Read Novel Full Chapter 68.2 – When Facing Certain People, Even a Little Angel Has to Take a Break (II)
Chapter 68.2 – When Facing Certain People, Even a Little Angel Has to Take a Break (II)
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The first part of this mass release can be found here
That night’s sleep was peaceful, a sharp contrast to the chaos just hours earlier. The next day at school, Xia Mian’s police report created a buzz. That one incident made her famous overnight, and the swirling rumors quickly unraveled. Her classmates in 1-3 not only stopped whispering behind her back but even began speaking up to shut down anyone still trying to spread hearsay.
Even the school troublemakers who liked to play thug went quiet after seeing what happened to Hao Jian. Though they were rebellious, they hadn’t crossed into the criminal world; the idea of ending up at a police station was still enough to scare them straight.
Meanwhile, Zhao Cheng, Sun Yuexin, and Li Lizhen were buzzing with excitement, as if they’d lived through something worth writing into their personal histories. “I’ve decided! I’m going to be a cop in the future. Police are just too cool.” Zhao Cheng declared.
Xia Mian brought him back down to earth. “Getting into the police academy isn’t easy. You need top scores. Are you sure your current grades can cut it?”
Zhao Cheng felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head. “Why do you always bring everything back to studying?”
Xia Mian smiled. “Because studying is the only way to achieve your dreams!”
Zhao Cheng might’ve found a dream, but he still didn’t feel like studying, so he quickly changed the subject and brought up Hao Jian. “My dad said Hao Jian will probably just be detained for a few days before getting released.”
“Figured,” Xia Mian shrugged. “He’s still underage, and nothing serious actually happened. But getting expelled should be enough of a punishment.”
Zhao Cheng clapped his hands. “Why didn’t I think of that? Just getting him out of our school would make the air much fresher!”
Sun Yuexin cautioned, “Then, Xia Mian, you’d better brace yourself. The last time that guy got called in, his—…” She shot a glance at Li Lizhen. “Well, now that there’s a police report and he’s in the hospital, I’m guessing his parents will finally make an appearance, too.”
Li Lizhen nodded. “Probably. His dad spent a lot to get him into this school—he’s not going to let him get expelled easily.”
Sun Yuexin looked worried. “You think he’ll go to Qiao Jianyu? Didn’t someone say the Hao family invested in his nightclub? What if that bastard just says a word and the whole thing blows over?”
Xia Mian laughed. “You guys are acting like Qiao Jianyu’s some big shot—wouldn’t it be beneath him to deal with this kind of petty stuff?”
“Besides, the Hao family is probably desperate to cover this up. No way they’d dare bring Qiao Jianyu into it.”
Seeing them puzzled, Xia Mian explained, “Didn’t you all say it yourselves? Qiao Jianyu doesn’t even like Hao Jian. At most, he tolerates him because of the money. So those two punks hanging around Hao Jian were probably fringe characters too.”
“They even mentioned the nightclub and Qiao Jianyu by name. The recording’s already been submitted as evidence, so of course the police will investigate,” Xia Mian went on. “Now tell me—do you think Qiao Jianyu’s going to blame that troublemaker Hao Jian, or some random high school girl whose name he doesn’t even know?”
“Obviously Hao Jian!” Zhao Cheng slapped his leg. “So wait—did you say all that just to trick them into bringing up Qiao Jianyu?”
Xia Mian gave him a look of approval. “Exactly. Qiao Jianyu’s grandpa keeps a tight leash on him, so there’s no way he’d step in to help Hao Jian over something this stupid.”
“Even Hao Jian’s dad wouldn’t risk offending Qiao Jianyu right now. Worst case, Hao Jian gets expelled and goes to another school, but if this drags Qiao Jianyu into it, the Hao family’s business, and their investment in that club, could take a major hit.”
“Now ask yourselves—do you think Hao Jian’s dad is the kind of man who loved his son blindly and would risk everything for him?”
All three shook their heads.
“Exactly,” Xia Mian concluded.
Zhao Cheng pondered, “So, most likely it’ll be his dad coming to you, trying either bribery or intimidation.”
Sun Yuexin added, “I guess it’s bribery.”
