Chapter 22 A Very New Rumor
In contrast to the tranquility, elegance, and peaceful life of Meng'er.
The atmosphere in the reception room was so awkward and stagnant, as if it were filled with glue. No one could laugh, nor did they dare to show any other expression, lest the young lady misunderstand them.
Vice Principal He stared at his phone, his expression growing increasingly grim.
Before she could finish reading, her phone was already ringing incessantly with incoming calls and a barrage of messages.
Upon seeing the caller's name in the contact list, Vice Principal He took a few deep breaths, nodded to the people in the room, and then answered the phone while quickly walking towards the inner room of the reception area.
"Hello? Assistant Wu, what is it?"
"..."
Her departure made the others left in the waiting room feel even more awkward.
The teacher in charge of receiving the students' parents didn't understand what was going on, but she vaguely sensed something was wrong.
He glanced at everyone, then checked his phone to see what had happened that made He Xiao, who was usually so composed, change his expression.
First, message notifications popped up in the various school-related groups I was in, and then there were messages from teachers from other schools who I had joined for reasons such as inter-school communication but had been lying around for a long time.
The teacher was stunned for a moment, then quickly opened a chat group at random and saw the screen filled with shocked comments.
He only managed to catch a few key words.
'Surveillance', 'video', 'rich second generation', 'goes viral', 'school', 'what to do'.
So I quickly opened my usual social media apps, and sure enough, keywords were prominently displayed at the top of the homepage.
He knew each and every one of them intimately.
What?! Multiple girls being bullied, school bullying, and the idea that "lower people are not allowed to pick flowers"? Is this what the legendary elite school is all about?
What alarmed him most was a trending keyword consisting of only two short characters.
'Jingyun'.
No wonder... no wonder Principal Ho lost his composure.
Jingyun didn't want the matter to escalate too much, so she chose to discuss and come up with a solution as quickly as possible. They all agreed that this was the best solution.
There was no bias towards either side.
But now, things have suddenly taken a turn in the direction that Jingyun School least wanted to see, like a wild horse running rampant.
Everyone was sitting at the table, talking politely, when suddenly someone, without saying a word, flipped the table over.
The incident began twenty minutes earlier.
As the largest public social platform in China, Tengqing has hundreds of millions of users, and countless pieces of information are generated every moment, either getting lost in the crowd or rising in popularity and sparking discussion.
In Tengqing, there are some "internet celebrities" who generate considerable attention every time they post photos or make comments.
They are a group of unassuming rich kids.
The public initially had a bad impression of these people, and even now there are still many sarcastic and disdainful comments.
However, most people have a good impression of this group of second-generation rich kids who usually speak in a silly and casual way online and are approachable.
They post pictures of yachts and sports cars, of the extravagant lifestyles they share with friends at private parties, and of the daily lives of another social class that are rarely seen by ordinary people.
Each photo is full of style, and some marketing accounts have even gained a lot of followers by digging into the flaunting details in these photos.
But they also bluntly complain that yacht trips are just so-so, and they don't have the money for that, so they rent them.
Isn't this beautiful woman gorgeous? She's drunk and swinging a roasted lamb leg around everywhere.
That handsome guy looks so elite and abstinent, right? He's a total knockout after one drink, and he insisted on clinging to the railing while twisting and taking off his clothes... I can't go into details about that.
Their unique style, characterized by their affected mannerisms and smug displays of wealth, has attracted a large following.
Just twenty minutes earlier, this group of second-generation rich kids had tacitly posted a video one after another.
The accompanying image features a soybean emoji with a strong sense of sarcasm.
The silly netizens, who thought it was a team-building prank, clicked in with glee, their minds filled with what witty remarks they should make to go viral. But their smiles quickly froze.
To date, the top comment under the most popular video says—
【Hold? ? ? 】
Regardless of the comments below—whether it's condemnation of the boys' behavior in the video, sympathy and empathy for the girl facing all this alone, or accusations that the two girls, though standing by, are also accomplices—it doesn't matter.
Or they might talk about similar incidents they've experienced.
But nothing seems to compare to the top-rated comment, which is only one word. It makes me feel that after watching the video, all the words in my heart can only be summed up in this one word.
This incident escalated very quickly, precisely because their fans are mostly young, and both on campus and in the workplace, there is a lot of invisible and visible bullying.
Most of them are not yet at the age where they will be tamed by reality.
