As soon as Li Ziqing reached the principal's office, she noticed a group of people gathered at the door. Standing at the forefront was Lu Mairong, her expression dark with fury. Yet, despite the anger etched on her face, Li Ziqing detected a faint glimmer of satisfaction lurking in her eyes—as if she had been waiting for this very moment.
Her gaze swept across the crowd, sharp and unflinching. If her memory served her right, these were the homeroom teachers of all nine sections of Grade Eight, accompanied by Lu Mairong and the same academic director she had met the day before.
The air around them was thick with hostility. Every pair of eyes fixed on her brimmed with disdain, contempt, and thinly veiled judgment. But Li Ziqing, rather than faltering under their scrutiny, lifted her chin and met their gazes head-on, her expression calm and resolute.
The academic director, clearly unsettled by the suffocating tension, cleared his throat.
"Li Ziqing," he began, his tone heavy with accusation, "you should already know what you did wrong. This time, since the scandal is too severe, we'll leave it to Principal Bao to handle as he sees fit."
A cold laugh escaped Li Ziqing's lips. "Director, you're making the same mistake again," she said, her voice steady but cutting. "You've already reached your conclusion without conducting a single investigation. Is this how justice is upheld in our school?"
The director's eyes widened in shock. The words struck deep—he had been reprimanded just yesterday for the same mistake. Principal Bao himself had issued a formal ultimatum: one more misstep, and his career here would end. At the memory, cold sweat beaded at his temples, and he instinctively took a half-step back.
Sensing his hesitation, Lu Mairong seized the opportunity to pounce.
"Li Ziqing, where are your manners?" she barked, her voice sharp. "Is this how you speak to your teachers?"
Her lips curled into a sneer as she turned to address the others. "Did you all see that? This is exactly the kind of arrogance she displays—not only entangled in one disgraceful scandal after another, but she also dares to disrespect her teachers openly. And I'm expected to keep her in my Rocket Class? Ridiculous."
She paused deliberately, her words laced with venom. "Let Principal Bao decide. Let's go."
One by one, the teachers turned their contemptuous eyes on Li Ziqing, their silence carrying more weight than words. Then, in perfect unison, they stepped past her and entered Principal Bao's office, their expressions grim and judgmental.
Li Ziqing's brow furrowed. Her heart tightened, not out of guilt, but confusion. What scandal? What exactly were they accusing her of this time?
She clenched her fists at her sides, forcing herself to remain composed. With a steady breath, she followed them in.
As soon as Li Ziqing stepped into Principal Bao's office, her gaze fell on Bao Mingyuan, who was seated behind a heavy wodden desk. The principal immediately set aside the documents on his computer screen, his expression hardening the moment his eyes met hers.
He had already been briefed by the Academic Director about the events, but truthfully, Bao Mingyuan wasn't one to place blind faith in rumors. He had observed Li Ziqing personally just yesterday—her calm demeanor and dignified composure had in no way suggested the kind of scandalous behavior being whispered across the campus. Still, with the situation murky and tensions rising, he could not allow the matter to pass without a thorough inquiry.
After a long silence, he exhaled deeply and spoke in a grave tone.
"Li Ziqing, by now, you should already be aware of the issue at hand. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Before Li Ziqing could open her mouth, Lu Mairong—who had been standing to the side with a self-satisfied air—stepped forward quickly.
"Principal Bao," she cut in sharply, "yesterday's incident might be dismissed as a misunderstanding or even a deliberate setup. But today's matter?" Her voice rose, dripping with indignation. "This is utterly humiliating! Not only does it tarnish the school's reputation, but it has also created unrest among parents. Since this morning, I have been flooded with calls from the parents of my students, demanding an explanation. Now tell me, Principal, what should I say to them?"
Principal Bao's brows knitted. Though he understood Lu Mairong's position, her tone grated on him. He raised a hand to silence her.
