Principal Xiong

Heh, this woman is so arrogant—even after nearly getting beaten up, she still dares to threaten me? The black-haired, skinny girl hesitated for a split second, awed by Chen Ruowen’s presence, but then swung her hand down without a second thought.

Bai Jinyan’s expression tightened; he quickly stepped in front of Chen Ruowen, grabbed the girl’s wrist, and flung her aside.

“Are you alright?” He turned his head to look at Chen Ruowen.

Chen Ruowen merely gave a noncommittal snort, then, rather oddly, pulled a phone from her pocket and began to fiddle with it.

“Ruowen!” Bai Jinyan raised a hand to block her screen, silently shaking his head at her.

For Shuangxing Art & Media to have maintained its dominance in the chaotic entertainment industry for over twenty years, it certainly wasn’t just relying on the fame and skill of a few minor stars. Shuangxing had formidable connections on both sides of the law, and Chen Liwan was a notorious doting father; the combination had inevitably shaped Chen Ruowen’s character.

She was not the type to swallow an insult.

Once, at a dinner, a waiter lost his head and offended Chen Ruowen. Days later, both the indiscreet waiter and the once-prestigious restaurant vanished from Nancheng’s dining scene…

If Chen Ruowen sent out that message now, the black-haired girl’s future would be easy to predict.

Bai Jinyan’s intervention clearly displeased Chen Ruowen. She looked up, her tone chilly.

“She insulted me and almost hit me.”

Bai Jinyan’s hand still blocked the phone. He sighed. “Ruowen, she’s just an ordinary student.”

With a sharp slap, Chen Ruowen knocked his hand away and folded her arms, her voice now even colder.

“Bai Jinyan, who gave you the courage to think I’d endure such humiliation for your sake?”

“That’s not what I meant, Ruo—”

“—Enough already, both of you?!”

The black-haired girl, who had been shoved aside earlier, shouted in annoyance, her shrill voice full of disdain and resentment.

“A pair of lovebirds, putting on a show here? Meddling in my business and threatening me? Come on then! See if I’m scared!”

Chen Ruowen gazed calmly at Bai Jinyan. “Did you hear that?”

Bai Jinyan was about to reply when a deep, authoritative male voice suddenly sounded behind them.

“What do you think you’re doing here? The college entrance exams are just around the corner—shouldn’t you be revising? And you’re out here fighting?”

The crowd that had gathered in the hallway scattered at once at the sound of the newcomer’s voice. The rest hurriedly called out, “Good afternoon, Principal!” and rushed back to their classrooms in groups.

Word had it that someone from the benefactor’s family had joined Class One of Grade Twelve—a move personally approved by Principal Xiong Benchang.

He hadn’t done it out of mere courtesy to a new building, though the school did have plans for a new wing…

Ahem. As a competent principal, he would never sacrifice future enrollments and exam results for momentary gain, nor would he let others force a transfer into his star class.

But during negotiations, Chen Liwan had made certain promises: First, the new student would not sit the college entrance exam, so the school’s results would remain unaffected; in fact, she was already slated for a prestigious overseas university, which would only boost the school’s statistics. Second, Chen Ruowen would obey basic school rules and never start trouble.

But if trouble found her…

Well, Chen Liwan hadn’t addressed that in the agreement.

Most crucially, Shuangxing Art & Media held the rights to the most-watched streaming app in the country, had close ties with Zhongyu Technology—the parent company of the most popular news portal, Global Express—and owned twenty percent of Yibo Media, the company behind the largest social media platform, MillionBlog.

What did that mean? It meant that in this age of information, Shuangxing controlled more than half the nation’s information flow!

Nancheng No. 1 High School was one of the best in the city, but competition was fierce, and attracting top students was a never-ending challenge.

This time, Chen Liwan had gifted the school a yearlong promotional package spanning Shuangxing Pictures, Global Express, and Yibo Media, promising a tailored marketing campaign to boost the school’s appeal for the coming year.

With this, the school’s student quality would soar over the next two years, and by the next college entrance exam, they’d leave their rivals far behind.

With all that in mind, Xiong Benchang had agreed to the transfer, but, wary of the newcomer, decided to make a tour of the senior building.

He hadn’t expected to walk right into trouble.

“To my office, all of you!”

The black-haired girl stifled a groan, shot Chen Ruowen a venomous glare, and trailed after the principal, head low.

Chen Ruowen slipped her phone casually back into her pocket and strolled behind, unhurried. Bai Jinyan hesitated, then followed, worry etched on his face.

Not a word passed between Chen Ruowen and Bai Jinyan on the way; she was clearly still angry.

None of them noticed that the real instigator—the unremarkable Guo Jingyuan, who’d been hugging the wall since Chen Ruowen appeared—had quietly slipped away amid the confusion after the principal’s arrival.

The principal’s office was on the top floor of the administration building. The outer room was for receiving guests, furnished with a standard set of black leather sofas and a coffee table; the inner room contained his desk and workspace.

Once inside, Chen Ruowen glanced briefly around the office, then, exuding an air of authority, seated herself squarely in the middle of the main sofa as if she owned the place.

“Well? Why was I called here?”

What was this attitude?

Did she think she was at home, acting so casual?

She’d gone straight to the seat of honor and now asked, “Why did you call me here?” Who was the principal here, after all?

Xiong Benchang was nearly thrown by Chen Ruowen’s audacity but, for the sake of decorum, suppressed his irritation and gestured for the other two to sit.

“Take a seat, all of you.”

But where, exactly, should they sit?

After a quick glance around, the two students, with unspoken mutual understanding, settled to Chen Ruowen’s left and right.

“Still so arrogant in the principal’s office? You’re finished,” the black-haired girl muttered spitefully in Chen Ruowen’s ear.

Chen Ruowen rubbed her ear, then raised her voice, expression cold. “What was that you just said? Speak up, I didn’t catch it.”

The black-haired girl fell silent. Whatever—this woman was clearly crazy; best not to provoke her.

Once all three were seated, Xiong Benchang took his place on a separate sofa to the side, his hands clasped before his knees, body leaning forward in the posture of a serious conversation.

“All right, tell me: why were you fighting at school?”

Though the question was directed at all three, his gaze rested mainly on Bai Jinyan.

He already knew the new transfer student was no pushover. The black-haired girl was a blank, hard to judge.

But Bai Jinyan was a clear exception—excellent academics, well-off family, modest, never involved in trouble, and a favorite among the senior teachers.

Xiong Benchang was sure he’d been just a bystander, maybe even tried to intervene—his account would be the most impartial.

But to his surprise, Chen Ruowen, oblivious or deliberately disruptive, answered straight away.

“I have never engaged in anything as vile as fighting. It was that black girl who attacked someone at school, and she didn’t hold back. I simply couldn’t stand by and let her bully someone, so I stepped in to stop her. As for the details, you can ask the victim—”

Chen Ruowen paused, then looked around.

“—Hmm? Where’s the victim?”