Chapter 181: Trouble with People
The next second, Lv Juan walked over to Xu Yuefei and said with a beaming smile, "Yuefei, I heard you're dating Zhou Keyu, the son of our Vice Principal? I'm up for a professional title evaluation next week, and I was hoping you could do me a favor. Could you talk to your boyfriend and have him put in a good word with his dad, the Principal?"
Xu Yuefei smiled immediately. "No problem at all, Teacher Lv! But this Zhao Qirou…"
Lv Juan sized up Zhao Qirou and rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about her!"
She then turned to Zhao Qirou, her expression souring. "Zhao Qirou, what is your problem? Have you forgotten your family's situation? How dare you cause trouble in my class? Apologize to Yuefei this instant and give her your ticket. If you don't, I'm going straight to the Academic Affairs Office to have a demerit put on your permanent record!"
Zhao Qirou was stunned, staring blankly at Lv Juan. She had never expected her teacher to be like this.
Xu Yuefei, watching from the side, sneered at Zhao Qirou. "Hand over the ticket, Zhao Qirou. Don't be so shameless."
Zhao Qirou looked at Lv Juan, her eyes slowly turning red as tears of indignation welled up. "Teacher Lv, this ticket is mine. She's trying to steal it, she…"
Lv Juan cut her off impatiently. "That's enough, shut your mouth! Why would Yuefei single you out for your ticket? It must be because you did something wrong. Hand it over, or don't blame me for being harsh and putting a demerit on your record."
Su Xue, who was standing nearby, was also shocked. She said indignantly, "Teacher Lv, do you even deserve to be called a teacher? Is this how a role model is supposed to act?"
Lv Juan snapped, "This is none of your damn business, Su Xue! Step aside!"
With that, Lv Juan stormed over to Zhao Qirou and grabbed for the ticket in her hand. "Zhao Qirou, give me the ticket!"
Tears streamed down Zhao Qirou's face, but she clutched the ticket, refusing to let go.
Lv Juan's voice dripped with scorn. "Zhao Qirou, you'd better know what's good for you! Otherwise, you can forget about this year's scholarship and any other financial aid! Don't think for a second I don't know about your family. Your father's a construction worker, your mother works in a factory. Are you really that clueless about your own situation? Who are you to compete with Yuefei for a ticket? Give it to me now!"
Tears pouring down her face, Zhao Qirou felt a wave of hopeless sorrow. She choked out, "Teacher Lv, just because my family is poor, does that mean I deserve to be looked down on? Does it mean I deserve to be bullied?"
"That's right! It's your own fault for being so poor. Hand over the ticket now!"
"No! This ticket is for my brother!"
Zhao Qirou still refused to let go, her face soaked with tears.
Frustrated, Lv Juan suddenly raised her hand and slapped Zhao Qirou hard across the face. "You ungrateful wretch!" she screamed, spit flying from her mouth. "I'll kill you!"
A bright red handprint appeared on Zhao Qirou's cheek, yet she still wouldn't let go.
Xu Yuefei couldn't wait any longer and joined Lv Juan, trying to rip the ticket from her grasp. As the ticket was about to be torn away, the rest of the class simply stood by, not daring to speak. Some looked at Zhao Qirou with pity, but no one dared to step forward.
Just then, a figure appeared in the hallway outside the classroom.
It was Zhao Dong. He had tried calling several times from downstairs, but no one answered. Puzzled, he had gotten out of his car and come up to look for his sister. After searching several floors without finding her, he was growing anxious when he happened upon the scene.
He saw two women grappling with Zhao Qirou, whose face bore a bright red slap mark.
In an instant, a towering rage erupted from Zhao Dong. The veins on his forehead bulged as he charged forward, roaring, "You're courting death!"
At that moment, Zhao Dong was like an enraged lion. Family was the one line he would never let anyone cross, and his bond with Zhao Qirou was incredibly deep. Seeing her not only being bullied but also slapped—how could he possibly tolerate it?
A blur flashed across everyone's vision, and in the next moment, Zhao Dong was standing before Lv Juan and Xu Yuefei.
He slapped Lv Juan across the face. She let out a piercing scream as a spray of broken teeth flew from her mouth. Spitting out a mouthful of bloody foam, Lv Juan was sent flying backward.