"Teacher Lu, I understand your difficulties, but I cannot issue a judgment based solely on hearsay. I must first hear Li Ziqing's account."
Though she kept her expression carefully schooled, inwardly Lu Mairong sneered. Her eyes flashed with undisguised contempt as they flickered toward Li Ziqing. Today, she had already resolved—by whatever means necessary—to see this troublesome girl expelled.
But before the principal could continue, Li Ziqing unexpectedly interrupted. Her tone was steady, though her brows were drawn tight. "Principal Bao, I truly don't understand what you are referring to. From the moment I stepped foot onto this campus today, I have been subjected to constant verbal harassment. And yet, I have no idea why I've become the target of such treatment."
Her words struck the room like a thunderclap.
Principal Bao froze mid-breath. The Academic Director's summary hadn't mentioned this. The teachers standing to the side exchanged startled looks. But seeing the expressions on Li Ziqing's face she didn't seem to be lying.
Bao Mingyuan finally broke the silence, his voice low and grave.
"Li Ziqing, we are talking about what's happening right now on the Renren School Forum."
Li Ziqing frowned slightly. "School forum?" she murmured in confusion, immediately pulling out her phone to check.
Before she could even unlock it, Lu Mairong let out a sharp gasp as if she had caught a thief red-handed.
"Everyone, look!" she snapped, pointing at the device in Li Ziqing's hand. "The latest Fruit brand phone—worth no less than eight thousand yuan!"
She turned quickly to Principal Bao, her voice dripping with false righteousness but brimming with venom. "Principal Bao, do you see it now? First, it was that handbag worth million, and now this expensive phone. A girl like her—coming from a poor background—where could she possibly get the money for all this?"
Her words struck like a whip in the quiet office. Sensing the shift, she pressed harder, her tone openly mocking. "Don't forget, Principal Bao, this girl is from the Northern District. Everyone knows what kind of place that is—poverty-stricken and chaotic. Families there struggle to afford a regular meal. If I recall correctly, when Li Ziqing and her brother were admitted to Wuhan City No. 1 Middle School last year, it wasn't through privilege or donations, but through sheer merit. That alone tells us how poor their family was. They couldn't even afford the normal tuition!"
Her contempt deepened, each word calculated to wound. "And yet suddenly she's living in luxury? Carrying designer bags, using expensive phones? Tell me, does this not reek of… questionable sources?"
Lu Mairong folded her arms, her expression triumphant. "Principal Bao, do you really still need to 'investigate'? The truth is as plain as day. Girls like her… are a disgrace. I'll say this openly—Li Ziqing must be expelled from Rocket Class. If she wants to remain in school, she can join some other class; I don't care which. But I will not allow such a shameful girl to pollute the atmosphere of my class!"
Her words opened the floodgates.
One teacher frowned deeply and muttered, "Teacher Lu is right. How can a student of such dubious character remain in Rocket Class? Even I won't allow her in my class"
Another chimed in, "Even if her grades are good, morality comes first. Otherwise, what example does she set for the others?"
"Exactly," a third voice echoed. "I will not allow her in my class either. The parents would never forgive us if we tolerated this kind of behavior."
A fourth teacher adjusted his glasses with disdain. "Although my class isn't as prestigious as Rocket Class, my students are still decent, upright children. I won't let someone like Li Ziqing influence them negatively."
"She's a bad seed," another concluded coldly. "Better to cut it off early before the rot spreads."
"Yes," a sixth teacher agreed. "If the rumors are true, then keeping her here is simply unacceptable."
In the end, almost every teacher present had voiced their disapproval.
"I won't have her in my class."
"Nor will I."
"Not mine either."
The air grew heavy with collective condemnation, the weight of it pressing down like a verdict.
But Li Ziqing did not hear them.
Her eyes were fixed firmly on her phone screen. Her slender fingers moved quickly as she registered a new account and logged into the Renren School Forum. She had never used this platform before—not in this life, nor in the last—but it wasn't difficult to grasp. It felt strikingly similar to Weibo from her past life.
