Although Gu Yingying had her back to Shi Yating, her instincts—honed by centuries on the Anlan Continent—alerted her immediately to someone approaching. When Shi Yating tried to pour juice over her, Gu Yingying deftly sidestepped, avoiding most of it. Unfortunately, the juice splashed onto her skirt, leaving an unsightly yellow stain.

To make matters worse, the collateral damage extended to Song Ruoci, who was seated beside her. Song Ruoci stood up hurriedly, brushing at the liquid on her clothes, her brows furrowed as she glared at Shi Yating.

Shi Yating hadn’t anticipated that her sneak attack would fail so spectacularly. Seeing that Gu Yingying wasn’t as humiliated as she’d hoped, her anger boiled over. In a fit of frustration, she threw the empty juice bottle in Gu Yingying’s direction.

But Gu Yingying wasn’t one to back down easily. While her usual demeanor was soft and sweet, she wasn’t someone who allowed others to walk all over her. She caught the flying bottle effortlessly with one hand, preventing it from hitting anyone nearby.

The onlookers were stunned. Shi Yating’s failed attempts only fueled her rage further, and she finally exploded in an unfiltered tirade.

“Gu Yingying, you fraudulent leech! You took over someone else’s rightful place, and now that the real daughter has kicked you out of the Gu family, here you are flirting with boys to find a rich sucker to take care of you! You’re absolutely disgusting!”

Shi Yating’s venomous accusations spilled out, completely devoid of logic or restraint. Before Gu Yingying could respond, Song Ruoci, who had been caught in the crossfire, beat her to it.

Her tone was sharp and cutting. “Shi Yating, are you out of your mind?”

“This classmate, are you aware that under national criminal law, defamation of someone’s reputation can land you in jail? What did Yingying ever do to you to deserve this? And furthermore, your behavior just now was completely out of line. You owe Yingying and me an apology.” declared Song Ruoci firmly.

With yellow juice stains smeared across her pants, Song Ruoci looked a bit disheveled, but her delicate face and unyielding demeanor left no room for debate. As someone who valued her friends, she wasn’t about to let an outsider bully someone from her class.

Her words rallied the rest of Class 2, who rose to their feet in support. Determined to back their classmate, they stared down Shi Yating, clearly prepared to defend their own.

Shi Yating, who had acted purely out of impulse, found herself surrounded without a single ally in sight. A surge of regret bubbled inside her, but her pride wouldn’t let her back down. Crossing her arms, she stubbornly retorted,

“Am I wrong? She’s nothing but a fake imposter! The real Gu family daughter is Gu Xuezhen from Class 1! Are you all so brainless? Just because she looks pretty, you’re rushing to protect her! You all deserve to be fooled!”

Her anger turned toward the boys in particular, who seemed so easily swayed by Gu Yingying’s looks. Then, with eyes full of jealousy, Shi Yating directed her sharp words at Gu Yingying.

“Gu Yingying! Let me warn you—stay away from Gu Qingrang! Otherwise, you’ll regret it!”

Shi Yating’s feelings for Gu Qingrang finally boiled over, clouding her judgment. She knew deep down that her looks couldn’t compare to Gu Yingying’s. With her delicate, pure appearance that so many boys seemed to adore, Gu Yingying was everything Shi Yating feared she could never be. The mere thought of Gu Qingrang taking a liking to Gu Yingying filled her with despair.

Gu Yingying, for her part, was bewildered. She couldn’t understand why Shi Yating was so bent on picking a fight. Things between her and Gu Xuezhen had already been resolved amicably, so what was the point of this hostility? But when Gu Qingrang’s name came up, the pieces finally clicked into place.

Her light brown eyes shifted toward Shi Yating, calm yet sharp, as if trying to decipher the logic behind her behavior.

“Shi Yating, although I may not be the Gu family’s biological daughter, I have a good relationship with my parents and Xuezhen. As for Gu Qingrang, he’s simply my study group leader. What reason do you have to insist I stay away from him? On what grounds? Unless… are you something special to Gu Qingrang?”

In that moment, Gu Yingying couldn’t deny how mischievous she felt. Her words were a thinly veiled provocation, laying bare Shi Yating’s feelings for Gu Qingrang. Of course, such remarks might trouble Gu Qingrang, but… she’d apologize to him later if needed.

Shi Yating was rendered speechless. Her face flushed as the crowd’s attention shifted to her. Gu Yingying’s pointed question caused an instant reaction—realization flickered in the eyes of the onlookers. The confusion over Shi Yating’s sudden hostility toward Gu Yingying now made perfect sense. So, it was jealousy, after all. Gu Qingrang had been sitting with Gu Yingying during lunch, and Shi Yating must have been lashing out because she liked him.

The sentiment of the crowd shifted. Many now saw Gu Yingying as an innocent victim.

Meanwhile, Gu Qingrang, having just finished rinsing his dishes, heard the commotion from afar. Concerned about the noise and the growing crowd, he hurried over. He remembered the teacher’s instructions to look after the new classmate and feared something had happened to Gu Yingying.

As he arrived, he caught the tail end of Gu Yingying’s response and immediately took stock of the scene. His sharp eyes noted the juice stains on Gu Yingying’s and Song Ruoci’s clothes. It didn’t take a genius to piece together what had happened.

Without hesitation, Gu Qingrang stepped forward, placing himself protectively between Gu Yingying, Song Ruoci, and Shi Yating.

“Excuse me, classmate,” Gu Qingrang addressed Shi Yating coldly, “can you explain why you behaved this way toward my classmates? If you don’t provide a reasonable explanation, I’ll have no choice but to notify the student council and the teachers.”