Without a moment's hesitation, Zhao Dong kicked Xu Yuefei squarely in the stomach. Her body arched like a cooked shrimp as she flew six or seven meters, crashing hard against the blackboard before collapsing to the floor.
Everyone was stunned, watching the scene unfold in utter shock.
Zhao Qirou was also astonished. She looked at Zhao Dong, her voice thick with tears. "Brother, why are you here?"
Zhao Dong's gaze fell on the handprint on his sister's face, and his heart clenched with pain. He gently caressed her cheek and asked in a low, hoarse voice, "Who hit you?"
Hearing this, the tears Zhao Qirou had been desperately holding back finally broke free. She threw herself into Zhao Dong's arms and began to sob uncontrollably. Her tears soaked his shoulder and seemed to seep straight into his heart.
He gently patted her back, murmuring, "It's okay, I'm here now. Don't cry. Tell your brother what happened."
Zhao Qirou cried her heart out, biting her lip to stifle the sound, but it was no use. She unleashed all her pain and humiliation in the safety of his arms.
Zhao Dong's own heart ached terribly. He turned his head, his ice-cold gaze falling upon the two women crumpled on the floor. He had held back earlier. Otherwise, he could have sent them both to meet King Yan with a single blow.
As his gaze fell upon them, they both shivered in fear. Lv Juan, blood still dribbling from her mouth, trembled uncontrollably.
"Why did you hit my sister?" Zhao Dong asked coldly.
Terrified, Lv Juan trembled violently. Xu Yuefei, however, mustered her courage and spat venomously at Zhao Dong, "So you're Zhao Qirou's brother? Do you have a death wish? How dare you hit people at school? Let me tell you, not only are you screwed today, but Zhao Qirou is getting expelled!"
Zhao Dong gave a cold smirk. "Oh, really? Expelled? Fine. I'd like to see who has the power to expel my sister."
Someone in the crowd whispered a warning, "Xu Yuefei's boyfriend is the Vice Principal's son. She really could get someone expelled…"
Understanding dawned on Zhao Dong, followed by another cold sneer. "No wonder you're so arrogant. So you've hooked up with the Vice Principal's son."
Flushed with anger and shame, Xu Yuefei sputtered, "You… shut your mouth! You hit me today! You won't be walking out of this school!"
Seeing Xu Yuefei's firm attitude, Lv Juan found a sliver of courage. She stammered, her words slurring past the gaps where her teeth had been, "You… you dare hit a teacher? You're finished… And you, Zhao Qirou, just you wait! You're going to be expelled!"
Zhao Dong ignored them, looking down at his sister with a pained expression. "Qirou, tell me what happened."
Zhao Qirou wiped her tear-streaked eyes and, swallowing her grievances, explained, "Brother, I saved a ticket for you, but Xu Yuefei insisted on taking it. When I refused, she hit me… Then this teacher came over, but she sided with Xu Yuefei! She tried to help her steal my ticket, and she hit me too!"
Zhao Dong's eyes became impossibly cold, his gaze like two steel spikes aimed directly at Lv Juan and Xu Yuefei.
The two women flinched. Pale and trembling, Xu Yuefei stammered, "Wh-what are you going to do? I'm warning you, don't do anything crazy! My… my boyfriend is Zhou Keyu, the Principal's son!"
Zhao Dong's gaze grew terrifyingly dark. "Tell him to get his ass over here," he said, his voice ice-cold.
Xu Yuefei's pupils contracted in shock. He's not afraid of Zhou Keyu? That's impossible... Does he have some powerful backing? No, that can't be it. Everyone knows about Zhao Qirou's family. They're just an ordinary, poor family. How could he have any connections? He must be bluffing!
"Just you wait! I'm calling my boyfriend right now! Keep acting tough. In a minute, you two will be the ones crying!"
Xu Yuefei immediately dialed Zhou Keyu's number.
At that moment, in the Vice Principal's office at East Sea University, Zhou Keyu was sitting with his father, Zhou Dahai, discussing some matters.
Just then, his phone rang, and he answered it instantly.
After hearing what Xu Yuefei said, Zhou Keyu's expression darkened. He shot to his feet and roared into the phone, "Goddammit! Shit! I'm on my way, just hold on!"