The moment she joined the school's forum, the latest thread exploded before her eyes.
Her breath hitched.
Each comment was like a knife stabbing into her chest. Her vision blurred with anger as she scrolled—post after post, accusation after accusation. Students she didn't even know, people she had never spoken to, were pointing fingers at her, calling her shameful names, branding her with rumors built on nothing more than a photo—just the back with her Hermes bag.
Her hand trembled, and her eyes turned red.
How dare they?
The words, the ridicule, the slander—each sentence struck her harder than the last. Her calm exterior wavered. She had endured whispers, mocking glances, even open ridicule since she entered this school—but this… this was something else.
Her lips pressed tightly together, her teeth clenched, and for the first time, a dangerous coldness gleamed in her eyes.
Li Ziqing finally lifted her gaze, her expression calm despite the storm raging around her.
Her voice was steady as she asked, "So this entire accusation is based solely on that post? A single photograph of me walking out of the school gate? There is no such thing as a sugar daddy, nor the so-called 'sponsor' you all are insinuating in this picture."
Lu Mairong immediately let out a cold laugh, the corners of her lips curling into disdain.
"Then explain to me," she challenged, "where did you get that Hermès bag? And that phone in your hand?"
The room grew quiet, every teacher's eyes shifting between the two.
Li Ziqing did not flinch. She met Lu Mairong's gaze head-on and countered smoothly, her tone sharp as a blade:
"Then let me ask you, Teacher Lu—where did you get your Fendi Mon Trésor bucket bag? If I'm not mistaken, your monthly salary is around three thousand yuan. That Fendi costs three hundred thousand. Even if you stopped eating and drinking altogether, you'd have to save for eight years before you could afford it. But you've only been working here for five years. So tell me—how exactly did you manage to buy that Fendi?"
The words dropped like a thunderclap in the room.
Lu Mairong's face instantly lost all color. Her eyes widened in disbelief, as though someone had just stripped her bare in front of the entire faculty. That bag—the only true luxury she possessed—was indeed a gift, offered by a wealthy parent in exchange for extra "care" toward their child's academic performance.
Whispers rippled across the staffroom. All the teachers present had seen that Fendi more than once; Lu Mairong had flaunted it proudly at every opportunity.
A middle-aged female teacher hurriedly interrupted, trying to smooth over the humiliation: "That's enough. It doesn't matter how Teacher Lu afforded her Fendi. She earns her own salary, and her family is upper-middle class. Purchasing a bag worth three hundred thousand isn't unreasonable for her circumstances. What we're more concerned about is you, Li Ziqing. How is a student from your background able to afford such luxury items? You must give us a reasonable explanation—otherwise, how can we not suspect you?"
The bias in her words was evident. She wasn't defending fairness—she was protecting Lu Mairong. Everyone in the room knew bribes circulated like an open secret. Lu Mairong, as homeroom teacher of the prestigious Rocket Class, naturally received the most attention and "gifts."
Li Ziqing's lips curved into a cold, mocking smile. "So, what you mean is that every student in this school should submit a full account of their personal belongings—what they buy, how they buy it, where the money comes from—just so they won't be branded shameless? Do you even realize that such an act is a complete violation of personal privacy?"
The teacher's face stiffened. She gasped, her chest heaving, and jabbed her forefinger at her. "You… you insolent child—"
Li Ziqing tilted her head slightly, ready to retort with equal ferocity, when a calm, steady voice rose from the back of the room.
"I don't think a single photograph on the school forum is enough reason to condemn a young girl so mercilessly," the voice said. The tone was youthful yet composed, carrying a quiet authority that silenced the room. "We should not speak as though we have proof when we don't. As for luxury products—what's so strange? Anyone could buy a second-hand item off the black market. Is it really worth turning the school upside down over something so trivial?"
