Yuki

3:40 PM

Xin Wang High School Faculty Office

“Let me confirm again, what is your relationship to student You Xi?”

“Oh, I’m her adopt—”

You Dong was about to say the words “adoptive father” but stopped when he saw You Xi glaring at him with an indescribably fierce gaze.
So, he could only swallow the half-spoken words back down.

“I’m her uncle, and currently her guardian,” he said.

The female teacher who had just asked the question nodded as if she vaguely understood, letting out a hesitant “Oh.”

The young man before her looked to be in his twenties or thirties at most, yet he claimed to be a high school student’s “guardian.”
There was definitely something strange about it.

She sensed that You Xi’s family situation was rather complex, but now was not the time to gossip about a student’s family background.

“I’m so sorry to have called you here during your busy schedule. I explained on the phone just now, You Xi hit someone, and she hit them very hard. There was even blood.”

“What? There was blood?!”

You Dong was startled and unconsciously cried out.

The quiet atmosphere was suddenly broken.
The other teachers in the office stopped what they were doing and cast assessing gazes at the three of them.

“What are you yelling about? Are you an idiot?”

As if ashamed of You Dong’s behavior, You Xi grumbled in dissatisfaction.

“You Xi, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?” You Dong hurriedly checked.

“None of your business.”

“What kind of thing is that to say? How could I not be concerned?”

As he spoke, he carefully examined his niece’s condition.

Fortunately, apart from some dust on her school uniform skirt, she showed no signs of injury.
You Dong breathed a sigh of relief.

“Fighting is not good, okay? You Xi, you’re a girl. Girls can’t be so rough.”

“What’s it got to do with you?”

“How could it not have anything to do with me? I’m your guardian, after all.”

“Hmph, I never acknowledged that.”

“This isn’t a matter of whether you acknowledge it or not.”

You Dong repeated the words he had said countless times in a calm tone.

“Your mother was my biological sister, which makes me your biological uncle. From both a moral and legal standpoint, I must be responsible for you and your actions, at least until you’re an adult, understand?”

Hearing his words, You Xi’s expression clearly turned even uglier.

“Don’t bring Mom into this!”

She glared at You Dong again with hostile eyes.
If looks could kill, he would have been pierced through countless times by now.

“Then, please disappear from my sight the moment I turn eighteen. I don’t want to see you anymore!”

“That’s not happening either,” You Dong shook his head.

“Why not? You’re so annoying!”

“I can’t stop looking after you until you have the means to support yourself and have become an outstanding adult.”

“Ha?” You Xi was so angry her eyebrows shot up.

“You’re meddling too much! Who do you think you are to me?”

“I told you, I’m your uncle, your guardian,” You Dong said tirelessly.

“Go to hell!”

“You can say things like that to me, and it doesn’t matter, but you must never say them to anyone else, okay? It will bring trouble upon yourself. See, the reason you get into fights with others is probably because you can’t hold your tongue,” You Dong analyzed.

“I’m going to kill you.”

“You Xi.”

Hearing her say that, You Dong’s expression immediately became serious.

“I’m about to get angry, you know?”

“I don’t remember your mother ever teaching you to be so rude. Who did you learn this from?”

“I told you, it has nothing to do with Mom!”

You Xi clenched her fists, her teeth grinding together.
From her posture, it wouldn’t be surprising if she threw a punch at someone’s face the very next second.

“You two.”

Just as the volcano was about to erupt, Teacher Li cautiously intervened in their conversation.

“…Um, I called you here to solve a problem. Could you please not argue here?”

“Sorry, I lost my composure.”

You Dong gave an ashamed smile and continued:

“However, since we’re here to solve the problem, shouldn’t we call that other student over as well? Let’s all sit down and talk. Why did you fight? If there’s a conflict, we should resolve it, right?”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” Teacher Li shook her head.

“Why not?” You Dong asked.

“Because that student has been taken to the hospital by her parents.”

“Huh?”

You Dong was stunned.
He glanced at You Xi.
The latter had her arms crossed, striking a victor’s pose, her chin lifted proudly.

“I didn’t expect you to be so fierce.”

“Hmph, she was just too weak.”

“…Ugh, well, it’s better than losing the fight,” You Dong comforted himself in a low voice.

“What are you talking about!”

Teacher Li shot a glare at You Dong, her face showing her displeasure. “Winning or losing, fighting is always wrong!”

“You’re right, fighting is wrong.”

Realizing he had said something inappropriate, You Dong could only bow repeatedly in apology.

“What’s the point of fighting? Fighting hurts feelings, hurts bodies, and hurts parents’ wallets. Classmates should get along with love and friendship!”

Next, the homeroom teacher explained the whole story to You Dong.

Apparently, You Xi had hit a girl in her class named Mo Li, claiming that Mo Li was bullying a classmate.

