Chapter 31: The Outcome (3)

As the silence stretched, Su Ting stood up and said: “Teacher Duan, set a time. It’s best to do it during break time and call all the teachers in the office to witness it. Oh, by the way, is Principal Jiang around? I’ll go talk to her and see if she can be a witness as well, that way—”  

Seeing that Su Ting was actually planning to find the principal, Duan Xiaoying hurriedly interrupted: “I agree to let He Yan return to the choir program!”  

Su Ting stopped in her tracks and turned slightly to look at Duan Xiaoying. “So Teacher Duan admits that He Yan sings well?”  

“I…” Duan Xiaoying opened her mouth but could not say anything.  

She had just claimed that He Yan did not sing well, and now she was going back on her words. What would people think of her?  

“Ring, ring, ring—”  

The school bell rang at that moment, and Duan Xiaoying’s eyes lit up instantly. “Class is starting.”  

All the teachers in the office heard the bell and her reminder, but very few moved. They had not finished watching the drama unfold.  

Chen Lin, unwilling to see her friend sink deeper into trouble, quickly took action and said: “Alright, alright, everyone, hurry up and get to class. If Principal Jiang sees that none of us have gone to our classes, she’ll definitely say we’re fooling around.”

These words struck a chord with everyone. Principal Jiang had a stern personality and took work very seriously. If she found out that they had delayed class just to watch a spectacle… The thought made everyone shudder, and they finally started moving.  

Duan Xiaoying seized the opportunity and said: “Comrade Su, I have a class coming up later. You see…”  

Su Ting nodded readily. “Sure, you go to class. I’ll go talk to Principal Jiang about this matter.”  

Duan Xiaoying’s voice abruptly stopped. She stood frozen, staring directly at Su Ting. However, Su Ting remained unfazed and calmly met her gaze.  

The teachers in the office, who were gathering their lesson plans, all held their breath. They deliberately slowed their movements, hoping to see how this would play out before heading to class.  

Before Duan Xiaoying could say anything else, Principal Jiang appeared outside the window. Seeing that the office was still full of people, she walked to the door with a stern expression and asked: “The class bell has been ringing for quite a while. Why are you all still standing here?”  

After speaking, she noticed Su Ting standing among the teachers and asked in surprise: “Comrade Su, what brings you here?”  

“I—”  

Su Ting had just begun to speak when Duan Xiaoying quickly interjected: “I’ve thought it over. Since Teacher Wang believes that He Yan sings well, he can be the lead singer for the performance at the festival. Comrade Su, are you satisfied now?”  

Duan Xiaoying believed she had taken a step back. If Su Ting had any sense of courtesy, she should also back down and stop being so aggressive.  

Clearly, Su Ting was not one for courtesy. She showed no intention of letting the matter slide and instead looked at Duan Xiaoying as she asked: “It’s great that Teacher Duan has agreed to let Xiao Yan be the lead singer. But I want a promise from you—going forward, there won’t be any more cases where you personally decide he doesn’t sing well and remove him from the program, will there?”  

Noticing the principal’s scrutinizing gaze, Duan Xiaoying gritted her teeth and responded: “Of course.”  

“That’s good to hear.” Su Ting said with satisfaction.  

Duan Xiaoying let out a long breath. Although she had suffered a crushing defeat today, and the news of this incident might damage her reputation, at least it had not escalated to the principal’s attention…  

But just as she was about to fully exhale in relief, she heard Su Ting say: “Principal Jiang, I’d also like to discuss transferring my child to a different class. When would be a convenient time for you?”  

“Su Ting!”  

Duan Xiaoying abruptly lifted her head. “Don’t go too far!”  

“If Teacher Duan hadn’t let personal bias affect her decisions against a student, I wouldn’t be considering a class transfer.” Su Ting said indifferently.  

Duan Xiaoying was so furious she nearly choked on her own breath. She vehemently denied: “When have I ever targeted He Yan?”  

Su Ting did not respond. Instead, she turned her gaze toward Principal Jiang, waiting for her response.  

Following Su Ting’s gaze, Duan Xiaoying noticed the principal standing at the door. Panicked, she quickly tried to explain: “Principal, I didn’t!”  

However, Principal Jiang ignored her protest and simply said to Su Ting: “Come to my office. As for the rest of you, if you have classes, go teach. Don’t waste the students’ time.”  

The teachers all responded in unison: “Yes.”  

Duan Xiaoying still wanted to speak, but Principal Jiang cut her off. “You should also go to class. We’ll discuss this matter later.”  

With that, Principal Jiang turned and left the office. Su Ting immediately followed, her figure quickly disappearing beyond the window.  

As soon as they were gone, the frustration and resentment that Duan Xiaoying had been suppressing finally showed on her face. Yet, beneath her unwillingness, there was also a faint trace of fear.

Chen Lin saw everything and gently patted Duan Xiaoying’s shoulder, comforting her: “Principal Jiang definitely won’t just listen to her one-sided words. Don’t worry too much.”

Duan Xiaoying forced a smile.

Su Ting’s mouth could twist white into black, turn the dead into the living—would Principal Jiang really not be swayed by her?

