"No, no, you've come at the perfect time," the young girl said, habitually putting a brave face on things.
Yu Xiuxiu couldn't help but smile, gently ruffling her hair. Her gaze then fell on Xie Jin-yi, standing beside the girl. They had met before, over the bracelet incident. But Xie Jin-yi had looked much better then. Recalling Xie Liangzhe's troubles, Yu Xiuxiu felt a pang of sympathy for the young woman.
"Mom, Yi-yi just saved the day for me. She's amazing!" the girl exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
Xie Jin-yi, mustering her strength, smiled faintly. "Hello, Auntie."
"Hello," Yu Xiuxiu replied with a gentle smile, "Thank you for speaking up for Yi-yi."
Xie Jin-yi offered a soft smile in return.
"If it's convenient, you should visit us more often," Yu Xiuxiu invited sincerely. "Yi-yi really likes you." As a mother herself, Yu Xiuxiu understood the helplessness of Mrs. Xie. However, she didn't agree with Mrs. Xie's approach of involving her daughter in matters that were beyond her years. It was inherently wrong, but as an outsider, she couldn't say anything. She could only offer what warmth she could.
A flicker of light suddenly appeared in Xie Jin-yi's dark eyes, quickly extinguished, but it had been there. "Okay," she replied softly. When she first met the Wen parents, she hadn't felt much envy. But today, watching them protect their daughter with such trust and favoritism, she realized it was something she would never have in her lifetime. Sometimes, she truly envied Wen Tingxue.
Meanwhile, Wen Di, unable to convince Wen Zhongen, had to follow protocol and report the matter to the principal. They would see how the principal handled it. Based on his understanding of the principal, expulsion was the most likely outcome.
Before he could make the call, two sets of hurried footsteps approached the office door, and then two people appeared. Yu Yahe instantly burst into tears, "Dad... Mom..."
Wen Di, holding the phone, frowned in distress.
"Teacher! Teacher Wen!" Mrs. Yu cried, grabbing Wen Di's hand earnestly. "I'm begging you, please, be merciful. I admit my daughter made a mistake, but she's only a teenager, still in school. If she's expelled, what will she do with her life?" Mrs. Yu's tears flowed freely. "If you're willing to let her off the hook this time, I'll discipline her properly and make sure she never does something like this again. If she dares to offend again, I'll take her out of school myself, without you having to say a word, and save your place from any further trouble."
Wen Di hated seeing people cry, but this situation... "Mrs. Yu," Wen Di advised kindly, "it's not that I don't want to help you, but I can't. Yahe's bullying is a fact. Regardless of her reasons, she hurt someone. As such, she must face the consequences."
Wen Zhongen nodded in satisfaction. The young man was teachable. Wen Di was soft-hearted and easily swayed, but he wasn't unreasonable. After talking for a while, he felt he had been a bit too harsh. Therefore, he couldn't speak up for Yu Yahe now.
Mrs. Yu was sobbing uncontrollably. Wen Di put down the phone and handed her two tissues. Before he could offer any comfort, Mr. Yu stepped forward and slapped Yu Yahe twice. If Wen Di hadn't intervened quickly, Mr. Yu might have continued.
"What are you doing?" Wen Di frowned disapprovingly. "Even if your child made a mistake, you shouldn't hit her in front of everyone."
Mr. Yu's face was contorted with anger. "She deserves it! At her age, she's learned nothing but shameful behavior! If she gets expelled, I'll send her off to work!" Yu Yahe covered her face and trembled. Her crutch had fallen when her father started hitting her. She was now kneeling on the floor, looking quite disheveled.
Wen Tingxue was startled by Mr. Yu's actions, still stunned. Mrs. Yu suddenly knelt before her. Wen Tingxue jumped up in surprise.
