I Don’t Want to Win Lying Down - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: A String Of Unfortunate Events

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

On the way back to school, Xu Mang got to feel the brunt of Wang Xue’s vengeance as he was reprimanded badly. It was just his luck that Wang Xue didn’t have an actual knife on hand, otherwise, she might have really stabbed him and sent him all the way to hell.

“Mrs. Wang…don’t bother continuing to scold him anymore.” Yang Xiaoman said as she smiled sweetly to the teacher. She continued, “I suggest you just take action instead! It’s pointless to continue using words, it doesn’t stay in his brain. Maybe some actual pounding will give him a better memory of it.”

Having said that, Yang Xiaoman pulled out a wooden bat seemingly from thin air. Handing it to Mrs. Wang, she said brightly. “Go ahead, hit him!”

“…”

“…”

“…”

Everyone present was stunned including Xu Mang. 

This woman was a little over the top, wasn’t she!?

Mrs. Wang stood frozen for a long while, struggling to determine whether the serious expression on Yang Xiaoman’s face was a joke or not, and finally, she said, “That…we’ll have to pass on that, I’m afraid.”

After such a commotion, Wang Xue gave up on scolding Xu Mang and returned to her own seat alone. Either way, things had ended up being resolved. Ignoring the fact of whether this guy could get good results or not, at the very least, it was infinitely better than handing in an empty paper.

The crisis was over, however, Xu Mang was more concerned about Yang Xiaoman’s adding oil to the fire attitude. Moving to sit beside the flat-chested violent woman, he said with a straight face, “Xiaoman, your behavior just now was too much. I’m still your seatmate, but you were going to sentence me to my death.”

“Moron!”

Yang Xiaoman didn’t want to bother with him. He usually talked about how much intellect he had and that he was an all-out genius and yet, he didn’t even understand the law. Did he really think that Mrs. Wang would have taken the bat and do him in with it?

The most idiotic fool in the universe!

“Xu Mang! Are you heading home or to the school?” Wang Xue asked.

“School! I want to learn!” Xu Mang exclaimed passionately toward Wang Xue.

Unable to retort to his sudden craze, the bus zipped past Xu Mang’s home and drove on toward the school. The moment Xu Mang jumped out from the bus, he was escorted by Lin Yishan directly to the office. Xu Mang had thought that the purpose of this was to praise him, but it turned out that he was in for a harsh reprimanding.

“What’s wrong with you? Sleeping during the competition, do you know how much trouble your attitude has brought upon the school?”

Lin Yishan was furious. The school teachers had a WeChat group. In addition to the normal teachers, some of the upper management from the school was also inside. The group’s purpose was to send notices or pass on messages, and today, the vice principal had sent a video.

It was a video of Xu Mang sleeping at the venue of the competition. Although the video was only ten seconds long, the amount of impact the short video gave was obviously huge.

According to Vice Principal Gao, the video was going viral on the internet, shocking even the leaders in the upper management. The principal had personally driven to the Education Bureau, wanting to take the initiative to admit his guilt before anything else.

“I can’t do anything about it…” Lin Yishan let out a heavy sigh. “The principal gave me a call just now, just go home and stay there for a few days, and reflect on your actions.”

Xu Mang was sullen as he saw the grave expression carved on Lin Yishan’s face. It looked like he wasn’t joking at all. 

Reflect on his actions for a few days?

That was just a nice way of putting it…

Xu Mang, who had lost his spirit, trudged his way slowly to the classroom. Ms. Wu was teaching English at this time, and the fact that she chose to ignore Xu Mang’s arrival meant that she had already heard that he was to be sent home.

Ms. Wu was slightly regretful about this fact since Xu Mang’s performance in his English grades had been improving recently. He used to receive mere single digits for his exams, but now, he had somehow reached 45 marks. He had even passed once, although it was probably a one-time fluke.

As all eyes were on him, Xu Mang packed up his books, walking silently out of the classroom. Stopping at the door, he glanced back at his seat longingly, finally saying goodbye, although it was a little too early in time for it.

At this time, most of the people in the classroom were watching him as though they were watching a drama, however, there was a hint of surprise in Yang Xiaoman’s eyes, and Xu Mang felt oddly touched at that.

If Yang Xiaoman was a little taller, her breasts a little bigger, and her butt a little higher…

I,

Xu Mang…

Would gladly marry her!

Unfortunately, that was impossible.

“Ms. Wu, I’m leaving.”

That was the last sentence Xu Mang spoke before leaving the school.

