Chapter 93
"You...you..." The teacher was choked speechless by Lin Ruo's straightforward questioning. His face turned pale and blue. He pointed at Lin Ruo again, his lips trembling with anger.
Lu Yiming next to him looked at Lin Ruo with eyes that seemed to be spitting fire and full of resentment, but under Lin Ruo's cold gaze, he opened his mouth, but in the end did not dare to say anything, just staring at her.
Lin Ruo paid no attention to Lu Yi's anger. Her focus was entirely on Qin Yu, closely monitoring his reaction, fearing he might be swayed by the teacher's words. Fortunately, Qin Yu's expression, though complex, was remarkably resolute. He took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and met his teacher's gaze directly. He spoke clearly and forcefully, each word emphasizing his concern. "Thank you for your concern, teacher! But I still want to clear my name. I don't want to live my whole life bearing the stigma of academic fraud."
Hearing Qin Yu's answer, Lin Ruo finally felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief. This was the way it should be. Stand firm and don't be fooled by those hypocritical excuses.
Seeing that his soft approach wasn't working, the teacher's face turned cold. He stopped looking at Qin Yu and suddenly raised his voice, filled with anger and threat: "Qin Yu! From childhood to adulthood, how many people have truly treated you? It was me, the one who always valued you and trained you as my last disciple! I never imagined that you would be such a heartless and ungrateful person! Since that's the case, from now on, the relationship between you and me as teacher and student is severed!"
Qin Yu's body visibly stiffened, his lips pursed tightly, but he didn't respond immediately, as if his words had struck a chord. Seeing this, Lin Ruo immediately stepped forward, "Okay, severing ties is fine. But before you do, apologize for stealing a student's academic paper and intending to claim it as your own! Apologize in front of everyone!"
"You...!" The teacher turned his head suddenly and stared at Lin Ruona with cold eyes full of hatred. Lin Ruona's heart trembled, but he was not afraid. He was just about to quietly activate the power in the bracelet just in case.
At this moment, a tall figure suddenly blocked her way. She was stunned for a moment, her pupils shrinking slightly, and the only thing in her sight was Ning Yuan's back and the back of his head. She had never expected Ning Yuan to do such a thing.
As if feeling the gaze from behind, Ning Yuan turned his head slightly and glanced at her lightly out of the corner of his eye, his eyes still cold.
At this moment, the familiar, cold mechanical voice rang in Lin Ruo's mind:
[Host, hello. Your capture target Ning Yuan's affection value towards you has risen to 1.]
1 o'clock!
Although it was a tiny amount, it was a breakthrough. Lin Ruo felt a sudden sense of relief. Finally... there was some hope.
In fact, the teacher was pulled away by Lu Yiming just as she walked over. He had seen her abilities, so he didn't dare to act rashly. It was too weird.
Although he ignored Lin Ruo, the teacher continued to pua Qin Yu: "Think carefully about whether you really want to sever ties with your mentor."
His repeated questioning made Qin Yu, who had already firmly believed in the matter, waver a little. What should he do?
Lin Ruo wanted to go over to see what was going on, but she never expected Ning Yuan to come over and grab her arm, signaling her not to go over.
So she stood there staring at Qin Yu, clenching her fists, a little nervous, but unexpectedly Qin Yu said nothing, staring at the teacher with cold eyes. After about a few minutes, he turned around, held Lin Ruo's arm, and walked towards the door, Ning Yuan following behind.
Lu Yiming wanted to stop the three people, but was stopped by the teacher next to him. He could only stand there and stare at their backs as they left.
Coming down from the rooftop and back into the car, the atmosphere was even more solemn than when they arrived. Qin Yu sat in the back seat, staring out the window at the passing street scene, and remained silent for a long time.
It was not until the car entered the main road that he turned his head and looked at Lin Ruo in the passenger seat. The confusion and struggle in his eyes were gone, replaced by a clear and determined look.
"Sister," he began, his voice soft but remarkably firm, "I've made up my mind. Teacher...that man is no longer worthy of my trust. Regarding the thesis and what he did...I will handle it. I won't let him control me anymore."
Lin Ruo turned her head to look at him, feeling relieved. She nodded and said, "Well, just think it through. If you need any help, feel free to tell me."
"Well, okay!" Qin Yu responded vigorously, as if he had unloaded a heavy burden.
Just then, Lin Ruo's phone rang. She took it out and saw that it was the familiar director from the "Dear Family" production team calling. She answered the phone: "Hello, Director?"
"Lin Ruo!" The director's voice was filled with a subtle hint of anxiety. "Finally, I got through to you! How are things going over there? The audience is pressing for the show, and the directors are also pressed for time. When can you expect to be back?"
Lin Ruo suddenly remembered the show. Gu Anan's story had come to light, and the audience was probably eager to see what would happen when she returned. But then she thought about Qin Yu's recent reveal, and the possibility of further complications, and hesitated. "Part of the problem has been resolved, but..."
