Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  “Accompany me?” What did her father mean?

  “Yes, I will accompany you. Since you have not cheated, nobody can wrong you. Let’s go to The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China and take out your exam paper to make a comparison so as to prove your innocence. Otherwise, we can never have an answer. Zijin, since you are innocent, you don’t have to worry. Besides, your mom and I will go with you. It’s alright.” Qiao Dongliang patted Qiao Zijin with trembling hands.

  Seeing that Qiao Zijin had driven Qiao Dongliang to a corner, Qiao Nan turned and did not wish to see this scene.

  “No, I won’t go!” Qiao Zijin shrugged Qiao Dongliang’s hands away. “Even if the answers on my exam paper are the same as the content on the paper, it does not mean anything. It is possible to have the same answers. It can be a coincidence. This does not prove that I have cheated!”

  “No matter how beautiful it sounds, it doesn’t change anything.” It was rare that Zhu Baoguo was able to make such a thoughtful comment. “If you are innocent, your response would be, ‘Go ahead to compare. I have never cheated, and the answer will never be the same.’”

  Compared to Wang Yang, Qiao Zijin was not as good in telling lies.

  “Let’s go.” Principal Wei had no wish to stay at Ping Cheng High School any longer. He was too embarrassed.

  It was not up to Qiao Zijin to decide whether she wanted to check or not.

  As soon as he got to the bottom of this matter, Qiao Zijin would have to leave The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China!

  \r \r \r

  Cheating, starting a relationship while in school, having such a mother like Ding Jiayi. It was plain unlucky for the school to have a student like Qiao Zijin.

  Principal Wei took the lead to leave, and Sun Lei’s form teacher followed thereafter. Sun Lei took his schoolbag and glared at Qiao Zijin before leaving. Qiao Zijin and Ding Jiayi were the only two who were left behind.

  Qiao Zijin grabbed Ding Jiayi’s hand anxiously. “Mom, what should I do now? Sun Lei wronged me and the principal believed his words. What should I do now? What should I do?!”

  Qiao Zijin cried and stomped her feet. She remembered the expression on the principal’s face. She was scared stiff that she dared not leave with him, but as a student of The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, she had to go back. Once she went back to school, she would have to face up to what happened today.

  Thinking of all this, Qiao Zijin harbored the thought of dying so that she did not have to deal with any of it.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll be alright.” Ding Jiayi was out of her wits as well. She could not think of any solution. “Old Qiao, what do you think? We can’t watch helplessly while Zijin is being wronged. Qiao Nan is to blame for everything. She is your sister! Why can’t you help her at the critical moment? It won’t hurt you at all. When everything is over, we can explain to your teacher and principal. As I said, you have no conscience at all!”

  Ding Jiayi was bitterly disappointed that Zijin was the wretched girl’s sister.

  How could the wretched girl be so cold-hearted and refused to help Zijin? How could there be such a person like her?

  For this alone, there was no way that she could be nice to that wretched girl.

  Since the wretched girl could look on indifferently, not helping her sister, that wretched girl would not care for her in the future as well.

  “Shut up.” Qiao Dongliang closed his eyes in disappointment. Qiao Zijin had let him down. Ding Jiayi was not much better either. It was because of Ding Jiayi that Qiao Zijin could not change for the better. “Is that what you are supposed to say? Forget it. I suppose there’s no way that I can make you understand in this life.”

  “Nan Nan, you must study hard. Principal, teacher, you have seen what happened today. Nan Nan is really innocent. She was implicated by others. I hope what happened today will not affect her studies. I am sorry.”

  Qiao Dongliang gave a deep bow to Principal Meng and Teacher Liu. Since what happened last time, this was the second time he bowed to them.

  The school did not owe them anything, yet they had created troubles twice for the school. He owed the principal and the teacher an apology.

  “You don’t have to……” Principal Meng sighed. He did not know what to say. It just so happened that Qiao Dongliang had such foolish and troublesome wife and elder daughter. He supposed Qiao Nan inherited all the good genes in the Qiao family. Apart from Qiao Nan, Qiao Dongliang seemed to be the only one in the Qiao family who was sane.

  “It’s getting late. Both of you should go back. Qiao Nan, you and Zhu Baoguo should go back to the classroom to revise and finish your assignments. I suppose several class representatives are waiting for you. As for Zhai Sheng, I will give him a call to tell him about the situation and that we do not need the handwriting expert anymore.” Teacher Liu was enraged by what happened today.

  Luckily, his own students were not at fault today. The students from The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China were the ones who stirred up the trouble. Otherwise, he might be so mad that he would end up in the hospital.

  “Principal, Teacher Liu, we will go back first.” Qiao Nan looked at Teacher Liu in doubts. She opened her mouth to say something.

  But given the situation now, it did not seem suitable to ask about Zhai Sheng. She could only leave with Zhu Baoguo.

  Since Qiao Nan and Zhu Baoguo had left, Qiao Dongliang, Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin must leave the office as well. Principal Meng could no longer stand the sight of Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin.

  “Old Qiao, what do we do now? Zijin is so scared that she dares not go back to school, but she has to go back and continue her studies. There is still one more year before she will graduate.” Ding Jiayi could not help but ask as soon as they were at the gate of Ping Cheng High School. “Zijin, don’t worry. We’ll think of a solution. I just don’t understand. It is only a small matter. Why must the teachers at The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China and Ping Cheng High School kick up such a big fuss and made it known to the principals of the two schools? Are they foolish?”

  The fewer the people who knew about this incident, it would be easier for her to settle the problem. She might be able to cover up everything by spending some money and buying them some gifts.

  But the principals of both schools knew about what happened. At the thought of the amount of money that she spent to send Qiao Zijin into The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China two years ago, she was worried that she might need to spend even more money to cover up for this incident today.

  Qiao Dongliang, who stood in the dark and thus had his expression hidden from Ding Jiayi, stopped in his tracks. He turned and gave a tight slap each to Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin.

  The mother and daughter earned a slap to their faces.

  Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin were in a daze. Ding Jiayi raised her voice. “How dare you hit me? You’re so useless! You could do nothing when Qiao Zijin is in trouble and yet you had the audacity to hit me! You are so useless! You shouldn’t have married nor had daughters!!”