Walking toward the gates of the school, Xu Mang was feeling conflicted. Just a few more steps and his learning career may be over. Of course, with his family background, his parents would definitely send him to a private school to continue his schooling, but…it was so unsatisfying!

When he was younger, Xu Mang had a favorite TV series—’The Myth’, which starred the actor Hu Ge. Among all the characters, he liked Gao Yao, who later on became known as Zhao Gao.

Xu Mang felt as though he could relate to the experiences Zhao Gao had been through. Gao Yao had traveled back in time to the Qin Dynasty and endured it all through the bullying he faced because he didn’t have wealth or power. Looking at himself, he had also been subjected to the sneers and barbs of others just because his affinity in studies wasn’t good.

Just as Gao Yao had said to the main protagonist—Yi Xiaochuan, you have to chase for it, step by step, step by step, all the way to the top, and be a Zhao Gao!

Xu Mang also had such a dream. He dreamed of the day he would step on everyone underneath him, thoroughly humiliating them as payback. Unfortunately…just as his dream was about to come true, he was jolted awake.

Stepping out of the school gate, Xu Mang realized a problem. He seemed to have been thoroughly played and made miserable by the System.

Ah, forget it…

Let’s just change to another school and be a Zhao Gao there!

***

The news of Xu Mang returning home spread through the Year 3 students like wildfire, and it felt pitiful to laugh at him. For a person to be able to reach this point, it was also considered to be legendary. It was unfortunate that his legend had to be ended here.

Yang Xiaoman’s emotions were a little more complicated than that, and she sent a message on WeChat to him. After an hour of nothing, Yang Xiaoman’s thoughts had even run to think that Xu Mang might have suicidal tendencies.

Of course, these thoughts were only for a few seconds. In Yang Xiaoman’s impressions, Xu Mang was not that vulnerable, he was most likely just sleeping.

During this time, a heavy atmosphere was covering the entire teacher’s office.

“In regards to Xu Mang…I’m responsible for half of it.” Wang Xue said as she heaved a heavy sigh. “If it were not for my insistence that he participate in the competition, there wouldn’t be such things happening.”

Wang Xue had been reprimanded as she was the teacher in charge, and she was shaken up by Xu Mang’s expulsion. After all, he was still her student.

“Mrs. Wang, don’t speak nonsense. It’s not your fault.” Lin Yishan shook his head. “The blame rests on Xu Mang who just didn’t meet the expectations…he actually slept on such an important occasion, with so many eyes on him.”

“But… When Xu Mang woke up, I saw him completing the essay with my own eyes.” Wang Xue said, some excitement seeping into her voice. “And there is also a possibility that Xu Mang was unwell during the competition. Don’t forget…he was admitted to the hospital on Saturday!”

“It’s pointless. Now, the main opinions on the internet toward Xu Mang are all negative. Even if you tell the truth, what good would it do?” Lin Yishan replied. “The internet would only think that we were looking for reasons to justify his actions.”

“To be honest, I’m actually quite appreciative of this student.” Ms. Wu, the English teacher said. “I don’t know about the other subjects, but in terms of English, he is one of the students with the most improvement.”

“No way!”

“Xu Mang’s Math talent was also very sneaky!” Liang Feng, the Mathematics teacher agreed. “The other Math teachers and I had already submitted the application to allow Xu Mang to participate in the city-wide Mathematical Olympiad, who would have known…”

A few other teachers also gave high praise toward Xu Mang’s improved performances, however, the person in question was already gone, and no amount of praise would help now.

Sometimes, you would only realize how precious a person was when they were gone.

***

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Xu Mang had just woken up from his nap. An hour earlier, he had been admonished by his parents. In the end, he was still their biological son, and there had been no mix up at his birth or anything.

Picking up his phone, he saw that there were four notifications on his WeChat. Tapping on it, he saw that the messages were all from Yang Xiaoman.

@LifeInPieces: [Moron!]

@LifeInPieces: [Hurry up and reply!]

@LifeInPieces: [You have one hour, hurry up and reply, otherwise, you’re going to get it!]

@LifeInPieces: [Xu Mang…are you there?]

The first three messages were typical domineering Yang Xiaoman, and the last message was her true feelings.

Xu Mang thought for a while before typing in a quick message, sending it off.

@TheDreamOfAllFemalesInThe Universe: [I was sleeping…what do you want?]

Not even ten seconds later, Yang Xiaoman replied.

@LifeInPieces: [Come to the school gates tonight.]