Volume One, Chapter 11: Darling, What Are You Doing Here?

After receiving a call from her foster father, Yiyao immediately returned the call. The number belonged to Jiang Rang, the secretary of He Yancheng, so naturally, he answered. After arranging a time and place with him, Yiyao hung up and left.

When she stepped out, Xie Huaijin was still hiding in the study, on the phone with Qin Zhenzhen. She didn’t catch what they were saying, but since she had already heard the important news, the rest was probably just their flirtatious chatter, which she preferred to ignore for peace of mind.

Yiyao hailed a taxi nearby. Just as she got in, her phone rang again. This time it was her maternal aunt. As soon as she answered, she heard a noisy background.

“Yiyao, are you free today? Can you pick up Lele from school for me? The teacher called earlier; it seems Lele got into some trouble and I’m supposed to handle it immediately. But a big client just came to my shop today, and both your second aunt and I can’t leave for now. Could you help me out?”

Her aunt’s husband had an affair during their marriage and even had an illegitimate child with another woman. Being the younger sibling born late in the family, her aunt had contemplated divorce when she was pregnant with Lele. Her aunt’s husband had shown some conscience, offering to leave with nothing, so her aunt severed ties with him completely. Previously, she had lived comfortably as a housewife, but after the divorce, she took over the shop herself and started a small business. Though she earned less than before, she still made over three hundred thousand a year. With help from the second aunt, they ran the business together, supporting each other and living reasonably well.

Yiyao understood her aunt’s hardships. Faced with two pressing matters at once, she hesitated for a moment but chose to help her aunt. “Okay, I’ll head to the school right away.”

The driver turned toward a private kindergarten. Yiyao got out and entered the school, contacting the teacher through the phone number her aunt had sent. When she reached the classroom door, she saw it was empty except for Lele and another boy she didn’t recognize.

It was already more than half an hour past dismissal time. All the parents had picked up their children except for these two troublemakers: Lele and the little boy.

“This is for you!” the boy said, placing a lump of brown crystal mud on Lele’s desk.

Lele frowned at the color, clearly not liking it, and handed it back. “I don’t want it.”

The boy, displeased, threw the crystal mud back onto Lele’s desk. “I’m giving it to you. Why don’t you want it?”

“I don’t like your color.”

The boy’s cheeks puffed out as if gritting his teeth. Without warning, he shoved the crystal mud into Lele’s mouth. “Hmph! How dare you refuse my gift!”

Lele nearly choked. Yiyao, standing at the door, was terrified and rushed in, pulling the crystal mud out of Lele’s mouth just in time, allowing him to breathe again.

“Lele, are you okay?”

Lele was frightened and immediately clung to her, burying his face and crying.

Yiyao clenched her fists. If the boy weren’t a child, she truly wished she could shove the crystal mud into his mouth as well. “How can you put crystal mud into someone else’s mouth? Didn’t your parents tell you that crystal mud isn’t edible?”

“Hmph!” The boy crossed his arms defiantly, clearly unrepentant and quite annoying.

At that moment, a teacher walked in, followed by an elegantly dressed woman adorned in designer brands from head to toe. Her pale complexion gave her an ethereal, almost fragile beauty. Such a woman inspired not just men but even women to feel pity and compassion.

As the woman entered, the boy burst into tears, startling her. She immediately rushed forward and hugged him. “Jiayi, what’s wrong? Who bullied you?”

The boy pointed at Lele while crying loudly. “Mom, he bullied me! And… that big sister bullied me too!”

The woman’s eyes flashed with fierce anger. Suddenly, she slapped Yiyao across the face, causing a sharp sting.

The slap was so sudden that Yiyao barely had time to react before it landed. The teacher was horrified and rushed forward to admonish her. “Jiayi’s mother, please speak calmly. How can you hit someone?”

The woman’s face twisted into a cruel snarl. “She’s a grown woman bullying a child. Doesn’t she deserve a slap?”

“She’s accusing my son before the facts are clear, and you hit her without hearing the truth. I won’t let this go.”

She turned to the teacher. “Both adults and children are unreasonable here. Let her husband handle this! I want to see what kind of man would marry such a rude and unreasonable woman.”

Yiyao hadn’t intended to escalate the matter, but the woman and the brat were too detestable. Someone had to settle this.

The woman’s expression was ruthless, her dark eyes glinting with malice. “You really don’t know, do you? My husband is a shareholder of this school. If you want him to handle this, who knows which child will be unlucky! Fine, I understand your stubbornness as a poor person who won’t learn until seeing the coffin. I’ll call my husband and let him deal with this. Maybe then you’ll understand why you shouldn’t force your way into circles you don’t belong to.”

She turned and left to make the call.

The teacher, somewhat anxious, whispered in Yiyao’s ear, “Lele’s guardian, you’re really naive. Even our school principal respects that woman. Her husband spoils her. I understand your desire for justice, but when her husband arrives, things will only get more complicated.”

“Who is her husband?”