Xia Mian snorted. “Unless he’s planning to drown me in a pile of cash, I’m not interested.”
The other three burst into laughter.
But to their surprise, before Hao Jian’s father could show up, the school was thrown into a stir by the unexpected appearance of another parent—Tian Xueya’s mother, Ma Xiu’e.
After fleeing out of class that night, Tian Xueya hadn’t returned to school for two days. Whether it was out of shame or fear that Xia Mian might report her to the police, no one could say for sure.
When Xia Mian returned to class at noon, she heard classmates whispering, “Did Tian Xueya get arrested?”
“No way,” she quickly explained. “Defamation is only a crime if someone presses charges. No one did, so of course she wasn’t arrested.”
A lot of students breathed a quiet sigh of relief. As wrong as Tian Xueya had been, the idea of her going to jail over it felt too extreme.
To Xia Mian, there really was no need to go after the girl that hard. Besides, suing over something like this felt pointless—better to use it as a chance to enhance her reputation.
“I just wanted to scare her. I mean, I didn’t actually get hurt. She’s pretty and smart, with a bright future ahead. If I pressed charges, that’d ruin her life.” She sighed deliberately. “I just hope she learns her lesson and stops spreading baseless rumors.”
The moment she said that, everyone felt the same thought: Xia Mian’s truly broad-minded. Gentle and kind—like a little angel!
And just as their admiration peaked, Ma Xiu’e burst in. She was a stout, fiery woman. The classroom door slammed open and in she came, storming with rage. “Which one of you is the new transfer student?”
Xia Mian stood up in confusion. “Hello, Auntie, that’s me.”
“You’re the one?” Ma Xiu’e gave her a scrutinizing, judgmental once-over. “You’re the one bullying my Xiaoxue? Go call your parents. I want to ask them what kind of education they’ve given you. Not only are you a bad influence, but now you’re picking on good students too?!”
Sun Yuexin nearly burst out laughing, a mix of disbelief and frustration. “Auntie, seriously? You’re making wild accusations without knowing a thing. Who exactly is the ‘bad influence’ here? Who’s bullying your Xiaoxue?”
Ma Xiu’e’s eyes snapped to her, face full of disdain. “Sun Yuexin, Li Lizhen—I know who you two are. What, you think you’re such a great student? What’s your class rank? What about your grade rank?”
Sun Yuexin was immediately left speechless.
Xia Mian now fully understood where Tian Xueya had picked up her elitist, snobbish attitude. She said calmly, “Auntie, is it Tian Xueya who told you we bullied her?”
“If you didn’t, why would she be too scared to come to school?” Ma Xiu’e jabbed a finger toward Sun Yuexin and Li Lizhen. “You two were part of it too, weren’t you? Birds of a feather, all a bunch of bad apples.”
‘So, without even understanding the situation, you’re barging in and accusing people? Truly laughable! Yet, Xia Mian’s tone remained polite and gentle, “Maybe the reason Tian Xueya doesn’t dare come to school… is you, Auntie.”
Ma Xiu’e frowned, “What do you mean?”
“Because of a parent like you, she was never taught to distinguish right from wrong. You jump to conclusions and judge others unfairly. That’s probably why Tian Xueya picked up the habit of badmouthing people behind their backs—and now that she’s been exposed, she’s too ashamed to face others, so she stopped going to school.”
Ma Xiu’e snapped, furious. “Watch your mouth! Who’s jumping to conclusions and judging unfairly? My daughter’s got nothing to be afraid of!”
“She should be afraid! Thanks to her lies, Xia Mian almost got hauled off by a bunch of thugs!” a student finally snapped, unable to stay silent. “If Xia Mian weren’t so forgiving, your daughter would’ve been reported to the police by now.”
The word police made Ma Xiu’e falter.
Other students, fired up, had already started speaking out in defense of Xia Mian:
“Exactly! Tian Xueya spread a rumor that Xia Mian had a criminal record. Once she got exposed, she got scared and tried to run. How is that Xia Mian’s fault?”
“That’s right. Tian Xueya spread rumors that Xia Mian was a criminal. She was exposed and was scared as a result. How can she blame Xia Mian?”
