"Teacher, teacher, didn't you say you'd stand by my side? They're trying to arrest me, please say something!"
Zeng Han's face turned ashen as she questioned Ruan Chen, "How did you get our school's surveillance footage?"
Ruan Chen really couldn't answer.
“I gave it to her.” An old voice came from outside the door.
An elderly man walked in with his hands behind his back and a smile on his face. "This is for my classmate Ruan Chen."
Although he appeared very amiable, he possessed an imposing aura that commanded respect and made people hesitant to offend him.
Feng Yuankai is the principal of Jingzhou No. 1 Middle School.
Although it's just a high school, he has been in that position for over thirty years, and many prominent figures have to bow their heads and call him "teacher" when they see him.
Zeng Han quickly put on a smile, "Principal, how did this matter bother you?"
Feng Yuankai still smiled and said, "The police cars have already driven to my school. Wouldn't it be too much for me not to come out and take a look? What's going on? Are you taking this child away?"
The two policewomen knew that Feng Yuankai was asking them questions, and replied, "Lou Heng is suspected of intentional injury. Although he is still a minor, we need to notify his parents to come and give a statement."
Lou Heng was sobbing uncontrollably. He already knew the seriousness of the matter, and he didn't even dare to think about what would happen if his strict father found out.
In his view, it was just a playful fight that often happened between classmates, so why was he being taken to the police station?
Moreover, so many classmates were watching the spectacle back then, and they were all so gloating. Now, why are they all tucked their tails between their legs and not daring to make a sound?
Feng Yuankai sighed and said to the two policemen, "Comrades, let's talk in my office. Lou Heng, you come over here too."
Zeng Han quickly followed.
Feng Yuankai stopped, still smiling, and said, "Teacher Zeng doesn't need to come over. Ruan Chen, you come here too."
As the group left, the chatter in the classroom resumed.
"Is her family extremely wealthy? I noticed that even the principal treated her very politely."
"The surname Ruan is not a common surname. Could they be from the Ruan family?"
"Even if it is, it's probably a collateral branch. I heard that the children of the head of the Ruan family are all studying at Huating Public School, where the tuition is hundreds of thousands a year. That's terrifying."
"Tch, a few hundred thousand is not bad. My neighbor has a boy from an average family who was recruited by Huating Academy. Not only is tuition free, but he also receives a scholarship of about 100,000 every year."
Zeng Han slammed her hand on the desk on the podium. "Chatting nonstop on the first day of school, huh? Time for morning reading!"
In the office.
"Lou Heng, apologize to Ruan Chen."
Lou Heng was already terrified, his mind filled with images of his father's belt—in fact, his grades weren't outstanding in the top class, and he only ranked around 300th in the city in this exam. It was his father who spent a lot of money to pull strings and force him into the class.
If he were expelled from the high school because of this, he would feel like dying.
"Ruan Chen, I was wrong. I shouldn't have tripped you on purpose, and I shouldn't have laughed at you... I can't go to the police station! If my dad finds out, he'll beat me to death!"
He raised his hand to wipe away his tears, and Ruan Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.
Lou Heng had several raised wounds crisscrossing his forearm.
It was made by drawing from bamboo strips.
Cao De used to like to slap her like that too.
It hurts, but doesn't bleed, heals quickly, and doesn't leave a scar.
Forgotten memories surged back, and Ruan Chen's body, hidden beneath her clothes, stiffened slightly. She subconsciously asked, "You're your father's biological child, aren't you?"
Lou Heng, who was wailing, suddenly stopped, not understanding what Ruan Chen meant by asking that question.
"...Yes...I'm an only child in my family."
Ruan Chen realized her lapse in composure, lowered her eyes, picked up the hot tea on the table, took a sip, and felt the warmth soothe her cold palms.
She waved casually, looking somewhat weary, sighed softly, and said, "Let's reconcile."
She looked at the two police officers and said obediently, "Thank you for coming all this way, ladies. We'd like to settle this."
The two police officers didn't find it troublesome. "If every student had the same awareness as Ruan Chen, many accidental injury cases on campus would be reduced, such as the most common campus violence and bullying. Those kids always think that we police don't care about these small things and just swallow their anger, but anything that hurts you is not a small matter to us."
After the police left, Feng Yuankai didn't make things difficult for Lou Heng. He just said kindly, "Alright, you're a big, strong man. Look at how you're crying. Go back to your morning study."
Ruan Chen was about to slip away when Feng Yuankai called him back.
"Are you in such a hurry to leave because you're avoiding me?"
Ruan Chen sighed, "Principal, how could I dare? I was just trying to cause you trouble. I'd better get out of here so you won't find me an eyesore."
"It's not too much trouble. It'll be a good opportunity to teach those arrogant brats a lesson. How's Duan doing lately? Still burning the midnight oil at his martial arts research institute?"
It took Ruan Chen a few seconds to realize who Xiao Duan was.
The Institute of Military Science and Technology... it seems like only the one at Beijing University of Technology is left, right?
“Duan Jingfu, your teacher, was also in the top class more than 20 years ago. Speaking of which, I taught him physics. He told me that his precious student from three years later would be studying at our No. 1 High School, and asked me to keep an eye on you so that nothing would happen to you,” Feng Yuankai laughed. “And on the very first day, you gave me a pleasant surprise.”
Ruan Chen sighed and tugged at her hair. "Principal, it really wasn't me who caused this trouble. Luckily, I was lucky, otherwise if I had fallen face down, my beautiful face would have been ruined."
“That’s not what I meant,” Duan Jingfu turned his laptop around so the screen faced Ruan Chen. “On the first day of school, you hacked into the school’s network security system and pulled up the surveillance footage yourself. How little do you trust me, the principal?”
Ruan Chen hadn't actually considered the issue of trust; she was simply used to being in control and taking the initiative.
"Then... I should write a self-criticism?"
"No need. Just go to the cybersecurity department in your spare time and fix the hole."
Ruan Chen, with a sincere expression, asked, "Principal, are we working for free? What about the Law on the Protection of Minors and the Labor Law...?"
Feng Yuankai's ever-present smile froze for a moment. "Are the Ye family and the Ruan family about to go bankrupt?! Last time your uncle brought me here, you asked me if your tuition could be reduced. Are you obsessed with money?"
Ruan Chen couldn't say that this was an instinct left to her by the past years—she certainly didn't lack money now, but deep down she was always sensitive to and longed for money.
She strolled lazily down the corridor, basking in the sun, on her way to the classroom, when she heard a very familiar voice in the distance.
Ruan Chen tilted his head and picked at his ear, thinking, "I've seen a ghost in broad daylight."
In the classroom, Ruan Yunhan cried and wiped away her tears. "My younger sister is always so domineering at home. Look at this scar on my hand. She ordered her sister to cut it with a knife. She knew I was going to play the piano. She wanted to ruin my future!"
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