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The next day, I gave each of the three unruly children a new nickname.
"From today on, you will be called 'Liang Yin'an'," I said to Liang Mo. He stood there, his tall figure like a wall. A flicker of anger flashed in his eyes, but he dared not argue. His nails dug deep into his palms, almost piercing the skin.
I turned to my second son. "You will be called 'Liang Mutou'." Liang Chuan slightly lowered his head, his long bangs covering his eyes, making it hard to see his expression. His shoulders twitched slightly before returning to stillness.
Finally, I looked at the little girl. "You are 'Liang Nianren'." Liang Xue's lips trembled, her big eyes brimming with tears, yet she stubbornly held them back. Her small hands clutched the hem of her clothes tightly, her knuckles turning white.
Seeing the three of them swallowing their grievances, I couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. I walked out of the room with a light step, and behind me came muffled whispers.
Playing the role of the Cold-Blooded Tutor was surprisingly enjoyable.
That evening, while checking homework, I found Liang Mo's reading notes unexpectedly detailed. His handwriting was neat, logic clear, and analysis thorough. It seemed this boy was far smarter than he appeared.
Liang Chuan completed his exercises quickly but made numerous mistakes. He seemed eager to end this torment and didn't care about right or wrong at all.
Liang Xue's small practice book was filled with doodles. She had drawn a big dog, and beside it, her small self looked very happy. The strokes were childish yet vivid, exuding a unique innocence.
"Redo it," I tossed Liang Chuan's and Liang Xue's assignments back onto the table and turned away coldly.
Liang Mo pressed his lips together and silently began to tidy up his siblings' workbooks. His movements were gentle, a stark contrast to his usual indifference.
However, being a tutor also came with its troubles. Unexpected events always occurred at the most inconvenient times.
Early in the morning, I was jolted awake by a phone call. The sharp ringing pierced my head.
"Is this Liang Chuan's tutor? Liang Chuan got into a fight at school; please come immediately."
Liang Chuan got into a fight? The usually quiet 'Liang Mutou' actually got into a fight?
Rubbing my eyes, I hurriedly washed up and drove to the school. The morning light was dim, and the campus was sparsely populated, with an air of tension hanging in the atmosphere.
As soon as I reached the principal's office door, I heard a shrill female voice that grated on my ears like nails on a chalkboard:
"A student raised by such a poor tutor has no manners!"
"Can't the the Liang Family find anyone better qualified to teach their child?"
I took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The hinges creaked loudly as all eyes turned toward me.
The small figure of Liang Chuan stood in the corner with a red swollen handprint on his face; tears were welling in his eyes. The principal sat behind his desk looking troubled. A woman dressed in designer clothes stood aggressively in the center, flanked by a chubby boy.
"You are Liang Chuan's tutor?" The principal stood up with a hint of reproach in his voice. "Please take better care of your student."
I walked over to Liang Chuan and checked his injuries. The red handprint was clearly visible, and there was some bruising around his left eye. Anger surged within me, but I maintained an outward calm.
"What happened?" I asked in a voice that was eerily calm.
The woman pointed at Liang Chuan arrogantly: "This little thug bullied my son and even hit him! Does your the Liang Family think they can do whatever they want just because they have money?"
Liang Chuan lifted his head, his gaze vacant: "I didn't."
"You're lying!" shouted the Fat Boy loudly. "He stole my game console and hit me!"
I crouched down to meet Liang Chuan's gaze: "Tell me the truth."
Liang Chuan fell silent for a moment, his voice barely audible. "They surrounded a girl and tried to take her backpack. I went to stop them, and they hit me."
"Nonsense!" the woman shrieked, her voice grating like nails on a chalkboard. "My son has always been sensible; how could he do such a thing!"
I stood up and turned to the principal. "Is there any surveillance footage?"
The principal shook his head awkwardly. "The hallway cameras happen to be broken."
I scanned the room and noticed a camera in the corner of the office. A cold smile crept onto my lips. "What about the one in this office?"
The room fell silent in an instant.
The principal's expression changed, and he stammered that there was no surveillance in this office either. I understood then.
"Liang Chuan, let's go." I took his hand and turned to leave.
"You! Stop!" the woman shouted sharply. "You can't just leave like this!"