“She’s seriously disgusting. Made a mess, didn’t take responsibility, and now her mom’s here to throw a tantrum?”
“I used to think she was pretty nice. Guess that was all an act.”
“Xia Mian suffered so much and still chose to forgive her. And she repays that kindness by flipping the blame? To think I was actually worried about her before—what a joke.”
“Pfft. What’s the use of being good at studying if you act like that? She’s not even half as decent as Sun Yuexin and the others.”
The more Ma Xiu’e listened, the worse her expression got. Her daughter was always so well-behaved—how had things come to this? Why were her classmates speaking so badly of her?
It hurt to hear. Her daughter must be suffering terribly in such an environment.
No, she couldn’t let her daughter suffer like this!
Mr. Mi had just arrived at school and hadn’t even reached the teachers’ office before he heard what was going on and rushed over. “Mrs. Tian, if there’s something to discuss, let’s move to the office. Don’t disturb the class.”
Ma Xiu’e had originally come to speak with the homeroom teacher anyway, so she went along with it. “Good. Teacher, you really have to take this seriously. Our Xiaoxue hasn’t eaten or slept in days, too scared to come to school. She’s a top student—you can’t let these troublemakers ruin her bright future!”
Mr. Mi frowned slightly. “We’ll go over everything in detail, but please calm down for now.”
He then turned to Xia Mian. “Xia Mian, come to the office with me.”
Sun Yuexin, worried Xia Mian would be overwhelmed alone, immediately said, “Old Mi, can I go with her?”
Li Lizhen added, “Me too.”
The homeroom teacher thought for a second and nodded. “Alright, the three of you come together.”
On the way there, Ma Xiu’e kept rattling about how important her daughter’s studies were, how awful the other students were, how they might ruin Xiaoxue’s future if the school didn’t step in.
Mr. Mi gave only vague responses. But instead of going to the teachers’ office, he led them to a small conference room on the second floor. Three people were already inside. The man seated in the center had decent features and a solid build. Dressed in a sharp suit, hair slicked back, with a chunky gold watch on his wrist and a briefcase on the table, he was currently on a bulky old-model mobile phone, speaking loudly. Everything about him screamed “nouveau riche,” and his face made it easy to guess who he was.
He didn’t even pause his call as everyone entered, casually continuing his conversation with a loud voice:
“Haha, they say kids are just walking debts. Mine got taken down by some girl—I figured I’d better come clean up the mess myself.”
“Sorry about this, brother. Next time drinks are on me.”
“Oh? Your contact got the phones already? Aren’t they just in limited production and not for sale yet?”
“Fifty grand? Haha, if you can get one for me, never mind fifty—I’d pay a hundred!”
“You’ve really got connections, brother. I owe you one. Whether I can lock down that piece of land all depends on you now.”
Xia Mian glanced at the man who’d been talking on the phone for a solid two or three minutes without any sign of stopping. She turned to her homeroom teacher and said flatly, “Teacher, was there something you needed me for? If not, maybe I should go back and do my homework. It feels like kind of a waste of time here.”
Mr. Mi was getting annoyed too and took the cue. “Alright then, let’s all head back. We can come back later when he’s free.”
“Hey hey hey!” Hao Jianguo immediately hung up and smiled. “Oh my, terribly sorry—didn’t mean to keep you all waiting. My apologies.”
“No, no, not at all,” Ma Xiu’e instantly beamed like a blooming flower. “Mr. Jianguo—oh wait, I should say President Hao—you’re a busy man. It’s no problem for us to wait a little longer.”
Hao Jianguo looked confused. “And you are?”
“I’m Ma Xiu’e! Forewoman of Workshop Two! There was that batch of goods you had us ship a while back—remember?” Her tone was dripping with flattery, clinging to any connection she could find.
Sun Yuexin rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, “Now I get where Tian Xueya learned to be two-faced. Straight from her mom!”
After a round of flattery, Ma Xiu’e finally got to the point, “President Hao, what brings you to school today?”
Hao Jianguo sighed. “Ah, it’s that disappointing son of mine. Bullied a female student, caused trouble, so here I am.”