Before she finished speaking, Qin Yu beside her turned his head and pushed her arm, indicating her agreement.
Lin Ruo glanced at him helplessly and said to the phone, "We'll do it as soon as possible and give you the exact information later."
After hanging up the phone, the car just pulled into the driveway of Lu Yinzhou's villa. As soon as he got out of the car, Meng Mian came up to him eagerly, his uninjured hand still clutching his phone. "The coach just called to ask about my situation and told me to go back to the team to recuperate. I..."
Meng Mian looked at her eagerly, clearly conflicted. Then she thought again, worried that he'd return to his team and meet the opposing team. She sighed, "The production team just called, hoping we..."
Before he could finish his words, his phone rang. It was Lu Yinzhou. He glanced at the screen, his brows furrowed slightly, then walked over to pick up the phone. "Hello, Mom... Um, we're all together... Just finished dealing with it... Coming home? Now?" He paused, as if listening to the other end of the line, then replied, "...Okay, got it."
After hanging up the phone, he walked back to the group, his eyes sweeping over them. His tone was calm but unquestionable: "Mom called and asked us to all go back. Now." He paused and added, "She must have seen the announcement I sent out."
Lin Ruo nodded in understanding. Seeing the explosive news of their son's sudden retirement from the entertainment industry, Lin's parents must have been distraught, and summoning the children home was inevitable. She said consciously, "Then you should go back quickly. I just need to contact the production team..."
"No!" Qin Yu and Meng Mian interrupted her in unison.
Qin Yu immediately said, "Let's go back together." Meng Mian also nodded vigorously.
Lin Ruo was a little surprised and was about to decline: "This isn't appropriate..."
"Let's go together." A deep voice sounded. It was Lu Yinzhou. He looked at Lin Ruo with a complicated look in his eyes.
Lin Ruo looked at Lu Yinzhou in surprise, having never expected him to take the initiative to invite her. She subconsciously glanced at Ning Yuan, who had been standing silently beside her. Ning Yuan had his hands tucked into his windbreaker pockets, his face expressionless. But when she looked at him, he gave a barely perceptible nod, tacitly agreeing with Lu Yinzhou's words.
Ning Yuan's subtle gesture left Lin Ruo with no reason to refuse. Lu Yinzhou's invitation, Ning Yuan's silent approval, and the earnest gazes of Qin Yu and Meng Mian... She took a deep breath and said, "Okay, let's go back together." She still didn't know how to face Lin's father and mother. The embarrassing scene last time was still fresh in her mind.
And so, the five of them, each with their own mixed feelings, got in the car again and drove towards the Lin family's home. Outside the car window, dusk gradually deepened, but the atmosphere inside the car was even more indescribably solemn than when they arrived. Lin Ruo looked at Ning Yuan, who was resting with his eyes closed beside her, and then thought about Lu Yinzhou's words, and a wave of emotion quietly surged in her heart. She had been so busy with her four younger brothers that she had completely forgotten how to build a relationship with Lin's father and mother.
While she was lost in her thoughts, the car quietly arrived at the foot of the mountain. This time, there was no stopping, but the car continued up the winding mountain road, finally coming to a steady stop in front of the Lin family's gate, nestled in the greenery.
The mountain air, with its unique crispness and the fragrance of plants, silently permeated her. The mental fatigue brought on by her recent frequent use of metaphysical abilities was alleviated considerably by this tranquil and natural environment. Lin Ruo felt that she was indeed in much better shape than when she arrived.
As soon as they pushed open the car door, they saw Lin's father and mother waiting at the door. Seeing the children get out of the car, they immediately hurried over to greet them. When Lin's mother's eyes fell on Lin Ruo, she paused imperceptibly, and a very brief flash of surprise crossed her eyes.
Lin Ruo took in her mother's subtle reaction and understood. Beyond the unchangeable bond of blood, they lacked many tender memories of their shared life, making a sense of distance inevitable. This was only the third time they had met in their lives.
Mother Lin led everyone into the living room. After they sat down, she didn't exchange any pleasantries. Her gaze fell directly on Lu Yinzhou, with concern and a subtle solemnity. "Yinzhou, have you decided to quit the entertainment industry?" Her voice was gentle, but questioning.
"Yeah." Lu Yinzhou's answer was brief and firm without any hesitation.
Mother Lin and Father Lin exchanged a look, a look that held many unspoken words. Finally, Mother Lin turned to Lu Yinzhou, took a deep breath, and, as if resolute, said in a clear and steady voice, "Actually...your father isn't on death row."
“…”
As soon as Mother Lin finished speaking, Lu Yinzhou, who had been keeping his head slightly lowered, suddenly raised his head! His deep eyes were filled with indescribable shock and disbelief as he looked straight at her.
Not only Lu Yinzhou, but also Lin Ruo, Qin Yu, Meng Mian, and Ning Yuan all had varying degrees of astonishment on their faces.
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