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The true culprit actually fled?

Chen Ruowen was extremely displeased.

She had even felt some goodwill toward that beautiful girl before, but after standing up for her, the person involved had slipped away amidst the chaos?

She, Chen Ruowen, was not someone to be taken advantage of. She immediately glanced at the skinny, dark-skinned girl beside her and asked, “What’s the name of the girl you hit?”

“W-what do you mean, hit? When did I ever hit anyone? You’re the one who picked a fight with me!”

Chen Ruowen paused, her gaze growing dangerous. Was this girl really changing her story on the spot—was she trying to accuse her of lying?

“There were at least a hundred people in the hallway who saw you hit her, and you were yelling that she’d stolen your boyfriend...”

“I didn’t!” the skinny girl instantly shouted in denial, her eyes now filled with panic as she looked at Chen Ruowen.

Just being caught fighting was enough to get her into serious trouble, but if her parents found out she was dating at her age, they’d break her legs for sure!

How could this girl dare to mention boyfriends in front of the principal? Didn’t she know that early relationships were strictly forbidden at school?

As expected, Principal Xiong’s expression changed the moment he heard the word “boyfriend.”

A student from No.1 High School, involved in a relationship? Fighting over jealousy? If word of this got out, what would happen to next year’s admissions?

The skinny girl panicked under his gaze and hurried to explain.

“I didn’t, I really didn’t! It was this girl who blocked me in the hallway for no reason and picked a fight. I didn’t do anything!”

“Didn’t do anything?” Chen Ruowen snorted, lounging back onto the sofa. “Shall we check the security cameras?”

At this, the skinny girl looked a little more composed. She might worry about witnesses, but security cameras?

Hmph! This isn’t some fancy private school from a TV drama—there are no cameras in the hallways at No.1 High School. If there were, she wouldn’t have dared be so blatant!

As the two girls each insisted on their side of the story, Principal Xiong frowned and turned to Bai Jinyan.

“Bai Jinyan, tell me, what actually happened?”

Bai Jinyan glanced at Chen Ruowen first, then shook his head. “I arrived late and didn’t see what happened before. Principal, perhaps we should just let this matter go?”

Let it go?

Principal Xiong weighed Chen Ruowen’s family background against the possible fallout from this incident and felt it really might be best not to escalate. But before he could speak, Chen Ruowen’s dissatisfied voice rang out.

“Let it go? This girl not only cursed at me, she nearly hit me, and just now tried to frame me. And you want me to let it go?”

Chen Ruowen pointed at the skinny girl, but her eyes were locked on Bai Jinyan.

“I’ve never suffered such indignity in my life! Let it go? Impossible!”

Bai Jinyan gazed at her quietly, his tone calm but tinged with resignation. “Ruowen, this is a trivial matter. You weren’t actually harmed.”

Chen Ruowen’s anger flared up even more.

Again!

Every time something happened, Bai Jinyan always told her to let it go. Back in junior high, at the restaurant dinner, the waiter had gossiped about her behind her back, calling her “trouble,” and after she’d dealt with him, Bai Jinyan had “lectured” her too—telling her to let it go, not to be so harsh. But was she supposed to just accept people talking behind her back?

Why did Bai Jinyan never take her side! They were the ones who had known each other for years, they were… friends, weren’t they?

Why was he always defending others?

The skinny girl rolled her eyes at their exchange—at worst, they’d just call her parents in. Listening to these two talk, you’d think they could really do something to her!

Principal Xiong’s expression shifted, and he stood, walking toward the inner office.

“Chen Ruowen, come here.”

But Chen Ruowen continued to glare at Bai Jinyan, not even bothering to look up at the principal’s summons.

“If you have something to say, say it here.”

Unbelievable! So brazen!

What student dared disobey the principal? Principal Xiong was left in an awkward position until Bai Jinyan gently persuaded her, and only then did Chen Ruowen, clearly reluctant, follow him inside.

As the door to the inner office closed, the once nervous skinny girl visibly relaxed. She nudged Bai Jinyan, who was still staring silently at the door, and asked with interest, “That headstrong girl listens to you, huh? Are you two going out?”

Bai Jinyan shook his head, ignoring her, his gaze still fixed on the inner office.

“So she likes you then?” The girl’s curiosity grew.

When he didn’t reply, she snorted, “Come on, the teachers aren’t here now, what are you afraid of? Judging by how spoiled she is, even if you two were a couple, the school probably wouldn’t dare do anything to her!”