Or perhaps they've reached an age where they can say things like, "Everyone does it this way, that's the rule, if you're not tactful, someone else will be." Things like that.
Perhaps some of them have children of their own, or perhaps they have experienced similar situations before. They didn't dare to resist back then, but now do they not even have the courage to speak out?
Just as everyone was outraged by the incident, thinking that the girl had been bullied and that as long as they spoke out, the person who did wrong would pay the price, they continued to speak out to increase the popularity of the story.
It is unclear who forwarded Jingyun's announcement to Teng Qing.
And so, a magnificent fireworks display began.
Upon seeing those trending keywords, the teacher gasped in surprise, glancing at Lian Yi with astonishment. She quickly put her phone back in her pocket and stood up straight, keeping her eyes down.
He had nothing to do with this matter from beginning to end; he was just a small cog in the machine and hoped he wouldn't get caught up in it.
"cough……"
The secretary of the chairman of Baishan Real Estate adjusted his expression, a professional and polite smile appeared on his face, and his hands were lightly placed in front of him.
“Ms. Lian, I haven’t spoken until now because I wanted to fully understand the situation before we could communicate and determine responsibility.” His attitude was neither humble nor arrogant. “Actually, I’m quite dissatisfied with the school’s handling of the matter.”
"After all, both parties involved are students. I think this result is a bit too harsh. It's inevitable for students to make mistakes. The important thing is that they can correct their mistakes and start anew. What do you think?"
The pot-bellied man and the noblewoman, who had just spoken too harshly and hadn't had a chance to talk to Lian Yi, were now practically spitting out curses at him.
You make it sound so nice, but why didn't you stand up for me from the beginning?
Now they're acting like peacemakers, trying to reason with everyone, but they're just putting on airs by stepping on them!
But even though the steps were there, they still had to hold their noses and step on them.
Who is Lian Decheng? If the people present are small fish who are content with getting a share of food from Baishan Real Estate, then the Lian family is a crocodile to Baishan Real Estate, who would pick up even the smallest bit of food that falls on the ground and eat it with relish.
Real estate is the foundation and basis of the Lian Group, but with the development in recent years, the Lian Group's strategic deployment in the technology industry has opened up a new track.
They continued to race smoothly on this track, reaping both fame and fortune.
If you combine all their businesses and place them on the current scale of the Lian family, they would probably be no bigger than a grain of rice.
Right now, the group is in complete agreement: even though Lian Yi beat their child, it's a blessing for them.
What kind of compensation and apology do you want?
If she dares to offer it, would they dare to accept it?
Even if the person who hit their child today was a distant relative of Lian Decheng, they would still have to carefully consider how to turn the matter into a reconciliation and let bygones be bygones, let alone the fact that this person was Lian Decheng's only daughter.
What does that mean?
Even without Lian Decheng paying much attention to this matter, a large number of people were naturally willing to express their loyalty and attitude. Just this alone was enough to make them wish they were dead.
The lady touched her hair, her expression gradually becoming more natural. She glanced at Lian Yi, who hadn't said anything, and had previously thought that the other woman was dressed in cheap, student-like clothes and couldn't be presented in a respectable manner.
Now, however I look at it, I feel that this is the kind of calm and composed demeanor that only wealthy and powerful families can cultivate.
They've reached a point where they no longer chase after brands to adorn themselves, but rather prioritize comfort, exuding a low-key yet sophisticated style.
"Sigh, I was just too anxious." She smiled apologetically. "My child is usually spoiled at home, and the things he says and does can be really infuriating. But thinking about it now, I really should thank you, Miss Lian, shouldn't I?"
"You woke me up from my foolishness today, which is better than me making a big mistake later in life."
The pot-bellied middle-aged man coughed, cleared his throat, and his belly swayed slightly with his movements, the leather belt forming two sagging pieces of flesh.
"That makes sense. My child is the same way. He's spoiled rotten by his mother at home. Even I, as his father, can't say anything to him. But as parents, we're always anxious when we see our child hurt."
His fleshy face trembled, and his pale, oily face flushed red.
"They say it's the father's fault if his son is not taught properly. Miss Lian, don't worry, I'll definitely make that boy apologize to you and make him realize his mistake!"
The remaining lawyer, who was hired by the company, seemed to be the most composed one, but was actually panicking terribly.
He maintained his expressionless, elite demeanor, showing no intention of speaking.
