Ye Fei stood in front of Tang Rou, staring at her with a determined gaze. Tang Rou, already irritated, raised her voice, "Ye Fei, why didn''t you attend ssst week?"


    Though he knew Tang Rou was deliberately provoking him—after all, his family matters had be widely known across Wanghai—Ye Fei calmly responded, "I had some family issues to handlest week, so I couldn''te."


    "Family issues aren''t a valid excuse. You skipped ss without proper permission. Tell me, how should I punish you?" Tang Rou''s voice remained icy.


    Though Ye Fei had been patient, Tang Rou''s repeated attempts to find fault with him began to test his limits. With a cold tone, he replied, "I informed Teacher Yu. I didn''t skip ss without a reason."


    Tang Rou, now visibly angered, snapped back, "Then why wasn''t I informed?"


    "Why would I need to tell you?" Ye Fei scoffed, his frustration rising. "I only needed to inform my ss teacher."


    "You..." Tang Rou was so furious that she was left momentarily speechless. She couldn''t argue, knowing Ye Fei was right. The protocol required him to inform the ss teacher, not her, a P.E. teacher.


    Seeing Tang Rou fuming in silence, the students who had gathered dared not speak. They had all witnessed how harshly she could scold people. Ye Yunqi, however, discreetly shed Ye Fei a thumbs-up, proud of him for standing his ground.


    After a tense pause, Tang Rou, still seething, finally said, "Ye Fei, follow me. The rest of you, you''re to run until I tell you to stop!" Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and marched toward the equipment room.


    Equally frustrated, Ye Fei decided it was time to confront her directly about her behavior. He followed closely behind.


    Seeing them leave, Lin Ling grew concerned and wanted to intervene. She feared the situation might escte, but Ye Yunqi stopped her.


    "There''s no need to worry. Your husband is much stronger now. The only one who might end up regretting anything is Teacher Tang," Ye Yunqi said with a yful grin. Normally mischievous, her protective nature toward Ye Fei had softened her wild side recently. However, seeing Tang Rou unfairly target Ye Fei had reawakened her feistiness. Part of her even hoped that Ye Fei would teach Tang Rou a lesson.


    Though Ye Yunqi''s words reassured her somewhat, Lin Ling still couldn''t shake her unease about the potential conflict between Ye Fei and their teacher.


    In the equipment room, Tang Rou shut the door behind them and locked it. She then turned to face Ye Fei, her eyes filled with disappointment, though she said nothing at first.


    Ye Fei stared back at her, waiting for an exnation. When she remained silent, he finally broke the tension. "Teacher Tang, we''ve known each other for a long time. Why do you always target me?"


    Tang Rou sighed and finally spoke. "Because we''ve known each other for so long, I feel responsible for you. Otherwise, I wouldn''t even bother."


    While her words were meant to show concern, Ye Fei felt his irritation grow. Keeping hisposure, he asked, "Then what exactly have I done that bothers you so much? Is it because I used to be weak?"


    "Of course not," Tang Rou responded, her tone softening slightly. "I know from thest time you helped that you have a good heart." Her words calmed Ye Fei for a moment, but her next sentence reignited his frustration. "But I never expected you to take credit for someone else''s aplishments and then parade it around the city.


    As someone who''s known you for so long, I feel obligated to tell you—you''re not acting like a man."


    Tang Rou''s intentions were pure, but her words stung. She wasn''t aware that, despite being in her twenties, her straightforward nature andck of experience with the nuances of the world often led her to speak too bluntly.


    After delivering her harsh critique, Tang Rou turned away from him and squatted down to pick up a mat from the floor. Unintentionally, this movement showcased her full, curvaceous figure, her hips swaying gently as she moved. The sight of her body,bined with the lingering frustration from herst words and the feelings ignited earlier that morning by Yu Wuxia, stirred something in Ye Fei.


    His temper, mixed with a sudden surge of desire, overcame him.


    Before he could think, Ye Fei , rushed forward, and grabbed Tang Rou, pinning her down onto the mat.


    Tang Rou,pletely taken by surprise, shouted, "What are you doing?" She struggled to break free, but despite always viewing Ye Fei as weak, she now found herself unable to overpower him. His grip was far too strong.