Besides, Su Ting wasn’t wrong. She had indeed acted out of personal interest when she removed He Yan from the program. Sitting on the bench, Duan Xiaoying fell into deep anxiety.

…

The principal’s office was located behind the teachers’ offices.

That row of buildings was rather unique. Originally built as dormitories and storage rooms, the bedrooms were generally only a quarter of the usual size. Take Principal Jiang’s office, for example—it contained a filing cabinet, a desk, a tea table, and a few stools, just enough to fit the space.

After inviting Su Ting to sit, Principal Jiang picked up an empty cup from the tea table and asked: “Is plain water okay?”

Su Ting quickly waved her hand. “I’m not thirsty, no need to trouble yourself.”

Principal Jiang smiled, but still poured Su Ting a glass of water before filling his own teacup. Only then did he sit behind his desk and ask: “You just said that Teacher Duan was targeting your child out of personal bias?”

Su Ting nodded. “That’s what I believe.”

“Can you explain why you think so?”

“It’s like this…” Su Ting kept her words as concise as possible while explaining the situation. However, she didn’t forget to play the sympathy card, painting He Yan as a pitiful child.

As Principal Jiang listened, he gradually leaned back into his chair. He only spoke once Su Ting had finished. “I understand your concerns. But is it fair to conclude that Teacher Duan was targeting He Yan just because of this one mistake? Isn’t that a bit too arbitrary?”

“Principal Jiang, I didn’t come to you to file a complaint or ask you to punish Teacher Duan. My request is for He Yan to be transferred to another class. Yes, maybe I’m overthinking things, and maybe Teacher Duan wasn’t deliberately targeting He Yan. But I’m a mother. Please forgive me—I just can’t entrust my child to someone I don’t trust.”

After showing vulnerability, Su Ting shifted her tone. “Besides, do you know what reason she initially gave He Yan for making him withdraw from the program?”

Hadn’t she just said it?

Principal Jiang was puzzled but still repeated the explanation she had previously given. “Because He Yan was unwilling to participate in the beginning?”

“Yes. She said that since He Yan was reluctant at first, she had to find a replacement for him. She even told him that opportunities belong to those who are prepared, and that he was the one who let the opportunity slip away.” Su Ting let out a light scoff. “She wanted to kick He Yan out for her own selfish reasons, yet she pushed all the blame onto a child. Yesterday, when Dongchuan asked him about it, he was still regretting it, saying he shouldn’t have refused to go on stage at the start. Principal Jiang, do you understand what this means?”

If this were fifty years later, Su Ting would have directly said that Duan Xiaoying was manipulating He Yan. But right now, she couldn’t think of a suitable term, so she simply concluded: “I really can’t entrust my child to a teacher who harbors such malice toward him. Principal Jiang, please understand me.”

Hearing this, Principal Jiang could no longer find any reason to refuse. With a sigh, she said: “I will talk to Teacher Huang from Class One about this and arrange a seat for He Yan. As for Teacher Duan… I will have a serious conversation with her. If I confirm that she was targeting He Yan, I will give you a proper explanation.”

“Alright.”

Su Ting agreed with a smile, but she didn’t hold much hope that Duan Xiaoying would actually face any consequences.

The worst mistake Duan Xiaoying had made this time was the so-called verbal manipulation Su Ting had accused her of. However, even fifty years later, defining such behavior as a crime would still be difficult, let alone now, when people had no concept of it.

Moreover, she had neither a recording nor chat logs—no concrete evidence to prove Duan Xiaoying had done anything wrong. Being able to persuade Principal Jiang with words alone, earning enough sympathy to get He Yan transferred, was already an accomplishment. As for getting Principal Jiang to punish Duan Xiaoying, she considered that practically impossible.

But securing the transfer was good enough. She knew Teacher Huang from Class One—she was easygoing. With He Yan under her care, at least there was no need to worry about him being unfairly treated in the future.

Of course, Su Ting hadn’t forgotten the most important issue. “Now that Xiao Yan is transferring classes, what about his participation in the choir performance?”

“No changes.”

“Teacher Duan just said she wanted him to be the lead singer.” Under Principal Jiang’s rather intimidating gaze, Su Ting braced herself and explained: “Yesterday at noon, Xiao Yan told me that Teacher Wang praised his singing. If not for all this drama, Teacher Wang originally intended for him to be the lead.”

Principal Jiang rubbed her forehead and said: “The lead singer position remains unchanged as well. Satisfied now?”

“Satisfied!” Su Ting nodded vigorously. “With your word, I can rest assured. Well… if there’s nothing else, I’ll be heading back?”

“Hurry up and go.”

Principal Jiang waved her off, feeling exasperated. She truly hadn’t expected that He Dongchuan, such a cold and serious man, would marry a wife like this—someone who was so adept at pushing her limits.

But looking at it from another angle, the two of them did seem to complement each other. One was as cold as ice, the other as fiery as a flame. With that balance, perhaps they could make their marriage work.

If Su Ting knew what Principal Jiang was thinking, she would definitely urge her to get her eyes checked. Cold and indifferent? How was He Dongchuan cold?

But in another sense, the statement wasn’t entirely wrong. After all, in bed, the one who was fiery was He Dongchuan, while the one who was cold as ice… was her.

…