Chapter 11 — The Day the Whole School Went Wild

The father of Jia Yan thundered through the telephone.

Do you still not find this embarrassing enough?

Business partners have already come directly to me to ask about this.

You will apologize to them immediately.

The mother of Jia Yan gripped the phone tightly, her voice dropping to a whisper.

I understand.

She ended the call and turned to look at me. Her previous arrogance had completely vanished. She forced a stiff, awkward smile onto her face.

Shen, dear, you were just a bit too hot-headed earlier.

Jia Yan was in the wrong, so let me apologize to you on her behalf.

I looked straight at her.

Didn’t you say that it takes two hands to clap?

The smile on the mother of Jia Yan froze instantly. I continued, Why is it suddenly making a sound now? Someone in the surrounding crowd let out a soft chuckle. The face of Jia Yan's mother turned completely ashen. Jia Yan burst into loud, bitter sobs, crying out, Nan Qiao, I am sorry. She stood beside the edge of the stage, her shoulders shaking with violent sobs.

I truly know I made a mistake now.

Can you please ask them to stop investigating this further?

I asked her, Are you saying this because you realize your mistake, or because you made it to the trending search lists? Her crying abruptly halted. The answer was written plainly all over her face. Team Leader Shao closed his notebook with a sharp snap.

An apology is not the end of an investigation.

The school, the head teacher, and all the students involved must be dealt with according to proper procedure.

The principal nodded immediately.

We will cooperate fully.

The leader from the Department of Education looked at him coldly.

It takes more than just a couple of words like full cooperation to finish this.

The Affiliated High School must submit a comprehensive rectification plan.

A preliminary explanatory report must be submitted by the end of today.

The principal’s back seemed to hunch over significantly under the weight of those words. The representatives from other schools who were sitting in the auditorium all wore extremely complicated expressions. Someone whispered quietly, Thank goodness we paused the signing.

If something like this became a cooperative model, it would be an absolute joke.

My mother had been standing right beside me the entire time. From the very beginning until now, she had never let go of my hand. The palm of her hand was very warm. It was so warm that a sudden stinging sensation pricked at the bridge of my nose. I had foolishly thought that I no longer cared about any of this. But when someone finally stepped forward to shield and protect me, I realized that I had secretly been waiting for this all along. Waiting for someone to tell me it was not my fault. Waiting for someone to tell me that I no longer needed to swallow my grievances and endure in silence. The conference was forcibly converted into an emergency internal briefing meeting. The host announced the cancellation of the student representative's previously scheduled speech. The signing ceremony for the Nan Qiao Development Fund was postponed indefinitely. All related documents concerning the Affiliated High School were to undergo a thorough re-evaluation. Murmurs and whispers rippled through the audience below. After the red ribbon across her chest was untied, Jia Yan still kept her head lowered in shame. Cheng Hao stood pressed against a corner with his hands covering his face, not even daring to cast a single glance in my direction. Gao Lan was ordered by the inspection team to leave the auditorium immediately to assist with the ongoing investigation. As she walked past me, her footsteps paused for a fleeting second.

Shen Nan Qiao.

Her voice was terribly hoarse.

Must you truly drive others into a dead end?

I raised my head and looked at her.

Teacher Gao.

I am merely stating the things that you all have already done.

If this is considered driving someone into a dead end, then the person responsible for it is certainly not me.

Gao Lan’s lips trembled uncontrollably. She did not say anything more. Two staff members escorted her out of the auditorium. As she reached the doorway, her phone suddenly rang. She looked down at the screen, and her expression instantly shifted. The screen was brightly lit. The caller ID was saved under the name of Jia Yan's mother. Yet Jia Yan's mother was clearly standing right there inside the auditorium. Head Teacher Tong saw it as well. She furrowed her brow.

Teacher Gao, you should not answer that just yet.

Reflexively, Gao Lan shoved the phone behind her back. The movement was far too obvious. Team Leader Shao immediately turned his gaze toward her.

Hand the phone over to the staff.

Gao Lan’s face turned deathly pale.

This is my personal phone.

Team Leader Shao stared at her unblinkingly.

Who just called you?

Gao Lan did not answer. The mother of Jia Yan panicked as well.

I did not call.

She held up her own phone for everyone to see.

I really did not call.

The atmosphere in the auditorium grew taut once again, stretched like a tight bowstring. A staff member stepped forward and took Gao Lan’s phone. When the phone number and preview on the screen became visible, the principal’s expression warped as well. Beneath the saved contact name, a previous text message preview was clearly displayed on the screen.

Teacher Gao, Jia Yan’s merit review documents still require your kind assistance, I have already left the token of appreciation in your car.

11

Once that text message preview appeared, the gaze of the entire auditorium converged on Gao Lan’s face. Gao Lan looked as though someone had clamped a stranglehold around her throat. Her very first reaction was to lunge forward and snatch the phone back. The staff member stepped back to avoid her. Team Leader Shao’s cold voice rang out through the hall.

Teacher Gao, I must ask for your cooperation.

Gao Lan’s face was devoid of all color.

That was just polite pleasantry from a parent.

It is not what everyone thinks it is.

The mother of Jia Yan grew frantic as well.

Yes, yes, it was just polite talk.

My family has a good relationship with the teacher, what is wrong with giving some fruit during the holidays?

Cheng Hao’s father stood nearby, his expression growing steadily uglier.

Can fruit be left inside a private car?

And bundled together in the exact same message thread regarding a merit review document?