Zhu Ping and Qu Zheng were startled!
My only thought was: I can't call the police!
Fang Bai squinted, "Since you say Xiao Ning stole the phone, then let the police check the fingerprints."
Fang Bai swung his foot and pretended to comfort her, "Don't worry, my uncle is the deputy director. If he knows that his grandniece has been slandered, he will definitely step up the investigation. He will definitely not waste your time. Even if the phone has been handled by multiple people, we can find out who touched it."
Fang Bai paused after speaking, "Oh, how about I have my uncle send someone to the school? Check all the lockers in the changing room to see if Xiao Ning has touched He's locker, or who has touched Xiao Ning's locker."
The expressions on everyone's faces inside the room changed.
There was tension and panic, helplessness and regret.
Only Ji Yuning remained calm, though a hint of surprise flickered in her eyes.
The moment Ji Yuning saw Fang Bai, she felt that the act of stealing the phone would be forever etched into her memory.
Fang Bai wouldn't believe her, and wouldn't care whether she was punished or not, so she pretended to be very scared just to see how Fang Bai would solidify her bad reputation.
However, Fang Bai's subsequent actions contradicted Ji Yuning's expectations.
Ji Yuning didn't get to watch the show she wanted because Fang Bai didn't even ask her anything; every word he said and every action he took was on her side.
Why is that?
Ji Yuning looked down at Fang Bai's high heels, which revealed his arrogant attitude.
Ji Yuning was very familiar with Fang Bai's words, especially the sentence "My uncle is the deputy director." She had heard it several times when he tried to escape but was caught and brought back.
Although Ji Yuning knew that Fang Bai didn't need to use her uncle's influence to find her, the bodyguards she employed could easily capture her.
Qu Zheng hesitated before saying, "...Ms. Fang, is it necessary to call the police?"
“Yes, yes, now that the phone has been found, let’s just pretend this never happened.” Zhu Ping was uneasy. She didn’t dare to provoke the deputy director; if her family found out, they would definitely scold her.
Fang Bai frowned, puzzled, and said, "Why is it unnecessary? Our Xiao Ning didn't steal anything."
Our little lemon?
Ji Yuning glanced at Fang Bai without leaving a trace.
Fang Bai didn't notice Ji Yuning's actions. She continued, "If the phone is in Xiao Ning's schoolbag, then there must be a thief. Let's have the police find the thief. First, we can clear Xiao Ning's name, and second, we can make sure that the person who deserves the punishment is punished."
As Fang Bai spoke, his gaze swept over everyone in the room, and at the end, he looked at the person trembling in the corner with a half-smile.
When Fang Bai looked at Yu Mimi, her curled fingers were about to tear her palms apart. She swallowed hard, her mind filled with images of the police arriving.
Yu Mimi turned her head, wanting to interrupt Fang Bai's gaze, but in the next second, she met a pair of dark eyes that seemed to be able to see into people's hearts. Yu Mimi froze, and Ji Yuning's gaze made her shudder.
"Director, Chief..."
A trembling voice rang in everyone's ears.
He Ziyan looked at Yu Mimi, signaling her with her eyes to be quiet, but Yu Mimi ignored her with her eyes closed.
Qu Zheng looked in the direction of the sound and found a classmate standing in the corner. He asked, "What's wrong?"
Yu Mimi kept her eyes tightly shut. The scene of being arrested by the police in her mind became more and more real. Ji Yuning's gaze when she looked at her was fixed in her mind. She was terrified.
Yu Mimi suddenly opened her eyes and said, "I put the phone in Ji Yuning's bag."
As soon as Yu Mimi spoke, Fang Bai put his legs down.
Seeing that He Ziyan and Yu Mimi entered the changing room together in the surveillance footage, Fang Bai guessed that Yu Mimi knew the truth. He originally thought that Yu Mimi was watching how He Ziyan slandered Ji Yuning, but he didn't expect that the culprit was Yu Mimi.
After saying this, Yu Mimi deflated completely. She pleaded with Fang Bai in an innocent tone, "Ms. Fang, I don't want to go to the police station. Could you please not call the police? I'm still a student… if… if…"
Qu Zheng interrupted her: "Why did you do that?!"
"Yes, it was Ziyan who told me to release it." Yu Mimi's voice grew weaker and weaker.
Zhu Ping looked at He Ziyan and questioned, "Is what she said true?!"
He Wei and Zhou Xuan heard this as soon as they entered the room. He Wei asked as she walked in, "What do you mean, 'really'?"
Qu Zheng: "This classmate said that she put the phone in Ji Yuning's bag."
He Wei looked over in surprise, "Yu Mimi?"
"Teacher He, is this also from your Class 3?" Qu Zheng asked.
He Wei nodded: "Yes."
He Wei understood what Qu Zheng meant. All three of them were from her class, so it was her responsibility to resolve the matter.
He Wei paused for a moment, then turned around and held up what she was holding in front of everyone. "This is what I took from Ji's locker. Ji has a cell phone; she wouldn't steal another one for no reason. Of course, now that Yu Mimi has admitted to doing it, the cell phone I brought further proves Ji's character."
He Wei handed the phone box to Fang Bai, "I'm sorry, Ms. Fang, I will find out the whole story."
Fang Bai: "Mm."
He Wei turned to ask Yu Mimi what had happened, while Fang Bai, holding his phone, got up from the sofa and walked to He Ziyan. Under her questioning gaze, he slowly leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I can easily expose this childish trick. She definitely won't take it seriously. Next time, try something more sophisticated. But if you don't want your dad's business to fail, I hope there won't be a next time."
The faint sweet fragrance emanating from Fang Bai wafted into He Ziyan's nose, causing her to catch her breath. She didn't hear what Fang Bai said until he left her side, at which point she came to her senses.
