Chapter 6 Apologize to Jinshu Immediately

The classroom was in an uproar, and the hallway was packed with students watching the commotion.
Lin Jinxiu saw Gu Jinshu getting closer and closer, and she kept retreating until she accidentally tripped, tumbling from the classroom doorway all the way to the wall in the hallway.
Gu Jinshu looked at her coldly, watching her clumsily get up from the ground. She hadn’t even made a move yet, and Lin Jinxiu was already this scared.

“What are you all doing standing here instead of going back to your classrooms?!”
The voice of the Dean of Students roared like a lion, and the students quickly retreated to their own classroom doors.

“Director Li! Gu Jinshu is here stirring up trouble! You should expel her right away!”
Lin Jinxiu’s eyes lit up when she saw the dean and she hurried forward to strike first with an accusation.

Li Qing pushed up the black-framed glasses on his nose, fixed his eyes on Gu Jinshu, and demanded, “What happened?”

“Director, look at how Gu Jinshu beat us up! Our faces are all scratched,” Lin Jinxiu kept complaining.

Li Qing’s tone was stern:
“Gu Jinshu! Explain yourself! If you can’t explain this clearly today, I’ll expel you on behalf of the school. Our school will never allow a student like you—one with a bad record and poor character—to stay.”

From the original body’s memories, Lin Jinxiu relied on her family’s influence to act with impunity throughout the school, with many teachers even eager to curry favor with her. Li Qing was one of them.
Now he was blindly accusing her without asking questions?
Anyone with eyes could see that Lin Jinxiu and her friends had ganged up on her and failed.

Explain? The ones who should be explaining were Lin Jinxiu and her group.

Gu Jinshu’s voice was calm:
“Lin Jinxiu wanted to ‘teach me a lesson.’ I hope Director Li can handle them fairly and justly.”

“Oh? That’s an interesting way to put it. Who exactly was teaching whom a lesson?”
Li Qing gave a cold chuckle and pointed at the injuries on Lin Jinxiu and her friends’ faces.
“They’re the ones injured, and you look fine. And you dare to talk nonsense? Gu Jinshu! Don’t think I won’t touch you just because your parents are retired professors from this school! Apologize to Jinxiu immediately and cover her medical expenses, and we’ll let the matter go. Otherwise, you’re expelled.”

Hearing this, Lin Jinxiu instinctively lifted her chin, waiting for Gu Jinshu’s apology.

“That’s right, for Director Li’s sake, we’ll let it go. Just apologize properly to me.”

“An apology is out of the question,” Gu Jinshu refused outright. She looked up at Li Qing:
“Director Li, as the Dean of Students, you’re awfully diligent at currying favor with students!”

Li Qing’s face darkened. In front of so many students, Gu Jinshu was openly accusing him of fawning over Lin Jinxiu and her family.

“Pack your things and get out—” he shouted.

Gu Jinshu stood her ground, arms crossed.
“As far as I know, the people with the real authority in this school are the vice principal and the principal. They’re the only ones qualified to expel a student. Your words don’t count.”

Li Qing’s authority had been challenged. He clenched his fists.
“Gu Jinshu!”

A light cough sounded.

Li Qing turned and saw Professor Zhang approaching. He immediately put on a flattering smile.
“Professor Zhang, what brings you here?”

Zhang Pingtian had his hands clasped behind his back, brows furrowed.
“What’s going on here?”

“It’s nothing—just a disobedient student I’m planning to expel. You can go about your business, Professor Zhang,” Li Qing said briskly.

Zhang Pingtian’s gaze fell on Gu Jinshu, his voice giving away no emotion:
“You speak.”

Gu Jinshu understood the teacher was standing up for her.
“Just now, when I was going back to class to study, Lin Jinxiu suddenly blocked me with her friends, saying she wanted to teach me a lesson. Director Li didn’t ask for the reason, just assumed I injured them and decided I was causing trouble, wanting to expel me.”

“Professor Zhang, there’s no need for you to trouble yourself with such a small matter. I’ll handle it,” Li Qing cut in quickly.

But before he could continue, Zhang Pingtian’s next words stopped him cold:
“Who gave you the authority to expel students?”

Li Qing froze. Who gave it to him? As Dean of Students, didn’t he have that right?

“Professor Zhang, you usually don’t concern yourself with these trivial matters. This is just a student quarrel, and I can take care of it.”

“So what you mean is, this has nothing to do with me, and I should stay out of it?” Zhang Pingtian glared at him.

Li Qing: “…”

It did have nothing to do with him! Since when did he meddle in such things? Today was truly strange!

“Professor Zhang, maybe we should talk privately,” Li Qing suggested, thinking Zhang must be old and unaware of Lin Jinxiu’s background.

Zhang Pingtian reluctantly followed him a couple of steps. Li Qing looked around deliberately, lowered his voice, and said:
“Professor Zhang, do you know who Lin Jinxiu’s father is? She’s not someone we can afford to offend. The best way to handle this is to expel Gu Jinshu! Later, if the Gu family’s two retired professors come to me, I’ll explain everything and they’ll understand.”

“You get what I mean?”

“Li Qing! In my opinion, you as the Dean of Students have done nothing to truly educate the students. I can directly request the principal to dismiss you.”

Zhang Pingtian’s voice wasn’t lowered at all. He gave a cold laugh.
“What? Since when is a school—a place for teaching and nurturing—so unreasonable? It’s clear Lin Jinxiu and her friends tried to bully Jinshu, yet you want to make Jinshu drop out? Is this your teacher’s ethics?”

Lin Jinxiu frowned tightly. Why wasn’t this old man taking her side? Could it be that he didn’t know her father’s identity?

“P–Professor Zhang,” Li Qing was stunned speechless.

The corner of Gu Jinshu’s lips tugged upward.

“Lin Jinxiu?” Zhang Pingtian repeated the name.
“A fine-sounding name, but it doesn’t suit you. I’ve never seen such a vicious young lady.”

Lin Jinxiu: “…”

Li Qing was inwardly screaming It’s over, it’s over. Did this old man even realize what he was saying? Instead of avoiding offending Gu Jinshu, he was now offending Lin Jinxiu!

“Director Li, I’ll report this to the principal. If even the principal can’t tell right from wrong, then my student and I will leave together—no need for you to drive us out.”

Zhang Pingtian gave a cold snort, then looked at Gu Jinshu:
“Come stay at my place. I won’t have you being bullied in the dorm. If anyone dares to bully you again, I’ll be the first not to forgive them!”

Li Qing’s face turned deathly pale.
Zhang Pingtian leaving the school? This time they might really be doomed!
Between Zhang Pingtian and Lin Jinxiu? No way the school would risk losing their “star name” over one rotten apple.

“Jinxiu, apologize. Apologize to Jinshu right now.”