days Hotel murder case, Wei Yuansheng must have promptly contacted Shi Shouxin.

"You two... are merely passing acquaintances?"
Shi Shouxin was momentarily stunned, finding it hard to believe, but quickly suppressed his doubts and smiled, "Elder Wei knew you were involved in a murder investigation and personally called me. With Elder Wei's assurance, we trust your character completely. This is all just a misunderstanding!"

"So, am I free to go?" Chu Tian asked.

"Of course."
Shi Shouxin nodded repeatedly, following Chu Tian and personally escorting him out of the interrogation room.

...

Night, the Situ residence.

"That damned Chu Tian—he dared to kill my woman?"
Situ Deng's face was twisted in rage as he smashed his wine glass.

Clang!

The glass shattered, crimson wine spilling across the floor, resembling blood pooling on the ground.

The steward shook his head and reminded him, "Young Master, it may not necessarily have been Chu Tian."

"Who else could it have been?"
Situ Deng spun around abruptly, eyes blazing with anger.

The steward quickly lowered his head, replying respectfully, "From what I know, Chu Tian is merely a timid, dissolute youth—not someone with the courage for such a deed."

"Then who did it?" Situ Deng asked, his brows furrowed.

"After Chu Tian was taken to the police station, I discreetly investigated and found that it was the Wei family who bailed him out, which is why he was released so quickly," the steward explained.

"You mean the Wei family is somehow entangled with the Chu family, and it’s possible that someone from the Wei family killed Xu Jiao?"
Situ Deng retorted, then shook his head. "No, the Chu family’s assets are only worth a few hundred million—why would the Wei family intervene?"

"I can’t quite figure out the reason myself," the steward said, shaking his head.

"Hmph, I don’t care what connection Chu Tian has with Wei Yuansheng—if he dared to kill my woman, he will pay in blood!"
Situ Deng’s face was grim. Even if Xu Jiao was someone he had discarded, she was not to be killed by others; it was a slap to his face.

The following morning.

Tianmen City First High School.

With only two months left before the college entrance exam, the classroom of Senior Year Class One was unusually quiet, broken only by the rustling of pens against paper.

All the other students were diligently taking notes, except for Chu Tian, who, dressed in a white school uniform, sat with his eyes closed, resting, showing no intention to write.

"Chu Tian!"

Suddenly, a woman’s voice rang out, breaking Chu Tian’s reverie.

He opened his eyes and looked toward the podium, where the beautiful homeroom teacher Qin Fang stood.

A demeanor of indifference to all things radiated from Chu Tian’s gaze, altering his entire aura.

On the podium, Qin Fang swallowed nervously, suddenly feeling her student had changed—become unfamiliar.

She was inexplicably tense. Although Chu Tian looked exactly as he always had, she sensed something had shifted, though she couldn’t pinpoint what.

"Chu Tian, have you been paying attention in class?"
Qin Fang tapped the blackboard, striving to maintain composure as she reprimanded, "If you still want to go to university, take notes seriously. Don’t drift through each day like a lost soul."

Hearing this, Chu Tian stood up and walked straight toward the classroom door.

For the Chu Tian of his previous life, the college entrance exam might have been a chance to change his destiny.

But for the Chu Tian of today, it was fleeting—nothing mattered more than regaining his cultivation as soon as possible.

"You... Scoundrel, stop right there!"
Qin Fang was stunned, unable to believe Chu Tian would ignore her. She watched his back and shouted in anger.