He Ziyan clenched her hands. She was supposed to be the one playing the piano, but in the end, Ji Yuning was the one who went on stage.
Jealousy made her lose her mind. When she saw Ji Yuning's closet while changing clothes, she couldn't control her emotions and let Yu Mimi do it. When she heard Fang Bai say that he would call the police, He Ziyan knew that Yu Mimi would tell the truth.
Hearing people say she was childish, He Ziyan felt ashamed and indignant.
After Fang Bai left, Zhu Ping immediately went to He Ziyan's side, pulled He Ziyan and said to Fang Bai, "It seems that it was just a misunderstanding. Xiao Yan, come over and apologize to Aunt Fang."
Fang Bai was handing the phone to Ji Yuning when he heard Zhu Ping's words. He took a step back, pointed at Ji Yuning, and whispered, "Tell her."
After a moment of stunned silence, Zhu Ping mechanically laughed and said, "Yes, we should apologize to Xiao Ji."
Zhu Ping tugged at He Ziyan, who glanced at Fang Bai and then whispered an apology to Ji Yuning.
After He Ziyan finished speaking, Zhu Ping quickly said to Fang Bai, "Then Fang Bai, I'll take the child and leave first. Let's have tea together sometime."
"Who said you could leave?" Fang Bai raised his hand to stop them.
Zhu Ping was in the wrong, and this embarrassing incident made her so angry that she wanted to hit He Ziyan. She originally thought that Ji Yuning really stole the phone, so she didn't believe what Fang Bai said when he came in. She was also thinking that Fang Bai had embarrassed himself in front of her and that she wouldn't have to see the other party's high and mighty attitude anymore.
But now, she was the one who was embarrassed. She was so ashamed that she raised her voice, thinking it would cover up her embarrassment. Zhu Ping said angrily, "Fang Bai, what else do you want to do?"
“Your daughter slandered Xiao Ning, causing her psychological trauma. I won’t ask for compensation,” Fang Bai paused for a moment. “A disciplinary action plus a 5,000-word self-criticism should be enough, right? The kind that’s read aloud during the flag-raising ceremony.”
"You..." Zhu Ping took a deep breath, "Fang Bai, you've gone too far, haven't you?"
Before Zhu Ping could say anything more, a muffled voice sounded from behind her: "I'll write it."
He Ziyan stepped out from behind Zhu Ping and looked directly at Fang Bai. "I will write a self-criticism, but the punishment is not up to you."
Qu Zheng and He Wei also roughly understood the cause and effect.
Qu Zheng walked up to Fang Bai and said, "Ms. Fang, we will hold a meeting to decide on the punishment for this matter, and we will notify you as soon as the results are out."
Fang Bai said "okay" and then said to the two of them, "Thank you for your help. I'll take Xiao Ning and leave now."
He Ziyan was ignored by Fang Bai. She opened her mouth to speak, but then she felt someone watching her.
Looking up, He Ziyan met Ji Yuning's eyes.
Then Ji Yuning said in a calm tone, "Goodbye, Teacher He."
He Ziyan looked at Fang Bai, who had already turned and walked away.
Feeling guilty about what had happened, He Wei chased after Fang Bai's retreating figure, saying, "Miss Fang, let me see you off."
The school anniversary celebrations continued, and no one cared what was happening backstage.
The three walked out of the auditorium.
Stepping out of the auditorium, the intense heat scorched her skin. He Wei spoke up, "I'm sorry, Ms. Fang, He Ziyan and Yu Mimi are both my students. I didn't expect this to happen."
"It's alright, it's normal between kids." Fang Bai said magnanimously, showing no trace of the grudge he had when he was demanding an explanation from Ji Yuning earlier.
Seeing that Fang Bai didn't intend to pursue the matter, He Wei breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at Ji Yuning, who had been silent all along, and asked, "Yu Mimi is in the same dormitory as you. Do you want the teacher to help you switch places?"
Ji Yuning: "No need."
This has no effect on her.
Fang Bai glanced at Ji Yuning, slightly surprised: "You're in the same dorm?"
Ji Yuning said softly, "Mmm."
"Won't it be awkward to get along with each other in the future?" Fang Bai asked.
He Wei was about to say no, that she would help mediate, when she heard Fang Bai say to Ji Yuning, "Why don't you stop living at school and go home instead?"
Chapter 10
Fang Bai asked the question seemingly on a whim, but he was quickly making plans in his mind.
During the few days without contacting Ji Yuning, Fang Bai realized that if Ji Yuning lived on campus, she would only be able to see Ji Yuning on weekends, except for winter and summer vacations, for the next two years.
As a result, she didn't have much time to spend with Ji Yuning.
How can she win over Ji Yuning then?
Fang Bai wasn't confident she could eliminate Ji Yuning's hatred for the original owner in a short time; for now, she needed ample time to spend together.
If Ji Yuning doesn't live on campus...
Fang Bai was thinking about it, but He Wei's words stopped him from doing so.
He Wei said, "Ms. Fang, although Yu Ning is only in her second year of high school and her academic pressure is not very high, we still hope that Yu Ning will continue to live on campus for the sake of her senior year. Living on campus will not only give Yu Ning more time to study, but also provide a better learning environment."
Fang Bai realized what she meant after hearing this. Yes, she had been so focused on herself that she had forgotten Ji Yuning still needed to study.
Fang Bai smiled and said on a whim, "I know that too. I just mentioned it because I was worried that Xiao Ning would feel awkward living in the dormitory. As for whether Xiao Ning should live on campus, it's not up to me. It's all up to her."
Ji Yuning would definitely not agree.
The only thing the original owner ever did in Ji Yuning's eyes was to send her to boarding school.
Now that she's making Ji Yuning run errands, isn't she just ruining the only good impression she had?