Yu Zheng came over from the side and grabbed Yu Xiaxing by the wrist.
He bent down slightly so they were eye to eye, a smile in his eyes. “Little sister, is this your first time at the police station? Scared?”
Yu Xiaxing was already frazzled by the whole spectacle. Seeing him only made her more annoyed, and she snapped back under her breath, “What are you doing here?”
“Tsk, what an ungrateful girl.” Yu Zheng curled a finger and tapped her on the head. “I’m here to handle the paperwork for you.”
Before she could respond, the crowd outside had already spotted her.
“Board Director Yu, are you all right?” The teachers gathered around her.
“Board Director Yu, we’re sorry. We misunderstood and insulted you so much a few days ago. We never imagined you were fishing for the truth…” the parents’ representatives said guiltily.
“Is that Board Director Yu? I’ve never seen what the school board director looks like!” Several students came over, their faces full of curiosity.
What made Yu Xiaxing’s scalp prickle even more was that several media crews stood around the outskirts of the crowd, their cameras pointed straight at her.
Principal Wang stood over there and gave Yu Xiaxing an encouraging look.
As a veteran educator, he still had a few connections in the media.
And these weren’t some irresponsible little online outlets.
Many of them were major media organizations, such as Pu City Television.
Yu Xiaxing immediately used her Fifth Brother’s body to block her face.
She still needed to blend in among the students and stir things up from within. She absolutely did not want them to know what she looked like!
She shrank behind Yu Zheng and covered her face, speaking rapidly in a voice only the two of them could hear. “Brother, don’t let them film me. I don’t want to be exposed yet.”
Yu Zheng nodded. He naturally lifted an arm and drew her closer to his chest, shielding her from the cameras.
Turning his head toward the crowd outside, he said, “My sister’s been exhausted all day, and this whole ordeal has frightened her. If the media would like an interview, please coordinate with the Yu Corporation afterward.”
Seeing Yu Xiaxing with her head lowered and face covered, Principal Wang thought that, in the end, she was only a twenty-year-old girl.
It was only natural that she would struggle to process being falsely accused and brought to the police station for the first time.
“Is Board Director Yu crying?” some of the students began whispering.
The way everyone looked at Yu Xiaxing gradually filled with protectiveness.
“Don’t be afraid, Board Director Yu! We’re with you!”
“That man only falsely accused you because he was angry that you took away his chance to embezzle the school’s grocery funds! We all understand! You haven’t done anything wrong!”
“Board Director Yu, you don’t have to cry. Seeing you cry makes me want to cry too… Boo-hoo-hoo! Why do they keep bullying someone who genuinely cares about the students?”
“Board Director Yu, you don’t have to say anything. We understand everything!”
Yu Xiaxing: “…”
No, seriously, what exactly do you people understand?!
Yu Zheng ignored the voices. Protecting Yu Xiaxing, he pushed his way through the crowd and strode toward his car.
He quickly got her safely into the passenger seat of his SUV, then shut the door, cutting her off from everything outside.
Yu Zheng went around to the driver’s side, started the engine, and drove away from the still-bustling entrance to the police station.
Yu Xiaxing was still covering her face.
The teachers, students, and parents’ representatives moved aside to clear a path for them.
Everyone watched her leave with solemn, reverent expressions.
The reporters captured the entire scene.
My God… It was practically straight out of I’m Not a Teaching God.
Before long, the car disappeared into the distance.
Principal Wang wasn’t about to let the media he had called come away empty-handed.
He began speaking to the cameras, giving a complete account of what had happened.
The students and some of the parents gathered nearby to support the principal.
Far away,
in the shadows at a street corner,
Yu Lingyi was secretly watching as well. A lawyer stood beside her.
In fact, she had arrived a long time ago.
The more she thought about what Su Hao had done, the more disgusting she found it.
But she didn’t want anything to go wrong before the wedding, so she had brought a lawyer with her. She wanted to see what was happening and perhaps help in some way, making up for the guilt she felt inside.
But then she saw all those students, teachers, and parents voluntarily gathering there to stand up for Yu Xiaxing.
She saw the way Yu Zheng protected her without the slightest attempt to hide it.
She saw the fragile yet stubborn way Yu Xiaxing carried herself, even with her face covered…
Yu Lingyi’s emotions became incredibly complicated.