The teacher hesitated before answering, “I’m just a staff member; I don’t know the names of the big shots on the board. I only know Jiayi’s mother is Qin Zhenzhen.”

Yiyao’s hand clenched. “What?!”

…

The meeting room was clean and orderly.

To keep the children away, the teachers took charge of watching Lele and Xie Jiayi separately, while Yiyao and Qin Zhenzhen were led to a small conference room, sitting opposite each other. Qin Zhenzhen still wore an arrogant expression. From the moment Yiyao learned the woman’s identity to the arrival of Xie Huaijin, her eyes never left Qin Zhenzhen.

Previously, Yiyao had hired a lawyer to investigate and obtained photos of Li Fengying taking care of Qin Zhenzhen at the postpartum care center. Qin Zhenzhen had no makeup then and went unrecognized today—her makeover was striking, like a new person.

The longer they waited, the more brazen Qin Zhenzhen became. “My husband will be here soon. You’re doomed!”

Heh…

Yiyao was curious to see how Xie Huaijin would handle this.

A knock sounded at the door.

Qin Zhenzhen’s expression changed instantly when she saw Xie Huaijin enter. Her face turned sweet and innocent, biting her lip with moist, blinking eyes, looking utterly harmless.

“Huai—”

“Wife? What are you doing here?!”

Qin Zhenzhen barely got the words out before Xie Huaijin interrupted. She initially thought he was calling her but watched in shock as he walked straight to Yiyao’s side. She looked alarmed, lips dry, yet tried to remain composed.

Yiyao had expected Xie Huaijin to put on a show. She scrutinized him up and down. “I was picking up Lele for my aunt and saw Qin’s son shove crystal mud into Lele’s mouth. When I discovered it, her son played the victim first, and she slapped me instead. Husband, how do you think this should be handled?”

The teacher beside them looked as if they’d witnessed a massive scandal. Wasn’t this man supposed to be Qin Zhenzhen’s husband? He had come to pick up Xie Jiayi before, claiming to be Jiayi’s father. Now he was supposedly the husband of Lele’s cousin? What was going on?

Qin Zhenzhen was equally shocked. She hadn’t expected the woman across from her to be the legitimate wife. For their larger scheme, this wasn’t the time to reveal her identity.

Gritting her teeth, she said, “Sir, this is all just her word without proof. Who shoved crystal mud into whose mouth is unclear. You can’t just listen to her side!”

“Yes, dear, don’t accuse people without evidence.”

Lele was Yiyao’s aunt’s son; Xie Jiayi was his son. Xie Huaijin knew this clearly and wouldn’t let his son be bullied!

Yiyao thought Xie Huaijin wouldn’t openly side with Qin Zhenzhen—she still had some leverage with him—but she was naive. In this situation, Qin Zhenzhen and Xie Huaijin acted like a family, and she was the outsider.

Despite her pale face, Yiyao held her spine straight. “I saw it with my own eyes. How is that false accusation?”

Xie Huaijin leaned forward. “Maybe… you saw it wrong? Or misunderstood? Children in schools like this are well-bred. How could they do something so cruel?”

Yiyao smiled bitterly, her heart aching as if torn in two, eyes filled with despair. It wasn’t a matter of belief; Xie Huaijin had decided to side with Qin Zhenzhen. No matter what she said, it was futile.

Still, she wouldn’t give up. Why should Lele suffer injustice while the bad guys go free? And what about the slap she had just endured?

Her emotions churned violently, but she kept calm. “Check the surveillance. Every classroom has cameras. I don’t believe there’s no evidence.”

Xie Huaijin’s eyes were calm as a lake. “Private school surveillance isn’t easy to access. Without the top leader’s approval, do you think an ordinary teacher dares check? Dear, you’ve been at home too long and don’t know how complicated the world is. I think we should let this go. Make peace with Ms. Qin. Lele and her son are in the same class—they’ll still be classmates. It’s better for them to get along. Otherwise, adults’ grudges spilling onto children won’t do any good.”

Yiyao glanced toward the teacher, who immediately lowered her head in silence. She could tell Qin Zhenzhen and Xie Huaijin were not to be trifled with. Yiyao seemed powerless, with no background or support, and dared not stand up for her.

She bit her lip, fists clenched. “Then call the board of directors! Let the board handle this!”

“Dear… do you think the board is some sort of errand service? Anyone can just call them?” Xie Huaijin thought she was too naive.

Even Qin Zhenzhen sneered beside him. After all, even if she was the legitimate wife, her husband still sided with her. As long as Xie Huaijin supported her, she could always hold her head high and trample Yiyao underfoot for life.

Just as Yiyao felt helpless, there was a commotion outside.

One leader said, “Board members, it’s my fault as principal that a parent caused trouble. Please come in! I’ll go with you immediately to sort this out.”

Bang!

The meeting room door was suddenly pushed open forcefully. Everyone turned to look at the two who entered: the school principal and… He Yancheng!

Xie Huaijin gasped, staring unbelievingly at the man approaching. “He-He, President He?”