Where bullies often used fists, diligent students wielded far more effective weapons—student councils and teacher interventions.

Gu Qingrang was a second-year student in high school and already a key member of the student council at First High School. His leadership skills were exceptional, which naturally made him the object of admiration for many girls. Especially when he gave speeches with his signature prop—a pair of gold-rimmed glasses without lenses—he managed to effortlessly exude charisma, leaving his admirers swooning, some even joking they’d gladly “slam themselves into a wall for him.”

But more than his charm, Gu Qingrang’s capabilities spoke for themselves. He was fiercely protective of those he cared about, a trait that made him unforgettable. Who would have thought that this model student, for the sake of protecting his classmates from bullies, had once led the boys in his class into an all-out brawl?

When it came to standing up for his own, Gu Qingrang had no equal.

This was why, standing so close to him now—less than a meter away—Shi Yating felt her heart racing. Words caught in her throat as her face flushed crimson. She wanted to explain, to justify her actions, but nothing came out. The last thing she wanted was for the boy she liked to see her as cruel or malicious.

And yet, she knew deep down that her actions had been wrong.

Why? Why was everyone still so drawn to Gu Yingying? She wasn’t even the Gu family’s heiress anymore!

Shi Yating failed to see what everyone else did: some people’s charm wasn’t tied to their status. Gu Yingying had a way of effortlessly winning others over with her sweet, genuine nature. Though clumsy and a little scatterbrained, her eager-to-learn attitude and warm disposition had quickly endeared her to her new classmates in Class 2, both boys and girls alike. Naturally, they wanted to protect her.

“Gu Qingrang, I… I was just—” Shi Yating stammered, struggling to defend herself. Her eyes filled with a desperate plea as she looked at him, silently begging for understanding or even a hint of warmth.

But Gu Qingrang, ever the defender of his own, was unfazed. He was focused on the situation, not her expectations.

Just as the crowd waited with bated breath to see how he would handle things, a sudden voice broke through the murmuring chaos. The unexpected sound left everyone—including the onlookers—momentarily stunned.

“What’s going on here? Why are you all gathered around and not eating?”

A familiar, almost devilish voice rang out. All the students turned their attention toward the source of the voice. It was none other than the principal of First Experimental High School. Though the principal was generally very kind and caring toward the students, everyone affectionately referred to him as “The Devil Principal”—and it wasn’t meant as an insult.

The nickname had been earned from the principal’s tradition of leading the school’s military training during each school year. Even at over sixty years old, this man was more energetic and lively than the younger students, putting them to shame during the training. As a result, students couldn’t help but grumble through the grueling experience, leading to the lighthearted moniker of “The Devil Principal.”

Some students secretly wondered if the principal had graduated from a military school. How else could he still have abs at over sixty years old?

Standing beside the “Devil Principal” was a man in a sharp suit. As soon as Gu Yingying saw him, her eyes lit up. This man was none other than Qin Yusen, the same person she’d predicted would face danger today. Now that he seemed to be fine, Gu Yingying relaxed. However, her eyes remained fixed on him, unable to tear herself away.

Qin Yusen noticed the bright glint in Gu Yingying’s eyes. He had already developed some affection for her, but seeing her excited, concerned gaze filled him with a mix of emotions. Remembering that she was his biological sister, he felt a stirring in his heart. Still, this man, who had long become accustomed to suppressing his emotions, showed no signs of it on his face.

As the leader of the student council, Gu Qingran quickly explained what had happened, and the surrounding classmates boldly chimed in, informing both the principal and Qin Yusen that it was Shi Yating who had been bullying Gu Yingying.

Had Gu Yingying not moved quickly, the juice wouldn’t have splashed on her body—it would have landed directly on her head.

The principal hadn’t expected this. After all the effort Qin Yusen had gone through to find his biological sister, he hadn’t anticipated that she would be bullied by a classmate. Unsure of how to handle the situation, the principal paused and thought it over.

Just then, the cold-faced man in the suit, who clearly looked like someone not to be trifled with, walked directly to the table, picked up a plate of leftover food, and swiftly poured it over Shi Yating’s head before anyone could react. Food poured from her head as she stood frozen, the entire cafeteria stunned into silence. After what felt like an eternity, Shi Yating finally let out a loud scream.

The principal sighed, knowing the situation could have been much worse. If Qin Yusen had acted outside the school, Shi Yating not only would have faced repercussions at school, but her family could also have faced financial ruin. Yet, as the principal, seeing one of his students bullying another left him with little choice but to remain helpless in the moment.

Qin Yusen calmly set the plate back down on the table before speaking, his voice as cold and unforgiving as ever.

“Gu Yingying is my biological sister. As for you, young lady, I will have my lawyer send a formal letter to your home. Publicly defaming someone’s reputation is not something to take lightly, and I hope you will reflect on your actions,” Qin Yusen’s voice was cold and stern, an unusual display of emotion from a man who usually spoke little.

Gu Yingying and the surrounding students were taken aback by his words. They were aware, to some extent, of the complicated relationship between Gu Yingying and Gu Xuezhen, which had gone through numerous twists and turns. But now, it seemed… a new chapter was unfolding?

Shi Yating stood there, utterly humiliated, her confidence faltering under the weight of Qin Yusen’s overwhelming presence. His gaze was sharp, like a knife cutting through the air, and his expensive suit only further accentuated his power. The mention of a lawyer’s letter sent a shiver down her spine. Nervously, she glanced towards the principal, hoping for some form of rescue, but there was none.

=^_^=