Chapter 9: There Is Still You

Gu Huaijin’s gaze swept across the room, cold and sharp.

"Very well."

He exchanged a look with Chen Li, who immediately opened his tablet and tapped through a few screens. He pulled up the office surveillance footage; the argument between the three of them moments ago was crystal clear. In particular, the clip played Chen Lin’s taunt: "Your parents were nothing but clout-chasers; they deserved to die."

Qiao Weiwei was still trembling with rage, her fists clenched tightly as she struggled to suppress the fury in her heart.

"So reckless," Gu Huaijin murmured. He calmly produced a handkerchief and wrapped it around her hand. "You managed to hurt yourself just by hitting someone."

"Next time, find someone else to do the hitting for you. As long as you don't kill them, it’s just a matter of medical expenses."

His voice was incredibly gentle, devoid of a single note of reproach. It was the tone of a man who would gladly back her up even if she had crippled someone. In her memories, her uncle had always been stern, lecturing her on the importance of her studies, warning her against hanging out with the wrong crowd at bars, or punishing her by making her kneel in the ancestral hall. This was the first time she had seen this slightly roguish, charming side of Gu Huaijin. She found herself increasingly curious about him.

"Malicious slander and rumor-mongering," Gu Huaijin said, his hands resting casually on his knees as the corners of his mouth tilted upward. "Principal Zhang, your niece has been raised with such exemplary manners."

The breezy, nonchalant tone carried a clear, dangerous warning. Zhang Shengnian rushed to grab Chen Lin, demanding she apologize.

"Apologize! Hurry up and apologize to Miss Qiao!"

But Chen Lin, believing she had Lin Zhiyi’s protection, refused to bow her head. She stiffened her neck, glaring at Qiao Weiwei with undisguised hatred. "What did I do wrong? It was clearly her who stole my necklace!"

"Shut up! Do you have any idea who Miss Qiao is? Why would she ever covet a piece of junk like your necklace?"

Zhang was a shrewd man; he had realized instantly how much Gu Huaijin favored and protected Qiao Weiwei. Terrified of further provoking Gu, he slapped Chen Lin across the face, his eyes wide with panic. Shocked into silence, Chen Lin dared not utter another word of protest.

Zhang turned back to Qiao Weiwei with a sycophantic smile. "Miss Qiao, Linlin is young and ignorant. This was all a misunderstanding. I apologize to you on her behalf. You’ve already struck her, so let’s put this behind us—you two are still classmates, after all."

The entire incident had been caused by Chen Lin, yet he was trying to brush it aside with a few words. He was truly shameless. Qiao Weiwei ignored him, turning her gaze away. "I have no interest in being classmates with the principal’s niece."

She made it clear that she expected Chen Lin to be severely punished. Zhang Shengnian found himself in a bind.

"Miss Qiao..."

Before he could continue, Chen Li stepped in. "According to Article 90 of the school regulations, any student who maliciously slanders others, frames them, or incites campus bullying shall be expelled."

"Mr. Gu does not wish to see the name 'Chen Lin' in this school ever again."

His tone was icy, leaving no room for negotiation. Once a student was expelled from Shengde High School, the record of their misconduct would follow them. Coupled with the fact that they had offended the Gu family, no top-tier high school in Haicheng would dare to accept her.

Even though Chen Lin was still unwilling to accept it, Zhang Shengnian grabbed her by the neck and dragged her out. Getting expelled meant she could still go study abroad, but if he were dragged down with her and incurred the Gu family’s wrath, he would be absolutely finished.

Li Tong, who had been hiding in the corner, had remained silent, hoping the matter would end there and silently congratulating herself on escaping unscathed. But the next second, Chen Li shattered her illusions. "And as for the homeroom teacher, Li Tong: for concealing the truth and maliciously bullying a student, you are no longer fit to hold a teaching position at Shengde High School."

Shengde High was the school with the highest advancement rate in Haicheng, and its teacher salaries were among the best in the country. It had taken all her connections to land a job there; now that she was being fired, her career was effectively destroyed.

