But now his question already mixed with heavy personal emotions.

How will Camden River answer?

To some extent, answering clearly would mean admitting Professor Lee’s insinuation.

Proximity to vermilion makes one red; proximity to ink makes one black. Windsor Myres is the ink. If one wishes to maintain integrity, they should stay away from her.

Will he answer?

The classroom was silent for a long time, everyone was waiting for an answer.

Camden River’s thin lips quivered slightly, looking at Professor Lee on the podium with gray hair and straight back, he couldn’t utter a word.

Indeed, his mind was blank, unable to say a single word.

In all the years past, he had never felt so uncomfortable in front of any teacher as he did now, nor had he ever felt so at a loss in any class. He looked at the ground, wishing a crack would open for him to disappear into.

"Camden River!" Professor Lee called him again, his voice stern and loud.

He was also waiting for an answer; without one, he couldn’t maintain his dignity. The classroom atmosphere was too tense.

On the verge of explosion. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The two met each other’s gaze from afar, they were at a deadlock when suddenly a clear female voice echoed in the classroom, "Professor, I have a question."

This voice appeared suddenly, yet it was resounding. The tense atmosphere in the classroom seemed to break open.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and looked over.

Professor Lee, with a stiff face, also looked in the direction of the voice source, the second row in front, where Mia Ginger had already stood up.

Professor Lee recognized all the students, including her, of course.

Though she had taken a break from her studies, upon returning to school she completed all classroom assignments, attending every class and always sitting in the front rows. Naturally, she left a fairly good impression.

Professor Lee spoke calmly, "You may speak."

Mia Ginger pursed her lips, placing one hand on the desk, her posture straight, trying to keep her tone smooth, "It depends on how you explain it. For example, ’Better a broken jade than an intact tile’ and ’As long as the green mountains are there, there’s no fear of running out of firewood,’ or for instance ’Reading is superior to all else’ and ’A scholar is useless.’ I feel your statement is similar. Proximity to ink makes one black, yet proximity to vermilion makes one red. But what if vermilion and ink are together? Will the ink become as red as vermilion, or will vermilion definitely become as black as ink? I’m very perplexed, please explain."

"Ha."

As she finished speaking, suppressed laughter echoed in the classroom.

Professor Lee, caught off guard, was taken aback, looking at Mia Ginger with a somber expression.

Mia Ginger appeared sincere, her eyes clear and bright as she looked at him, with an expression somewhat troubled, seeming to have a thirst for knowledge.

Professor Lee’s anger couldn’t be expressed.

How could he still think about reprimanding Camden River? In his decades of teaching, it was the first time a student had confronted him like this.

In front, Windsor Myres had a notorious reputation at school, so he had reason to criticize, but now standing up was Mia Ginger, a class leader, with never a flaw in her classroom performance, he wanted to reprimand but couldn’t find a pretext.

Saying it was improper, she had stood up and asked with his permission.

Yet this question—

It was a blatant challenge to him!

If it were usual circumstances, he might have been able to use references to argue with her, but being caught in a moment of anger by such a sudden question, his mind went blank.

In his view, there was only Mia Ginger’s sincere and composed face.