The main reason is that he actually knows more than the people present: the young master of the Chen family in Hecheng has a very good personal relationship with this young lady of the Lian family.
This was something a senior figure at the law firm accidentally let slip when he got drunk at a dinner.
Afterwards, they even subtly told them not to spread the word.
The big boss and his subordinates are also members of the Chen family's legal team. As for him, he's not even qualified to run errands for people. At most, he's only good at handling minor disputes for some private entrepreneurs.
At this moment, he couldn't help but have the same curse thought that occasionally popped into the minds of the others.
You're a rich heiress, if you're going to cause trouble, just reveal your identity! Playing this "pretending to be weak to fool others" tactic... it really does work, huh?
"When disputes arise between students, I think we should consider the students' feelings rather than simply focusing on right and wrong." He hesitated for a long time before finally speaking, albeit somewhat abruptly.
“I understand the feelings of the two parents, but their words were indeed a bit harsh. However, if everyone calms down and thinks more about the children, I think it would be best to reach a reconciliation.”
Everyone seemed to have forgotten that he had coldly interrupted Vice Principal He earlier, correcting his choice of words by saying that since he was an adult, he shouldn't use the terms "child" or "student" to obscure the concept.
They all nodded in agreement. The atmosphere was harmonious, and everyone's expressions were ashamed and kind. They were all very polite and well-mannered.
As for the online discussions, they saw them but didn't care. At worst, they could drop out of school, or if all else failed, they could send him abroad to study. The one who should be worried was Jingyun; it wasn't their place to worry.
The most important thing now is to appease this young lady whom we can't afford to offend, but whom we've already offended most of.
Lian Yi smiled faintly, "Seriously—"
Everyone immediately shut their mouths, looking all ears.
"I still prefer how you guys were so unforgiving just now, and I completely agree that you should bear the consequences of your mistakes."
Lian Yi sat back in the chair she had just been sitting in. "You can continue. What kind of compensation do you want? How about we call the police? We can get a medical examination and determine liability. That would be fair to everyone."
She acted with an air of complete arrogance and conceit.
The men watching were secretly seething with resentment, but they had to immediately restrain themselves, afraid that this young lady would notice something amiss. They smiled and chatted back and forth as if they were performing a comedy routine.
What beating? It's just kids arguing, it's not that serious.
My son bullied someone? Absolutely, he's capable of such a thing! He must pay the price! He should compensate and apologize.
Pursue? What kind of talk is that! Everyone says it's just a conflict between kids, how serious could it be?
The portly man even walked up to Zhen's father, speaking in a friendly and warm tone. He took out his cigarette case, opened it, and was about to offer him a cigarette. When Zhen's father awkwardly waved his hand in refusal, he was not annoyed. He glanced at Zhen Qiuyue, whose cheeks were still wet with tears, and was deeply moved.
"Brother, it must be tough sending your child to school, right? Luckily you have a daughter who's studious and makes you proud!"
As Zhen Qiuyue watched this magical scene, she subconsciously looked at Lian Yi.
She still wore that faint smile, with an indifferent attitude, her gaze seemingly fixed ahead, yet also unsure of where it was settling.
Although I am in this reception room, I feel a sense of detachment, as if I am observing everything indifferently from the outside.
Until she seemed to notice his gaze and looked over, her slightly round eyes clear and beautiful, even though their identities had become worlds apart from that moment.
But those clear pupils were completely untainted.
As she stared intently, she noticed a slight surprise on Lian Yi's face, followed by her eyes gradually curving into crescent moons.
He winked at her again.
...
It was the same conference room.
The head of the teaching department had a somber expression. He touched his shiny bald head and realized that there was no point in slamming his fist on the table to express his emotions anymore.
He never imagined that this matter, which was neither a big deal nor a small one, would escalate to such an unmanageable state.
"This time, we're going to discuss..."
The dean of students paused, recalling the calm expression on the principal's face when he learned of the matter while the principal was abroad on exchange programs with universities, and the principal's brief and to-the-point reminder, which set the final course of action for this matter.
"We need to minimize the impact of this incident quickly! We need to clarify things!"
The head of teaching said in a deep voice, "Furthermore, there are some unfair aspects in the handling of this matter, and we need to discuss and adjust them again."
"..."
The people below looked surprised.
They are well aware of the current situation online; frankly speaking, it's simply a matter of information asymmetry.