Without looking back, I replied, "We won't accept unfounded accusations. If you believe you are right, feel free to call the police."
Liang Chuan followed me out of the office, surprise flashing in his eyes. His hand was cold and trembling slightly.
I took him to the infirmary and had the school nurse check his injuries. Just some minor bruises; nothing serious.
As we passed by the teaching building, I noticed a group of students huddled together, whispering. Their expressions turned tense when they saw us.
"Is it those guys?" I asked quietly.
Liang Chuan nodded, his gaze lowered.
I stepped forward with a smile. "Excuse me, everyone, do you have any phones?"
The kids watched me warily, silent.
"I think you must have recorded something interesting," I said coldly. "If you don't want me to dig it up, hand it over obediently."
One boy hesitated before pulling out his phone. "We were just joking..."
The video clearly showed them cornering the girl, with Liang Chuan stepping up and getting beaten.
Holding the phone, I turned back to the principal's office. I pushed the door open and placed the phone on the desk before the principal could speak.
"Let’s see who’s lying."
As the video played, silence enveloped the office. The principal looked embarrassed, the woman’s face turned pale, and Fat Boy hung his head in shame.
"Liang Chuan acted bravely but was falsely accused," I said icily. "Is this your way of educating students?"
The principal wiped sweat from his forehead. "This is indeed a misunderstanding..."
"A misunderstanding?" I scoffed. "Or is it covering up?"
In the end, under my insistence, the principal had no choice but to apologize to Liang Chuan and promised to take serious action regarding this bullying incident.
On our way back, Liang Chuan remained silent. The only sound in the car was the roar of the engine, creating an oppressive atmosphere that made it hard to breathe.
"Thank you," he finally said softly, his voice as light as a feather falling to the ground.
I glanced at him. "I just did what needed to be done."
Liang Chuan lifted his head and met my gaze for the first time. "No one believes me."
"Because you are too silent," I said. "The world won't hear those who do not speak."
He seemed to want to say something but swallowed it back. The scenery outside flew by, sunlight filtering through the trees and casting dappled shadows on him.
When we got home, Liang Mo was waiting in the living room. Upon seeing us return, he immediately stood up and walked briskly toward Liang Chuan. "What happened?"
Liang Chuan shook his head and softly said it was nothing.
Liang Mo looked at me, suspicion filling his eyes. "What did you do?"
"I saved your brother's life," I exaggerated deliberately. "Otherwise, he might have been expelled from school by now."
Liang Mo raised his eyebrows in surprise, seemingly unable to believe it.
Liang Xue ran down from upstairs, and upon seeing Liang Chuan's face, she immediately burst into tears. "Brother, your face..."
Liang Chuan crouched down to comfort his sister. "It's fine, just a little injury."
Liang Mo took Liang Chuan to the kitchen, and I heard them speaking in low voices. Soon after, Liang Mo came out alone and stood in front of me. "Thank you for helping Chuan Chuan."
I pretended to be nonchalant. "It's my job."
He hesitated for a moment before simply nodding and turning to go upstairs. I noticed that his posture was no longer so stiff.
That night, I routinely checked the children's homework. In Liang Chuan's workbook, the number of mistakes had noticeably decreased, and there were even some extracurricular problems he had solved independently.
In Liang Xue's practice book, there was a drawing of a woman in black clothes with the words "Teacher Xia" written beside it. Although the drawing was rough, it was clear she had drawn me.
To my surprise, Liang Mo not only completed his reading notes for "War and Peace," but also included an analysis of the main characters.
"It seems you really like Tolstoy?" I asked with a hint of sarcasm in my tone.
Liang Mo shrugged. "It's more interesting than you think."
I raised an eyebrow. "Starting tomorrow, read 'Crime and Punishment.' I want a full analysis."
The corner of Liang Mo's mouth twitched slightly, half-smiling. "You really are a demon."
"Thank you for the compliment," I said as I stood up to leave, my steps light.
The psychological suggestion remained effective, but I found myself beginning to enjoy my time with these three children. This made me feel a bit uneasy—I was here to carry out a mission, not to develop feelings.
In the stillness of the night, I stood by the window gazing at the distant starry sky. The experiment had been ongoing for a week; there were still eleven weeks left. I wondered what surprises these three children would bring me.
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