All eyes instinctively turned toward the source of the voice. Even Li Ziqing paused, momentarily taken aback, before her gaze settled on the young teacher who had spoken. He appeared to be around twenty-eight or twenty-nine, refined in demeanor, with a pair of thin spectacles resting lightly on the bridge of his nose. His scholarly air immediately set him apart from the others in the room.
As Li Ziqing searched her memories from her previous life, recognition dawned—his name was Tan Shunming. At present, he should be serving as the homeroom teacher for Class 9 of Grade 8, notoriously considered the worst and most unruly class at Wuhan City No. 1 Middle School.
She remembered more. Despite his impressive credentials—he was a graduate of the prestigious Tsinghua University—Tan Shunming had been the victim of internal politics and cliques within the school. The other homeroom teachers had been working together for at least five years, forming a close-knit circle. They sat comfortably in their entrenched positions and disliked any outsider disrupting their unspoken order.
When Tan Shunming joined last year, he was deliberately excluded from their group. No matter how capable he was, he was assigned the "trash class" as a form of quiet ostracism. He had been forced into isolation, his talents buried beneath the indifference and malice of his colleagues.
Now, the atmosphere in the room shifted. The teachers who heard him speak looked at him with disdain, yet not a single one could deny the truth in his words.
Lu Mairong, who had been struck momentarily speechless, quickly regained her voice. Her pride would not allow her to remain silent. With a sharp tone, she said,
"Mr. Tan, if you don't understand the matter, perhaps you should refrain from interfering! A second-hand Hermes? Do you even comprehend the value of a Hermès Birkin? These aren't items one simply buys. There are rules, regulations, connections—and endless patience. To purchase a Hermès, one must endure the whims and tantrums of sales associates, wait months, sometimes years! Once acquired, no one in their right mind would use it recklessly, let alone sell it off second-hand. Hermès is for collectors. Its value only appreciates over time. When resold, it is through exclusive auctions, or else it is preserved as a family inheritance!"
Her impassioned explanation silenced the entire room. Even Principal Bao's stern expression softened with intrigue, while several teachers exchanged astonished glances.
Tan Shunming himself froze, taken aback. A bag…? Could something as ordinary-seeming as a bag carry such weight? Coming from a middle-class family where the most expensive purchase might have been a sturdy leather satchel, he found this world of extravagant luxury utterly foreign. Yet, the certainty in Lu Mairong's tone made him realize just how naïve his understanding had been.
Seizing the momentum, Lu Mairong turned sharply to Principal Bao.
"I don't care how she obtained that bag and phone," she declared coldly. "But if she cannot prove her innocence, then I'm sorry—she must leave my class. Since Mr. Tan seems eager to interfere, let him take her in. Another piece of trash suits his class perfectly."
A ripple of laughter escaped from the other teachers. They quickly masked their expressions under Principal Bao's watchful gaze, but the ridicule in their eyes was unmistakable.
Principal Bao raised his hand gently, silencing the murmurs that still lingered in the air. "Teachers, please excuse us for a moment," he said calmly, his voice carrying quiet authority.
One by one, they filed out of the room, each leaving behind an impression of their own judgment. Lu Mairong shot Li Ziqing a final look, her expression twisted with disdain, as though she had already declared her guilty. Tan Shunming, however, lingered for a moment, his brows furrowed in concern, but in the end, he too stepped out. The others left whispering under their breath, their eyes full of gossip and schadenfreude.
When the door finally closed and silence settled in the office, Principal Bao leaned back slightly in his chair, studying the girl before him. He clasped his hands together and said, slowly but firmly,
"I trust you, Li Ziqing."
Li Ziqing's eyes widened. For a moment, she thought she had misheard him. "You… trust me?" she asked in disbelief, her voice low, almost trembling. She truly could not comprehend it. Her own homeroom teacher had just condemned her, and yet here was the principal—someone who barely knew her—saying he believed in her.
Principal Bao's lips curved into a faint smile.