By laying the situation bare and making it public, and explaining the subsequent developments, even if the outcome is a bit harsh on the girl, so what? On the contrary, it can demonstrate Jingyun's strictness in disciplining students.
Those boys weren't entirely spared from expulsion; it's just that one or two were treated leniently.
One student council member raised his hand and asked, "Director, I'd like to know what the school's definition of this adjustment is, and what the reasons are."
"..."
If anyone dares to ask such a question, the head of the teaching department twitched his lips slightly, and then said in a deep voice, "After further discussions with other school leaders, we all agree that it is understandable that the female student was involved in the subsequent dispute, and we do not have any direct or clear evidence to prove that she was really involved in this matter."
"Therefore, directly persuading him to resign would be unfair and inhumane."
"Jingyun has always adhered to the principle of teaching and nurturing students, so we have decided to withdraw the decision to expel her."
Why? Don't ask about things you shouldn't!
To the teacher's surprise, these student council members, who usually showed a strong thirst for knowledge in front of the teachers, looked at each other with strange expressions after hearing his words.
I didn't insist on asking any further questions.
-
"...Your learning ability is excellent. At this rate, I think I need to adjust the course schedule again."
Meng Er put down her tablet; she was used to looking people in the eye when she spoke to them.
This helps to promptly observe any subtle changes in the other person's facial expression.
However, this habit needs to be restrained when facing Xu Yitong. Although the boy did not show any aversion, he would lower his eyes as soon as she looked over, giving him a strange feeling of a kitten that had made a mistake and would not look at its owner.
Even such a genuine compliment caused the boy's pale skin to flush slightly.
Meng Er blinked calmly, suddenly curious about the educational methods the Xu family used to raise such a gullible child.
A person with little guile, whose inner thoughts can be seen through almost instantly.
【Thanks,:)】
As he lightly tapped the screen a few times with his fingertips, sure enough, Meng Er lowered his gaze slightly, and his message popped up on the tablet.
The most important thing in learning a language is to speak, write, and practice a lot.
Xu Yitong was even smarter than she had imagined. If you removed the major challenge of learning and correcting her pronunciation, the rest was simply a matter of writing things down and memorizing.
His exceptional memory amazed even Meng Er, who had witnessed many geniuses.
This caused the difficulty of this part-time job to drop dramatically in Meng Er's mind.
However, this was the scope she and Xu Yitong had agreed upon from the beginning, so she felt quite at ease with it.
It's his business if he learns quickly. Meng Er estimated that after about two more meetings like this, plus some reading assignments she had prepared for him, he would be able to reach the level he initially required.
"I've already sent you your reading list for this week," Meng Er said calmly. "They're quite simple and easy to understand, with no difficult or obscure words. If you don't understand something while reading, you can look it up and try to understand the passages."
"It helps you transform it into content that you are familiar with."
"If you really can't understand some words or sentences, you can ask me, and I will reply to you as soon as possible."
Xu Yitong nodded, then realized that Meng Er was still looking at him. He was stunned for a moment, wanting to ask, but not knowing how to say it.
His gaze fell on the matcha cake, now only a corner of it, on the exquisite plate in front of him. He remained upright, his thin lips pressed tightly together, as if he were deep in thought, his face expressionless.
Why is she still watching?
After Meng Er finished speaking, seeing that the other party did not react for a long time, she suddenly realized that he probably did not understand that while she was saying these words, she was also announcing the end of today's class.
But then, her attention was drawn to the matcha cake in front of the boy.
She hadn't realized when there was so little cake left.
Meng Er paused for a moment, then, having gradually figured out how to get along with Xu Yitong, she packed her things and said, "In that case, let's end today's class here. I have something to do, so I'll be leaving now."
It only took a short time for him to bend down to tidy up and then look up at the other person.
Um?
Meng Er glanced at the empty plates on the table, then looked at Xu Yitong.
The boy's lips, which were a lighter shade of color, had a small, faint green cream smeared on the corner of his mouth, barely noticeable, probably because he moved too quickly.
He had his eyes downcast when a slender hand suddenly reached out and pushed the tissue box in front of him.
He then bent his fingers and gently tapped the table.
With an undeniable reminder.
Xu Yitong subconsciously looked up and saw the girl calmly say to him, "Wipe your mouth. If you like it, you can order it next time. You don't have to eat so fast."
As Meng Er walked out of the private room, a long-bodied tail followed him at a distance.
Tail carried a backpack in one hand and a tissue in the other, looking down without saying a word.