That’s exactly the problem…

Bai Jinyan sighed inwardly. If only she weren’t so stubborn, and if only he weren’t so annoying, always trying to stop her… his eyes flickered. But neither of those things was likely to change.

…

Inside the office, Chen Ruowen dropped heavily into a chair, arms folded over her knees, while Principal Xiong sat down opposite, after a slight delay, and pulled a document from his drawer, pushing it across the desk toward her.

“Chen Ruowen…”

He paused, then, annoyed, pinched himself. Damn, just one look and he’d completely forgotten what he’d meant to say! How could a grown man get distracted by a teenage girl?

He closed his eyes, massaged his temples, and finally continued, “Before your transfer, Chairman Chen personally promised me you’d never cause trouble at school. The written agreement is right here—are you planning to break it first?”

Chen Ruowen tilted her head, glancing at the contract on the table, but didn’t reach for it.

“Yes, I know. I’ve read that agreement.”

She’d not only read it—Chen Liwan had made her sign a similar guarantee before allowing her to come to No.1 High.

Principal Xiong nodded. “In that case, Chen Ruowen, I suppose you wouldn’t want me to renegotiate with Chairman Chen, would you?”

“So, you want to pin this on me and kick me out?”

Chen Ruowen studied him for a moment, then suddenly smiled and gestured at the red banner on the wall that read “Model School.”

“‘School Violence at Nancheng No.1 High’—Principal Xiong, how do you think that would trend online?”

Principal Xiong’s face changed at once. “What do you mean by that?”

“‘A girl at Nancheng No.1 High suffers brutal school bullying, hundreds of students look on indifferently, and the only one who intervened for justice was pressured to withdraw by the principal. Humanity lost at a model school.’ Yes, that’s a good headline, don’t you think?”

Good? Good, my foot!

If that news got out, even if they managed to clear their name, the school would be finished! In this day and age, it’s easy to get smeared, but almost impossible to clean your reputation. No amount of explanation would ever suffice.

Principal Xiong struggled to keep his composure, his voice deep. “You can’t slander No.1 High! Disputes between students are normal, this hardly counts as school violence. You have no evidence—do you really think the internet is so easy to manipulate?”

“Just a dispute?” Chen Ruowen smiled. “Whether it’s just a dispute or one-sided bullying isn’t for you to decide. As for evidence—”

She raised a finger and pointed upward.

“—Even if you can keep your students quiet, Principal Xiong, did you really think my family would send me to No.1 High with no security measures?”

He looked at her, confused. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not trying to brag, but whenever I leave the house, my family sends at least two drones to follow me. The school corridors are under strict surveillance. I’ll wager there’s a hundred percent chance today’s events were recorded.”

Drones just to go to school?

Did Chen Liwan think his daughter was some foreign princess? Was he crazy?

Principal Xiong was at a loss for words. With both evidence and public opinion in her hands, he weighed the pros and cons and finally had to give up the fight.

“What do you want?”

What did she want?

Chen Ruowen narrowed her eyes. Anyone who dared mess with her would pay! That skinny girl had dared lay a hand on her—she should at least be expelled, and maybe Chen Ruowen should arrange for someone to teach her a lesson. Her family, too, shouldn’t get off lightly. She could have her father investigate them, and then…

“Ruowen, she’s just an ordinary student…”

“We were born at the top of the pyramid, and you can’t even imagine how hard these ordinary people work for that one fateful exam next year…”

“Let it go…”

Damn it! Damn it!

Why did Bai Jinyan’s words keep echoing in her head?

If she really went after an ordinary classmate, that idiot Bai Jinyan would definitely be angry with her, wouldn’t he?

Damn it!

Idiot!

Chen Ruowen raged at herself for a long time, then finally, with a furious kick at the desk, ground out through clenched teeth, “Make her apologize to me!”

“…”

Principal Xiong stared at her for a while, incredulous. “That’s… it?”

After all that bluster, all she wanted was an apology?

He wasn’t in show business, but as a local, he’d heard all the rumors about the capricious, unreasonable heiress of Shuangxing Fashion. That’s why he’d resisted her transfer so much. But now, an apology would settle everything?

“Of course not!” Chen Ruowen glared at him, and was about to say more, but the thought of Bai Jinyan’s earlier look made her pause. Instead, she kicked the desk again, sulky.

“She has to apologize to me publicly at the flag-raising ceremony next Monday. The apology must be at least eight hundred words long!”