"No!"

In her desperation, Li Tong lost her previous arrogance and grabbed onto Qiao Weiwei. "Miss Qiao, I was just momentarily deceived! Please, put in a good word for me!"

Qiao Weiwei remained entirely unmoved. If she hadn't been under the protection of the Gu family, she would have been an orphan without a support system, and her future would have been utterly ruined. Thus, this outcome was of Li Tong’s own making; she had no energy to waste on misplaced sympathy.

Li Tong, desperate to save her career, began throwing a tantrum in the office, refusing to leave. But Zhang Shengnian couldn't even save his own niece, let alone an unrelated teacher. He had the security guards throw her out, then quickly turned to assure Gu Huaijin: "Don't worry, Mr. Gu. Such a thing will absolutely never happen again."

Whatever the cost, he had to save himself. Qiao Weiwei knew that the Gu family wasn't the only shareholder of Shengde High. Zhang had been principal for over a decade and had a vast network of connections; as long as he hadn't committed a major crime, it was impossible to kick him out of his position entirely.

After the matter was settled, she walked Gu Huaijin out. Fortunately, it was during class, so there were no students in the hallways. She stopped at the car. "Uncle, can I ask you for a favor?"

Gu Huaijin looked down at her. Qiao Weiwei bit her lower lip. "I don't want my classmates to know about my connection to the Gu family. I just want to study in peace."

In her previous life, she had been held high on a pedestal by Gu Zhiyuan, surrounded by sycophants who only wanted to use her as a ladder to climb into the Gu family’s circle. And because she was spoiled, her ego had ballooned, leading her to offend many people. The business world was a tangled mess, and after Gu Huaijin left, the Gu family’s stock prices plummeted, giving those enemies the chance to snatch their projects away. Even Gu Zhiyuan had grown cold toward her.

This time, she just wanted to stay far away from all of that.

Gu Huaijin gave a simple "Mhm" in response and asked no further questions.

On her way back to the classroom, Qiao Weiwei ran into a red-eyed Chen Lin. She had already finished the withdrawal paperwork and glared viciously at the girl she held responsible.

"Qiao Weiwei, don't get too smug. Mr. Gu is in a good mood now and is protecting you, but do you really think he’ll protect you forever?"

If Zhang Shengnian hadn't been holding her back, she would have torn the girl in front of her to shreds.

Qiao Weiwei didn't care at all. "Don't trouble yourself on my account. You’d be better off worrying about whether Lin Zhiyi will still want you once you've lost your utility."

To Lin Zhiyi, Chen Lin was nothing more than a knife to be used against her. Now that the knife was dull and useless, she wouldn't keep it around. But the Chen family’s business still relied on Lin Zhiyi’s support, and Chen Lin’s face went pale.

Qiao Weiwei walked past her and returned to the classroom.

As soon as class ended, Fang Xue chased her down. "Weiwei, is what she said true?"

Qiao Weiwei felt a pang of guilt. "I didn't mean to hide it from you."

She had already accepted the death of her parents; she was simply used to being alone. "My phone broke, and besides, it’s not the kind of thing one announces to the world."

She made up a flimsy excuse, but Fang Xue burst into tears. "Who’s blaming you?"

"Something so huge happened, and you must have been so devastated. And to think I wasn't even by your side..."

Thinking of this, she cried out of guilt and hugged Qiao Weiwei tightly. Qiao Weiwei was stunned. She hadn't expected Fang Xue to feel so guilty. Touched, she whispered over and over, "It’s okay, I still have you."

After a long while, Fang Xue’s voice was thick with tears, yet she still worried about her friend. "Then where are you living now?"

Qiao Weiwei hesitated, still not wanting to tell Fang Xue the exact situation. She simply said, "A good friend of my father’s is now my guardian."

Fang Xue pressed, "What are they like? Are they treating you well? Are they abusing you?"

"They treat me very well," Qiao Weiwei smiled. "My uncle even hired a teacher for me so I can keep playing the violin."