When Meng Er walked into the hall, there were only a few students sitting there. He had just casually glanced over, but as he was about to look away, his pupils suddenly widened as if he had seen something shocking.
Not content with making enough noise, the leg under the table kicked its companion across the table.
My companion was engrossed in swiping on his phone when he was suddenly kicked. He hissed and glared at the other person.
Then, following the other person's repeated gesturing, he looked over at Meng Er, who was walking towards the gate, without understanding why.
"..."
Meng Er knew that Xu Yitong was somewhat famous in Jingyun, and his special status would make traveling with him even more eye-catching, but this reaction was a bit exaggerated.
But she has always been someone who doesn't care about what others think. If she cared about everything, she would only make her life too tiring.
Besides, many things are not worth her attention.
Xu Yitong, walking behind Meng Er, focused all her attention on the girl's back in front of her.
The reason he doesn't like to have too much contact with people is that he often doesn't know if he has done or not done something that might cause misunderstandings.
So, would Meng Er think his behavior just now was stupid? Actually, he didn't necessarily need to eat this little cake. Xu Yitong frowned slightly.
Can I have this little cake again next time...? But she said she'll probably order it again.
No one could guess what was troubling this boy, who looked down and had no expression on his face, at that moment.
The next moment, he abruptly stopped, nearly bumping into Meng Er who had suddenly stopped. His heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively gripped the tissue tightly in a nervous grip.
The other person seemed unaware of his reaction, and instead turned his head slightly, looking at the people whispering in the hall.
Admittedly, Meng Er wouldn't spare any extra attention to others.
However, if one's name is repeatedly mentioned, especially in bizarre or outlandish ways, then that's a different story.
At first, the students in the hall spoke in low voices, but gradually, as if they thought she and Xu Yitong had gone far away, they relaxed and spoke louder.
"This is Meng Er, the one who beat up Li Qingshui and his gang?!"
"I'm really shocked. I'd believe you if you said Xu Shen did it, but her? She really doesn't look like it!"
"Don't disbelieve me, my cousin works in the student council. He told me personally that it was Meng Er who hit the person. Only she and another girl were there when they started the fight."
"And also—"
The man spoke mysteriously, “Didn’t you all receive the school’s notice? Another girl was originally going to be expelled, just you wait and see, it’ll be changed soon.”
"Wow, no wonder he's the student representative, he's really handsome!"
"One person fighting four men? That's incredible!"
"I have some inside information: the school won't punish her in any way. You guys can figure it out."
"..."
Meng Er closed his eyes.
He paused slightly, then sighed almost imperceptibly.
She never expected that the main account and the alternate account would have their first collaboration in this way.
After calming down, Meng Er calmly pushed open the door and walked out.
On her way to the school bus stop, she received far more attention than she had a few days earlier.
What's most outrageous this time is that someone suddenly shouted "Well done!" at her back before fleeing, leaving the students on the road wondering who shouted it.
But it was this shout that gave many students the courage to speak up.
Every now and then, someone would pass by her and whisper, "You're really brave, I'll support you!"
Even in the face of Meng Er's cold attitude, similar expressions of support and encouragement continued to emerge.
Many of Jingyun's specially admitted students who had seen the video felt extremely indignant.
Meng Er's actions undoubtedly send a signal: she is excellent, but she does not stand on a different class and look down on them with indifference.
As for the external personnel mentioned in the report, they believe that this is just a statement made by the school to protect Meng Er.
Yes, that's right, that's exactly it.
-
"Brother Zhao."
The boy, who was smoking in a grove of trees, suddenly nudged the person who had been staring blankly for a while, "Actually, I don't think it's a big deal..."
The boy called Brother Zhao looked embarrassed and shocked. He muttered, "I think everyone must have misunderstood. How could it be Meng Er? She injured four people? That's outrageous."
"Well, it's already spread from the student council that the last person to enter the glass greenhouse swiped her student card." Seeing his increasingly dazed expression, the boy wisely shut his mouth.
The grove remained silent for a while.
Brother Zhao suddenly burst into a relieved laugh, leaving the others speechless.
"If that's the case, does the fact that she didn't hit me mean she was actually a little interested in me too?"
"..."
Several people's eyes and mouths twitched slightly in a rhythmic manner.
After exchanging a glance, they decided it was best not to say anything that might discourage him.
"Yes, that's exactly it." Others chimed in, eager for a good show.
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