"I've been in this profession for three decades," he said, his tone steady but tinged with weariness. "In these thirty years, I've seen all kinds of students—arrogant ones, timid ones, schemers, victims. And with time, one develops an instinct. When I look at you, I don't see fear. Your eyes are clear, firm, and unflinching… as though nothing in this world could make you cower. That kind of gaze cannot come from a guilty conscience."
Li Ziqing lowered her head slightly, her lashes trembling. She should have felt comforted, but instead her heart grew heavier.
Principal Bao's smile faded, and he sighed deeply. "However, my trust alone means little in the face of public suspicion. You cannot simply ignore what others say. Their stares, their whispers… perhaps you are strong enough to endure them. But living in society is not just about oneself. Even if I believe you are innocent, I must still answer to others—the parents, the staff, the reputation of this school."
He paused before asking the question that made the air turn colder. "Li Ziqing, are you able to prove your innocence?"
The words struck her like a heavy hammer. Her fingers tightened around her phone. She opened her mouth but found no answer.
"I…" she whispered, but the rest of her sentence dissolved in silence.
Principal Bao watched her carefully. "Do you have a way? Any explanation that could convince others?"
"I don't know," Li Ziqing admitted, her voice hoarse. Her mind was blank, torn between fury and helplessness.
Bao nodded slightly, as though expecting that. "Then you must find one," he said firmly. "If you allow this storm to rage unchecked, it will consume you. People will not stop at gossip—they will brand you with labels that could follow you for years. You cannot allow that."
Li Ziqing raised her head, her eyes reddened but unyielding. "But why should I have to prove something I never did? Why should I bear the burden of their lies?"
The principal's expression softened. "Because truth alone is not enough in this world. It must be seen, acknowledged, and accepted. If you let others define your truth, you will forever be at their mercy. That, Ziqing, is the reality of society."
For a long moment, silence pressed down on the room.
Finally, Li Ziqing clenched her fists and asked, "And if I fail? If I cannot convince them?"
"Then at least you will know you fought back," Principal Bao said solemnly. "But if you remain silent, they will take your silence as admission of guilt. That would be far worse."
The girl's lips parted, but no words came out. A storm brewed in her chest, but she could not yet find its outlet.
After a long pause, she bowed her head slightly. "I understand, Principal Bao."
He studied her one last time, then gestured toward the door. "Go. Think carefully. Decide how you wish to confront this. But remember—you are not as powerless as you feel right now."
Li Ziqing nodded. She took a step back and bowed in respect, her movements slow, heavy with thought. She thanked him softly, then turned and left the office.
The corridor outside seemed unusually long and suffocating. Every step echoed like a drumbeat against her ribs. Though her face remained calm, her mind was in turmoil. His words repeated endlessly in her ears—Are you able to prove your innocence?
Li Ziqing did not yet have an answer. She didn't even know where to begin, or what to do next. One thing, however, was clear—this situation was far more complicated than it appeared on the surface.
If she were to blurt out the truth—that her family owned Huiheng Tower, Qingyan Pavilion, and the Huiheng Group worth hundreds of millions, and that she was no longer poor but capable of affording luxuries far beyond a single designer item—it would only spark a greater storm, another scandal that would spread like wildfire.
Her chest tightened as frustration welled up. She exhaled slowly, suppressing the urge to scream, and clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white.
Inside the classrooms, the lessons carried on as scheduled. Laughter, recitations, and the faint scrape of chalk on blackboards filtered faintly through the corridor walls. Yet Li Ziqing stood frozen in the hallway, her mind elsewhere. She had no intention of attending class today, and she knew perfectly well that Lu Mairong wouldn't care whether she showed up or not.
Resolute, she turned on her heel and began walking toward the exit. Her footsteps echoed faintly against the polished floor, each step carrying a weight of unspoken defiance. But she had barely taken a few strides when a voice rang out softly from behind—
"Li Ziqing, wait!"
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