The teacher was lecturing at the front of the classroom, but Ji Zhaoxi couldn't take in a single word. She couldn't even focus on the text in her book.
She lowered her eyes, trying desperately to conceal her inner panic.
Before she had even entered the classroom, she had heard the other students gossiping about her.
Targeting Jiang Shiyi, throwing herself at Xie Sili—either of these rumors was enough to completely ruin her reputation.
Thus, when Ji Zhaoxi was called into the teachers' office once again...
"He must have posted that thread. Because I rejected him, he posted those things to spread rumors about me."
Ji Zhaoxi's shoulders trembled as tears fell uncontrollably from her eyes.
All of her emotions were genuine—the fear was real, and so were the tears.
The principal, the grade director, her homeroom teacher, and several men in suits were sitting in the office.
The men in suits stared at her with sharp eyes, as if trying to discern whether she was telling the truth.
Ji Zhaoxi kept her head down, her tears falling drop by drop onto the floor.
Her homeroom teacher was also nursing a massive headache over the situation. "Actually, I also believe that boy is spreading rumors. He failed to bully Ji Zhaoxi, so he wanted to get back at her."
"Ji Zhaoxi is a very honest and quiet girl. She usually doesn't even dare to speak to others. She's extremely timid."
The issue with that boy hadn't even been fully resolved yet, and now a post like that had suddenly appeared on the forum.
The grade director also felt that the current situation was highly inappropriate; he certainly hadn't expected the Jiang family to show up so quickly.
He forced a smile at the men in suits. "Gentlemen, we'll know what's true and what's false once we call Jiang Shiyi over. Please, there's no need to be so anxious."
Hearing this, Ji Zhaoxi's mind went completely blank. Her heart pounded wildly, her breathing quickened, and fear washed over her like a tidal wave. She felt an uncontrollable chill spread through her entire body.
The homeroom teacher immediately headed to the classroom to get Jiang Shiyi.
Seeing that Ji Zhaoxi was still standing, the grade director offered a kind smile. "Ji Zhaoxi, you must be tired from standing. Why don't you take a seat first?"
But when he saw Ji Zhaoxi's expression, his heart skipped a beat.
This reaction...
He drew in a sharp breath, no longer daring to pull her into a seat, and sat back down in his own chair with an uneasy feeling.
He let out a dry laugh. "You are all elites of the Jiang family, but we live in a society governed by law, and our students are still minors. I urge everyone to act with caution."
The suited man standing at the very front shot him a glance. "We only came to the school to verify the facts after receiving the news. We wouldn't stoop to making things difficult for a student."
The grade director nodded, offering a strained, toothy grin. "Of course, of course."
He paced around the office, stealing a glance at Ji Zhaoxi. She was already in tears, trembling all over from fear.
Now it was the grade director's turn to be afraid. He couldn't even muster a smile anymore.
He was doomed. The young lady of the Jiang family had been bullied right under his nose. He was truly finished!
After quite a while, the homeroom teacher finally returned with Jiang Shiyi.
As soon as Jiang Shiyi saw Ji Zhaoxi standing in the middle of the room, she immediately understood what was going on.
With her eyes lowered, she walked over to Ji Zhaoxi's side.
"Principal, did you need me for something?"
The principal took a sip of tea, his expression bitter. "Jiang Shiyi, have you seen the post on the school forum? Were you... truly bullied by Ji Zhaoxi?"
Ji Zhaoxi was practically gasping for air, her face frighteningly pale. Cold sweat seeped from her forehead, causing her damp hair to stick to her skin. She looked as though she might collapse at any second.
Ever since that conversation she had with Jiang Shiyi, they hadn't spoken a single word to each other.
Sometimes, when they crossed paths, they would simply avoid each other.
She didn't expect Jiang Shiyi to help her, but she absolutely had to drag that boy down with her. She couldn't possibly suffer all the consequences alone.
Just when she felt like she couldn't hold on any longer, someone suddenly stood right behind her. A hand lightly brushed against her shoulder before letting go.
"No."
Jiang Shiyi spoke calmly.
The grade director looked at her in astonishment.
Jiang Shiyi looked at the principal. "Ji Zhaoxi did not bully me. Everything said in that post is fake."
The homeroom teacher grew even angrier. "I knew it was fake! It must be that boy spreading rumors. What a jerk!"
The grade director cleared his throat and tugged at the homeroom teacher. "Don't get so worked up."
He then looked toward the bodyguards nearby, speaking in a fawning tone. "Gentlemen, you've all heard what Miss Jiang said. No one at the school has bullied Miss Jiang."
So please stop acting like you're about to tear the school apart.
"Sir," Xie Sili suddenly spoke up. "The part regarding Ji Zhaoxi and me is also false."
The grade director nodded repeatedly. "The school understands. We will definitely clear your names. The nature of this incident is truly too malicious."
By the time she left the office, Ji Zhaoxi's legs were so weak from fear that they felt like jelly.
Jiang Shiyi and Xie Sili remained in the office to talk.
Their conversation lasted a long time. By the time it ended, the sky had turned completely dark, and almost all the students had already gone home.
Xie Sili and Jiang Shiyi walked out of the school gates together.
"Thank you for today," Xie Sili said.
Jiang Shiyi stopped in her tracks, her tone gentle. "Xie Sili, in what capacity are you thanking me on behalf of Ji Zhaoxi?"
"This started because of me, so I definitely had to step forward. After all, this is a matter between her and me."
Without waiting for Xie Sili to respond, Jiang Shiyi got straight into her car.
Her mind was filled with the image of Ji Zhaoxi trembling with fear in the office.
Was she afraid that she wouldn't speak up for her? That made sense; after all, she trusted Xie Sili much more than she trusted her.
The boy was directly expelled for threatening and spreading rumors about Ji Zhaoxi.
If it had just been about Ji Zhaoxi alone, it wouldn't have reached the point of expulsion, but he had dragged too many people into it, and the school couldn't protect him.
Ji Zhaoxi's parents only found out about the incident from others after everything was over.
Mother Ji scolded Ji Zhaoxi for not telling them about such a major incident, while simultaneously feeling heartbroken that she had endured so much all alone.
Wiping her tears, Mother Ji said, "Next time, you must tell Mom. Mom will definitely stand by your side. Ji Zhaoxi, what on earth are you so afraid of?"
Ji Zhaoxi felt incredibly guilty.
What was she afraid of? Naturally, she was afraid of the truth being exposed.
In their eyes, she had been wronged and had suffered an injustice.
But only she herself knew that all those things were actually true.
That night, Mother Ji once again began teaching her methods of self-protection, telling her how to avoid being bullied.
After this incident, Mother Ji became even more worried about Ji Zhaoxi's future.
Being this timid, what would she do in the future?
