My Wife Is A Sword Immortal
Chapter 285 - 225: You Are Students of Shuaixing Hall (Thanks to the alliance leader reward from "Zhu Zhizhizhi," dear brother!)_2

Chapter 285: Chapter 225: You Are Students of Shuaixing Hall (Thanks to the alliance leader reward from "Zhu Zhizhizhi," dear brother!)_2

As she was bowing, she slightly raised her head, lips pressed tightly, her gaze meeting his with a questioning look.

Fan Yushu momentarily forgot to return the gesture and reply; his eyes gradually widened, and the next second, his head whipped violently toward a certain direction.

Fan Yushu’s eyes widened as he looked at Zhao Rong, whose face was as calm as Ping Lake, still carrying a hint of incredulity.

Since Shuaixing Hall started admitting new students over two months ago, whenever Fan Yushu was present, he had never seen Yu Huaijin at a loss or admitting fault.

It was always her with a stern face, teaching and convincing others methodically, even lecturing carefree and casual teachers within the Academy, like their Poetry teacher, for dressing inappropriately or drinking during classes.

In the Six Halls of Mochi Academy, she was practically a "little schoolmaster," no less strict and rigid than the Academy’s formal supervisors.

After all, Yu Huaijin was indeed upright in speech and conduct, observant of etiquette, with a personality strict and firm, possessing the air of ancient scholars; therefore most of the Academy’s students respected her, especially those from Shuaixing Hall.

Thus, whatever Yu Huaijin said was taken as is, and even if they were impatient to listen, deep down they actually recognized she was right.

But now, she was being... by Ziyu...

Fan Yushu stared blankly at Zhao Rong, nodding with a sense of admiration.

Another person at the Academy had a similar reaction.

Jia Teng Ying had almost reached the stone table, hesitating on how to approach and hand over the cucumber, but after hearing the conversation between Zhao Rong and Yu Huaijin, his steps faltered, especially seeing Yu, whom he had always admired, suddenly apologizing to Fan Yushu,

Jia Teng Ying couldn’t help but turn his head to look at Zhao Rong, the new classmate whose expression was one of astonishment.

As time passed, Zhao Rong saw that Yushu was still zoning out and dumbstruck, so he slightly curled his lips and raised his eyebrows, giving Fan Yushu a meaningful glance.

"Oh, oh," Fan Yushu quickly snapped back to reality, immediately turning around to return Yu Huaijin’s gesture.

"Please, Yu, rise. No worries. We are all classmates at the Academy, and I don’t really fit in with them anyway. How they see me, I don’t care about that. However, there truly is something I’d like to ask for Yu’s help with. That is Xiao Hongyu, this... this... fellow student of great educational benefit."

Fan Yushu blinked as he looked into Yu Huaijin’s eyes, silently heaving a sigh of relief, then paused and continued to vent:

"Ahem, Hongyu sometimes starts throwing punches while speaking, and you know, she only looks a bit taller, stronger, with bigger fists than me. Surely, it’s not that I cannot beat her, haha, what a joke,"

"But Hongyu is a woman, and this is the Academy after all. Bound by social decorum and the principles I hold dear, I have repeatedly conceded to her. Yet Hongyu still shows no respect for propriety, readily threatening to ’beat me up,’ and it is utterly unbecoming. I would appreciate it, Yu, if you could help talk to her about this issue."

Having finished his complaint in one go, Fan Yushu let out a deep breath.

Yu Huaijin stood up, and upon hearing this, she pondered for a moment before nodding gently, "I will handle the matter with Hongyu when I return. I will also take care of the other issues. Yushu, you are a member of Shuaixing Hall, just like the rest of us, and that will never change."

Zhao Rong, who had been observing silently, didn’t say a word.

Prejudice is not so easily dispelled, even if you are Yu, respected by all students for your command. When it comes to this matter, merely talking to them will likely result in nothing but lip service; in private, they will still be indifferent, with the same barriers unaltered, not reduced by a single iota.

Just like in Zhao Rong’s previous life, when teachers emphasized slogans of unity and friendship daily, everyone knew them, heard them constantly, but who truly took them to heart and remembered to act upon them?

Moreover, according to Zhao Rong’s experience, there are always a few disliked and rejected individuals in any group. Some people do indeed have repugnant traits that warrant dislike, but there are also those who are detested for no significant reasons, or their "repugnant traits" do not justify such bias. However, once the cold collective violence is applied, it is boundless.

If by misfortune you become one of those victims, reversing the impression becomes very challenging, just like Fan Yushu now.

Many in Shuaixing Hall who reject and mock him actually have no personal grievances with him; they simply follow the crowd because they see everyone disliking Fan Yushu, thereby fearing being implicated themselves... well, of course, there’s another plausible reason, which is that Fan Yushu is holding back all the students of Shuaixing Hall.

However, Fan Yushu’s poor academic performance was already a known fact. If the peers in Shuaixing Hall, without the obligation to help him, excluded him as if he were not part of the Hall for dragging them down, then Yushu, who was already a poor student and not willing to study, had no reason to make an effort for the cohesion and honor of Shuaixing Hall, did he?

This was the point Zhao Rong wished to convey to Yu Huaijin.

And Yu Huaijin’s words, "You all are students of Shuaixing Hall," was her response to him.

What Zhao Rong found even more ironic is that some groups with strong cohesion actually fortify their unity through this tacit exclusion of certain members, allowing negative emotions to be vented, presenting a "united front," and attributing failures and frustrations to scapegoats, thus strengthening the group’s cohesion and upward ambition.