Sourness, bitterness, confusion—and a touch of… shame at her own inferiority.
What exactly had Yu Xiaxing done?
How had she gotten so many people to willingly stand up for her, even though the methods she used had been so extreme and controversial?
Yu Lingyi watched in silence. Even after the crowd outside the police station had gradually dispersed, she remained sitting in the car for a long time without moving.
—
While waiting at a red light, Yu Zheng glanced over.
Yu Xiaxing had lowered her hand. Leaning back against the seat, she gazed out the window. In the alternating glow and darkness of the streetlights, her profile looked tired and detached.
“Isn’t the passion of young people kind of moving? Pretty inspiring?” Yu Zheng asked casually.
Yu Xiaxing’s brows knitted tightly.
Inspiring? What on earth was supposed to be inspiring?
Yu Zheng thought back to his own youth. Before the misunderstanding between him and his sister, his little sister had been more important to him than anything else.
Whatever his sister did, no matter if the earth shook and the heavens fell, he would always stand on her side.
—
When they returned home,
Diandian came bounding over to welcome Mom and Uncle.
Yu Xiaxing picked up Diandian and scampered upstairs to her room.
She shut the door, went online, and checked whether she had made the trending lists.
…Holy crap! How did it happen so quickly?!
Pu City Television’s online platform had actually livestreamed the whole thing!
As expected of an official media outlet—the headline was practically dripping with social responsibility!
“Behind the Shengde Incident: Education Needs a Breakthrough!”
Public opinion shifted dramatically in the blink of an eye!
And because an official media outlet had stepped in, the online discussion was no longer focused on the surface of the incident.
Instead, people were being guided to consider the deeper issues behind it.
“Why would such a young woman from a wealthy family use this extreme approach—one that could destroy her reputation and easily backfire—to deal with a problem found in almost every school?” the host asked.
Many people answered in the comments below the video:
Milk-Shaking Master: “To be honest, watching the livestream tonight was genuinely inspiring. I think this Board Director is worth supporting. At the very least, she’s doing something practical. How many schools do nothing but preach about education?”
Brothers Die for Me, I Die for Brothers: “The school-wide health check last week and the reduction in evening study hours really broke me. I graduated ten years ago, but even now, whenever I think about high school, all I can do is have nightmares. I was anxious, depressed, and sleep-deprived in high school too… I was crushed by the pressure to the point where I almost took my own life.”
Turkey-Flavored Guoba: “The students at Shengde may not have good grades, but tonight’s events made me realize that they’re warmhearted, grateful, capable of telling right from wrong, and willing to take responsibility. And Board Director Yu, who brought those strengths to light, can absolutely be called an outstanding educator!”
Teacher of the People: “As a frontline teacher, I know all too well how powerless it can feel to manage problem students. Scolding them, calling their parents, and issuing disciplinary action often only treats the symptoms, and can even provoke more rebelliousness. Board Director Yu’s method was unconventional and extremely risky. She sacrificed her own reputation to teach countless children a lesson.”
Pitying Women Brings a Lifetime of Luck: “I feel so sorry for Board Director Yu. Someone give her a hug—she looks so broken. She’s been through every kind of grievance, misunderstanding, and exhaustion this past week, and in the end, she was even slandered... She must have been pushed past her limit to cover her face and cry like that.”
Hot-Melt Glue Plays with Dripping Wax: “We never even got to see Board Director Yu’s face, but her older brother is so handsome! No tricks, no embellishments—just naturally handsome! The way he protected his sister and escorted her away was incredibly reassuring. What an amazing bond between siblings! I wish my brother could be that devoted to me!”
The online discussion continued to escalate.
The incident soon gave rise to broader reflections on the commercialization of education, teacher-student relationships, adolescent mental health, and even inheritance models in family businesses.
Of course, there were still voices of doubt and criticism. Some people felt that the whole thing was too childish, suspected it was a publicity stunt, or believed that the management’s methods were dangerously close to violating the law.
But under the guidance of the mainstream media, those voices were quickly drowned out.
Yu Xiaxing scrolled through the news and comments on her phone, holding on to one last sliver of hope...
Because the timing had come just before the deadline.
Maybe the public-opinion monitoring system hadn’t had time to detect the shift in sentiment?
Maybe there was still a chance for her yellow card?
She waited nervously.
At last, the result was announced!