“In short, this matter can be big or small,” Teacher Li said. “It mainly depends on what the other parents do. If they don’t file a complaint or call the police, then student You Xi will only get a minor demerit and have to reflect at home for a few days. So, your attitude and sincerity are very important.”

“I see. I’ll send you their number. You should take You Xi to the hospital to visit and apologize first. She won’t need to attend class for the next few days. Then…”

At this point, Teacher Li glanced at the two of them, a complex emotion in her eyes.

“As for whether Mo Li was actually bullying a classmate, the school will investigate thoroughly.”

“Investigate? But isn’t it obvious that it’s bullying?” You Xi asked, surprised.

“For a private high school like ours that values its reputation so much, bullying is a very, very serious teaching incident. The school needs to conduct a rigorous investigation and gather evidence before making a final judgment,” the teacher explained.

“Still need to gather evidence?” You Xi’s voice shot up an octave. “There were so many classmates there that day!”

“…Oh, I get it.”

Suddenly, You Xi put on a look of sudden realization and said, “I see, you’re just afraid that if this gets out, it will affect the school’s reputa—”

Seeing that she was about to say something dangerous, You Dong quickly pressed down on You Xi’s head with his hand, applying a little force, and the two of them bowed deeply to the teacher at the same time.

“Thank you so much, teacher! Thank you! It’s You Xi’s good fortune to have a wonderful teacher like you!”

“What are you doing! Don’t touch my hair! So annoying!”

You Xi tried to push You Dong away, but the difference in their arm reach was too great. Her arms could only flail wildly in the empty air.

After leaving the office, the two of them walked one after the other to the parking lot.

Shima unlocked a red Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio with his key.
You Xi opened the car door without a word and slid directly into the back seat.

Releasing the handbrake and shifting into gear, You Dong slowly drove the Quadrifoglio away from the school.

‘When we get to the hospital, how am I going to face that injured Mo Li and her parents?’

‘Their daughter was beaten up, so they must be furious right now. What should I say, what should I do to gain their understanding and compensate the victim?’

Honestly, he had no clue.

Through the rearview mirror above, he saw You Xi lying back on the rear seat in a very relaxed posture.

She wasn’t engrossed in her phone as usual.
Instead, her eyes were fixed on the car ceiling, looking pensive.

‘Is she reflecting? It would be great if she really is.’

You Dong knew very well that under the immense blow of losing her parents, the girl’s personality had become somewhat extreme and eccentric.
Coupled with the fact that she was sixteen this year, right in the middle of her rebellious phase, she was always dissatisfied with everything around her and hostile towards the words and actions of adults.
In their daily lives, although they ate and lived together, they rarely communicated.
Even when they did speak, it was mostly bickering like just now.

The journey was silent.
Fortunately, the heavy roar of the Quadrifoglio’s V6 engine filled the car, preventing the atmosphere from becoming too awkward.

“You Xi. We’re almost at the hospital, you—”

“W-wait a minute!”

Finally, You Dong couldn’t help but speak.
However, to his surprise, his niece suddenly became agitated for some reason.

He glanced back and saw You Xi holding her phone, staring at the screen with a tense and serious expression.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Stop the car, I want to get out,” You Xi said.

“What do you mean? Aren’t we going to the hospital to visit Mo Li?”

“I know, but…”

You Xi bit her lip, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn’t.

Seeing his niece like this, You Dong could only try to persuade her patiently:

“You Xi, I don’t want to make this sound too serious.”

“You’re a high school student, not a little kid anymore, right? When you do something wrong, you have to take responsibility and make amends. I can understand that you’re scared right now and unwilling to face all this, so I’ll go with you. No matter what happens, your uncle will always be on your side, okay?”

He thought You Xi was afraid of going to the hospital, afraid of facing Mo Li, and afraid of facing the harsh criticism and anger of her parents.
However, what You Xi said next was completely unexpected.

“I have something very important to take care of… I can’t go to the hospital.”

Honestly, in that moment, You Dong was truly angry.

He wanted to yell at her, even wanted to punch the steering wheel.
But he knew in his heart that being harsh with a rebellious teenager like You Xi would only backfire.

“Is there something that has to be done right now?” he asked patiently.

“Yeah.”

You Xi nodded.

“Can I help?”

“…”

You Xi shook her head.

“Uncle.”

Not “hey,” not “you.”

You Xi called out the title with a slightly unfamiliar, even shy tone.

“Can you just trust me this once?”

You Dong jerked the steering wheel, straightened it out, and then stepped on the brake pedal.

“—Screeech!”

The six-piston calipers closed, and the brake pads grinding against the carbon-ceramic discs let out a sharp screech.
Then, the Quadrifoglio came to a steady stop by the sidewalk.

“Keep in touch, and call me immediately if you need anything!”