Yu Xiuxiu frowned. "What are you doing?" She reached out to help her up. Mrs. Yu dodged her hand and even kowtowed a few times, the thuds echoing in the room. The scene suddenly fell silent, only Mrs. Yu's tearful pleas could be heard. "Child! Auntie is begging you! Auntie will kowtow to you! If you speak up, this matter can be put to rest. Who doesn't dote on their child? I know my daughter wronged you, and I apologize on her behalf. If you drop the matter, I'll do anything you ask!"
As she spoke, Mrs. Yu noticed a smudge on Wen Tingxue's shoe and crawled forward. "Auntie will clean your shoes, just please spare my daughter..."
Wen Tingxue had never seen such a scene and instinctively hid behind Yu Xiuxiu. Yu Xiuxiu shielded her daughter and stepped back, her expression unchanged. "Please don't do this. It makes things awkward for everyone." Although she disliked emotional blackmail, seeing a mother in her forties or fifties kneel for her daughter would touch anyone.
Wen Di and Mr. Yu rushed to pull her up, but even two grown men couldn't move her. The cries of supplication mixed with words of persuasion, creating a clamor in the small space.
Wen Tingxue bit her lip, unable to watch. Finally, out of pity, she relented. "Please get up... I won't have her expelled." Her voice was soft, but Mrs. Yu was eagerly awaiting her response. As soon as she spoke, Mrs. Yu stopped her pleas. The scene gradually quieted down, and Wen Di and Mr. Yu helped Mrs. Yu to her feet. While the situation had its reasons, they were still people of pride, and Mrs. Yu's expression was complex as tears streamed down her face.
Then, she suddenly stepped forward. Wen Zhongen and Yu Xiuxiu instinctively moved to protect their daughter. Fortunately, Mrs. Yu had no intention of doing anything drastic. She simply bowed deeply. "Thank you, child. I will discipline Yahe properly from now on, and I promise she won't bother you again." Mrs. Yu tidied her slightly disheveled hair and offered a rather pleasant smile.
Wen Tingxue nodded, unsure of what to say. She just felt that Yu Yahe had a good mother. Wen Di hadn't expected things to turn out this way, but the outcome was satisfactory.
"Since that's the case," Wen Di said, looking at Yu Xiuxiu and Wen Zhongen. "Do you have any other requests?" Since expulsion was off the table, they wouldn't let it go easily.
Yu Xiuxiu consulted with her daughter, then looked up and said, "We want a public apology."
Mr. and Mrs. Yu quickly agreed. As long as it wasn't expulsion, they were willing to do anything. Wen Di also deemed this punishment acceptable. "Then a three-thousand-character self-criticism, a public apology during the flag-raising ceremony on Monday." He looked at Yu Yahe and the others, who all nodded in unison.
The matter concluded, and evening study hall was just ending. Wen Tingxue stepped out of the office with her parents, feeling as if the very air was sweet. Glancing to the side, she saw a tall, slender young man standing by the corridor, admiring the moon with his arms crossed. His solitary, refined aura was even more striking than the moon. However, the pink schoolbag slung over his arm was somewhat jarring.
In a cheerful mood, the young girl skipped over. "Yu Ge! You've already packed everything for me!"
"Mm," Yu Wenli replied lazily, glancing at her.
Wen Zhongen and Yu Xiuxiu approached. Yu Wenli politely greeted them, "Uncle, Auntie."
"You two chat. We'll see these two esteemed lawyers out," Yu Xiuxiu said, taking Wen Zhongen's arm as they left, followed by the two elite lawyers with smiles.
Wen Tingxue blinked in confusion, her gaze following her parents. When she turned back, she found Yu Wenli staring intently at her. His posture of crossed arms and his scrutinizing gaze told her all she needed to know. Even if she were foolish, she'd know to make a quick escape. But as soon as she took a step, her collar was grabbed.
"Cough, cough..." The young girl feigned a cough, attempting to evoke some sympathy.
To her surprise, he scoffed coldly. "You can't even fake it convincingly."
"..."
"Let's talk," Yu Wenli said, surveying her at his leisure. "How many times have you lied to big brother?"