Ma Xiu’e curled her lip. “Well, it’s not necessarily your son’s fault. These days, girls like my Xiaoxue are rare—they probably came after him because your family’s rich.”
“Bullshit!” Sun Yuexin snapped. “Auntie, watch your mouth. Who went after who? Let’s not forget, before Xia Mian showed up, your Tian Xueya was Hao Jian’s favorite.”
Ma Xiu’e’s eyes widened, just about to yell, but Mr. Mi cut in sternly. “Mrs. Tian, this entire matter started because your daughter spread rumors. If you keep slandering my student, I won’t bother defending Tian Xueya anymore.”
Ma Xiu’e said indignantly, “That’s impossible. Teacher, you must be mistaken. My daughter is such a well-behaved, hardworking student—how could she be the one spreading rumors?”
Mr. Mi gave a brief rundown of the situation. “…So, it was because Tian Xueya made things up that President Hao’s son believed them and brought outside people into the school to intimidate a female student. That student panicked and called the police.”
“Your daughter likely got scared once things got out of hand, which is why she hasn’t dared to return to school.”
“Xia Mian has already explained everything to me. She wouldn’t press charges, so the police aren’t going to arrest Tian Xueya. Let her come back to class—everything will be fine.”
But Ma Xiu’e was still stuck on the terrible attack she had experienced earlier in the classroom. “How is this my daughter’s fault?” She gave Xia Mian a disgusted look. “Clearly it’s her indecent behavior that gave people the wrong impression.”
“If you want to talk about beauty, my daughter’s beautiful too, but no hooligans come to her!”
“Mrs. Tian!” Mr. Mi’s tone turned cold. “This matter was your daughter’s fault. I’m telling you one last time—stop slandering my student!”
But hearing that her daughter was to blame set Ma Xiu’e off. “What kind of teacher are you? This is a top-tier school! My daughter’s aiming for Yan University, and you’re going to let these bad influences ruin her future? I want her transferred to another class. I’m going straight to the principal!”
Xia Mian took a deep breath. Being a little angel sure isn’t easy! She kept her voice calm. “So what you’re saying, Auntie, is that whoever gets better grades is automatically above everyone else?”
“So if I get better grades than Tian Xueya, and I say she should drop out, then she has to drop out?”
Ma Xiu’e sneered, “Try beating her grades first before talking big!”
Xia Mian kept her smile gentle and tone soft. “Don’t worry. I’ll show you your daughter’s true nature—she’s nothing but trash who’s worse than the thugs she tried to use.”
“You—! How dare you talk like that, you rascal?!” Ma Xiu’e screamed and lunged forward to push Xia Mian, only to be stopped by Mr. Mi. “Mrs. Tian!”
Unable to win against a man, Ma Xiu’e stubbornly huffed, “Call her parents! I want to have a proper talk with them!”
Finally, Hao Jianguo spoke up. “That’s right, Mr. Mi—why hasn’t Xia Mian’s guardian shown up yet? I’m on a tight schedule here.”
Only then did Xia Mian realize they’d already tried to call her guardian. Thinking back to how Ning Shaobai had turned her down last time, she instinctively shrank back. She had considered asking him to be her guardian during school, but… this often? Even she felt embarrassed!
Mr. Mi tried to defuse the situation, “Her older brother couldn’t take the call just now. I’ll try again in a bit. Why don’t we talk first while we wait?”
Before Hao Jianguo could respond, Ma Xiu’e butted in, “Wait—older brother? What about her parents?”
Mr. Mi paused. He had a rough idea of Xia Mian’s situation. It had been her aunt who’d brought her to enroll, and she had subtly mentioned that Xia Mian’s parents had passed, likely to prevent anyone from poking a sensitive wound.
Ma Xiu’e, however, caught on immediately and sneered, “No parents? Well, that explains everything.”
Xia Mian picked up the cup of tea on the table and splashed it right in Ma Xiu’e’s face.
Yeah, sure. When facing certain people, even a little angel has to take a break!
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Author’s Note:
Xia Mian: “If beauty were a crime…”
Ning Shaobai: “…Then you should be sentenced to death.”